A recent marketing campaign turned Boston bomb scare exposes the fragmentation and generational divides that modern day marketers are confronting. There intent is to cut through the noise in an effort to present relevant messages to people who care. To do this successfully they must increasingly find ways to reach smaller and smaller niche audiences with more and more relevant content.
Cartoon Network's Adult Swim is a pipeline into the hearts, minds, and wallets of the 18-24 and 18-34 adult population coveted by the advertising industry. Aqua Teen Hunger Force, one of CN's shows has been so popular it supported a recent spin-off movie.
And that leads us back to a clever idea for a Gorilla Marketing campaign gone bad. As part of a larger campaign to promote the new ATHF movie, light-up signs of the show's characters were placed around the city of Boston.
At first it appeared that the campaign was set up for success but a fragmented audience responded in ways the marketers hadn't anticipated.
The Boston Globe exposed the fragmentation in its piece "Marketing Gambit Exposes a Wide Generation Gap." The author pointed out that people like Todd Vanderlin, a 22-year-old design student, were photographing the signs and blogging about the campaign just as anticipated.
Unfortunately on the other end of the market spectrum a subway worker less hip to the ways of gorilla marketing and Adult Swim called the police after spotting one of the "Aqua Teen Hunger Force" cartoon characters on an overpass in Charlestown Massachusetts. What followed was a terrorism scare and a massive police response that practically shut down the city of Boston.
hair cuts in the 70s–we really want to discuss the style of them".
MIT's John Maeda to Become RISDs 16th President!
Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) Board of Trustees of announced today that John Maeda, Associate Director of Research at the MIT Media Lab, has accepted their offer to become the 16th president of RISD.
Finally, tattoos for my consumer electronics! [Adafruit Industries Laser Etching] Not sure if they do piercings!? See it in action!! See galleries here.


Ever since I was given a kung fu costume, aged about 11, I had wanted to emulate Bruce. But it was not until a couple of decades later that I finally joined Errol Williams' Tae Kwon Do club, which convenes at various venues on the east side of London. This twenty year period of procrastination has cost me a lot of agony - mostly in the hip area - and the benefit of many years of track and field training does not seem to have helped much.


text:
Sounds of the Underground #17
July 13, 2015 Guido	Leave a comment
I'm revamping and reinvigorating my sounds of the underground with cool releases in different genres. This time I'm presenting you Oake, Robyn Cage, L'Enfant De La Forêt and Nordic Giants.
Oake – Auferstehung
source: deejay.de
I've been reading a new magazine and it is exposing me to a lot of new music, that I wasn't familiar with before. I've started listening to Oake, a duo that just happened to stumble upon cold electronics and industrial through a shared passion for the sound. Clinging to their hardcore and metal roots, they created a sound that has an uncanny resemblance to early industrial bands, adding a clear cut clean sound to that vibe.
The result is bleak and atmospheric industrial, leaning towards the experimental with scraping, slow elements but also the vocals of Bathseba Zippora adding an eerie vibe to the songs. The music is made by Eric Goldstein, who's been around the scene for years. The music is repetitive, but always foreboding, creating a tension that feels like the climax is never far away. Pounding and splashing beats give that cold industrial feel to it that reminds you of Cocteau Twins and Coil, though the band claims to not have known about these groups. They evoka a mythic feel and organic vibe with their industrial sound, which is helped by the mysterious titles and vocals. A pleasure to listen to.
Robyn Cage – Tales of a Thief
source: robyncage.com
Robyn Cage is a singer-songwriter from Utah, with a pleasant sound and nice voice. This EP has a thin layer of fantasy weaved in the lyrics, Generally the feeling of the music is mellow and folky. Then again carnavalesque and slightly haunting. This is not an album for singer-songwriter fans, but lovers of stories in song, because that is what Cage is doing on this record. Telling small stories in a theatric manner, showing of her voice at times.
Personally, songs like 'Theatre Noire' don't appeal to me in that. For me 'The Arsonist & The Thief' is the nicest song, due to its wordplay. It's very enjoyable. Somewhere this nice lady reminds me of the stuff I used to listen to, with the playful vibe of Regina Spektor and a dab of Florence and the Machine. Quirky yet never a joke, this is definitely a nice record to listen on your own when you need to relax to some Vaudevillean tunes.
L'enfant De La Forêt – Abraxas
Source: Bancamp
Dark ambient filled with plenty of other influence, Abraxas is a dark entity. I picked this up as a random bandcamp I hit on the search field and this new release seemed to embody a bit of the black metal exterior that I enjoy. Found at the crossroads between industrial, trip hop and noise, this is an interesting find indeed. The man behind L'enfant Du Forêt is James Kent making this a one man project, which in a way even surprised me regarding the variety on the record.
I feel the vibe of some old, darker dubstep stuff and mayb a bit of that first the xx record in the laid back, throbbing vibe of the tracks. Ok, I did expect for a moment during the song 'Pessimist' to hear Falco start his 'Jeannie'. The play with the quality is quit interesting in that track, taking it back to a bare sound, before launching into a fuller atmospheric sound with. The atmosphere at time is like that on the Burzum prison albums. That sound of desolation and mystery is quite amazing and captivating. Surprising finisher is 'The Rope', a bleak, soundscape twisting doom track with a blackened taste to it.
Nordic Giants – A Séance Of Dark Delusions
Source: bandcamp
When a band can make you taste the Nordic wastelands, they are surely doing something right. It's a part of their total art product, combining, film, performance, sound, costumes and vibe to a complete experience and I had never heard of them before. The duo hails from England and has been slowly conquering souls and minds with their amazing postrock albums since 2010. This is the most recent accomplishment, to be streamed on the more popular stations.
Orchestral and big, illed with detail, atmosphere and rising patterns, the vocals are samples that usually convey messages. It adds a layer of intensity, due to the nature of these samples. If they wouldn't be there, the music still would be beautiful though. When the band does use vocals, they offer a whole new spectrum to the organic sound. Like on 'Rapture', which can be considered the peak of the mountain that is this record. Think Sigur Rós, think Explosions in the Sky and add a bit of Sólstafir to that mix and you have this excellent band. So when are they playing nearby? The album is one long journey through wide and spacious lands, haunting, impressive and beautiful. Don't miss out on it.
ambientindustrialL'enfant Du ForêtmusicNordic GiantsOakepostrockRobyn Cagesinger-songwriterunderground
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


libgcrypt's fault. Using openssl instead finally solved the problem.
Specially when they are very new to the library (like me).
Next message: Peter Stuge: "Re: sftp functions leaking memory?"
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Find, wash and take care of the lucky duck today. He is a delightful presence and you need to prove you are a great help around, helping him fin a nice pond to play in, as well as keeping him safe. This care-taking game is unlike those duck hunting games, where you don't actually take care of the little ducklings. So this cute one is really a lucky duck, right?


Bitcoin770 is a globally recognized supplier of electronic products and accessories to the global market. Our portfolio includes the finest quality of electronic and computer accessories in their respective price category, and has widespread distribution throughout the world. Our team of sales professionals make it possible to sell our products to both remote areas, and central markets throughout the world. Our company is renowned for excellent account service and market penetration. We are able to supply all of your electronic needs with the highest quality products at the best prices.


Orange's Grant Gossard shoots over Hayes' Zach McIntire (11) and Sam Midura during the second half of Friday's OCC-Capital Division showdown in Delaware.
Hayes' Jake Bourget fires a pass around Orange's Alex Eha (4) during the first half of Friday's game in Delaware.
Colin Shepherd scored nine points in overtime and 22 points overall to fuel Olentangy Orange in a 58-47 win at Delaware Hayes to stay undefeated in OCC-Capital boys basketball play Friday night.
The Pioneers never led in regulation, but Cam Barron's old-fashioned three-point play with 1:18 left finally tied the game and ultimately sent it to overtime.
Grant Gossard's bunny in the lane on the first possession of overtime gave Orange its first lead and Shepherd and Barron followed with threes on successive possessions to help the Pioneers to an 8-0 spurt to open overtime.
Shepherd went 6-for-6 at the free throw line in the extra period to seal the win for Orange (7-0, 4-0 OCC). He also chipped in three boards and two assists.
The Pacers opened 8-2 thanks to a pair of three-pointers by freshman Terin Kinsway, and built the lead up to 25-13 after another Kinsway basket in the second quarter capped an 8-0 run.
"Delaware shot the ball well in the first half. We tried to speed them up, but they played the way they were supposed to play, so credit to them," Shepherd said.
But Orange kept chipping away, which started with a 7-2 run to close the first half 27-20, and 6-2 down the stretch to finally pull even.
Gossard scored 16 points for the Pioneers and led them with seven rebounds, five blocks and three steals. Evan Lewis added nine points.
Hayes (2-4, 1-2) held the ball for the final shot after a timeout with 59 seconds left in the fourth. Zach McIntire drove the lane and tried to feed it to Sam Midura on the right side, but it was deflected. Kinsway recovered just inside the three-point arc on the wing and tried to get a shot off, but Gossard recovered quickly and blocked it out of bounds with 0.5 seconds left. The Pacers didn't get a shot off before the buzzer.
Shepherd, who was held to three points in the first half, scored six of the Pioneers' seven points in the third period.
McIntire led Hayes with 16 points and had six rebounds. Kinsway had 13 points, three rebounds and two assists and Jake Bourget added 12 points and a pair of steals for the Pacers. Sam Midura led Hayes with seven rebounds.
The win keeps Orange ahead of the OCC-Capital pack, namely Mount Vernon, New Albany and Worthington Kilbourne, who all won Friday to stay within a game in the loss column.
It's also the Pioneers' first win against Hayes since Feb. 17, 2012, snapping a six game losing streak.
Hayes plays its third game of the week tonight at Teays Valley. Tip is scheduled for 6 p.m.
Orange, meanwhile, plays back-to-back nights before the holiday break. The Pioneers begin with OCC-Capital foe Franklin Heights Tuesday night at 7:30 p.m.
The Eagles shook off a slow start with a huge third quarter, outscoring host Madison Christian 25-8 to flip a 28-23 halftime deficit into a nice cushion heading into the fourth.
DCS (3-3, 3-0 MOCAL) had 11 offensive rebounds and seven three-pointers in the game-changing third.
Daniel Gaudio led nine DCS scorers with 15 points, followed by Adam Standley and Drew Sedoti, who had 14 and 10, respectively.
Also: Liberty 61, Westland 49; New Albany 70, Olentangy 67, OT; Mount Vernon 50, Big Walnut 33.
http://aimmedianetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2015/12/web1_gossard1.jpgOrange's Grant Gossard shoots over Hayes' Zach McIntire (11) and Sam Midura during the second half of Friday's OCC-Capital Division showdown in Delaware.
http://aimmedianetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2015/12/web1_jake1.jpgHayes' Jake Bourget fires a pass around Orange's Alex Eha (4) during the first half of Friday's game in Delaware.


This section contains tutorials that will guide you through performing a variety of network booting tasks for the first time. You'll need to [[download]] and build gPXE before trying most of them. This section contains tutorials that will guide you through performing a variety of network booting tasks for the first time. You'll need to [[download]] and build gPXE before trying most of them.


Safety v convenience. What do you think?
The new cycleways on Hills Road are frequently blocked by coaches, delivery vehicles, and even council contractors working on the cycleway. While the vehicles are usually not there for long, accidents also happen in a flash.
The County Council is proposing to introduce a loading ban, which would prohibit any parking, even for loading and offloading, at peak times – 7-10 am and 4-7 pm. There would be waivers for removal vans, wedding and funeral vehicles, but not for other vehicles such as supermarket delivery vans.
The County Council has advertised the Traffic Regulation Order in the Cambridge News and with notices in the street attached to lampposts. The deadline for objections has been extended to 19th April.
Send any objections, giving your reasons, to the County Council using the details in the pdf. It is great to have your questions and comments here, but please respond to the TRO to make them count.
Cambridgeshire Lib Dem councillors are relieved that the County Council (Highways and Community Infrastructure Committee has had a change of heart on the axing of the mobile library service and cuts to highways maintenance (eg potholes) and will no longer recommend these cuts to the Council's General Purposes Committee.
We were appalled that the Council was even considering ending the mobile library service. Sometimes the mobile library is the only contact people in rural areas have with the councils. Time and time again when I spent a day on the van, borrowers described it as 'a lifeline'.
Potholes and cracked pavements are amongst the most frequent complaints that councillors receive. They make life so difficult for people tryjng to get about, whether by car, on foot or on a bike. Poor surfaces are particularly dangerous for older people, sometimes resulting in broken bones and hospitalisation. Cutting this budget would have been not only a false economy but a slap in the face for the people of Cambridgeshire, so I'm pleased that the committee saw sense and decided to maintain funding for this core service.
cutting grants to agencies such as the Citizens Advice Bureau — when the need for help with money and benefits grows ever more acute.
We were sorry that Labour councillors sat on their hands for the votes on the streetlighting switch-off, mobile libraries and the CAB grant. What was the point of their being at the meeting if they do not vote?
These cuts will be included in the budget recommendations to the Council's General Purposes Committee, which meets later this month. You can help defend these services by writing to your county councillor.
Q: Why is Cambridgeshire County Council doing this?
A: The County wishes to enhance cycleways in order to meet the needs of the rapidly growing population, which will result in more traffic. The County would like to keep the extra motorised traffic to a minimum and encourage other modes of transport. Similar schemes have substantially increased cycling in other areas, particularly amongst children.
Q: How is it being funded?
A: Through central government's Cycle City Ambition Fund.
A: County Council Highways officers identified Hills and Huntingdon Roads as main routes into Cambridge that would benefit from enhancement. The scheme was first presented to Cambridgeshire County Council's Economy and Environment Committee in May 2014. Councillors deferred it as they were unhappy with elements of the scheme including the floating bus stops, and changes were made. It was passed in July 2014 at the second time of asking, with an undertaking to conduct traffic surveys before and after implementation, an amendment I requested, in order to assess the level of rat-running as a result of the narrower road carriageway. One survey was done last year and another will be done after completion.
Q: Will any trees be felled?
A: The County Council has stated categorically that no trees will be felled. Some pruning of vegetation that encroaches onto the public highway may be necessary.
Q: Will new rubbish bins be provided at bus stops?
A: Providing litter bins is a City Council responsibility. The County Project Team is discussing with City Council about replacement of old bins with new ones and other locations where a new bin may be desirable.
Q: How will works across junction mouths be organised?
A: Junctions are being closed off at weekends to allow works to be safely and quickly undertaken. Letterdrops to residents and advanced warning notices inform those affected at least one week in advance.
Q: How will work on junction mouths of cul de sacs be organised?
A: Junction works to be constructed one half at a time with access maintained into/out of the cul de sac.
Q: Could the concrete layby near Glebe Road be used as a bus stop?
A: This layby is halfway between two other bus stops so if a bus stop went there, the other two stops would be removed, meaning bus users would have a long walk to the next stop.
Q: What consultation took place before this scheme was agreed?
A: The proposals were advertised in FOCUS, as well as via a streetletter from myself to all residents in Hills Road and several of the side roads. The County Council delivered leaflets with feedback forms to a wide local area and held local staffed events in March 2014. Drawings and information on the proposed scheme were put on the County Council website, together with contact details. The Team also had information stalls at Hills Road VI Form College, Long Road VI Form College and at an Addenbrooke's Sustainability Event.
In November 2014 the County Cycling Team wrote again to residents inviting them to a pre-construction event at Rock Road Library — an opportunity to find out about boundary issues, construction sequence etc. This event was well attended by residents of Hills Road. The letter included details of where the final drawings could be seen on the website and asked residents to provide email addresses if they wanted updates on the scheme.
Q: What will happen when there are weddings and funerals at the church? What about hearses and wedding cars?
A: The Cycling Team has been liaising with St John's Church. During construction, the cycleway works will be left in an appropriate state to accommodate wedding cars and hearses. After completion, wedding cars and hearses will be able to park for the duration of services, as the new cycle lanes are not 'mandatory' and there are no loading restrictions attached to the double yellow lines.
Q: Is the width of the carriageway being reduced?
A: Yes, the carriageway width is being reduced, to 6m.
Q: Will there be a loss of grass verges?
A: The roadside verges next to the road will go, but there is a half metre sedum strip between the cycleway and the footway on both sides of the road.
On the outbound side of Hills Road, the verges next to the houses will be largely the same except where space is needed for the floating bus stops. On the citybound side (the side with the current shared-use cycle/footway) the verges next to the houses are increasing.
On the west side of Hills Road (S to N), from No. 284 to 256, and from 248 to 228, a 800 or 900mm wide strip of footway will be turned into new verge. From No. 226 to Homerton College this strip widens to between 1.4 and 1.6m and then it is about 2.5m wide running past Homerton College. On the east side (S to N), there are no significant areas of new verge until you get to the block north of Glebe Road, No.s 253 to 247 have 1.2m wide new verges. Re. the loss of those verges on the residence side of the footway, the only real areas where there is loss of verge is near the floating bus stops (and to some extent near crossings) but this does vary depending on the location.
Q: Was Cambridge City Council consulted?
A: The City Council is a statutory consultee for every cycling project within Cambridge. The Project Team was keen to gain the input of City's Urban Design team on the Huntingdon Road and Hills Road schemes – a meeting with the City's Head of Urban Design was arranged before the schemes were approved and, in neither case were concerns raised about the proposals.
Q: Are our streetlights being replaced to facilitate the cycleway scheme?
A: No, the streetlighting on Hills Road is not being replaced as a result of the cycleway scheme but as part of the County's streetlighting replacement programme – as such, the lighting along the whole length of Hills Road is being updated to conform with new British standards.
Q: At present, the pavement cycleway on the northbound side of Hills Road provides a convenient way of turning into Luard Road. Won't the new arrangement be more dangerous?
A: The main carriageway on Hills Road will be narrowed to 6m, which should reduce traffic speeds. Equally, the speeds of vehicles exiting side roads should be slowed by the tighter turning movements required by the new scheme.
The Road Safety Audit 2 did not raise any issues about the changes to this junction, nor the removal of the shared-use foot/cycleway. The new scheme (unlike the shared-use foot/cycleway) gives cyclists on Hills Road priority through the junction with Luard Road so there should be a reduction in the number of cycle-related accidents at this location. Less confident cyclists on Hills Road may choose to pull in and wait on the left side of the new southbound 2.3m cycle lane before turning right. The County Council will monitor the situation and may consider installing a central island that would offer cyclists some protection whilst waiting to turn right.
Q: How will it be made clear that vehicles cannot drive across or park on the cycleway?
A: Cycle symbols will be added to the cycle lane and double yellow lines will be painted on the main carriageway (next to the outside edge of the cycle lane) to prevent parking in the new lane. This work should be taking place on the northbound side in November 2015.
Q: How will the construction for the southbound side of Hills Road be handled?
A: The intention is to keep the citybound shared-use path open whilst the outbound works are carried out – to ensure safety for cyclists and pedestrians during the construction phase. The footpath work will be done first, then the cycleway and 'Cambridge kerb'.
MONDAY 5TH OCTOBER: REPORT ON THE PRESENTATION ON CYCLING SCHEMES AT SOUTH AREA MEETING, ST JOHN'S CHURCH, HILLS ROAD.
Many of us do our shopping at Budgens at Adkin's Corner, just outside the Queen Edith's ward. While the supermarket itself is modern and pleasant to shop in, its car park is full of monster potholes and hard to traverse. When it rained, the potholes fill up and the area resembles Venice gone grey.
As the Labour councillors representing this area seem to have taken no action, Lib Dem councillors took on the challenge of getting the forecourt sorted. The County Council has acknowledged responsibility for it and repairs are on order.
The Tory Cabinet at Cambridgeshire County Council is to vote on parking charges for the Cambridge Park and Ride sites on Tuesday.
The rot set in last September, when the Tories proposed a £1 charge, but the vote on Tuesday will be on a schedule of parking charges, which starts at a £1 but goes up to an eye-watering £30 for a longer stay.
There have been nearly 200 objections, focussing on shifting the parking elsewhere and the threat to the Cambridge evening economy.
Park & Ride was introduced to keep cars out of Cambridge city centre and the charging for parking, on top of the bus fare, is a regressive move. While the P&R sites need to make more money, we in my party do not believe this is a wise way of raising it, and would prefer the Council to look at other ways of raising revenue, eg retail or catering at the sites, or raising the bus operator's departure charge.
The £10 charge will be a lot to pay for low paid shop workers if they work long shifts, and jeopardises the evening economy, as it will be costly to do any shopping or socialising in the city after a day's work. It will have an additional sting at the Babraham Road Park & Ride site, which is closest to Addenbrooke's Hospital in my ward: it could well catch people who have to stay at the hospital longer than they expect to, for medical reasons, even the newly bereaved. There is an amendment to the original charging schedule to make this 18 hours instead of 12. I hope this is accepted.
I have been informed that the area between Junctions 11 and 14 of the M11 will be closed between the 16th September and 1st October.
This is to enable repairs to the road surface and renewal of road markings.
The work will be done at night, starting at 8.00pm on Monday 16th September and finishing on the 1st October.
and here is their letter with full details: M11 Road Repairs letter.
Next Monday, September 2, the Highways Agency will be carrying out overnight repairs to the A11 Trunk Road between Junction 36 of the A14 and Fulbourn and the road will be closed on one side. The works will involve patching to worn out sections of the carriageway and refreshing road markings.
The works are scheduled to start on the evening of Monday 2 September. The working hours will be between 8.00pm and 6.00am, Monday – Friday nights.
The southbound carriageway will be closed between 2 September and 4 September inclusive and the northbound carriageway will be closed between 9 September and 12 September inclusive.
A signed diversion route will be in place for traffic wishing to travel on the A11.
Through traffic wishing to travel southbound on the A11 will be diverted to carry on the A14 westbound to join the M11 southbound at Junction 31 (Girton Interchange). Traffic wishing to return to the A11 will need to continue to junction 10 (Duxford) on to the A505 eastbound to re-join the A11 northbound.
Through traffic wishing to travel northbound on the A11 will be diverted to carry on the M11 northbound to join the A14 eastbound at Junction 31 (Girton) and continue on the A14. Traffic wishing to return to the A11 will need to continue to junction 37 to return on the A14 westbound to rejoin the A11 southbound.
There will be signed diversions signed for local traffic. Access will be maintained at all times for Emergency Services.
The contractors, Carillon, will do their best to do the work as quickly as possible, but allow extra time for your journey of ir possible, go a different way.
Any queries, contact CarillionWSP on 01767 684633 between 9am and 4.30pm or their Customer Care department at [email protected], or the Highways Agency Information Line on 0300 123 5000.
Hills Road is to be resurfaced this month, all the way between Cherry Hinton Road and Fendon Road. This is the result of a campaign by former county councillor Geoff Heathcock – a great result to conclude his time in office!
It is badly needed, as anyone who drives or cycles along Hills Road knows only too well.
The Council is carrying out the work in August, when Hills Road is quieter, or at least less busy than at other times of the year. Works are scheduled to commence approximately 12th August and finish around the 30th.
During this time there will be a one-way system allowing traffic to travel down Hills Road into the City from the Addenbrooke's direction. All southbound traffic will be diverted along Cherry Hinton Road, Mowbray Road and Fendon Road.
The bus stops on Hills Road will not be served during 6a.m. and 3.30p.m. and and passengers will need to use the Addenbrooke's bus interchange or stops on Queen Edith's Way and Cherry Hinton Road. Please see Stagecoach's website for full details.
Some cycle lanes are closed, though we assume the on-pavement ones will be as normal.
Please check for updates, as we know from experience that County Council plans can change!


I was playing with the various shell options - sorry, trying to learn eshell - this evening. While playing with eshell I learned about the second, fully fledged terminal emulator ansi-term.
Most of my machines here run FreeBSD, as does the machine that hosts this blog. FreeBSD's terminal emulators don't recognise eterm-color as a valid terminal type, plus FreeBSD uses termcap and not terminfo, so the supplied terminfo file was of limited use.
That's midnight commander running on one of my FreeBSD servers, inside GNU Emacs on my Mac. Job done.


text:
University researcher awarded fellowship to examine Māori experiences of pharmacist services
Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington researcher Nora Parore (Ngāti Whātua, Ngāpuhi) has received a Health Research Council (HRC) Clinical Research Training Fellowship to examine Māori experiences of pharmacists and the health system.
The project, He tono whakapiki ora: Whānau and Pharmacists' knowledge exchange, will explore whānau experiences of pharmacists' services, as well as pharmacist experiences of developing services, to determine whether the pharmacy sector aligns with the principles and practices of Whānau Ora models of care.
Ms Parore is a Māori Health Research Fellow at the University and registered pharmacist with 12 years of experience as a community pharmacist. She is also an executive committee member of Ngā Kaitiaki o Te Puna Rongoā o Aotearoa—The Māori Pharmacists' Association. The funded project is part of her doctoral studies.
She says research into pharmacy service development and policy for Māori is limited, and recent reports such as the WAI 2575 Health Services and Outcomes Kaupapa Inquiry, the New Zealand Health and Disability System Review, and the Pharmacy Action Plan 2016–2020 show more information is needed.
"Current literature tells us pharmacists are under-utilised and under-valued. We want to understand how and why whānau do or do not interact with pharmacists and pharmacies, as well as examine pharmacists' perspectives on how services are developed, and what the barriers and enablers to innovation are," she says.
"We know whānau want more from pharmacy services, but we don't know exactly what. It isn't simply about delivering the same service at the marae."
Ms Parore is the first researcher at Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington to receive the clinical fellowship, and one of only four pharmacists ever to receive the award from the HRC. Research will be conducted in Northland, where she has strong whakapapa and where her extended whānau live. She says the ultimate aim of the research is to reduce health inequities for Māori.
"This is an important piece of the puzzle when it comes to improving health outcomes for Māori. Pharmacists are there to help people get the best out of their medicines, but we need to understand how they can best fulfil this role for Māori to ensure equitable outcomes," she says.
"I hope this work will also highlight and raise awareness of the important contribution of pharmacists in wider health and wellbeing."
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`); // Finish monday tagCatArray.forEach( tag => { if (tag) { let formatTag = tag.replace(/([A-Z]+)/g, " $1").toLowerCase(); let tagLink = formatTag.charAt(0).toUpperCase() + formatTag.slice(1); document.write(`${tagLink}`); } } )


text:
require 'spec_helper'

describe BitcoinCigs do
  def self.use_mainnet
    let(:wallet_key) { "5JFZuDkLgbEXK4CUEiXyyz4fUqzAsQ5QUqufdJy8MoLA9S1RdNX" }
    let(:address) { "11o51X3ciSjoLWFN3sbg3yzCM8RSuD2q9" }
    let(:original_address) { "11o51X3ciSjoLWFN3sbg3yzCM8RSuD2q9" }
    let(:private_key) { ["39678A14ECA8479B3C58DCD25A5C94BE768389E823435C4DDFCAEB13519AB10E"].pack('H*') }
    let(:signature) { "HIBYi2g3yFimzD/YSD9j+PYwtsdCuHR2xwIQ6n0AN6RPUVDGttgOmlnsiwx90ZSjmaWrH1/HwrINJbaP7eMA6V4=" }
    let(:network) { :mainnet }
  end

  def self.use_testnet
    let(:wallet_key) { "92FqDytA43K8unrrZgpzMddhmEbMMRNhBJAU59a3MkYfsUgH8st" }
    let(:address) { "mh9nRF1ZSqLJB3hbUjPLmfDHdnGUURdYdK" }
    let(:original_address) { "mh9nRF1ZSqLJB3hbUjPLmfDHdnGUURdYdK" }
    let(:private_key) { ["585C660C887913E5F40B8E34D99C62766443F9D043B1DE1DFDCC94E386BC6DF6"].pack('H*') }
    let(:signature) { "HIZQbBLAGJLhSZ310FCQMAo9l1X2ysxyt0kXkf6KcBN3znl2iClC6V9wz9Nkn6mMDUaq4kRlgYQDUUlsm29Bl0o=" }
    let(:network) { :testnet }
  end

  use_mainnet
  let(:message) { "this is a message" }

  describe "sign_message!" do
    subject { BitcoinCigs.sign_message!(wallet_key, message, :network => network) }

    context "with valid data" do
      it "generates the correct signature" do
        expect(BitcoinCigs.verify_message(address, subject, message, :network => network)).to be_true
      end

      context "with a message > 252 characters" do
        let(:message) { "a" * 253 }

        it "generates the correct signature" do
          expect(BitcoinCigs.verify_message(address, subject, message, :network => network)).to be_true
        end

      end
    end

    context "invalid wallet key" do
      let(:wallet_key) { "invalid wallet key" }

      it "raises an error" do
        expect { subject }.to raise_error(::BitcoinCigs::Error, "Unknown Wallet Format")
      end
    end

    context "with testnet" do
      use_testnet

      context "with valid data" do
        it "generates the correct signature" do
          expect(BitcoinCigs.verify_message(address, subject, message, :network => network)).to be_true
        end
      end
    end
  end

  describe "sign_message" do
    subject { BitcoinCigs.sign_message(wallet_key, message) }

    context "with valid data" do
      it "generates the correct signature" do
        expect(BitcoinCigs.verify_message(address, subject, message)).to be_true
      end
    end

    context "invalid wallet key" do
      let(:wallet_key) { "invalid wallet key" }

      it "returns nil" do
        expect(subject).to be_nil
      end
    end
  end

  describe "convert_wallet_format_to_bytes!" do
    subject { BitcoinCigs.convert_wallet_format_to_bytes!(wallet_key, network) }

    context "with wallet import format" do
      let(:wallet_key) { "5JFZuDkLgbEXK4CUEiXyyz4fUqzAsQ5QUqufdJy8MoLA9S1RdNX" }

      it "converts to correct bytes" do
        expect(subject).to eq(private_key)
      end

      context "with testnet" do
        use_testnet

        let(:wallet_key) { "92FqDytA43K8unrrZgpzMddhmEbMMRNhBJAU59a3MkYfsUgH8st" }

        it "converts to correct bytes" do
          expect(subject).to eq(private_key)
        end
      end
    end

    context "with compressed wallet import format" do
      let(:wallet_key) { "Ky9JDVGHsk6gnh7dDYKkWWsAquDLZSrSdtsTVGJjUoVZN7sYjyyP" }

      it "converts to correct bytes" do
        expect(subject).to eq(private_key)
      end

      context "with testnet" do
        use_testnet

        let(:wallet_key) { "cQYTrJ4nxRD3v1R3mGnpA4gzvEzcq8akLSknVJpqQbCnZeD6WfNC" }

        it "converts to correct bytes" do
          expect(subject).to eq(private_key)
        end
      end
    end

    context "with mini format" do
      let(:wallet_key) { "S6c56bnXQiBjk9mqSYE7ykVQ7NzrRy" }
      let(:private_key) { ["4C7A9640C72DC2099F23715D0C8A0D8A35F8906E3CAB61DD3F78B67BF887C9AB"].pack('H*') }

      it "converts to correct bytes" do
        expect(subject).to eq(private_key)
      end
    end

    context "with hex format" do
      let(:wallet_key) { "39678A14ECA8479B3C58DCD25A5C94BE768389E823435C4DDFCAEB13519AB10E" }

      it "converts to correct bytes" do
        expect(subject).to eq(private_key)
      end
    end

    context "with base 64 format" do
      let(:wallet_key) { "OWeKFOyoR5s8WNzSWlyUvnaDiegjQ1xN38rrE1GasQ4=" }

      it "converts to correct bytes" do
        expect(subject).to eq(private_key)
      end
    end
  end

  describe "verify_message!" do
    subject { BitcoinCigs.verify_message!(address, signature, message, :network => network) }

    context "with valid data" do
      it "verifies valid message" do
        expect(subject).to be_nil
      end
    end

    context "with invalid address" do
      let(:address) { "invalid" }

      it "raises ::BitcoinCigs::Error" do
        expect { subject }.to raise_error(::BitcoinCigs::Error, "Incorrect address or message for signature.")
      end
    end

    context "with invalid signature" do
      let(:signature) { "invalid" }

      it "raises ::BitcoinCigs::Error" do
        expect { subject }.to raise_error(::BitcoinCigs::Error, "Bad signature length")
      end
    end

    context "with invalid message" do
      let(:message) { "invalid" }

      it "raises ::BitcoinCigs::Error" do
        expect { subject }.to raise_error(::BitcoinCigs::Error, "Incorrect address or message for signature.")
      end
    end

    context "with testnet" do
      use_testnet

      context "with valid data" do
        it "verifies valid message" do
          expect(subject).to be_nil
        end
      end
    end
  end

  describe "verify_message" do
    subject { BitcoinCigs.verify_message(address, signature, message) }

    context "with valid data" do
      it "returns true" do
        expect(subject).to be_true
      end
    end

    context "with invalid data" do
      let(:address) { "invalid" }

      it "returns false" do
        expect(subject).to be_false
      end
    end
  end

  describe "get_signature_address!" do
    subject { BitcoinCigs.get_signature_address!(signature, message, :network => network) }

    context "with valid data" do
      it "returns correct address" do
        expect(subject).to eq(address)
      end
    end

    context "with invalid signature" do
      let(:signature) { "invalid" }

      it "raises ::BitcoinCigs::Error" do
        expect { subject }.to raise_error(::BitcoinCigs::Error, "Bad signature length")
      end
    end

    context "with invalid message" do
      let(:message) { "invalid" }

      it "returns wrong address" do
        expect(subject).not_to eq(address)
      end
    end

    context "with testnet" do
      use_testnet

      context "with valid data" do
        it "returns valid address" do
          expect(subject).to eq(address)
        end
      end
    end
  end

  describe "get_signature_address" do
    subject { BitcoinCigs.get_signature_address(signature, message) }

    context "with valid data" do
      it "returns true" do
        expect(subject).to eq(address)
      end
    end
  end

end

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Lawmakers move to limit gay conversion therapy…
Lawmakers move to limit gay conversion therapy in California
Rich Pedroncelli/Associated Press
File photo: California Assemblyman Ash Kalra, D-San Jose, left, talks with fellow Democratic Assemblyman Evan Low, of Campbell, at the Capitol in Sacramento, Calif. Low says he authored a bill Thursday, April 19, 2018, to crack down on people selling conversion therapy as a way to change someone's sexual orientation because conversion therapy has been proven ineffective and harmful.
PUBLISHED: April 19, 2018 at 3:03 pm | UPDATED: April 19, 2018 at 4:39 pm
By Sophia Bollag | Associated Press
SACRAMENTO — Selling or advertising gay conversion therapy may soon be classified as a fraudulent business practice in California under a bill passed Thursday by the state Assembly.
(Click here, if you are unable to view this video on your mobile device.)
Bay Area burned home sells for close to a million, #MeToo scandal hits major Silicon Valley philanthropy nonprofit and Warriors' Kerr comments on death of Erin Popovich are some of today's Current stories.
Conversion therapy, the practice of trying to change someone's sexual orientation, has been shown to be ineffective, said Assemblyman Evan Low, who wrote the bill that now heads to the state Senate.
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Sign up for our new Morning Report weekday newsletter.
Low, who is gay and leads the Legislature's LGBT caucus, said the therapy is harmful and those who are defrauded by people advertising or selling the therapy should have legal recourse.
"This is a very personal issue to me," the Campbell Democrat said. "This notion that we would accept as a legal practice that conversion therapy works is antithetical to my very existence in this body."
Several lawmakers voiced concerns about whether the bill could inhibit freedom of religion by preventing discussions of sexual orientation change. They asked Low to clarify how the bill would affect religious organizations.
Low says the bill does not impede freedom of speech or religion and applies only to commercial practices and financial transactions. He said people will still be able to preach about changing sexual orientation but cannot advertise or sell conversion therapy.
The bill does not prohibit people from selling books about conversion therapy or from talking about it.
"You can still try to pray the gay away if you'd like, but it hasn't proved to be effective," said Assemblywoman Susan Talamantes Eggman, a Stockton Democrat. "To advertise that you can change someone's orientation is simply that — fraudulent."
Assemblyman Matthew Harper said he still believed the bill infringed on religious freedom.
"This is a bill that would be overturned by a higher court on the grounds of the First Amendment," the Huntington Beach Republican said.
Assemblyman James Gallagher, a Yuba City Republican, said he worried the bill would prevent people who want conversion therapy from accessing it.
Mental health providers in California are already prohibited from performing conversion therapy on minors under a law enacted in 2012 that has been upheld in federal court against First Amendment challenges.
Warriors president Rick Welts marries partner Todd Gage, making sports history
Bay Area asylum seeker deported to Chad ordered back to U.S.
Second student joins lawsuit alleging California seminary discriminates against LGBTQ
United Methodist Church to split over LGBT issues
U.S. yanks ambassador to Zambia amid clash over gay rights
Many professional medical and mental health organizations, including the American Medical Association, oppose the practice of sexual orientation change therapy because studies have not shown it to be effective and have shown it can cause psychological harm.
Low's bill is supported by several medical associations including the American Academy of Pediatrics and the California Psychological Association. It is opposed by several conservative religious groups including the California Family Council.


text:
John Stewart For President
By Carl Sundberg
With the presidential election looming, it's safe to assume that we will have someone running our country into the ground again. Whether it's George W. Bush or some other smirking fool remains to be seen.
Bush doesn't seem too fazed by all the bashing and cursing of the American people or the Democratic Party. He is either gearing up for his trip to Mars or too busy planning an overhaul of the election process again.
After all, someone has to start sorting out which multi-national corporation is going to back a third party that will split the Democratic vote. But given the current state of the Democratic candidates, that third-party plan might not even need to take shape.
With the Democratic candidates looking less like presidential hopefuls and more like angry monkeys throwing feces at each other, it's really not a stretch to say that King George will reign for another four years. If the Democrats were smart--and it's slowly starting to show that they are not--they would do the right thing: use the lesson learned in the farce and infotainment extravaganza that was last year's California recall and bring in celebrity politicians, or more accurately, "celebiticians."
Sure, it might have sounded strange just last year to think this, but if you think back, celebrities have filled political positions many times in our recent past. Sonny Bono, Jesse "the Body" Ventura and Ronald Reagan were all in the limelight before they ever saw their name gleaming on a ballot. And really, if Arnold Schwarzenegger can be a governor, this whole political thing can't be that difficult.
Setting up a proper environment, one that will enable the celebitician to thrive, is the only thing that needs to be done. There are rules to this process, after all.
First, the political hopeful can't be a porn star, a midget or a watermelon-smashing comedian. This was the hidden lesson learned from the California election.
Second, the celebrity must be famous today, not someone the world has forgotten. For instance, Burt Reynolds, Tony Danza or anyone from the cast of "Saved by the Bell" won't work. You need someone who is either in a current blockbuster summer action movie or frequents grocery store magazine covers. For example, Ben Affleck might work because every man, woman and child in America knows who he is. But he's not right for public office. He's got far too much to worry about with keeping J.Lo out of bad movies (so far he's 0 for 2).
Third, the celebitician must have the suave persona that Americans cherish; someone that can lie to us with authority and vigor.
And finally, if nothing else was learned from the California recall, one lesson remains: politics are a joke. Anyone who says otherwise is most likely a politician.
With these rules in mind, and with great consideration, the only person that seems to clearly stand out for the position of Democratic presidential hopeful is none other than Jon Stewart, host of "The Daily Show." He fits all the criteria of celebitician: He is in our short-sighted collective unconscious, he's been on magazine covers and he's not a porn star. The man's wit knows no end, which tames the final criteria of being a politician: being able to make us laugh.
Surely, the argument is beginning to form in your head. You may be asking yourself, "What other credentials does this man have?" The answer is simple: none. He has no presidential credentials. But did Schwarzenegger? No. All he needed was to spout off lines from his movies, and he won with a landslide.
If Jon Stewart told a few jokes each time he stood behind a podium, that would be all he would need. Make a few empty promises and finish with a punch line. In a debate, Stewart would knock Bush around like a shoe in a dryer. The crowd would roar and rush to the ballot booths. George W. Bush wouldn't stand a chance.
After Stewart is elected, his Cabinet might consist of such names as Bill Maher starring as vice president, Martin Sheen as secretary of state, Robert DeNiro as attorney general, Nicole Kidman as secretary of education and The Rock as secretary of defense.
This is not to say that the new Democratic rule would be a success in terms of the economy, medical benefits or education, but this country has seen worse. At least with an all-star cast running the country, politics might be interesting enough for the average American to wake up and care.
Originally published in the Oregon Daily Emerald


text:
require 'google/apis/eventarc_v1beta1/service.rb'
require 'google/apis/eventarc_v1beta1/classes.rb'
require 'google/apis/eventarc_v1beta1/representations.rb'

module Google
  module Apis
    # Eventarc API
    #
    #
    #
    # @see https://cloud.google.com/eventarc
    module EventarcV1beta1
      VERSION = 'V1beta1'
      REVISION = '20201203'

      # View and manage your data across Google Cloud Platform services
      AUTH_CLOUD_PLATFORM = 'https://www.googleapis.com/auth/cloud-platform'
    end
  end
end


The range had 3.35 inches of rain the night before the match. The range was a little soggy, but the firing lines and pits were in great shape for the match. It started out overcast with little wind, unusual for the River city Rifle & Pistol Club Range. The rain and wind came for relay 2's second phase. The last relay of the day was shot in some terrible wind, and switchy conditions.
Twelve sling shooters and one F-Class started the day of shooting off with the National Anthem and a cannon shot. Jim Soderstrom of Austin, MN took the lead with a 199-9x any rifle iron sights, one that he would hold until the end of the day. Gabe Stauffer of Iowa, won the next phase with a fine 199-15x any rifle iron sights. Any rifle any sight phase 1 was won by Jim Soderstrom with a 200-8x and the 2nd phase of any rifle any sight was won with a 200-15x by Steve Hays. Jim Soderstrom came away with the overall win with a range record of 796-38x, and Gabe Stauffer the new Iowa State 300 Yard Mid-Range Champion with a close 795-39x.
Omer Hamer of Clarks Grove, MN won the overall last year and now Jim - we need to do something about these Minnesota Shooters showing us how it's done! Russ Stahl of Mason City won the F-Class with a 776-10x. Russ is looking for some competition in F-Class, so we hope to see more F-Classers next year. Steve Hays won combined Marksman and Unclassified with a 774-16x.
I want to thank all the competitors and especially Tony and Randy Ciavarelli (they run a match like they shot in years past - very hard to beat), for all their hard work putting on this match. The father/son combination put in hours of hard work getting ready before and the day of the match.
Hope to see some new faces at next year's match!
Steve Hays is a sling shooter.


What is another word for proceed?
Money resulting from a commercial transaction.
advances, considered, Resumed, Carried, dispensed, adopted, Provided, Arrived, Entered, sat, Happened, conveyed, drove, increased, left, utilized, Wrote, Reached, cleared, Walked, rose, required, headed, used, relayed, Acted, added, Shifted, raised, conducted, conducting, completed, come, Came.
Preceded, Prosecuted, Commenced, Operated, Undertaken, postponed, initiated, Resumed, pursued, Administered, decided, Carried, Introduced, organised, prohibited, upgraded, implemented, opened, executed, reduced, converted, ignored, adopted, addressed, accomplished, realized, Communicated, Caught, sustained, sourced, derived, scheduled, squandered, Remained, expected, Examined, employed, needed, Happened, Pushed, Incurred, Regarded, Deemed, handled, Sued, suggested, retained, placed, Consigned, increased, transformed, warranted, Dealt, understood, stuck, obliged, drawn, Worked, Died, extended, cleared, Launched, effected, heard, maintained, guided, commissioned, admitted, required, used, smuggled, assigned, turned, realised, Avoided, tracked, Obtained, Argued, Achieved, kept, Flowed, released, shot, built, harnessed, played, sought, laid, handed, Brought, assisted, Subjected, Acted, wasted, linked, Shifted, requested, raised, taken, missed, called, Met, conducted, completed, come, Switched.
laid, prosecute, starts, operate, occur, come, launch.
parts, Parties, progress, embark, conducted, prosecute, resume, depart, operate, held, precede, occur, pronounce, emanate, tread, behave, intervene, consider, accede, execute, conclude, surrender, arrange, sue, convene, come, launch, accomplish, elapse, elect, opening, propose, proposed, dispose.
wait, discontinue, stop, yield, fail, retreat, finish, lose, retrogress, stay, return, decrease.
pause, settle, set, cramp, hinder, arrest, inhibit, hold back, hamper, cease, delay, impede, check, decline, stand, suppress, go down, stem, stunt, obstruct, repress, block, sink, balk, detain, descend, interrupt, drop, slow, nip, fall, halt.
I have ordered the ship to proceed at half - speed."
drag on, drag out, drag, come, fare, DO, get along, make out.
ramble on, segue, ramble, jog.
hap, fall out, take place, go on, pass, pass off, come about, occur, happen.


Nesting in Skyscrapers: Holy smokes, Batman!
On Friday night Craig's work colleagues had their Christmas party... with a super hero twist!
Craig is Batman, on the right.
Craig proudly wore his Batman outfit all the way home on the MTR.
He said that he received many weird looks, and lots of people took his photo on their iPhones.
Is the Batmobile is at the shop getting serviced at the moment, Craig?
Oh,Renee,please tell me quickly if Batman is a goodie or a baddie!
lol Batman is a goodie!!


text:
Yonkers Business Lawyers
Yonkers Business Dispute Attorneys
How Do Business Disputes Arise in New York?
Find the right Business Disputes attorney in Yonkers, NY
In New York, business disputes commonly occur over a variety of different matters. Most often, businesses can disagree on the terms of contracts and prior arrangements. Property matters and billing issues also frequently form the basis of disputes between businesses.
What to Do in a Business Dispute?
If a business dispute should happen in Yonkers, New York, you should review any documents that are relevant to the disagreement, especially contracts. These documents may have clauses that must be followed when considering how to resolve the dispute. Not all contracts have dispute resolution clauses, of course, and sometimes neither business has any documents relevant to the dispute at all. If that is the case, a court may be needed to resolve the dispute. New York courts may use legal principles to determine the outcome when the parties have not agreed beforehand about how to handle a dispute. In so doing, they look carefully to a particular case to discover the best resolution for all involved. Disputes over contracts and other agreements are handled differently depending on the laws of each state. Attorneys in Yonkers know the laws of New York, and can offer individualized advice for those involved in business disputes. Discussion with the other business about how to resolve the dispute may also proceed more smoothly under the direction of an attorney, avoiding the need to go to court.
Sometimes contracts themselves require that disputes under them be resolved outside of court. Methods of conflict resolution of this type are called Alternative Dispute Resolution or ADR. ADR includes Mediation, Arbitration and sometimes a combination of the two. All forms of ADR are designed to reach the same decision a court would have, without needing to actually go to court. They carry their own sets of procedures and protocols, and they often involve a neutral third party listening to both sides of a dispute and making a determination based on local law. An attorney specialized in Alternative Dispute Resolution can help you with your business dispute in Yonkers if it is to be resolved out of court.
Yonkers Breach of Contract Attorneys
Yonkers Buying a Business Lawyers
Yonkers Contract Drafting Attorneys
Yonkers Entertainment Law Lawyers
Yonkers LLC Attorneys
Yonkers Business Law Lawyer
Yonkers Business Law Attorney
Yonkers Contract Review Lawyer
Yonkers Incorporation Attorneys
Yonkers Selling a Business Lawyers
Business Disputes Lawyers in West Hempstead
Business Disputes Lawyers in Bayport
Business Disputes Lawyers in Bronxville
Business Disputes Lawyers in Cold Spring Harbor
Business Disputes Lawyers in Commack
Business Disputes Lawyers in Port Chester
Business Disputes Lawyers in Blauvelt
Business Disputes Lawyers in Geneva


text:
Malignant Transformation of Hepatic Adenoma in Glycogen Storage Disease Type-1a: Report of an Exceptional Case Diagnosed on Surveillance Imaging
Akshay D. Baheti, Matthew M. Yeh1, Ryan O'Malley, Neeraj Lalwani
Address for correspondence: Dr. Neeraj Lalwani, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington - 98104-2499, USA. E-mail: neerajl@u.washington.edu
Hepatocellular adenoma is a heterogeneous group of benign neoplasms arising from hepatocellular cells and can be subclassified into four major groups based on genotypic and phenotypic characteristics. These four subtypes are hepatocyte nuclear factor (HNF) 1α-inactivated, β-catenin–activated, inflammatory, and unclassified adenomas. Immunohistochemistry studies have demonstrated that since β-catenin–activated adenomas have a higher risk of malignant transformation, the identification of the subtype of adenoma remains crucial in patient management. However, malignant transformation of hepatic adenoma without β-catenin overexpression can be seen in 30–65% cases. We report a case of malignant transformation of hepatic adenoma without overexpression of β-catenin in a 31-year-old man with a known glycogen storage disease (GSD) Type-1a, which was diagnosed on surveillance magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The MRI showed a mild interval increase in one lesion with relative stability of the other adenomas. The lesion was presumed to be suspicious for a hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and was confirmed on pathology.
β-catenin mutation
glycogen storage disease
hepatic adenoma
malignant transformation
Glycogen storage disease (GSD) Type-1a (or von Gierke's disease) is an uncommon disease caused by the absence of glucose-6-phosphatase, an enzyme necessary for gluconeogenesis and glycogenolysis. It often manifests with episodes of hypoglycemia and marked hepatomegaly during the first year of life.
Hepatic adenomas (HCAs) are classically associated with GSD Type-1a. Presence of multiple adenomas (arbitrarily, more than 10) without known risk factors (including GSD) is termed as hepatic adenomatosis. HCAs can be subclassified based on the following genotype/phenotype characteristics: a) Inactivating mutations in the HNF1α gene (30–35%), b) activating β-catenin mutation (10–15%), c) inflammatory (40–50%), and d) unclassified (<10%).[1]
HCAs developing on the background of GSD-1a are unique and characterized by a lack of HNF1α inactivation, which can likely be associated with similar metabolic defects observed with HNF1α inactivation and glucose-6-phosphatase deficiency.[2] Most of the HCAs developing on the background of GSD-1a can be subgrouped as inflammatory (52%), β-catenin activated (28%), or unclassified (20%).[2] Identifying the HCA subtype remains crucial in patient management because β-catenin–activated HCAs have a higher frequency of malignant transformation.
Malignant transformation of an HCA in a patient with hepatic adenomatosis has been described in the literature.[3] Type I GSD has a predilection for HCAs, with malignant transformation reported in about 10% of patients.[4]
We report a case of GSD-1a–associated HCA and the malignant transformation of one of the HCAs diagnosed on surveillance imaging. This adenoma had no underlying β-catenin activation, which is relatively less common.
A 31-year-old patient of type GSD-1a (von Gierke's disease) with known multiple HCAs presented for MR imaging. The contrast-enhanced multiphasic liver magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed with gadopentetate dimeglumine in an outside facility in May 2014 and demonstrated multiple HCAs ranging in size from less than 1 cm up to 5 cm, some of which were hemorrhagic. The lesions showed variable heterogeneity and arterial enhancement with subtle washout [Figure 1]. Given the higher frequency of β-catenin–activated HCA associated with GSD-1a, regular surveillance imaging was recommended.
Figure 1: 31-year-old man with known glycogen storage disease Type-1a undergoing surveillance imaging. Dynamic multiphase contrast-enhanced MRI obtained in May 2014. (a) Pre-contrast T1W axial image shows two hepatic lesions in segments 4 (double arrows) and 8 (single arrow). (b) T1W axial image (arterial phase) shows variable heterogeneity foci of both of the lesions and arterial enhancement. (c) T1W axial image (venous phase) shows persistent enhancement of hepatic lesions. (d) T1W axial image (delayed or equilibrium phase) shows subtle washout in both of the lesions; posterior lesion also shows peripheral rim enhancement (double arrows).
Follow-up MRI with gadoxetate disodium (gadolinium ethoxybenzyl diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid/Gd-EOB-DTPA) in our institution was performed after 6 months in Nov 2014. It showed a mild interval increase in the size of one lesion from 4.0 × 3.9 cm to 4.9 × 4.2 cm. The lesion demonstrated predominantly isointense to slightly increased intensity compared with the rest of the liver parenchyma on the T2-weighted (T2W) image, with an eccentric, ill-defined, T2-hyperintense possible scar, and did not reveal intralesional lipid. There was no T1 hyperintensity to suggest interval hemorrhage [Figure 2]. It was arterial enhanced with washout, with an enhancing rim on the venous phase, and did not show uptake of hepatocyte-specific contrast on the delayed phase images [Figure 3]. The size of the remaining adenomas either marginally decreased or was stable [Figure 4]. In view of this isolated increase in size, the lesion was presumed to be suspicious.
Figure 2: 31-year-old man with known glycogen storage disease Type-1a undergoing surveillance imaging diagnosed with hepatic adenoma. (a) T1W opposed-phase axial image shows diffuse loss of intensity of hepatic parenchyma (asterisk), which suggests the presence of diffuse hepatic steatosis. Two hepatic lesions in segments 4 and 8 are relatively hyperintense on the background of steatosis and lack microscopic fat. (b) T1W in-phase axial image shows two hepatic lesions in segments 4 (double arrows) and 8 (single arrow). (c) Fat-suppressed T2W axial image demonstrates isointense to slightly increased intensity of the above-described hepatic lesions (see the corresponding arrows), with an eccentric, ill-defined, T2-hyperintense possible scar.
Figure 3: 31-year-old man with known glycogen storage disease Type-1a undergoing surveillance imaging. Dynamic multiphase contrast-enhanced MRI obtained in Nov 2014 with gadolinium-EOB-DTPA. (a) Pre-contrast fat-suppressed T1W axial image shows two hepatic lesions in segments 4 (double arrows) and 8 (single arrow). The anterior lesion (single arrow) shows interval decrease in size, whereas the posterior lesion is slightly increased in size compared to MR dated May 2014 [Figure 2]. (b) Fat-suppressed T1W axial image (arterial phase) shows arterial enhancement of both hepatic lesions. (c) Fat-suppressed T1W axial image (venous phase) shows persistent enhancement of hepatic lesions; however, the anterior lesion (single arrow) appears fainter. (d) Fat-suppressed T1W axial image (delayed or equilibrium phase) shows remarkable washout in the posterior lesion (double arrows) with well-evident peripheral rim enhancement. (e and f) Fat-suppressed T1W axial image (hepatobiliary phases at 10 and 20 min, respectively) shows peripheral retention of the contrast in the anterior lesion (image f, star), which can be seen with inflammatory adenomas. The posterior lesion gradually becomes hypointense to the liver parenchyma and shows no uptake of contrast.
Figure 4: 31-year-old man with known glycogen storage disease Type-1a undergoing surveillance imaging. Index images of two hepatic lesions with an interval of 6 months. (a) Fat-suppressed T1W fat post-contrast image acquired in Nov 2014. (b) Fat-suppressed T1W fat post-contrast image obtained in May 2014. The anterior lesion (single arrow) shows interval decrease in size on follow-up imaging, whereas the posterior lesion (double arrows) is slightly increased in size.
Accordingly, a short-interval follow-up scan or a biopsy was recommended to rule out malignant transformation. An ultrasound (US)-guided biopsy was performed as per patient preference. The biopsy revealed absent normal portal tracts in the tissue, increased unpaired arteries, and moderate steatosis, with many ballooned cells, some containing Mallory–Denk bodies. A reticulin stain showed focal loss of the reticulin framework [Figure 5]. The hepatocytes did not show increased Nuclear: Cytoplasmic (N: C) ratio, and there were no overtly prominent nucleoli or mitotic figures. Although there was no pseudoglandular formation and β-catenin was negative for nuclear staining, focal Glypican-3 staining was present. Taken together, while the differential diagnosis included hepatocellular adenoma and well-differentiated carcinoma, the focal Glypican -3 stain and focal loss of reticulin stain led to the final diagnosis of a well-differentiated hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The patient continues to be asymptomatic and has been put on the hepatic transplant list, with close monitoring of the HCC on imaging pending the transplantation.
Figure 5: 31-year-old man with known glycogen storage disease Type-1a. Post-biopsy histopathology of suspicious lesion seen on imaging. There is lack of portal tracts in all fragments. (a) In low-power magnification (hematoxylin and eosin stain), there is moderate steatosis (thin arrows) with many ballooned cells (thick arrow), some containing Mallory–Denk bodies (blue arrow). (b) In low-power magnification (hematoxylin and eosin stain), there are increased unpaired arteries (arrows). (c) In low-power magnification, there is focal Glypican-3 staining of the tumor cells. (d) In higher magnification, a reticulin stain shows focal loss of the reticulin framework (arrow).
HCAs are traditionally considered as uncommon benign hepatic tumors that commonly occur in women on oral contraceptives. With an evolving understanding of these entities, it was realized that adenomas represent a heterogeneous group of tumors with specific genetic abnormalities and clinical and prognostic features.[4] Accordingly, adenomas are now subclassified into four types.
Inflammatory adenomas are the most common, accounting for 40–50% of all adenomas. They demonstrate activation of the Janus kinase-signal transducer and activator of transcription (JAK-STAT3) pathway. Glycoprotein 130 forms the final common pathway for the activating mutations, which ultimately lead to increased C-reactive protein, serum amyloid-A, and other acute phase reactants, and inflammatory cell infiltration into the adenoma. Telangiectatic focal nodule hyperplasia, previously considered a subtype of focal nodule hyperplasia, was reclassified as an inflammatory adenoma due to similar pathology.
HNF1α-mutated (hepatocyte nuclear factor 1α-mutated) adenomas are the second most common subtype, constituting 30–35% of all adenomas. These adenomas demonstrate inactivating mutations of the HNF1α gene, a tumor suppressor gene.[4] This leads to increased lipogenesis due to multiple mechanisms, ultimately leading to increased intracellular lipid deposition or steatosis. Immunohistochemistry analysis reveals lack of expression of liver fatty acid binding protein (LFABP). These adenomas occur almost always in females, are multiple in half the cases, and can be associated with familial hepatic adenomatosis and maturity-onset diabetes of the young (MODY).[4]
The β-catenin–mutated adenomas have activating mutations of the catenin β1 gene (CTNNB1), leading to unrestrained hepatocyte proliferation and adenoma formation. These constitute about 10–15% of all adenomas and have a higher association with GSD, familial adenomatous polyposis, and androgen administration.[4] HCCs and hepatoblastomas may also show β-catenin activation, and β-catenin adenomas have a higher risk of malignant transformation.[4]
Unclassified adenomas are the fourth subtype, accounting for 10% of the cases. These are poorly understood, but do have the potential to become malignant.[456]
Patients with GSDs are more vulnerable to HCA, which can develop in up to 75% of cases and are often multiple.[4] Frequency of β-catenin–mutated adenomas is higher in this subgroup, due to which these patients undergo regular surveillance imaging.[567]
Diagnosis of malignant transformation of adenoma in GSD1 remains challenging. No effective biomarker exists to predict malignant transformation; α-fetoprotein (AFP) and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) levels are often normal even in the setting of HCC.[8] There is limited literature on the imaging findings of malignant transformation of adenomas in such patients. Meager evidence exists to support the worth of surveillance imaging.
HCA subtypes demonstrate specific imaging features corresponding to the underlying pathogenesis, with one MRI study describing accurate pathological classification in 85% of all cases.[9] Inflammatory adenomas are T2 hyperintense and demonstrate strong arterial enhancement that persists on the delayed phase, consistent with their inflammatory pathology. Inflammatory adenomas may occasionally show hyperintensity on hepatobiliary phase and can mimic focal nodular hyperplasia [Figure 3e and f].[10] On the one hand, HNF1a-mutated adenomas demonstrate intracellular fat, leading to loss of signal on the out-of-phase images, and show moderate arterial enhancement that does not persist in the delayed phase (but without washing out). On the other hand, β-catenin–mutated adenomas do not have very specific imaging features. They may appear homogeneous or heterogeneous, lack intratumoral fat (compared to classical adenomas), and demonstrate a vaguely defined T2-hyperintense scar. They may also show strong arterial enhancement, which may or may not persist on the delayed-phase images or show washout.[46] Although presence of washout has been reported in them, it is not a specific finding and has been described in unclassified adenomas as also in a subset of inflammatory adenomas with associated β-catenin activation.[9] Unclassified adenomas do not have any definite radiologic features.[4]
Accordingly, current guidelines by the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomic recommend that these patients undergo screening computed tomography (CT)/MRI every 6–12 months.[8] Considering that adenomas can demonstrate delayed washout and have a higher risk of malignant transformation in GSD patients, it is difficult to distinguish them from HCC on surveillance imaging in these patients.[7] No original series has been published on this issue to the best of our knowledge. In our case, the slight interval increase in size despite the lack of hemorrhage, in contradistinction to the stability of the other lesions, led to the suspicion of malignant transformation. Based on this case, it might be prudent to keep a low threshold to biopsy an adenoma that demonstrates suspicious imaging feature. Imaging features such as relatively increasing size compared to other lesions and development of washout and peripheral enhancing rim are often of concern.
The mainstay of management in GSD-1a remains diet modification; hepatic transplantation is rarely performed. However, excessive HCA burden, bulky size of neoplasm, or malignant transformation of HCA may qualify the patient for a hepatic transplantation.
Malignant transformation of HCA in GSD-1a has been linked with relatively higher frequency of β-catenin overexpression. Malignant transformation without β-catenin mutation may also occur and suggests that an alternative unknown genetic pathway of malignant transformation of HCA also exists in such patients. Surveillance imaging is recommended in all GSD patients to monitor HCAs and their growth pattern, and can be helpful to make an early diagnosis of malignant transformation. Increase in size of HCA in contrast to other stable lesions should be viewed with suspicion. Malignant transformation of HCA in this subgroup of patients may qualify them for a hepatic transplantation.
We sincerely acknowledge the contribution and help rendered by Carolyn Wang, MD (Assistant Professor, Radiology, University of Washington, Seattle).
Zucman-Rossi J, Jeannot E, Nhieu JT, Scoazec JY, Guettier C, Rebouissou S, . Genotype-phenotype correlation in hepatocellular adenoma: New classification and relationship with HCC. Hepatology. 2006;43:515-24.
Calderaro J, Labrune P, Morcrette G, Rebouissou S, Franco D, Prévot S, . Molecular characterization of hepatocellular adenomas developed in patients with glycogen storage disease type I. J Hepatol. 2013;58:350-7.
Barthelmes L, Tait IS, . Liver cell adenoma and liver cell adenomatosis. HPB (Oxford). 2005;7:186-96.
Katabathina VS, Menias CO, Shanbhogue AK, Jagirdar J, Paspulati RM, Prasad SR, . Genetics and imaging of hepatocellular adenomas: 2011 update. Radiographics. 2011;31:1529-43.
Labrune P, Trioche P, Duvaltier I, Chevalier P, Odièvre M, . Hepatocellular adenomas in glycogen storage disease type I and III: A series of 43 patients and review of the literature. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr. 1997;24:276-9.
van Aalten SM, Thomeer MG, Terkivatan T, Dwarkasing RS, Verheij J, de Man RA, . Hepatocellular adenomas: Correlation of MR imaging findings with pathologic subtype classification. Radiology. 2011;261:172-81.
Daga BV, Shah VR, More RB, . CT scan diagnosis of hepatic adenoma in a case of von Gierke disease. Indian J Radiol Imaging. 2012;22:54-7.
Kishnani PS, Austin SL, Abdenur JE, Arn P, Bali DS, Boney A, . American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics. Diagnosis and management of glycogen storage disease type I: A practice guideline of the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics. Genet Med. 2014;16:e1.
Ronot M, Bahrami S, Calderaro J, Valla DC, Bedossa P, Belghiti J, . Hepatocellular adenomas: Accuracy of magnetic resonance imaging and liver biopsy in subtype classification. Hepatology. 2011;53:1182-91.
Agarwal S, Fuentes-Orrego JM, Arnason T, Misdraji J, Jhaveri KS, Harisinghani M, . Inflammatory hepatocellular adenomas can mimic focal nodular hyperplasia on gadoxetic acid-enhanced MRI. AJR Am J Roentgenol. 2014;203:W408-14.
Imaging Surveillance of the Reconstructed Breast in… November 9, 2021
Ectopic Submandibular Parathyroid Adenoma by Tc-99m… October 3, 2020
Role of Cross-sectional Imaging (CT/MRI) in… May 16, 2020


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Why putting more women into leadership roles will build stronger post-pandemic world?
WION Web Team
New Delhi, India Published: Jan 15, 2022, 03:24 PM(IST)
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern Photograph:( AFP )
At the current rate of progress, gender parity at the highest positions of power will not be reached for 130 years
Only 22 countries have an elected woman head of state or government, while 119 nations have never had a woman leader, according to UN Women.
At the current rate of progress, gender parity at the highest positions of power will not be reached for 130 years.
The analysis also showed parity would not be reached in national parliaments before 2063, and in ministerial positions before 2077.
In early 2020, only 14 countries had cabinets where women held at least half of posts. They included Rwanda, Finland, Canada, Colombia and Peru.
Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, who made history as South Africa's first female deputy president in 2005, said gender-balanced cabinets made better decisions not just for women, but for society as a whole.
"You reduce the likelihood of missing out on the needs of some people because you just have never walked in their shoes," she added.
Also see | Boris Johnson, Kim Kardashian, Novak Djokovic: Here's a list of most famous COVID-19 rulebreakers
She said female leaders, from New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern to former German chancellor Angela Merkel, had rightly won praise for their handling of the COVID-19 crisis.
"Women tended not to focus on the politics, but just on finding solutions, so they would work with everybody," she added.
Getting more women into local government also makes a difference, Mlambo-Ngcuka said. In India, for example, women-led councils have pushed for better access to clean water, critical for preventing the spread of the virus.
Barriers to women's participation in public life include political parties' reluctance to support them, lack of funding, public perceptions that men make better leaders, and violence and intimidation, including cyber-abuse.
More than 80 per cent of women parliamentarians surveyed globally have experienced psychological violence. One in four have suffered physical violence and one in five sexual violence.
Also read | New Zealand tightens travel rules as Covid spreads
On January 25 last year, Estonia became the only country with a female president and female prime minister.
However, the number of women parliamentarians worldwide has more than doubled since 1995 to 25 per cent.
Women are also at the forefront of the battle against COVID-19, as front-line and health sector workers, as scientists, doctors and caregivers, yet they get paid 11 per cent less globally than their male counterparts.
An analysis of COVID-19 task teams from 87 countries found only 3.5 per cent of them had gender parity.
Mlambo-Ngcuka said it was crucial that women play a leading role in building more inclusive post-COVID-19 economies, particularly as so many women had been pushed into poverty.
"If women do not recover from the poverty they've been thrown in because of COVID, many families and communities are going to be in a very difficult situation for a very long time. And that is going to be a problem for everybody," she said.
UN confirms 2021 among seven hottest years on record
Pandemic still taking heavy toll on jobs: UN
Couple on neverending date due to Covid lockdown gets engaged
Top 10 world news: UK Covid curbs to go, US to distribute free masks, and more


text:
November 6, 2012 by Lost In The Sound UK
Rudimental – 'Not Giving In' Ft. John Newman & Alex Clare
After fulfilling our needs for a summertime banger this year, and completely owning it. Hackney-based quartet Rudimental have gone and blown up every expectation we had, after the success of their last release and completely smashed it all over again. Their new no doubt future hit 'Not Giving In' once again features the amazing soulful vocals of John Newman, as well as singer songwriter Alex Clare who also made a huge mark on the music scene this year with his world wide hit 'Too Close'.
The gripping video to this track also has much more behind it than meets the eye. Directed by photographer Josh Cole. The video is based on the life of a break-dancer named Mouse, who grew up in the slums of Manila. The video shows two sides of his story by portraying an older brother, who follows a less fortunate path. Which could have been the fate of Mouse, had he not found dance. While Mouse's brother is not dead, however, he has been pulled under and lost to the world of drugs and addiction.
By telling his story Mouse hopes to inspire others to follow the right path.
Great inspiration behind an incredible video, right? Check it out below:
The track is set for release 18th November Pre-order Here
This entry was posted in New Releases, Rudimental, Videos and tagged Alex Clare, John Newman, Josh Cole, Not Giving in, Rudimental. Bookmark the permalink.
Plan B – Playing with Fire ft. Labrinth
Ed Sheeran – Give Me Love


The first time you boot up your computer you always go, "Wow, I can't believe how fast this system is!" … and then a month later its just as slow as the system you replaced. Many times people will suggest you add more RAM (Random Access Memory) or go totally over the top and suggest you get a faster processor. Well, before you go whipping out that credit card, why not try your hand at a couple of completely free tricks that just might do the trick?
As soon as you start adding programs to your computer, your hard drive begins to fragment. By using the defrag utility on your system, it will sort all of the files into some semblance of order, reducing the amount of time your hard drive must seek for the appropriate files to load a program.
While this is something that should be run every couple of months, you can usually get by with just doing it once a year. One caveat to this choice, it is time consuming, and you really should be doing nothing else on your system at the time. It's a good thing to run if you are going out for a couple of hours or as you go to bed.
The vast majority of programs you install are convinced they are the most important thing you have ever installed on your system. Almost all of them will decide that at least portions of it need to be loaded every time you start your system, and the more that get added, the more time your computer will take to boot.
A lot of programs will offer you an option to remove it from the boot process, but on the off chance it doesn't, you can look into your startup process in the MSCONFIG utility. How you access this tool varies by version of Windows (in XP, type in the name in the "Run" prompt, in Windows 7 you just type it in the search box), but once you are in to it, just click on the "Startup" tab.
A lot of what you will see in here will look like Greek to you, but just type the various names you see like "OEM13Mon" into Google, and you will find a result telling you what the program is related to and if you really need it to be running.
While you should have some sort of anti-virus stuff running to prevent any thing from installing, but you'd be amazed what can still get in sometimes. There are free options out there that do a great job like Malware Malbytes, and sometimes it won't find anything, other times it finds some sort of adware that isn't exactly vicious, as much as its a resource hog. Get rid of one of those and you should see a speed up.
Like running a defrag, Disk Cleanup will search your system for things like temporary Internet files you no longer need and will help you get them off your system. This one won't do a lot to speed up the system usually, but every little bit helps when your system is really sluggish.
Right click on your C: drive icon, choose "properties" and uncheck the box for "Allow indexing service to index this disk for fast file searching". This is something that constantly updates your files to make searching them faster, but how often do you really search your files?
What are some of your favorite free tips for speeding up your computer?


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'This Is Not A Normal Election': Have Pollsters Failed To Account For 'Unusual' Factors?
By James Barrett
According to pollsters, Democrats are poised to wrest control of the House from Republicans, who've managed to hold it for 8 years, while Republicans are about as likely to maintain their majority in the Senate, possibly even picking up a seat or two. But have the pollsters accounted for what analysts are calling a particularly "unusual" election, which features historic early voting turnout and what many believe will be unprecedented numbers of "non-usual" voters?
"This is not a normal election," voting analyst and University of Florida Professor Michael McDonald told Politico in reference to voter turnout. "The best guess is that we're looking at some sort of hybrid midterm/presidential election."
So what's so unusual? First, the early voting numbers, which have already reached some 36 million and are projected by pollster Tom Bonier to likely surpass 40 million when they've all been collected. In 2014, a total of 27.2 million people voted early. McDonald predicts that every state could end up surpassing its 2014 early voting numbers this year.
If pollsters failed to calibrate for that massive surge in early voting, Politico underscores, they could end up with results that diverge significantly from their predictions:
Early voters in three states — Texas, Nevada and Arizona — have already surpassed total turnout in the last midterm election, McDonald's data shows, and more states will blow past their normal non-presidential turnout with just a handful more votes on Election Day. The high voting rates have transformed expectations about who will show up in the midterms — and they could inspire results that diverge from any pre-election polls that did not reckon with this year's unusually high enthusiasm.
McDonald predicts that a total of about 105.5 million people will vote this year, which would be over 20 million more people than in 2014 and about 30 million fewer than voted in 2016.
Another unusual aspect of this election, which Bonier's group TargetSmart has tracked, is the higher than normal participation of "non-usual" voters, including first-time voters and young voters, the impact of which is yet unclear.
Despite the unprecedented factors, Bonier told Politico that pollsters have "all made a very safe assumption that 2018 will look nothing like 2014," and have attempted to calibrate accordingly. If they haven't, we might end up with another November 2016.
As for what the pollsters project will happen today, analysis of all the most recent polling by Nate Silver's FiveThirtyEight gives Republicans a 4 in 5 chance (81%) of maintaining control of the Senate and Democrats a 7 in 8 chance (88.1%) of winning control of the House. Below is The Daily Wire's summary of Real Clear Politics' averages for both the Senate and House as of the morning of the election:
For the last few weeks, Real Clear Politics' average of the key polls has given Republicans 50 "safe" Senate seats and narrow leads in two of the seven "tossup" races (Missouri and Nevada). On election morning, however, RCP only gives Republicans 49 "safe" seats, having shifted Tennessee into the "toss-ups" column (the Republican leads by 5 points). Last week, RCP gave Democrats 44 "safe" seats; that number has dwindled by one (West Virginia) to just 43. [...]
Real Clear Politics' poll averages on the morning of the election show Democrats with 203 seats that are "safely" blue, including 15 that are "likely" to go their way and 15 that "lean" Democrat. Republicans have 194 "safe" seats (20 likely and 25 leaning). Last week, RCP gave Republicans 196 "safe" seats and Democrats 203. If RCP's "safe" predictions hold up, Democrats only need 15 of the 38 tossup seats to attain the 218-majority in the House. Republicans, meanwhile, need to win 24. Thirty-three of the 38 tossups are currently held by Republicans.
Related: MSNBC Accidentally Airs Results Of Florida Governor's Race In Test 'Misfire.' Guess Who's 'Winning'?
Read More: Democratic Party Politico Republican Party


Have you ever wished you could speak directly with an expert who shares the most up-to-date information about health care available? Now you can. This spring, Augustana Care will host the Well Spoken learning series for residents, families, future residents, and professionals. The Well Spoken series will include presentations on Parkinson's disease and new treatments, approaches and research for Alzheimer's.
Like all muscles, the mind needs to exercise and grow, no matter how young or old we may be. Augustana Care wants to extend to you an invitation to exercise and expand your knowledge on these topics, which are essential to healthy aging. Our Well-Spoken series gives participants the opportunity to connect directly with experts who have a wealth of knowledge on the topics they cover. Experts will also take the time to respond to direct questions from the audience.
For more information on events, times and locations, please click here to see our brochure.


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Home Giveaways Introducing GamerPower, The One-Stop Site For Giveaways, Loot, And More!
Introducing GamerPower, The One-Stop Site For Giveaways, Loot, And More!
MMOBomb has a new sister site! Today, our parent company Digiwalls Media announced the official launch of GamerPower, a platform dedicated to helping players find, collect and keep track of all the free game goodies available at any given time. The site gathers all the best giveaways in one place, not only negating the need to hit up several different sites to check on giveaways from your favorite games, but also offering a way to track them easily. Plus you can get notification alerts directly on your web browser, ensuring you will never miss a giveaway.
It doesn't matter whether you're looking for MMOs, MMORPGs, Steam Games, Single Player games or even Console Games, you're sure to find it. GamerPower allows you to not only easily find for your game of choice, but also save the results you're most interested in — and gather them into collections.
Each giveaway has its own page complete with information on how to get your loot, what platform it's available on, how rare it is, and whether or not its DRM-free. Users who create accounts can even keep track of their previous claims and how much they would have spent had they had to purchase the items outright.
To start collecting all your free loot, head over to GamerPower and begin your search. Don't forget to create an account to help keep track of it all.
gamerpower
The Equestrian May 30, 2020 at 5:11 am
Is the FreeSteamKeys.com going to get a similar facelift too? I was under the impression that the two websites are related since they sported the same layout and one had links to the other and vice versa.
Conqueror's Blade Empyrean Order Pack Key...
C9 or Mu Online Holiday Pack...
Game of Thrones Winter is Coming...
MMOBomb - November 5, 2020
Game of Thrones Winter is Coming Gift Pack Key GiveawayMMOBomb and R2Games have partnered up to score YOU a gift pack key with in-game...
Clash: Mutants vs Pirates Gift Pack...
MMOBomb - June 12, 2020
Clash: Mutants vs Pirates Gift Pack Key Giveaway MMOBomb and NewGen have partnered up to score YOU a special pack key with lots of in-game...


I stopped my formal learning of the Thai language when I stopped taking classes. I stopped at Thai 2 and the classes go up to Thai 7 or 8. We were getting into reading and writing so I was introduced to the basics but haven't touched any of it since. I call my Thai basic survival Thai and in hindsight I can see that I should have made more of an effort.
Learning a language tests your confidence and I didn't feel confident especially when the good people of Thailand looked at me confused because I look (native) Thai. Even in class I would mumble just the bare minimum. It's funny how a secure and positive person becomes whisper quiet when learning a new language.
I know that farangs testing their Thai skills get the same reactions too. But when I'm with them the Thai almost always looks at me like, "You want to help out here? How long are we going to let this go? What the heck is he saying?" Or they will just start speaking to me in pasa Thai because whitey over here is simply too slow and clumsy. At times I have to become physically unavailable in order for my friends to practice their Thai.
Only now I realize, I don't care. Why did I care!? I'm learning! I needed to be braver when a lot of times I just wanted life to be easy. Just give me what I want and let there be no surprises. But who wants to feel stupid? Because let's face it when you don't know the language you feel stupid and timid. Sure it is easy to ignore and block out the strange sounds but when you need something, you need to talk, you need to try.
Through this blog I've been able to connect with people I would not have met otherwise and one of my dear readers said to me, "I'd love for you to learn Thai." Nobody has ever said that to me before. Obviously my family and friends want this but they don't say this. It's amazing what goes assumed and unspoken, choice of words is important too. I think I've occasionally heard "You should learn Thai" which has a very different feeling.
So if you think you need to learn Thai before you come to Thailand, think again. You can almost always get by. Mahatsajan. Bratet Thai Mahatsajan. Amazing Thailand. Sometimes I'm astounded by how many tourists there are in Chiang Mai and I think, surely they have stumbled upon the likes of me before? Regardless, Asian tourists are becoming more common so maybe my little presence here will make it easier for the next girl like me.
But when you do end up conversing with Thais, I find those who are used to working with tourists much more patient with you. I think they are used to English-only so when you make the effort they are pleased. I heard some great advice recently speak Thai when you know the words. When you don't know the words use English. Seems bloody obvious but sometimes you have to state the bloody obvious.
If you can, find people who support you during your learning process. When I stumbled upon Thais who didn't like my kind I let that deflate my confidence. I took it personally. Living abroad can be isolating at times but you can feel this way back in your passport country.
For now Thai will inevitably take a back seat to Spanish (another story) but I don't want to lose what I have gained. Because I've gained some insight into pasa Thai, I now understand why my mom does the things that she does. Maybe learning Thai will be a longer story for me, more of a lifelong journey.
Dang it! Buttons! Why didn't I think of that? That would have been too funny ~ it could have been a grand social experiment. . .hmmm. Where to find buttons?
Buttons are dead easy to source in the US and the UK, but I don't know where to go in Thailand. Another option would be stickers. Sticker carts are everywhere in Thailand. The hawkers will know where to get them printed up (some even do their own). And they might just know where to get buttons too.Another place to ask would be the night market. It's a hodgepodge of adventure!
Pood Pasa Thai Die nitnoi muangkan Kub LOL. It was good reading this post. Love it really.
Thanks for reading Mireille. Taking a peek at your blogs and I'm sure you never tire of hearing this so I'll say it ~ your girls are beautiful!Good for you for giving your daughters a chance to learn Thai. The more I learn the more I appreciate it.But a looonggg way to go still. Cheers!
It's true that you can get by in Thailand without ever speaking a word of Thai. I know dozens of people who have lived here for 20-30 years and never bothered to learn anything. If you're living in Thailand you have the choice of making an effort and learning the language or outright refusing to do it. Those who refuse to learn the language will always be just Tourists even if they live here full time, those who learn the language are typically accepted by the local Thai's more freely and are granted a kind of status as an honorary Thai.


text:
Candidate Guide
The People's Platform
Plataforma Ciudadana para una Filadelfia Justa
Enforce Pro-Worker Policies
Candidate Survey Explanations
Vinny Black:
Organize and unite
Sherrie Cohen:
To ensure that workers benefit from this legislation, we need a fully funded Enforcement Office to protect workers who come forward to raise complaints, to include strong enforcement tools to better guarantee compliance, and to help ensure collection of owed wages.
Allan Domb:
Enforcement of our laws is already a requirement of government agencies and I am concerned that a new Enforcement Office would create overlapping responsibilities and authorities and this duplication would create confusion at the same time it takes precious taxpayer funds from other programs. I am in favor of this in concept, but I would have to understand the process and the policies of the enforcement to be in support of a particular plan.
Sandra Dungee Glenn:
I think the first step would be a major education/public awareness campaign to inform workers of their rights and the establishment of a hotline to report abuses and noncompliance. Then Council should direct the establishment of a database of noncompliant employers that would be linked to their ability to access city services and programs.
Beth Finn:
Legislation needs two things to be effective: regulation and enforcement. The Fair Work Week ordinance and similar workers' rights ordinances are great ideas that I fully support. In practice, if we want these initiatives to be more than just symbolic statements, we need to pair these laws with a fully funded enforcement office on day one. Employers must know that if they break the law, they will get caught. Employees need to know that the law exists and how they can ensure it protects them.
Katherine Gilmore Richardson:
To create a fully funded enforcement office, I would introduce a charter change (a bill and resolution for voter approval via a ballot initiative)to amend the code to allow for a new office of enforcement. After approval in Council, the ballot initiative would go before the people of Philadelphia for approval.
Irina Goldstein:
Employers are not the bad guys. We want to attract them here and encourage them to expand their businesses. This sort of task force full of virtue-signaling people will just create more gridlock. We are not interested in a Marxist America. The best way to escape a bad employer is to increase options for people. Also, you can't defend the rights of an employee and also be for open borders. Illegal immigration puts people out of work and drives down wages.
Helen Gym:
Yes. I look forward to working with the Mayor's Office of Labor on this. One asset of passing a Fair Workweek was it has put political pressure on a strong, energetic enforcement officer to protect workers. The law instituted a working group to develop regulations that ensure workers are protected and businesses can not skirt the law. Such tables lend strength to the push for robust enforcement. I'll call each budget season for increased investment for enforcement of labor laws.
Adrian Rivera-Reyes:
All work has value and the workers doing said work should have their dignity. A worker will not have that dignity if their bosses are stealing their wages, denying them paid sick leave, and burdening them with an erratic work schedule. To help preserve the dignity of all workers, I support a workers council made up of Philadelphia workers and city officials in the Mayor's Office of Labor to enforce all pro-worker legislation the city has currently enacted and will enact in the future.
Mark Ross:
I, being a retired labor worker, would definitely support fully funded enforcement office to ensure the ordinances are not violated.
Fernando Trevino-Martinez:
I'll work with Labor and advocates to create a common-sense policy and I'll work with my colleagues in City Council to enact the appropriate legislation.
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