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Showing 1 - 24 (of 100)
Continuous Manufacturing for the Modernization of Pharmaceutical Production : Proceedings of a Workshop
Identification of Research Needs Relating to Potential Biological or Adverse Health Effects of Wireless Communication Devices
National Research Council
2008 Amendments to the National Academies' Guidelines for Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research
Combined Exposures to Hydrogen Cyanide and Carbon Monoxide in Army Operations : Final Report
Advancing Nuclear Medicine Through Innovation
Contaminated Water Supplies at Camp Lejeune : Assessing Potential Health Effects
Sustaining Global Surveillance and Response to Emerging Zoonotic Diseases
Considerations for Ensuring Safety and Efficacy of Vaccines and Therapeutic Proteins Manufactured by Using Platform Approaches : Summary of a Workshop
Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals : Eighth Edition
Final Report of the National Academies' Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research Advisory Committee and 2010 Amendments to the National Academies' Guidelines for Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research
Indicators for Waterborne Pathogens
Enhancing the Vitality of the National Institutes of Health : Organizational Change to Meet New Challenges
Science, Medicine, and Animals
Scientific Criteria to Ensure Safe Food
Arsenic in Drinking Water : 2001 Update
Mammography and Beyond : Developing Technologies for the Early Detection of Breast Cancer
Toxicological Effects of Methylmercury
Strategies to Protect the Health of Deployed U.S. Forces : Assessing Health Risks to Deployed U.S. Forces -- Workshop Proceedings
Risk Assessment of Radon in Drinking Water
Waste Incineration and Public Health
Toxicologic Assessment of the Army's Zinc Cadmium Sulfide Dispersion Tests
Possible Health Effects of Exposure to Residential Electric and Magnetic Fields


Carolyn Capretta received her Master of Business Administration and Bachelor of Science from McMaster University. Her corporate career consists of experience in Healthcare, Pharmaceutical, and Biotechnology industries where she held various positions in the laboratory, sales and marketing areas. This included developing and implementing strategic plans, sales training and development, new product launch and product recall.
Carolyn Capretta is a lecturer in Human Resources and Management. Her experience includes teaching at the undergraduate and graduate level.
Carolyn's ongoing commitment to teaching and learning includes earning Instructional Skills Workshop and Facilitator Skills Workshop certificates. She has also co-facilitated for the Instructional Skills Workshop.
HRPA) and a member of the HRPA.


The system consists of 84 Trina 250 watt panels feeding three Sunny Boy 7000 TL-US inverters to provide up to 21 kilowatts of three phase power into the school electrical system, any surplus being exported into the grid.
Planning and construction was undertaken by the Salt Spring Island Community Energy Group, overseen and assisted by a NABCEP qualified installer. The Group also fund raised for the project, mainly from local concerned individuals and businesses but also with a significant matching grant from Bullfrog Power.
The money saved on electricity used by the school will be used to fund one or more annual Solar Scholarships for graduating students to follow environmental studies or trade qualifications in renewable energy industries.


text:
Finding a Therapist
How Therapy Works (Sometimes)
Insurance & Payment FAQs
Sketches Etc
Jacob Ham, PhD
Long Post Describing How to Manage Children's Behavior with Nurturance
Jacob Ham April 21, 2017
This long vignette is meant to try to articulate what I do as a therapist that I really value but that is often lost in our current world of parent management training, behavioral therapy, and evidence-based treatments. I'm happy to respond to comments or questions.
A family comes in wanting parent management approaches to help with their young son who is aggressive. The mom herself is anxious. Like all parents who come into my office, she feels like an utter failure as a parent and is exhausted. She wants immediate answers, concrete solutions. There is also a younger sister who is so sweet and cute and is sometimes hurt by the boy.
Once in the waiting room, the siblings are fighting over a toy, and he impulsively punches her. Mom snaps at him and gives him a stern look that crosses into contempt. She then turns away from him to soothe her daughter. She looks at me mortified and states that this is what happens all the time. He bows his head in shame, which the mother does not see. I do, but I don't do anything. I'm just as bulldozed by how quickly this happens and don't know how to respond.
A few weeks later, a similar thing happens. The siblings are fighting over a toy, and the sister throws her jacket at her brother. He immediately starts to pummel her and she falls to the floor. Everyone is shocked again. The sister starts to cry, stands up and goes to her mom to be comforted. Mom looks contemptuously again at her son and looks at me in disbelief and deep embarrassment that her children act up so much in public.
The son bows his head again in shame.
I gently kneel next to him, stroke his back, and say with some urgency, "I saw what happened. You didn't mean to hit your sister, but she threw her jacket at you and before you knew it you were punching her and now you feel really bad about it! I can see that."
He bows his head further and then minutely reaches up to grab the hem of his mother's jacket. She doesn't register such a light touch.
I say, "Now you wish your mom would comfort you too." I say this loudly hoping that his mother hears me and turns to him.
She doesn't. He walks away and plops down into a chair.
I move next to him and keep repeating, "It's okay. It's not your fault. It happened really fast and you started punching before you even knew it."
He says, "Yeah, I didn't mean to punch her. It all happened so fast."
Mom whips around to look at us in utter disbelief, because he usually just laughs, continues to provoke, or denies that he did anything wrong. She says, "He's never said anything like that before! How'd you do that?"
Then, we begin weeks of me working with mom in the sessions, teaching her to read her child's emotions and behaviors to reveal his underlying shame and anxiety. Initially, he finds this work incredibly anxiety provoking and he becomes very agitated to the point that I spend two full sessions having to restrain him physically because he begins to punch his sister. I restrain him while saying, "You're energy is becoming too intense and you are losing control of your body. I'm going to help you stay in control because I need everyone to feel safe in here." I teach him belly breathing during the restraint. We do 5 belly breathes and then I release one limb to see if he can show me that that limb is relaxed like wet spaghetti. If he starts to tense up we start all over. If he can keep that arm calm then I praise him and we do 5 more breathes to see if we can calm another limb. We go until he is fully released.
He immediately becomes silly again and pretends to punch his sister, so I have to restrain him again. We have to repeat this cycle maybe 5 times in a given session. I'm struck by how intentional this feels, especially because he doesn't really punch her and is looking at me when he does it. He's turned this into some kind of game. He doesn't fully resist being restrained and seems to find some comfort in it even while fighting it. At the end of the session, I praise him for practicing self-control with me.
By the end of two sessions like this, he says that I'm hurting him and wants me to hold him more loosely. I comply and relax my grip enough so that he could easily just pull away if he wanted to, but instead he says, "that's better" and let's me continue to hold him. He is tiring of the game and begs to be released without going through the relaxation procedure. When, I refuse, he begins to cry in a full way, out of exhaustion, frustration, and who knows what else. I start to feel really bad for him because it is a pitiful cry and I don't like putting him through such a trial. I let him go and he falls to the ground and continues sobbing.
I'm struck by the fact that he doesn't turn to his mother and his mother is also sitting there frozen and confused. Remembering his reaching out for the hem of her jacket, I instruct her to reach out to him to comfort him. She kneels down to touch his back somewhat awkwardly. He does not respond and continues to cry. She drags him up and puts him on her lap. He's very big for her lap so the position is awkward. Nevertheless, he lets out another big cry and collapse into the comfort.
For the next few sessions, we work on teaching mom to catch those moments when he needs comfort and to work harder to reach out to him. She also continues to work on naming what she sees happening to him in the moment in a way that is nonjudgmental and more focused on naming emotion and intention.
He begins to transform. He begins to talk about anxiety and tell us when his anxiety is starting to get higher and when it starts to calm. When we start sessions, his mom might want to talk about bad behaviors at school, but he whimpers, "No, no! I don't want to talk about it! It's making me anxious!" And we learn to stop and focus on regulating his anxiety instead of shaming him into compliance.
Nowadays, his parents are completely focused on understanding his bad behaviors as stemming from incredible anxiety. He himself spontaneously said this amazing thing, "when my anxiety gets too high, I start to punch my sister, and I really don't mean to. I'm sorry I do that." He and his sister now team up against the Anxiety Monster. She protects him from ghosts and they practice exposure exercise games together, like walking through the hallway alone or staying in the waiting room by themselves when he is afraid that a scary monster might get him.
His mother also proudly shared that she is beginning to learn to help him better on her own. One day, she promised to pick up a special treat and give it to him when she came to pick him up from school. She forgot. He began to tantrum right in front of all the other parents and the teachers. In the past, she would have been so mortified by his public tantrum that she would have either mollified him with a promise of future treats or reacted harshly to try to stop the tantrum. Instead, she said, "You're angry at me for not bringing you the treat." He nodded, she apologized, and the tantrum ended. Simple as that: no behavior management required. No rewards, no consequences. Just reconnecting in the relationship.
For me, the true highlight wasn't what this mother had done. Instead, it was the fact that she recognized that her own anxiety needed to be controlled first and that she stayed calm under one of the most anxiety provoking situations for her (public shame). And, most importantly I felt proud because she was proud of what she had done, , because at core, this mother feels like the worst mother in the world and she fights the same demon of anxiety and self-loathing that haunts her son. So, as she heals her son, she heals herself; and as she heals herself, she heals her son. And, her courage and bravery stands out above all else as the thing I'll cherish most in my memory of them.
← More on Clinical Strategies for Nurturing KnownnessHow to Perceive Others →
Healing Attachment Trauma through Attuned Love
The Core Secret to Healing: What I try to accomplish.
Trauma Informed Starts with You
This video summarizes the gist of what I think it takes for an organization to become trauma-informed.
Understanding Trauma: Learning Brain vs Survival Brain
This video reframes a trauma perspective in terms of learning brain versus survival brain as a way to make it easier for teachers to talk about trauma with students.
Trauma and the Incredible Hulk
How I use the Incredible Hulk to explain the impact of Trauma
"Every Opportunity" Deconstructed
Every Opportunity is a wonderful video for schools to see the difference between a school in crisis based survival mode versus one that puts student into learning brain through the foundation of relationships and teaching social emotional and neurodevelopmental tasks. I show the video and break down what I think about it.
The Nurturance of Being Known
In this video, I use a developmental perspective to argue that being known by another person is just a vitally important to life as listening to a baby's cries to figure out what they need.
This is a little tutorial on secure attachment that i made with my dear from Thomas Moon. We're going to do a series of training videos to share what I've learned as much as I can.
Avoidant Attachment
Part 2 or 5. Video about Avoidant Attachment. Please don't take this too seriously. It's a gross generalization.
Ambivalent Attachment
Another video describing some rough ideas about how ambivalent attachment and how it impacts students.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Rice: Meeting With Israeli, Palestinian Negotiators "Fruitful"
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice held what she called a fruitful joint meeting with Palestinian and Israeli negotiators Wednesday. She said they will keep pushing on the goal of a Middle East peace accord by the end of the year despite the pending resignation of Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. VOA's David Gollust reports from the State Department.
The announcement by Olmert of his planned resignation in September somewhat overshadowed the trilateral meeting here, but participants said the development need not derail the peace talks.
Without elaborating, Rice told reporters the two-hour closed door meeting was fruitful and that the parties remain committed to the goals of last November's Annapolis conference -namely a full agreement on a two-state solution to the conflict by year's end.
Neither Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni nor Palestinian chief negotiator Ahmed Qureia spoke after the meeting. But Palestinian delegation member Saeb Erekat said the two sides agreed to continue pushing for a comprehensive deal and will not settle for an interim or partial understanding.
"We will not opt for an option of partial agreements, shortcuts or anything short of a full agreement on all issues," said Saeb Erekat. "And let everybody understand that we are negotiating the issues of Jerusalem, borders, settlements, refugee, security and prisoners and water. And we want to achieve an agreement on all issues, or no agreement."
Alluding to the unsuccessful Middle East summit convened at the end of former President Clinton's term, Erekat said a Camp David failure is not an option for the parties now, nor is a blame game.
Confirming an accelerated pace of talks, the Palestinian envoy said Rice will meet with the three parties again in the region August 20 and that more meetings were possible in September in Washington and on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly.
Aides to Rice say she has been trying to identify points of convergence between the two parties on key issues but is not actually presenting bridging proposals.
State Department Spokesman Sean McCormack downplayed the notion that the Bush administration plans any major change in tactics like convening a summit-level meeting. He said Rice would prefer to hand over a viable peace process to her successor rather than pushing too hard and causing a collapse of the dialogue:
"Whether that comes in '08 or '09 or some other time, we will see," said McCormack. "Our goal is to try to get to an agreement that will lead to a two-state solution by the end of this year. Maybe that is just in our nature as Americans that we're as optimistic and when we see limits, we try to push beyond them. But we're not going to try to push the limits of the process to the point where it breaks and you lose hope of a solution."
Both Rice and Palestinian spokesman Erekat said the pending resignation of Prime Minister Olmert in the face of a political corruption scandal is an internal Israeli matter.
Erekat said Palestinians want to make peace with all Israelis and not a particular party or individual. He said both Mr. Olmert and Livni, a Kadima party rival of the outgoing Prime Minister, have told the Palestinian team that Israel intends to stay the course.
US Downplays Expectations Ahead of 3-Way Mideast Talks
Israeli PM Olmert to Quit in September


Also called cavities. Cavities are very much linked to our life style, what we eat, how well we take care of our teeth as well as the presence of fluoride in the water and toothpaste we consume. Cavities can give serious problems if left untreated leading to infection of the nerve, dental abscess and pain. Once an abscess has formed the tooth can only be treated with root canal treatment or extraction, so it's always better and cheaper to get regular examinations.


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text:
Trending Topics in New Zealand
Conditions > Sexuality > Paraphilias
Paraphilias
Reviewed by Psychology Today Staff
A paraphilia is a condition in which a person's sexual arousal and gratification depend on fantasizing about and engaging in sexual behavior that is atypical and extreme. A paraphilia is considered a disorder when it causes distress or threatens to harm someone else.
A paraphilia can revolve around a particular object (children, animals, underwear) or a particular behavior (inflicting pain, exposing oneself); it is distinguished by a preoccupation with the object or behavior to the point of being dependent on that object or behavior for sexual gratification. Most paraphilias are more common in men than in women. The focus of a paraphilia is usually very specific and unchanging.
Since many well-functioning people have sexual interests that fall outside of traditional sexual conduct, a diagnosis of a paraphilic disorder is only given if there is accompanying personal distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning, or if the behavior causes harm to a non-consenting party.
Diagnosable paraphilias include: pedophilia, exhibitionism, voyeurism, frotteurism, fetishism, sexual masochism, sexual sadism, and transvestic disorder.
Although many paraphilias seem foreign or extreme, they are easier to understand if one thinks of them in terms of behaviors that, in less extreme versions, are quite common. For instance, having a partner "talk dirty" can be arousing for some people, but when talking dirty is the only way that sexual arousal or satisfaction can occur, it would be considered a paraphilia.
Some individuals want to be bitten or spanked, enjoy watching their partner perform certain acts, or become aroused by viewing a nude person or watching sexually explicit videos. But these sexual interests—if carried out by consenting adults—do not, in themselves, indicate a paraphilia. In order for a paraphilia to be diagnosed, the interest must be magnified to the point of psychological dependence, and must cause the individual significant distress to the point where it negatively interferes with their lives or relationships.
What are the most common paraphilias?
The most common paraphilias are pedophilia (sexual focus on children), exhibitionism (exposure of genitals to strangers), voyeurism (observing private activities of unaware victims), and frotteurism (touching or rubbing against a nonconsenting person). Fetishism (use of inanimate objects), sexual masochism (being humiliated or forced to suffer), sexual sadism (inflicting humiliation or suffering), and transvestic disorder (sexually arousing cross-dressing) are less common. There is also a category of paraphilias—known as Other Specified Paraphilic Disorders—which encompasses behaviors not covered by the already named diagnoses, such as those involving corpses, urine, feces, enemas, or obscene phone calls.
Do paraphilias occur among men more often than among women?
Men are much more likely to have a paraphilia than women. Some paraphilias, such as exhibitionistic disorder, frotteuristic disorder, pedophilic disorder, and fetishistic disorder, have little evidence of women engaging in them at a diagnostic level. One paraphilia that does appear in women in significant numbers (relative to other paraphilias) is sexual masochism.
In more than 90 percent of cases (and 99 percent in Europe), paraphilic sex offenders are males.
How common are paraphilias?
Paraphilic disorders are not common, but individual behaviors, which would not constitute a paraphilic disorder on their own, and fantasies about paraphilias are fairly common. While collecting data on people's private sex lives is inherently difficult to reliably conduct, one survey of nearly 2,000 middle-aged German men found that 62.4 percent of them reported at least one paraphilia-associated sexual arousal pattern (Ahers, et. al.). A meta-analysis of research on BDSM (Bondage/Discipline, Dominance/Submission, and Sadism/Masochism) found that between 40 and 70 percent of people have had a BDSM-related sexual fantasy, and that between 5 and 20 percent of people have engaged in BDSM activity.
It is unclear what causes paraphilic disorders to develop.
Some psychologists theorize that an individual with a paraphilia is repeating or reverting to a sexual habit that arose early in life.
Behaviorists suggest that paraphilias begin through a process of conditioning: Nonsexual objects can become sexually arousing if they are repeatedly associated with pleasurable sexual activity. Particular sexual acts (such as peeping or exhibitionism) that provide especially intense erotic pleasure can lead a person to prefer that behavior. In some cases, there seems to be a predisposing factor, such as difficulty forming person-to-person relationships.
Behavioral learning models suggest that a child who is the victim or observer of inappropriate sexual behaviors may learn to imitate that behavior.
Compensation models suggest that these individuals are deprived of normal social sexual contacts and thus seek gratification through less socially acceptable means.
Physiological models focus on the relationship between hormones, behavior, and the central nervous system, with a particular interest in the role of aggression and male sexual hormones. Evidence from some studies indicates that certain abnormalities in the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain correlate with pedophilic urges. One hypothesis on foot fetishes comes from the fact that the region in the brain that processes sensory information from the feet is adjacent to the area that processes sensory information from the genitals.
Some research indicates that engaging in sadistic sexual behaviors may be driven by a desire for feelings of power and dominance, in addition to simply sexual pleasure.
Treatment approaches for paraphilic disorders have included traditional psychotherapy, behavior therapy techniques, and pharmacological medications. The standard for treating paraphilic disorders is a combination of behavioral therapy and medication.
A class of drugs called antiandrogens that drastically lower testosterone levels temporarily have been used in conjunction with these forms of treatment. The drug lowers sex drive in males and can reduce the frequency of mental imagery of sexually arousing scenes. This allows for concentration on counseling without a strong distraction from the paraphiliac urges.
Hormones, particularly gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH) analogues, can reduce sex drive and aggression. These hormones can result in substantially less interest in sex altogether, with fewer erections, sexual fantasies, and initiation of sexual behaviors, including masturbation and intercourse. Antidepressants have also successfully decreased sex drive but have not effectively targeted sexual fantasies.
Cognitive therapies include restructuring cognitive distortions and empathy training. Restructuring cognitive distortions involves correcting erroneous beliefs by the patient, which may lead to errors in behavior such as seeing a victim and constructing erroneous logic that the victim deserves to be party to the deviant act. Vicarious sensitization entails showing videotapes of deviant behaviors and their consequences, such as victims describing desired revenge. Empathy training involves helping the offender take on the perspective of the victim and better identify with them, in order to understand the harm that has been done.
Results may vary. A meta-analysis of the efficacy of cognitive behavioral therapy for sex offenders with paraphilic disorders indicates only a modest reduction in recidivism among sexual offenders.
Can you cure a paraphilia?
Treatments for paraphilias can be very successful, but primarily treat symptoms. Paraphilic interests, though they can wax and wane in intensity throughout a person's life, are believed to be enduring.
What are aversive conditioning treatments for paraphilias?
Aversive conditioning involves using negative stimuli to reduce or eliminate a behavior. Covert sensitization entails the patient relaxing, visualizing scenes of deviant behavior followed by a negative event, such as getting his penis stuck in the zipper of his pants. Assisted aversive conditioning is similar to covert sensitization except the negative event is made real, most likely in the form of a foul odor pumped in the air by the therapist. The goal is for the patient to associate the deviant behavior with the foul odor and take measures to avoid the odor by avoiding said behavior.
What are positive conditioning treatments for paraphilias?
Positive conditioning approaches center on social skills training and alternate behaviors the patient might take that are more appropriate. Reconditioning techniques center on providing immediate feedback to the patient. Masturbation training might focus on separating the pleasure inherent in masturbation and climax from the deviant behavior.
How do antidepressants treat paraphilias?
Antidepressants, particularly selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) have been shown to have clinical efficacy in treating paraphilic disorder, particularly with mild paraphilias, such as exhibitionism, and most often with juveniles. One study found a 50 percent remission of paraphilic symptoms using the SSRI sertraline (Zoloft). Though research is limited, SSRIs have shown little efficacy for more dangerous paraphilias, such as pedophilia.
Are antiandrogen treatments successful for paraphilic disorders?
Antiandrogen treatments are often successful in treating the symptoms of severe paraphilic disorders. Some research has shown these treatments result in an 80 to 90 percent reduction of sexual behavior and the remission of sexual fantasies over the course of one to three months. A follow-up study found the recidivism of sexual offenses dropped to 6 percent in those treated with antiandrogens, compared with an 85 percent recidivism rate prior to treatment (Thibaut, 2010). However, antiandrogen treatments can have severe side effects, including pulmonary embolism, depression, high blood pressure, bone mineral loss, weight gain, and others.
Can GnRH hormones treat paraphilic disorders?
A specific antiandrogen hormone, Gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH) treatment may be the most effective treatment for sex offenders at high risk of sexual violence, such as pedophiles. These treatments rapidly and significantly reduce a person's sex drive, and have been compared to medical castration. GnRH hormones desensitize gonadotropin-releasing hormone receptors, resulting in a reduction of testosterone in the testes. In one study of sexual offenders given this treatment, no sexual behavior was observed and with one exception, no participants committed sexual offenses. A more recent study found that after ten weeks of use in a double-blind trial, 58 percent of men with pedophilic disorder denied sexual attraction to minors, whereas only 12 percent in the placebo group made such a denial (Landgren, et al., 2020). GnRH treatments also have side effects, including transient pain, nausea, weight gain, bone mineral loss, decreased testicular volume, muscular tenderness, and others.
As with all treatments, both therapeutic and pharmacological, study of these medications is extremely limited, with small sample sizes and imperfect trials, so the efficacy is ultimately unknown.
American Psychiatric Association, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition
Lackamp, J. M., Osborne, C., Wise, T. N., Baez-Sierra, D., & Balgobin, C. (2016). Treatment of Paraphilic Disorders. Practical Guide to Paraphilia and Paraphilic Disorders, 43.
McManus, M. A., Hargreaves, P., Rainbow, L., & Alison, L. J. (2013). Paraphilias: definition, diagnosis and treatment. F1000Prime Reports, 5. https://doi.org/10.12703/p5-36
Moser, C., & Kleinplatz, P. J. (2020). Conceptualization, History, and Future of the Paraphilias. Annual Review of Clinical Psychology, 16(1), 379–399. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-clinpsy-050718-095548
Assumpção, A. A., Garcia, F. D., Garcia, H. D., Bradford, J. M., & Thibaut, F. (2014). Pharmacologic treatment of paraphilias. Psychiatric Clinics, 37(2), 173-181.
Thibaut, F. (2012). Pharmacological treatment of paraphilias. Isr J Psychiatry Relat Sci, 49(4), 297-305.
Landgren, V., Malki, K., Bottai, M., Arver, S., & Rahm, C. (2020). Effect of Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone Antagonist on Risk of Committing Child Sexual Abuse in Men With Pedophilic Disorder. JAMA Psychiatry, 77(9), 897. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2020.0440
Abuse/Neglect
Elder or Dependent Adult Abuse
Elder or Dependent Adult Neglect
Sexual Sadism Disorder
Cocaine Use Disorder
Gambling Disorder (Compulsive Gambling, Pathological Gambling)
Hallucinogen Persisting Perception Disorder (HPPD)
Inhalant-Related Disorders
Sedative, Hypnotic, and Anxiolytic-Related Disorders
Stimulant-Related Disorders
Substance/Medication-Induced Psychotic Disorder
Tobacco-Related Disorders
Empty Nest Syndrome
Erectile Disorder
Midlife
Neurocognitive Disorders (Mild and Major)
Anxiety/Phobia
Acute Stress Disorder
Body Dysmorphic Disorder
Hypersomnolence
Social Anxiety Disorder (Social Phobia)
Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Adult
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Children
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Teen
Cyclothymic Disorder
Child/Adolescent
Asperger's Syndrome
Childhood-Onset Fluency Disorder
Communication Disorders
Conduct Disorder
Disinhibited Social Engagement Disorder
Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (Children and Adolescents)
Intellectual Disability (Intellectual Developmental Disorder)
Nonverbal Learning Disorder
Provisional Tic Disorder
Speech Sound Disorder
Tourette's Disorder
Depression/Mood
Persistent Depressive Disorder (Dysthymia)
Postpartum Disorder
Depersonalization / Derealization Disorder
Dissociative Amnesia
Dissociative Fugue (Psychogenic Fugue)
Dissociative Identity Disorder (Multiple Personality Disorder)
Binge-Eating Disorder (Compulsive Overeating)
Rumination Disorder
Intermittent Explosive Disorder
Kleptomania
Persistent (Chronic) Motor or Vocal Tic Disorder
Stereotypic Movement Disorder
Neurocognitive Disorders
Obsessive-Compulsive Spectrum Disorders
Dermatillomania (Skin Picking)
Hoarding Disorder
Onychophagia (Nail Biting)
Trichotillomania (Hair Pulling)
Malingering
Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder
Paranoid Personality Disorder
Psychosis/Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders
Brief Psychotic Disorder
Delusional Disorder
Psychotic Disorder Due to Another Medical Condition
Schizophreniform Disorder
Schizotypal Personality Disorder
Fetishistic Disorder
Frotteuristic Disorder
Genito-Pelvic Pain or Penetration Disorder (Sexual Pain Disorder)
Hypersexuality (Sex Addiction)
Orgasmic Disorder
Sexual Desire Disorder
Sexual Masochism Disorder
Transvestic Disorder
Voyeuristic Disorder
Circadian Rhythm Sleep-Wake Disorders
Non-Rapid Eye Movement Sleep Arousal Disorders
Rapid Eye Movement Sleep Behavior Disorder
Sleep-Related Hypoventilation
Somatization
Conversion Disorder
Factitious Disorder (Munchausen Syndrome)
Somatic Symptom Disorder
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The focus of the PTZOptics cameras can go out over time, or with a firmware upgrade sometimes. This should be completely fixable, it just takes a few minutes per unit to fix. If you follow the instructions on the attached guide it should solve the focus issues for you. You will need a direct serial or network connection of this to work. Please be sure you are on the latest version of the firmware before trying to fix the focus of your unit. Please follow the instructions on the attached guide to walk you through the process of fixing your focus. in an effort to make this process easier we have made a windows application to do this calibration over the network which can be found HERE. If you still have issues please feel free to put in a ticket at http://help.PTZOptics.com.


It's been a long week in Austin. The weather has been less than predictable, the traffic has been a little "extra" and there weren't any holidays or festivals in our midweek. So, as Friday runs its course, it's got us feeling all kinds of ways about the weekend. From overjoyed, as the young dancer clearly is, to sentimental like the engaged couple, to thoughtful and wistful like the couple at Pennybacker Bridge or underneath twinkly lights. No matter how you're feeling this week, the weekend has plenty of room for you to invite more joy into your life.
We hope that these photos and couples bring you joy, as well! Be sure to follow @austinweddingday on Instagram to see other inspirations, venues, photographers, florists, dresses and more. Tag your own photos with #austinweddingday and you, too, could be featured on our Instagram Inspirations showcase. Have the best weekend (and share the photos of your joy with us).


Proud to sponsor our own state champion, Tyler Weyman, on a Trek Top Fuel. Tyler is the top rider for Newbury Park High School team, as well as the top junior for the Michael's Bicycles Stonehaus Trek Race Team.
Your next Ironman ride is ready.
The 2016 Shiv Expert has been designed with the sole intention of making you faster. The aerodynamically optimized FACT 10r carbon frame and fork offer lightweight performance, and they've been coupled with the bulletproof Shimano Ultegra drivetrain in order to make this Shiv ready to go straight out of the box. And when you add in our integrated Fuelselage Hydration System and a wide fit range, the Shiv Expert truly has everything that you need to start setting your new PR.
We are so excited to have one in stock, come check it out!
After twenty nine years as a shop owner AJ closed the doors of the shop to focus on the two things he does and likes best, bicycle fitting and repair. He is excited to be joining the team at Michael's Bicycles in Newbury Park, CA where he and Michael will build a state of the art fit studio.
He has raced mountain, road and track and was an alternate on the US National team. The cycling life style and cycling community are a major part of AJ's life and he wants you to join the fun and experience the greatest sport on earth.
AJ has been a certified USCF coach, holds fitting certifications from Serotta, SICI, Retul, and F.I.S.T. and has performed thousands of professional fittings on all manner of riders from couch potatoes to pros.
His mechanical background was formed from an early age. Starting with motorcycles as a kid into racing them as a teenager into working his way through college as a motorcycle mechanic. He holds two Associate Degrees one in Machine Tool Technology and the other in Automotive Technology. After school he worked as a manufacturing engineer, machinist and tool and die maker for twelve years. Finally in 1983 his love of cycling over came common sense and he opened a bicycle shop. His shop was high end pro and he sold, designed, had built, assembled and fitted bespoke custom bicycles for years. Now you can tap into this experience and knowledge by visiting Michael's Bicycles for your service or fitting needs.
The 58-year-old Landry, who lives with chronic pain as a result of a stroke and seizures, slipped into depression when he lost his wife of 28 years in 2009. He turned to alcohol to self-medicate for both his physical and emotional pain until he became what he called a full-blown alcoholic.
He didn't care if he died.
"When my wife died, I wanted to follow. She was a part of me and I was a part of her," he said.
When he was at the very bottom, Landry found a friend in Michael Thomas, who owns Michael's Bicycles on Michael Drive.
Landry had been standing on his corner on Borchard Drive when he decided to take a break. He put down his sign and left his backpack on the ground near the rear of the bike shop before walking away. When he returned, his backpack was gone.
"My whole life, everything I owned, all my papers were in there," Landry said.
In his search for the pack, he knocked on the bike shop's back door to ask if anyone had seen it. One of Thomas' employees answered. He hadn't seen it and asked Thomas if he had.
"He started looking around and asked if I'd checked the dumpster behind the stores. I hadn't, so I looked in and there it was," Landry said.
He climbed in and got it, but because of physical problems with his legs, he couldn't climb back out.
Thomas was there to help.
"Even though I was dirty and I smelled bad, Michael came over and helped me. He pulled me out of the trash," Landry said.
The action turned out to symbolize what Thomas would go on to do: He offered Landry a job and changed his life.
Even though he has a brother who's homeless by choice, Thomas said, he's not a crusader for the homeless. In fact, a few months before meeting Landry, another homeless man had pulled a knife on him.
The job offer was pragmatic, he said.
But as a shop owner, he didn't want potential customers to turn away from Landry and, by extension, his store. Instead, he gave Landry a Michael's Bicycles sign to hold and wave.
While posting signs in the right of way is not allowed in the city, there are no ordinances against having people holding them, said Geoff Ware, Thousand Oaks code compliance manager.
In the two months or so that Landry's been working, Thomas said, he's received a phone call or two every day from residents thanking him for helping Landry.
Thomas'face lights up when he talks about the gusto with which Landry approaches his job and the changes he's seen come over his employee.
"Now he's got a reason to get up every day and he's got his selfesteem back," Thomas said.
It's a fair assessment, said Landry, who compares Thomas to the most giving figure he can think of.
"Don't tell Michael, but I think of him as Santa Claus," Landry said.
The former construction worker and carpenter acknowledges some people might look down on his job, but he's proud of it and what he's been able to achieve because of it. Being sober and having a small but steady income has given him more than pride; it's given him family.
The store, now in its 30th year of operation, is run in large part by Thomas' family members. Landry now considers himself one of them.
The job has also given him normalcy, stability and contentment.
Michael's Bicycles wants you to be as satisfied as possible with your new bicycle, that's why we now offer Demo mountain bikes for you to take on a long joy ride before you make a commitment. At Michael's Bicycles we always put our customers first and we are the only bicycle shop in Ventura County to offer lifetime FREE tune-ups when you purchase from us!
Meet the new Lush 27.5 Our most versatile full suspension mountain bike for women gives you do-it-all 27.5" wheels and a fun, confidence-inspiring ride.
Cali SLX is our race-ready women's XC hardtail.You get light, agile control, Trek's XC expectise, and the right 29" or 27.5" wheel for each frame size.
Fuel EX 27.5 The world's best-loved mountain bike keeps getting better. Fuel EX continues to set the bar for full suspension trail bike versatility, bringing race-day tech to all-day adventure.
Remedy 9 29 is the mountain biker's mountain bike. Choose 27.5" or 29er wheels to conquer the trail your way, on a bike that scores tens for capability and versatility.
The CruX Expert EVO is an all-condition gravel beast, with race-optimized geometry, tapered headtube, internal cable routing, and an outstanding stiffness-to-weight ratio to power through the nastiest terrain. AXIS 4.0 Disc wheels and Shimano Ultegra drivetrain with integrated hydraulic disc brakes complete the uber-tough, gravel shredding machine.
The all new Emonda SLR 8 Hand Built in the USA and weighing in at an astonishing 13.56lbs.
700 Series OCLV is the lightest, strongest carbon in the cycling world, built from strategic materials available exclusively to Trek.
We dare you to come on down and "Single Handedly" pick one up for yourself!
Fatbikes can go anywhere. Ride them on the beach, in the snow, and on the local trails. Fun to ride with more traction than you can believe! Lighter than they look, fat bikes have a soft and cushy ride on 26X4.6 tires that will have you smiling ear to ear.


10th Pass and ITI from government recognised institution.
Eligible candidates shall submit application in prescribe format along with self attested photocopies of the mark sheets, testimonials proving age, cast certificates to the given address in the job notification of Rail Wheel Factory.
Reader's are requested to follow Rail Wheel Factory official advertisement for complete details.


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Benefits Multiply in Ministry for the Disabled
Saturdays at any bowling alley are a cacophony of talking, laughing and slow thunder as bowling balls roll down the lanes. But on this Saturday there seems to be extra joy in the air as Camp ReCreation sponsors Holy Bowling – one of its most popular activities for its handicapped and developmentally disabled clients.
Camp ReCreation is a non-profit organization founded in 1983 by Father Patrick Leslie and Sister Anne Lucey and is open to people ages 10 to 65+.
Activities like Holy Bowling take place year round but its main event is the program it offers every summer at Camp Ronald McDonald near Eagle Lake in Northern California. Campers are assigned their own counselor for the week, who accompany them to meals and activities, stay with them in their tent at night and see to their personal needs.
"This relieves a lot of the anxiety and homesickness the campers might otherwise feel, being away from their families," says Kathi Barber, the program director in Sacramento. Originally there were two sessions in June, but demand was so great that a third was added.
"We hate to turn anyone away," says Barber. "We still have a waiting list, but we try our best to accommodate everyone."
The Diocese of Orange also operates a Camp ReCreation – founded in 1978. Both camps operate in much the same way and are under the auspices of their local diocese. Each also relies on private donations, various grants and fundraising by the Knights of Columbus.
According to Kristan Schlichte, senior director of membership for Catholic Charities USA in Alexandria, Virginia, both camps are based on a model used by the Sisters of St. Francis in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, who have been serving the developmentally disabled since 1904.
"They are viewed as leaders in special religious education," Schlichte says, and explains that the program has a three-fold focus – respite care, recreation, and religious education.
Father Leslie emphasizes participation in the daily mass, with the campers acting as altar servers and extraordinary Eucharistic ministers. "Everyone wears a stole," he says. "This is their Church, too."
Carol Metz, a special education teacher for San Juan Unified school district, explains that under California state law, special-needs students can remain in the public school system until the age of 22 and then they are transitioned out.
"Camp ReCreation is a strong program, and is recommended by different social service agencies because they know the world gets smaller for many of these people when they transition out of school," she explains.
"These programs provide social interaction, peer support, everything they need to live a full life. They like everything we do--music, camping, trips, cultural events. Everyone has a need to be around others, and to feel like they're a part of things."
And the benefits aren't one-way. "People get into this," she refers to the volunteers, "thinking that they're doing something good for someone else. Then they realize they're getting more out of it than they were giving.
"It's a win-win for everyone."
Camp ReCreation
• Sacramento - http://camprecreation.org/
• Orange - http://recreationcampoc.com/
State Schools Chief Apologizes to Private, Parochial School Leaders for Mishandling Federal Covid Aid
In a hastily scheduled webinar this week, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond apologized profusely to hundreds of leaders of private schools serving low-income families for delays in distributing tens of millions of dollars in federal Covid aid.
Liturgy materials are available, as well as summaries of the Bishops' statement in English and Spanish.
"We aren't asking for anything other than what public school kids need," said Kathleen Domingo, executive director of the California Catholic Conference, the public policy voice of the Catholic Church of California. "I don't understand why the department has been choosing to drag their feet in such a prolonged manner."
Renewing our Commitment to Catholic Elementary and Secondary Schools in the Third Millenium, (Copyright 2005, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Inc.)
National Catholic Education Association (NCEA) website
The California Association of Private School Organizations (CAPSO) has information of interest to California's private school parents, students and teachers.
Information about Catholic colleges in the United States is available from the National Catholic College Admission Assocation. The site contains information for prospective students, parents and high school counselors.


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Q: Starting gestures in React Native I have recently started learning React Native and have started to look into swiping and gestures etc.
However, every tutorial seems to use a different method whether it is with a PanResponder or the Animated library, or Reanimated, or React Native Gesture Handler or the gesture responder system. Its all starting to become overwhelming and stopping me from progressing
Could someone please lead me in the right direction with which ones are the most used and the best options to learn/ what use case certain ones have?
Thank you in advance

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


If you're having a really, really bad day, like, you don't know what to do anymore, just jump off the building… virtually, for sure! Feel the gravity, lose yourself, enjoy the moment. What's cool about Caaaaardboard! is that you will jump even from the outer space! But make sure you don't hit anything that can break your bones. Overall, this is incredibly fun, surprisingly immersive, and another most loved game by Android users.


If Trump had spent time in uniform, he would know that those who serve, fortunately, follow a very different moral compass.
Likewise, Trump's recent recounting of an apocryphal anecdote about Gen. John Pershing murdering Muslim Filipinos during the Moro insurgency is as dangerous as it is false. Pershing did not kill 49 Muslims with bullets dipped in pig's blood, or allow one survivor to send a message to the remaining insurgents.
Trump's apparent intent is to demonstrate his toughness to voters by refusing to be constrained by the rule of law, morality or traditional American values. Of course, what Trump actually achieves is far different, and highly pernicious – providing valuable propaganda for terrorist recruitment.
Such reckless behavior is embarrassing and dangerous to all Americans, but especially to the military men and women deployed overseas who put themselves in harm's way every day.
Thomas J. Umberg of Villa Park is an attorney, former state Assembly member and retired Army colonel who served in Afghanistan. He can be contacted at tumberg@umbergzipser.com.


Whether you're thinking about getting a new car, motorcycle or boat, or you simply need a personal expense loan for a special event, Active Duty or retired military members can get a 0.25% APR discount on loans.
To apply, call 1-888-842-6328 or visit a branch near you (Offer does not apply to online applications).
*Direct Deposit is required. This military special may expire at any time. Applications accepted at a branch and by phone only. Active Duty rate discounts (which are also available for retired military members) can be applied, subject to certain restrictions. Mortgage loans are not eligible for discount.


Registering with a veterinary officer is vital for pet owners. The good news is that finding such an expert is effortless because they are available in plenty. However, since not all of them can provide outstanding services, it is important that you do not choose just any provider. It is important to dedicate enough time to evaluating potential candidates. What should you consider when choosing such an expert?
Consider expertise before making a decision. You ought to understand that not all licensed vets offer outstanding services. It is advisable to choose among vets that have been in the industry for long. It is important to check the type of reviews they have from past clients. If you need an expert that can provide grooming services, choose one with enough experience on the same. If the clinic is big, ensure that their staff members are competent.
Touring the clinic prior to committing would be a wise decision. A reliable provider would be willing to allow the same, especially if you would need grooming and boarding services. You should consider the type of equipment the professionals have. Choose among clinics with the right type of IV, ultrasound, eye pressure monitoring, blood pressure, and X-ray machines. A provider with an in-house lab would be more reliable, especially during emergencies. If your animal needs specialized treatment, make sure that the professionals can offer it.
You should take note of hours of operation as well as clinic location. Do not assume that your choice providers operate around the clock. If you are usually busy, it is important to choose among professionals with flexible schedules. Location is a primary factor that you should not overlook. A clinic that operates round the clock but is located too far away would be a bad choice. Conveniently located clinics would be a great choice in case of emergencies or if you are always busy.
Consider whether they share pet care philosophies similar to yours. Choose a provider that holds similar principles concerning chronic disease planning, cancer care, neutering, spaying, and euthanasia. This is critical particularly where the quality of life of the animal is concerned. It is also important to consider how well the experts interact with your pet. They should be friendly to you and the pet.
Inquire regarding service charges before making a decision. Understand that pet health care can be expensive. This means that assuming that your choice expert would provide the highest level of service at an affordable fee would be a bad decision. If you have health insurance for your pet, ensure that your choice provider accepts the same.


Alright folks, get ready for this one because earlier today, the folks over at New York Magazine released this "fan" trailer for a Spider-Gwen movie starring Emma Stone. The footage re-purposes lines of dialog and footage from several of Stone's previous works including Birdman and of course, The Amazing Spiderman in which she played the role of Peter Parker's love interest, Gwen Stacy.
In the comics and in The Amazing Spiderman 2, Gwen Stacy is killed at the hands of Spiderman's arch-nemesis, the Green Goblin. Recently, however, Marvel comics launched a series called Spider-Gwen which takes place in an alternate universe where Stacy was bitten by the radioactive spider thereby receiving the iconic spider-powers, instead of Peter Parker.
Anyway, whereas the last two Spiderman movies were actually quite terrible, this re-purposed footage looks like a lot of fun. In fact, we'd MUCH rather watch this movie, hands down.
What do you think, are you on board for a full on Spider-Gwen flick or should this idea just die here? Let us know what you think in the comments section below!


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Powerful love dissolves our guilt and fear
The Rev. W. W. (Tad) Meyer
Assisting Priest
When it was evening of Easter, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews...
It was the evening of the day of the Resurrection and the disciples of Jesus were gathered behind locked doors, filled with fear and trepidation. On one level, there was certainly some cause for fear and concern. Those disciples had just stood by as the Jewish authorities had put into motion the fearsome machinery of capital punishment and their minds were still filled with the horrific images of the confusing trial, the angry crowds, the mockery and torture and a twisted and broken body suspended from a bloodied beam. That machinery was still in place, poised and primed, and if they were identified as Jesus' disciples, they could be tried as accomplices to his seditious activities and a similar fate might well await them. They had reason to fear for their lives, but that does not explain the depth of anxiety that seems to have darkened and imprisoned their souls. After all, according to the narrative sequence of John's Gospel, by that evening the disciples already knew about the resurrection. They had already seen the empty tomb. Peter had actually entered into it and had seen the linen wrappings lying on the floor. The disciple whom Jesus loved had also entered the tomb and when he saw it was empty, he believed in the resurrection. Mary Magdalene had told the disciples about the testimony of the angels and reported that she had actually seen the Lord outside the tomb, initially mistaking him for the gardener. Jesus himself had told them any number of times what he believed would happen after his death and those prophecies appeared to have come true. The disciples may indeed have feared the long arm of the Jewish authorities but they also knew that the tomb was empty and they had heard Mary's claim that the Lord had risen from the dead just as he predicted. Surely such news should have alleviated their fear of arrest or even of death, now knowing that the one they called Lord was ascending to the Father, to his God and their God. They may have had reason to fear, but they also had reason to rejoice. In that locked room, however, the shadow of fear seems to have blotted out all cause for rejoicing. It was fear that reigned in that room because what really made those disciples lock the doors and cringe in terror was the possibility that it was all true, that their Lord had indeed risen from the dead.
But why should such astonishingly good news be the cause of fear and trepidation? Why would the disciples by afraid of the joyful possibility that their beloved master's prophesy was becoming a reality? Well, call to mind the saga of the last few days, those events that we so solemnly recalled and reenacted during the course of Holy Week. The disciples were certainly jolly on Palm Sunday, walking proudly with their master as he was greeted as a king, bracketed by waving palms and showered with cries of hosanna. They became increasingly uneasy, however, as Jesus began to offend the power brokers of Jerusalem, overturning the tables of the temple employees and attacking and alienating the Pharisees and the Sadducees with his radical teachings about God's graceful mercy. They were undoubtedly uplifted by the beautiful sanctity of the last supper, but they were puzzled and confused by all this talk about denial and betrayal. They had traveled so far with this man they called messiah and they had sacrificed so much to be in his company, surely he was not suggesting that they would be unable to stay the course. They ate their fill that holy night, so much so that they couldn't keep their eyes open when Jesus asked them to keep watch while he prayed. And then it began: the swarming crowd of priests and temple guards, smoky torchlight revealing faces twisted in anger and derision; the clanking sound of swords and armor; their brother Judas embracing the man he once called Lord. Why didn't Jesus simply put a stop to all this, rising in omnipotence and calling forth his miraculous powers to silence and defeat this threatening array of angry and disillusioned men? Could it be that Jesus was powerless to stop these fearsome machinations? Could it be that he who could silence a storm at sea could not quell the violent gales that tore through these men's minds and hearts? Was he really impotent and if so, where did that leave them? They decided that at such a delicate hour, discretion was the wisest course. They would adopt a low profile until they found out which way the wind was really blowing.
Peter, their natural leader, jumped in to defend his seemingly helpless master, wielding his sword in an act of misguided loyalty. His pride must have been sorely wounded when his chauvinism was not greeted with praise but condemnation by the very man he was trying to save. As the drama continued to unfold, it became painfully clear to him that Jesus was not willing to defend himself and Peter began to fear for his own life and safety. He decided to disassociate himself from the man he had named the Christ, the one he had called the anointed one of God. When questioned, he denied that he had ever known the man. Judas only betrayed his master once. Blessed Peter did it three times.
In their confusion and fear, all the disciples betrayed Jesus, all of them fled for their lives. Is it really any wonder that news of their Lord's resurrection disturbed them so deeply. As the disciples huddled behind locked doors, wondering how and where their Resurrected Lord would appear, they undoubtedly thought about what he would say and what he would do to them, this pitiful band of betrayers. What do you think Peter was thinking? Do you think he relished the idea of being confronted by the man he said he did not know, the same man who had told them in no uncertain terms that those who denied him, he would deny before God the Father? It would certainly be reasonable to assume that the disciples feared the appearance of the Lord they had abandoned and betrayed and that they expected to hear from his lips words of condemnation and harsh judgment. And yet, when Jesus did appear, he bid them peace and then he reached out to them with wounded hands. The prison of the disciples' fear was suddenly shattered and they were filled with joyful astonishment. The disciples' betrayal deserved condemnation, but what they received was forgiveness and unconditional, loving acceptance.
Weeks before, when the other disciples fearfully tried to dissuade Jesus from going to Bethany where Lazarus lay dead, it was Thomas who boldly declared his intention of going with Jesus to share in the danger: Let us also go that we may die with him. And yet, despite that pledge of courageous and unshakable devotion, Thomas deserted Jesus at the first sight of real danger, fleeing with his compatriots. When Thomas returned to hear the news of the Risen Lord's visit, his mind must have swum with a bewildering mixture of astonishment, guilt and disbelief. How could this man, wounded so viciously by the betrayal of those he loved, accept them with such merciful, generous love? It is interesting that Thomas insisted that he would only believe when he had seen and touched the wounds, the jagged symbols of his own cowardice and betrayal. And yet, Jesus accepted Thomas as well, inviting him to place his hands on the wounds which he helped inflict, asking him to believe in a love that is stronger that the power of human sin.
In an important sense, this account of our Lord's first appearances is not simply an illustration of the miracle of the resurrection, but is instead a testimony to the resurrecting power of loving acceptance. Jesus gave those fearful disciples what they did not have and what they certainly did not deserve, love and respect rooted in loving acceptance. The disciples deserved condemnation, but he showered them with forgiveness. They deserved punishment, but he granted them peace. He gave them love and respect, and it was that gift that transformed them, empowering them to become the Body of Christ and to minister in his name. He even gave them the authority to judge others, to forgive and retain sins, but he did so in the context of his own act of unconditional loving acceptance.
On this blessed morning, we stand with the disciples, crippled by our own betrayals, all those times when we have denied our faith and failed to stand by the one we call Lord and Master. All those myriad times that we have failed to act with compassion, gratitude and generosity, when we have acted instead out of fear, selfishness and egotism. Like those first disciples, we deserve denunciation and condemnation, for we too in countless and subtle ways have wounded the Body of Christ. But into the prisons of our guilt and fear, the Risen Lord comes and he invites us to touch his body and taste his blood, bidding us, like our brother Thomas, to believe in a love that is stronger than our ability to sin. It is a love that accepts us in all our disheveled humanity, a love that will unlock the prisons of our hearts and empower us to reach out to others with minds and souls filled with loving acceptance, grace and gratitude.


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Home › Uncategorized › December 10 1901: First Nobel Prizes Awarded
December 10 1901: First Nobel Prizes Awarded
On December 10th 1901, the first Nobel Prizes were awarded in Stockholm, Sweden, in the fields of physics, chemistry, medicine, literature, and peace. The ceremony came on the fifth anniversary of the death of Alfred Nobel, the Swedish inventor of dynamite and other high explosives. In his will, Nobel directed that the bulk of his vast fortune be placed in a fund in which the interest would be "annually distributed in the form of prizes to those who, during the preceding year, shall have conferred the greatest benefit on mankind." Although Nobel offered no public reason for his creation of the prizes, it is widely believed that he did so out of moral regret over the increasingly lethal uses of his inventions in war.
Alfred Bernhard Nobel was born in Stockholm in 1833, and four years later his family moved to Russia. His father ran a successful St. Petersburg…
‹ Regulation versus Private Enterprise for the Taxi Industry
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Australia's Future Fund Achieves Stunning Investment Returns.
AMP Limited


Mete Tasin is an Internationally Known Performer whose repertoire spans Opera, Classics, Theater, Pop, and Standards (Italian and American). His commanding stage presence, warm personality, and brilliant voice makes him the perfect performer for your Wedding, Memorial, Holiday Party, or Corporate Event. Contact Us for a Quote Today!


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Goesch ist der Familienname folgender Personen:

 Bernhard Goesch (1880–1934), deutscher evangelisch-lutherischer Geistlicher und Autor
 Carl Goesch (1853–1943), deutscher Rechtswissenschaftler
 Heinrich Goesch (1880–1930), deutscher Jurist, Architekt, Geschichtsphilosoph, Kulturtheoretiker
 Martin Goesch (1877–1945), deutscher Generalmajor
 Paul Goesch (1885–1940), deutscher Architekt und Maler

Siehe auch:
 Gösch

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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Are Obamacare Premium Tax Credits Ethical for High-Asset Households?
More in Health Insurance
Affordable Care Act & Obamacare
Prescription Drug Insurance
Financial Aid & Subsidies
Eligibility is based on income, not assets
Louise Norris
Louise Norris has been a licensed health insurance agent since 2003 after graduating magna cum laude from Colorado State with a BS in psychology.
IP Galanternik D.U./Creative RF/Getty Images
Premium tax credits (aka premium subsidies) are a major component of the "affordable" part of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Without them, coverage in the individual market would be unaffordable for a lot of people.
To put this into perspective, keep in mind that the average pre-subsidy premium for plans purchased via HealthCare.gov in 2019 is $612 per person per month. But for the 87 percent of enrollees who qualify for premium subsidies, the subsidies cover an average of $539 per month, leaving them with an average cost of just $87 per month.
Clearly, the subsidies make health insurance coverage much more realistically accessible than it would otherwise be. But there's a false perception that Obamacare premium subsidies are a form of welfare, and/or that they only benefit low-income households.
Why Premium Subsidies Are Not Welfare
The subsidies are a tax credit—albeit a tax credit that you can take in advance, paid directly to your health insurance company, rather than having to wait to claim on your tax return like other tax credits. And they function much the same as other tax credits that limit eligibility based on income—for example, the saver's credit and the child tax credit.
Other tax-advantaged situations—like traditional IRA contribution deductions if you're covered by a retirement plan at work, Roth IRA contributions, and student loan interest deduction—are also only available if your income is below a certain threshold.
Premium subsidies don't have an asset test, but neither do any of the aforementioned examples of income-limited tax credits and tax-advantaged contributions. That means your eligibility for the tax credit doesn't depend on how much you already have in assets; it only depends on how much you earn during the year.
This is in contrast to programs like SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program), which has eligibility limits based on both income and assets/resources.
Premium subsidies under the ACA are available for households with income up to 400 percent of the poverty level. For a family of four, that's $100,400 in 2019 (for 2019 coverage, the 2018 poverty level guidelines are used). That's certainly not low-income by any stretch of the imagination; premium subsidy eligibility extends well into the middle class.
But What About People With Substantial Assets?
One of the issues that sometimes arises regarding premium subsidies has to do with eligibility for high-net-worth households that have significant assets but modest annual income. Early retirees are one example; they may have saved for decades to amass a significant net worth, and are now retired—prior to age 65 when Medicare becomes available—and living off the income created by their investments. As a result, their income could be well within the subsidy-eligible range, despite the fact that they might have six or seven-figure investment portfolios.
Is it ethical for these folks to use the ACA's premium subsidies? The topic comes up on a regular basis on a variety of internet forums, and invariably there are people who claim that the premium subsidies should only be used by people who "need" them, or only by "poor" people.
But neither of these claims has any logical explanation. Premium subsidies are a tax credit. Tax credits aren't based on "need," they're based on numbers. If you qualify based on the IRS rules, you qualify—there's nothing subjective about tax credits.
And as mentioned above, premium subsidies are available to middle-class households—they weren't designed solely for "poor" enrollees.
If the lawmakers who wrote the ACA had intended for premium subsidies to have asset tests (i.e., like SNAP, or Medicaid eligibility for seniors who need nursing home care), they would have included them and they could still decide to do so at some point in the future.
But adding asset tests would have made an already complicated system even more so, and would have stymied the lawmakers' goal, which was to get as many people as possible into the health insurance risk pools in order to reduce the uninsured rate and spread health risk across as broad a pool as possible.
As a result, we have premium subsidies that function much the same as other income-limited tax credits that apply to much of the middle class. Eligibility for those tax credits has nothing to do with assets, and everything to do with income. Of course, it is unethical—and illegal—to misrepresent your income in order to qualify for tax credits. But as long as you're accurately reporting your income to the IRS, there's nothing unethical about taking tax credits when you qualify for them.
Interestingly enough, it's rare to hear people claim that it's unethical to, for example, claim the child tax credit or the saver's credit when the tax filer in question has substantial assets. But for all practical purposes, there's no difference between those tax credits and the premium tax credit, except for the fact that the premium tax credit can be taken in advance throughout the year, and then reconciled on your tax return.
It's also uncommon for anyone to question whether high-net-worth households should be eligible for employer-sponsored health insurance (most are), despite the fact that such plans are heavily tax-advantaged. According to a 2018 CBO report, the government is projected to spend $3.7 trillion subsidizing employer-sponsored insurance from 2018 to 2028 (due to the exclusion of premiums from income and payroll tax), but less than one-fourth of that amount ($0.8 trillion) on premium subsidies for the individual market (this makes sense, given that the population with coverage under employer-sponsored plans is much larger than the population with individual health insurance).
In all likelihood, the political polarization around the ACA is the reason for the misperceptions about the premium subsidies being a form of welfare, when they're actually just an income-limited tax credit, just like others that already existed long before the ACA.
If You're Eligible for a Tax Credit, Take It
In summary, you do not need to worry that it's unethical to claim your premium subsidy because you have a substantial nest egg. It's a tax credit, just like any other tax credit. Accountants tend to advertise that they'll get you every possible tax credit and deduction, and tax filers tend to appreciate any breaks they get on their tax return.
Whether it's deducting things like mortgage interest, HSA contributions, student loan interest, or IRA contributions, or claiming tax credits like the saver's credit or premium tax credit, most tax filers are all too happy to end up with a lower total tax bill. And at the end of the day, that's all the premium tax credit does.
You Can Wait to Claim the Subsidy on Your Tax Return
For some people with significant assets, it might feel more comfortable—and familiar—to pay full price for health insurance throughout the year (assuming you can afford to do so) and then claim the premium tax credit on your tax return using Form 8962.
As long as you:
purchase your coverage through the exchange (premium tax credits can't be used with plans purchased outside the exchange),
are eligible for the tax credit based on your income and the cost of the benchmark plan in your area relative to your income,
and meet the other eligibility requirements for the premium tax credit,
you can claim your tax credit in advance (i.e., paid directly to your health insurance carrier each month), or on your tax return just as you would any other tax credit.
But either way, rest assured that there's nothing unethical about claiming the premium tax credit if your income makes you eligible for it. Your assets are not part of the equation.
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Health Insurance Exchanges 2019 Open Enrollment Report. March 25, 2019.
Congressional Budget Office. Federal Subsidies for Health Insurance Coverage for People Under Age 65: 2018 to 2028. May 23, 2018.
Kaiser Family Foundation. Health Coverage of the Total Population. 2017.
How Is Income Calculated for Health Insurance Subsidy Eligibility?
How Can You Afford Health Insurance If You're Not Subsidy-Eligible?
Medicaid Eligibility and Your Assets: What Counts and What Doesn't?
How To Get Help Paying for Health Insurance
How a Health Insurance Subsidy Could Cost You Big Time
The ACA's Individual Mandate: What You Need To Know
Are My Health Insurance Premiums Tax-Deductible?
Overview of the Premium Tax Credit
Job-Based Insurance and ACA Subsidies Have No Asset Test
How Your Obamacare Subsidies Change with Changes in Family Size
Are You Late Paying Your Health Insurance Premiums?
What's the Difference Between Medicaid and Obamacare?
The Danger of Falling Over the ACA's Subsidy Cliff
What Is Off-Exchange Health Insurance?
Some Families Can't Get Affordable ACA Insurance
Get Some Insight Into What Happens If You Lose Your Health Insurance


We have spoken about the importance of hydrating. It is important what you drink (hydrate with) since all water is not equal.
I am sure you know that fizzy drinks don't hydrate. Very little of their content is actually water. Although just so you are clear, I will go into what happens when you drink a can of Coke, Diet Coke or similar in my next blog.
For now, I want to make you aware of some of the toxins tap water contains and how they can affect you .
Whilst it is easy to think that only the water you drink can affect you, it is easy to overlook that the skin is a wonderful absorber of what it comes into contact with. So long, warm baths in poor quality water will impact your health as well. In addition to water filters for drinking water, one can step up to a whole house system. It's more expensive, but if your health is important to you over the long term, it's worth considering. A lot of the adverse effects from chemical-laden water take years to manifest themselves.
In 2012 the Guardian reported that Britain was facing a bill of £30 billion to clean up rivers, streams and drinking supplies because they were found to be contaminated with EE2 oestrogen from the contraceptive pill and from HRT1.
EE2 or ethinyl Oestradiol is a hormone and a potent chemical. It is known to affect sperm production in fish and is possibly contributing to the fall in sperm production and fertility issues that are rising in males. Men may also develop breast tissue and their prostate function may be affected by oestrogen in the water1.
A more recent article from 8th Nov 2017 in the Mail mentions a study to be published in November by the Environment Agency showing that synthetic oestrogen is feminizing half of the male fish and causing them to change sex2.
A study by the Medical Research Council found that Scottish men born since 1970 are 25% less fertile than men born 20 years earlier. Male fertility is continuing to drop by 2% per year2.
Another concern of drinking oestrogen in your daily intake of water is that it can affect the sexual development of pre-pubescent children whose sexuality is determined by finely balanced hormonal levels.
Our tap water also contains chlorine, which is used to treat the water. Chlorine in tap water has been linked to a rising number of allergies in people4. Chlorine is a toxin that should not be ingested and can lead to free-radicals within the body. Free-radicals are essentially carcinogenic6.
I will write about why chlorine and fluoride are toxic to the human body and should not be consumed in another blog.
Ideally you don't want to be drinking London tap water, taking a shower or bath or cooking with it!
If you want to filter out chlorine and chemicals from all the water in your home you will need to invest in a whole house water filter system available from several companies online.


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Home » News » Hints of potential compromise emerge in new energy bill drafts
Hints of potential compromise emerge in new energy bill drafts
Source: Nick Juliano and Hannah Northey, E&E reporter • Posted: Thursday, May 7, 2015
An energy bill is continuing to take shape on Capitol Hill as lawmakers on both sides of the aisle yesterday floated infrastructure and supply proposals they hope to see included in a comprehensive, bipartisan piece of legislation.
The House and Senate energy committees continue to solicit proposals for a bill to address energy supply, infrastructure, efficiency and regulatory reforms. Several senators introduced bills yesterday and more are expected today, as Energy and Natural Resources Chairwoman Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) has asked her colleagues to get their ideas in this week. The chairwoman is expected to announce more energy bill hearings today.
In the House, the Energy and Commerce Committee yesterday released two discussion drafts on hydropower and natural gas pipelines, ahead of the Energy and Power Subcommittee's third energy bill hearing next week.
The pipeline draft — and a similar Senate bill — indicated an effort to find common ground on the issue of how to expand the nation's network of natural gas pipelines. The new proposal sets a deadline on federal reviews but does not mandate automatic approval if the deadline is missed. It is seen as a toned-down version of legislation the House passed several times last year — and again in January — over sharp objections from the White House.
While the pipeline revision is a sign of possible compromise, a few other bills floated yesterday were straightforward reintroductions of ideas that have previously run into roadblocks across the aisle. Some members also offered new ideas they hope to become part of an energy bill.
Pipeline compromise
Pipeline proposals floated by Republicans in both chambers appeared to show the first signs of compromise.
Republicans on the House Energy and Commerce Committee appeared to take a step back from a controversial bill aimed at fast-tracking natural gas pipelines that drew Democratic opposition and a White House veto threat earlier this year.
Instead, they pivoted to draft language they hope will be more palatable and draw wider support.
The draft is most notable for what it does not include, compared to Kansas Republican Rep. Mike Pompeo's "Natural Gas Pipeline Permitting Reform Act," H.R. 161, which passed in January over a White House veto threat.
Pompeo's bill would have given the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission a year to review pipeline applications. Additional permitting or licensing agencies would have no more than four months after FERC's review to approve or deny the project; otherwise, it would be allowed to go forward within 30 days.
The Energy and Commerce draft eliminates the automatic approval provision from Pompeo's bill, instead opting for a conflict resolution process if agencies take too long.
The issue of infrastructure has drawn far-reaching bipartisan interest on Capitol Hill as production of shale gas grows — and with it, the need for pipeline infrastructure to move that gas from producing regions to hungry markets. The focus is squarely on FERC, the federal agency that sets the schedule for conducting environmental reviews of proposed natural gas interstate pipelines before granting permits. Under the current law, applicants can take the rare step of filing a lawsuit against any state or federal agency that doesn't comply with the timelines FERC lays out.
Pompeo's bill earlier this year drew a sharp back-and-forth debate between Republican proponents and Democrats who warned that the language would push dangerously short reviews of complex pipelines. The Obama administration warned that Pompeo's bill would impose unworkable timelimes on FERC (E&ENews PM, Jan. 21).
The same sort of dealmaking could be seen in the Senate.
Republican Sen. Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia, one of several states home to the Marcellus Shale play, unveiled the "Oil and Gas Production and Distribution Reform Act," a billthat would also lay out a conflict resolution process for agencies that don't comply with FERC's time frame. Sens. Heidi Heitkamp, a North Dakota Democrat, and Bill Cassidy, a Louisiana Republican, co-sponsored the bill.
The Senate bill also lays out a process for publicly tracking the review process and requiring federal agencies to report problems to FERC and Congress. It will likely be tweaked to clarify that it addresses interstate natural gas pipelines, according to a spokeswoman for Capito's office.
Whether the draft language will succeed in drawing the support of the interstate pipeline industry is yet to be seen. Don Santa, CEO and president of natural gas advocacy group the Interstate Natural Gas Association of America Foundation, has said provisions in the Pompeo bill are critical to ensuring that FERC enforces deadlines for permitting agencies as it conducts environmental reviews of proposed gas pipelines.
Pompeo's bill passed the House in January, with 14 Democrats joining all Republicans in supporting it, but a companion has not been introduced in the Senate. The White House threatened to veto it at the time, saying that while it recognized the need for additional infrastructure, the bill could force hasty decisions based on incomplete information and lead to denial of projects that otherwise would have been approved. In threatening the veto, the administration also noted that FERC has completed 91 percent of its pipeline reviews within a year since 2009.
Hoeven, Donnelly reintroduce cross-border pipeline bill
Sens. John Hoeven (R-N.D.) and Joe Donnelly (D-Ind.) today reintroduced legislation meant to make it easier to build pipelines and power lines between the United States and Canada or Mexico.
The "North American Energy Infrastructure Act" mirrors a cross-border bill they sponsored last year. The bill would replace an existing requirement for cross-border projects to obtain a presidential permit and impose a 120-day deadline for the State Department, in the case of oil pipelines, or the Department of Energy, for transmission, to complete National Environmental Policy Act reviews and approve or deny the projects. Natural gas pipelines would have to be approved by DOE within 30 days.
NEPA's scope also would be curtailed by the bill, which directs federal agencies to consider only the part of the pipe or wire that physically crosses the border without taking into consideration environmental or climate change impacts associated with the project as a whole.
Bill supporters say it is meant to eliminate the types of delays that have plagued the Keystone XL pipeline, which has been awaiting a decision on its presidential permit for most of President Obama's term.
"Energy infrastructure projects are too important to our economy and our national security to be dragged out, virtually for years in the case of the Keystone XL pipeline," Hoeven said in a statement. "We need a process that is fact-based, transparent and nonpartisan — a process that serves the interests of the American people now and into the future. Our bill achieves that goal."
Despite its bipartisan support, a previous version of the bill drew sharp objections from the Obama administration. A companion bill from Reps. Fred Upton (R-Mich.) and Gene Green (D-Texas) passed the House last year with 17 Democrats on board. But the White House said Obama would veto the bill if it ever reached his desk, saying it would "impose an unreasonable deadline" on permitting decisions and prevent full consideration of issues that "could result in serious security, safety, foreign policy, environmental, economic, and other ramifications."
Murkowski has said she is interested in working closely with the administration in developing the broader energy bill and has pointed to DOE's recently released Quadrennial Energy Review (QER) as a potential template for parts of the legislation.
The QER includes a chapter on "Integrating North American Energy Markets," but its only discussion of presidential permits comes in a single reference to pending permit applications for transmission lines filed at DOE.
While the QER does not propose any fundamental reform to the existing process, it does call for the creation of partnerships among various government agencies, universities and nonprofits to study U.S. regulations "to identify gaps, best practices, and inconsistencies with regulations in Canada and/or Mexico with the goal of harmonization," according to a summary of its recommendations.
The flurry of bills being introduced from both sides of the aisle this week will serve as the basis for an upcoming hearing designed to craft the energy bill's infrastructure title, but not all bills will make it into the final package.
Shaheen targets heat efficiency with new bill
Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), one of the Senate's leading efficiency advocates, yesterday introduced a new bill aimed at helping factories, hospitals and other large facilities more widely deploy heat-recovery technologies.
The bill would direct DOE and FERC to establish recommendations, which states would have the option to follow, to overcome regulatory barriers to combined heat and power (CHP) and waste heat to power (WHP) technology. It also would establish a voluntary $5 million U.S. EPA grant program to assist states that would like to update their air pollution regulations to use "output-based" emissions standards, which Shaheen says can encourage CHP and WHP.
"It's important that rules regarding energy generation keep pace with new advancements in efficient technology," Shaheen said in a statement. "Combined heat power and waste heat to power have tremendous potential for facilities around the country and we should be doing everything we can to spur their use."
A Shaheen spokesman said she hopes to see the bill included with in the energy bill's supply title.
Markey reintroduces pipeline repair bills
Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) yesterday reintroduced a pair of bills aimed at repairing old natural gas pipelines, which leak methane, a potent greenhouse gas.
"When we fix old, leaking natural gas pipelines, we can help save lives and money and put people to work building new critical infrastructure," Markey said in a statement.
The "Pipeline Modernization and Consumer Protection Act" would require pipeline operators to accelerate repairs of leaky lines or those that are prone to leaking and to consider making the leakiest pipes a priority. The "Pipeline Revolving Fund and Job Creation Act" would establish a grant program at the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration to support state revolving funds aimed at repairing leak-prone pipelines. Sens. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) and Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) are co-sponsoring the bills.
Both bills were referred to the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee — of which Markey is a member — not ENR. But a Markey spokeswoman said he introduced the bills yesterday to have them considered for inclusion in an energy bill. It remains to be seen how or whether additional committees get involved in the process. Neither bill was considered in committee last year.


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