text:
Redwood Christian Schools
District Office: 4200 James Ave, Castro Valley, CA 94546
Elementary School serving grades TK-5
Middle and High School serving grades 6-12
Celebrating 50 years in education
Superintendent's Welcome
RCS Highlights
Tell Us Your Story!
Aligned Curriculum
TK – Kindergarten
Tuition Info
Crossover Basketball
Eagles Care (Extended Care)
Fun Fridays
Ways to Support RCS
Jog-A-Thon / Eagle Dash
RenWeb for Parents
FACTS for Parents
Meet Our Administration
Subscribe to our Highlights
Follow our channel on YouTube
OUR TUITION INCLUDES…
RCS tuition covers academic services used by all students, including many fees commonly charged by other schools such as facilities, textbooks, lab fees, and technology fees (including iPads for 9-12th grade). Additional fees may be incurred for services such as athletics, fine arts, field trips, and social events. To request more information about RCS, click here
2019-20 Tuition Rates1
Annual Total
Annual Plan 2
TK-5 $11,419 TK-5 $11,191
6-8 $12,791 6-8 $12,535
9-12 $13,750 9-12 $13,475
Semester Plan 3 Monthly Plan 4
TK-5 $5,710 TK-5 $952
6-8 $6,396 6-8 $1,066
9-12 $6,875 9-12 $1,146
Academic Assistance Program
Semester Plan 3
Monthly Plan 4
9-12 $10,311 9-12 $1,719
1 All plans will be charged to the nearest cent.
2 The Annual Plan includes a 2% discount if paid in full by June.
3 Semester Plan payments are due in June and November.
4 The first Monthly Plan payment is due in June; final payment is due in May. For families enrolling after June, monthly payments will be spread out from the time of enrollment through May, possibly resulting in higher monthly payments.
Once enrolled, RCS families are guaranteed class placement from year to year until they "opt out." For more information about our Continuous Enrollment Process, click here.
RCS has adopted a continuous enrollment system where students are continually enrolled from their initial admission until they graduate. Continuous Enrollment Payments (CEPs) are non-refundable. The deadline to opt-out of continuous enrollment for the 2020-21 school year is February 1, 2020.
Continuous Enrollment Payment
Per Student/Family Maximum $180/$375
Payment will be split over three due dates: February 22nd, March 15th, and April 5th.
If a family opts-out for the 2020-21 school year, then decides to re-enroll after February 1st, the CEP will increase by $50 per family.
Opt-out schedule for 2020-21:
February 5th-Last Day of School $100 per student
After Last Day-June 30th 1⁄12 Annual Tuition Due
July 1st-31st 2⁄12 Annual Tuition Due
August 1st-Day Before School 3⁄12 Annual Tuition Due
NEW STUDENT ADMISSION FEES
Note: There is no refund on any of the admission fees assuming Redwood has space for the applicant at the time of notification of acceptance or non-acceptance.
Application Fee: $175
Application Fee for International Students: $495
Until June 10, the application fee and half of one-month's tuition (non-refundable) will hold a spot for the student. After June 10, a full-month's tuition (non-refundable) holds the spot until July 10, when a second month's payment is due. Only the first full month's tuition is non-refundable if you withdraw before the first day of school (excepting International Students for all of the above).
All payment plans begins in June, or within 15 calendar days of notification of acceptance (whichever is later) and conclude in May of the following year.
A discount of 2% is allowed if full tuition is paid by June 10th.
The first-child rate refers to the oldest child, etc. Exception: An Academic Assistance Program student of any age is considered the first child.
Payment schedules are made through FACTS upon acceptance.
If the family leaves Redwood prior to the end of the school year, the payments are due and payable in accordance with the terms of the Tuition Payment Policies and Procedures. (Information available in all school offices.)
You will receive in refund only the following:
100% of the admission fee and any tuition paid if there is no space for your child at RCS. Otherwise, no portion of the Admission Fee is refundable.
A move more than 25 miles farther from the school: any tuition paid if you withdraw prior to the first day of school.
For immediate withdrawals after the start of the school year, a minimum of 3⁄12 of the annual tuition will be due. Tuition will be prorated on a half-month basis for any school use beyond August 31st.
Over-payment for EC and/or the bus shuttle. Redwood retains any fees required to register for these services.
TAX-DEDUCTIBLE CONTRIBUTIONS
Tuition and fees cover basic educational costs, such as salaries, administrative costs, building and equipment maintenance, utilities, classroom expenses and transportation. Parents are encouraged to give toward the General Fund, the Memorial Fund, the Tuition Aid Fund, the New Equipment Fund, and the Building Fund. Contributions to Redwood Christian Schools are tax-deductible and, with the exception of Jog-a-thon gifts, will be receipted.
EAGLES CARE (FORMERLY EXTENDED CARE)
Eagles Club is an additional service offered to RCS families. Click here for more information
RCS BUS TRANSPORTATION
RCS offers morning and afternoon transportation from Castro Valley to the Middle School and High School campus in San Lorenzo. Click here for more information
TUITION AID
Redwood Christian Schools offers limited tuition assistance to families who meet certain economic criteria. For information and/or an application, please see our tuition discounts and grants page. We continue to praise God for the faithfulness of His people–for their collective support and sacrifice. We are committed to continue providing excellent Christ-centered education which will impact the boys and girls in our classrooms for the rest of their lives.
RE-ENROLL
Redwood Christian Schools District Office
Redwood Christian Elementary
19300 Redwood Road
Redwood Christian Middle & High School
1000 Paseo Grande
San Lorenzo, CA 94580
Redwood Christian School Aligned Curriculum
iLearn@RCS
Academic Benchmarks
Why Redwood Christian Schools?
RCS Athletics
Prospective Parent Night Events
2018 © Redwood Christian Schools. All Rights Reserved. | Privacy Statement
Redwood Christian Schools is a nonprofit, tax-exempt charitable organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Donations are tax-deductible as allowed by law.


I have recently watched some anime, (yes, anime, probably a huge cause to lots of questions asked on the internet), and it got me thinking. We can intercept nerve signals throughout the body, but could we interpret their task, as to whether they are meant to contract or relax a muscle, and their destination, as to which muscle they are meant to travel a signal to.
Extra Inspiration: I have seen an article by Chris Brooker about the theory of intercepting optical nerves to benefit augmented reality, so it got me thinking, what if we could intercept all nerves in one go, the brain, but I realised, that's a stupid idea, they travel to the brain all over, so the next best location was the Central Nervous System (The Spine).
On top of Anime super inspiration, and some articles which helped further my theory, I thought more and more about how nerves travel around the body as impulses, so I theorised maybe they use different currents or charges to travel to different parts of a body, which brings me to my conclusion, is there anyone who would be willing to carry this experiment out? And then give me the results? If this is true we may be able to make a huge breakthrough in the virtual department, even if incorrect it can still be a starting stone for a new hypothesis.
However this entirely bases on the idea that all nerves start from one point on the cns, however the start to this would be to gain a test subject and patch a circuit into a nerve. on the circuit would be an ammeter and a voltmeter, and then have the subject move the muscles connected to the nerve.
The second step would be to find a lone point in the cns where all nerves touch or cross paths to identify the Sweet Spot (( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) I named it myself) and differentiate different nerves for different purposes.
Keep in mind this would be no small discovery, this would help engineer a better future in the virtual department, however this is only a small part to this, imagine being able to truly see or hear without the help of heavy machinery, or be able to walk with actual legs again, or be able to play catch with family again as this would engineer the greatest part to prosthetic engineering where we could actually move lots of different gears as if we contracted or relaxed a muscle.
If my hypothesis is completely off as my science is incorrect than please let me know. I currently do not have the facilities to go further into this as I am still in High School ((̿▀̿ ̿Ĺ̯̿̿▀̿ ̿)̄), and am busy with studies, but I hope I am correct and thus would have contributed to science which can help thousands of people everyday.
Please contribute to this topic even if it is criticising it.
I agree with previous comment from com.prehensible but I would like to change the emphasis ever so slightly. Its great that you 1. get inspired by experiences you find in the world 2. you think about them and 3. you reach out to other people to check if your ideas are correct. This is basically how any scientific project starts.
I don't think that an informal tone is detrimental to serious and precise scientific discussions on any topic, quite the opposite, so I wouldn't worry about talking about animes or high school. Ask away and as you talk more and more with people with the same interests your language will automatically change to reflect more precise and specific objects/subjects.
A precise statement of your hypothesis is a must. You almost make a precise hypothesis about different charges and currents. A lot is known in terms of neuronal communication, both at the single cell level as at the group level. I would start from the wiki entry on action potentials it might help you understand exactly how neurons "talk" to each other. Also it might be useful to have a more specific insight on how these cells are physically organised. Again the wiki on the CNS is a good place to start.
You should have a specific idea of a particular experiment that would allow to you to test your hypothesis. Thinking about the experiment will require you to know what is possible and what is not. Usually animes, movies, and books are quite a bit more advanced in terms of what is nowadays possible, hence the word "fiction" in science fiction. Thinking of an experiment also allows you to operationalise your hypothesis, which is science speak for deciding exactly what you will measure and how. This will tell you if you can answer your question as you stated it and is super important to plan an experiment.
Answering your question though, yes, it is possible to interpret nerve signals, both in terms of their targets or downstream areas, as in terms of information content they might relay in order to accomplish a particular task. There is a whole field of Neuroscience that studies neural coding and its trying to solve how neurons transmit messages to each other or how they can encode information in general. However looking at the signals by themselves is usually not enough and people are very careful about the particular behavior that is going on while these signals are being recorded, basically it turns out that one needs context to properly interpret the messages that are intercepted.
Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged neuroscience central-nervous-system or ask your own question.
Disproportion in cranial nerve innervation?
What specific sensory nerves act as receptors for "pins and needles" (neuropathy)?
What triggers programmed cell death in humans (from outside the cell)?
Is it possible to process electrical signals from the brain and interpret the results as exact thoughts?
Where in the nervous system are synapses chemical, and where are they electrical?
Why doesn't local anesthesia affect muscles?


text:
Poolambadi is a panchayat town in Perambalur district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Located  from New Delhi, the Indian capital. Famous Businessman DATO Prakadeesh Kumar Born in Poolambadi.

Demographics
 India census, Poolambadi had a population of 10,027. Males constitute 50% of the population and females 50%. Poolambadi has an average literacy rate of 60%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 70%, and female literacy is 50%. In Poolambadi, 10% of the population is under 6 years of age.

Agriculture
Poolambadi is famous for its fertile agricultural fields. The various crops cultivated are paddy rice, corn, sugarcane, tapioca, sunflower and timber. This village was once famous for sandalwood trees in the district. The people who came from Kongu region were changed the style of agriculture and their contribution is unavoidable in poolambadi's development.

References

Cities and towns in Perambalur district

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


These fittings have excellent corrosion resistance which extends the life cycle of the fittings. Pressure ratings of up to 800 bar (S series) and 500 bar (L series) enable the fittings to be used in a wide range of applications. Suitable for use in most hydraulic applications in various markets including, automotive, industrial, defence, energy, environment, water, power generation and transportation.


After updating your computer (particularly to Mac OSX Yosemite) you may find that one or more of your browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Safari) won't allow you to access your Zmail, saying that the site is untrusted.
1. Right click the following link and click "Save Link As" OR click on the attached file to download it.
2. When the file is downloaded, double click it. If prompted to "Add" the certificate in Keychain Access, click "Add" or "OK"
3. In the Keychain Access application window that opens, navigate to "Equifax Secure Certificate Authority" and right click it.
5. Click on the small arrow next to "Trust" near the top left.
6. In the dropdown for "When using this certificate" select "Always Trust"
7. Enter your password as needed to modify the certificate.


text:
Hereditary sensory and autonomic neuropathy type V: Report of a rare case
Ritesh Kalaskar1, Ashita Kalaskar2
1 Department of Pedodontics, Government Dental College and Hospital, Nagpur, Maharashtra, India
2 Department of Oral Medicine and Radiology, VSPM Dental College and Research Centre, Nagpur, Maharashtra, India
Date of Web Publication 14-Jan-2015
Ritesh Kalaskar
Department of Pedodontics, Government Dental College and Hospital, Nagpur, Maharashtra
Hereditary sensory and autonomic neuropathy (HSAN) type V is a rare inherited disease caused by a mutation in the neurotrophic tyrosine kinase receptor, type 1 gene located on chromosome 1 (1q21-q22). It is characterized by pain insensitivity, partial anhydrosis without mental retardation and unimpaired touch and pressure sensitivity. Self-mutilation injury involving the teeth, lips, tongue, ears, eyes, nose, and fingers are invariable feature of this disorder. The purpose of this paper was to discuss the diagnosis and oral management of 18-month-old girl with HSAN type V, having typical oral manifestation of bitten tongue and auto-extraction of primary teeth. Modified bite guard was given to the patient to prevent further self-mutilating injuries to the tongue.
Keywords: Auto-extraction, bite guard, bitten tongue, hereditary sensory and autonomic neuropathies, insensitivity to pain
Kalaskar R, Kalaskar A. Hereditary sensory and autonomic neuropathy type V: Report of a rare case. Contemp Clin Dent 2015;6:103-6
Kalaskar R, Kalaskar A. Hereditary sensory and autonomic neuropathy type V: Report of a rare case. Contemp Clin Dent [serial online] 2015 [cited 2020 Jan 17];6:103-6. Available from: http://www.contempclindent.org/text.asp?2015/6/1/103/149302
Hereditary sensory and autonomic neuropathies (HSAN) encompass a number of inherited disorders that are associated with sensory and varying degrees of autonomic dysfunction. [1] Until date, HSAN has been classified into five types: type I is autosomal dominant whereas types II, III, IV, and V are autosomal recessive. [1]
Type I is a relatively mild condition, manifested in the second to fourth decade mainly affecting the lower limbs. Type II is also associated with loss of sweating but temperature and control of blood pressure are normal. Type III has a multisystem presentation including postural hypotension, ataxia, kyphoscoliosis, oropharyngeal dyscordination, and abnormal gastro-esophageal motility resulting in feeding difficulties and recurrent aspiration pneumonia. Type IV is manifested in infancy and is associated with pain insensitivity, complete anhydrosis, mental retardation and self-mutation. Type V disease is similar to type IV, but is relatively mild without mental retardation and less sevier anhydrosis. [2]
Hereditary sensory and autonomic neuropathy type V is characterized by lack of pain perception, mentally sound and partial anhydrosis, but with preservation of all other sensory modalities, including normal touch perception, proprioception, itch, warm and cold temperature discrimination and vibration (OMIM 608654). [3],[4] It is caused by a mutation in the neurotrophic tyrosine kinase receptor, type 1 (NTRK1) gene located on chromosome 1 (1q21-q22), coding for nerve growth factor beta (NGFB) gene. [3],[5] The loss of pain sensation interferes with body protective mechanism, sleep, mobility, nutrition, thoughts, sexual activity, emotional well-being, creativity, and self-actualization. Self-mutilation is an almost invariable feature of this disorder, most often involving the teeth, lips, tongue, ears, eyes, nose, and fingers. [4] Bone fractures are also asymptomatic and affected individuals are not aware of these fractures until a limp develops. [5] This is an extremely dangerous disorder, but people can live a fairly normal life, provided, they constantly monitor for their cuts, bruises, self-mutilations and other possible unfelt injuries. This clinical report outlines a classical case of rare HSAN type V from central India highlighting the management of self-mutation to teeth and tongue. The report will also assist the oral health care providers in diagnosing the disorder and timely referral of such patients to the appropriate health care professionals .
An 18-month-old girl, born to a healthy nonconsanguineous couple, was brought to our department for the management of self-mutilated biting of the tongue. She had normal milestones since birth. At the age of 7 months, her parents first notice that she did not respond to painful stimuli like injection of vaccines or any other accidental trauma. She had a history of heat intolerance, reduced sweating and fewer tears while crying. She had no history of recurrent fever, poor vision, seizure, skin rash, and bleeding manifestation. Parents gave history of biting of the tongue (since the eruption of teeth), grinding of teeth and repeated attempts to remove the teeth with fingers. Her taste sensation was normal. Pregnancy and birth were uneventful. There was no family history of neurologic or metabolic disorders, and no other member of their family was diagnosed with HSAN. On general examination, no signs of pallor, cyanosis, and icterus were observed. Hematological and biochemical investigations including serum uric acid levels were normal. Intraoral examination revealed self-mutilated features such as bitten tongue (resection of anterior one third of the tongue), ulceration on the ventral surface of tongue and auto-extraction of primary mandibular right and left central and lateral incisors and left canine. Primary maxillary right and left canines were un-erupted [Figure 1] and [Figure 2]. Cutaneous examination did not reveal generalized xerosis over ankles and dorsa of feet, thickening of palms, and fissuring of soles [Figure 3]. Sensory examination showed complete loss of pain and temperature sensations, but fine touch and vibration were preserved. Tendon reflexes and plantar responses were normal. Histological examination of the skin showed normal epidermal and dermal structures, including presence of normal sweat glands. Due to lack of availability of genetic tests, mutational study could not be done. Also, patient's parents were not ready for nerve biopsy because of invasiveness and nonfeasibility of the procedure. Based on the clinical findings, degree of both sensory and autonomic dysfunction, biochemical evaluations and skin histological features the probable diagnosis of HSAN type V was made. The parents were explained the importance of the remaining tongue and various treatment options. Patient parent did not agree for full mouth extraction of teeth because of the psychological and functional implications. Then, it was decided to give bite guard to prevent self-mutilated trauma to the tongue. Maxillary and mandibular jaw impressions were recorded in alginate and casts were made in die stone. Bite guard was prepared from biocryl X sheet, (Grate Lakes Orthodontics, Tonawanda, NY, USA) using Ministar pressure forming machine (Grate Lakes Orthodontics, Tonawanda, NY, USA). Bite guard was modified in such a way that it covered the palatal surface [Figure 4]a and b.
Figure 1: Intraoral photograph bitten tongue and autoextraction of 73, 72, 71, 81, and 82
Figure 2: Photograph of maxillary and mandibular casts showing primary teeth
Figure 3: Photograph hand and feet showing no cutaneous abnormality
Figure 4: (a) Extraoral photograph of bite guard. (b) Intraoral photograph showing modifi ed bite guard
Patient's parents were advised to remove the bite guard at an interval of 2-3 h. Patient was recalled weekly. After 1 month, there was no fresh episode of tongue biting. As the patient was too small to understand the importance of tongue and teeth, the bite guard was continued, and the parents were advice to report at 3 months interval. The parents were also advice for the regular visit to their physician, so that cuts, bruises, self-mutilations, any insensitive internal problems and other possible injuries are not un-left unattended.
During 8 months follow-up period, she had a history of trauma, which resulting in an avulsion of primary maxillary right central incisor and primary mandibular right canine. Primary maxillary right and left canines were erupted [Figure 5]a. After a follow-up of 9 months, bite guard was discontinued as it was loose, and there was no fresh episode of tongue biting. Twelve months follow-up showed complete healing of tongue and there was no episode of self-mutilated injury to oral structures [Figure 5]b. The patient is on regular follow-up at 3 monthly intervals.
Figure 5: (a) Intraoral photograph showing erupted 53, 63 and avulsed 52. (b) Twelve months intraoral photograph
The presentation of congenital disorder and syndromic children in the dental office is a great challenge to the oral health care providers. Various congenital disorders are identified early in infancy and demand special attention right from birth. Type V HSAN is a congenital disorder with pain insensitivity can be diagnosed just after birth. Insensitivity to pain is also a characteristic feature of HSAN type IV, which is caused by the mutation in the NTRK1 gene located on chromosome 1 (1q21-q22), which codes for the NGF receptor, TrkA. [5],[6] The above two congenital neuropathies can be differentiated on the basis of two clinical features and also nerve biopsy. Greater severity of anhydrosis is present in HSAN type IV compared with HSAN type V. Mental retardation is not seen in patients with HSAN type V, which is a feature that is always present in HSAN type IV. [6],[7],[8] In HSAN type V, severe reduction of unmyelinated nerve fibers and a moderate loss of thin myelinated nerve fibers is present, whereas HSAN type IV patients' show reduced small myelinated nerve fibers and normal large myelinated nerve fibers. [9],[10]
Impairment of pain sensation and self-mutilation may also be seen in rare syndromes such as Lesch-Nyhan syndrome and de Lange syndrome. [11] Type V HSAN can be differentiated from these syndromes by the presence of partial anhydrosis, absence of peripheral nerve thickening and dysmorphic features, a normal serum uric acid level and electrophysiological studies and histopathological findings of nerve fiber loss. [11]
Comprehensive literature search has revealed limited reports on HSAN type V. Till date only one epidemiological survey has been conducted on HSAN types IV and V in Japan in which questionnaires reported from 105 institutes were evaluated. The survey estimated that the number of Japanese patients with HSAN types IV and V were 130-210 and 30-60 patients respectively. [12] Similarly, in 2004, a Swedish family, suffering from pain insensitivity underwent identification of a mutation in the NGFB gene responsible for pain sensation. [6] They found severe reduction of unmyelinated nerve fibers and a moderate loss of thin myelinated nerve fibers which confirmed the diagnosis of HSAN type V. In the present case report, genetic test and nerve biopsy was not possible; therefore, the diagnosis was made on the basis of classical clinical features: the degree of both sensory and autonomic dysfunction and biochemical evaluations. Thus, the oral health care provider should be aware of other investigations to differentiate these neuropathies.
There is no standard formula for the treatment of type V HSAN. Medical management is supportive and oriented to control the hyperthermia, prevention of self-mutilation and treatment of orthopedic problems. To avoid hyperthermia excessive wrapping is advocated, dehydration is prevented by acetaminophen and/or ibuprofen or by direct cooling in a bath or in a cooling blanket. Chlorpromazine or chloral hydrate is also effective in relaxing children and allowing them to cool. [1] The patient should be continuously monitored for cuts, bruises, burns, fractures, corneal ulceration, self-mutilations, so that wounds can be treated on time to prevent the spread of infection. For orthopedic complications use of special footwear, periods of nonweight-bearing are advocated. Patients with osteomyelitis can undergo surgery such as osteotomy and amputation. [1]
Typical oral manifestations in HSAN type V are ulcers on the ventral surface of the tongue due to repeated biting during infancy (resection of anterior portion of tongue), auto-extraction of the teeth and tearing wounds mostly on the lower lip. [3],[8] Oral management of these patients should focus on preventing injury to the tongue, lips, teeth, and oral mucosa. Children will require grinding of the teeth or extraction of all teeth or bite guard to prevent self-mutilation injury to the tongue and lips. Bite guard is preferred over the other options because: it not only prevents trauma to the tongue, but also maintains jaw relation, alveolar height, esthetic, helps in speech and mastication. Majority of reports in the literature with this disorder have advocated bite guard, but none of them had actually given it to the patient. In the present case, we have given a modified form of the bite guard that is easy to insert and remove and prevents swallowing or choking into the pharynx. Extraction of all the teeth should be avoided because that will have a psychological impact on children and might contribute to hyperthermia. If extraction of all teeth is planned, it should be done under local anesthesia to prevent undue tactile discomfort postoperatively. [13],[14] Some authors have described the difference in concentrations of inhaled anesthetics needed for orthopedic surgery and dental surgery. They speculated that these differences were caused by the nociceptive stimulus of each operation. [14],[15] Preventive dental care such as pit and fissure sealants, oral prophylaxis and professional topical fluoride application must be done. Parents should be made aware about the consequences of the dental caries particularly in relation to absence of pain.
Type V HASN is extremely dangerous and in most of the cases the patient does not live over the age of 25. [8] But with the understanding of this disorder and with helping patient to achieve independent function with minimal physical limitations we can increase the life of these patients. Further prognosis will be based on increased understanding of specific gene actions that will lead to definitive therapies.
Diagnosis and management of HSAN type V is a great challenge to the oral health care provider. A rare case of HSAN type V, showing the usual features of bitten tongue was managed by a modified bite guard. Although genetic disorders affecting the sensory and autonomic nervous systems are rare, their existence provides a means of furthering our knowledge regarding a very complex part of the nervous system.
Axelrod FB, Gold-von Simson G. Hereditary sensory and autonomic neuropathies: Types II, III, and IV. Orphanet J Rare Dis 2007;2:39.
Sasnur AH, Sasnur PA, Ghaus-Ul RS. Congenital insensitivity to pain and anhidrosis. Indian J Orthop 2011;45:269-71.
Houlden H, King RH, Hashemi-Nejad A, Wood NW, Mathias CJ, Reilly M, et al. A novel TRK A (NTRK1) mutation associated with hereditary sensory and autonomic neuropathy type V. Ann Neurol 2001;49:521-5.
Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man. An online catalog of human genes and genetic disorder. Available from: http://www.omim.org/119530 [Last accessed on 2014 Oct 12].
Carvalho OP, Thornton GK, Hertecant J, Houlden H, Nicholas AK, Cox JJ, et al. A novel NGF mutation clarifies the molecular mechanism and extends the phenotypic spectrum of the HSAN5 neuropathy. J Med Genet 2011;48:131-5.
Einarsdottir E, Carlsson A, Minde J, Toolanen G, Svensson O, Solders G, et al. A mutation in the nerve growth factor beta gene (NGFB) causes loss of pain perception. Hum Mol Genet 2004;13:799-805.
Narayanan V. Oral and maxillofacial manifestations of hereditary sensory neuropathy. Br J Oral Maxillofac Surg 1996;34:446-9.
Jacob A, Sarada C, Thomas SV. Painless injuries in a child: Hereditary sensory and autonomic neuropathy. Ann Indian Acad Neurol 2006;9:39-41.
Indo Y, Tsuruta M, Hayashida Y, Karim MA, Ohta K, Kawano T, et al. Mutations in the TRKA/NGF receptor gene in patients with congenital insensitivity to pain with anhidrosis. Nat Genet 1996;13:485-8.
de Andrade DC, Baudic S, Attal N, Rodrigues CL, Caramelli P, Lino AM, et al. Beyond neuropathy in hereditary sensory and autonomic neuropathy type V: Cognitive evaluation. Eur J Neurol 2008;15:712-9.
Prashanth GP, Kamate M. A case of hereditary sensory autonomic neuropathy type IV. Ann Indian Acad Neurol 2012;15:134-6.
Haga N, Kubota M, Miwa Z. Epidemiology of hereditary sensory and autonomic neuropathy type IV and V in Japan. Am J Med Genet A 2013;161A: 871-4.
Tomioka T, Awaya Y, Nihei K, Sekiyama H, Sawamura S, Hanaoka K. Anesthesia for patients with congenital insensitivity to pain and anhidrosis: A questionnaire study in Japan. Anesth Analg 2002;94:271-4.
Okuda K, Arai T, Miwa T, Hiroki K. Anaesthetic management of children with congenital insensitivity to pain with anhidrosis. Paediatr Anaesth 2000;10:545-8.
Mitaka C, Tsunoda Y, Hikawa Y, Sakahira K, Matsumoto I. Anesthetic management of congenital insensitivity to pain with anhydrosis. Anesthesiology 1985;63:328-9.
[Figure 1], [Figure 2], [Figure 3], [Figure 4], [Figure 5]
Kalaskar R
Kalaskar A
Auto-extraction
bite guard
bitten tongue
hereditary sensory and autonomic neuropathies
insensitivity to pain

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
John Birmingham claims racism in reaction to Bali Nine duo
Whenever lefties really don't like something they are fond of explaining it away with a false accusation of some sort of bigotry, usually racism. This is because they themselves are fixated on race to an unhealthy degree. Being so emotionally retarded, they are incapable of seeing others as individuals first and foremost, so they must think everyone else has the same primitive world view.
A perfect example of this simplistic analysis is John Birmingham's take on the reasons Australians generally aren't outraged that Chan and Sukumaran are gonna be shot for their crimes. With no evidence whatsoever he concludes it's because they're not white. So "we" don't give a rat's about their fate.
Apart from it being such a lazy little gargle, his own rather alarming prejudice comes through quite clearly. I mean, who is he actually referring to when he says "we"?
Well, he clarifies this to some degree:
And that bullet's coming, partly because 'we' just don't care.
I use the air quotes because some do. But as a whole, as a clan, we do not.
Hmm. Let's just unpack that a little more to see what else he means: He's not including those who themselves aren't white, surely. They couldn't possibly be racist -- least of all against other non-whites.
So by "we" he means white people. He also means Aussies generally (clan, whole). So he's relegating non-whites to a category of, er, non-Australian-ness, isn't he?
Hate to burst Birmo's bolshie little bubble. But Australia is actually a multi-racial nation. And many of those he condemns for not kowtowing to his hand-wringing line on capital punishment are from races other than caucasian.
And the reason they have their view is not because they don't care about Chan and Sukumaran. It's because they loathe the drug trade and believe in a sovereign nation's right to make and enact its own laws. They also know that these drug smugglers knew exactly what they were getting into when they set out to break those laws. It gives them no pleasure that two young lives will be ended in this way. They just figure, well, what did these idiots expect?
Aside from the obvious puerility of Birmingham's race-based analysis, there's clear evidence to refute his claim: Barlow and Chambers, who were white as white can be, were also executed for drug trafficking (by Malaysia in this case).
Back then, just as today, there were those in Australia who were appalled by this punishment and campaigned against it, and those who accepted it without complaint. I recall no massive public outcry against their execution. And this was at a time when our population was much "whiter" than it is now. If the "Blunt Instrument" was accurate the whole nation would have been up in arms about their fate. But that certainly wasn't the case.
If Birmingham is not convinced perhaps he'd like to test the issue in the manner suggested below:
Post by Australian Conservative Libertarian Group.
Posted by MattHaydenAU at 2:43 PM No comments:
Shark decapitated. Oh buoy!
The shark wars have certainly been pretty intense over here in the wild west from time to time. But lately, aside from the occasional group shriek and placard rattle from the local Carcharodon cuddlers there haven't been any major new developments. Until now that is.
See, down south at a charming little beach called Meelup a shark's severed head has been discovered stuck on a buoy.
No doubt many Gaia-worshipping activists will be brimming with lefteous indignation over this brazen act of ichthyophobic barbarism. Hell, some of them'll be so upset they'll prolly even drop their bongs and forget to lodge their dole forms.
That's kinda funny, and sad. Whenever they hear of the latest human beheading in the name of Islam most deep green socialists are like, "Meh." And if they are at all upset about it the next step is to assiduously avoid the, er, caliphant in the room and blame the bad ol' USA, Rupert Murdoch, or even Tony Abbott.
Which leads me to the probable identity of the head lopper in this particular case: The obvious choice would be a local surfer or fisherman who takes pleasure in riling shark-huggers.
But given the watery killing's unique and disturbing modus operandi, there's another less likely but still possible explanation. It might just be the first strike in a new campaign by Islamic State. Tired of battling for lands lost long ago, have they decided to defiantly claim the oceans as their own and rid the depths of infidels?
Remember that these people are crazy enough to kill you over a cartoon, and believe they'll be rewarded with 72 virgins in heaven if they blow themselves to smithereens in a crowded cafe. When you're that flat out, howling at the moon insane anything's possible, isn't it?
Frankly, I'll be quite relieved if this is the case. More dead sea fauna means less dead land people. And it will be nice to have the greenies on our side for once -- even if it's only 'cause they believe "the enemy of my enemy is my friend".
And it'll be gold for the tabloids. I can see the headlines now:
"The way we sea it." Jihadi describes plans for marine caliphate
Aquatic assassins dubbed Four Frogmen of the Apocalypse killed in massive scuba tank explosion
IS recruitment video extols virtues of porpoise driven life, joys of wet work
Islamic State flag lodged in floating, decapitated sea cow carcass. Oh the hu-manatee!
Headless body in topless aquarium
Hashtag #JeSuisSharkie trending on social media
Any others you'd like to suggest?
Chan, Sukumaran's impending executions a consequence of their actions
Really getting sick of all the sanctimonious hand-wringing in relation to the impending executions of Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran.
Some of the coverage is so one-sided it's just embarrassing. If you didn't already know that they were found guilty of smuggling heroin you would not be able to tell from some of the recent reporting. Would look like Indonesia had just decided to choose a coupla Aussies at random and decided to brutally murder them.
The selectivity of the outrage is also nauseating. If you're gonna arc up about how barbaric the punishment is, then why only do so when it's about to be meted out to your countrymen? Why not campaign against it every time Indonesia executes a drug smuggler (or other kind of criminal, for that matter)? They have done it numerous times, including to their own people.
And all this talk about how Sukumaran has redeemed himself through art is just rubbish. Neither the creation nor the appreciation of art ever made anyone a better person. History is littered with renowned artists who were also A-grade arseholes. In any case, Sukumaran seems pretty mediocre as a painter, although he certainly improved greatly (and good on him for that).
I mean, Hitler was a crap artist. Are we gonna give him cool points for that? (Not that Sukumaran's deeds were anywhere near as ghastly, of course. But the point still holds. It's a truly piss weak argument to say that someone's nascent "sensitivity" should be some sort of get out of jail free card.)
As to whether it's a fair punishment? Well, my own belief is that killing someone for smuggling drugs is certainly OTT. But I'm not gonna lose any sleep over it either.
These guys knew what they were getting into. They were fully aware they were committing a serious crime and that Indonesian law demanded that drug smugglers be executed.
There were historical precedents, too. Barlow and Chambers were executed in Malaysia back in the eighties. Another drug trafficker called Michael McCauliffe bought the farm there in 93. More recently Van Tuong Nguyen was offed in Singapore for the same crime.
Yes, none of these executions occurred in Indonesia. But the context is still relevant. If a nation says they'll top you for doing something they really don't like, best to take them at their word.
Which brings me to the "if only" argument beloved by child-brained pinkos:
If only the AFP had arrested them in Australia instead of dobbing them in to the Indonesians. #qanda
— Jane Caro (@JaneCaro) February 9, 2015
Well, if you're gonna say "if only", why stop there? Why not say: If only Chan, Sukumaran and the other members of the Bali Nine had decided not to smuggle the bloody smack in the first place! None of this would have happened, and we'd never have even heard of them.
But of course lefties will never go that far. That would require a sense of responsibility and morality as well as some common sense. And you just have to give all of those things a wide berth if you wanna build a career out of wringing your hands and wagging your fingers, now don't you?
Posted by MattHaydenAU at 4:05 PM 3 comments:
Sad news about Bernie Slattery
Just found out something upsetting. Veteran journalist and blogger Bernie Slattery has died.
I never met Bernie face to face, or even spoke to him on the phone. But he was one of the first bloggers I made contact with when I started blogging myself back in about 2003.
As well as being a wry, witty writer, he was extremely helpful. When I was starting out I remember being flummoxed about how to put links to other blogs on mine. So I asked him how to do this in an e-mail. He didn't need to answer the question himself. Could have just pointed me to a help article or forum thread or something. But he replied with comprehensive instructions that solved my problem.
Over the years I had numerous enjoyable conversations with Bernie via e-mail and in blog comments. I also had a silly OTT leftie character that would troll him. He enjoyed playing along with the gag.
If you look at his blog you'll see he's got a kind face and a twinkle in his eye. That photo certainly captured the spirit that came across loud and clear in all my communication with him. So it's really sad to hear that he has passed away at the comparatively young age of 65.
That said, I'm absolutely sure he lived his life well, with grace and humour, and had a positive effect on many people's lives. So there is some consolation in that.
My deepest sympathies go out to his friends and family.
Posted by MattHaydenAU at 3:12 PM 1 comment:
Abbott leadership spill averted. But how did it get to that point?
Good to know that Abbott has survived this push for a leadership spill. And I thought he would head it off at the pass as he has ...
Really, trying to knife their leader was such a stupid thing to do. You've really got to wonder why it even got to this stage.
Well, there are malicious idiots in the LNP (as there are in all political parties). But they are far less common there than in Labor (where they are the norm rather than the exception).
Take this guy Simpkins, who pushed for the spill. Looking like a white-anting arsehat, and with egg all over his face (not unlike half the press gallery including Laurie Oakes, who said Abbott was "dead meat" as I recall) he says he doesn't think he's made any enemies. What a doofus!
And I think timing had a lot to do with it. With the Silly Season just over and Canberra not in full gear, there was little going on politically in Oz (except in Queensland, of course). So Abbott's knighthood gaffe got more attention than it normally would have. The press gallery, chockas with brimming pinkos who want Tony's guts for garters, beat it up as much as they could. Libs with personal vendettas like Dennis Jensen, who've been scheming for months, it seems, decided it was time to strike. As a result there seemed to be much more momentum against Abbott than there actually was.
Sure, Abbott has a problem. But I think he can turn it around -- just. There's no one better to lead the party. Turnbull may be more popular than him, but he wouldn't be a shoo in. And there's ages to go before an election. So much can and will change before then.
Anyway, putting Turnbull at the helm would be an absolute disaster for the LNP. He's not really a conservative. He would destroy its soul. Lefties know this, which is one of the reasons the poisonous pinkos pray for this to happen. But to have people in the party pushing for this too? Well, that's deeply disturbing ...
Abbott leadership spill: Why the luvvies love Turnbull
This upcoming spill for the leadership of the LNP is as surprising as it is depressing. Haven't these backstabbers figured out how damaging all this instability is? Australia had six years of it with Labor. And Abbott is spot on when he says that the voters have had a gutfull of vindictive powerbrokers making decisions that the electorate should be making instead.
Looks pretty clear that much of the motivation behind the spill comes from personal malice. I heard Dennis Jensen interviewed by Andrew Bolt and he came across as a real turncoat who was not at all honest about his motives. Couldn't nominate a potential alternative to Abbott. Just wanted to get rid of him. Nasty and stupid.
Hopefully the majority in the party are not as selfish and thoughtless as Jensen and can look at things more rationally and long term. Actually I think that will be the case ...
But if it isn't and, say, Turnbull wins next week, it will be a rolled gold disaster. The Government may get a sugar hit in the polls. But they are just polls. Everything changes come election time because that's when the voters get to actually vote. They'll remember that they were denied the right to choose the leader they ended up with. And they may decide to let the party know how they feel about that. That's one big black mark against the LNP IMO.
Then there's the fact that if elected (by the party, not the people) Turnbull will drag it strongly leftward, resulting in a lot of conservative votes being lost. Now he and his supporters may think that this effect will be negated by all the new support he attracts. They hope that there'll be an overall gain.
But that's just silly. No one who votes for Labor or the Greens will vote LNP if Turnbull leads it. It's still the eeevil LNP to them.
But they still want him to lead it, of course. Which says so much about them. They don't like the idea of a real contest of ideas. They are control freaks. They may say they believe in democracy and freedom of speech, but that's just a crock. When they talk about welcoming a diversity of views, they mean all those to the left of Bill Shorten's beliefs.
They don't just want to get rid of conservatism. They want to get rid of conservatives. Look at what happens in any institution where they get the upper hand. Everyone has to get with the PC program, or else! (Of course they're not up front about this. Being the commie cowards they are, they prefer to do it by stealth. And it must be said they are very good at that ... Well, they would be. They've been doin' it for decades now.)
Look at the ABC. They're so determined to have the whole joint conforming politically that there aren't even any conservatives employed there -- at east not in any significant role. Yet they know that it should display some balance. So what do they do? They fake it by having their lefties occasionally put the conservative view in interviews, etc.
You even see this kind of thing in commercial media, also dominated by the Left. Take last night on The Project. In a way that was quasi-conservative Waleed Aly and that blonde chick whose name escapes me actually attacked Shorten's lack of positive policies (though they were rude and bolshie about it when a conservative would have been polite, of course).
Basically, lefties want to control everything. They want the conservative argument to be a strawman, so they don't like it when a real, living breathing conservative is putting it. Abbott is one of these people. Which is why they hate him so much. Turnbull, however, is actually a closet leftie. Which is why they want him in Abbott's place.
True conservatives, on the other hand, don't want to replace Shorten with one of their own. They'd prefer to have him remain so they can show the people how bankrupt his arguments are. The tragedy of the LNP's situation is that enough of its members have lost sight of that goal to cause the chaos we're seeing now.
John Birmingham claims racism in reaction to Bali ...
Chan, Sukumaran's impending executions a consequen...
Abbott leadership spill averted. But how did it ge...
Abbott leadership spill: Why the luvvies love Turn...


Colors and Patterns and Babies, oh my!
How social media can grow your business By Stephen Swartz, U.S. Balloon Co. Thousands of balloon retailers are using social media to promote their business, connect to others and, in the best-case scenarios, garner more sales from more people. But how can they use social media while not giving away their secrets? Posting, Liking and Making an Impact Lori Viera, owner of American Balloon Co. in Alexandria, Va., uses Facebook and Twitter to promote specials at her store. For example, she's offered customers 20 percent off a toy purchase within three hours of a customer checking in to her store on Facebook. She's also posted time-sensitive specials on the store's Twitter account, such as "For the next four hours get a dozen balloons free when you visit the store." But don't worry about spending all day posting to these sites.


text:
import { of } from 'rxjs';

import { dateTime } from '@grafana/data';
import { setBackendSrv } from '@grafana/runtime';
import { TemplateSrv } from 'app/features/templating/template_srv';
import { initialCustomVariableModelState } from 'app/features/variables/custom/reducer';
import { CustomVariableModel } from 'app/features/variables/types';

import { TemplateSrvMock } from '../../../../features/templating/template_srv.mock';
import { CloudWatchDatasource } from '../datasource';

export function setupMockedDataSource({
  data = [],
  variables,
  mockGetVariableName = true,
}: { data?: any; variables?: any; mockGetVariableName?: boolean } = {}) {
  let templateService = new TemplateSrvMock({
    region: 'templatedRegion',
    fields: 'templatedField',
    group: 'templatedGroup',
  }) as any;
  if (variables) {
    templateService = new TemplateSrv();
    templateService.init(variables);
    templateService.getVariables = jest.fn().mockReturnValue(variables);
    if (mockGetVariableName) {
      templateService.getVariableName = (name: string) => name;
    }
  }

  const datasource = new CloudWatchDatasource(
    {
      jsonData: { defaultRegion: 'us-west-1', tracingDatasourceUid: 'xray' },
    } as any,
    templateService,
    {
      timeRange() {
        const time = dateTime('2021-01-01T01:00:00Z');
        const range = {
          from: time.subtract(6, 'hour'),
          to: time,
        };

        return {
          ...range,
          raw: range,
        };
      },
    } as any
  );
  datasource.getVariables = () => ['test'];

  datasource.getNamespaces = jest.fn().mockResolvedValue([]);
  datasource.getRegions = jest.fn().mockResolvedValue([]);
  datasource.defaultLogGroups = [];
  const fetchMock = jest.fn().mockReturnValue(of({ data }));
  setBackendSrv({ fetch: fetchMock } as any);

  return { datasource, fetchMock, templateService };
}

export const metricVariable: CustomVariableModel = {
  ...initialCustomVariableModelState,
  id: 'metric',
  name: 'metric',
  current: { value: 'CPUUtilization', text: 'CPUUtilizationEC2', selected: true },
  options: [
    { value: 'DroppedBytes', text: 'DroppedBytes', selected: false },
    { value: 'CPUUtilization', text: 'CPUUtilization', selected: false },
  ],
  multi: false,
};

export const namespaceVariable: CustomVariableModel = {
  ...initialCustomVariableModelState,
  id: 'namespace',
  name: 'namespace',
  query: 'namespaces()',
  current: { value: 'AWS/EC2', text: 'AWS/EC2', selected: true },
  options: [
    { value: 'AWS/Redshift', text: 'AWS/Redshift', selected: false },
    { value: 'AWS/EC2', text: 'AWS/EC2', selected: false },
    { value: 'AWS/MQ', text: 'AWS/MQ', selected: false },
  ],
  multi: false,
};

export const labelsVariable: CustomVariableModel = {
  ...initialCustomVariableModelState,
  id: 'labels',
  name: 'labels',
  current: {
    value: ['InstanceId', 'InstanceType'],
    text: ['InstanceId', 'InstanceType'].toString(),
    selected: true,
  },
  options: [
    { value: 'InstanceId', text: 'InstanceId', selected: false },
    { value: 'InstanceType', text: 'InstanceType', selected: false },
  ],
  multi: true,
};

export const limitVariable: CustomVariableModel = {
  ...initialCustomVariableModelState,
  id: 'limit',
  name: 'limit',
  current: {
    value: '100',
    text: '100',
    selected: true,
  },
  options: [
    { value: '10', text: '10', selected: false },
    { value: '100', text: '100', selected: false },
    { value: '1000', text: '1000', selected: false },
  ],
  multi: false,
};

export const aggregationvariable: CustomVariableModel = {
  ...initialCustomVariableModelState,
  id: 'aggregation',
  name: 'aggregation',
  current: {
    value: 'AVG',
    text: 'AVG',
    selected: true,
  },
  options: [
    { value: 'AVG', text: 'AVG', selected: false },
    { value: 'SUM', text: 'SUM', selected: false },
    { value: 'MIN', text: 'MIN', selected: false },
  ],
  multi: false,
};

export const dimensionVariable: CustomVariableModel = {
  ...initialCustomVariableModelState,
  id: 'dimension',
  name: 'dimension',
  current: {
    value: 'env',
    text: 'env',
    selected: true,
  },
  options: [
    { value: 'env', text: 'env', selected: false },
    { value: 'tag', text: 'tag', selected: false },
  ],
  multi: false,
};

export const logGroupNamesVariable: CustomVariableModel = {
  ...initialCustomVariableModelState,
  id: 'groups',
  name: 'groups',
  current: {
    value: ['templatedGroup-1', 'templatedGroup-2'],
    text: ['templatedGroup-1', 'templatedGroup-2'],
    selected: true,
  },
  options: [
    { value: 'templatedGroup-1', text: 'templatedGroup-1', selected: true },
    { value: 'templatedGroup-2', text: 'templatedGroup-2', selected: true },
  ],
  multi: true,
};

export const regionVariable: CustomVariableModel = {
  ...initialCustomVariableModelState,
  id: 'region',
  name: 'region',
  current: {
    value: 'templatedRegion',
    text: 'templatedRegion',
    selected: true,
  },
  options: [{ value: 'templatedRegion', text: 'templatedRegion', selected: true }],
  multi: false,
};

export const expressionVariable: CustomVariableModel = {
  ...initialCustomVariableModelState,
  id: 'fields',
  name: 'fields',
  current: {
    value: 'templatedField',
    text: 'templatedField',
    selected: true,
  },
  options: [{ value: 'templatedField', text: 'templatedField', selected: true }],
  multi: false,
};

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Francisco Meirino - Anthems For Unsuccessful Winners
Solo pieces
For the 10 years anniversary of standard/deluxe
March 2016 at standard/deluxe, Lausanne, Switzerland.
Vinyl records, cardboard, nails, electric wires, transducers, electronics, audio loop.
I've bought two 7' ; one by Leadbelly and one by Nirvana, after having them
polished with a an electric sander to change their sound, I've cut them in half and presented them as a new record, played by a rudimentary turntable made of cardboard, a nail and electrical wire.
For this exhibition, founders and members of standard/deluxe have written or drawn instructions and individually handed them down to another member.
The instructions are of various types. They are minimal, composite, enigmatic or rigorous. It is to each artist to carry out a work related to the appropriation of the mandate, its interpretation and sometimes also its diversion.
Each of the protagonists of standard/deluxe presents a singular work that proceeds from this invitation to the realization. The result of this experiment, visible in space, leads to the reflection on the detachment that one can have in front of the initial rule and the distance that one chooses to put with the subject. The distraction takes its place and disturbs the first sense that the viewer can perceive.
here's the sound of the two tracks, after being altered by the electric sander,
both tracks are layered together to form a new track : LV


Get fun.com Coupon Codes And Online Deals Delivered Straight To Your Inbox.
Find free online coupon codes for 131,507+ popular stores like Walmart, Kohl's, Macy's, Best Buy, Target & FUN.com and more.
You can submit a FUN.com coupon or your website/store if it is not already available on our website by sending details via email. We will quickly review your submission and publish your offer on our website if it's a good fit.
Discount on your order at Fun.comGet these enticing deals when you use using fun.com promo codes. Remember to check out and close this deal!
Coupon Code - Day Sale: Day 15% off sale. Discount applied at…Shop through fun.com and enjoy attractive discounts! Surround yourself with a world of happiness once you check out.
Discount on your order at Fun.comMake your purchase now and save big at fun.com. Prices vary, buy now before they are gone.
Discount on your order at Fun.comFor today time only, fun.com is offering bargains at never-before-seen prices. A fresh approach to shopping.
Find 30% off + free deliveryHuge dicounts on selected items when you use fun.com promo codes. More stores. More value.
Find 30% off + free deliveryGet your favorite items at reasonable prices with fun.com promo codes. At these prices, the items are a steal.
Get 30% off + free deliveryChoose your favorite products at fun.com and save money. These bargains are guaranteed to make you smile.
Receive 30% off + free deliveryShop your favorite items and spend less using fun.com promo codes. Grab these must-have items now.
Exclusive Fun.com Deals and Offers April 2018Go through this link and get Exclusive Fun.com Deals and Offers April 2018 from FUN.com. Deals end soon, apply fun.com promo codes today! When tomorrow comes, these deals may no longer exist.
Free shipping on your ordersEnjoy big savings at fun.com today! Don't miss out. We know you don't want to!
St. PatrickS Day SaleGreat chance to save money with this offer from fun.com. We help you find amazing deals so you can shop without a worry.
Everything on sale up to 75% for a limited time only at FUN.comUp To 75% Off Marvel Toys Enjoy your favorite items when you shop at fun.com. Great stores. Great choices.
Get 30% discount on Ugly Christmas SweatersLooking for the hottest deals going on right now at fun.com. See website for more details.
15% Off Any Order with CouponUse our fun.com promo codes and save, save, save. A higher form of shopping.
Sale: up to 88% off reg. pricesCheck out the steep discounts at fun.com! These must-have items won't last long.
Free Shipping On $65 Or MoreGet free shipping on orders over $65. Great chance to save money when you use fun.com promo codes. Be the first to know, first to shop, and first to save!


Seller: yz12910rv (61,886) 99.5%, Location: Huron, Ohio, Ships to: Worldwide, Item: 311803088598 Description: This is a good used set of gauges off a 2001 BMW R1150 GS. We have many other parts available check out Mikes Motorcycle parts for more parts. Please look at all pictures and read entire description before buying. *We are striving for 5 star ratings in every category from all of our customers. If you are not 100% satisfied with your order, please email me with any problems before leaving negative/neutral feedback, or anything less than 5 stars. I will do my best to resolve the issue. Thank You -Mike Shelf 5-9-1-A Thank you for looking at an item from Mikes Motorcycle Parts. All parts are shipped out within1 business day of payment clearing. Look at pictures closely and ask any questions, I try to describe parts as best I can. International shipments take longer sometimes due to items going through customs so please be patient. Thanks -Mike On Jan-09-09 at 20:40:42 PST, seller added the following information: Sellers: Get your own map today. Click here now. Simple." Condition: Used, Condition: See pictures & description.
Popularity - 2,058 views, 2.6 views per day, 793 days on eBay. Super high amount of views. 0 sold, 1 available.
2,058 views, 2.6 views per day, 793 days on eBay. Super high amount of views. 0 sold, 1 available.
Seller - 61,886+ items sold. 0.5% negative feedback. Top-Rated Seller! Ships on time with tracking, 0 problems with past sales.
61,886+ items sold. 0.5% negative feedback. Top-Rated Seller! Ships on time with tracking, 0 problems with past sales.


My name is Ade Howe. I am a specialist dog trainer, a dog whisperer and I live in the village of Newbold Verdon near Leicester.
As a trainer I have studied many types of training and developed and adapted natural methods of dog training by understanding how a dog communicates with other dogs.
Treat training was quickly discarded as well as harsh or punitive methods which made a dog more fearful.
The training I offer is rewarding and fun, helping dog owners to communicate quickly and effectively with their pet. Part of my job is to give the owner confidence and the necessary skills to deal with any situation instead of fear and nervousness.
I have had people ring me in tears because their beloved dog is causing mayhem and they cannot cope. They cannot believe how quickly their dog can be transformed with the correct directions. The dog finally understands what the owner wants and the owner starts giving the dog the correct signals to communicate effectively.
Often a dog will just sit and look at the owner as it has no idea what the owner wants because it is getting too many signals. The dog will guess and hope they made the right choice. Sometimes they get a fuss, sometimes they get shouted at.
My job is to sort out the confusion between dog and owner.
I work in harmony with the dog's natural instincts to achieve the required behaviour. You can learn how to do this with my simple accelerated learning programme. It takes between 2 and 3 hours to complete and it is a hands-on approach, you will be carrying out exercises with your dog throughout.
Please take some time to read the many testimonials on www.freeIndex.co.uk from satisfied clients and I guarantee good results if you follow my methods.
If you are looking at different trainers and they will not work with you and your dog but will talk you to death for 2 hours then avoid them. If they use water bombs or chains in bags walk away, all they are going to do is frighten your dog. There is a female trainer in Leicestershire that shouts at your dog to try to intimidate it. I would avoid her at all costs. One owner told me her dog was still shaking an hour after she had been asked to leave.
If they won't use their own dogs in the training, walk away, they don't know what they are doing and if anyone tells you that a change of diet and a different lead will help to cure dog aggression you should run away as fast as possible because that is complete and utter rubbish.
Having a dog neutered to cure aggression does not work and can make a dog's behaviour worse. Aggression is usually a behavioural problem not a biological one.
Here's Jack, a 7 year old Cocker Spaniel.
Jack was going to be put down as he had bitten his previous owners on several occasions, once requiring a visit to A&E.. They felt he was unpredictable and could no longer trust him. He came to me in March 2012 and with the correct training he has turned out to be a lovely dog and is learning all the time.
He is very friendly to humans and dogs but has quickly learnt which dogs to stay clear of.
Mind you, he has Fliss to look after him and provide back-up!
Fliss a 6 year old Border collie. Fliss can be reactive with other dogs and her confidence is growing as she meets more and more dogs. She wasn't allowed into the garden where she lived previously as she would bark at anything and everything but she has quickly learned that nuisance barking is unacceptable and she can now relax in the garden without being on guard all day.
I have worked with many breeds of dog. German Shepherd , Border Collie, English and French Mastiffs, Neopolitan Mastiff, Dobermann Pinscher, Rottweiler, Newfoundland, Chow Chow, Weimaraner, Setter, Cocker Spaniel, Spaniels, Basset Hound, Miniature Pinscher, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, Patterdale Terrier, Airedale Terrier, Lakeland Terrier, Bedlington Terrier, Border Terrier, Glen of Imaal Terrier, Manchester Terrier, Jack Russell Terrier, West Highland White Terrier, Scottish Terrier, Yorkshire Terrier, Pomeranian, Miniature poodle, Labradoodle, Chihuahua, Basengi, Dachshunds, Lhaso Apso, ex-racing Greyhounds, Whippets, Shi Tzu and all manner of mongrels and rescue dogs so I have a wide experience of different breeds.


Travel 2 and Universal Orlando Resorts™ have teamed up to give agents the chance to win £1,000 to put towards a holiday to Florida as part of the 'Orlando – The Place of Endless Fun' incentive. As an added bonus, agents will receive an extra £20 of T2 Rewards credits with every qualifying Universal Orlando Resort booking in August.
To be automatically entered into the prize draw to win £1,000 towards a Florida holiday, agents need to simply make a qualifying booking to Orlando any time between 1 August and 31 August 2017 with return flights and a minimum of five nights' ground arrangements at any Universal Orlando Resort™ property.
During August, every booking to a Universal Orlando Resort™ with a minimum of three nights' ground arrangements at a Universal Orlando Resort™ hotel will receive an extra £20 T2 Rewards Credit.
Please visit www.travel2.com for full details of the incentive and terms and conditions.
Don't forget to follow @T2News for all the latest news, updates, incentives, offers, competitions and deals.


Every year, I take my family on two vacations. Usually in March and October. My mother's birthday is in March, and this year, my father retired, so it was the perfect time to get away. I live in New York City, and they are all in Los Angeles, so when I found out that French Polynesia was only 7 hours from LA, it became the only choice for us.
I also kept the entire trip a surprise. They had no idea where we were going until they go to the airport. I also organized the trip in three parts, so there were three surprises built into one trip. It was very difficult to keep a secret for three months, but I did it.
This is my family. Dad, Mom and sister. Our flight was at 11pm, so we were having a drink and some light Lebanese snacks before we headed to the airport.
We spent the first part of the trip on a small island call Huahine, which is about an hour away from Tahiti. The waters and the island were incredible. Like a dream. As you can see, there was some turbulence on the flight, and I spilled red wine all over my pants.
We stayed at the most wonderful little hotel called Relais Mahana. If you ever get to Huahine, you must stay here. This was the view from my beachfront bungalow. The staff was amazing. The food was fresh from the ocean and incredible. So perfect on every level.
Every night, my family and I sat on our parent's porch to watch the sunset before dinner. Magical.
The waters just on the beach were crystal clear and filled with the most beautiful coral reefs and fish. I snorkeled every day and became good friends with a couple of fish.
There is not much to do on a lazy island like Huahine, so I spent a lot of my time walking the beach and collecting shells and coral. I made this little installation on my porch. I was hoping the staff would leave it there after I left, but probably not.
This was the dock that would lead us to Surprise #2. I couldn't wait!
On our last day in Huahine, we went to a pearl farm. As you know, Tahiti is super famous for their pearls, and this floating farm was situated in the middle of the lagoon and had over 200,000 oysters cultivating pearls.
For the second surprise, I chartered a 44' catamaran with captain and chef for four days of island hopping. I was a little nervous because my mother can't swim and there was a big storm the night before, but it was something I really wanted them to experience.
We all received the most beautiful flower necklaces when we boarded the catamaran.
Captain Fred. He was the BEST! He knew every perfect spot on all the islands for us to swim, snorkel and kayak.
The chef on board was also incredible. Every day she made us the freshest meals using the freshest fish, fruits and vegetable.
On our way out of the Huahine lagoon, and before our three hour boat ride to Raiatea, the second island on our itinerary, a pod of dolphins came to the catamaran to play and bid us a safe voyage.
The marine life is incredible there. Not only are the waters crystal clear, but you see everything. These were black fin sharks, and this photo was taken just seconds before I jumped in the water to swim with them. They're quite friendly.
After swimming with sharks and spending the night in Raiatea, we went to the next island of Taha'a. We basically spent half the trip swimming in these luscious waters. There was no reason not to.
This was my favorite part of the trip. All the islands in French Polynesia are surrounded by barrier reefs. The inner waters are called lagoons, and they are fed by various inlets from the sea. In this picture, Captain Fred took us to a small, but very active, inlet to the lagoon of Taha'a. Once you enter the water, the strong current sends you flying through the most beautiful reef and community of fish you have ever seen. You just float on the water and FLY through the most spectacular place on earth.
Surprise #3 was that we were going to end the trip with three more days in Bora Bora. This the famed mountain of the island. The locals call it "The Tooth", well, because that's what it looks like.
Captain Fred is friends with all the Sting Rays in Bora Bora, so we went to say hello.
On our way to Bora Bora, my sister and I threw a message in a bottle out into the middle of the ocean. It was a celebration of love and of our mother's birthday. We included our email addresses, so now we just wait for a response.
Again, there was not much to do but to sit back and relax in the warm waters.
Our final lunch on the boat before the catamaran delivered us to our hotel.
It has always been a dream of my sister's to stay in these over the water bungalows in Bora Bora, so I booked two of them for us. My Dad seemed happy with the place.
Nowhere else in the world is paddle boarding as spectacular as this.
We were sad to leave Bora Bora, and French Polynesia as a whole, but it was the trip of a lifetime. So spectacular in every account. I will definitely be going back very soon.


Join the festivities in our indoor/outdoor beer garden festival style!
will be on hand to proudly serve up their craft and give you the "in-slider" information on flavour.
Come celebrate ales, ciders and sliders with us!


CBS veteran and longtime head of drama development Christina Davis is stepping down, effective immediately. Davis, who had more time on her current contract, recently informed the network of her decision to depart. She is currently on maternity leave, following the arrival of twins last month. No successor has been set yet but, given the timing, with buying season for next season getting underway, that is expected soon.
Davis' departure comes less than two months after the change at the top of CBS Entertainment, with Glenn Geller stepping down following a medical leave, succeeded by Thom Sherman, to whom Davis reported, and Kelly Kahl.
Davis joined CBS in 1997 as an assistant to then-drama development head Nina Tassler, rising through the ranks to become SVP and co-head of the department in 2007 when Tassler was elevated to entertainment president. Davis was named EVP Drama Development in 2009 when she became the solo drama chief at the network, a position she held for the past eight years. During her time in the department, she has helped develop such successful CBS series as the CSI and NCIS franchises, Bull, MacGyver, Blue Bloods, Hawaii Five-0, Madam Secretary, Scorpion, Criminal Minds, Elementary and The Good Wife, among others.
In a statement, Davis reflected on her tenure at the broadcast network.
There has been a lot of top executive turnover at the traditionally very stable CBS. In the past two years, there have been two entertainment president changes and new heads of all programming departments. Geller replaced chairman Tassler in fall 2015 before exiting in May. Longtime head of comedy Wendi Trilling was succeeded by Julie Pernworth, head of alternative Chris Castallo by Sharon Vuong and head of current Bridget Wiley by Amy Reisenbac.


text:
$LOAD_PATH.unshift(File.dirname(__FILE__))
ENV['RAILS_ENV'] ||= 'test'
require 'simplecov'
require 'coveralls'
Coveralls.wear! 'rails'

require File.expand_path("../dummy/config/environment.rb",  __FILE__)
require 'rspec/rails'
require 'rspec/autorun'
require 'shoulda-matchers'
require 'capybara/rails'
require 'capybara/rspec'
require 'database_cleaner'
require 'factory_girl_rails'

Rails.backtrace_cleaner.remove_silencers!

DatabaseCleaner.strategy = :truncation

Warden.test_mode!

# Load support files
Dir["#{File.dirname(__FILE__)}/support/**/*.rb"].each { |f| require f }

RSpec.configure do |config|
  config.mock_with :rspec
  config.use_transactional_fixtures = true
  config.infer_base_class_for_anonymous_controllers = false
  config.order = "random"

  config.include Devise::TestHelpers, :type => :controller
  config.include Warden::Test::Helpers, :type => :feature
  config.include AdminLoginIntegrationHelper, :type => :feature
  config.include AdminLoginControllerHelper, :type => :controller

  config.after(:each, :type => :request) do
    DatabaseCleaner.clean       # Truncate the database
    Capybara.reset_sessions!    # Forget the (simulated) browser state
    Capybara.use_default_driver # Revert Capybara.current_driver to Capybara.default_driver
  end
end


SARATOGA/WILTON – On Sunday, January 28th, from 11-3 pm the popular Elks Ladies Auxiliary Indoor Craft and Garage Sale will take place at the Saratoga-Wilton Elks Club off Maple Avenue on Elks Lane. Admission is free with over 40 vendors; parking is great, bargains galore, lunch, books, household items, sports equipment, hand-made items, clothing, jewelry, party vendors, pet supplies and just about anything you can imagine may be found here. New vendors are signing up every month. Snow or rain, the sales go on and it is a fun activity the entire family enjoys. Come browse, visit, eat, or just get out of the house with a friend. All proceeds go to our local charities. All markets are held the fourth Sunday of each month: except December, May, June, July, and August. Next sales dates are February 25th, March 25th and April 22nd tables are $15 for an 8 ft. table; call Linda at 289-5470 for information or to sign up for a table(s). Karen's Cupboard is back with lots of home-made goodies.


text:
La casa natal de Luis Cernuda se encuentra situada en el número 6 de la calle Acetres en la ciudad española de Sevilla.

Situación y relevancia
La casa sita en la calle Acetres de Sevilla, antigua calle Conde de Tójar, ocupa una parcela de 171 metros cuadrados con una superficie construida de 501 metros distribuidos entre tres plantas. Se trata de una vivienda unifamiliar construida en los últimos años del siglo XIX, organizada en torno a un patio, que responde a las tipologías residenciales habituales entre las viviendas ocupadas por la clase media en la Sevilla de aquellos años.

Al margen de los valores arquitectónicos propios de la construcción, reconocidos por el planeamiento urbanístico municipal de Sevilla que la incluye en su correspondiente catálogo de edificios de interés, los valores patrimoniales del inmueble se derivan, fundamentalmente, del nacimiento en él del poeta de la Generación del 27, Luis Cernuda (1902-1963). y de su estrecha relación con la obra literaria de este.

Luis Cernuda, vivió en esta casa doce años, hasta 1914, cuando la familia se trasladó al barrio del Porvenir, para en 1920, tras la muerte del padre, trasladarse a la calle Aire, la última residencia del poeta en Sevilla; abandonó la ciudad definitivamente en septiembre de 1928. En la fachada de esta casa se encuentra el poema "Jardín antiguo" del libro Las nubes grabado sobre azulejos. Cernuda es considerado «uno  de loa poetas sevillanos más sobresalientes de la historia» y ejerció una notable influencia sobre las generaciones posteriores dentro del grupo de poetas que conformaron la Generación del 27. La lucidez y la modernidad de su lenguaje terminaron por convertirlo, además, en una referencia para la poesía andaluza y española.

Las vivencias en la casa durante la infancia marcaron profundamente a Cernuda y han tenido una influencia decisiva en su obra literaria. La mejor prueba de ello se encuentra en Ocnos, publicado en una primera edición en Londres en 1942 y comenzado a escribir en sus años de exilio en Glasgow.

En los poemas incluidos en el libro se rememoran la infancia y la juventud del autor en Sevilla. Y en ellos es posible rastrear diferentes referencias a la vivienda de la calle Acetres, convertida en estos poemas en toda una metáfora de la felicidad del niño. Como han puesto de manifiesto expertos en la obra de Cernuda, como Rogelio Reyes, la casa de la actual calle Acetres aparece en Ocnos trasladada poéticamente y convertida en una metáfora de la felicidad arcádica del niño Albanio, anterior a la conciencia del tiempo. El edificio aparece, así, en el libro, como referente de los ecos de las vivencias del autor transformadas en literatura: el patio, que representa un jardín cerrado que compendia la plenitud intemporal; la escalera de mármol que canaliza el sonido de la música y aporta al niño el «embeleso contemplativo»; la fuente con su rumor del agua; la vela que tamiza la luz del mediodía, la galería desde la que se accede al salón familiar, los balcones por donde irrumpe la vida de la calle: los pregones de los vendedores; los primeros descubrimientos en la esfera del sexo prohibido, el de aquellos seres que con su contoneo pasaban provocativos por la calle; la azotea, que en los «largos atardeceres del verano» inundaba de aromas los sentidos del niño. Y, por último, sus primeras incursiones en el mundo de la lectura de la mano de Bécquer y el descubrimiento de la verdad estética o los primeros reparos a una religión basada en el «sufrimiento divinizado».

Estatus patrimonial
La casa natal de Luis Cernuda fue declarada Bien de Interés Cultural con la calificación de Sitio Histórico por Decreto 166/2017, de 17 de octubre de la Consejería de Cultura de la Junta de Andalucía, que cerraba el expediente abierto por Resolución de la misma consejería de 14 de noviembre de 2016. Se justificó el grado de protección al señalar que:

El mismo decreto dispuso la inscripción como Sitio Histórico en el Catálogo General del Patrimonio Histórico Andaluz  y goza del nivel de protección establecido para dichos bienes en la Ley 14/2007, de 26 de noviembre, del Patrimonio Histórico de Andalucía.

Referencias

Enlaces externos

Patrimonio Histórico Andaluz en la provincia de Sevilla
Bienes de interés cultural de la provincia de Sevilla
Arquitectura de Sevilla


This Chelsea townhouse at 332 West 20th Street is being sold off by a power couple: Adriana Cisneros, the CEO of Grupo Cisneros, a Venezuelan media and entertainment company, and her husband Nicholas Griffin, a novelist. They bought the pad in 2004 for $4.005 million and have put it on the market for nearly double, $7.85 million. The single-family, four-bedroom townhouse is decked out with fireplaces and a modern kitchen, not to mention a wall of bookshelves that would impress any writer.


text:
Memorializing Our Heroes: Burial Tips for Military Funerals
They paid the price.
And now it's time to pay respects.
As we prepare for Memorial Day, it gives us another opportunity to think about the process of paying respects to veterans or active duty military members who pass away. If your funeral home has been open for a long time, you've probably had the privilege of assisting with these services over the years, and they are humbling and impressive at once. One thing is for sure: it is imperative that these services are handled with respect and honor, as they are among the most important that you will take part in as part of your business. It is because of their great importance that we thought we might review a few things about how the process works for military funerals.
How do bodies get back when the soldier is killed in action?
You won't have to organize for overseas shipping in this instance, because the government returns all of those killed in action to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware. The bodies are packed in those famous aluminum transfer cases, and a flag is draped over the vessel. Inside the body is packed in ice to keep it safe during transfer. They are transported by hearse to the base from the airport. Once they arrive, the bodies then go through preparation, included being clothed in full military uniform.
What does it mean when someone speaks of rendering honors?
Rendering honors is one of the most important elements of body shipping with regards to transporting a veteran decedent. Included in this rite of passage is ensuring that the soldier's body is traveling feet-first. When the body is transferred from vehicle to vehicle, there should be military personnel on hand, standing at attention and saluting. In addition, for all active duty deaths, an honor guard will meet the body at the destination airport. Once the body gets to the funeral home destination, the military escort duties are over.
How do I arrange for a military funeral?
The VA has a tremendous resource with all of the information the family will need to make arrangements. In this case, the family will have to do most of the leg work, but you can always provide assistance to them and serve as a liaison where applicable.
What does the graveside military service consist of?
The service begins with the flag-draped casket arrives by hearse or horse-drawn carriage. A six-man honor guard will then carry the casket to the grave site. The chaplain will then perform a committal service, after which the honor guard lifts and holds the American flag taut over the casket. Next comes the famous "21-gun salute". A spent shell is often retrieved and tucked into the folded memorial flag. Then it's time for one of the most touching parts of the ceremony, as a bugler plays "Taps." The honor guard then folds the flag. The highest-ranking officer presents the folded flag to the family with a brief sentiment and closes with a salute.
What should my staff be prepared to do in order to assist?
At a private service, sometimes an honor guard from the VA might be present to complete the ceremony in lieu of a full honor guard. On occasion, the funeral home staff will be asked to complete the folding of the flag and other duties. You can check with the local VA on behalf of the family to see what services are available and to receive instruction on what you need to do if a full honor guard is unavailable.
NMS can help. Veterans often request to be buried at Arlington, but they also often request to be moved across the country or return home from overseas to be buried in America after living in other places. National Mortuary Services takes great pride in helping our heroes return home. You will be assisting the family with many aspects of planning, especially if they are making military funeral arrangements. Let us handle the details that can cause delays and confusion to make it easy. Contact us and let us know how we can help you!
Let Us Help with Our Heroes


Sat gray-haired Saturn, quiet as a stone.
I'm killing time at D.'s house, on a Monday when I normally would be at work, waiting for a tow truck to come take my 1995 Saturn, which I'm donating to a public-radio station. The clutch gave out in late November, and because my father's 2002 Saturn (with fewer than 18,000 miles) was waiting for a new home, I decided not to have my car (with nearly 110,000) fixed, as it would cost at least half of what the car was worth. But I couldn't find the title, so I had to order a replacement, which turned into a nearly three-month ordeal with DC's Department of Motor Vehicles. The car has been sitting in front of D.'s house the whole time. Now I have the title, the donation has been arranged, and it's time to say goodbye to a good, mostly reliable car that I've owned since 1998.
Meanwhile, I bought Dad's car. But last week, before I'd even made all the payments to my sister, I punched a hole in the front of it while trying to turn my way out of the narrow entrance of a downtown parking garage that was, at the time, attendant-less. The attendant, of course, appeared as soon as I drove off in frustrated rage -- at myself. (No other car was involved.) So now I have to get body work done on the new Saturn (manufactured by a company that, as of a few months ago, no longer exists) as soon as my other -- frankly, beloved -- car is donated and on its way.
I helped Dad buy this car, aided by Saturn's no-haggle policy, and he himself put a couple dents in it during the relatively short time he drove it (all since repaired). I realize that the material things we own have no expectations of us. And my father doesn't know about my accident, let alone remember that I've bought the car (he continues to think I borrow it, with his blessing). But I can't help feeling I've already failed at my stewardship of this object entrusted to me, corporate orphan that it is: a vehicle in need of greater care, cooler emotions, a gentler hand shifting it into drive.
A couple of weeks ago, I went to a preview of the exhibit "Turner to Cezanne: Masterpieces From the Davies Collection, National Museum Wales" at the Corcoran Gallery of Art. It's a very nice show, even if its modest scope and content seem almost at odds with the grandiosity evoked by the word "masterpiece."
One work by a painter unfamiliar to me stood out among all the rest: "Maternity (Suffering)" by Eugène Carrière. It's markedly muted, nearly monochromatic, amid the vibrant colors of Renoir, van Gogh, Manet, and the rest. I don't think I've ever seen a painting quite like it from that period (1896-97).
In refreshing my memory of Cameron's work online, I see that most of her photos don't have the haziness of the Carrière painting, as I thought they did: that blur of half-recall, like one's first mental imprint of a private time with a parent -- the smell of the skin or breath, the motion of a rocker, the mysterious warmth of a hand on one's head.
I don't remember seeing the exact photograph of Cameron's at left before, but I very well might have -- why else would she have come to mind? Could I be reliving an encounter with it in a gallery from long ago? Or a moment from my own childhood? Are both of these pictures echoes of countless mothers and children through the years -- one brush, one lens, one memory after another burnishing an impression on canvas, on paper, on the farthest reaches of our eyes?
I didn't have to do any digging out during the snowstorm, because I'd taken my car in for service Friday morning and was allowed to leave it there after the work was done (though how and when I'll be able to get it home from the suburbs and find a space to park in my neighborhood, I'm not sure). Others in my condo beat me to the shoveling on and around our property (about which I feel somewhat guilty). My ventures outside have been mainly to walk the dog -- multiple times a day -- so I've seen the snow's nature, in the air and on the ground, change over the last two days, like a a body blooming, coming into its own, slowing down, then yielding to the onslaught of footprint and tire.
I baked and cooked -- pancakes, muffins, bread, pasta with avocado and tomatoes, Irish oatmeal with apples and cranberries. And I ate.
D. and I have been apart, separated by the weather, like lovers on separate continents, though we're only a handful of miles away. He's finally on his way over as I type, having braved the roads, the Metro, and the icy streets.
Mom and Dad's phone service and cable -- their only connections to the outside world unless one of us is visiting -- were out for a time, but they're back up. This weekend I had a good excuse to have no obligations to them, other than checking in (when it was possible). So I had that rare thing: a weekend at home, where I got to walk and sit and doze through full cycles of sunlight and dark; scents of breakfast, lunch, dinner; the intermittent scrape of shovels on pavement, like an animal's insistent pawing to be let inside.
While this will interest only a small segment of my already minuscule audience (if that), I have started another blog to chronicle and reflect on a recent change in my life. Feel free to pay a visit. Or not. Who knows, I may build a whole different audience there: the neighbors next door.
When I was in Prague in November, I bought Me, Myself & Prague: An Unreliable Guide to Bohemia by Rachael Weiss in an English-language bookstore. It's a memoir about the Australian author's first year as an expat in the Czech capital a few years back -- easy to read, not as funny as it wants to be but often winning, and pretty informative about a fascinating and somewhat mysterious city, if about 100 pages too long. What it does very well is evoke the disorientation and struggle that often accompany moving to a foreign country, as well as the pride in coming to call a once-strange place home.
I started asking myself, "Why didn't I ever do something like that?" I lay awake more than one night thinking about the good it would have done me to up an take off for Prague or a place like it in the early 1990s, put down stakes for a year or two or more, and see what happened.
If only someone had said to me (after I made things right with my friend, of course), "I was reading about how English teachers are needed in Prague -- you'd be good at that." Or "Look at this article about Americans helping to bring the former Soviet countries into the 20th century -- why don't you think about doing something like that?" Or "Billy, I'm going to go travel around Eastern Europe for a while -- I don't have a plan, but I think it would be fun. Wanna come along? (And hey -- my dad has a few thousand dollars in the barn we can use to finance the trip!)"
That's what it would have taken: someone prodding me, essentially forcing me into adventure. I never would have thought of it or done it on my own. I was certainly aware of what was going on in that part of the world at the time (I remember it quite clearly). But it never crossed my mind that this could have anything to do with me or have any practical bearing on my life.
That was the most telling and sobering realization.
Of course, in the pre-Internet age, it would have been harder to find out about such opportunities, let alone make arrangements for them, find a place to live, etc. I know all that. But this is a what-if fantasy.
And here's the thing about this fantasy: Like some sort of alternate-reality travel agent, I found myself trying to arrange when it would have worked out best in my life: I wouldn't have wanted to be in an unfamiliar country when I came out of the closet (in the summer and fall of 1990). I really needed that support group I took part in -- and that shrink I saw for a year was lifesaving, too. So it wouldn't have been a good idea to go to Prague (I told myself) until I'd laid that psychological groundwork. Oh, and it would have been nice to have my first relationship out of the way before moving -- he was such a nice guy.
"So here's what I can do for you, Billy," the travel agent in my head told me. "I can fit your Prague fantasy in from the middle of 1992 until, say, 1995 -- how's that? I think about three years in Prague would do you a lot of good and you could still return to America in time to get on track to become who you are today."
That says it all -- I can't even have an adventure fantasy without assuring myself that I can be back in time for the me-train to arrive at the present-day station as scheduled.


If you're like me, the prospect of going abroad always holds a bit of a weight in the back of your mind as you worry about what you're going to be able to eat over there. And so begins the research into what the main diet is of the country, what the attitudes are towards being vegan, and if they're going to understand English – after which the frantic buying and packing of various snacks begins.
So, how do you begin when you're planning your trip to North Korea; a country visited by few foreigners, and even fewer vegans? North Korea may not be renowned for its vegan-friendly cuisine, and you definitely won't be able to use Happy Cow there (not that anything would be listed on it anyway). However, fear not!
Read this short guide to being vegan in North Korea, and you'll feel ready and set to depart on your trip!
North Korea is known to lay on a grand spread of meat and fish. And dog is not an unusual addition to the table. A typical meal will often involve a variety of small dishes all shared by everyone. Lots of Asian style things such as noodle soups and stir-fries, with general spicy and oily vibes. However, amongst this, you'll also find that a valuable part of every meal is vegetables and tofu in all shapes and sizes!
Despite the heavy meat and fish consumption, there is a number of things you'll be able to eat, and will actually be really pleasantly surprised about!
On tour, all your meals will be included, and all of the restaurants & meals already planned and decided for when you get into the country. Make sure to let your tour guide know by contacting them here. Then, leave the rest to them!
Whatever your dietary requirement, YPT will be able to make sure you end every day with a happy tummy!
You don't need to worry about any language barriers since all the guides can communicate for you and make sure strict dietary requirements are being adhered to. Because meals and places to eat are already planned ahead, you don't really get a chance to be fussy. There's always a wide variety of things to choose from, some of which you may have to leave since you've filled up on everything else! If by some chance you do feel yourself wanting more, let your guide know and we can make sure to prepare some extra stuff or get extras of a certain dish for the table!
With most meals, there's usually tofu, bean sprouts, carrots, pak choi, and various potato dishes. If we go for Korean hotpot there's also a non-meat non-egg option, and at barbecue restaurants there's a lot of vegetable options there too! Other dishes include Pyongyang cold noodles and the tasty Bibimbap.
Check out some of the tasty foods below that will certainly get your vegan taste-buds tingling!
Get your vegan taste-buds tingling!
Alas, Kimchi may not be one of those things you'll be able to enjoy… This tasty fermented cabbage side-dish is sweeter, and less spicy than its South Korean counterpart and can be found everywhere. And is eaten with every meal. Seriously. Kimchi galore. This would be great if we could eat it. Unfortunately, it's usually made with fish paste.
So now you're left with the decision of how strict you're wanting to be. I know many vegans who would gasp at the fact that I'm even suggesting the fact that it's possibly okay to eat something that contains fish. Of course, a vegan diet allows strictly no fish. Everyone understands this. And not only does it not allow fish – but you probably don't want to be eating anything containing fish. But it's good to know the facts and you can make your own judgments from here.
Try this dish because you're curious about a traditional local dish, or eat it during your time in North Korea if you feel like you're very limited. Or stay clear of it.
Just as in any foreign country where veganism hasn't yet made its debut, Koreans will be very interested as to why you don't eat meat. It's important to be respectful of their culture. Understanding that meat is a big part of it, but at the same time explaining your views and having a good debate with them is always a good start. You may be the first vegan they've ever met, and they may not have considered any of your beliefs before. Just don't expect too much in return – it's still a very alien concept to them!
It's also important to note that Korea is a developing country. If there is a mix-up or you're unsure whether something is vegan or not, refusing or leaving food because of a dietary choice is up to you. However, do make sure that you're polite about this and don't make it into a big deal.
With a wide variety of things on the menu, you shouldn't have to worry too much about bringing a lot of things with you. If you're taking sleeper trains, bringing snacks and various foods is an absolute must. But in the DPRK you'll be kept well fed! You may wish to bring some snacks with you for a bit of added nutrition/variation in your diet, especially if you're coming on tour for a long time. Breakfast bars, nuts and seeds to nibble on during the day, and chocolate (of course) are all staples I like to take with me. Don't worry, this doesn't have to take up your entire luggage allowance. Just a few bits and bobs will do, and you might not even need them.
Thinking about coming on tour with us, but still unsure about eating over there?
Got any more questions? Get in touch with YPTs resident vegan here.
Head over to our North Korea Tours webpage for more information on the various tours we offer, and how to book them!