text:
Kerb Your Enthusiasm
Kerbs are actually quite interesting things, even if you didn't realise it. They are multi-functional, can be used to send messages and come in a huge array of shapes and sizes. So, let's hear it for kerbs!
What is wrong with this pedestrian dropped kerb at Cardiff Bay?
Read on to find out, but this inspired this post!
Being an engineer, I cannot switch off from being interested in technical things and so while on holiday recently, I was inspired to write this post after seeing a poor set of pedestrian dropped kerbs on a road in Cardiff Bay while on holiday! Very sad, I know, but this blog is part of my therapy, so sit back and enjoy the wonders of kerbs.
For those interested in lots of detail, I can suggest the fantastic Paving Expert website which gives an amazing insight into all things kerb (and indeed lots of other things to do with highway detailing!).
First, some basics. Kerb is a UK term (Americans use "curb") and it refers to a civil engineering element used in highway construction to:
Retain the edge of the top layers of a pavement (I use this in the structural sense of a carriageway, footway, cycle track etc, rather than the often used substitution of footway),
A demarcation between different areas or uses of a highway - the obvious here is a kerb between a carriageway and footway,
To provide a check or channel for surface water management,
To provide restraint to prevent vehicles leaving the carriageway
Kerbs are available in a variety of materials, shapes, colours, profiles and sizes; with many performing multiple jobs. So, let's look at some applications, starting with dropped kerbs.
Much better. This time a speed table at Cardiff Bay with flush kerbs
for the pedestrian crossing points. Very expensive paving with tactile
paving made from stainless steel studs drilled and fixed to the paving!
Dropped Kerbs
The photo above from Cardiff Bay looks fine on the face of it, but if you look carefully between the tactile (knobbly) paving and the carriageway surface, the kerb actually has a upstand of about 25mm.
The purpose of a dropped kerb for pedestrians is so they can cross the road easily. If you happen to be using a wheelchair, mobility scooter or pushing a buggy, this upstand can be annoying at best or a stop you getting back up onto the footway (leaving you in live traffic).
Kerbs in this situation should be flush - the tactile paving is to alert blind/ partially sighted-people to the threshold between the footway and carriageway - look at Inclusive Mobility and Guidance on the Use of Tactile Paving Surfaces for more information.
Dropped kerbs are and should be laid with an upstand in some situations such as where a vehicle crossing is provided between the carriageway and the footway - the upstand provides tactile information to blind and partially-sighted people that this is the edge of the footway and it gives information to drivers (a small bump) that they are leaving a carriageway area. The upstand in this situation should be around 25mm (although 15mm to 40mm is the often used range).
The problem with dropped kerbs used for pedestrians is that the kerb type used is "bull-nosed" - that is, a kerb with a round chamfer on one corner which is around 15mm in radius. Unless care is taken in specifying a flush kerb, contractors often end up laying to the "watermark" (the start of the bull-nose) so that an upstand of 15mm is created.
I always specify that when laid for pedestrian use, bull-nosed kerbs are turned upside down to force the contractor to lay them flush - to be fair the transition kerbs used to go between full-height and dropped kerbs also have a bull-nose, but unless the dropped kerb is laid flush, it is not usable by all.
Even a small upstand can grab a tyre and throw the rider.
This photo actually shows a kerb across a junction where cyclists do
turn left into the side road!
The other thing to mention is that dropped kerbs are often used where cyclists leave or join the carriageway from a cycle track. While it isn't terrible to leave a cycle track on a small upstand, it is when leaving the carriageway. Where the transition is perpendicular to the line of travel, an upstand can be bounced up with a mountain bike or hybrid, but on a road bike, it is uncomfortable or can even lead to loss of control (and it cannot do the wheels any good). Where the transition is in line with the direction of travel, the upstand can "grab" wheels and throw the rider off - very dangerous. Again, all cycle transitions should be flush.
Seagull Lane, East London.
Staggered Pedestrian Crossings
I am not on the whole a fan of staggered crossings as they are not convenient to pedestrians (or cyclists where Toucans are used). They are staggered as a result of maximising motorised traffic flow. However, where the road to be crossed is very wide (perhaps 16 metres and wider) or a high speed route (40mph and higher) they may need to be used.
Aside from needing flush kerbs at the crossing points, kerbs can be used to provide a visual and tactile cue (for visually impaired users) that they are in a staggered area where pedestrian guardrail is not being used (I am not debating guardrail here though!).
Kassel Access Kerb used at a bus stop at Cardiff Bay
Modern buses are low floor and have step-free areas within the passenger area so that people using wheelchairs and pushing buggies have somewhere to stay within the bus. This is all well and good, but if the kerbs at the bus stop are not set up right, then the bus may as well not be step-free.
There are several arrangements of bus in the UK (and all over the world of course). In London, most buses are two-door operation, cities such as Bristol use bendy buses with three doors (remember those, Boris?) and there are single door buses. To be fully accessible, a bus needs to be step free between at least one loading door and the passenger area.
Same stop at Cardiff Bay being used by a single door bus. The driver
has overshot the stop (poor approach layout) and so effectiveness
has been diminished. Had the driver stopped in the right place, there
would have been a step less than 100mm between the footway and
vehicle.
In terms of kerbs, it is the height (kerb upstand from the carriageway) which matters. I could (and might) write a whole post on accessible bus stop design, but in terms of kerbs, there are a couple of options. First, a bus stop kerb could be used. These are made by several companies such as the Marshalls Bus Stop Kerb which is used with a channel block to vary its upstand or the Brett Paving Kassel Access Kerb which comes in 160mm and 180mm flavours.
Wheelchair ramp deployed
Image from TfL Accessible Design Guidance.
Second, a standard kerb can be used, set to an appropriate height. In London, low floor buses are used which have very low floors and so the proprietary kerbs can be clipped by the vehicle. Transport for London suggests a kerb height of between 125mm and 140mm as being acceptable (see p43 of the document linked).
The intention is that the main loading door threshold is no more the 200mm away or higher than the kerb - the higher kerb options with a properly designed bus stop can get down to 50mm. This makes access easy for most people, including those pushing buggies or who have trouble using steps. Additionally, high kerbs allow simple use of a wheelchair ramp which is built in to modern buses.
Castle Square, Caernarfon.
Kerbs can be used to provide a demarcation between the uses of different areas. There has been a bit of a fashion for single surface (all areas at the same level) shared space highway layouts (a free-for all the highway which is dominated by traffic unless the area is access only in my view). A famous example is Exhibition Road in London, but here is a photo of a scheme in Caernarfon, North Wales which is infinitely more successful in my opinion.
The main square in the town allows traffic to pass through, but there are easier routes and so from what I could see, operates as an access area for traffic (deliveries, taxis and the odd lost tourist who missed all of the signs). In many ways, this town is choked with traffic on the outside as it is not only a hugely popular tourist destination, but takes through traffic. However, the centre is relatively calm and when I visited, there was a market and so pedestrians (and quite a few cyclists) dominated the space. There is little reason for traffic to enter the area unless the drivers needed to be there and so worked as a single surface shared space.
In terms of kerbs, wide granite kerbs had been used to suggest the route traffic should take through the space and where waiting is allowed in a "layby" (although there were more taxis than waiting space). The kerbs were a good colour contrast with the paving and so would have been helpful for those with reduced vision.
There were no upstands so helpful for people with reduced mobility, but blind people would have struggled. However, there was a network of guidance paving in the space which was designed to help blind people to navigate, so it seemed to have been design with all users in mind. There was also a route on one side of the area with a Puffin Crossing - I thought this was a little over the top, but would give complete priority to less confident or mobile users; the kerbs were nice and flush at the crossing!
Vehicle Containment Kerbs
As with bus stops, there are a range of manufactured vehicle containment kerbs which are designed to redirect errant vehicles hitting them back on the correct path. Marshalls make the Titan Kerb and Brett Paving make the Trief Kerb, to name two.
Essentially containment kerbs have a much higher upstand than "normal" kerbs - up to around 400mm in some cases. They are also shaped in such a way as to redirect vehicle wheels when hit from a shallow angle (up to 15 degrees or so from the line of travel). The sloping section of the kerb will flex the vehicle tyre and suspension pushing it back into the carriageway.
For some reason, Cardiff has containment kerbs at lots of pedestrian
refuge sites.
Image from Google Streetview.
These kerbs are most often used to protect something from vehicle incursion such as weak footways over bridges, bridge parapet walls or street furniture (mast lighting in dockyards for example). They are sometimes used on pedestrian refuges and traffic islands, but in any situation above around 15/20mph, there is a risk of injury to vehicle occupants if the kerbs are hit head on and so I would recommend not this use.
Drainage Kerb, Great Notley, Essex.
Drainage Kerbs
Kerbs with integral drainage ducts can be used where there are flat gradients or long distances between outfall points. They are also useful in getting surface water off the carriageway surface quickly and so reduce spray and the risk of aquaplaning.
Generally available as large sizes or small (and the same shape as "normal" kerbs), these are being increasingly specified. Perhaps unintended, but a lack of gullies in the carriageway channel may make life slightly easier for cyclists!
Drainage kerbs are easily recognisable as they have holes in their faces at regular intervals. The kerbs within are hollow (and two-part with the large ones) with the water running within a semi-circular "pipe" section which sites below the road surface. Where the area being drained is very flat, the "pipe" section will run under the rise and fall of water within, but will need more regular cleaning (silt and debris) than if there was a good fall.
Cycle Tracks
Well, my post would not be complete without a cycling reference and so I want to cover how kerbs can be used with cycle tracks. Although this is perhaps should be under the demarcation category, I have separated it as there is some debate about suitable kerbs at the moment.
A demarcation block on CS3 near the A13/ A406 junction in East
London. The blue cycle track probably does most of the visual work,
but the block provides tactile information.
At the most simple, we have a demarcation block or kerb which is used to separate the pedestrian and cyclist parts of a segregated shared-use cycle track.
This is generally made up of small elements 200mm square with a sloped ridge about 25mm high. Not only is it designed as a visual break between user areas, but it provides tactile information to blind and partially-sighted pedestrians that there is a cycle track.
This type of layout is reasonably simple to implement and I would suggest it works the best where the two areas are surfaced in a contrasting material. The trouble can be that being at the same level, some users don't stick to "their" area leading to frustration for people using the facility correctly.
A solution to this issue is to separate the two areas with a kerb upstand which helps send the message (to pedestrians mainly) that if they step down, it will be into the cycle track - it is kind of intuitive.
The photo to the left shows this arrangement going into an underpass on CS3 where it goes under Royal Docks Road. A "normal" kerb will nominally set with a kerb face of about 125mm. This is too high as it risks the cyclist catching a pedal on the kerb and being thrown off. A change in level of 25mm might be helpful to remove this risk, but catching a wheel on the kerb is an issue as above for transitions.
Many campaigners suggest the use of a splay kerb. These are set with a 45 degree slope back and so present much less of a risk from being clipped by pedals and if they are clipped by wheels, they should push the cyclist back into the track rather than catching them as with a bull-nosed kerb. They are most often used in the UK on high speed single carriageway A-roads and allow a broken down vehicle to mount the kerb (or be pushed) to keep the carriageway clear.
The splay part of the kerb is essentially the slope of a right-anglef triangle with two 75mm sides and so when laid with a 75mm upstand (at the "watermark"), this provides the pedal clearance needed for cyclists. Splay kerbs are not anything special - they are generally off the shelf and laid like any other kerb and about the same cost as a demarcation block.
They have been used in the UK to separate cycle tracks and footways (they have been used for a long time in The Netherlands), but don't seem to be used on new schemes. To bring this post full circle, I also spotted this arrangement on holiday on the outskirts of Port Talbot on the A48.
Here we have splay kerbs laid at the watermark with a 75mm upstand. The verge was a bit overgrown and there were a few weeds about, but this was a pretty good set up.
For this to reach perfection, I think the footway should have been paved in a lighter material (such as grey block paving) and for two-way use, the track should have been a bit wider (it was about 2 metres - 3 would have been great).
A close up shot showing the cycle track laid at the watermark level
to give a 75mm upstand.
This is part of a route between Port Talbot and Swansea and has the arrangement on some large bridges. The trouble with the route was that approaching Swansea, the design gave way to shared-use, unsegregated cycle tracks and no priority for cycling other than at Toucan crossings. So, good links, but poor junctions.
So, there is a lot more to kerbs than meets the eye, but they perform vital jobs in all sorts of schemes; plus I hope I have given you something to think about!
Posted by The Ranty Highwayman at Friday, August 30, 2013
Thanks for an interesting post – I'm definitely a kerb-nerd too!
It's good to know that the 45º "forgiving" kerbs are nothing special, freely available off-the-shelf (and it's great to see a good UK example of them) but it makes me wonder why so many UK authorities are so reluctant to use them? (I'm looking at you, TfL!)
departmentfortransport - I don't know why the 45º kerbs are not used for cycle tracks, but then again, we don't see many examples of kerb upstand-separated cycle tracks.
I do not know of any sensible technical reason that TfL has not used them on the CS2X scheme - try getting them to answer any technical question!
Wheels on the Bike 3 September 2013 at 16:20
What kind of kerbing would you recommend to separate a cycle lane from traffic? I'm asking because there's a new scheme in Bristol where they'd like to prevent road traffic from entering the cycle lane, but there's limited space and a problem with drainage.
https://www.citizenspace.com/bristol/city-development/clarenceroad
The Ranty Highwayman 3 September 2013 at 17:51
Wheels on the Bike - tricky one not knowing all of the dimensions shown on the plan and how the gradients work for drainage.
The bollards are good in terms of keeping the area permeable to drainage, plus it is a very cheap way to separate the cycle track and carriageway.
The trouble is that those bollards are right on the edge of both the track and the traffic lane. For drivers, bollards are normally set back into a kerbed area, so if the clip the kerb, they don't hit the bollards and they look low so hard to see in left hand wing mirrors - especially for buses. For cyclists, clear pedal territory.
They could put in a back to back kerb with a half battered kerb facing traffic and the splay kerb facing cyclists. It would be set with 75mm face and would be forgiving to traffic and cycles. Gaps would be needed every so often for drainage (I assume the water runs from the carriageway through the bollards into the track. Or, new gullies on the traffic side linked back to gullies in the cycle track.
If you look at this post
http://www.therantyhighwayman.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/a-summer-cs3-safari.html
There is stuff about the drainage on Cable Street. Essentially, the road gets a new kerbline with normal gullies (or drainage kerbs as above!) and this fall into existing gullies which are topped off in the cycle track with a grid.
This would mean the surfacing of the cycle track needs to be raised above the level of the carriageway and so the cost goes up.
Thanks for the information, I'll pass it onto the council.
I think at the moment they're looking at these Zebra bump things http://en.zicla.com/products/65/zebra. I'd prefer a solid kerb.
I think the problem with drainage is that the river wall is listed so drainage can't be added. But I think the road must be getting resurfaced, so raising the cycle track might be viable.
Again, thanks, very useful.
Wheels on the Bike -
Now that is interesting. Not seen armadillos in the flesh, but they are used all over Europe and do provide a physical barrier and if a vehicle clips them, then they should nudge it back - I would use road markings as on their data sheet.
(http://en.zicla.com/public/docs/traf_zebraen_web.pdf) these
They are 200mm wide and with a normal HB2 (most comment road kerb used in UK) is 125mm wide)there would be space to kerb rather than armadillo.
My reservation is that they are something which a pedestrian could trip over and so this would be a judgement for the designer. Anyone who is blind or partially sighted would be at more risk, but they may not want to cross in the middle of such a route and so debate with a local access group would be vital.
I think that they may be worth a try and would avoid messing with drainage and levels.
Seems to be a choice between a kerbed and level change scheme like Cable Street with works reusing existing drainage (the current carriageway must have some) or a far cheaper armadillo scheme which offers a fair bit of protection.
If the road is being resurfaced, then the cycle bit would be of a high quality if laid properly.
Creaky 28 October 2013 at 12:21
I think I might be quite alarmed at myself that I found this all interesting!
There is an interesting article, some twelve years old, but referring to an incident in 1983, about serious issues when not using a correctly placed 'flush kerb'
http://www.camcycle.org.uk/newsletters/28/article3.html
(Flush out dropped kerbs)
Ouch! I simply cannot understand that designers do not either understand that flush kerbs are needed or if they do, that they don't put a note on the drawing. In the day job, the standard detail is to turn the kerb upside down so it has to be flush!
Contractors and general supervision of them is also an issue that needs to be addressed.
Alisa Hill 8 February 2014 at 04:59
Kerbs are such an important element of highway construction what you have explained here in a very simple manner.
Clive Durdle 20 July 2015 at 16:19
The Olympics had a maximum slope of 1 in 60, Network Rail are defining slopes of 1 in 50.
When does a slope become a kerb and why? Should dropped kerbs exist for pavements 1 in 2 isn't it?
They feel like a reactive adaptation when best practice was to remove the barrier completely?
Why not force licensed vehicles to mount a dropped kerb, instead of pedestrians, buggy users and wheelchair users?
Isn't this giving unnecessary priority to motor vehicles, not an attack on cars but asking who should actually give way?
How high should a kerb on a B road be,
It's not prescribed, but generally kerbs are laid for new builds at a nominal 125mm kerb height (face), regardless of road class. But this does vary hugely.
Fuel containment 21 October 2016 at 15:47
@ This is a great information it can help me, thanks for sharing.
Leinster Wheeler 7 January 2017 at 19:40
Do you have any information on the slope of the precast kerbs used in the Netherlands at a junction where a main road joins a minor road and the cycle track and footpath is carried through? The slope of the precast unit forces cars to turn into the minor road at a slow speed. Thanks
The Ranty Highwayman 8 January 2017 at 14:27
Do you mean this arrangement;
https://twitter.com/pauljames/status/818099442633031680
WOW... I learned a lot. This will be a great help in my thesis. Thanks! Continue posting some helpful information.
:D I'll keep writing it if you keep reading it!
Ageingengineer 7 March 2017 at 03:34
There's a right royal rumpus (well a few very verbal moaners) going on in Cirencester at the moment about kerb heights following reconstruction of the town centre paving. It's a hybrid shared space/low kerbed scheme and a few people have tripped over the kerbs. Problem is nobody monitored trip occurrences prior to the scheme so whether things are now better or worse is difficult to judge. However, safety as improved significantly due to reduction in traffic and reduction in pedestrian/vehicle conflicts. Most of the fallers have been elderly females.
Worthy of further study.
There are issues of kerbs under 60mm being harder for people to find/ notice and in many repave schemes, the contrast between carriageway and footway becomes lost - might this be the issue?


Returns the policies that are associated with a particular item in the report server database.
A Boolean expression that indicates whether the item inherits policies from its parent.
An array of Policy objects that contains the users and roles associated with the item.


Transformation of a laundry and washroom into a new open floor concept bathroom. The room is tiled with large 12×24" porcelain tiles and features a custom built doorless and barrier free shower. Available space is maximized by the absence of the traditional shower curb and by the use linear drain that hides away its presence by its tillable grate. The shower incorporates a custom niche indented into the wall, and built to the exact size of a tile for a symmetrical look and feel. The floor was manually leveled with mortar and it houses an electrical radiant system for comfort and faster water evaporation. The entire floor and wall tile assembly is protected from water infiltrations and cracks with Schluter-Systems' membranes. At last, the linear and uniform style of the tile is contrasted by the natural cherry cabinetry and by the modern recessed lighting system that gives it a an architectural effect.


This is a beautiful traditional style property, with great services. It is built directly on a fantastic beach, making it ideal for a quiet and relaxing holiday. About 1 hour away, the Byzantine monasteries of historical Mt. Athos, perfect for a cultural trip back in time to medieval Greece (12/09) The rooms are medium sized and comfortably furnished with contemporary style wooden furniture. They all have air conditioning, fridge, satellite TV and balconies or verandas with beautiful garden views or... Citeste mai mult sea views, depending on availability on arrival.
This is a beautiful traditional style property, with great services. It is built directly on a fantastic beach, making it ideal for a quiet and relaxing holiday. About 1 hour away, the Byzantine monasteries of historical Mt. Athos, perfect for a cultural trip back in time to medieval Greece (12/09) The rooms are medium sized and comfortably furnished with contemporary style wooden furniture. They all have air conditioning, fridge, satellite TV and balconies or verandas with beautiful garden views or sea views, depending on availability on arrival. The lobby is medium sized and also traditionally decorated in stone and wood. It is a traditional looking complex, with red tiled roofs and local stone elements, archways and wooden balconies, the very characteristic signs of Byzantine monastery architecture. architecture The main restaurant offers indoor and al fresco dining options, the views of the sea are unbeatable. The pool bar is open for most of the day and night and offers cocktails and light snacks.


The Austin to Manor Trail will be a five mile long trail beginning near Daffan Lane and ending in the vicinity of Ben E. Fischer Park in Manor, Texas. Phase 1, which opened in fall 2014, is 2.5 miles long and extends from Daffan Lane to Lindell Lane. Phase 2 is also approximately 2.5 miles long and will pick up near Lindell Lane, ending near Ben Fischer Park. The project will include bridges, trail heads, and other trail amenities and is expected to be constructed of concrete 10' in width with 2' grass shoulders.
Phase 2: In design; the City of Austin is actively searching for funding to construct the second phase of this project.
If you have questions or would like to share feedback about the Austin to Manor Trail contact Program Manager Steve Parks at Steve.Parks@austintexas.gov.


Save AED 16 (57.14%) – Earn 1 Shukran What is Shukran? Shukran is the Landmark Group's award-winning loyalty programme in the Middle East, which allows you to earn Shukrans when you shop any of our brands.
Ensure that your little one's hygiene and health is optimally maintained by using this sterilising liquid that kills 99.9% germs. This fluid can be used to sterilise various products like feeding bottle accessories, breastfeeding products in just fifteen minutes.


text:
Croton ripensis est une espèce de plantes du genre Croton et de la famille des Euphorbiaceae, présent aux îles Carolines (Pohnpei) .

Voir aussi
 Liste des espèces de Croton

Lien externe

Espèce d'Angiospermes (nom scientifique)
Ripensis

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
NGC 6784 é uma galáxia elíptica (E-S0) localizada na direcção da constelação de Pavo. Possui uma declinação de -65° 37' 36" e uma ascensão recta de 19 horas, 26 minutos e 31,2 segundos.

A galáxia NGC 6784 foi descoberta em 23 de Junho de 1835 por John Herschel.

Ver também
Astronomia extragaláctica
Lista de galáxias
Lista de objectos NGC
New General Catalogue

Ligações externas

NGC 6784
Constelação de Pavo
Galáxias elípticas


text:
Mix doesn't support your web browser. For a better experience, we recommend using another browser.
Join Mix
@sonyo_estavillo
Sonyo Estavillo
Content Producer▪Writer▪Social Media Fanatic▪BookNerd+Reader▪Multitasking Mama of 1 ❤ Learning: MA in TV, Radio & Film-Newhouse, SU #AspiringAuthor
https://lilpickmeup.com
291 Followers 188 Following
Posts • 40Collections • 38
lilpickmeup.com
Creative Empowerment: Build A Life You Don't Have To Escape FromI admit it as a creative soul, as a writer I'm quite the escape artist and there are many forms of avoidance. A glass of red wine or two. A mind-numbing videogame on my cell phone. Even a good book…
Click to Mix the things you like
On Overdrive: Confessions of an Audiobook AddictI wasn't familiar with the Overdrive App until my sister told me about it. Her daughter had a reading assignment, and her teacher passed along information regarding the app that has changed the way…
How Writers Can Use Self-Doubt To Their AdvantageEveryone says that confidence is a make-it-or-break-it trait. A lack of confidence shows in everything that you do. It is as if people can see the "L" for loser branded on your forehead. If you don…
happylittlecamperbaby.com
National Siblings Day: How to help an only Child adjust to new BabyIn honor of National Sibling Day, if you have an only child but are planning for another, then this is a perfect time to learn how to prepare your child for the arrival of a sibling. Whatever time frame you've decided to have another baby, you'll never forget when you had your first child. When you're a brand first time mom, everything is new. You are learning "on the fly", from Google searching the great unknowns, to devouring every parenting blogger tip the Internet can feed you. You read all the labels and follow the instructions to the letter. The Veteran Mommy After Baby #1 By the time you are ready to have baby number two, you've gone through Mommy Bootcamp. You've been there and done that a zillion times. You've experienced breastfeeding or bottle feeding every two hours, getting zero sleep, toilet training, bedwetting accidents, toddler night terrors, learning to crawl and then walk, experiencing attachment anxiety, and finally preschool. Whew! By the time you're considering number two, and doing it all over again, you might be asking yourself one question all Moms ask themselves, "Am I crazy?" No, you're not crazy. However, research does indicate that trying to have another baby when your little one is just barely starting to crawl is not a very good idea. Medical experts suggest proper spacing between each child should be thoughtfully considered. Having children back-to-back can cause physical and psychological problems. Timing When To Have Baby #2 According to Mayo Clinic, getting pregnant six months after giving birth can increase the following risks: Premature birth The placenta partially or completely peeling away from the inner wall of the uterus before delivery (placental abruption) Low birth weight Congenital disorders Schizophrenia Medical professionals suggest that the best time to have another baby is 18 months (a year and a half) from when you last gave birth. This is because you're giving your body time to heal, as well as bonding with baby. If you choose to breastfeed and followed your pediatrician's suggestion, then you've most likely breastfed for the first year. By 18 months, your baby is officially a toddler. He or she is eating solid foods, has learned to walk, can say 10 to 20 words, and understand one-step commands such as
World Autism Awareness Day: Types of Autism & Common MythsEvery year, April 2nd marks Autism Awareness Day, a worldwide day of education and recognition. Although most people have heard about autism, some of the statistical facts, causes, and treatments might be unfamiliar because autism is a spectrum disorder, often misunderstood. So, whether you're a soon-to-be parent or already have little ones, it's always helpful to become better informed. Four Types of Autism In terms of gender, boys are four times more likely than girls to be diagnosed with autism. This translates to 1 in 37 boys compared to 1 in 151 girls diagnosed to be somewhere on the spectrum. In terms of types, there isn't just one type of autism, but four . All four are now classified under the one name; autism spectrum disorder. 1.) General autism disorder: This is the standard autism that is defined by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) as the following: "Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental disorder that affects communication and behavior. Although autism can be diagnosed at any age, it is said to be a 'developmental disorder' because symptoms generally appear in the first two years of life." The old term used to be general autism disorder, which is further along on the spectrum and considered one of the more severe cases. The new term autism spectrum disorder encompasses all four types of autism. Autism spectrum disorder symptoms include: Trouble communicating and interacting with others. Symptoms consist of a lack of being able to have a back and forth dialogue exchange with other people, as well as having difficulty understanding another person's perspective. Repetitive behavior and select interests in specific subjects. Talking incessantly about a particular subject, while being unable to take social cues. A person with general autism might experience difficulty functioning normally at school, work, and various areas of life. Listening problems as well as making minimal eye contact including being non-responsive to their name when called. Unusual facial expressions or behaviors that don't align with what's being communicated and speaking in a flat-robotic or sing-song tone. 2.) Pervasive developmental disorder, not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS): This form of autism was a category best suited for those whose autism is worse than Asperger's, but less than general autism. According to Autism Speaks, pervasive developmental disorder, not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS) is defined as the following: "In the past, psychologists and psychiatrists often used the term "pervasive developmental disorders" and "autism spectrum disorders" (ASD) interchangeably. As such, PDD-NOS became the diagnosis applied to children or adults who are on the autism spectrum but do not fully meet the criteria for another ASD such as autistic disorder (sometimes called "classic" autism) or Asperger syndrome." 3.) Asperger's syndrome: On the spectrum, Asperger's tends to be the higher functioning of all three. Intellectually very smart, people with Asperger's syndrome tend to be extremely focused on a particular topic or subject matter and can talk at length about it. Those with Asperger's can lead very normal lives but might struggle socially. 4.) Childhood disintegrative disorder (also known as "Heller's syndrome"): CDD is a form of autism that is the rarest, first affecting children between the ages of 2 and 4. At first children with CDD develop normally and then begin to regress rapidly losing both mental, language, and social skills. Those diagnosed with CDD also tend to experience seizures. According to Spectrum News, CDD is defined as the following: "CDD is the strangest and most unsettling developmental condition you have probably never heard of. Also known as Heller's syndrome, for the Austrian special educator who first described it in 1908, it is a late-blooming, viciously regressive form of autism." Seven Autism Myths 1.) Myth One: Children and adults with autism are not able to express emotion or understand other people's feelings. Reality: Individuals with autism perceive, as well as reveal how they feel but in unique ways, compared to those not on the spectrum. Likewise, they comprehend other people's emotions but are better at interpreting directness versus unspoken body language or understanding sarcasm. 2.) Myth Two: Children and adults with autism are intellectually impaired. Reality: Mental processes range because autism is a spectrum disorder. Unlike Down Syndrome, where it is defined as a mental and intellectual disability with markedly lower IQs, many with autism have normal to high IQs even excelling in the arts, math, and other areas of interest. 3.) Myth Three: Children are affected by autism and not adults. Reality: While autism is first diagnosed in children, the diagnosis remains throughout the rest of their lives and into adulthood. Autism is not something one grows out of and can sometimes be diagnosed in adults that were either misdiagnosed or symptoms were mild, and so there wasn't a formal diagnosis as a child. 4.) Myth Four: Autism is strictly a brain disorder. Reality: On the contrary, autism co-exists with other symptoms such as food and various types of allergies, gastrointestinal disorders, and epilepsy. 5.) Myth Five: Autism is nothing more than weird behaviors that will go away or the condition is a result of bad parenting. Reality: This has been a myth that began in the 1950s. Parenting style has nothing to do with autism, and symptomatic behaviors associated with the diagnosis is not something a child will simply "grow out of" because autism is a biological condition. This means that it affects brain development and tends to be a lifelong condition. 6.) Myth Six: Children and Adults with autism aren't able to make friends, nor do they want friends. Reality: While it's true those on the spectrum might struggle socially, including difficulty making eye contact, and communicating effectively. This might make it appear as if they don't want friends or they're unfriendly, but it has more to do with the inability to communicate the way those not on the spectrum do. Many who are on the spectrum can and do make friends. Though they do so at their pace, it also has a lot to do with common interests and learning about healthy personal boundaries. 7.) Myth Seven: People with autism are math geniuses and numbers wizards like Dustin Hoffman in Rain Man. Reality: Some people with Aspergers tend to gravitate towards specific subjects and become super focused on them. Such subjects can be math, but can also include music, and a variety of other topics. Since autism is a spectrum disorder, each individual on the spectrum will have varying interests and limitations. Causes, Diagnosis & Treatment According to medical experts, there isn't one specific cause for autism. However, there does appear to be a genetic link, as autism seems to be prevalent in certain families. Though, there are environmental factors that contribute to autism such as a mother's immune system and complications during birth. Other environmental factors researched have included the use of antidepressants, lack of folic acid, maternal age, exposure to pollution plus endocrine-disrupting chemicals, and certain parental medical conditions. A diagnosis is usually reached in childhood. In most cases, autism is diagnosed before a child reaches 24 months. Early symptoms can sometimes occur as soon as 12 to 18 months, though a diagnosis is more commonly concluded past 24 months. Treatment is often ongoing and sometimes include psychotropics such as antipsychotic medications plus cognitive and behavioral therapy. Happy Little Camper Natural Ingredients Synthetic ingredients in unnaturally made diapers can include endocrine disruptors, parabens, and more. Conventional diapers can harbor chemicals with higher toxicity versus naturally produced rival brands. Happy Little Camper hypoallergenic, diapers + wipes are made with natural ingredients and contain no harmful chemicals that might potentially affect your baby's overall health. Reducing chemical exposure can be one way of minimizing autism risks.
veedausa.com
National Siblings Day: How To Have A Big Sis Period Chat With Little SisEvery year, April 10th is a day set aside to dote on your sisters or brothers. National Siblings Day offers ample opportunity to bond with your siblings. If you're a big sister, it's also a great time to have that one-on-one period conversation with little sis.
National Public Health Week: Veeda Aims To End Period Poverty In Rural AreasVeeda has continued its outreach efforts to help women who are unable to afford feminine hygiene products. Our mission is to donate more than 1 million tampons annually to women organizations globally.
Endometriosis Awareness Month: Symptoms & TreatmentMarch isn't just the month to go green and look for that pot of gold at the end of a rainbow, it's also Endometriosis Awareness Month.
International Women's Day: #BalanceforBetter Global Gender EqualityMarch 8, 2019, marks International Women's Day, a day to celebrate fabulous women around the world. While we've come a long way regarding women rights, more improvements need to be made in terms of gender equality for all women, across the globe.
Honoring #InternationalWomensDay: How 15 Generous Countries Empower MothersMarch 8th, 2019 is International Women's Day an exciting reminder to honor all of the hard working Moms around the world. After all, motherhood is both rewarding and a lot of hard work. Moms Priceless Sacrifice While being a Mom is priceless, Salary.com, "leader in compensation data, planning and analytics" heavily researched to calculate Mom's would-be paycheck. The Salary.com survey estimated that a stay-at-home Mom's salary is $162,581 on average if she were to get paid for all that she does. Moms go through so much, and their bodies experience massive changes through nine months of growing a little human. A new mother's postpartum body changes not only physically, but on a hormonal and emotional level. Postpartum depression can make taking care of a baby much harder and having to return to work too quickly. As much as mothers want to have it all, they're often forced to make a difficult decision to choose between career and having a family. However, some countries around the world place a high value on motherhood. 15 Amazing Countries That Honor Motherhood United Kingdom: United Kingdom mothers are pretty lucky as the UK offers a generous one year of paid maternity leave no matter how long or short an expecting mother has worked for the employer. Mom also qualifies for free prescriptions and dental treatment while pregnant and for the following year after baby is born. Singapore: Talk about cold hard cash, Singapore has to be one of the more generous countries. Each expecting parent receives $6,000 for their first and second child. But if you're planning on having more children, the government gives an additional $12,000 the third and fourth child. But that's not all the government gives a family's first child $3000 to save in a savings account and matches parents contribution up to $3000. The second child gets even more money in their savings, receiving $9,000 and the third $15,000. The maximum contribution the government provides is an additional $18,000 grant for parents with five kids. France: France has a mandatory eight-week maternity leave policy, but new mothers can take up to 16 weeks. The best part about having a baby in France is that health insurance covers Mom 100 percent that includes no hidden fees or co-payments. France covers everything from prenatal testing including screenings for congenital disabilities and disease to epidural and delivery plus twelve days post delivery. The average hospital stay after childbirth in France is three days. However, if Mom wants to go home within the first five days, they get a visit with a midwife who comes to their home. Plus, France offers free pelvic floor muscle classes for new mothers. This is why Moms in France experience less postpartum incontinence. Sweden: Moms and Dads are equally able to take 480 days of maternity/paternity leave. The leave available to both sexes was designed to promote better gender equality policies so that 240 days are allotted to each parent totaling 480 days. Leave can be taken at any time from birth until the child is eight years old and pays out 80 percent of their salary. Netherlands: Expecting working mothers should expect to have 16 weeks of paid maternity leave. This isn't just partial pay, but their full salary and the leave can be taken anytime after six weeks of pregnancy until 34 weeks. But, it must be taken by 36 weeks of pregnancy and especially after the baby is born. In addition to this Netherland, parents are given up to 6 and a half months(26 weeks) of parental leave. The Netherlands also provides a nurse for the first week of the baby's birth to help with breastfeeding techniques, cooking, managing visitors, and overall Mom and baby care. Norway: Moms in Norway get paid 100 percent of their salary during their 46 parental leave weeks, or they can choose 80 percent of their salary and extend their leave to 52 weeks. Plus after each child, both parents get two weeks to spend with baby. The remaining 46 weeks can be divided. Similar to Sweden, the maternity program is designed to help new mothers get back to work if she chooses to do so and honors the role of Dad taking time off to bond with baby. Norway also offers flexible and generous childcare essentially paying for private and public daycare subsidized by the government. All Norwegian children qualify for free daycare once they turn one year old. Canada: Moms can take up to 52 weeks off of work without losing her job, 15 weeks of which would be fully paid. On top of this, Canadian mothers and fathers can divide 35 weeks of paid parental leave however they'd like. Currently, the amount for paid parental leave maxes out at $562 per week. However, couples that make $200,000 will not qualify. Finland: Moms can take their maternity leave seven weeks before their due date and the government covers 16 weeks paid maternity leave. The paid leave includes students and even mothers who are unemployed. Dads also get eight weeks of paid paternity leave as well. What's even more unique is the Finland tradition dating back to 1930 where the government gives new mothers a "baby box" filled with newborn essentials plus it's large and contains a mattress, so it acts as the baby's first bascinet. Moms can choose between the box of goodies or cash at 140 euros. Iceland: Currently Iceland mothers and fathers can take up to three months each maternity and paternity leave with an additional three months shared between them. This totals nine months of maternity/paternity leave. Maternity/paternity leave is paid at 80 percent of both Mom and Dad's income. A recent bill is trying to extend the nine months to 12 months of leave once baby is born. A whopping 90 percent of Iceland fathers take paternity leave once baby is born. Germany: New Moms in Germany get to stay in at the hospital between five to ten days depending upon whether a new mother ends up needing to have a c-section while this might not seem like much it allows for mom to bond with baby. If you consider the average five-day hospital stay in the U.S. is around $10,000, five to ten days at a German hospital is generous. Moms have mandatory maternity leave and are paid wages for a full year. If both parents decide to take leave, they can take a combined leave of 14 months. Germany pays anywhere between 300.00 to 1,800.00 euros a month. Russia: Moms receive up to 140 days (approximately 4.5 months) of full salary paid leave. However, new mothers can take up to a year-and-a-half leave from work drawing 40 percent of their paycheck and extend their leave to three years without concern over job loss. After Russia realized that their birth-rate was low, they took serious measures to encourage new births. September 12th, 2007, Russia declared
Empowering Kids In An Anxious WorldTeen depression and anxiety rates have been rising for years, and two new books offer advice to parents and caregivers.
parentinghealthy.com
Tiny Paws Pet Hotel, new from PLAYMOBILPlaymobil had pet-lovers in mind with their newest play set. This is the Paws Pet Hotel and it is over 100
Minimalism For Success: Why Little Wins Count!Caution: This post contains purposed run-on sentences and fragments. Grammatical freaks read at your own peril. Having a minimalist approach to success means understanding how to quantify your wins…
Why Prenatal Infection Prevention Is Important
Women's Heart Health Awareness Week: Why #HeartHealth Matters At Any AgeFebruary is much more than just the anticipated month for romantic hopefuls it's also Heart Health awareness month and it draws attention, specifically, to a woman's heart.
Chemicals In Diapers & Early Maturation In Baby Girls?Most parents don't know what's actually in their baby's diapers. Because, the FDA in the United States doesn't have a regulation on diaper companies, they're not required to list ingredients. This can be problematic to concerned parents wondering if their baby is absorbing harmful chemicals in synthetically made diapers. As parents we have the
http://parentinghealthy.com/lemon-chicken-edamame-spaghetti-recipe
Fail Loudly. Win Silently.Losing is key to personal growth, character building, and even success. I think without our losses, it's impossible to taste victory. Imagine if there were no such thing as tears. Imagine a world w…
https://parentinghealthy.com/goya-foods-20000-culinary-arts-and-food-science-scholarship
loulougirls.com
Chicken Noodle CasseroleAfter making Sunday dinners for so many years, I get kind of tired of the same old recipes. Don't get me wrong, I do love a good roast or chicken but every once in awhile I want to try something new! I'm so glad this recipe came into our lives. Chicken Noodle Casserole is so … Continue reading "Chicken Noodle Casserole"
beingecomomical.com
30 Dip Recipes | Super Bowl Dip RecipesExciting ways to save time & money!
jugglingfamilylife.com
6 Ways Family Movie Night Can Help Strengthen Your FamilyA strong family doesn't happen overnight. Adding a family movie night to your routine is a good way to strengthen and bring the family together.
shraddhatripathi89.com
QUIRKY WOMAN SHRADDHA TRIPATHI: Why & How of Makar Sankranti Festival Celebration
theeverydaymomlife.com
Easy Roasted Chicken Pita with Avocado SpreadThis Roasted Chicken Pita with Avocado Spread is an easy dinner that's nutritious and delicious too. There's no actual cooking involved! So simple!
acodeza.com
5 Ways To Unwind In LondonA blog about product reviews, giveaways, sample, blogger opp, parenting, home, fashion, beauty, how to make money online, lifestyle and events
https://parentinghealthy.com/share-your-funny-babytroublemaker-stories-win-big-with-mam
realitymoms.rocks
Learning To Live Alone After DivorceA false alarm reminded me that this was just one of the uncharted and scary territories I was entering now that I was alone in the house without a partner.
QUIRKY WOMAN SHRADDHA TRIPATHI: 10 Simple Ways to Make Your House Look Cleaner Every Day
#WritingCommunity: Which POV & Tense Is Better? Third or First Person? Past or Present Tense?Heading into the New Year, we all love the feeling of starting out fresh. Who doesn't want a new beginning? The start of a New Year can also mean getting out of our comfort zone. For writers, the f…
Don't Miss Q & A With Author Ken Pisani of AMP'D, A LOL Dramedy NovelI ran across this article,"Trying To Find An Agent Is The Worst Thing Ever," and I laughed so hard. I was determined to track down the author, Ken Pisani. Let's just say after a few Twitter DMs and…
metamorphosisliteraryagency.com
The Slush Pile: Common Mistakes First-Time Writer's Make | Literary Agency | United States | Metamorphosis Literary AgencyPick a creative industry, any creative industry, and the one thing they all have in common is competitiveness. An aspiring writer, just like any other artist,
Why Being Chronically Busy Doesn't = ProductivityProductivity often feels better when we're going at warp speed, but manic levels of workaholic loads come with a price. Here's what I've learned in a crash course of Go! Go! Go!: What comes up, mus…
mentalfloss.com
Known Alias: How Stephen King Was Outed as Richard BachmanFor eight years, King's pseudonym went undiscovered. Then a bookstore clerk took a walk to the Library of Congress.
healthland.time.com
Paradise Paradox: Why Life in Hawaii Leads to Early DeathMost of us think of Hawaii as the perfect escape from our stressed out and fast-paced lives. Island life, after all, seems so idyllic and relaxing. But appearances may be deceiving.
tvshowjunky.com
Little Take Over of Reality: Little Women LA & Terra's Little FamilyRegardless of their size in stature, both Little Women LA and Terra's Little Family packs in a lot of interesting real-life struggles and drama.
Exclusive: Bill Brown, The Man Behind SyFy's Dominion Season 2 ScoreFaithful viewers have reveled in Dominion Season 2, elevates action, writing and the score, a vital element of any motion picture.
odyb.net
Medicinal Plants Worth Your Garden Space And Eventually, Health156 views Playful as kids are, accidents happen. And the accident that befallen me at 7 years old was the feeling of the hot exhaust pipe of a motorcycle kissing the skin of my leg. Grandma was around and saw it. Immediately, she took out a knife and slice the thick lower part of the … Continue reading 27 Medicinal Plants Worth Your Garden Space
A Tribute to Wes CravenWes Craven was initially an English professor, having earned his master's degree in writing at John Hopkins University.
Take Your Punishment, Impractical Jokers StyleImpractical Jokers, the reality hidden-camera hijinks of comedians and best friends Joe Gatto, James Murray, Brian Quinn and Sal Vulcano.
Let Us Prey: A Worthy Rental for Horror JunkiesLet Us Prey is an Irish horror film that just made its way to a Redbox near you is about as grotesque as the 2002 French film Irreversible.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Middle East carriers recorded a 0.8% traffic decline in February compared to a year ago, the only region to report a drop year-over-year. Capacity rose 2.9% and load factor fell 2.7 percentage points to 72.6%. Broadly speaking, passenger volumes of the region's airlines have been moving sideways for the past 12 - 15 months.


They say the third eye is a gate that leads to inner consciousness. Honestly, we've never met anyone with a third eye. Maybe it's supposed to be metaphorical. You might think we're being ridiculous but when you work at Halloweencostumes.com you see some pretty strange things stroll through the office. Here's the question, if there's one eye covering your entire head does it count as more than one eye?
There are a couple ways of looking at this. If you pop a straw into a bottle of Rose and sip on that till it's dry that doesn't count as one drink. But if you've got a sweater so large that three people can fit in it, it's just one sweater except it's extra cozy because three people are tucked into the cable knit. Long story short, in our humble opinion we think wearing this giant eye on your head might give you an insight to your inner consciousness or it'll just give you a freakishly cool look for your next costume party.


We measured a selection of these jackets and also tried them on our Fit Check mannequins Huey and Dewey to see how they fit (Huey is in a Euro 52 and Dewey is in a 56) and they both look great. The overall fit is consistent with other European sized jacket we sell such as Alpinestars and REVIT.
This product is sold in European sizes. Generally speaking, the US chest size in inches is equivalent to roughly 10 points less than the European jacket size. Example: a 56 Euro jacket is similar to a size 46/XL men's US size. To choose a size in this jacket, I'd suggest you measure yourself with a tape and get your chest size and belly size, then use the size chart to pick the smallest size jacket that will be big enough for both your chest and belly using the chart below. Approximate US alpha sizes are also listed in the chart so you can check if the jacket size you choose is the same alpha size as you normally wear in men's clothing.
Sizing tips for upgrading armor: If you plan to add a back protector add 1" to your measured chest/belly size before using the size chart. If you plan to add chest armor, add another inch.
The overall cut of this particular style jacket is more relaxed than more sport oriented jackets. Its more of a "street cut" so it will be an easy fit for most and comfortable to wear.
Wow, here's a great closeout deal! The Dainese MIG jacket will be great for a wide variety of weather conditions. It has great looks and it is comfortable to wear too. You won't find a better deal on a sharp sport style jacket anywhere.
The torso of this jacket is largely a full mesh material which will allow full air flow so this jacket will work even in the hottest weather conditions. The sides of the torso and the arms are a slightly stretchy Cordura material which makes this jacket more comfortable to wear than most sport jackets that have the same look. The shoulders and elbows have black, washable leather overlays to add abrasion protection and to add some style. And finally there are black metal plates over the shoulder armor.
The elbows and shoulders get Dainese standard plastic/foam armor which is comfortable but sturdy. And then you can add chest protectors and a back pad to round out the armor package (take the links below). With all the armor in, this is one tough jacket! I'd recommend the Pro-Armor style back pad for this jacket since it is the most flow through. The pocket for the back protector is mesh on both sides, so with the Pro Armor BP, you'll still have great air circulation. A full around zipper for connection to pants is also included.
This jacket comes with a removable windproof liner you can zip in for cooler weather riding. It will block cooler air off your body so you can be warmer on cool mornings, etc.
Dainese says: When it comes to combining the protection of washable full-grain Grid cowhide leather with the durability of Cordura® Comfort fabric and the breathability of mesh, Dainese has led the way, with the Mig leather-textile jacket being a prime example. Standard features include aluminum inserts at the shoulders and Microelastic inserts for a comfortable fit.


text:
Heartland Art Exhibit features sculptural drawings by Joanne Goetzinger
[August 20, 2014] NORMAL - Joann Goetzinger: Sculptural Drawings will be on display August 18 through October 10 in the Joe McCauley Gallery, located in Room 2507 of the Instructional Commons Building (ICB) on Heartland's Normal campus, 1500 W. Raab Road. An artist talk will be held at 3:00 p.m. Thursday, October 9 in ICB 2805 with a reception to follow from 4:00-5:30 p.m. in the gallery.
In her Sculptural Drawings series, Goetzinger combines two and three-dimensional materials to imaginatively translate elements of vocal music into a visual form. She uses aluminum and wood to sculpt abstract, biomorphic forms and then adds colorful lines and shapes with acrylic paint to increase their visual animation. Her works actively engage interplay between positive shape and negative space, both within the piece and against the gallery walls.
Exhibits, events, and parking at Heartland's Joe McCauley Gallery are free. Gallery hours are weekdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on days the College is open. For more information about this exhibit, contact Danell Dvorak, gallery coordinator, at danell.dvorak@heartland.edu and (309) 268-8599, or call Heartland's Liberal Arts and Social Sciences Department at (309) 268-8620.
Goetzinger began her career in the arts as a music educator and professional singer with the Norman Luboff Choir. After discovering a strong connection between music and visual art, she redirected her creative vision towards portraying musical qualities in drawing, painting and sculpture. Her works have recently been exhibited at the Contemporary Art Center of Peoria, Eureka College, Galesburg Civic Art Center, Illinois State University Galleries, McLean County Art Center and Woman Made Gallery in Chicago.
Active in the Downtown Bloomington revitalization effort, Goetzinger opens her art studio during First Fridays at 101 W. Monroe Street. She is also a member of the Around the Corner Artist Group and is a co-founder, former co-owner and current exhibiting artist of Main Gallery 404.
Goetzinger holds a bachelor's degree in music education from Illinois Wesleyan, a master's degree in music from the American Conservatory of Music and a master of fine arts degree from Illinois State University.
For more information about Heartland Community College, visit www.heartland.edu
[Text received; BECKY GROPP, HEARTLAND COMMUNITY COLLEGE]
< Top Stories index


Click here for more informatation on access by road, rail and air.
Click here to dowload the Leeds map showing car parking and disabled parking in Leeds City Centre.
For stress-free travel into the centre of Leeds, catch one of our Park & Ride services. Operating 7 days a week, with a journey time of just 10-15 minutes to the centre of Leeds. Services run from Elland Road and Temple Green.


Countless blogs have been written about gaining pounds with holiday food. This is not my topic in this blog. I am looking at the medical evidence of what is happening to our bodies, some of which is permanent. I like to focus on the gallbladder, blood pressure, heart function and gout. I will provide little clinical vignettes that make my points clear.
Many patients are unaware that their gallbladder has developed stones that accumulate over several years, perhaps even several decades. But, if infection sets in there is an acute flare-up of gallbladder pain, which can be excruciating. Also, when one of the stones is transported into the gallbladder duct, there is a sudden colicky pain similar to labor pains. In cases where the migrating stone blocks the common bile duct, the patient can get jaundiced and the pancreatic juice can get backed up leading to an acute pancreatitis.
What does that have to do with overindulging during a Thanksgiving meal? Fatty sauces, ham, and gravy can all lead to more cholesterol deposits in the gallbladder and make stones larger. Add to this a rich dessert with ice cream and a dollop of whipped cream and you've got yourself a fairly fatty feast. So, this one fatty meal can make a difference by bringing on symptoms of a previously undiagnosed condition, and you spend hours in an emergency room of a hospital.
Fred is a 40-year-old teacher, somewhat overweight who enjoyed a holiday meal at his parent's place for Thanksgiving. His health has been good with no surgeries. Following the turkey dinner, which he enjoyed he noticed right upper abdominal pain, and he started to vomit. As the pain did not improve, his parents called an ambulance that brought him to a hospital. The emergency physician said that he was concerned about Fred's gallbladder. He ordered a CT scan and this showed multiple stones with one of the stones being stuck in the cystic duct. Despite pain medication and bed rest the situation did not resolve (the stone did not pass). A surgeon was called in and a laparoscopic cholecystectomy was performed. Fred recovered within only 3 days and could return to teaching. The fatty food of the Thanksgiving dinner was only the tip of the iceberg in this case. The fact that there have been many pre-existing gallbladder stones tells us that this patient had the chronic habit to eat foods with too much fat and cholesterol. Here is a blog that I found containing sensible eating suggestions.
Extra salt intake leads to an elevation of blood pressure. If a person has borderline high blood pressure, the extra salt intake from holiday meals can get the blood pressure out of control and this in turn can cause a stroke (typically a hemorrhagic stroke) or is a strain to the heart leading to a heart attack or to congestive heart failure.
Janice is a 50-year-old janitor who has had problems with borderline high blood pressure readings. Normally her blood pressure was 140 over 90, and when she watched her salt intake it would go down to 125 over 80. She bought a blood pressure monitoring device, just so she could measure her own blood pressure at home. Following the Thanksgiving turkey dinner she noticed that she developed fullness in her head and a headache and her face looked flushed. She took her blood pressure with a reading of 160 over 100. It had never been that high. When she saw her doctor he asked her what she had for Thanksgiving dinner: they sat together with friends and had potato chips with dip and drank some red wine with it. Next for the meal she enjoyed the roasted, brined turkey and ham. Yes, she did add some more salt to the mashed potatoes too.
The doctor found her blood pressure to be 165 over 100. He explained to her that she needs to go on a DASH diet, which is low in salt. He also started her on blood pressure pills. Here is another link for a low salt diet.
When working as an intern in teaching hospitals of McMaster University of Hamilton/Ont. during my training in 1975 to 1978 I noticed a strange correlation between holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas and intensive care unit admissions with acute heart attacks. Later a formal study was published that there is indeed such a correlation between consuming a big meal with fat, salt and refined carbohydrates and the development of a heart attack.
This likely does not develop without prior silent conditions of high triglycerides, high cholesterol and insulin resistance leading to inflammatory substances circulating in the blood. The C-reactive protein is one of the substances that has emerged as a useful monitoring device and a fasting insulin level. Both should be low or the person is at a higher risk of developing a heart attack.
Joan is a 62-year-old high school principal who developed chest pain within 2 hours of having enjoyed her Christmas dinner. She was known to have high cholesterol levels for about 5 years and she had been taking statins for 4 years as diet alone could not control it. But she loved food in general and was about 20 pounds overweight. The doctor had discussed exercise with her, but she felt too busy doing other things. Now all of this came back to her as she was recovering in a hospital bed from an emergency stent procedure. They had to insert two stents to overcome narrowing of the coronary arteries. She was now pain free and felt that she needed to do something about her lifestyle. She would see a dietician and record her weights daily. She wanted to loose 20 pounds and yes, she wanted to start mild exercise when her doctor allowed it and gradually build it up to a maintenance program.
It is known since the Middle Ages that feasting on a large meal of beef combined with lots of beer or wine can cause a gout attack. Gout at this time was known as a disease of the affluent. The poor obviously could not afford big feasts. Today we know that purines are the end product of meats and this gets excreted in the kidneys. However, alcohol prevents the purines to be excreted in the urine so that uric acid levels exceed a certain limit beyond which uric acid crystals are precipitated in soft tissues like around joints, which is very painful.
Carl, a 45-year-old sales person suddenly developed excruciating pain and swelling in his left big toe. He went to the emergency room of the closest hospital. After some tests he was told that he had come down with acute gout. His blood tests showed a high uric acid level and biopsy samples from the left toes also revealed uric acid crystals. With the help of colchicine and allopurinol things turned back to normal within 3 days.
The gout episode occurred just 4 hours after his holiday meal consisting of a few beers and copious amounts of turkey meat. He also seems to be addicted to soft drinks which are sweetened with high fructose corn syrup which he consumes freely all day long.
It is known that sugar from soft drinks make a person 85% more prone to develop gout than a person who uses diet drinks or water.
Here is a diet sheet for Carl to prevent his next gout attack.
Who would have thought in the past that food could be a dangerous substance with the potential of making us sick? But this is exactly what I wanted to point out in this blog. Of course, it does not stop at holidays where we tend to eat more of what we normally eat. It pays dividends watching what we consume even in the days between feasts. For instance a DASH diet is a good idea for those of us who may have developed borderline high blood pressure. Avoiding excessive red meat is a good idea for prevention of heart attacks and strokes, as your cholesterol stays lower. Avoiding soft drinks with sugar and fructose is good prevention for avoiding obesity, cancer, heart attacks and strokes. Get the greens going (vegetables, salads etc.) to live longer without disabilities.
Even though the Trial to Assess Chelation Therapy (TACT Study) has been published in March 2013 (Ref. 1), it still needs to make its way into the common public knowledge. The National Institute of Health was noticing an "alarming 68% increase" of chelation therapy between 2002 and 2007. These patients had problems with previous heart attacks and others had angina due to coronary artery disease, so they sought relief through intravenous chelation treatments. The purpose of the TACT study was to see whether chelation treatments with EDTA were safe and whether they would show any benefits when compared to a placebo group.
A total of 1708 patients were randomized into two groups, 869 treated with EDTA chelation therapy and 869 in treated with placebo infusions of normal saline/dextrose. Treatments were blinded (nobody knew what was given in the intravenous). 134 research sites in Canada and the US were involved in this trial including the Mayo Clinic. Patients had to be at least 50 years old, but the average age was 65 years. They had all a prior heart attack, but not less than 6 weeks before enrolment; on average they did have their heart attack 4.6 years before enrolment. Participants had to quit smoking at least 3 months before entering into the study and if they had revascularization procedures (bypass surgeries or stents), this had to be done more than 6 months in the past.
31% of the study population had diabetes. 83% had revascularization procedures done in the past. The majority of patients were taking heart medications (72% beta blockers, 73% statins to lower cholesterol and 84% aspirin to thin the blood).
65% completed 40 infusions, 76% completed at least 30 infusions.
The chelation infusion was the standard infusion usually used in chelation clinics, namely containing EDTA (the chelating agent), salts and vitamins as indicated in this Mayo clinic summary report. The follow-up period was for 4 years. There was a drop-out of 30% for various reasons and 17% refused their consent to carry on in the study.
Overall mortality in the chelation group was down 2.8% versus the placebo group. Heart attacks in the chelation group were down 19.5%; strokes down 20% and hospitalization rates were down 28.6% when compared to the values of the placebo group.
Diabetic patients (the subgroup of 31%) appear to have greater benefits from chelation treatments than the non-diabetic ones. The diabetic group benefitted by 39% with regard to risk reduction (strokes, heart attacks, mortality) versus the non-diabetic chelation group (only a 4% reduction).
Perhaps as important as the results of the effect of the chelation study versus the placebo group was the fact that the side-effect profile was indistinguishable between the two groups. This establishes for the first time that chelation therapy is safe and that it also has beneficial effects.
It is interesting that when the results of the TACT Study were announced at the 2012 American Heart Association meeting in Los Angeles, the majority of cardiologists did not believe the results (that chelation was effective); instead they were looking for alternative explanations to explain the effect and suggested that this study needed to be repeated again.
Originally EDTA was used to treat children with lead poisoning in Germany. However, workers who were exposed to lead containing paints in various industries also were described to have improve significantly with EDTA chelation (see this chelation history link).
In the 1990's environmental concerns about heavy metal poisoning of the earth atmosphere came more into the forefront. This 2007 paper reports about heavy metal poisoning in detail.
A new concern for those who like organic food is the use of copper sulfate by organic food growers to spray against fungal and bacterial growth on crop as copper sulfate is one of the 5 chemicals used in organic agriculture approved by the USDA.
Those who consume organic foods may inadvertently expose themselves to copper in their system. This will reduce zinc levels as zinc naturally counterbalances the effects of elevated copper levels. But normal zinc levels are needed for normal body function, particularly in males.
As I have explained in this blog before, chelation therapy and several other methods can detoxify the body. Pollution continues to play havoc with our system and we need to consider taking steps to counteract that. In this blog I explained that we live in a toxic world and I mentioned several steps we can take to counteract this including chelation therapy. Particularly heavy metals like lead, mercury, cadmium and copper will be reduced in the blood by intravenous EDTA chelation treatments.
I felt that I should take some time explaining the carefully conducted TACT Study that was a randomized double blind, government sponsored study examining the effects of chelation treatments. It showed that there were significant improvements in terms of cardiovascular recovery, but it also showed that it was entirely non-toxic. Chelation should be done by an American College for Advancement in Medicine (ACAM) certified practitioner to ensure that you get the same chelation treatment as described in the TACT Study. People with heart conditions will need 30 to 40 treatments (usually 1 week apart) to improve. However, a person with a normal heart who considers detoxification will only need 10 treatments initially (twice per week or weekly), then one every three months for maintenance. We all reside on the same planet and are exposed to ongoing pollution and food toxicity. Due to this reality the topic of chelation and detoxification is worth some serious consideration not only for patients with heart health issues.


WASHINGTON, DC -- The White House will be open for the Fall Garden tours October 15 and 16. The free, self-guided tour features the Jacqueline Kennedy Garden, the South Lawn, the Children's Garden, the Rose Garden, as well as the State Floor rooms of the White House.
Tickets are not required for the Garden Tour. Visitors should assemble at the White House's southeast gate at E Street and East Executive Avenue. In case of inclement weather the tours are cancelled and not rescheduled. Photographs are permitted on the grounds, but not in Rose Garden or inside the White House.
PRESS NOTE: THE WHITE HOUSE VISITORS OFFICE 24-HOUR INFORMATION RECORDING FOR TOURS IS 202-456-7041 OR FOR SPECIAL EVENTS 202-456-456-2200. THE TDD NUMBER IS 202-456- 2121.


Rules and Regulations for the Ph.D. programme (2014) Recommended by Doctoral Programme Monitoring Board (DPMB) and approved by the Academic Council and the senate.
Commonwealth Vocational University (CVU), Tonga offers research programmes for the award of the degree of Master of Philosophy (M.Phil) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.). The programme is offered in recognition of research in the various areas recognized by the various faculties or academic departments of the university.
The degree of M. Phil and Ph. D. is awarded to a registered research scholar by the University in recognition of independent research of high academic standard which makes original contribution to the body of knowledge in the various academic disciplines.
Interdisciplinary research for the award of Ph.D. degree is also encouraged by the University.
The Master of Philosophy (M.Phil) and Doctoral research programs are expected to promote productivity, creativity and suggest newer areas for further research. The rules and regulations for the M.Phil and Ph.D. programme of the Commonwealth Vocational University (CVU) are approved by the Academic council and the Senate on 1st September, 2014.
The rules and regulations for M.Phil and Ph.D. programme of the Commonwealth Vocational University (CVU) came in force from the academic year 2014-16 and are applicable to all admissions from the academic year 2014-16 onwards.
The rules and regulations shall be applicable to the M.Phil and Ph.D. programme offered by the University in the various faculties such as Arts, Humanities, Commerce, Science, Management, Fine Arts, Physical Education, Information Technology, Education, Law, Social Sciences, Oriental Languages, Informatics, Astrology, Yogic Science and in such other faculties as may be notified in future.
A candidate/scholar can register for Ph. D. under Full-time, Part-time or Independent Research Scholar category depending upon the fulfillment of the respective eligibility criteria.
The candidates registered for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) as full time research scholars shall undergo research work for a minimum period of TWO years from the date of provisional registration.
The candidates registered for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) as port time research scholars shall undergo research work for a minimum period of THREE years from the date of provisional registration.
Independent Research Scholars shall undergo research work for a minimum period of TWO years from the date of provisional registration.
2.1. Who can register as an independent research scholar?
1) Faculty Members/Teachers in School /Colleges or autonomous institutions with more than five (5) years of teaching experience.
2) Scientists working in National Laboratories, Institutes and Educational Institutions affiliated colleges / with a minimum of 3 publications are eligible to carry out doctoral research independently without the guidance of a Research Supervisor either on Full Time or Part-Time basis in the places recognized by the Commonwealth Vocational University.
Registrations for Ph.D. may be done throughout the year. There is no official deadline for Doctoral students for registration for PhD. Registering as a student needs to be done separately with the Doctoral Programme Monitoring Board (DPMB) under Doctoral Administration Office of CVU.
A candidate who would like to register for any category for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) must possess any Post-Graduation degree by any recognized University or any other qualification recognized by this University as equivalent thereto with minimum 50% marks or CGPA in aggregate.
In addition the following persons shall be eligible to register for the pad time Ph.D. programme.
Any Chartered Accountant / Cost Accountant /Company Secretary with a minimum period of two years of experience after obtaining their professional qualification. The subject shall be allocated by the Doctoral Programme Monitoring Board under the School of Commerce and Management.
A candidate such as any permanent staff in Government Office/Private or Public Ltd, Company/ recognized factory/institution/research institution / Educational Institution / business houses viz., Board of Directors, Proprietors and Partners with a minimum experience of five years after obtaining Masters degree.
Applications are invited from experienced businessmen, entrepreneurs, Architects, Interior Designers, Astrologers, HR professionals, Consultants, Social Entrepreneurs, NGO Directors, Realtors, Educationists and all others who have rich experience in their respective fields and could not continue with formal collegiate education.


This entry was posted on Tuesday, September 4th, 2018 at 11:02	and is filed under Censored, SHKD. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.


text:
<?php

use Mockery as m;

class LimitTest extends PHPUnit_Framework_TestCase
{
    protected $limit1;
    protected $limit2;
    protected $client;
    protected $response;

    protected $applicationIds;

    public function setUp()
    {
        $this->applicationIds = ['ru' => 'id'];
        $this->limit1 = m::mock('WotWrap\Limit\LimitInterface');
        $this->limit2 = m::mock('WotWrap\Limit\LimitInterface');
        $this->client = m::mock('WotWrap\Client');
    }

    public function tearDown()
    {
        m::close();
    }

    /**
     * @expectedException WotWrap\Exception\LimitReachedException
     */
    public function testSingleLimit()
    {
        $this->limit1->shouldReceive('setRate')
                     ->once()
                     ->with(1, 10, 'ru')
                     ->andReturn(true);

        $this->limit1->shouldReceive('hit')
                     ->twice()
                     ->with(1)
                     ->andReturn(true, false);

        $this->limit1->shouldReceive('isValid')
                     ->once()
                     ->andReturn(true);

        $this->limit1->shouldReceive('getRegion')
                     ->twice()
                     ->andReturn('ru');

        $this->client->shouldReceive('baseUrl')
                     ->twice();

        $this->client->shouldReceive('request')
                     ->with('encyclopedia/info/', [
                         'application_id' => 'id',
                     ])->once()
                     ->andReturn(new WotWrap\Response(file_get_contents('tests/json/encyclopedia.info.json'), 200));

        $api = new WotWrap\Api($this->applicationIds, $this->client);
        $api->limit(1, 10, 'ru', $this->limit1);
        $encyclopedia = $api->encyclopedia();
        $encyclopedia->info();
        $encyclopedia->info();
    }

    /**
     * @expectedException WotWrap\Exception\LimitReachedException
     */
    public function testDoubleLimit()
    {
        $this->limit1->shouldReceive('setRate')
            ->once()
            ->with(5, 10, 'ru')
            ->andReturn(true);
        $this->limit1->shouldReceive('hit')
            ->times(3)
            ->with(1)
            ->andReturn(true);
        $this->limit1->shouldReceive('isValid')
            ->once()
            ->andReturn(true);
        $this->limit1->shouldReceive('getRegion')
            ->times(3)
            ->andReturn('ru');

        $this->limit2->shouldReceive('setRate')
            ->once()
            ->with(2, 5, 'ru')
            ->andReturn(true);
        $this->limit2->shouldReceive('hit')
            ->times(3)
            ->with(1)
            ->andReturn(true, true, false);
        $this->limit2->shouldReceive('isValid')
            ->once()
            ->andReturn(true);
        $this->limit2->shouldReceive('getRegion')
            ->times(3)
            ->andReturn('ru');
        $this->client->shouldReceive('baseUrl')
            ->times(3);

        $this->client->shouldReceive('request')
            ->with('encyclopedia/info/', [
                'application_id' => 'id',
            ])->twice()
            ->andReturn(new WotWrap\Response(file_get_contents('tests/json/encyclopedia.info.json'), 200));

        $api = new WotWrap\Api($this->applicationIds, $this->client);
        $api->limit(5, 10, 'ru', $this->limit1);
        $api->limit(2, 5, 'ru', $this->limit2);
        $encyclopedia = $api->encyclopedia();
        $encyclopedia->info();
        $encyclopedia->info();
        $encyclopedia->info();
    }

    public function testAllRegionsLimit()
    {
        $this->limit1->shouldReceive('setRate')
            ->once()
            ->with(10, 5, 'ru')
            ->andReturn(true);
        $this->limit1->shouldReceive('setRate')
            ->once()
            ->with(10, 5, 'eu')
            ->andReturn(true);
        $this->limit1->shouldReceive('setRate')
            ->once()
            ->with(10, 5, 'na')
            ->andReturn(true);
        $this->limit1->shouldReceive('setRate')
            ->once()
            ->with(10, 5, 'asia')
            ->andReturn(true);
        $this->limit1->shouldReceive('setRate')
            ->once()
            ->with(10, 5, 'kr')
            ->andReturn(true);
        $this->limit1->shouldReceive('hit')
            ->once()
            ->with(1)
            ->andReturn(true);
        $this->limit1->shouldReceive('isValid')
            ->once()
            ->andReturn(true);
        $this->limit1->shouldReceive('getRegion')
            ->times(5)
            ->andReturn('eu', 'kr', 'na', 'asia', 'ru');
        $this->limit1->shouldReceive('newInstance')
            ->times(5)
            ->andReturn($this->limit1);
        $this->client->shouldReceive('baseUrl')
            ->once();
        $this->client->shouldReceive('request')
            ->with('encyclopedia/info/', [
                'application_id' => 'id',
            ])->once()
            ->andReturn(new WotWrap\Response(file_get_contents('tests/json/encyclopedia.info.json'), 200));

        $api = new WotWrap\Api($this->applicationIds, $this->client);
        $api->limit(10, 5, 'all', $this->limit1);
        $encyclopedia = $api->encyclopedia();
        $info = $encyclopedia->info();
        $this->assertTrue(is_array($info->getInfo()));
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Author: Steele, R. J.
1. Rashid, S.
Mitra, R.
Steele, R. J.
Using Mixtures of t Densities to Make Inferences in the Presence of Missing Data with a Small Number of Multiply Imputed Data Sets
Computational Statistics and Data Analysis 92 (December 2015): 84-96.
Also: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S016794731500136X
Cohort(s): Children of the NLSY79, NLSY79
Keyword(s): Breastfeeding; Family Income; Missing Data/Imputation; Peabody Individual Achievement Test (PIAT- Math); Statistical Analysis
Strategies for making inference in the presence of missing data after conducting a Multiple Imputation (MI) procedure are considered. An approach which approximates the posterior distribution for parameters using a mixture of t-distributions is proposed. Simulated experiments show this approach improves inferences in some aspects, making them more stable over repeated analysis and creating narrower bounds for certain common statistics of interest. Extensions to the existing literature have been executed that provide further stability to inferences and also a strong potential to identify ways to make the analysis procedure more flexible. The competing methods have been first compared using simulated data sets and then a real data set concerning analysis of the effect of breastfeeding duration on children's cognitive ability. R code to implement the methods used is available as online supplementary material.
Rashid, S., R. Mitra and R. J. Steele. "Using Mixtures of t Densities to Make Inferences in the Presence of Missing Data with a Small Number of Multiply Imputed Data Sets." Computational Statistics and Data Analysis 92 (December 2015): 84-96.


When "life" happens, we can easily become weighed down with things that want to keep us thinking or believing that we are destined for much less than what we dream of. But Jeremiah 29:11 says that God has plans for us that are good, and that will bring us to our destiny. So this means we have to make a decision that we will rise above our circumstances and not let what's going on around us to bring us or bog us down. After all – there is always sun shining above the clouds if we will only dare to go there.
"Sometimes you have to leave the ground to ascend to your higher purpose." This is one truth presented by the following video. If you like it, feel free to subscribe to Darren's daily email that is often thought provoking and will definitely challenge you to strive for more than the status quo.


Judgement often emanates from the pores of people in the bird world regarding "those people"… you know, the ones who are cold hearted enough to give up their birds, their FAMILY, as if they didn't see the beauty and treasure that is inside every captive bird. As if it's the bird's fault for being.. a bird.
The problem is that the issue isn't that cut and dry. There are a myriad of reasons people give up their bird, few of which are simple. Before you go out and get that parrot, knowing that you are one of the educated, enlightened ones who has researched the issue thoroughly so as not to encounter any surprises, read on.
Educating and awareness are key in stopping the overpopulation crisis of parrots.
To be honest, I was skeptical, but I read all of these situations with an open mind. With the exception of the older couple, they ALL could have been prevented by a change in priorities and just a little self discipline. I still think all of them should have considered their decisions more carefully before bringing a bird into their lives. The mom who got them for her kids — didn't realize her kids would leave home someday and the birds would be hers to deal with? The guy with the apartment life never considered moving somewhere he could keep his childhood best friend? The "Just One More" family has more problems than bird hoarding, they need to learn the word "NO". The Young Professional is the type of person that upsets me the most, the one who "researched for 2 years" but never realized her own life was going to change and she was going to have babies in the future? What about moving for them? YES, LIFE HAPPENS, but that still does't give them a justified reason to dump their responsibilities because it's suddenly inconvenient. We can't treat our children this way, and why people think it's okay to say "oops, it's not convenient to have a bird anymore, somebody else deal with it" is totally beyond me.
I've got two cockatiels who are very difficult in their later years. They are more clingy than Saran Wrap, jealous, not easy to keep occupied and have some very annoying chirping sounds they make about every 3 seconds while they are awake. We battle nesty behavior with them, they do not coexist well with my grey and they don't contribute to the flock in any way except negatively. Some days I want to tear my hair out rather than hear one more chirp. I got them 13 years ago when I was in a much different place in my life and I really never thought they'd still be alive and healthy and with an apparently huge lifespan ahead of them still. And I really wanted a grey who I could interact with instead of just endure, but I wasn't ready for one when I got them. Of course I love them, but I don't enjoy them anymore. I would rather eat my shoes than rehome them.
The bottom line is, it's not someone else's problem to deal with. Someone else didn't decide to get them all those years ago. Someone else didn't move a bunch of times, make dozens of major changes in their lives and follow a completely new path that impacts the birds. I did. And no matter what I am doing or what decisions I make, my birds are, for better or worse, part of the family. I would no more decide to move into an intolerant apartment and have to get rid of my birds than I would move into a singles resort and have to get a divorce.
I don't judge them as bad people. I judge them as inconsiderate people who take the easy way out of a difficult situation. I don't think they're bad, I just don't have a smidgen of respect for them and I feel terribly bad for the birds who have become suddenly "inconvenient" and are uprooted from everything they've ever known because they're in the way now.
I got my Jenday Conure in a very stupid way. I was 20 and felt bad that he lived in a pet store with no one to love him. I brought him home with NO knowledge or experience with birds. I guess I would fit into the "young professional" category since I am still in my 20's and work a full time job, but Henry is my world. I would NEVER rehome him because my situation changed. Of course I was overwhelmed when I first got him, I had no idea that he would bite or be loud. Now, he is the most wonderful bird, I can't imagine what I would have lost out on if I had just given up that easily and moved on.
I've known of parrot owners who've had their birds for decades and we're their family but in time became too old to care for them. It's heart breaking for both human and bird.
It is incredibly sad, and this is why it is so important to have a plan in place for your feathered one once we are no longer to care for them.


Raymond Suttner; Why do I say that Gauteng is the most politically mature ANC province?
I have been asked why I refer to Gauteng as the most politically mature ANC province.
My reasons relate to the maturity of much of the leadership, people who have worked in the UDF and ANC/SACP together for some decades, people who have been highly politicised and have ensured that the province is highly politicised, ensuring that there is a process of induction of members. I am not in touch with what is happening now in every nook and cranny of the ANC in Gauteng, but until fairly recently I do know that there was a well developed course of political education. That builds cadres who understand what they are doing. That is not to suggest that what is taught and what is understood by members and leaders must be unconditionally endorsed. I am making a limited claim. Compared to the ballooning membership in some parts of the country, where people become members without much political education, the ANC in Gauteng definitely takes ideology seriously.
Posted on September 15, 2015 by raymondsuttner.	This entry was posted in ANC, Gauteng province and tagged ballooning membership, political induction. Bookmark the permalink.


The newly renovated Leadership Resource Center features a leadership library and work space that is available to Fredonia students, faculty and staff. The center offers a variety of publications on leadership topics and research that can be useful for leadership training and learning. Various leadership materials and active learning tools are also available to Fredonia students, faculty and staff to use.
Members of the student organization Leadership Corp staff this center during the academic year as part of their service to leadership studies at Fredonia. The center is located at S/221 on the second floor of the Williams Center. For more information contact the campus life office at (716) 673-3143.


The Village Hall is a very local and well-equipped event or meeting venue offering great value for money!
A projector and full length screen were added in 2014 which makes the Hall a great choice for hosting business meetings, AGMs, talks, demonstrations, training and other events. All this with the added bonus of having a new kitchen for teas and coffees, breakfasts or evening dinner functions and updated toilet facilities with wheelchair access.
Historically, since it was converted from a school in 1973, the Hall has been a focal point for village life. As a village, we have come together for many events, including, the Harvest Supper and Auction, Bingo nights, Valentine's suppers, the Christmas Fayre, children's birthdays, various interesting talks, and WI demonstrations. There are also events to raise money for village projects, such as running Wednesday coffee mornings and Saturday breakfasts to raise money for the village 'Party in the Park' to celebrate the Queen's 90th birthday in June. It has also been used by other organisations for the Macmillan coffee mornings, craft fairs, training on how to use the village defibrillator, flood training by the local emergency services, and most recently for training on 'how to pack parachutes'!