Minimum in our house is $1000 per week. All bills and living costs per month divided by 4 gave me this figure. Our insurances etc are our biggest costs.
This sums us up pretty much. Ours is $1060 a week and that's all bills divided into a weekly figure. We only rent however for $300p/w.
Our biggest costs are my car insurance $150 p/m, the phones $166 p/m and my car loan.
We can get that cost down by getting rid of the phone plans and getting the loan paid off which would lower out insurance too and save us $200-$230 a week.
Then we have groceries, school fees, extras like licences, rego's and more..
Wow after looking at what u guys are paying either I am doing something wrong or we live in a very expensive town (i say its the expensive town) but our minimum weekly bills comes to $1300!
I put the bare min in for fuel - kids take school bus which helps.
... Drive me crazy. But we don't eat pasta, potatoes, rice, processed meat... I find when we are eating that its soooo much cheaper. We just seem to be getting further and further behind each week.
Last edited by ElizaDoLittle; 31-01-2013 at 23:06.
I just did our budget last night. We can cover everything with just over $1000/ week, but that doesn't include clothes, presents, medical expenses, any entertainment, pocket money or savings.
$1500/ week would be comfortable.
Mine's only about $300/week! That excludes yearly things like car insurance though.....plus it's just DS and I living in a very cheap rental.
Don't you hate unexpected expenses!
Minimum dpo to get a BFP?


text:
Q: DirectX 11 Overlay I'm writing a DirectX 11 overlay for a game. Creating textures is quite simple and I have good knowledge of C/C++.
The problem I am having is in my test window I can print the texture but as soon as I change the camera angle the texture moves with it. That is what most people want.
What I want to know is how do I print something in 2D to always appear on screen whether the camera moves or not?

A: Basically, since you use dx11, you use shaders to render your elements.
So standard 3d objects generally follow this guideline:
-Use 3 transforms : world (position object), view (transform in camera space), projection (transform in screen space).
In you vertex shader you multiply all that lot to convert from 3d to 2d.
Since now what you want is to display your elements in 2d (non relative to camera), you can easily create a new shader that doesn't take view/projection into account, so you just don't use those matrices in your vertex shader. (you can still use world for 2d transformation).
That's pretty much the easiest way, if you need pixel precise 2d elements, you need to create a billboard transform/shader. Basically you have your render target resolution, and standard render space is -1 -> 1, so you modify scale/translation to convert between both of those spaces.
When you render you overlay, also ensure that you disable depth completely.
If you need sample let me know I'll make one up quickly, but it should be quite simple.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


to link to your choice of online store through your card company's site so you can earn not only a "cash back bonus" such as by using your Discover. SwagBucks can be very addictive! If you start all your online shopping with these cash-back leaders, it will add up fast and you'll easily save hundreds or thousands of extra dollars you otherwise would not have. To me, being able to apply Promotional codes while shopping online from the comfort of home is like getting paid extra for extra peace of mind. They are happy to provide incentives to acquire new customers because for them it's often a good return on investment. Put them on track to a life of being financially at's the real American dream.
(A culculator is a must-have for effective bargain shopping.) So if your purchase total at m comes to 125.00, then 15 of that total will.0.15 times 125.00 which equals.75 Off, and a new reduced total of 106.25 (not accounting for shipping charges). Peace of mind is worth a lot and extreme couponing has it's own significant built in costs not obvious to viewers. Org (1) Chocomize (1) Choose Hope (1) m (1) Christmas Central (1) Christmas Tree For Me (1) Christmas Tree Market (1) Christopher Blue (1) Chrome Battery (1) Chrome Glow (1) Chrome Industries (1) Chubbies (1) Chums (1) Cichic (1) Cinema Secrets saxon shoes coupon (1) Circa Lighting (1). And check their perks page to many little known benefits like travel insurance, extended warranties, price protection, ect! Referrals : Earn matching SwagBucks when your referrals earn search SwagBucks. For the above 125 purchase, shipping is"d as 30 at checkout. More store links to specific promo code directories will be "going live" regularly. I frequently score huge discounts like this for all sorts of online purchases. CPO Bosch (3 cropStop (3 do It Tennis (3 emitations (3). Time is money afterall and with coupons you can be "penny wise and pound stupid as the oldtimers used to say. B2G1 50 Off, soccer Shots Birds Deal : Limited time only!


Brick Oven: What is a Credit Default Swap?
Credit Default Swaps (CDSs) appear to me to be insurance policies that banks issued to each other. The only problem is that, while insurance companies are regulated and have to have a certain level of reserves, CDSs are issued by banks in an unregulated environment. And it seems there is nothing to back them up.
Read this link if you want to become uneasy.
$681 trillion is a lot of money.


INFO on CARPORTS & ECT.
We can deliver up to 22 cubic yards of mulch on one truck.
We can deliver up to 22 tons of dirt and gravel on one truck.
Call for special prices on high volume and high tonnage jobs.
compacting. Please call for prices.
We were established in 1985, first offering delivery of a few sand, gravel, and mulch products. In the past 22 years we have expanded into offering a variety of mulches and numerous soils- including specialized blended planting soils.
a dealer for TNT CARPORTS also a dealer for AMSOIL oil products, and oil filters for vehicles.


Join Evelyne Lambrecht as she interviews Cynthia Pasquella, founder of The Institute of Transformational Nutrition. She is the author of the Hungry Hottie Cookbook and the Hungry Hottie Method 6 Week Transformation Program. We'll talk about the 3 keys to create total transformation and permanent change.
You can find out more about Cynthia at http://www.cynthiapasquella.com.
You can find out more about Evelyne at http://www.elevateyourenergy.com.


text:
Measure of respect
When women lead boys' schools
Creating safer schools for gender diverse students
Uluru statement from the heart
AUSWIDE
InFocus: Brandon Jack
Raise the Voice
Why teach health literacy?
Education suffers from period pain
When personal devices come with pitfalls
Playing chess reduces risk aversion in children
Anti-worker forces in education policy
Building connections with LEGO Braille bricks
Rebuilding the ELICOS sector
AI and the writing revolution: What should we teach
A matter of principals
International border closures have significantly impacted the international education sector in Australia. Organiser Orlando Forbes looks at what is happening in a sector where the IEU represents many members.
Private education providers for overseas students in Australia have gone through several tumultuous journeys over the years, most recently due to the COVID-related closure of international borders.
For more than 25 years, the Independent Education Union has represented employees in private business colleges, English language intensive courses for overseas students (ELICOS), and private vocational education providers throughout Australia.
In March 2021, English Australia, the peak body for the ELICOS sector, reported its "worst ELICOS commencement number in 14 years", demonstrating a 43.3 percent drop in students beginning new courses. Recent media reports describe the outlook for ELICOS as "dire", saying the sector has been "crippled" by COVID-19.
That ELICOS has suffered a huge blow is beyond question. An industry that relies completely on international students to operate is indeed in trouble when those international students are unable to enter the country. It is in even greater trouble when the wage subsidy keeping colleges afloat is ended, as JobKeeper was at the end of March 2021.
At the time of writing, large employers such as Kaplan International, Ability English and EC English have either closed their doors or put the ELICOS arm of their operation into hibernation, as have a substantial number of smaller players. And although there has been some limited assistance from the Federal Government in the form of a $53.6 million rescue package for the sector, there is an expectation that other employers will also close their doors in the weeks and months to come.
The Federal Government has signaled its intention to rethink the international education sector, having already begun moving towards a new approach with the release of a paper entitled Connected, Creative, Caring: Australian Strategy for International Education.
The paper notes: "Our institutions are facing a drop in onshore student numbers that will continue for some years to come and a new strategy is needed to adapt to the changes brought on by the pandemic."
In much the same way, we need to consider what lessons we can take from the pandemic and what we want the sector to look like when the world stabilises. As stakeholders in the sector, how does the union want to 'build back better'?
COVID-exacerbated casualisation
Although they are known in the sector as 'permanent casuals' or 'long-term casuals', the average casual ELICOS teacher can be categorised as what David Peetz (2020) has called an 'unsubstantiated casual'.
That is, a worker who has been with their employer for more than one year, with reasonable expectations that they will continue to be with their employer in 12 months' time, and who has regular pay and hours. At a great many ELICOS colleges, this describes most teachers. Some 64 percent of ELICOS IEU members were listed as casual before the pandemic.
It is common for a teacher to teach the same hours Monday to Friday, sometimes for as long as 15 or 20 years. ELICOS teachers in this situation occupy an unusual space: they are employed in a 'worst of both worlds' arrangement, somewhere between casual and permanent, with no job security or protection, yet a level of commitment not typical of casual employment is expected of them.
"In practice, the flexibility isn't really there," said one long-term casual ELICOS teacher. "At my college we have a teaching schedule based on four-week blocks. As a general rule, if we request [unpaid] leave for some of that time our employer forces us to take the entire block off, meaning that we are penalised one month's wages."
Data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics from December 2020 tells us casuals were hardest hit by job losses during the pandemic. The ELICOS sector was no different, as colleges shed large numbers of these employees.
This was particularly distressing for those casuals among our membership who had been employed on a long-term, regular basis. These teachers found themselves suddenly cut loose to look for a new career in the middle of an economic downturn without warning or support, after having given many years to their job.
Some ongoing members were among the last to lose work during the pandemic – and those who did were entitled to redundancy pay, notice or payment in lieu of notice, and the paying out of accrued annual leave. This put them in a much better position to transition to something new.
Wage theft and COVID pay cuts
Early in the pandemic, colleges tried to push losses onto teachers. One college, International House, attempted to impose a 15 percent below-award wage cut on staff across the country, until union members forced this multinational employer to rescind.
IEU branches have recovered large amounts of underpayments in the sector. For example, in Melbourne, IEU Victoria-Tasmania recovered just under $200,000 of unpaid member entitlements from the Australian National College of English, due in part to its below-award slashing of pay to $35 per hour after moving from face-to-face to online teaching.
The IEU also recovered tens of thousands of dollars in unpaid superannuation and entitlements from another Melbourne-based college, Languages Across Borders.
These two issues are broadly related, in that research shows that not only are casuals more precarious than their ongoing counterparts, but that this precarity places them at a higher risk of wage theft.
As the sector reboots, we need to focus on building a better industry. Rather than wage theft, precarious employment and substandard working conditions, we hope the sector builds in assurances of education quality, where teachers are treated in a way that is reflective of the quality work they are tasked with performing. We will not get there if things continue the way they were.
A 2019 risk assessment report from the Tertiary Skills and Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA) reveals that education providers that were high-risk to students demonstrated persistently higher levels of casual academic staffing. "High proportions of casual academic staff [are] considered to pose risks to the continuity of support for students and adequate support systems for casual staff," the report said.
Casualisation presents the same obstacle to quality education in the ELICOS sector. The National ELT Accreditation Scheme (NEAS) conducted interviews and focus groups with key stakeholders in 2020, revealing a shared concern that casualisation in the industry is a barrier to teachers' professional development.
If employers want to get serious about quality, they cannot continue employing teachers as 'permanent casuals'. Further to that, however, ELICOS teaching needs to be perceived in a whole new light. It's not an 'easy', stop-gap job – it's a potential career.
"We need to start valuing the serious, professional contribution that some teachers make to our industry," wrote Phiona Stanley in 2017. "Yes, great careers can be had in school management, sales, marketing, and even academia. But if ELICOS is to grow and develop as a high-quality sector, we also need to recognise, and stop disparaging, the career-minded teachers in our midst."
It's worth considering how the sector should move towards recognising and treating these teachers as the education professionals that they are. Some consideration should be given to how we might more formally professionalise the sector.
Orlando Forbes is an Organiser with the Independent Education Union Victoria Tasmania. He was a teacher in the ELICOS sector for six years.
Australian Bureau of Statistics, 'Characteristics of Employment, Australia', 2020: https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/labour/earnings-and-work-hours/characteristics-employment-australia/aug-2020
Peetz, D, 2020, 'What do the data on casuals really mean?' https://www.griffith.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0024/1212675/What-do-the-data-on-casuals-really-mean-v5.pdf
Stanley, P., 2017, 'The two cultures in Australian ELICOS: Industry managers respond to English language school teachers' http://unsworks.unsw.edu.au/fapi/datastream/unsworks:50848/bin52cd2ecc-a65c-4333-af7e-5d626f684605?view=true

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Home / Innovation and IP / Innovation and IP FAQs
Innovation and IP challenges appear on each step of the journey from idea to the market. To help you deal with these challenges effectively, we showcase a number of representative stories that highlight best practices, common mistakes and smart solutions.
IIPO
Copernicus/EO data licensing
Bringing an EO idea to the market
Intellectual property for EO solutions
Innovation and investment for EO
What is the IIPO and what does it offer?
The e-shape IP and innovation office (IIPO) supports EO stakeholders in their innovation and intellectual property-related activities. We create and collect guidelines, and discuss in depth relevant case studies.
We also provide tailored active support aimed at maximising the results of your EO-related IP and innovation efforts.
What are the terms and conditions of Copernicus data use?
The free, full and open access policy of Copernicus data includes lawful use reproduction, distribution, communication to the public, adaptation, modification and combination with other data and information or any combination thereof.
Access and use can only be limited in rare cases of security concerns, protection of Third Party rights or risks of service disruption.
How do I access Copernicus data?
The data and information delivered by the Copernicus Services are madeavailable to users through the websites of the service in question. In mostcases, data and information can be browsed/discovered without priorregistration, but registration is required for downloading. (More at https://www.copernicus.eu/en/access-data and https://www.copernicus.eu/en/accessing-data-where-and-how/conventional-data-access-hubs)
Where can I look for other open data to integrate in my EO product?
Numerous sources and platforms for EO data are available, for free or against payment. Some examples of freely downloadable data are listed here.
What should I pay attention to when using open source software?
As they do with proprietary software, users must accept the terms of a license when they use open source software. Thus, attention shall be paid to its terms and limitations, making sure that they correspond to the intended use –the licensing condition of a product or data (either paid or free) could include conditions for re-use, such as mentioning the source of origin, etc.
My EO product/service depends on a 3rd party, how do I assure service continuity?
A product or service may be based on hardware, software, or other components from third parties. The use may be regulated through e.g. licences, contracts, or terms of use. The specific terms may define limitations and conditions of commercial use. Relying on solutions from third parties creates dependencies, uncertainty, and potential barriers for commercialisation as well as further development. Securing the rights to use these solutions is crucial as well as assessing the risks that come with choosing a specific solution, e.g. in terms of long-term availability.
What should I consider when choosing an entity for my business?
The available options for founding and running a legal entity vary between countries. The main discriminatory element is between a company's limited or unlimited liability: in the first instance the liability of the company does not go beyond the investments by stakeholders, which represents the company's own capital, and a sort of "assurance" to both potential creditors of the company, and to the stakeholders themselves. This is, as the name calls, not the case for the company founded and operating in a regime of an unlimited liability, which is often less used.
Beyond the legal regime, it can be said that in general many jurisdictions have encouraging conditions for young technical startups (such as favourable tax regimes, financing and even acceleration/incubation support schemes).
Someone wants to use/buy my solution. What are my options?
Collaborations can imply different solutions: from funding an entity in partnership, to selling/ licensing the solution. All these have different pros and cons, and are even country specific, so it is important to explore which one is the most beneficial for the concrete business case.
The simplest solution here is also the most used one-namely a license. Such agreements vary in content, notably with regards to extent and exclusivity of use of the license.
(For more details see: https://intellectual-property-helpdesk.ec.europa.eu/regional-helpdesks/european-ip-helpdesk/europe-frequently-asked-questions_en#Licences)
I want to spin-off. What are the legal aspects?
The first step in such direction is to contact the technology transfer and innovation office of your research institution and inquire as to your rights and duties as an employee/student, as well as what kind of internal support (financial and/or material) you could receive in the new venture. Alternatively, the creation of a start-up can take place outside of a relationship with the university. In either case, there are common points to be considered such as legal aspects, market positioning etc.
What is intellectual property (and IP rights)?
The World Intellectual Property Organization defines intellectual property (IP) as "Products of the mind: inventions, literary and artistic works, any symbols, names, images and designs used in commerce."
In practice this means that a series of IP rights ("IPR", e.g., trademarks, patents, copyright etc.) and other tools (i.e. regimes around confidentiality and NDAs) exist with the aim to protect valuable assets, in an attempt to establish a middle point between their fruitful utilisation on behalf of the right holder on one hand, and the interest of the general public on the other. These IP rights dictate rules on how to exploit the assets and maximise their value.
What is meant by background, foreground, and side ground IP?
The definitions may vary, and is important to look for the "authentic interpretation" i.e., the one used by the specific organisations-ESA, EC, etc. Generally, however, the following guidelines can be used:
Background IP is the IP created before, and thus outside, of the framework of a project/collaboration which is relevant for the project/collaboration.
Foreground IP is the IP created within the project/collaboration.
Sideground IP is IP developed by one of the partners but without using project background and for purposes unrelated to those of the collaboration.
To illustrate the above: Company A enters a collaboration with company B to commercialise a product. Company A is a software developer, and company B is a business consultant helping the commercialisation phase. In this case, the background IP is the software developed by Company A, as well as the business know-how of Company B. The foreground IP is the final software developed in the collaboration. An instance for sideground IP is the other software packages in the portfolio of Company A which are not concerned related to the collaboration with Company B.
How are IP rights helping me to protect my EO assets?
Different IP can be employed to make sure your assets benefit you fully. Below you can find information on the most used IP rights for EO solutions.
Copyright protects expression of ideas resulting in creative works. This includes computer programs and some types of databases. In the EU, copyright exists since the creation of the work and does not require further registration.
Trademarks are distinguishable and descriptive signs, mostly words and logos but also designs, letters, numerals, colours, etc., aiming to distinguish a company or a service/product and make them recognisable for the users. Unlike copyright, trademarks require prior registration.
An example of trademark in the EO world could be a name or a logo of a service/product/company.
Patents are an appropriate tool for protecting technological inventions, both products and processes (software and hardware). Patent protection usually lasts for 20 years and foresees disclosure of the details for the invention. In an aim to balance the benefits and the disadvantages of a patent, oftentimes the patentable information is rather protected by a "trade secret".
Trade secrets are a suitable mean for protecting a range of information (know-how, technical and other inventions, business plans, etc.) by keeping their details confidential. Trade secrets are not registrable as such, but there may be some requirements and formalities necessary to keep the confidentiality around them, e.g., NDAs.
What is the role of confidentiality in protecting EO solutions?
Common sense is to be employed when considering sensitive matters, as the necessary measures vary through the different situations when disclosure of information is inevitable and potentially profitable– e.g. in discussing partnerships, investments, licensing. Non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) can be a useful tool, preventing a counterparty to disclose and make use of certain information acquired.
(For more info on confidentiality, consult: https://www.epo.org/learning/materials/inventors-handbook/disclosure.html )
What are my IP rights during and after a Horizon 2020/Horizon Europe partnership?
The IP rights in a Horizon H2020 project are generally regarded in the AMGA and in the consortium agreement. Before exploiting an asset which is considered as foreground IP, i.e. a result of a project, one must make sure to have all the rights to do so, and that these do not conflict with the legitimate interest of other partners.
(For more info on IP in H2020 projects, see: https://intellectual-property-helpdesk.ec.europa.eu/regional-helpdesks/european-ip-helpdesk/europe-frequently-asked-questions_en#Faq_on_Horizon_2020)
I work for an institution, what are my IP rights as a creator/inventor?
The regime of intellectual property of work created under an employment/research contract, and/or dictated by law varies between the different jurisdictions. It is hence essential to know what provisions apply in the concrete case, and what are the implications for the repatriation of the IP rights between the employer/institution and employee/creator-inventor.
How do I get funding for my EO solution?
Like any other business, depending on development stage, targeted markets, sectors, and users, as well as strategic fit to the portfolio of private and public investors various options exist. If a business cannot yet generate enough revenue to fund the development of the solution, funding or investment can be secured from e.g. funding programmes, Angel Investors, Venture Capital firms, corporate investors, acceleration programmes, or financial institutions. Opportunities may be linked to the specific sector or region targeted, to the type of technology used, or to the space sector as such. An overview of investment and funding opportunities is provided by e-shape's Investment & Funding navigator.
How is my IP influenced by a potential investment/funding?
When receiving public funding or private investment, the IP regime could become part of contractual agreements, which then imply limitations of its further use, in view of preserving the value of the portfolio.
How are investment and funding influenced by IP?
The value of one's IP is directly tied to the level of investment it may trigger, as well as its subsequent exploitation. It is thus common for investors to request an IP audit for potential investees, but it is also a custom for companies to request one which is later used as a proof of value during pitching before investors.
If you need personalised support
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text:
es una ciudad  situada en la Prefectura de Ibaraki en Japón.

A 1 de diciembre de 2013 la ciudad tenía una de población de 43.744 habitantes y una densidad poblacional de 243 personas por km².  La superficie total es de 179,78 km².

Creación de la ciudad
Sakuragawa fue creada el 1 de octubre de 2005, de la fusión de la población de Iwase (岩瀬町Iwase-machi) del Distrito de Nishiibaraki (西茨城郡 Nishiibaraki-gun), con las poblaciones de Makabe (真壁町 Makabe-machi) y Yamato (大和村 Yamato-mura) del Distrito de Malake (真壁郡  Makabe-gun); los dos distritos referidos anteriormente se disolvieron.

Geografía
La ciudad se encuentra ubicada en al oeste de la Prefectura de Ibaraki. Su territorio limita al oeste con Chikusei; al sur con Tsukuba; al sureste con Ishioka; al noreste con Kasama, y al norte con Motegi (茂木町), Mashiko (益子町) y Mooka (真岡市), pertenecientes estas tres últimas poblaciones a la  Prefectura de Tochigi.

La ciudad está bordeada por montañas a lo largo de su lado este, llamadas Tomiya, Amabiki, Enzan, Kaba y Ashio, de norte a sur. El monte Tsukuba domina el lado sur, aunque no se encuentra dentro de las fronteras de la ciudad.

El epónimo río Sakuragawa tiene su fuente en el barrio de Iwase.

Sitios de interés

El Festival de las muñecas (雛祭りHinamatsuri) del barrio Makabe se realiza en febrero, en el matsuri se exhiben muñecas [] vestidas con kimonos tradicionales, y el festival atrae a visitantes de las localidades de los alrededores.

El barrio Yamato es el hogar del templo Amabiki Kannon.

Sitio de las ruinas del Castillo Makabe (真壁城跡の碑).

Un camino en bicicleta, llamado el "Tsukuba Ring-Ring Road", conecta el barrio de Iwase con la ciudad de Tsukuba, a lo largo de una antigua línea de ferrocarril.

La ciudad es conocida por sus tallas en piedra, llamada Piedra de Makabe, utilizando los recursos del monte Kaba, y por su agricultura, que utiliza las abundantes tierras llanas al oeste de las montañas.

Transporte
La ciudad se encuentra situada estratégicamente, lo cual le permite contar con múltiples opciones de desplazamiento vial, a través de vías normales o autopistas.

Por la Ruta Nacional 50 al este se comunica con la capital de la prefectura, la ciudad de Mito; tomando esa misma ruta al oeste y cambiando a la Ruta Nacional 4 con destino al sur, se comunica con la metrópoli de Tokio. De todas maneras para desplazarse a Tokio, existen otras alternativas como empalmar a la Ruta Nacional 6, a través de la Ruta Nacional 294 o la Ruta Nacional 355.

Por autopista también cuenta con varias alternativas, para desplazarse a Mito, por la "Kita-Kantō Expressway"; para desplazarse a Tokio, tomando esa misma autopista "Kita-Kantō Expressway", debe cambiar al oeste a tomar la "Tōhoku Expressway" o al este a coger la "Jōban Expressway", cualquiera de los dos caminos conducen a Tokio.

Por vía férrea dispone de la "Línea Mito" viajando al este, para desplazarse a Mito; o viajando al oeste por esa misma línea de tren y en "Shimodate Station" de la ciudad de Chikusei,  cambiar a la "Línea Jōsō", por esta opción se llega a Tokio, pero se debe cambiar de tren en "Moriya Station" y abordar "Tsukuba Express" o seguir hasta la "Toride Station", para tomar la "Línea Jōban". Es preferible tomar "Tsukuba Express", dado que el tiempo de viaje es más corto, pero también depende de otros aspectos del itinerario de viaje, "Tsukuba Express" llega a "Akihabara Station" y la "Línea Jōban" arriba hasta a "Ueno Station", ambas estaciones en Tokio.

Galería de imágenes

Enlaces externos

 Localidades de Ibaraki

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


We each have seen nice looking or powerful calf muscles. But, regardless of how they look, do we know what they really do? This edition of the Functional Video Digest Series is called the Calf - The Achilles Hip, muscles, tendons, and joints that are so interconnected, so co-dependent, that Gary Gray won't even discuss them in isolation from one another. In this issue Gary explains the true function of the peroneus longus and the gastrocnemius, and describes how the other numerous muscles in the lower leg have a relationship with the foot. In this edition Gary takes functional analysis even further to explain how the calf plays a very significant role in controlling the trunk and thoracic spine. For, the point of functional analysis, rehabilitation, and training is to understand movement as it actually occurs in real life. So, for Gary Gray, if you want to treat or prevent injuries to the Achilles tendon, you better take a close look at the hip.


text:
Back to Journals » Clinical Interventions in Aging » Volume 14
Use of transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation for prevention of postoperative delirium in geriatric patients with silent lacunar infarction
Authors Hou HJ, Xue FS, Guo RJ
Received 12 December 2018
Accepted for publication 3 January 2019
Published 1 February 2019 Volume 2019:14 Pages 249—252
DOI https://doi.org/10.2147/CIA.S197922
Editor who approved publication: Prof. Dr. Zhi-Ying Wu
Hai-Jun Hou, Fu-Shan Xue, Rui-Juan Guo
Department of Anesthesiology, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, People's Republic of China
In a preliminary study, Gao et al1 assessed the preventive effect of transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation (TEAS) on postoperative delirium (POD) in geriatric patients with silent lacunar infarction. They showed that TEAS could reduce the development of POD and might be related to attenuated neuroinflammation by reducing the permeability of the blood–brain barrier. Given that POD is a common postoperative complication associated with adverse events and outcomes including functional decline, and increased risks of morbidity and mortality in elderly surgical patients, their findings have the potential implications. To differentiate the real effect of one factor on primary endpoint in a randomized trial, however, all of other factors must be standardized for avoidance of potential bias. Other than the limitations described in the discussion, we noted several issues in this study that were not addressed well.
View original paper by Gao et al.
First, study subjects were elderly patients undergoing spine surgery. The study did not provide the baseline education level and preoperative serum albumin concentration of patients. In available literature, both lower baseline education level and preoperative albumin concentration have been identified as significant risk factor of POD in elderly surgical patients.2,3 Regarding intraoperative factors, moreover, only providing anesthesia and operation durations were insufficient. It has been shown that intraoperative major blood loss and blood transfusion are significantly associated with an increased risk of POD after noncardiac surgery in elderly patients.4 In addition, the authors did not observe and compare the incidences of postoperative adverse events and complications between groups. In fact, prolonged hospital and intensive care unit stay, postoperative complications including urinary tract infection, pneumonia, and cognitive impairment can increase the risk of POD after noncardiac surgery.5 We are concerned that any imbalance in the above unknown factors would have biased their findings.
Second, this study excluded patients with an increased risk of POD, such as those with mini-mental state examination score of <24 or dementia, preoperative delirium, history of neurological or mental illness, current use of tranquilizers or antidepressants.5 Thus, an important question that remains unanswered in this study is whether TEAS is an effective treatment in elderly patients with an increased risk of POD. Furthermore, this study only assessed the incidence of POD, but not the severity and duration of POD due to a short observed time. The available evidence indicates that both more severe POD and longer in-hospital POD duration are significantly associated with worse postoperative outcomes.6 We believe that the results of this study would be more informative if the design had included these issues.
Finally, because of the small sample size, small intergroup mean differences and large standard deviations in this study, we questioned their results that serum levels of TNF-α and IL-6 were higher at T2–3 and serum levels of MMP-9 and S100β were higher at T3 in group C compared with group TEAS (P<0.05). Revalidation of these results with statistical software confirms our doubts.
All authors report no financial support.
The authors report no conflicts of interest in this communication.
Gao F, Zhang Q, Li Y, et al. Transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation for prevention of postoperative delirium in geriatric patients with silent lacunar infarction: a preliminary study. Clin Interv Aging. 2018;13:2127–2134.
Sprung J, Roberts RO, Weingarten TN, et al. Postoperative delirium in elderly patients is associated with subsequent cognitive impairment. Br J Anaesth. 2017;119(2):316–323.
Patti R, Saitta M, Cusumano G, Termine G, Di Vita G. Risk factors for postoperative delirium after colorectal surgery for carcinoma. Eur J Oncol Nurs. 2011;15(5):519–523.
Marcantonio ER, Goldman L, Orav EJ, Cook EF, Lee TH. The association of intraoperative factors with the development of postoperative delirium. Am J Med. 1998;105:380–384.
Smith TO, Cooper A, Peryer G, Griffiths R, Fox C, Cross J. Factors predicting incidence of post-operative delirium in older people following hip fracture surgery: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Int J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2017;32(4):386–396.
Hughes CG, Patel MB, Jackson JC, et al.; MIND-ICU, BRAIN-ICU Investigators. Surgery and anesthesia exposure is not a risk factor for cognitive impairment after major noncardiac surgery and critical illness. Ann Surg. 2017;265(6):1126–1133.
Authors' reply
Fang Gao,1 Qi Zhang,2 Yanan Li,1 Yanlei Tai,1 Xi Xin,3 Xiuli Wang,1 Qiujun Wang1
1Department of Anesthesiology, The Third Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang City, Hebei, People's Republic of China; 2Department of Anesthesiology, Children's Hospital of Hebei Province, Shijiazhuang City, Hebei, People's Republic of China; 3Department of Anesthesiology, Tianjin Third Central Hospital, Tianjin, People's Republic of China
Correspondence: Qiujun Wang, Department of Anesthesiology, The Third Hospital of Hebei Medical University, No 139, Ziqiang Road, Shijiazhuang City, Hebei, People's Republic of China, Tel/fax +86 311 8860 2072, Email 13933178001@163.com
We thank Hou et al for their interest in our paper entitled "Transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation for prevention of postoperative delirium in geriatric patients with silent lacunar infarction: a preliminary study" and their valuable comments. Here we respond to their concerns.
Hou et al found that baseline education level, intraoperative major blood loss and blood transfusion, and postoperative complications were identified as significant risk factors of postoperative delirium (POD) in elderly surgical patients in the literature. However, some other previous studies have had conflicting results that these factors were not related to POD.1–3 Further studies are needed to confirm these imparities.
For avoidance of potential bias, we set strict exclusion criteria. We would be pleased if our study provokes interest in further research into whether transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation (TEAS) is an effective treatment in elderly patients with an increased risk of POD. It will be useful to take into consideration the severity and duration of POD, but unfortunately we did not collect data on these variables due to the short observation time, and we have stated this in the discussion.
Our data were analyzed by SPSS, and the results are as follows.
Abbreviations: MMP93, the concentration of matrix metallo proteinase-9 at T3; s100β3, the concentration of s100β3 at T3; TNF2, the concentration of tumor necrosis factor-α at T2; TNF3, the concentration of tumor necrosis factor-α at T3; IL62, the concentration of interleukin-6 at T2; IL63, the concentration of interleukin-6 at T3.
Kobayashi K, Imagama S, Ando K, et al. Risk Factors for delirium after spine surgery in extremely elderly patients aged 80 years or older and review of the literature: Japan Association of Spine Surgeons with Ambition Multicenter Study. Global Spine J. 2017;7(6):560–566.
Brown CH 4th, LaFlam A, Max L, et al. Delirium after spine surgery in older adults: incidence, risk factors, and outcomes. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2016;64(10):2101–2108.
Jiang X, Chen D, Lou Y, et al. Risk factors for postoperative delirium after spine surgery in middle- and old-aged patients. Aging Clin Exp Res. 2017;29(5):1039–1044.
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The Pitt County Agricultural Fair: A gift of Americana from the American Legion
Entering the Pitt County American Legion Agricultural Fair is stepping into an alternate universe.
Bright lights whirl and metal machines with many arms twist and turn. Children squeal with delight and barkers entice you to throw a dart and win a stuffed animal. The savory aroma of onions and peppers on a flat-top grill mingles with the sweet scent of funnel cakes. Your taste buds are tempted by cotton candy and corn dogs and all sorts of things you wouldn't usually eat.
It's sensory overload that, in today's world of office cubicles and texting, is rarely experienced.
The Pitt County American Legion Agricultural Fair, celebrating it 98th birthday this year, is the same as it ever was: part traveling carnival, part livestock exhibition, part feast, part local talent show -- and totally a celebration of Pitt County, its people and its history.
The Midway is the main attraction for many fair-goers. Powers Great American Midways, one of the top traveling amusement companies in the United States, will bring in 35 carnival rides. There'll be the traditional rides -- Merry-go-round, bumper cars, swings, a big slide and a Fun House -- and there'll be the spectacular thrill rides with names like Fireball, Khaos, Freak Out and Rock Star.
The traditional Midway games will be there, too. You can still win a goldfish by throwing a coin and knock over bottles or shoot a target to win prizes.
And the must-have fair food will be available, from longtime favorites like candy apples, Italian sausage and popcorn to the new-fangled offerings of Deep Fried Oreos, cheese sticks and nachos.
Free entertainment includes live musical performances, a comedic magician/mentalist, a one-man band, an arielist, rope tricks, a display of antique bicycles, and roving robots and animated chickens that sing and tell jokes.
But when you step away from the Midway, you'll discover the heart of the Pitt County Agricultural Fair. In a county once predominantly supported by farming, the fair celebrates the contributions of the people who continue to grow crops and raise animals.
The livestock shows spotlight young 4-H'ers who raise rabbits, goats, lambs, heifers, hogs, rabbits and chickens. The youth, ages 5-18, present their animals in the show ring for judging.
Displayed in the exhibition hall are prize-wining field crops including the biggest melon, the biggest pumpkin and the best corn, cotton and tobacco. The horticulture division includes youth and adult competitions for the best sweet potatoes, collards, cucumbers, watermelons and apples.
The floral competition includes roses, sunflowers, marigolds and dish gardens.
The fair also celebrates the tradition of creating something by hand, from scratch. Competitors vie for blue ribbons and bragging rights.
In the exhibit hall are displays of prize-winning cakes, pies, bread, candy, cookies, pickles and canned fruits and vegetables.
There are also contests for photography, hand-crafted wreaths, drawings, knitted afghans, clothing, wood working, gift wrapping and pottery.
The entire fair experience is one of community and tradition. And it exists because of the dedication of local American Legion posts.
The fair, founded in 1920, shifted ownership a number of times before the veterans service organization took it over in 1936. Members of American Legion Post 39 in Greenville, Post 151 in Farmville and Post 289 in Ayden have operated the Pitt County American Legion Agricultural Fair ever since. Legionnaires provide the money, volunteers, support and dedication to keep the fair operating as a nonprofit organization, under the direction of Fair Manager Ken Ross and his wife, Phyllis Ross.
The fair is one more gift from the veterans who protect and serve our country. It strengthens the community and keeps traditions alive.
And it's fun, too.
Jane Welborn Hudson, a native of Greenville, is a former staff writer for The Daily Reflector, where she was editor of Her... magazine and Greenville: Life in the East and several other niche publications. Email her at jane@beetheremedia.com.
Pitt County American Legion Agricultural Fair
Sept. 19-24, 2017 Pitt County Fairgrounds, 3901 N.E. Greenville Blvd. Adult admission, $6; children ages 4 and under are admitted free. Parking is free. www.pittfair.org www.facebook.com/PittCountyFair/
Hours of operation for the 2017 Pitt County Fair:
Tuesday, Sept. 19: Gates open at 5:30 pm, Midway opens at 6 pm, fair closes at 11 pm Wednesday, Sept. 20: Gates open at 3 pm, Midway opens at 4 pm, fair closes at 11 pm Thursday, Sept. 21: Gates open at 3 pm, Midway opens at 4 pm, fair closes at 11 pm Friday, Sept. 22; Gates open at 3 pm, Midway opens at 4 pm, fair closes at 11 pm Saturday, Sept, 23: Gates open at 1 pm, Midway opens at 2 pm, fair closes at midnight Sunday, Sept. 24: Gates open at 1 pm, Midway opens at 2 pm, fair closes at 8 p m
Pitt County Fair


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Afghanistan at 'critical juncture'
By Lisa Ferdinando, DoD News, Defense Media Activity / Published October 09, 2015
Army Gen. John F. Campbell
WASHINGTON (AFNS) -- Afghanistan is at a critical juncture, the commander of NATO's Resolute Support mission and U.S. forces in Afghanistan told a House panel Oct. 8.
Afghan forces need to be strengthened in order to meet the myriad challenges they face, including the rise of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, Army Gen. John F. Campbell told the House Armed Services Committee.
"If we think that this is going to be cleared up in a couple of years, we're fooling ourselves," he said. "We have to position ourselves to ensure that we can do everything we can to mitigate this impact."
The way to mitigate the threat is to apply pressure with the "great men and women that we have in all of our services," and build the counterterrorism capability of Afghanistan and other countries in the region, he said.
While the Afghan army and police have engaged in tough fighting with the enemy and have proven themselves resilient, they cannot handle the fight alone at this point, Campbell said.
"Ultimately, I'm convinced that improved leadership and accountability will address most of their deficiencies. But it will take time for them to build their human capital," he said.
The way forward in Afghanistan
The plan, Campbell said, is to continue to build the Afghan security forces so they can protect their people, and have a stable government that can provide for its people.
"The Afghans welcome the opportunity to share their destiny, but they still desire, need and deserve our assistance," the general said, adding, "Working together, we can be successful."
He noted it was envisioned in 2014 the U.S. would transition to a normalized embassy presence by January 2016. But much has changed in Afghanistan since that time, Campbell said.
The general, echoing what he told a Senate panel earlier this week, said he offered President Barack Obama several options for the U.S. presence in Afghanistan in 2016 and beyond.
US presence in Afghanistan
Afghanistan has extremely limited close air support capability, Campbell said, and is up against an enemy who is taking advantage of gaps in security and the reduced international military presence.
The coalition numbered more than 140,000 military personnel a few years ago, he said.
Now, there are about 14,000 coalition troops, including 9,800 U.S. service members who are serving in the NATO-led Resolute Support mission to train, advise and assist Afghan forces.
"If we withdraw from Afghanistan, the security vacuum will arise and other extremist networks such as (ISIL) could rapidly expand and sow unrest throughout Central and South Asia and potentially target our homeland," the general said.
Afghanistan would once again, Campbell said, become a sanctuary for "al-Qaida and other terrorists bent on attacking our interests and citizens abroad and at home."
Support for Afghanistan cannot be indefinite or unconditional, he said.
"The Afghans must continue to do their part, and if they do, we should continue to exercise strategic patience and sustain our commitment to them," Campbell said.
The U.S. presence equals influence, he added, explaining, "If we're not there to provide influence, somebody else is going to be there, whether it's Russia, China, Iran --you name it."
Deployed troops protecting homeland
"Since 2001 the exceptional efforts and courage of our forces have ensured that another terrorist attack originating from Afghanistan and directed against the U.S. homeland has not occurred," Campbell said.
Without their sacrifice, the people in the United States and Europe would be at much greater risk of terrorist attacks, he said. "I don't think there is any doubt about that," the general added.
Campbell said the service and sacrifices of coalition military personnel and civilians over the last 14 years created the conditions in which the Afghans can and are taking responsibility for their own security and governance.
NATO Resolute Support Afghanistan
RT @CENTCOM: A French Rafale conducts nighttime air refueling with a U.S. Air Force KC-10 Extender assigned to the 380th Air Expeditionary…
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RT @USAF_ACC: You know what day it is. #WarthogWednesday! 🐗👏 #DYK the weapon on the #A10Thunderbolt II is a 30 millimeter GAU-8 and is des…


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Articulating Your Brand's Personality, Voice and Tone by Kim Pittaway
brandinghotsheet
Consistency is key when working on your brand's personality, voice and tone. These elements need to remain constant throughout your publication to build trust and familiarity with your audience.
Our latest Hotsheet, "Articulating Your Brand's Personality, Voice & Tone," discusses why it matters to keep it consistent, how to define personality, voice and tone, and how this aspect of your brand is communicated to consumers.
Kim Pittaway is an award-winning journalist with publication and broadcast credits that include Reader's Digest, More Magazine, Best Health, Homemaker's, Chatelaine, Cottage Life, CBC Radio's The Current and others. She is the former managing editor and editor-in-chief of Chatelaine, an 8-time finalist for the National Magazine Awards and in 2008, co-winner of a Canadian Science Writers' Association Award for the radio documentary "Tina and Kim's Watery Road to Hell."
View the PDF: Articulating Your Brand's Personality, Voice & Tone


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The City Council voted unanimously Sept. 1 to move forward with a bid to host the 2024 Summer Olympic Games, and the U.S. Olympic Committee was expected later in the day to formally name Los Angeles as its official bidder for the athletic spectacle.
Following the council's 15-0 vote, Mayor Eric Garcetti made a victory lap of sorts in the Council Chamber, shaking hands with the council members.
Garcetti and City Council President Herb Wesson held a news conference early in the afternoon at the Annenberg Community Beach House in Santa Monica about the vote. Members of the U.S. Olympic Committee were scheduled to make a formal announcement about an hour later.
"This is a great Olympic city … let Paris and Rome and whoever else who wants to compete know, we're in this to win it, and I think we will," City Councilman Paul Krekorian said.
Council members agreed to back the bid after city attorneys assured them the city will not be making any immediate financial commitments.
Chief Administrative Analyst Sharon Tso said the city will still have an opportunity to weigh in on the proposed budget of the Games, and any sports venue plans or use of city facilities.
LA24 officials estimate the cost of hosting the 2024 Olympics in Los Angeles would be $4.1 billion, or $4.6 billion when a roughly $400 million contingency fund and insurance are included.
They project revenue from the Games will bring in $4.8 billion, resulting in a profit of $161 million going to LA24.
The budget anticipates that the International Olympic Committee will contribute $1.5 billion or 31 percent of the revenue, with domestic sponsorships and ticket revenue making up the other two-thirds. The bid packet also included details about how the Olympics might be operated.
The Olympic Village would be next to the Los Angeles River in Lincoln Heights — in a Union Pacific rail yard known as the "Piggyback Yard" — and calls for track and field and the opening and closing ceremonies to be held at a renovated Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
The bid also designates sports venue clusters in downtown Los Angeles, Hollywood, the San Fernando Valley, coastal areas like Santa Monica, the area around UCLA and the South Bay.
The International Olympic Committee is expected to make a final decision on a host city in September 2017.
"I believe in this opportunity and I believe that this can be and will be the most responsible Games possible," Wasserman said.


Little Kongari has been sitting at ARK for nearly six long years — and that's a long time for a cute little 7-kilogram dachshund not to be swept up and taken home.
Kongari did get adopted briefly once, but left all alone, he got scared and whined, fearing he'd once again been deserted. He was deemed, "Toast!" and given the boot. And that's a very sad joke for such a sweetheart, whose name is the Japanese word for that beautiful, light brown color such as bread toasted to perfection. And our little Kongari is pretty near as perfect as it gets. He just needs someone to love him to bits.


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NEW BALKANS CONFLICT? – "ДА!" Serbian referendum Outrages NATO and Al Qaeda
Bosnia & HerzegovinaRussiaSerbia
By Joaquin Flores Last updated Feb 19, 2018
September 26th, 2016 – Fort Russ News –
– By Joaquin Flores –
Prime Minister Milorad Dodik leads a pre-victory rally in Banja Luka, de facto capital of Republika Srpska
Understanding post-Yugoslav geopolitics makes the global situation today involving NATO, the EU, Russia, Syria, and Gulf States all suddenly crystal clear. The West Balkans is where all of these collide. – ed
Republika Srpska – the Serbian autonomous state locked inside of Bosnia & Herzegovina – held a game-changing referendum yesterday. The referendum was nominally over the recognition of a state holiday – Independence Day. It was publicly endorsed and supported by the Prime Minister of Republika Srpska, Milorad Dodik.
Last night, the final votes were tallied up, with an overwhelming 99.8% voting 'Yes' and approving of recognition of Independence Day.
But critics and supporters, on both sides, unanimously agree that it is really a test run for a very likely referendum on an actual independence bid in the future, to break from the Republic of Bosnia & Herzegovina, and with the potential to join with the Republic of Serbia, and its capital of Belgrade, to its east. This is a move that Russia backs.
Such a referendum for independence can occur now at any time between the present, and the publicly discussed year of 2018. The precise dates will depend on the speed that NATO moves with Bosnian leaders to push the fragile, multi-confessional and multi-ethnic post Yugoslav state into the NATO alliance and destabilizing constitutional reforms.
This referendum move comes against NATO's official warnings, and even threats of violence to possibly stop the referendum from the NATO allied Bosniak dominated capital of B&H, Sarajevo. These threats of violence did not go unnoticed by the government of the Republic of Serbia's seat in Belgrade, the independent UN recognized state to the east of both the Federation of B&H and Republika Srpska.
The Republic of Serbia (not to be confused with Republika Srpska) is neither a part of the EU nor NATO. B&H, including the Republika Srpska, is not in NATO either, but the leadership in the capital of Sarajevo have moved quickly in recent years to join the Atlanticist alliance.
Serbian Prime Minister Vucic, reflecting diplomatic norms on matters relating to the internal machinations of other states, had expressed an initially neutral position of non-interference in the Bosnian referendum matter.
But following Sarajevo's threats of violence against the Serbian ethno-religious group in Republika Srpska, Serbia's Foreign Minister Ivica Dačić, after consultation with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, was forced to make a clearer statement that Serbia's security forces would "not stand by" if the referendum in neighboring Republika Srpska faced violence at the hands of Sarajevo's forces.
Such talk at the official level has been unheard of since the end of the Yugoslav civil war, which was fought from 1991 to 2001. Even western academics on the subject, including Noam Chomsky, have effectively demonstrated that the dismantling of Yugoslavia was a project spearheaded by the US and Germany, with Albania and Croatia being the primary beneficiaries in the region.
It is unlikely that the US and the RF will find points of agreement on this matter, given its parallels to other wars presently being fought between the two powers, and their unmoved positions on this matter. Combined with Russia's insistence on building a gas pipeline through the Balkans, and NATO's opposition to it, this greatly increases the chances of a new conflict in the Balkans.
What triggered the Referendum Movement
NATO has held several high level meeting with B&H officials in Sarajevo apparently aimed at fast-tracking the latter's bid to enter NATO, going back to 2013.
This was synchronized with the organization of a social protest movement in 2014, ostensibly about labor rights and unemployment in Tuzla, the former industrial capital of Bosnia, which this author and our Russian colleague, Andrew Korybko, pointed out was likely an EU or NATO ruse. This is because a key component of the protester's demands were changes to the constitution which in fact would undercut the present arrangement in which Republika Srpska maintains an important degree of autonomy. This includes an ethnic Serbian defense force operating with mirrored autonomy in the autonomous territory of Republika Srpska.
The actual border between Republika Srpska and the Republic of Serbia is rather porous, with the border control looking and acting more like a toll booth than a national border between two separate states.
A Bosniak led social movement, couched to western liberal audiences as a secular center-left labor reform initiative, but in fact is an Al Qaeda sympathizing, Salafist led jihad movement using the Qutbist protest politics of the Muslim Brotherhood. Their aim is to consolidate Sarajevo's control over the presently autonomous Republika Srpska, and this is inline with publicly expressed views from the EU and NATO on constitutional reform.
From the document "Reforming Bosnia & Herzegovina's Defenses", published by NATO's official public journal NATO Review, James R. Locher III and Michael Donley analyse the progress that Bosnia and Herzegovina has made in the field of defence reform.
They write:
Bosnia and Herzegovina has managed to meet nearly all of NATO's expectations. Following an intense period of consensus building and negotiation between May and September 2003, the Defence Reform Commission reached unanimous agreement on a 293-page report setting out the way forward. This report included draft changes to the two entity constitutions, three entity-level laws and two state-level laws, as well as proposals for two new laws, including a state-level defence law.
NATO has dug into Bosnia (also referred to in this article as B&H) and isn't giving up its position. The reforms on security involve centralizing command and eliminating any autonomous security forces on the part of Republika Srpska, which is already under-powered as a result of forced agreements.
Other evidence that the situation in this region is not stable, is that the primary threat to the Republika Srpska's security forces as understood by these forces, is the Bosnian military itself.
Last February, the Russian Federation announced they would be training the Republika Srpska's security forces in a joint training project.
NATO and Gulf Monarchies have also prepared their own paramilitary forces in Bosnia, parallel to the military. These are primarily fighting in ISIS and Al-Nusra brigades, but the facilities to raise and recruit these fighters are inside of Bosnia.
The largest Al Qaeda/ISIS training camp west of Istanbul is located today in Bosnia. The largest indigenous European ethno-religious group to be involved in the Liyba and Syrian wars, are Bosniaks. Bosniaks were originally Serbians who for various reasons under Ottoman rule, adopted the religion of Islam. The language spoken by Bosniaks today is still Serbian. They remain, generally speaking, phenotypically indistinguishable from Serbians – the main differences between the two people being primarily religious and historical.
But the historical ties between Bosnian Muslims and powers like Turkey continue to this day. Western media reported the Tuzla protest movement while excluding mention of Saudi and Turkish backed groups involved in the main organizing. Organizing work on the ground was done primarily by the largest 'moderate' Islamist party in Bosnia, the SDA.
Significant funding from Gulf Monarchies and the EU's Jean-Claude Juncker's European People's Party, of which they are a member org, goes to the Party for Democratic Action, or SDA, the 'right-wing' social conservative (Sharia), pro-EU and Islamist political party, and the largest in Bosniak party of Bosnia.
Local SDA Candidates
In this sense, the intersection of pro-NATO, pro-EU and Islamist religious movements posing as progressive center-left, can be said to mirror the political-media strategy used in Libya with the TNC, with the Syrian Democratic Transitional Council and the FSA.
As a result of clear warnings from Sarajevo that it would make moves to abolish the autonomous status of Republika Srpska, Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov made a very clear statement in 2014 that in the event that Sarajevo were to change the constitution, that Russia would be in the position of "recognizing the right to self determination of the two state forming peoples" who comprise the three people state of the Republic of B&H – referring obviously to the historic precedent of Croats and Serbs – though in such case the particular focus on Serbians was the intention of his remarks, as Serbs in Bosnia have openly discussed secession in the event of a constitutional crisis.
Taken all together, this gives the entire context of yesterday's 'Test Run' referendum on independence in Republika Srpska.
The modern Republic of B&H's present structure is the product of two primary points of history – the structure of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, and the Dayton Accords. The Dayton Accords were negotiated and agreed to in 1995 during the Yugoslav civil war, four years before the NATO bombing of Serbia and its capital, Belgrade. The institutions and political reality created by the Dayton Accords are by and large the focus of the present contest.
The modern Republic of B&H is comprised of the Republika Srpska, and the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The latter was previously called the Bosniak-Croat Federation, because it is itself made up of these two primary religious groups.
As this author wrote previously, the coming period and precisely such a crisis would represent the opportunity for the 'two Serbias' to rejoin :
Serbia is in a delicate position where it has the possibility of either gaining Republika Srpska and regaining Kosovo, while maintaining regions like Vojvodina, or by fracturing and shattering further, as part of a precursor to an actual conflict between devolving local powers and hostile regional states.
Fort Russ editor and translator, and Special Projects Director for the Center for Syncretic Studies, Jafe Arnold, wrote an expansive and prescient piece on the subject for GIA earlier in the year. In this, he warns:
In recent months, increasing tension in the relationship between the two political entities comprising the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Bosnia-Herzegovina Federation and Republika Srpska, has threatened to boil over the kettle that is the uneasy geopolitical arrangement in the space of former Yugoslavia.
As events have continued to escalate, and the NATO/Islamist axis has been exposed, the situation now in the countries of the former Yugoslavia is less stable than at any point since 2001.
Serbian NGO's work to educate and bring stability
The Center for Syncretic Studies was established in Belgrade in 2013 in part as a specific response to the growing specter of a renewed major conflict in the region. As a non-profit educational organization, it has worked to disseminate publicly available information for both Anglophonic and Serbian audiences, to understand the significance of the west Balkans, and Serbia in particular, in the present global crisis. The CSS has been following and forecasting events on this subject since its founding.
Fort Russ News has several editors who are also researchers and directors for the CSS. The CSS works in part on questions involving destabilization efforts on the part of NATO interests in this region, and the sorts of political mobilizations and ideological tools which can be developed to counter these. The CSS has worked with the Syrian consulate and Serbian political leaders to be better prepared for events which a number of analysts conclude are inevitable.
Events in Syria and Ukraine seem to generally confirm several of the CSS operating theses, regarding syncretic ideology, the color-spring tactic, in the context of 4GW, and new-media warfare, which may prove useful in working on similar questions as they arise in the coming months and years in the former Yugoslavia.
Al QaedaAl-NusraAtlanticistsCSSFloresIslamistsLavrovReferendum
Al-Nusra Commander: "The US directly gives us missiles"
INTERCEPTED CALLS – PROOF OF US & ISIS COORDINATION: Syrian MP Goes Public
Who prevents Iran from helping in Afghan peace process? Lavrov answers
Russian Gold, Foreign Reserves Reach a Record High as US Pursues Aggressive Sanctions…
FLORES: Video – Iran Will Find Justice, the Resistance Axis Will Prevail
Lavrov expresses condolences to Iran in wake of illegal killing of Soleimani


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Poker is perhaps the most popular card game in the world, and surely has the greatest number of variations. All Slots Online Casino has some great online poker games, including Three-Card Poker, Bonus Pai Gow Poker, Cyberstud Poker, Progressive Cyberstud Poker, Poker Pursuit, Poker Ride, and Hold'em High Poker.
Online 3-card poker is a great way to play poker online. Because it involves smaller hands, and since there is no draw of additional cards, 3-card poker is simple, fast, and exciting. Online three-card poker actually consists of two games in one: "PairPlus" and "Ante and Play." On each hand, you can play one game or the other, or you can double your odds by playing both games at once.
Pair Plus is essentially a solitaire game. You receive three cards. If your hand contains a pair, you win. If your hand contains a straight, a flush, three of a kind, or a straight flush, you win even more. The dealer's cards have nothing to do with it.
In Ante and Play, you are playing poker against the dealer. Your cards are dealt face up, and the dealer's are face down. After examining your cards, you must either fold, which forfeits your bet, or play, which doubles your bet. If you choose to play, the dealer will turn his cards over, and you win if your hand beats the dealer's hand. The important thing is to know when to fold and when to play, in order to maximize your winnings and minimize your losses.
Online Bonus Pai Gow Poker is played with a deck of 53 cards, including a joker. You and the dealer are each dealt seven cards that are divided into two hands, a Low Hand of two cards, and a High Hand of five cards. If your High Hand beats the dealer's High Hand, and your Low Hand beats the dealer's Low Hand, you win the game. If only one of your hands beats the dealer's corresponding hand, the game is a tie.
You start your game of Caribbean Draw Poker Gold with five cards face up; the dealer gets one face up and four face down. In the base game, you can fold, stand, or draw to try to beat the dealer for a payout of up to 100 times your bet. In the bonus game, you make a side bonus bet of 1 credit and can win a variety of bonus jackpots including the progressive jackpot worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, pounds, or Euros.
In online Cyberstud Poker, you start by placing an ante bet. You are then dealt five cards, and the dealer is dealt one. Now you must choose to fold or bet. If you fold, you lose your ante. If you bet, a Bet of double your ante is placed, the dealer receives an additional four cards, and the hands are compared.
The dealer needs an Ace-King combination or higher in order to qualify. If the dealer does not qualify, you win an even money payout on your Ante, and your Bet is returned to you.
If the dealer does qualify, your hand is compared to the dealer's hand to determine a winner. If your hand is higher than the dealer's, you win a payout of 1-to-1 on your Ante, and an additional payout on your Bet as determined by the posted payout schedule. The Bet payouts range from 1-to-1 for an Ace-King combination all the way up to 999-to-1 for a Royal Flush.
Progressive Cyberstud Poker is a variation in which you also make a side bet on the ever-increasing progressive jackpot. If you get a flush or better, you win a jackpot payout, and if you get a Royal Flush, you win the whole progressive jackpot worth many thousands of dollars.
Poker Pursuit is an internet poker game in which there is no dealer; you are simply trying to get the best possible poker hand and to place your highest bets on your winning hands.
After you place your initial bet, you are dealt five cards: three face-up and two face-down. You have an opportunity to increase your bet before your fourth card is turned over, and another opportunity before the fifth card.
After all the cards are turned over, your hand is compared to the payout schedule that is displayed prominently on your screen. A pair of 10s or better is all you need to win. Higher hands have higher payouts, all the way up to 1,000-to-1 for a royal flush.
The key Poker Pursuit strategy is to try to maximize your winnings by increasing your bet when you have a good chance to win, and minimize your losses by keeping your bet low when you are likely to lose.
Poker Ride is very similar to Poker Pursuit, but with a big added attraction. In addition to your initial bet and two raises, you can place a side bet on the progressive jackpot. This is a jackpot that just keeps growing and growing, literally every second. Just get a royal flush, and the whole huge jackpot is yours.
In Multi-Hand Hold'em High Poker Gold you are trying to build a winning poker hand out of your two hole cards plus any three of the five community cards, as you use your options to fold, call, or raise to minimize your losses and maximize your winnings. The multi-hand format allows you to play up to five hands of online Multi-Hand Hold'em High Poker at once.


text:
Q: Blocking a java socket that is opening/in use Good Day,
I have a sendMessage function in java that looks like this. It exists currently as a static method that can be called by any thread operation (such as a HTTP request). However, if I was to send two requests at the same time..one of the sendMessage requests will throw a "Connection reset".
I need someway to know that my current port and ip is in use! So that I do not reset the connection, and instead, wait for it to become available again. Is there a way?
private static String sendMessage(int command,String data,int port,String ip){
    try{
        String sendString=Integer.toString(command)+":"+data+'$'+'\n';
        BufferedReader inFromUser = new BufferedReader( new InputStreamReader(System.in));
        Socket clientSocket = new Socket();
        InetAddress addr = InetAddress.getByName(ip);
        SocketAddress sockaddr = new InetSocketAddress(addr, port);
        clientSocket.connect(sockaddr, 20000);

        DataOutputStream outToServer = new DataOutputStream(clientSocket.getOutputStream());
        BufferedReader inFromServer = new BufferedReader(new InputStreamReader(clientSocket.getInputStream()));
        outToServer.writeBytes(sendString);
        String rcvString = inFromServer.readLine();
        System.out.println("FROM DEVICE: " + rcvString);
        clientSocket.close();
        return rcvString;
    }catch(Exception e){
        System.err.println(e.getMessage());
    }

    return NULL;
}

A: Okay I just thought of an ingenious solution but it's ugly.
Have a blockChecker class
public class BlockerCheck {

List<String> blockerList;

public BlockerCheck(){
    blockerList=new ArrayList<String>();
}

public synchronized void addBlock(String ip,int port){
    String finalString=ip+":"+Integer.toString(port);
    blockerList.add(finalString);
}

public synchronized void removeBlock(String ip,int port){
    String finalString=ip+":"+Integer.toString(port);
    blockerList.remove(finalString);
}

public synchronized boolean isAvailable(String ip,int port){
    String finalString=ip+":"+Integer.toString(port);
    System.out.println("SIZE:" +blockerList.size());
    return !(blockerList.contains(finalString));
}
}

Then use it as such:
private static String sendMessage(int command,String data,int port,String ip){
    if(blockerCheck.isAvailable(ip, port)) blockerCheck.addBlock(ip, port);
    else{
        long startTime=TimeUnit.SECONDS.convert(System.nanoTime(), TimeUnit.NANOSECONDS);
        while(!(blockerCheck.isAvailable(ip, port))){
            long currTime=TimeUnit.SECONDS.convert(System.nanoTime(), TimeUnit.NANOSECONDS);
            if((currTime-startTime)>10) return null; //ensure null handled
        }
    }
      //SENDING CODE HERE
      blockerCheck.removeBlock(ip, port);
}


I have to say Bully was not what I expected. I knew this was a documentary about bullying in schools, and that it would feature students and families that had dealt with the issue, including families whose children had committed suicide because of their peers' harassment. I knew the film had some powerful allies in the entertainment industry like Ellen DeGeneres and Harvey Weinstein (whose passion for championing independent films is matched only by his passion for self-promotion). I knew about the film producers' fight with the MPAA over the film's rating.
What I didn't expect was how unnerving, uncomfortable, and confusing the film would be to watch. I think that's a strength. What the film does is shine a harsh light on a harsh subject, without a lot of interpretation or analysis. There are no talking heads here to tell us what we've seen. At times we're as unsure as many of the adults in the film as to where the worst of the bullying is happening and where the kids are joshing and pushing boundaries with each other. This is how bullying happens: often right under the noses of parents, teachers, and administrators. It often takes the worst cases of harm, abuse and suicide to alert the community that there's a problem. And even then, the fallback response seems to be denial.
The most moving and revealing story is that of Alex Libby, a 7th grader who seems to have all the qualities that make him a target of bullies. Born premature, he is physically and socially awkward—small, slight, and sensitive. The camera follows him throughout his days at school, where the harassment starts with his first interactions with other students at the bus stop. His rides to and from school are daily gauntlets of taunts, threats, and physical violence. Every moment of every day, he is hounded: punches, name-calling, a kid standing next to him in the lunch line stealing fries off his tray. He comes home and his parents ask him about his day and he shuts down and clams up. In one heartbreaking scene, Alex's father finds out he's being pushed around and tells him if he doesn't fight back, his younger siblings will face the same treatment, so he'd better man up and stand up for himself.
Alex's mother eventually confronts the administration of his school with evidence of her son's bullying and receives a complete stonewalling. The assistant principal at Alex's school refers to the students as "cherubs" and insists she's ridden Alex's bus and the kids are "good as gold." I've got news for her. No middle school kid is a cherub. At best they're obnoxious, horny, and smelly, at worst they're creatures of animalistic cruelty.
We're introduced to more kids and more families. A lesbian teenager from Oklahoma who not only experiences bullying at school but the complete ostracizing of her family by the supposedly Christian community around them. A 14 year-old girl who is so overwhelmed she brings a gun to school and threatens her abusers, and finds herself in juvenile detention facing a law-and-order sheriff who wants to throw the book at her. And there are the parents of Ty Smalley and Tyler Long, an 11 year-old and 17 year-old, respectively, who committed suicide, leaving their parents behind to become unlikely activists in what seems to be a growing movement to change what has been long-accepted childhood behavior.
I've been through this with my own family: my brother was bullied throughout grade school and middle school. I know about the lonely fights of parents against clueless school administrators, the family feelings of isolation, the feeling of powerlessness, and my own regret that I didn't stand up enough for my brother.
I can say from watching this unfold in my own family that bullying is the worst, most reptilian example of the herd instinct. It comes from an almost evolutionary desire to cull out the different, the awkward, and the unfamiliar. Those of us who were not the target of bullies in school probably turned away when other kids were being bullied and refused to act. Some of us may have joined in the abuse. It is a behavior that has to be actively resisted in large groups of kids (or large groups of humans, for that matter) and that starts with vigilant adults and the few independent-minded students who refuse to stand by and let it happen. And let's not fool ourselves, every school district has a bullying problem.
The filmmakers have done an excellent job providing resources to try to keep the conversation going. What they try to present in the film is that what counters the behavior of bullying is speaking up and breaking the Darwinian cycle of violence. Bullying is not acceptable. It is not normal. It is not "kids being kids." It has been tolerated as part of the educational system for too long and it must be stopped.
A note on the fight with the MPAA. The film was initially given an "R" rating, apparently because there were one too many "fucks" in the film. This meant kids under 17 wouldn't be able to see the film without an adult, and schools wouldn't be able to show it. My initial reaction was to wonder why the filmmakers didn't just edit out some of the language and move on. This was eventually what they did and the film was reissued with a PG-13. There are now only two "fucks" in the film; the world is again safe for school children and their delicate sensibilities.
Having seen the film and experienced the impact of the words the bullies use on their victims I now understand that the MPAA is as useless and ignorant as the school administrator who thought middle school students were angels. The MPAA is just one more bureaucracy that doesn't want to face the realities of the world children live in. Considering the horror of what happens to kids in the film, and the necessity of bringing awareness to it, the ratings board's quibbling over curse words is beyond myopic, it's complicit.


The first choice for Dividend Aristocrats is one I frankly didn't expect, but after checking it's financials, I think it may have the best chance for per-share earnings growth in 2017 — AbbVie Inc (NYSE:ABBV). ABBV is a spinoff of the famous Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT). It primarily serves the oncology, immunology and virology therapeutic sectors, but it's moving into neuroscience. At 2.4%, Cardinal Health Inc (NYSE:CAH) doesn't have a whopper of a yield as far as Dividend Aristocrats go, but it has a great opportunity for growth going forward. Distribution is one of the best areas to be invested. With its footprint and infrastructure, Cardinal's ability to distribute supplies of any kind (healthcare in this case) will net some pretty thick margins. It may sound wacky, but Hormel Foods Corp (NYSE:HRL) may have a crack at 8% to 10% earnings growth going forward, on top of its 88 straight years of paying dividends — and raising it 51 years in a row.


Mental health professionals are not the only ones who can assist when someone is in need of emotional help. We can all learn more about mental illness by accessing reputable sources, such as Mental Health First Aid classes and the National Association of Mental Illness, for classes and support groups around the state. If you or a loved one is in need of a mental health assessment and/or treatment, know that recovery is possible. You can start by calling your primary care physician, calling your regional Department of Health and Welfare office or by dialing 211 for assistance. As always, if it is an emergency, dial 911 or go to the nearest emergency room.
All around the state of Idaho, staff members in the Division of Behavioral Health are planning and implementing activities within their regional communities and collaborating with other agencies to educate and empower our citizens. If you would like to learn more about these activities, check out our website . Like any illness, know the warning signs, learn the appropriate actions to take and be a lifeline.


Mr. Jones Watches doesn't follow trends. Working from a studio in London, they make unusual watches which tell a story, start a conversation or simply make you smile.
Today, everyone checks their mobile phone to see the time. This liberates the watch from being a purely functional object and means that we can be a bit more playful with it.


If your business makes a living on securing government contracts, then you are probably quite familiar with RFP in Chicago, IL documents. There are a variety of ways that you can make the process of applying for government jobs easier. Getting a great proposal software program is a great way to reduce the amount of effort you have to put into applying for these types of jobs. With the right software provider, you will have no problem implementing and using these types of programs. Here are some of the advantages that come with acquiring software to make taking advantage of a government RFP in Chicago, IL easier.
Most business owners fail to realize just how much time is spent trying to obtain government jobs. Having an employee who does nothing but apply for these jobs can lead to a lull in productivity. Instead of letting your business suffer as a result of too much time getting spent on chasing a government RFP in Chicago, IL, you need to invest in a comprehensive software program. These programs will streamline the process of bidding on government jobs and allow you and your employees to focus more on growing your company.
One of the hardest parts about filling out these government bids is trying to avoid making mistakes. These bids are usually require you to fill out multiple pages, which only increases the chance that you will make an error. Instead of having your bid rejected due to one of these mistakes, you can use a software program. With the right program, you will be able avoid errors and increase the amount of contracts you are able to land. Be sure to speak with professionals to find out what type of program is the best fit for your needs.
Choosing the team at Net Works Consulting Resources will help you get the right RFP in Chicago, IL programs in place. Call them at 888-638-9752 or go to their website for a breakdown of the services they can offer.


text:
The devastating news was shared by Al Roker's daughter.
Recent hardships for Al Roker and his family have been brought on by the beloved TV personality's need to remain in the hospital owing to blood clots in his lungs. His family was there for him both physically and emotionally throughout this trying period.
Al was reportedly able to leave the hospital and return home in time for Thanksgiving, with the exception of a repeat ambulance transport the following day due to a medical emergency, according to reports this week. Leila, his youngest daughter, used Instagram to inform her followers of their most recent struggles in November.
A note that read: "November photo dump – the pieces of this month that were actually wonderful: "November photo dump – the bits of this month that were genuinely beautiful." This demonstrated her appreciation for all of the blessings they had received despite their difficult circumstances.
Many admirers offered words of support and love to the Today show's beloved anchor after she visited her ailing father. "Hope your dad is feeling and doing well," "Love to you!" and "Praying for many pleasant times, as well as prayers for your family and your father," people said.
Due to health issues, the adored host had been missing from the program, but on November 24th, just in time for the holidays, he was allowed to leave the hospital. Less than 24 hours later, an ambulance brought him back to the hospital, where he is still today. Deborah, his wife, is reported to have sprinted after him from their Upper East Side residence.
Due to a physical condition, the beloved television personality has been absent from his presenting duties for a number of weeks. Nevertheless, it was clear after his comeback that he needed additional time to recover fully before going back to the screen.
He won't resume his duties as a result this week or the following week, making it two weeks since viewers last saw him on television. His loved ones are still sending their prayers and well wishes in the hopes that he may get better soon.
Al has worked hard to maintain his Instagram page current by sharing content with his followers about his day-to-day activities. Yet, it has been about a week since his previous posting. Deborah, on the other hand, recently posted an update on her Facebook page along with a picture of the Rockefeller Christmas Tree being lit up on television that was apparently taken from a hospital room.
Deborah's photograph was incredibly moving and engaging; it spoke to the hearts of many who are hurting in these times, especially around the holidays and other happy occasions when families usually get together. Since it was first lit more than 80 years ago, the Rockefeller Center tree has come to symbolize pleasure, comfort, and optimism during the Christmas season.
Seeing such light in terrible times might bring hope to those who need it the most. This could explain why Deborah shared this special event with her friends and family on social media.
The dancing couple who have won more than 300 competitions.
No One Can Score 10/10 In This High School Biology Test And It's Driving The Internet Crazy
A man saves a stranger who was trapped in a crashed truck caught on fire.
16-year-old Suri Cruise is the perfect blend of dad Tom Cruise and mom Katie Holmes
Michele at 50 ready start career with a makeover
A Company that Provides Glass Memorial of Pets Who Pass Away, Infusing their Ashes


the columns title "Sincerely Vintage", described Cathie to a tee. The below column appears in the April issue of the NEW CENTURY COLLECTOR.
As a pre-teen in the 1960's, my heart would race with anticipation as Mom and I would drive the 10 or so miles from our suburban Detroit home to Northland, the shopping center with the department store. What usually followed was a day filled with wide-eyed browsing and indulgent purchasing. Once home, I would remove each item from its bag – to caress it. . . discover it. . . get to "know" it, And then, feeling quite satisfied, I would revel in the delicious joy of the shopping trip. . . and start to wonder when we would go again!
Some 45 years later, my heart no longer jumps out of my chest at the thought of a day at the mall. Give me a flea market or vintage sale, however, and you'd think it was free day in the candy store for five-year-olds. Waiting for a sale is painful. A month 'til the next flea market? Aargh! Is it worth the wait? Of course it is. I walk through the entrance with wide-eyed wonder into my candy store.
So what is it, then, about a flea market? Is it because the items have a past? A story to tell? Is it the excitement of the event, the variety to choose from, the beauty of the displays? Is it the thrill of the hunt? Answer - all of the above. And for me, the treasures at a flea market have character. I love that they have lived another life, and the rubbed edges, the rust, the stains – all show that. Like me, they are imperfect, a little rough around the edges, yet sincere. And oh my, there are so many choices. . . . Should I get the tweed suitcase, or the 50's tablecloths? The chippy dresser? The jar of buttons? Hmm, definitely time for indulgent purchasing.
I load my treasures into the car, delighted with what I've found. It's been another delicious day at the flea market. . . I wonder when I can go again?
IN (WHERE ELSE) PLEASANT GROVE, UT.
HOW TO HAVE A GOOD TIME!
and a nice warm cup of Postum. No time for other diversions...... this girl has shopping to do!
If you're lookin' for a good time, so go ahead and take an early peek at our April 2013 issue, just give the front cover below a little click!
The Salt Lake Vintage Flea Market is the place to be this weekend.
NEW SLC VINTAGE FLEA MARKET!
The new Salt Lake Vintage Flea Market & Auction opened last weekend, so we decided to drop by and take a peek. We were not disappointed. Although there was still some unfilled space in the permanent booth area, there were plenty of vintage goodies to grab our attention. I of course headed strait to the old records, as Lyn went her own way, methodically checking booth after booth.
As we looked around, our thoughts kept circling back to the specialty hot dog stand we noticed by the front door. It was inevitable, Lyn bought a couple of chotsky's, I grabbed a couple of vintage record albums, and we both grabbed a dog, and a clear impression that this market is going to be a hit.
If your looking for a great way to fill up a little of your weekend time, jump in the jalopy and get down to the new Vintage Flea Market.
The Salt Lake Vintage Flea Market, owned by Wanship antiques Dealers Will Dator & Emy Maloutas, is located at 550 W. 1300 So, and open every Saturday from 8 to 4, and Sundays from 9 to 4.
Forget that Batman & Robin stuff; February brought Utah antiquer's the real "dynamic duo". If you're the kind of guy who likes his shoes well broken in and comfortable, you probably headed to Ogden for "Acorns", one of Utah's oldest & most respected antiques events. If you prefer the smell of fresh leather, and worship that shine on a new pair of kicks, you were waiting in line at the Salt Lake Masonic Temple for the first peek at a new antiquing tradition. If you were smart you didn't miss either.
As always, Acorns Weber County Fairgrounds venue was filled with a cadre of local and out of state dealers offering an eager crowd antique furnishings, collectibles, decoratives and the trendiest junque. And the place was hopping. It was elbow to elbow in most of the booths, and from the looks of it, dealers brought just what the antiques hungry crowd were after, as few shoppers were not toting an a armful of packages.
It was cold and snowy outside as antiques & vintage dealers waited with fingers crossed to find out if collectors would brave the elements to check out the new Historic Salt Lake Antiques show. No worry, when the doors opened, an excited crowd poured in, and kept on coming throughout the weekend. If anyone wondered if Salt Lake City was hungry for an antiques show; they were ravenous. The show stopper was the venue itself, an Aztec themed ballroom in the historic Salt Lake Masonic Temple. A series of antiques & vintage shows are on the drawing board, hopefully the show will become permanent.