text:
Best Intimate Grooming Device for Men
What does intimate grooming mean to you?
You've got a routine. You shower regularly, hit the gym at every opportunity, and still find time to swoon members of the opposite sex during incredible dinners.
You do your thing, and you've figured out how to master manhood like no man before you.
This is a good life.
Before you put on your three-piece suit and head to the office, or step into the flip-flops you'll be wearing on your yacht, there's something beneath the surface that needs to be addressed: all the hair that grows all over your body, particularly your below-the-belt bits.
When you were younger, manscaping was a no-brainer. You probably didn't have enough hair to worry about anyway, and with your predominant pecs and skillful athleticism, ladies (or fellas) were knocking your door down, no matter how many stray hairs you had hanging out around your scrotum.
Times have changed! You're a man now, and your manly hairs have found a way to be a part of your life at nearly every inch of skin on your body. Rest assured, you're not a prisoner to these unwanted ringlets that envelop your exterior. No! You're a warrior, and your body hair is soon to be your greatest conquest. The question is, how?
- How do you find the right tools to remove unwanted hair without causing nicks, scrapes, and blood spatters?
- How do you find the right method, which enables you to be free of your unwanted follicles without messing up your daily regimen?
- How do you choose products that will calm your skin after a clean shave, leaving you feeling soft and touchably sexy?
The answer: You put Manscaped in your corner. Thanks to an incredible selection of products that were specifically designed to tease the hair out of your private area, leaving your balls hair-, smell-, and chafe-free, we've got the best intimate grooming solutions every man needs in his life.
Here's what you need to know:
1. It All Starts with the Mat
Before you even begin hacking away at your hair, you need something that will catch all of the fluff as it falls onto the ground. Trust us—you really don't want free-falling pubes finding their way into the air. They'll land on your pillowcases, in your sheets, on your towels, and everywhere else. If you're lucky enough to have them find a place on the floor, they're still a nightmare to clean up because they tend to cling to every surface.
The Magic Mat is meant for situations such as this. Simply lay it at your feet and rest easy. This manscaping journey is ready to take care of itself.
What to Look For
- Something that'll catch all your curlies before they find their way into the corners of your bathroom.
What to Avoid
- That feeling of "I've got this," then finding out your hair actually has you pinned against the wall.
2. Mow the Lawn
Even if your ideal outcome is a silky smooth surface of skin, you have to start somewhere. If you have a ton of hair, trim it down with The Lawn Mower long before you put a straight razor against your strands. The Lawn Mower is the perfect piece of bathroom appliance art, enabling you to easily maneuver along the folds and creases of your body without incurring injury. This tool is uniquely designed to take care of sensitive and hard-to-navigate areas without issue. Thanks to the fact that it fits right into the palm of your hand and offers wireless power, you can take care of your tree trunk and the surrounding bushes and berries without worry.
The Lawn Mower is the quintessential trimmer for any part of your body. From your chest to your chestnuts, you can take a little off the top without finding yourself in urgent care. Not to be immodest or anything, but we think it's the best intimate grooming device for men.
What to Look For
- A high-powered set of shears that's designed to avoid nicks and can be adjusted to accommodate a multitude of lengths.
What to Avoid
- Hard-to-clean trimmers that require more work when your duties are done.
3. Put The Plow to Work
Tackling the surface cover is easy; The Lawn Mower does all the work for you. When it comes to catching the hair the grows in your nooks and crannies, however, you need to make sure you're using an intimate grooming device that's specifically designed for mankind. Could you use a cheap plastic razor you purchased from the grocery store? Sure you could, but we're quite certain you don't want to learn how painful scrapes and scratches on your scrotum can be.
The best intimate grooming devices for men aren't made to be used willy-nilly on your, well, willy. Instead, they're specifically crafted to get the job done right in a sensitive area where things can go very wrong if you're using the wrong tools.
The Plow is an exemplary mechanism, boasting of highly durable, tempered stainless steel. From appearance alone, you can tell this is a guy's device, but the proof is in the product. Optimal for use immediately after The Lawn Mower, The Plow's single-blade design is intended to keep razor burn and itchy, irritated balls out of the picture as much as possible.
Some pube-shaving devices are just "okay", but do you really want to put your most prized possession in the hands of a tool that may or may not turn its back on you when the going gets tough? We think not. Stick with a safety razor that puts your parts at the foremost of its design, and let the good times roll.
What to Look For
- A single-blade design that'll combat unwarranted friction, ingrown hairs, and itchiness.
What to Avoid
- Razors that aren't made with rust-resistant materials. When it comes to shaving—or really anything else in life—signs of rust should make you run away screaming.
4. Cleaning Your Crops
If you're like most men, The Lawn Mower had a big job to do; it trimmed your chest and un-furred your finest accessories. It proved itself as the best intimate grooming device for men. After the hair has left your body, however, it's usually hanging out somewhere on your skin. No matter which tools you've chosen to take care of your hair, once the work is done, you've got to take a shower.
Ever had post-razor regrets? If you have, you're certainly not alone. Itchy rashes on the face are bad enough, but when you're talking about an inflamed area around your balls, the word 'discomfort' takes on a whole new meaning.
To combat these unpleasantries, it's important to step in the shower as soon as you're done de-hairing yourself. Washing rogue hairs down the drain is only one reason you need a shower; you also need to make sure you clean your crop properly to ensure you get rid of any bacteria and dirt that could otherwise land you in a sticky situation when your clothes come off.
Look for a body cleanser that's devoid of artificial ingredients so your newly naked skin isn't suddenly facing a ton of foreign ingredients. Soothing aloe and sea salt can do wonders for sensitive areas that need a little extra soothing.
Need a recommendation? Manscaped's Crop Cleanser is infused with ingredients that naturally hydrate and soothe body parts post-trim.
What to Look For
- Cleansers formulated with soothing ingredients like aloe.
What to Avoid
- Products formulated with perfumes or other unnatural ingredients. Artificial elements can irritate sensitive skin; the outcome is even worse when newly shaven skin is exposed to unnatural chemicals.
5. Keeping It Real
Once the shaving duty is done, you need a way to protect your parts from other unwarranted situations, such as chafing, smelling, and itching. At Manscaped, we've got you covered. The Perfect Package comes complete with our uniquely formulated, all-in-one deodorant moisturizer—the Crop Preserver—as well as a toner and refresher that makes sure your skin is feeling its freshest after a long hard day between your legs. The Crop Reviver is a simple spritz-on item that'll help cool your high-friction areas and keep you easily inflamed areas from going rogue after you've shunned your body of its unwanted hair.
What to Look For
- All-in-one packages that keep your package safe, secure, and sexy.
What to Avoid
- Cheap in-the-moment purchases that could leave you lusting for another after the initial buying high wears off.
Manscaping -- it's what real men do. Whether you're trying to put your best for forward on a date with a could-be-something more, wanting to woo your wife with the extra effort you put into the evening, or are wishing to feel your best beneath your clothing, confidence starts from within (or down under, as the case may be), it all starts with the right products. Manscaped has everything you'll need to feel like a better man! You can find all these products in The Perfect Package!

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Who are the web barons?
Manchester United and England footballer Rio Ferdinand is the big name behind the digital magazine as editor-in-chief. Owen Blackhurst, formerly of GolfPunk, is editor, and Alexis James is editor-at-large.
Get the tone right
Bosses of the new venture claim it is 'unlike anything you've ever seen before'. In the first issue alone, expect interviews with Mickey Rourke, 50 Cent, Ferdinand's team mate Cristiano Ronaldo and Duffy, as well as film, game and music reviews.
'We are looking for releases on anything relevant, from the coolest sneakers to the weirdest gadgets and everything in between,' says MD Danny Crouch. 'Sending the MD free wine always helps.'
PR friendly score: 8/10


text:
Sagamore Hills residents David and Laurie Webber were awestruck by the kitten they found last weekend at their campsite.
There was more to this meow than meets the eye. It turned out to be a baby bobcat.
While camping Saturday at a private area spot in eastern Carroll County, Laurie Webber said, she and her husband were curious why their dogs were continuously barking outside.
The creature the couple found lurking underneath their Honda CRV was surprising.
"It was the cutest little thing and very soft," she said. "I thought it was a regular cat."
Webber, 76, said it took a butterfly net to capture the animal. She and her husband soon researched online and discovered it was a domestic cat.
"It wasn't purring and had a very short tail," said Webber, adding that they fed the animal cat food and gave it some water to help it survive the weekend.
On Monday, the Webbers dropped the animal off to employees at the Stark County Park District's Wildlife Conservation Center in Perry Township.
Park officials transferred the bobcat later Monday to Penitentiary Glenn Reservation in Kirtland for rehabilitation, a park official said, since Stark Parks doesn't have the proper permits to hold those animals long term.
The Webbers were told by Stark Parks that the bobcat should have a healthy life, and be returned to the wild when it learns to hunt for food.
"We just want the little thing to survive," Webber said. "It's nice to say we had a baby bobcat for a (couple of) days."


text:
Imagine a farmer among cattle: there's a strong chance it's a man who popped into your head.
But women are making a serious mark on agriculture, and one CSU professor believes it's time the workplace caught up.
Prof Pratley presented his paper Agriculture- from macho to gender balance at the Australian Agronomy Conference last week.
He analysed enrollments in agricultural subjects throughout history, a boys' only zone for over 100 years. Since becoming co-educational and free under Whitlam in the 70s, a flood of women have filled the halls of universities and colleges.
"It took until 2003, 15 years after equality across the general population in universities, that women for the first time had more enrollments in ag courses than men," Prof Pratley said.
They've maintained that majority ever since.
Female representation is in stark contrast to other traditionally male degrees such as engineering, where it sits around just 13 per cent.
"We're maximising the availability of talent to come into our industries, ag is up there as a really smart sector," he said.
For bachelor of animal science student Emma Lynch, the dominance of women in her classes came as a surprise.
"Out of 60 when we started we might have had 10 guys in the class- It's very female orientated," she said.
Ms Lynch is currently completing her honours year looking at different nutritional options for cattle.
Despite the overwhelming presence of women around her, she says sexism is still a problem.
"Especially on more physical, laborious pracs, there's an idea that 'oh females can't do that', but of course we can," she said.
"Being a young woman you do sometimes also need to step up to older males who've been in the industry for many years and say yes, I do know some things and I can help potentially improve it and make a difference."
Prof Pratley wants to see workplace policies which reflect women's significant contribution.
"The further you get away from graduation the bigger the gap will be in terms of salaries, superannuation, and seniority. I'm putting a plea out there to say let's find a way to lead this by creating workplace arrangements that support families," he said.
Ms Lynch believes women are seeing the worth in Australia's booming agricultural sector, and as a soon-to-be graduate in the livestock industry herself, she encourages young students to keep at it.
"A woman should be able to apply for and get any job a man can," she said.
"If you love it, follow you dreams, just keep going,"
The story Agriculture leads the way on gender equality first appeared on The Daily Advertiser.


text:
Checking status...
No Account? Sign Up Here.
Print Subscriber? Activate your FREE Digital Subscription Here.
View and update your account information here
Need to get in touch with us? Contact circulation at circulation_[at]_record-journal.com
Students in Mrs. LeClair's Biology and Ecology classes learn about duck growth from incubated eggs. Students watched over the eggs for 6 weeks as they were incubated. The students measured temperature as the incubator rotated the eggs continuously. The ducklings hatched and are being cared for by students under Mrs. LeClair's supervision. This was an excellent way to enhance teaching and learning in the classroom under a new science curriculum. The equipment was acquired through donorschoose.org.


text:
Radiomics in precision medicine for lung cancer
Lung cancer is one of the most aggressive human cancers worldwide, with a 5-year overall survival of 10–15%, showing no significant improvement over the last three decades (1,2). In total, 87% of lung cancers are diagnosed with non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC), which includes adenocarcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and large cell carcinoma histological types. Lung cancers are classified according to molecular subtypes, predicated on particular genetic alterations that drive and maintain lung tumorigenesis (3). Such driver mutations, and the associated constitutively active mutant signaling proteins, are critical to tumor cell survival, leading to the development of novel targeted therapies (4). Currently, the standard of care for unresectable NSCLC tumors is concurrent chemoradiation that showed more than half treatment failing locally (5). Recent evidence suggests that pre- and post-treatment anatomical or functional/molecular imaging information could be used to tailor treatment type and intensity, and predict treatment outcomes in radiotherapy. For instance, changes in tumor volume on computed tomography (CT) have been used to predict radiotherapy response in NSCLC patients (6,7). Functional/molecular imaging, in particular positron emission tomography (PET) with 18F-fludeoxyglucose (FDG), has received special attention as a potential prognostic factor for predicting radiotherapy efficacy (8), and has been shown to be useful for the delineation of radiation targets of stage III NSCLC (9,10). For instance, the prognostic value of pre- and mid-radiotherapy FDG-PET/CT metrics was examined for 77 patients with stage III NSCLC treated with modestly intensified radiation dose (median radiation dose of 66 Gy) (11). Some pre- and mid-radiotherapy PET metrics were found prognostic of the local recurrence and regional/distant recurrence, but not on the overall survival.
Advances in delivery and imaging technologies put a step forward into a new era of image-guided and adaptive radiotherapy (IGART), which has witnessed burgeoning interest in applying different imaging modalities, both to define the target volume and to predict treatment response. In modern IGART, there is a strong interest for using multimodal imaging in tumor staging and optimizing the treatment planning of different cancer types (12). The goal is to achieve improved target definition by incorporating complementary anatomical information [CT, magnetic resonance (MR), ultrasound, etc.] coupled with an improved disease characterization and localization using functional and molecular imaging (PET, functional MR, etc.). Recently, a dose-escalation adaptive treatment target volume to the responding tumor defined on mid-treatment FDG-PET demonstrated great promise to deliver high-dose radiation (up to a total dose of 86 Gy) to the more aggressive areas of locally stage I-III NSCLC tumors with a reasonable rate of radiotherapy-induced toxicity (13). This clinical trial of 42 patients achieved its primary goal to improve 2-year local-regional tumor control rates, with an infield tumor control rate of 82% and overall tumor control rate of 62%, and a 5-year overall survival rate of 30% (13). Moreover, using mid-radiotherapy FDG-PET/CT on stage III NSCLC patients, it was found that without high-dose radiation escalation, the 2-year cumulative incidence of local recurrence was about 24% (11), while the RTOG 0617 rate was around 34% (14).
In radiation oncology, information from imaging data has been related to treatment endpoints, although extracting relevant features to a particular task remains challenging and not fully explored. The problem could be addressed according to an engineering 'pattern recognition' approach, as previously proposed (15), which requires understanding of the clinical endpoint and the characteristics of the imaging modality. This process of extraction of quantitative information from anatomical/molecular images with their corresponding biological information and clinical endpoints is a new emerging field referred to as 'radiomics' (16,17). Radiomics could be thought of as consisting of two main steps: (I) extraction of quantitative imaging static and dynamic features from a previously defined tumor region; and (II) the imaging features or traits are then incorporated into mathematical models for treatment outcome prediction that is aimed at providing added value for personalizing of treatment regimens in comparison with commonly used clinical predictors.
NSCLC has been on the forefront of radiomics studies, including CT-based radiomic signature consisting of three features shown to predict distant metastasis in lung adenocarcinoma (18). Histological subtype (adenocarcinoma or squamous cell carcinoma) were predicted with features extracted from pretreatment CT images using the Relief feature selection method and a Naïve Bayes' classifier with an AUC of 0.72 for tumor histology (19). A combination of image radiomics and clinical factors improved prediction of disease-free survival (20). The combination of PET/CT was shown to predict local control (21). Changes in radiomics features (delta-radiomics) was shown to predict NSCLC outcomes (22). A general review of radiomics in radiotherapy is provided by Avanzo et al. (23). In the following, we provide a description of the mechanics involved for conducting radiomics analysis in lung cancer using single and/or multi-modality imaging data.
Image segmentation
Medical image segmentation is a process to separate structures of interest in an image from its background or other neighboring structures. It is a necessary prerequisite step for many medical imaging applications including radiomics. There are several commercial and academic software tools that support different segmentation algorithms. In general, commercial software packages have better implementations with a user-friendly interface for manual and semi-automatic segmentation methods, but often lag behind the latest developments in the field. In contrast, academic software packages, such as ITK (24), BioImage Suite (25), MIPAV (26), and ImageJ (27), 3D slicer (28) may tend to be oriented towards single-modality applications and less friendly in handling multimodality images as sometimes may be required. These algorithms go under different categories. For instance, Pham and coworkers divided segmentation algorithms into eight different categories: thresholding, region growing, classifiers, clustering, Markov random field models, artificial neural networks, deformable models and atlas-guided approaches (29). Among the most robust image segmentation are based on deformable models (snakes or level sets), which are geometric representations of curves or surfaces that are defined explicitly or implicitly in the imaging domain. These models move under the influence of internal forces (contour curvature) and external forces (image boundary constraints) (30,31). An example showing joint segmentation of PET/CT in lung cancer is shown in Figure 1 using a multi-valued level set algorithm (32).
Image features extraction
The features extracted from images could be divided into static (snapshot of enhancement at one point in time) and dynamic (time variant) features according to the acquisition protocol at the time of scanning, and into pre- or intra-treatment features according to the scanning time point (33). The static features are based on intensity, object morphology, and texture as presented in our previous work on pattern recognition analysis in PET images (15) or our similarity learning in content-based retrieval from mammogram databases (34,35). The dynamic features are extracted from time-varying acquisitions such as dynamic PET, SPECT or MR. These features are based on kinetic analysis using tissue compartment models and parameters related to transport and binding rates (36).
Static image features
Several static image features can be applied to radiomics studies.
Standard uptake value (SUV) descriptors of PET
The radiotracer intensity values are extracted PET images and are converted into SUVs with statistical descriptors such as maximum, minimum, mean, standard deviation (SD), and coefficient of variation (CV). SUV is a standard method in PET image quantitative analysis (37), and similarly for CT analogous metrics could be derived from the Hounsfield units (HU) or summarizing intensity statistics in case of MRI.
Intensity volume histogram (IVH)
The IVH is defined in analogous fashion to the dose volume histogram (DVH): each point on the IVH defines the absolute or relative volume of that structure that exceeds a variable intensity threshold as a percentage of the maximum intensity. The IVH is thus intended to play the same role of as the DVH in reducing complicated 3D data into a single easier histogram to interpret. This method would allow for extracting several metrics from functional images for outcome analysis such as Ix (minimum intensity to x% highest intensity volume), Vx (percentage volume having at least x% intensity value), and descriptive statistics (mean, minimum, maximum, standard deviation, etc.).
Texture features
There are several types of texture features that have already been used in different studies, such as texture features using gray-level co-occurrence matrices (GLCM), neighborhood gray-tone difference matrices (NGTDM), gray-level run length matrices (GLRLM), and gray-level size zone matrices (GLSZM), or Laws energy measures (38,39). Here, we briefly describe the GLCM features, which is among the most commonly used textures as an example. The matrix representing the number of times that defined intensity levels (indexed by i and j) occur between neighboring voxels in the entire 3D image. Mathematically, this can be viewed as an extension of the second-order joint conditional probability density function of a given texture image. For an image with M intensity bins, the co-occurrence matrix size is M×M. The M levels are obtained by applying an image quantization method to limit the size of the matrix. Typical values for M are selected in powers of 2 (8, 16, 32, 64, etc.). It should be emphasized that these metrics are independent of tumor position, orientation, size, and brightness, and take into account the local intensity-spatial distribution (40,41). This is a crucial advantage over direct (first-order) histogram metrics (e.g., mean and standard deviation), which only measures intensity variability independent of the spatial distribution in the tumor microenvironment.
Dynamic image features
In order to quantify a contrast agent or a tracer dynamic behavior in a neighborhood (which can be one or more voxels) basis, compartment modeling approaches are typically used in dynamic imaging acquisitions (36). As an example, we briefly review the characteristics of compartment models used for FDG-PET and similar principles are applied in cases of dynamic CT or MRI.
Kinetic model for FDG (36). A 3-compartment model is used to depict the trapping of FDG-6-Phosphate (FDG6P) in tumor. In Figure 2, Cb(t) denotes the input function; C1(t) the concentration of un-phosphorylated FDG; and C2(t) the concentration of FDG-6-Phosphate. The bi-directional transport across the membrane via GLUTs is represented by the rate-constants K1 and k2, the phosphorylation of FDG is denoted by k3 while the action of G6-phophatase is represented with rate constant k4. We will start the analysis assuming k4=0, but we will explore non-zero k4. Using estimates of compartmental modeling, measures of FDG uptake rate (K) will be evaluated by the relation KFDG = K1*k3 /(k2+k3) We expect that statistical properties of the neighborhood K values to be predictive of local control.
Multi-metric modeling of response
In the context of data-driven outcomes modeling, the observed treatment outcome is considered to be caused by multiple dosimetric, clinical, and biological input variables (42). Outcomes in radiation oncology are generally characterized by two metrics: tumor control probability (TCP) and the surrounding normal tissue complication probability (NTCP) (43,44). Before outcomes modeling, features selection will be used to find the best subset of features for the models. There are principally three types of techniques existing for the feature selection task: filter method, wrapper method and embedded method (45). Filter-based method is an information-based method that is computationally efficient, including mutual information, correlation-based and relief method. The wrapper method uses the prediction performance of a classifier to assess the importance of the features, while the embedded method implements the selection of features in the process of the training. With the optimized chosen feature, a data-driven model can be build such as classical logistic regression approaches or more advanced machine learning techniques.
For more details about outcome modeling in radiotherapy, the reader can refer to our previous work (46) and to the dose-response explorer system (DREES) that is a dedicated software tool for this purpose (47). Below, we will show examples using standard logistic regression and more advanced machine learning.
Outcome modeling by logistic regression
Logistic modeling is a common tool for multi-metric modeling. In our previous work (42,48), a logit transformation was used:
where n is the number of cases (patients), xi is a vector of the input variable values (i.e., image features) used to predict f (xi) for outcome yi (i.e., TCP or NTCP) of the ith.
where d is the number of model variables and the ß's are the set of model coefficients determined by maximizing the probability that the data gave rise to the observations. The number of parameters can be determined from the feature selection approach or by incorporating all features and applying shrinkage methods such as LASSO (49).
Outcome modeling by machine learning
Machine learning represents a wide class of artificial intelligence techniques [e.g., neural networks, decision trees, support vector machines (SVM)], which are able to emulate living beings' intelligence by learning the surrounding environment from the given input data. Basically SVM [see for e.g. (50)] and neural networks are both based on supervised learning that is typically used in image-based outcome modeling, aiming at estimating an unknown (input, output) mapping from known (input, output) samples. These methods are increasingly being utilized in radiation oncology because of their ability to detect nonlinear patterns in the data (51). In particular, neural networks were extensively investigated to model post-radiation treatment outcomes for cases of lung injury (52,53). Learning is defined in this context as estimating dependencies from data (54).
From data with input and labels yi, D = {(xi, yi) ∈ Rn × C | i =1,2,3,..N} of N total samples, a function f:Rn → C can be found, such that f(xi) ≅ yi for each sample i. Two types of algorithm can be encountered: classification, when the target set C is discretized or regression when C =R. For instance, taking a binary classification (e.g. low/high risk of tumor failure) represented by C ={1,-1}, SVM would seek for a developing hyperplane in some higher dimension such that the data points are separated with the maximal margin according to their labels (Figure 3A). Mathematically, SVM is then described by an optimization problem:
where r ∈ R,w ∈ Rn and yi = {1, -1} are variables to be optimized. Essentially, the objective function r is the maximal margin to be found, and the constraints impose the lower bound of each datapoint (xi, yi) to the decision boundary to be greater than r at least. Thus, the optimal weights (w, b) uniquely determine a SVM binary classifier:
where, the indicator function is defined by
On the other hand, neural network constructs a nonlinear function using self-iterations in sets of matrix (weights) and vectors (bias) such that,
where, is a designated nonlinear function called activation, which plays an important part in neural network. From (d), the sets of weights and bias uniquely determine a neural network function fNN, and the nonlinearity is understood to stem solely from the activation functions . Also, here "W(1),W(2),…" denote the matrix form of weights and similar for the bias vectors "b(1),b(2),…". The index l= 1,2,3,… indicating the depth in weights and bias are called layers (Figure 3B). A shallow network (small number of layers) can represent a very complex function as long as the number of neurons is sufficiently large, and the deeper in layer, the more complex functions neural network can represent. Under the supervision, i.e., imposing fNN(xi) ≅ yi, it then gives the best weights and bias to be utilized.
Among all the machine learning techniques, the deep neural network has recently showed impressive performance in a variety of biomedical problems, such as patient classification, treatment planning, and biological process understanding. These methods do not require explicit extraction of features as discussed above. For instance, Kuruvilla et al. presented lung cancer classification using static features extracted from segmented lung with feedforward and feedforward backward propagation network (55). They used thirteen training functions (back propagation neural networks) for classification, as previously proposed by Paulin et al. (56). This method allowed to find tumor classification with an accuracy of 93.3%, a specificity of 100% and a sensitivity of 91.4% (55). In addition, Kumar et al. proposed to use deep features extracted in CT images from an autoencoder, which is based on neural networks to "encode" the data to a latent space, along with a binary decision tree (e.g., malignant vs. benign) as a classifier for lung cancer classification (57). On the output layer, a "decoding" transformation is used for data reconstruction to obtain learned features that are extracted and implemented to the trained classifier.
Examples of radiomics application in lung cancer
Modeling of patients' survival from CT imaging
Aerts et al. (58) built a radiomic signature consisting of a combination of four features, 'Statistics Energy' describing the overall density of the tumor, 'Shape Compactness' quantifying how compact the tumor shape is, 'Gray Level Nonuniformity' a measure for heterogeneity and wavelet 'Gray Level Nonuniformity HLH', also describing intra-tumor heterogeneity after decomposing the image in mid-frequencies. The signature was obtained by selecting the most stable features using the RIDER dataset, and then trained on a set of 422 lung cancer patients for the prediction of survival. The signature, assessed on an independent lung dataset, was predictive for survival with a c-index (CI) of 0.65, and was successfully tested on cohorts of different cancer types (lung, head and neck cancer) thus demonstrating the translational capability of radiomics across different cancers. In the same study, gene expression of 89 patients from a lung cancer cohort was measured for 21,766 genes, and revealed significant associations between the radiomic features and gene-expression patterns.
Modeling of patient survival using PET imaging
Ohri el al. (59) have recently published a radiomics model from a multi-center data of 201 patients. Using the LASSO procedure, they identified 1 textural feature calculated from GLCM, SumMean, as an independent predictor of overall survival that complement volume [metabolic tumor volume (MTV)] in decision tree. The optimal cutpoint for the MTV was found to 93.3 cm3, and the optimal SumMean cutpoint for tumors above 93.3 cm3 in the decision tree was 0.018 (Figure 4).
Modeling of tumor response using PET/CT
There is an inherent advantage of combining imaging information from multiple modalities such as PET/CT or PET/MRI. In a retrospective study of 30 NSCLC patients (33), thirty features were extracted from both PET and CT images with and without motion-correction as shown in Figure 5. The features included tumor volume; SUV/HU measurements, such as mean, minimum, maximum, and the standard deviation; IVH metrics; and texture based features such as energy, contrast, local homogeneity, and entropy. The data corrected for motion artifacts based on a population-averaged probability spread function (PSF) using de-convolution methods derived from four 4D-CT data sets (60). An example of such features in this case is shown in Figure 5. Then, these features can be implemented in the DREES software (Figure 6) to predict local failure (21), which consisted of a model of 2-parameters from features from both PET and CT based on IVHs provided the best performance.
Radiogenomics example
In addition to relating imaging information to clinical endpoints, it could be also related to biological and genotypic molecular signatures. The identification of patients with presence of mutations of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) in NSCLC is of great interest as they may respond to EGFR-targeted drugs and molecular methods used to detect EGFR mutations are expensive. Radiomic feature Laws-Energy on the pretreatment CT scan was significantly predictive for EGFR-mutation status. A radiomic model for identification of EGFR mutant status from tumor segmented semi-automatically on CT using seed-based region growing method was developed through multiple logistic regression and pairwise selection with moderate predictive power (AUC, 0.647; 95% confidence interval: 0.576–0.701). The model improved the AUC to 0.709 by including also clinical variables (61). An example is shown in Figure 7. Gene fusion have been become of clinical interest as fusion-positive patients may benefit by targeted drugs.
The use of imaging in outcome modeling of radiotherapy response has witnessed rapid increase in recent years adding more value to already existing use of imaging in cancer treatment in general and radiotherapy in particular. However, there are several issues that are currently limiting its rapid progression. It is well recognized that image acquisition protocols may impact the reproducibility of extracted features from image modalities, which may consequently impact the robustness and stability of these features for treatment prediction. This includes static features such as SUV/HU/MRI descriptors and texture features. Interestingly, texture-based features were shown to have a reproducibility similar to or better than that of simple SUV descriptors (62). This demands protocols for standardized acquisition. In addition, factors that may impact the stability of these features also include signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), partial volume effect, motion artifacts, parameter settings, resampling size, and image quantization (15,63). Indeed, a 3D (static) PET may fail to provide accurate position, volume, and absorbed activity distribution for a mobile tumor. Conventional (3D) PET/CT was compared to respiratory-gated (4D) PET/CT PET to assess the impact of respiratory motion in the variability of features extracted in phantoms (64) and in lung cancer patient (65). An inconsistency of long axis length between 3D images and 4D images at inhale/exhale, indicated that tumor shape and rotation varied between phases (65). Nevertheless, advances in hardware and software technologies will further facilitate wider application of advanced image processing techniques to medical imaging to achieve better clinical results. For instance, pre-processing methods such as denoising and deconvolution methods already help in mitigating such artifacts (66,67), however, more advanced image restoration methods based on nonlocality and sparsity may be more fruitful (68). Outcome modeling using logistic regression has become a de facto standard, however, more advanced modeling techniques such machine learning may provide further predictive power particularly when dealing with more complex and nonlinear relationships among features and between clinical outcomes. We believe that the synergy between image analysis and machine learning (51) could provide powerful tools to strengthen and further the utilization of image-based outcome modeling in clinical practice towards improved clinical decision making and personalized medicine in the future.
In this review, we have presented an overview of possible applications of radiomics in lung cancer, ranging from basic image segmentation, outcome modeling, to deciphering genetic signatures. As the role of imaging continue to increase in lung cancer management, radiomics will follow suit. However, it is recognized that this field is still in its infancy with challenges such as image protocol standardization to breathing motion artifacts that may limit its reproducibility and possible use in clinical trials currently. Nevertheless, concerted effort by the research and the clinical community is aiming to mitigate these challenges and benefit from the potentials of radiomics in personalized precision medicine.
Conflicts of Interest: The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.
- Stewart BW, Wild CP. World Cancer Report 2014 [Internet]. Cited 2017 Sep 1. Available online: http://publications.iarc.fr/Non-Series-Publications/World-Cancer-Reports/World-Cancer-Report-2014
- Jemal A, Siegel R, Ward E, et al. Cancer statistics, 2008. CA Cancer J Clin 2008;58:71-96. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- Pao W, Girard N. New driver mutations in non-small-cell lung cancer. Lancet Oncol 2011;12:175-80. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- Travis WD, Brambilla E, Riely GJ. New pathologic classification of lung cancer: relevance for clinical practice and clinical trials. J Clin Oncol 2013;31:992-1001. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- Blackstock AW, Govindan R. Definitive Chemoradiation for the Treatment of Locally Advanced Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer. J Clin Oncol 2007;25:4146-52. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- Seibert RM, Ramsey CR, Hines JW, et al. A model for predicting lung cancer response to therapy. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 2007;67:601-9. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- Ramsey CR, Langen KM, Kupelian PA, et al. A technique for adaptive image-guided helical tomotherapy for lung cancer. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 2006;64:1237-44. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- de Geus-Oei LF, Oyen WJ. Predictive and prognostic value of FDG-PET. Cancer Imaging 2008;8:70-80. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- Konert T, Vogel W, MacManus MP, et al. PET/CT imaging for target volume delineation in curative intent radiotherapy of non-small cell lung cancer: IAEA consensus report 2014. Radiother Oncol 2015;116:27-34. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- Hallqvist A, Alverbratt C, Strandell A, et al. Positron emission tomography and computed tomographic imaging (PET/CT) for dose planning purposes of thoracic radiation with curative intent in lung cancer patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Radiother Oncol 2017;123:71-7. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- Gensheimer MF, Hong JC, Chang-Halpenny C, et al. Mid-radiotherapy PET/CT for prognostication and detection of early progression in patients with stage III non-small cell lung cancer. Radiother Oncol 2017. [Epub ahead of print]. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- Jaffray DA. Image-guided radiotherapy: from current concept to future perspectives. Nat Rev Clin Oncol 2012;9:688-99. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- Kong F-M, Ten Haken RK, Schipper M, et al. Effect of Midtreatment PET/CT-Adapted Radiation Therapy With Concurrent Chemotherapy in Patients With Locally Advanced Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer: A Phase 2 Clinical Trial. JAMA Oncol 2017. [Epub ahead of print]. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- Bradley JD, Paulus R, Komaki R, et al. Standard-dose versus high-dose conformal radiotherapy with concurrent and consolidation carboplatin plus paclitaxel with or without cetuximab for patients with stage IIIA or IIIB non-small-cell lung cancer (RTOG 0617): a randomised, two-by-two factorial phase 3 study. Lancet Oncol 2015;16:187-99. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- El Naqa I, Grigsby P, Apte A, et al. Exploring feature-based approaches in PET images for predicting cancer treatment outcomes. Pattern Recognit 2009;42:1162-71. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- Lambin P, Rios-Velazquez E, Leijenaar R, et al. Radiomics: Extracting more information from medical images using advanced feature analysis. Eur J Cancer 2012;48:441-6. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- Kumar V, Gu Y, Basu S, et al. Radiomics: the process and the challenges. Magnetic Resonance Imaging 2012;30:1234-48. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- Coroller TP, Grossmann P, Hou Y, et al. CT-based radiomic signature predicts distant metastasis in lung adenocarcinoma. Radiother Oncol 2015;114:345-50. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- Wu W, Parmar C, Grossmann P, et al. Exploratory Study to Identify Radiomics Classifiers for Lung Cancer Histology. Front Oncol 2016;6:71. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- Huang Y, Liu Z, He L, et al. Radiomics Signature: A Potential Biomarker for the Prediction of Disease-Free Survival in Early-Stage (I or II) Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer. Radiology 2016;281:947-57. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- Vaidya M, Creach KM, Frye J, et al. Combined PET/CT image characteristics for radiotherapy tumor response in lung cancer. Radiother Oncol 2012;102:239-45. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- Fave X, Zhang L, Yang J, et al. Using Pretreatment Radiomics and Delta-Radiomics Features to Predict Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Patient Outcomes. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 2017;98:249. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- Avanzo M, Stancanello J, El Naqa I. Beyond imaging: The promise of radiomics. Phys Med 2017;38:122-39. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- Yoo TS, Ackerman MJ, Lorensen WE, et al. Engineering and algorithm design for an image processing Api: a technical report on ITK--the Insight Toolkit. Stud Health Technol Inform 2002;85:586-92. [PubMed]
- Papademetris X, Jackowski MP, Rajeevan N, et al. BioImage Suite: An integrated medical image analysis suite: An update. Insight J 2006;2006:209. [PubMed]
- McAuliffe MJ, Lalonde FM, McGarry D, et al. Medical Image Processing, Analysis and Visualization in clinical research. 14th IEEE Symposium on Computer-Based Medical Systems. Bethesda, MD, 2001:381-6. Available online: http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/941749/
- Abramoff MD, Magalhães PJ, Ram SJ. Image processing with ImageJ. Biophotonics International 2004;11:36-42.
- Fedorov A, Beichel R, Kalpathy-Cramer J, et al. 3D Slicer as an Image Computing Platform for the Quantitative Imaging Network. Magn Reson Imaging 2012;30:1323-41. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- Pham DL, Xu C, Prince JL. Current Methods in Medical Image Segmentation. Annu Rev Biomed Eng 2000;2:315-37. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- Sethian JA. Level Set Methods and Fast Marching Methods: Evolving Interfaces in Computational Geometry, Fluid Mechanics, Computer Vision, and Materials Science. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1999:402.
- Xu C, Pham D, Prince J. Image Segmentation Using Deformable Models. In: Sonka M, Fitzpatrick J. editors. Handbook of Medical Imaging. Medical Image Processing and Analysis. SPIE Press, 2000:129-74.
- El Naqa I, Yang D, Apte A, et al. Concurrent multimodality image segmentation by active contours for radiotherapy treatment planning. Med Phys 2007;34:4738-49. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- Naqa IE. The role of quantitative PET in predicting cancer treatment outcomes. Clin Transl Imaging 2014;2:305-20. [Crossref]
- El Naqa I, Wei L, Yang Y. Content-based image retrieval for digital mammography. In: Mohammed S, Fiaidhi J. editors. The Ubiquity 2.0 Trend and Beyond. Hershey: IGI Global, 2010:485-508.
- El-Naqa I, Yang Y, Galatsanos NP, et al. A similarity learning approach to content-based image retrieval: application to digital mammography. IEEE Trans Med Imaging 2004;23:1233-44. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- Watabe H, Ikoma Y, Kimura Y, et al. PET kinetic analysis--compartmental model. Ann Nucl Med 2006;20:583-8. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- Strauss LG, Conti PS. The applications of PET in clinical oncology. J Nucl Med 1991;32:623-648; discussion 649-650. [PubMed]
- Khalil MM. editor. Basic Science of PET Imaging. Springer, 2017. Available online: http://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/978-3-319-40070-9.pdf
- Vallières M, Freeman CR, Skamene SR, et al. A radiomics model from joint FDG-PET and MRI texture features for the prediction of lung metastases in soft-tissue sarcomas of the extremities. Phys Med Biol 2015;60:5471. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- Castleman KR. editor. Digital Image Processing. New Jersey: Prentice Hall Inc., 1979.
- Haralick RM, Shanmugam K, Dinstein I. Textural Features for Image Classification. IEEE Transactions on Systems, Man, and Cybernetics 1973;SMC-3:610-21. [Crossref]
- Deasy J, El Naqa I. Image-Based Modeling of Normal Tissue Complication Probability for Radiation Therapy. In: Bentzen SM, Harari PM, Mackie TR, et al. editors. Radiation Oncology Advances. Springer, 2007.
- Steel GG. editor. Basic clinical radiobiology. 3rd ed. London: Arnold; New York: Oxford University Press, 2002. Available online: http://trove.nla.gov.au/version/45382700
- Webb SP. editor. The physics of three-dimensional radiation therapy conformal radiotherapy, radiosurgery, and treatment planning. Bristol: UK Institute of Physics Pub, 2001. Available online: http://trove.nla.gov.au/work/10354339
- Guyon I, Elisseeff A. An introduction to variable and feature selection. J Mach Learn Res 2003;3:1157-82.
- El Naqa I. Outcomes Modeling. In: Starkschall G, Alfredo R, Siochi C. editors. Informatics in Radiation Oncology. CRC Press, 2013:257-75.
- El Naqa I, Suneja G, Lindsay PE, et al. Dose response explorer: an integrated open-source tool for exploring and modelling radiotherapy dose-volume outcome relationships. Phys Med Biol 2006;51:5719-35. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- El Naqa I, Bradley J, Blanco AI, et al. Multivariable modeling of radiotherapy outcomes, including dose-volume and clinical factors. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 2006;64:1275-86. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- Tibshirani RJ. Regression shrinkage and selection via the lasso. J R Stat Soc B 1996;58:267-88.
- Vapnik VN, Vapnik V. Statistical learning theory. Vol. 1. New York: Wiley, 1998. Available online: http://www.dsi.unive.it/~pelillo/Didattica/Artificial%20Intelligence/Old%20Stuff/Slides/SLT.pdf
- El Naqa I, Li R, Murphy MJ. editors. Machine learning in radiation oncology: theory and applications. Springer, 2015.
- Munley MT, Lo JY, Sibley GS, et al. A neural network to predict symptomatic lung injury. Phys Med Biol 1999;44:2241-9. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- Su M, Miften M, Whiddon C, et al. An artificial neural network for predicting the incidence of radiation pneumonitis. Med Phys 2005;32:318-25. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- Hastie T, Tibshirani R, Friedman JH. The elements of statistical learning: data mining, inference, and prediction: with 200 full-color illustrations. New York: Springer Google Scholar, 2001.
- Kuruvilla J, Gunavathi K. Lung cancer classification using neural networks for CT images. Comput Methods Programs Biomed 2014;113:202-9. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- Paulin F, Santhakumaran A. Back propagation neural network by comparing hidden neurons: case study on breast cancer diagnosis. Int J Comput Appl 2010;2:40-4.
- Kumar D, Wong A, Clausi DA. Lung Nodule Classification Using Deep Features in CT Images. 2015 12th Conference on Computer and Robot. Vision 2015:133-8.
- Aerts HJ, Velazquez ER, Leijenaar RT, et al. Decoding tumour phenotype by noninvasive imaging using a quantitative radiomics approach. Nat Commun 2014;5:4006. [PubMed]
- Ohri N, Duan F, Snyder BS, et al. Pretreatment 18F-FDG PET Textural Features in Locally Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: Secondary Analysis of ACRIN 6668/RTOG 0235. J Nucl Med 2016;57:842-8. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- Naqa IE, Low DA, Bradley JD, et al. Deblurring of breathing motion artifacts in thoracic PET images by deconvolution methods. Med Phys 2006;33:3587-600. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- Aerts HJ, Grossmann P, Tan Y, et al. Defining a Radiomic Response Phenotype: A Pilot Study using targeted therapy in NSCLC. Sci Rep 2016;6:srep33860.
- Tixier F, Hatt M, Le Rest CC, et al. Reproducibility of tumor uptake heterogeneity characterization through textural feature analysis in 18F-FDG PET. J Nucl Med 2012;53:693-700. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- Cheng NM, Fang YH, Yen TC. The promise and limits of PET texture analysis. Ann Nucl Med 2013;27:867-9. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- Carles M, Torres-Espallardo I, Alberich-Bayarri A, et al. Evaluation of PET texture features with heterogeneous phantoms: complementarity and effect of motion and segmentation method. Phys Med Biol 2017;62:652. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- Oliver JA, Budzevich M, Zhang GG, et al. Variability of Image Features Computed from Conventional and Respiratory-Gated PET/CT Images of Lung Cancer. Transl Oncol 2015;8:524-34. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- El Naqa I, Kawrakow I, Fippel M, et al. A comparison of Monte Carlo dose calculation denoising techniques. Phys Med Biol 2005;50:909-22. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- Zaidi H, Abdoli M, Fuentes CL, et al. Comparative methods for PET image segmentation in pharyngolaryngeal squamous cell carcinoma. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging 2012;39:881-91. [Crossref] [PubMed]
- Gunturk BK, Li X. Image restoration: fundamentals and advances. CRC Press, 2012. Available online: https://books.google.fr/books?hl=fr&lr=&id=MHPhrxEaOfcC&oi=fnd&pg=PP1&dq=Gunturk+BK,+Li+X,+eds.+Image+Restoration:+Fundamentals+and+Advances.+Boca+Raton,+FL:+CRC+Press,+Taylor+and+Francis+group%3B+2012&ots=o304Rmxg1i&sig=exo9soQB3VauQvCPteFpDrFmIXQ


text:
I never ever thought I'd write a book on restoration, wholeness and healing. Because, quite honestly, I've struggled with some of the theology that proclaims that God always heals, and if you don't get your healing, it's because you don't have enough faith. People said those kinds of things to me in my early years when I battled Lyme disease; not only were the comments not helpful, they were downright hurtful.
For years I've felt protective of those who've suffered long without a breakthrough. I've asked God to give them a gift of faith. I've asked God to protect them from people who sound like Job's friends and who assess the sufferer with the preface You know what your problem is?
Those who've suffered long don't need more ought-to's and should-do's. Those compassionless statements only make our burden heavier.
But the thing is, when we suffer long, we get used to our situation. We identify with it. And we lose our sense of expectancy. I know this well from personal experience.
Get Spirit-filled content delivered right to your inbox! Click here to subscribe to our newsletter.
It's in those places that we need hope and God's perspective. He doesn't leave us in our pain. He redeems us right in the midst of it. God still moves, still cares and will do something in our situations that we never expected if we will dare to lift our eyes and trust Him, and if we'll determine to contend for the promise He's put before us. God's promises are as potent as they've ever been.
If you're willing, let's embark on a journey and explore Jesus' desire to see us flourish, to heal our soul and to make us whole. Sometimes we'll get an immediate miracle, but I'd say more often, our healing-wholeness journey is more of a process. No matter what ails us—be it emotionally, physically or circumstantially—God has more for us. We're not meant to stay stuck here.
My recent heartbreak and health battle compelled me to dig deeper into God's promises regarding health, healing, and wholeness. I don't know that I'd say my faith has changed as a result of my most recent battle, but it certainly has deepened. I'm convinced—like never before—that God intends to do miracles in our day. I believe—with all my heart—that we'd see far more miracles on the earth today if there were more faith in our hearts. May God stir up a fresh gift of faith in us!
But I also firmly believe that there's a mystery to God's ways and that we don't dictate to Him; instead, we serve Him, honor Him, revere Him and trust Him. Godly people get sick and die. I look at men like my dear brother-in-law Donny, or Nabeel Qureshi, the Christian apologist and author. Both of them died of cancer—far too young. But I now see that they won their battle. They didn't lose it. Cancer no longer grips them in its ugly, devastating clutches or robs them of health and peace. They're with Jesus—full, healed and free. And our time with them will far exceed our short time without them.
And there are those whose lot involves life with a disability. Such a cross. Such a cost. But God is with them, and He'll either miraculously heal them, or He'll miraculously use them in a way that allows them to flourish and reflect the Father's heart right in the midst of their vulnerability. Life on earth is short. Eternity is long. God's promises are true. And if you follow Jesus through the Gospels, you'll find a Savior who cares deeply about the human condition.
What, Then, Are We Called to Do?
That fact—our Savior's heart for the human condition—is what brings us the assurance that God wants us to thrive, and He's with us every step of the way.
You and I need to make some adjustments amidst the craziness of this world and the toxicity of our times. God offers us wisdom from above, wisdom that's unique to us and to our situation. But in order for us to know the fullness and the restoration that are possible for us as heirs of God, we have some things to learn. We cannot and must not keep grinding our gears through life while ignoring the physical and emotional toll that our hardships have had on us. Neither can we ignore the mental and/or emotional symptoms that are trying to get our attention.
I can't prove this, but I believe there's a trapdoor in our hearts that drops things into our souls. Our soul is the place where our emotions brew and our hurts collide, and the turmoil of it all can put the squeeze on our hopes, our dreams and our perspective. Jesus wants peace to rule and reign in our hearts so that we can prosper in our soul. He wants us to flourish in every way possible.
"My beloved friend, I pray that everything is going well for you and that your body is as healthy as your soul is prosperous." (3 John 2, VOICE).
So here's what we're going to do on this journey:
We're going to pursue wholeness.
And we're going to pray for a miracle.
We're going to ask God for a fresh vision of what flourishing can look like for us, and then we're going to position ourselves on the path of healing—whatever it takes. Some of this will be hard. But you're no stranger to hard. You've done it before. We can do hard if it leads us to a better life, right? We're going to roll up our sleeves, take inventory of our habits, give our soul some room to breathe and maybe change a few of our ways so we can enjoy better health.
And then we're going to go before the Most High God, who loves us with a passion we cannot fathom, and we're going to ask Him for a miracle, because He's the same God yesterday, today, and forever. He loves us, and He still performs miracles today.
Excerpted from Fully Alive: Learning to Flourish—Mind, Spirit and Body by Susie Larson (© 2018). Used by permission of Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group. Larson is a national speaker, radio host and author of 15 books.
Get Spirit-filled content delivered right to your inbox! Click here to subscribe to our newsletter.
Great Resources to help you excel in 2019! #1 John Eckhardt's "Prayers That..." 6-Book Bundle. Prayer helps you overcome anything life throws at you. Get a FREE Bonus with this bundle. #2 Learn to walk in the fullness of your purpose and destiny by living each day with Holy Spirit. Buy a set of Life in the Spirit, get a second set FREE.


text:
We had such a wonderful and fun-filled visit with Brent's parents. I was amazed at all we fit into our five days together. So much, in fact, that I'll need to split it up into a couple blog posts! We picked up Mom and Dad K at 12:30pm on Friday. Our first stop? I'll give you a clue:
That's right - our favorite, Sunshine Grill! Mom and Dad loved the food and ambiance, so we actually went back again our last night together.
Brent and I had placed an Amazon order with things M&D could bring for us. I'm most excited about the new wedding ring for Brent! This is is third ring he's owned in Grand Cayman. The first one he lost a week after moving here, and the second he lost a week after we got back from Christmas. I hope this one sticks around for a while.
Chicken Quesadillas. So beautiful.
On Saturday, we headed to Stingray Sandbar in our boat.
I forgot to take my dramamine, so I was feeling a little seasick from the ride. While I calmed my stomach, Brent and his parents jumped in. I love this next picture for several reasons. Mom's looking worried, Dad is hollering out to her, and Walter's throw up is in the corner (I wasn't the only one who got seasick).
Eventually Mom got very brave and was feeding the stingrays and letting them swim all over her. I was so proud!
Dad really loved the stingrays and had no hesitation. First he chased them...
Then they fought back.
Look at the determination! (FYI for future visitors, this is not the recommended way to approach the stingrays. Dad has the hickies to prove it.)
The boat rocked like crazy when anchored, so getting out was the best thing for the nausea. Brent thought Walter might feel better out of the boat as well, but I didn't want him in the water with the stingrays (not to mention Walter hates swimming and has an irrational fear of the ocean). Sweet Brent carried him around for a bit, until I got overwhelmed by the stingrays and he had to carry me around for a bit.
At the end of their stay, both Mom and Dad said the stingrays were their favorite part. It certainly is a unique experience! That night, we cleaned up and went to Alfresco for dinner. We made reservations for 6:15 to make sure we caught the sunset.
Mom and Dad outside our apartment
At Alfresco - I probably said something really funny to get these smiles. Actually, I think they were laughing at the number of pictures I was taking...
The sunset was lovely and the lighting was perfect for some portrait pictures. I couldn't resist snapping a few (hundred) while we waited for our food.
Each couple got an entree and a pizza to split. The food was amazing, the company was even better :) Mom and Dad got a seafood pizza and some kind of spicy chicken dish.
Our pizza had half pepperoni and half tomato and spinach. We also split the lobster ravioli in pumpkin sauce.
We ended up taking a lot of the pizza home, which I didn't mind one bit. For dessert, we split Baileys Chocolate Cheesecake and Key Lime Pie. See you later, diet! This is what vacations are all about!
(Please don't be a killjoy and remind me that I live here and was not technically on vacation...)
That covers Day 1 and 2. Stay tuned for lots more from the rest of our visit!
Friday, May 20, 2011
Parents Visit - Sunshine Grill, Stingray Sandbar and Alfresco
Posted by Katie at 1:00 AM
Labels: boat, Grand Cayman Restaurants, Stingray Sandbar, visitors
5 comments:
Brent's gorgeous parents are proof he'll be looking great for years to come! Glad you had such a nice time.ReplyDelete
Oh Katie, for some reason this post really does my heart good. It's great to see you and Brent soaking up time with family. Brent's parents are beautiful...as well as you two love birds. Love to you. EmReplyDelete
Gosh Brent's mom is gorgeous. Every time I see all your pictures it reminds me we need to really learn how to use our fancy camera too! :)ReplyDelete
Wow, my mom is getting a lot of buzz, and she deserves it. But, what about my dad? He's quite handsome too.ReplyDelete
That was a great week. I loved having my parents in town. Can't wait to get more visitors.
Awesome photos! Besides your eye for a good shot what camera are you using?ReplyDelete
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


text:
Thinking Of Relocating To The Bay Area?
Berkeley, CA is a great alternative to San Francisco. It's close enough to take advantage of the amenities across the Bay, while not being as congested as the large city. It's a healthy city that is bike-friendly. There are tons of restaurants that use fresh, local ingredients. Whether you're looking for something high-end, like Chez Panisse, which is said to have sparked the California cuisine movement or want something cheaper that is student-budget-friendly, you've got plenty of options. If you're considering hiring Bay Area movers to move to Berkeley, here's what you might want to consider.(more…)


text:
Jargon buster
|Additional Voluntary Contributions (AVCs)
|Extra payments that you can make on top of your ordinary Plan contributions to provide extra pension under the Plan.
|Basic Pay
|Basic salary or wage excluding overtime, bonuses, directors' fees, shares of profits, repayment of expenses and any other fluctuating work-related pay. If you participate in SMART Pensions, your Basic Pay includes the amount your basic salary or wage has been reduced as a result of you participating in SMART Pensions.
|Basic Pension
The formula used to work out your main pension entitlement from the Plan.
The accrual rate is:
|Basic State Pension
|This is a set amount available from State Pension Age (SPA) to everyone who has paid sufficient National Insurance contributions during their working lifetime.
|Civil Partner
|The person with whom you have entered into a civil partnership.
|The Principal Company or a Participating Employer.
|Eligible Child
A child (including a legally-adopted child, an unborn child, a
step-child, or a child in relation to whom the Trustee believes
you stood in the place of the child's parents) who:
(a) is under 16 (except where the child is not your natural or adopted child, in which case he or she must also have been financially dependent on you at the date of your death); or
(b) is under 23 and is in full-time education or training for any trade or profession or vocation approved by the Trustee (except where the child is not your natural or adopted child, in which case he or she must also have been financially dependent on you at the date of your death); or
(c) in the opinion of the Trustee is both permanently disabled and, immediately before your death, had been dependent on you for the ordinary necessities of life.
|Enhanced Pension
This benefit is payable to all employees who were members of the
Old Fund
on 31 July 1988 who transferred on 1 August 1988 to the Plan.
The benefit is also payable to other employees who joined the Plan on or
after 1 August 1988 who have contributed at the Middle or Top
Enhanced Pension is paid from the month you reach age 65 for the rest
of your life. How much Enhanced Pension you receive depends on whether
you were a member as at 1 August 1988 and whether you are in the Basic
or Enhanced Tier. Enhanced Pension is calculated as follows:
Pre-1 August 1988 Pensionable Service
Enhanced Pension is paid irrespective of the Tier of contribution selected.
Members who joined after 1 August 1988 Pensionable Service, will receive an Enhanced Pension related to their contribution Tier as follows:
The accrual rate is:
|Final LEL Pay
|The annual average of the Lower Earnings Limit received in the last five years of Pensionable Service but not less than if it had been calculated as at 31 May 2010, using the best continuous 12 months out of the last five years of Pensionable Service prior to 1 June 2010.
|Final Pensionable Pay
|The average of your Pensionable Pay received in the last five years of Pensionable Service but not any less than if it had been calculated as at 31 May 2010 using the best continuous 12 months out of the last five years' Pensionable Service.
|Guaranteed Minimum Pension (GMP)
|The part of your pension which relates to contracting out of the State Earnings Related Pension Scheme (SERPS) before 6 April 1997.
|Lower Earnings Limit (LEL)
|The amount set by the State which is used in the calculation of National Insurance contributions. The annual amount of the LEL for the tax year ending 5 April 2011 is £5,044.
|Normal Retirement Date (NRD)
|The first day of the month immediately following your 65th birthday.
|Old Fund
|The Vauxhall & Associated Companies Pension Fund.
|Participating Employer
|Any employer currently participating in the Plan.
|Pensionable Pay
|Pensionable Service
Your service as a member of the Plan. This is normally
continuous Company service in respect of which you have
contributed to the Plan, but some members are granted extra
Pensionable Service in exchange for a transfer payment from
another scheme.
If you work part-time, your Pensionable Service during your period of part-time working is rated down proportionately, but for benefit purposes your Final Pensionable Pay and Pensionable Pay are calculated as if you were working full-time. For contribution purposes your Pensionable Pay is calculated as what it would have been if you were working full-time and is then rated down proportionately.
|Principal Company
|Millbrook Proving Ground Limited.
|Prudential Assurance Company Limited.
|Qualifying Service
|Your service as a member of the Plan. This may also include other categories of service. For example, benefits may have been transferred to the Plan, from another employer's plan.
|The person to whom you are married.
|State Pension Age (SPA)
|The Plan
|The Millbrook Pension Plan
|The level at which you make contributions and receive benefits from the Plan.
|Top-up Pension
Additional pension paid to you by the Plan if you
joined the Plan before 6 April 1997 and
retire before your State Pension Age and
with Company consent.
The Top-up Pension ceased to accrue from 1 June 2009 and is calculated as follows:
|Millbrook Pension Management Limited.


text:
I just got back from a little trip to the Asian food shop, so I thought I'd share what I got. Asian food shops can be a little harder to navigate than regular grocery shops, but trust me, it's totally worth it. I do have to admit though, I also like that it's a lot quieter there.
I'm very lucky to have a local Asian food shop with a vegetarian owner. The shop isn't, they probably wouldn't make it here if it was, but they do have a lot of products most Asian food shops wouldn't sell, specially not one that small. The one I get most is fresh tofu. It's so much better than packaged, omg. Still though, with the previous owner I would go there for tofu to, because the brand they sold (and the current owner still sells) is still lots better than that from a regular grocery shop. Around here at least. They also sell some great fish substitutes, but those are quite expensive, so those are a rare treat for us.
Now onto what I did get. I spent a little over €13 on this haul. Of course I got loads of tofu. I got 3 large blocks and 2 small ones (they sit together in the top right bag). The small blocks are more delicate than the larger ones. Honestly you could eat the small blocks cold with nothing but a bit of soy sauce and ginger. I doubt I will though in this cold weather. The smaller blocks are a bit firmer and great for frying, but still nowhere near as firm as western standards. Honestly I like this better though. And this tofu is cheaper than packaged tofu too. How does she do it?
The napa cabbages I got because I decided to try making kimchi again. The daikon I got a few days ago (Korean radish isn't available here), everything else I still had. Oh except the ginger, I got that too just now.
I also got a couple of hot peppers, enoki mushrooms, hoisin sauce and mushroom sauce. The enoki mushrooms taste almost like chicken to me, so I love to add them to ramen or hotpot so the broth absorbs some of their flavour.
The mushroom sauce is mostly for my partner. They want to learn how to cook, since the multitasking aspect of it is very hard for them. So for that reason I got a sauce for stir fries, since I usually make my own.
I hope you enjoyed seeing what I got and that maybe this inspired you to go to the Asian food shop as well. See you next time!


text:
A cleaning business really can provide you with time and financial freedom, and it's one of the few businesses you can start with little or no experience, and with a very small budget...
...but before you go any further you should know that MOST cleaning businesses fail.
HINT: It's got NOTHING to do with CLEANING!
They fail because the owner didn't focus on the business side of things, and because the owner didn't have a system for generating leads, keeping customers happy and growing their business.
If you've already started your cleaning business you'll know it takes more than just a mop and bucket to make it work...
...you MUST have a system finding new clients, keeping existing clients happy, generating referrals and scaling your business.
If you don't you'll either go out of business or drown in a sea of business admin, marketing tactics, customer service and more.
We got frustrated at seeing so many people start a business full of enthusiasm only to close it down a few months later, or get despondent at slow growth, long-hours, constant struggles and dealing with constant hassles, problems and complaints.
So we decided to do something about it.
Now there's finally a quicker, easier and better way to create a fun, flexible and profitable cleaning business.
We've created a program that gives new and existing cleaning business owners the tools, information, support & guidance to start a cleaning business that allows them to the create a lifestyle of their dreams.
It doesn't matter if you are a stay-at-home Mum or Dad who wants to create a small intimate cleaning business which allows you to spend more time with your family, or an ambitious entrepreneur who wants to create a large business with a big team, you'll find everything you need to create your dream business inside the Cleaning Business Blueprint.
I was looking closely at a major cleaning franchise, but came across this system before signing the contract and I'm so glad I did. Not only have I saved thousands of dollars, but I've also been able to get my business to over $6,000 a month income in less than 5 less months & it's growing every week. My website is generating leads everyday and I'm using the tools and systems to automate my business as much as I can
The cleaning business blueprint is a complete system for starting, growing, scaling and running a profitable cleaning business.
Get EVERYTHING you need to...
Are you ready to create a business that allows you create the life you've always dreamt about?
The Cleaning Business Blueprint is much more than a book or a guide, it is a complete system for launching, running and growing a successful and highly profitable cleaning business.
You get everything you need: Training, marketing templates, pricing calculators, advertising, lead generation, forms, checklists, support and more...
The system has been developed based on what actually works in the 'real world' and 'borrows' the best bits from some of the world's most successful cleaning companies.
With the Cleaning Business Blueprint you'll be able to avoid the usual mistakes, hassles and frustrations and jump-start your journey to creating a rewarding, fun and flexible cleaning business.
As you go through this step-by-step program you'll discover how to:
And this is just a sample of what you'll discover!
I've had the pleasure of working with Tom & his team over the past 12 months - this guy knows his stuff! I was ready to throw in the towel last year - I'd started my cleaning business a few months back and had found a few clients but was struggling to get where fast and felt like I was spinning my wheels. My prices were to low and I was working all hours. Tom's advice has changed things dramatically. He showed me how to find customers who actually wanted to pay more than my competitors charge, and gave me a process to follow that I am using to grow my business. Now my business is growing everything month and I am enjoying it again!
Follow these 27 important principles to get your business the success it deserves.
Includes practical no-fluff eBook, printable checklist, resource guide, cheat-sheet & mindmap.
Value $47 - yours for FREE when you order TODAY!
This system has been developed using tried and tested principles that have worked for many different cleaning businesses around the world. However if you implement our advice and follow our training and find they don't work for you, please contact us in the first 60 days and we will provide a full refund, no questions asked.
Thanks for taking the time to take a look at our Cleaning Business Blueprint. I am proud of what we have developed - if you are serious about starting a cleaning business I believe you won't find a better system (& you definitely won't find one at this price).
Over the years I seen so many people struggle to create a profitable cleaning business. So often people end up quitting after years of frustration, long-hours and low profits.
I used to think a franchise was a good alternative - but they simply haven't evolved. Most of them are seriously over-priced and don't deliver on their promises.
I've never owned a cleaning business myself - and that is one reason why I am able to get such great results for other cleaning businesses. As a business coach & marketing consultant I am able to apply my sales and marketing background, and tried / tested business principles without being tied to 'one way of doing things' or be stuck trying to replicate something that worked 10 years ago but isn't relevant today.
You get to benefit from my years of experience and my ability to to combine the best elements of the most successful cleaning businesses I've worked with over the years.
Everything we provide in the Cleaning Business Blueprint is completely up-to-date and is based on what is working NOW (not last year).
If you are someone who is ready to make a change to your life and build a profitable cleaning business I recommending applying below to see if this program would be a good fit for you.
I look forward to working with you on your journey to create a profitable, flexible and fun cleaning business.
Choose the right package to suit you & your business...
Total Value: $1877
Save $1380 when you purchase the platinum package today...
1 payment of just $497
Pre-Launch Special (25% off)
1 payment of just $372
USE COUPON CODE: 25percent
Total Value: $986
Save $739 when you purchase the platinum package today...
1 payment of just $297
Pre-Launch Special (25% off)
1 payment of just $223
USE COUPON CODE: 25percent
The Silver Package does NOT include one-on-one coaching & is not discounted during the pre-launch period. However you will still be able to take part in group coaching webinars, get priority help & support by email & receive the additional bonuses.
Total Value: $575
Save $478 when you purchase the Silver Package today...
1 payment of $97
This system has been developed using tried and tested principles that have worked for many different cleaning businesses around the world. However if you implement our advice and follow our training and find they don't work for you, please contact us in the first 60 days and we will provide a full refund, no questions asked.
Will it work for me?
This is the most common question we get asked, and the answer in most cases is YES! But and this is important. It will only work if you apply and use the information. It is not a magic wand and if you are looking for a 'get rich quick' system this is not it. However if you are prepared to put in the work and apply what we teach you, it will work for you - and if for some reason it doesn't we'll give you your money back (that's how confident we are!)
I have already started my cleaning business, will this still work for me?
Yes, the program will show you how to grow, scale, automate and improve your existing business. You'll discover how to attract and retain clients, clean better (& quicker) and employ a team to replace you.
I only want to do this part-time and don't want to create a big business, Will This work for me?
Yes, the program has been designed to allow you to create a cleaning business that allows you to live your perfect lifestyle. In-fact at the start we help you get clear on what that lifestyle looks like and how you can build your business to fit around it, rather than the other way around. The systems and information are very relevant and will help you regardless of what kind of business you want to create.
Do you offer a money back guarantee?
Yes, we stand by quality of this program and will refund 100% of your money if you are not satisfied for any reason. Just email firstname.lastname@example.com with the reason for your cancellation and you will receive a full refund.
Couldn't I Get the Same Information From a Book or free free online?
No! This is not theory or fluff! This is a complete marketing and business system - there is nothing else like it available. You get a complete customer attraction, retention and referral system, and learn how to grow and scale your business using tried and tested methods that work for cleaning businesses (not other types of businesses). If you tried to do this using poor quality (& not tried / tested) free information from websites & using business books you'll spend days reading and researching and you still won't be anywhere near where you would be if you'd started using the Cleaning Business Blueprint.
Do you provide help and support?
Yes, you can submit a help ticket through your personal membership area or contact us by email. We provide help and support to make sure you get the most out the program. At this price we can't provide in-depth one-on-one business coaching, however if this is required we can provide this at an additional cost.
How long do I have access to this for?
You'll get lifetime access and free updates. As we continue to update and expand the course you'll get all the extras and you won't need to pay any more (we'll be increasing the cost of the course in the future).


text:
| 19.6°C Dublin
The right of religious-run schools to give priority entry to children who are baptised should be restricted to those living in their catchment area, according to the Labour Party.
Current practices see some Catholic schools enrolling baptised children from other parishes, rather than an unbaptised child living closer to the school.
Labour is seeking Dáil support for a bill to amend the section of the Equal Status Act that gives the religious the right to use admission policies to protect their ethos.
Labour said it accepted there would be constitutional difficulties in attempting to eliminate the so-called "baptism rule". The party's education spokesperson Joan Burton said they were taking this approach because they believed it was achievable, and would make a difference.
Irish Independent


text:
Gay VOD Straight VOD
Purchase Minutes
Featured Products
Customer Service
Featured Star
Rocco Steele This blue-eyed, bearded daddy bear likes to top. His skin ink is sexy and his big dick makes your mouth water!
See All Titles
Featured Star
Cain Marko
Featured Star
Michael Boston
Featured Star
Dale SavageSee All Titles
Date of Birth:
Height: 71 in.
Weight: 189 lb.
This silver daddy is a retired fireman whose muscular ass loves a deep pounding!
View Biography
Featured Star
Jaxton Wheeler With long, curly hair, chest fur you could get lost in, and muscles on top of muscles, Jaxton is truly a mountain of a man!
See All Titles
Featured Star
Drake Rogers
Featured Star
Pheonix Fellington


text:
Cosco 225 lb. Steel Large Step Stool Steel(11-744-CBW2)
Browse all deals at ACE Hardware
See more in Ladders & Scaffolding
See more from Cosco
* This offer may contain time-sensitive information and offers. Please check with ACE Hardware to confirm actual price & availability.
- Be the first to comment!
ACE Hardware
440 South Wind Plaza
Mt Vernon, IN 47620


text:
Hello Every one!
Which one hurts you the most: Saying something and wishing you had not, or saying nothing, and wishing you had?
Monday, November 21, 2011
Skin Food 12 Day Challenge. Day 10: Egg Lover
Hello Every one!
2 comments:
hahahha...lepas nie kalu telur kat m'sia nie kehabisan kita serang rumah k.farah...hehhehe....mmg berkesan kan...u r rite..why u want stop using it if it can give u good result...???rite?? so i wil follow u....huhuhuReplyDelete
- Farah Liyana22 November 2011 at 11:07
tq NANA! meh ramai2 pakai egg white. heheheheReplyDelete
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


text:
The search found 576 results in 0.01 seconds.
Each year, 311 — New York City's main hub for government information and non-emergency services — receives millions of requests and complaints, including New Yorkers' gripes about their neighbors.
Actresses need to be pickier than men about with whom they work if they want to survive in the movie industry, suggests a new study.
"My research indicates that women in the film industry suffer a lack of access to future career opportunities when they tend to work with people who have collaborated frequently in the past," said Mark Lutter, lead author of the study and head of the "Transnational Diffusion of Innovation" Research Group at the Max Planck Institute for the Study of Societies (MPIfG) in Germany.
More Americans than ever before are supporting their local food markets, and it's not just because they believe the food is fresher and tastes better.
America's welfare state is quietly evolving from needs-based to an employment-based safety net that rewards working families and fuels dreams of a better life, indicates a new study led by a Michigan State University (MSU) scholar.
The major reason: the little-known Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), a $65 billion federal tax-relief program for poor, working families. The program has been expanded dramatically during the past 25 years, while cash welfare has been sharply curtailed.
Some 9 million American families lost their homes to foreclosure during the late 2000s housing bust, driving many to economic ruin and in search of new residences. Hardest hit were black, Latino, and racially integrated neighborhoods, according to a new Cornell University analysis of the crisis.
Led by demographer Matthew Hall, researchers estimate racial segregation grew between Latinos and whites by nearly 50 percent and between blacks and whites by about 20 percent as whites abandoned and minorities moved into areas most heavily distressed by foreclosures.
People whose sexual identities changed toward same-sex attraction in early adulthood reported more symptoms of depression in a nationwide survey than those whose sexual orientations did not change or changed in the opposite direction, according to a new study by a University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) sociologist.
"Why doesn't she just leave?" is a timeworn question about women trapped in relationships with men who physically and/or emotionally abuse them. Economic dependence is clearly part of the story — many women lack the financial means to leave and find themselves trapped by both poverty and abuse.
Social capital theorists claim that belonging to a densely knit social network creates a shared identity, mutually beneficial exchange, trust, and a sense of belonging in that group. Taken together with the empirical research on the importance of social support and social integration for individuals' well-being, there is reason to expect that the density of one's personal social network should be positively related to well-being.
Numerous studies document that higher education is associated with a reduced likelihood of depression. The protective effects of higher education, however, are known to vary across population subgroups. This study tests competing theories for who is likely to obtain a greater protective benefit from a college degree against depression through an analysis of data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health and recently developed methods for analyzing heterogeneous treatment effects involving the use of propensity scores.
This paper contrasts two money-related stressors—debt and economic hardship—and clarifies where debt fits into the stress process model. Debt may be a direct or indirect stressor, as something mediated by psychosocial resources, and may be a potential buffer, interacting with economic hardship. The analyses use data from a two-wave panel study of 1,463 adults. One way debt is distinct from economic hardship is that debt is more common among economically advantaged groups.


text:
Nicki Minaj has always been full of surprises, and when it comes to her forthcoming album, Queen, she's got a very big one coming our way.
The album's scheduled release date has been changed from August 17 to today, August 10, and will be available for your listening pleasure at 12 PM EST/9 AM EST, Variety reports. Talk about a truly epic start to the weekend.
According to Pitchfork, Nicki announced the change publicly on Thursday, August 9, during her "Queen Radio" show on Apple Music's Beats 1, saying, "I was gonna play the album right now but someone fu**ked up. It's a lot of corporate drama in here." She also revealed that she had finished the album only three hours before sharing the new release date news with fans.
This would mark the fourth time that Nicki has changed the album's release date. The album was previously scheduled for release on June 15, but was then pushed back to August 10, and was then switched again to August 17, Fader reported. The August 17th release would have been the same release day as her friend and frequent collaborator Ariana Grande's much-anticipated album Sweetener.
The duo have worked together plenty of times in the past, including on Ari's track "Side to Side" and Nicki's new song, "Bed." However, that didn't mean there wasn't any drama surrounding the once dueling release dates; fans tried to pit the two against each other to no avail.
Both Ari and Nicki had tweeted about the situation, with Ariana saying, "That's my f*cking sister. She's clearing a sample. Buy and stream Queen & Sweetener Aug 17 bye. These numbers don't mean as much to the artist as they do to y'all. Just want y'all to listen to the project."
Nicki later backed up Ari, writing, "I love this woman. Can't wait for the fans to benefit from all the hard work on both ends," she wrote. "We love your passion. You guys will be VERY happy. Trust. That's all I'll say."
Clearly, the two musicians both have something major in store for us, and we're glad we don't have to wait any longer to hear what Nicki's created on Queen. Plus, there's just a week to go until Sweetener drops, which, ahem, sweetens this month of new music even more.
Let us slide into your DMs. Sign up for the Teen Vogue daily email.
Want more from Teen Vogue? Check this out: Ariana Grande Shut Down Fans Who Tried to Pit Her Against Nicki Minaj


text:
I believe almost everyone I know, in my home life and online who has worked with livestock , has been hurt as one time or another, From, a whoops out of the saddle, onto our pride, to a first class wreck!
Handling livestock, be it horse cattle ,swine ,etc. can be hugely rewarding , and it can leave a mark.
One of our blogging buddies , has had a few wrecks over the summer and is still in the healing process from the last one. (I have not named her , because it is her story to tell and not mine ) She commented the other day about having some difficulty maneuvering around her super friendly and hungry horses at feeding time. A few of us talked about establishing boundaries ,and I thought now was as good as any time to talk about it . I have 2 colts in stalls right now I am working with , and a yearling gelding Dandy. Dandy and I had a pretty big discussion of boundaries in Jan when he tried to assert some authority over me . suffice to say , he now asks permission to come into my space !
For the sake of our fellow blogger who is healing and ourselves , lets talk a little about how we establish boundaries and safe practices with our stock.
The first thing I am going to say about any of it though is , no matter how long you have been at it , and how much we think we know , every individual ,can get hurt , at any time . Animals are not machines , and they can be unpredictable . That said , there are some ways to mitigate the risks .
1. Always ,Always , always , be mindful of where you are , in relation to the animal , or if there are many (in a pasture catching a horse or on a pen working cattle .)where they all are , and where your safe exit is .
A second example
When Johnnie was a yearling , I was walking through the pen he and several others were in . Johnnie had not had a lot of work at that point , but was very friendly . The other horses began running and he spooked. Right into me ! I had half turned to protect myself , but still took 2 boards off the fence one with the back of my head and one with my behind.What did I do wrong??at that point , my mistake was a) I had not taught Johnnie enough to be respectful of my space , even in a panic, he should have been taught to go around me or stop , not crawl in my lap, and b) not mindful of my personal area, I had essentially put myself in a corner and given myself no escape.
I will tell you my darling Johnnie ,learned whoa and BACK off ! and damn fast , I believe even before my head stopped spinning !!!! which leads me to my next point...
2. Be mindful of your own abilities/disabilities .If you are sick or injured, be aware of your limitations regarding mobility . If you can get help do so , if not find some alternative ways to get things done. Or maybe some things can wait .
Just last winter I had a flare up , and was in pretty tough shape. I did chores , very slowly, and did not go in any pens . Yes that meant feed went on the ground and not in feeders , but when I say I wasn't well ,I am not kidding , My sister had to come over later in the morning after I had showered to dry and comb my hair ! (I could not lift my arms at all ) That was not a day to push my limits and try to go right into a pen, if a horse had bolted or pushed me I would have been on the ground under foot, and whole lot worse off! (that time I got it right )
a few years before , I had been discharged from hospital the night previous , and we had a mare to breed . Cactus was a little jacked up, and clearly sensed that I was not altogether OK. He got quite rammy with me . I panicked and jerked him off balance and no one got hurt ,but... I was immediately very aware of how wrong It could have gone , because I was not thinking clearly !
3.(could be 1,2and 3. PAY ATTENTION!!!!! I don't care if this is your first horse ever or , you have been at it since you were in diapers, complacency leads to disaster !
nuff said here right?
4. TAKE YOUR TIME ! ,the only thing that happens in a hurry , with livestock is a wreck!
I have a favorite saying "if you are in a hurry , hurry home , YOU ARE DONE"
In the interest of not having a 4 hr post here I will stop at this .Over the next little while I would like to do a series , on how I teach some boundaries with my horses. I am not a Trainer. just a decent hand with a horse. I am also hoping that a few of you will do so as well. either on your own blogs and let me know so I can link to it , or here in the comments if you chose . I am hoping more for your own blogs , and maybe some of you techies will ad video?
I think my standard "Stay safe " is very fitting here!
so my friends , please do STAY SAFE!


text:
Your 4-point Checklist for Finding a Perfect IT Solution
You're never going to want an out-of-the-box IT solution. Your business isn't built to be one-size-fits-all, so neither is your IT network. Instead, it's best to review the most popular solutions and then make a checklist of which would be impactful for your company and your employees.
For instance, If your business is embracing the expanding popularity of a mobile workforce and the growing "bring your own device" (BYOD) trend, then you will probably want to consider an around-the-clock help desk to provide constant tech support for on-the-go, out-of-office employees.
Here are 4 IT services you should consider first:
1. Network Monitoring
Think of your IT network as a magnificent fortress. If you knew you were going to be under constant siege, would you just leave the drawbridge down and go about your business inside the castle? Probably not.
Well, it turns out your business IT network is under constant siege by cyberattacks and other disasters, and it's up to you to build a good defense.
The first step in a good defense for your network is a solid watchtower. It's almost impossible to run a productive, disaster-free network without the use of network monitoring. Proactive network monitoring enables technicians to streamline productivity and watch for traffic and security anomalies.
For example: Without a network technician, something as simple as needing to download a patch can mean your network is shut down across the board and your employees aren't able to work. This becomes ridiculously expensive. In one study, 98% of organizations reported that a single hour of downtime costs over $100,000.
With network monitoring, a technician could have downloaded the patch and kept the business up and running without the system shutting down at all.
If you have no 24/7/365 network monitoring solution, you should consider how network monitoring could benefit your business.
2. Cybersecurity
There's really no way to run a successful modern business without a comprehensive cybersecurity solution. So many businesses overlook the importance of cybersecurity that 73% of businesses fail cybersecurity readiness tests.
Cybersecurity protects your business from a hellacious onslaught of malware – viruses, spyware, adware, trojans, and worms, that financially plague businesses just like yours every day.
You'll want to make sure that you work with a managed service provider who can build a custom, evolving cybersecurity solution that will protect your business. The last thing you want is to be caught with your guard down. 60% of small businesses close within 6 months of a significant cyberattack.
3. Data Backup
If the hard drive on your office computer is one of the 140,000 hard drives in America that fail every week, what will happen to your data? Would the month's work you've been doing disappear?
Cybersecurity solutions and network monitoring will help to prevent possible intrusions to your system, but if a natural disaster or human error impacts your physical components, you must have a backup to continue business. We already know that downtime can eat up your profits faster than Usain Bolt in an Olympic footrace.
When you're building your multi-pronged IT solution, it's imperative that you consider data backup. One common strategy is the "3-2-1 Rule", which mandates that you keep three copies of your data on two different devices, with one of those copies being offsite.
You will have to work with your managed cybersecurity provider to see which practices work best for your business.
4. Professional Services
Some IT solutions don't really fit into categories or regular schedules. Still, projects are a necessary component of running a powerful, productive IT operation. Make sure your program accounts for special projects that will come up in your department.
One example is a hardware refresh. Nobody knows your network better than your managed services provider. When it comes time to update your business computers, phone systems, and other hardware, you should go straight to your MSP to make sure that your IT solutions can be integrated with new systems.
Projects are 2.5 times more successful when businesses use proven project management practices. Make sure your IT solution involves a professional service provider that can work seamlessly with your office to maximize uptime and productivity.
What does your checklist look like?
If you are missing any of these four essential elements of an IT solution, or you believe that you could use some major improvement in these areas, then you should consider consulting with a managed services IT provider.
Here at Vision, we are experienced in all of these 4 solutions, as well as cloud solutions, Office 365, and data recovery. We would be happy to share information and tips on how to better protect your business. You can reach us here.