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November 17, 2014 - A growing body of research evidence shows that complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) has health benefits for US military veterans and active duty personnel, according to a special December supplement to Medical Care. The journal is published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, a part of Wolters Kluwer Health.
The special issue presents new studies and commentaries on the benefits and increasing use of CAM techniques in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) and other military health settings. "The papers in this supplement represent promising steps to improve the health of veterans and active military personnel," according to an introductory article by Guest Editors Stephanie L. Taylor, PhD, of Greater Los Angeles VA Healthcare System and A. Rani Elwy, PhD, of Edith Nourse Rogers Memorial Veterans Hospital, Bedford, Mass. "They mirror the countless stories we hear from veterans and their providers about the positive effect that CAM is having on their lives."
Studies Show Value of CAM for Improving Health of Military Personnel
The supplement presents 14 original studies reporting on specific CAM therapies and on the current use, perceptions, and acceptance of CAM in veterans and current military personnel. The special issue of Medical Care is sponsored by the VHA's Office of Patient Centered Care and Cultural Transformation.
Complementary and alternative medicine therapies are increasingly available, used, and appreciated by military patients, according to Drs Taylor and Elwy. They cite statistics showing that CAM programs are now offered at nearly 90 percent of VA medical facilities. Use CAM modalities by veterans and active military personnel is as at least as high as in the general population.
Previous systematic reviews have reported benefits of CAM treatments for many of the important problems seen in military populations, including chronic pain, anxiety, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and depression. Those prior results suggest that CAM therapies are "moderately effective" for these conditions--although these conclusions must be weighed against the weaknesses of the evidence base.
Highlights of the research included in the special issue include:
- Studies reporting benefits of specific types of meditation practices. One study finds that a mindfulness-based intervention reduced depression and improved psychological well-being in veterans with PTSD. A study of mindfulness-based stress reduction for veterans shows reductions in anxiety and depression, as well as suicidal thoughts.
- A report showing beneficial effects of acupuncture for veterans with PTSD. In addition to reduced severity of PTSD symptoms, the study shows improvements in depression, pain, and physical and mental health functioning. Another study finds that most veterans use vitamins and nutritional supplements, often substituting them for prescription drugs.
- Studies showing high rates of use and favorable perceptions found of CAM modalities among veterans of the Gulf War and Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom. Veterans with PTSD are more likely to be accepting of CAM therapies.
- Reports describing the rates and preferred types of CAM mind-body and other modalities among military members and veterans, as well as on health care providers' attitudes toward CAM. While VA providers vary in their knowledge of CAM, many perceive benefits for their patients.
A commentary by Laura P. Krejci, MSW, and colleagues of the VA's Office of Patient Centered Care & Cultural Transformation discusses the role of CAM in meeting the "number one strategic priority" of providing "personalized, proactive, patient-driven health care to veterans." Dr Wayne B. Jonas and colleagues of the Samueli Institute, Alexandria, Va., draw attention to several bodies of research on CAM in the US military. They conclude that current policy and priorities leave "the majority of active duty service members, veterans, and their families to fend for themselves, to pay for or go without the beneficial effects of CAM and integrative medicine practices."
While the studies in the special issue show progress, Drs Taylor and Elwy stress the need for additional rigorous research to better understand CAM's potential for managing important conditions seen in military populations. They conclude, "It is time for more funding to be awarded to CAM ...to improve the capacity of the field to carry out rigorous CAM research, which in turn will benefit veterans and military personnel, as well as the general population."
Click here to read "Building the Evidence Base for Complementary and Integrative Medicine Use among Veterans and Military Personnel."
About Medical Care
Rated as one of the top ten journals in health care administration, Medical Care is devoted to all aspects of the administration and delivery of health care. This scholarly journal publishes original, peer-reviewed papers documenting the most current developments in the rapidly changing field of health care. Medical Care provides timely reports on the findings of original investigations into issues related to the research, planning, organization, financing, provision, and evaluation of health services. In addition, numerous special supplementary issues that focus on specialized topics are produced with each volume. Medical Care is the official journal of the Medical Care Section of the American Public Health Association.
About Wolters Kluwer Health
Wolters Kluwer Health is a leading global provider of information, business intelligence and point-of-care solutions for the healthcare industry. Serving more than 150 countries worldwide, clinicians rely on Wolters Kluwer Health's market leading information-enabled tools and software solutions throughout their professional careers from training to research to practice. Major brands include Health Language®, Lexicomp®, Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Medicom®, Medknow, Ovid®, Pharmacy OneSource®, ProVation® Medical and UpToDate®.
Wolters Kluwer Health is part of Wolters Kluwer, a market-leading global information services company. Wolters Kluwer had 2013 annual revenues of €3.6 billion ($4.7 billion), employs approximately 19,000 people worldwide, and maintains operations in over 40 countries across Europe, North America, Asia Pacific, and Latin America.maintains operations in over 40 countries across Europe, North America, Asia Pacific, and Latin America. Wolters Kluwer is headquartered in Alphen aan den Rijn, the Netherlands. Its shares are quoted on Euronext Amsterdam (WKL) and are included in the AEX and Euronext 100 indices. Wolters Kluwer has a sponsored Level 1 American Depositary Receipt program. The ADRs are traded on the over-the-counter market in the U.S. (WTKWY).
Follow our official Twitter handle: @WKHealth.
Medical Care


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Last Action Hero1993
Last Action Hero (1993)
Critic Consensus: Last Action Hero has most of the right ingredients for a big-budget action spoof, but its scattershot tone and uneven structure only add up to a confused, chaotic mess.
Last Action Hero Videos
Last Action Hero Photos
Movie Info
Watch it now
as Jack Slater
as Danny Madigan
as John Practice
as Frank
as Benedict
as Ripper
as Lieutenant Dekker, Dekker
as Nick
as Tony Vivaldi
as Irene Madigan, Mrs. Madigan
as Death
as Teacher
as Lieutenant Governor, Lt. Governor
as The Mayor
as Andrew Slater
as Whitney, Whitney/Meredith
as Tough Asian Man
as Rookie
as Himself
as Torelli
as Himself
as Ratcliff
as Himself
as Polonius
as Himself
as Punk
as Monoghan
as Herself
as Monroe
as Himself
as Herself
as Cop in L.A. Station, Cop in Los Angeles Station
as Watch Commander
as Himself
as Himself
as Video Babe
as Video Babe #1, Video Babe
as T-1000
as Herself
as Skeezy
as Catherine Tramell
as Cop at Ex-Wife's House
as 2nd Cop in Los Angeles Station, Cop #2 in L.A. Station
as Himself
as Cop in Station
as Himself
as Mitchell
as SWAT Cop
as Funeral Doctor, Doctor--Funeral
as Gunman
as Ripper's Agent
as Candy Girl
as Krause
as Rabbi
as Tammy, Hooker
as Cigar Stand Man
as Autograph Seeker
Critic Reviews for Last Action Hero
All Critics (50) | Top Critics (10) | Fresh (20) | Rotten (30) | DVD (5)
The director has to boost the realism of his staging in a rather self-defeating manner. It begins to look, not that he's having it both ways, trading on what he mocks, but that he has painted himself into a corner.
The film tries so very hard to be The Movie of Summer '93 that it almost makes you sick for what could have been, what should have been, and, in the end, what it is: soulless sound and fury -- action in a vacuum.
There is a lot of action in Last Action Hero, but the underlying story never ever quite works.
The pulse-pounding, sizzling pull of a Die Hard is absent.
Audience Reviews for Last Action Hero
I thought that this film could've been handled a little better than it could've with Schwarzenneggers standards, but its very entertaining. The main character does a good job as being a kid with a disfunctional life, a mom who's never hardly around, no dad and the closest father figure being a theater custodian played by Robert Prosky, and has been skipping school, and the idea of being sucked into a film, I thought was a very interesting concept, I know the concept has been done before, like with Bugs Bunny going into Elmer Fudd's dreams, or Timmy Turner getting into different books interacting with the characters (I Just realized this is in cartoons a lot,) but a kid getting sucked into an action movie is pretty interesting. And as a Schwarzennegger action comedy, it was done very well, also I like the film how it makes fun of all the different action movie cliches at the time, the puns, the explosions, the car chases, the slow-mo, the celebrity cameos, its just crazy, and the fact that a magical ticket can give you the power to travel into different films and out into the real world, its pretty cool, and when the villain gets a hold of the ticket, it becomes very interesting. Overall out of all the 90s action Schwarzennegger movies, its not the best, but as a comedy and an action movie its very well constructed and put together.
Super Reviewer
A somewhat cheesy kids movie, but it's very funny. I really liked Schwarzenegger in this movie, he's very cool. I enjoyed this movie, it's good.
Super Reviewer
I really don't understand why this movie gets so much flack, it's really a great idea and fun critique of Hollywood movies. Maybe it was too ahead of its time and maybe it still is, but I enjoyed it a lot. Arnold Schwarzenegger was extremely brave and humble to joke about himself and the movies he tends to be in, just a testament to someone who appreciates all they have. All the cameos and film references are some great touches and I love the cheesy over the top sequences and dialogue. I think the overall message is good; while Hollywood isn't an accurate representation of the world, it's still an important part of our culture and a way for us to see life as we wish it was.
Super Reviewer
Last Action Hero Quotes
|Sergeant Jack Slater:
|To be or not to be.....Not to be
|Sergeant Jack Slater:
|Don't give up your day job.
|Sergeant Jack Slater:
|Could I speak to the drug dealer of the house, please?

subset: commoncrawl


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Location: Sydney, Australia
Member Since: June 2012
Open for read requests: Yes
Featured by author
Short Story / Horror
Short Story / Other
Short Story / Thrillers
Poem / Romance
Profile Information
I'm an aspiring author looking to publish his first book soon, joined this site in order to gain some constructive feedback and opinions.
If I can help a few others along the way with my critique then that is a bonus.
When it comes to an action scene or a conversation between two characters, I can fill pages without even noticing I'm writing.
But put a bio page in front of me and I will stare at that blinking cursor until I don't know who I am anymore. That doesn't mater though, noone really reads these anyway :)
I hope you will take the time to read some of my writing. I am very open to feedback and critisism.
I have a novel, but it is a lot of work to put it on here. If I get enough requests, I will or if you are nice enough to me I might email it to you.
I took a slight writing hiatus and sort of left booksie behind, but I am back and hopefully better :D
If I become a fan of yours, I would be more than happy to make editing suggestions if you email me your work :)
(It's hard to edit on here)
You can also add me on facebook, just leave a note saying your from booksie
Name is same as above :)
P.S, please become a fan if you like my writing :)
Favorite Poem
:Thinking of you....Again
By - Guilty Pleasure
Favorite Short Story (warning not that short, but well worth your time)
: Mama Felicia
By - Janelle Scott
Favorite Novel
: The Tattoo on my Heart
By - Myvintagefairytale
You will be notified if you are put up on here and will stay on here until you're topped :)
You may even top yourself :D
I will upload audio versions of all my work once completed if I get enough requests :)
Here are some funny GIFs as everyone else else seems to have them
This is where you can leave a short message for the writer. All Quickees are public. To leave a private message, use the private.
If you want to write a quickee (a remark or a hint for example) on this writer's profile, please sign in.


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Monument Course Improvement Project
Troon North Golf Club's award-winning Monument course is on three-month course improvement project. Located in Scottsdale, Ariz., Troon North features two 18-hole Tom Weiskopf-designed golf courses – Monument and Pinnacle. The Monument course will reopen in September, while the Pinnacle course will remain open for daily-fee play throughout the summer.
Troon's Vice President of Golf Course Development Ron Despain is overseeing the project which includes updating green complexes to their original shape, size and contours by utilizing GPS coordinates gathered from Weiskopf's original design. In addition, greens will be resurfaced with creeping A4 bent grass and collars will be resurfaced with TifGrand semi-dwarf Bermuda grass. Bunker renovations will include updated drainage in all greenside and fairway bunkers, new bunker liners and new Pioneer bunker sand.
"We are committed to providing our guests with the finest course conditions on the planet at our flagship facility," said Dana Garmany, chairman and chief executive officer, Troon. "Through these green and bunker enhancements on Monument, we are proactively improving and reinvesting in one of the top daily-fee courses in the nation. We plan to execute a similar improvement project on the Pinnacle course next summer to keep both courses at the top in a competitive marketplace."
This summer's Monument course improvements are the first major changes to the award-winning course since a 2007 renovation, reconfiguration and rerouting. In 2007, under Weiskopf's direction, the 36-hole facility was reconfigured by blending the two courses together and changing the sequence in which the holes were played.
For more information, visit troonnorthgolf


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Meet the Team
Wayne Vest
Wayne Vest is a Moore County native with over 21 years of management experience. Mr. Vest has been employed in Moore County Government since 1998 and was previously employed in manufacturing. He has served at the pleasure of the Board of Commissioners in the role of Tax Administrator for Moore County since 2006 and appointed to serve as County Manager in March 2013.
Contact Information:
Janet Parris
Contact Information:
Tami Golden
Tami Golden is an Ohio native who has worked with County Government for 15 years. She has over 25 years of extensive background in the Accounting and Business Administration field. She has over 15 years experience in the private sector in manufacturing and received her Bachelor's in Business Administration from Gardner-Webb University in 1995.
Contact Information:
Mary Phillips
Mary Phillips is a Randolph native, but living in Moore County for over 40 years. She has worked in various areas in County Government is now retired and serving in a resource capacity.
Contact Information:


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The Maternal Health Task Force Terms of Reference
I am pleased to post the final MHTF Terms of Reference (PDF, 68kb) which will be used to guide our work over the next three years. This document outlines the ways in which the MHTF will operate to achieve its goal and objectives, and describes the niche that the MHTF aims to fill in the expanding global response to improving the health of mothers everywhere.
This document is the result of extensive research and consultation with an array of maternal health experts around the world, and it was the subject of a launch meeting that took place in Washington, D.C. in late February 2009. (Download the report — PDF, 60kb — of that meeting.)
Many thanks to all who contributed valuable time and energy to the drafting and reviewing of these Terms of Reference. We look forward to applying these guidelines to an exciting work-plan, which is now under development. We will post more on that in the coming weeks.
MHTF Terms of Reference Finalized
The Maternal Health Task Force Terms of Reference


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(image via Twitter)
Another week has been put in the books on the PGA tour, and this week's champion is no stranger to the spotlight. Dustin Johnson was able to put on a show for his second country, as he put up a monstrous -23 en route to his third win on tour this year. As the only tour event played in Canada, it is fitting that the man who married into Canadian royalty captured this win.
Speaking of which, he started off the week by paying tribute to his favorite hockey player (and father-in-law) of all time
With the practice round complete and, "The Rink" getting ready to see some great shots, DJ started off Thursday a little rocky. However, he was able to turn it around and chip in not once, but twice on Thursday.
The true star of the show on day one, however, was MY BOY Tommy Fleetwood. In a quick 4-hole stretch, he went from T124 to T8 with an impressive 2 eagles and 2 birdies.
Tommy would end up finishing T6 with a nice -16. As the tournament continued, it was clear that the world #1 was dialed in, heading into the final day tied for the lead. And if the golf gods had any say in this fight, it was going to be DJ to take home the prize.
There really hasn't been another golfer (besides maybe Jonny Vegas) that has owned Glen Abbey like DJ has. Those stats are absolutely unfathomable, especially considering he missed the cut in 2016. And coming down the stretch, DJ proved that he is still not a human being, but a golf machine made in the image of Tiger Woods combined with the World's Strongest Man:
DJ was able to be aggressive all the way to the end and finished 3 shots ahead of Byeong Hun An and Whee Kim. This also makes it the second straight week where I put in Draftkings Lineup you should not pick someone who finished in the top 3. Congrats to DJ on this great win!


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What are baby monitors?
Baby monitors for babies are basically devices made up of two units: one that transmits a signal and one that receives it. The signal can only be sound, but also video. The unit that emits the signal is placed in the baby's room best pack and play for newborn, possibly near the cradle, and is a kind of microphone that is activated whenever the baby cries or makes an abnormal noise. The receiving unit, on the other hand, is placed in the room where one of the two parents is, so that whatever happens (the child wakes up, cries, etc.) can intervene promptly.
By doing this, you can be sure your little one is fine even when, for one reason or another, you are in a different room. These products are marketed all over the world and more and more fathers and mothers decide to choose them. Particularly useful is the device during, perhaps, the night. You will be able to place an eye and ears directly in the room where the baby sleeps and, in case of sudden awakenings or any problems, you can immediately intervene.
How does it work?
These devices are as useful as they are simple. They are collected of two foremost objects:
A device, equipped with a camera, microphone and any additional components to be placed near the child;
A display, more or less accurate, which reproduces both the images and the sound collected by the previous product presented.
Each model has a maximum radius. As with classic walkie talkies, in fact, you will not be able to afford to excessively distance the two main components. Many baby monitors are also equipped with a night light, which allows parents to have excellent vision even during the night, and a speaker that spreads familiar sounds to the child. The more expensive and modern models also offer additional tools, such as sensors that allow you to follow the movements of the child
How to choose a baby monitor?
There are variables that you will have to consider to make the best choice that can satisfy all your expectations. Always remember that, being a very important product for the safety of the child, it is advisable to opt for something more expensive that can ensure higher quality, additional tools and, consequently, great safety. The two units of the baby monitors are obviously mobile and work as if they were walkie-talkies. The sector offers a great variety of models, equipped with specific technologies and functions. To choose the best baby monitor model for new borns, several aspects must be taken into consideration.
The first aspect is that of communication technology. The two units (the transmitter and the receiver) must communicate with each other via wireless systems, to make this instrument truly versatile. At the same time it is important to consider the distance between one camera and another and, consequently, the signal strength.
The other feature to consider when choosing baby monitors is that of versatility. The baby monitors, in fact, can be integrated with infrared cameras (to see the baby even at night), motion detectors (to find out if there are strangers in the room), temperature sensors (to record anomalies and prevent the room becomes too hot or too cold), etc. In some cases it is also possible to buy baby monitors that allow you to talk from one room to another (and beyond). The transmitter unit, in fact, in addition to the microphone can also be equipped with a loudspeaker, so that the parents can talk and the child listen. This is a very useful feature especially for those parents who turn to babysitters in their absence and who want to reassure their baby if they cry not seeing them at home (this feature is available for remotely controllable devices).


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Holy sheet: These 100 percent Egyptian cotton sheets are over 40 percent off—today only at Amazon
We may receive commission from purchases made via links on this page. Pricing and availability are subject to change.
Shopping for sheets isn't the easiest thing in the world. Good quality sheets are typically expensive, and they can feel one way in the store and very different after a wash. Luckily, these 100 percent Egyptian cotton sheets have garnered rave reviews—more than 11,500!— for everything from being incredibly soft to not shrinking and wearing well night after night.
And today only, a queen set is on sale for just $44 (down from $70). Twin, king, twin XL, full and California king sizes are also massively reduced.
Made of a luscious sateen weave, this sale includes sheets that are 600, 800 and 1,000 thread count. What's thread count, you say? It's the number of threads that are woven into one square inch of fabric. Lots of people pay up for 1,000 thread count sheets, thinking the higher the thread count, the higher the quality.
But quality really comes down to the fiber—and these are made of long staple cotton, which is the best kind. Staple refers to how long the cotton fiber is; the longer the fiber, the softer, stronger and lighter weight the fabric feels. And this set feels amazing and wears well, as reviewers attest.
Thread Spread 100% Egyptian Cotton Sheet Set in Queen
Shop it: MayFair Linen 100% Egyptian Cotton Bed Sheets, starting at $40 for twin (was $63), amazon.com
"These sheets are wonderfully soft as 100% cotton sheets should be." one five-star reviewer shared. "These are real, old-fashioned, 100% cotton. You will get a nice, soft, crisp feel from these sheets like you do at a high end hotel. I have a thick, oversized, king mattress, and these sheets fit absolutely perfectly. These sheets are definitely worth the money."
Thanks to deep pockets, they fit mattresses up to 18 inches thick. So they're perfect for pillow tops.
Sweaty sleeper? The breathable fabric is designed to wick away moisture, keeping you cool and dry. The set includes a flat sheet, fitted sheet and two pillowcases. Sweet dreams indeed!
Shop it: MayFair Linen 100% Egyptian Cotton Bed Sheets, starting at $40 for twin (was $63), amazon.com
The reviews quoted above reflect the most recent versions at the time of publication.
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Please send tips on footwear brands and retailers that are participating in charitable causes to email@example.com.
Sept. 27, 2019: Hurricane Dorian left widespread devastation in the Bahamas as 185 mph winds hit the island over a period of 68 hours from Sept. 1 to Sept. 3. Naot footwear has stepped in to help support the many people affected by the hurricane's destructive path, leaving people without homes and everyday items. The brand's relief efforts included a donation of 600 new pairs of sandals and rain boots on Sept. 17.
Sept. 27, 2019: During September for Childhood Cancer Awareness, Solving Kids Cancer, a charity committed to improving survival of children who have the most difficult-to-treat childhood cancers, will distribute 40,000 pairs of gold shoelaces globally as part of the Lace Up For Kids Campaign. The metallic laces are a bold and stylish statement to help raise awareness to help fight childhood cancers. With promotions by Molly Ringwald, Olivia Wilde and more ,the partnership is simple: donate any amount, receive your laces, swap then out with your regular laces and share on social media with the #LaceUpforKids.
Sept. 25, 2019: Mytheresa and luxury brand Gabriela Hearst have teamed up to improve the quality of life of needy children around the world. Today, the partners launched an 18-piece RTW capsule collection that supports Save the Children, a charity dedicated to providing kids access to education, health care and more. The range includes smoking suits, maxi-length dresses and skirts, and timeless coats and knitwear; 20% of proceeds go to the nonprofit.
Sept. 19, 2019: True Religion helped support an 8th grade student's school project — a clothing pantry to stop bullying. The lifestyle brand, which produces footwear and accessories, donated $10,000 worth of products to 13-year-old Chase Nevland-Square, who came up with the idea of launching the pantry for the anti-bullying cause. In fact, the assignment scored high marks with "Good Morning America" host Michael Strahan, who welcomed the teen on the show Tuesday to highlight her nonprofit program.
Sept. 17, 2019: M.Gemi has collaborated with the charity F**k Cancer on a collection that benefits those who are affected by cancer. The luxury DTC shoe brand will donate 15% of sales from the Palestra Minimo women's sneaker and the Lucente men's sneaker through Nov. 17. The design includes the F**k Cancer logo emblazoned on the shoes; the organization funds programs for early detection and psychosocial support services. Additionally, colored laces associated with different types of cancer can be purchased for $15. Customers can also donate by texting FCshoes to 707070.
Sept. 17, 2019: Dallas-based flip flop brand Hari Mari teamed up with Chicago Cubs pitcher Jon Lester and his pediatric cancer organization, NVRQT (Never Quit), to honor Childhood Cancer Awareness Month happening this month. The duo, along with the rest of the Cubs team, celebrated 20 children and their families battling cancer diagnoses at the Cubs vs. Reds game in Chicago on Sept. 16. Before the game, the children were brought out to the field for batting practice and presented with a gift package courtesy of Hari Mari, NVRQT and more brands. The collaboration is part of Hari Mari's Flops Fighting Cancer initiative, in which the label donates 1% of every flip flop sale to help pay for medicine, treatment and hospital costs for kids battling cancer.
Sept. 15, 2019: For its spring '20 London Fashion Week show, Roland Mouret is giving back. The designer sent women down the runway in trendy sandals, loafers and pumps, while men in the show sported classic K.Jacques dress shoes. Now that the show is over, Mouret will auction off the runway shoe stock for charity. "The ethos is giving back, caring," Mouret wrote in a release. He's also holding a sale at his London headquarters on Oct. 3; shoes there will be sold for 40 pounds each, with 100% of proceeds going to Maggie's Centres, an organization that helps cancer patients.
Sept. 13, 2019: Nicholas Kirkwood has collaborated with Japanese silversmith Shinta Nakajima on a shoe that embraces both of their disciplines and passion for supporting the arts. The result is the Jazelle shoe, which is hand-shaped with silver sheet and made with metallic napa leather and Kirkwood's new signature architectural heel, seen in his spring '19 collection. Inspiration comes from leaves and foliage — a nod to Kirkwood's spring '20 line. The shoe will be up for auction at a gala on Sept. 16 in support of the Sarabande x LAPADA Arts & Antiques Fair. Nakajima is an alum of London-based Sarabande, which was established by the late Alexander McQueen to provide scholarships and studio space for artists.
Sept. 12, 2019: Timberland's logo is a tree, so it's fitting that the outdoor standout is preparing to plant 50 million of them around the world. The brand announced today that it will hit that number by 2025 as part of its efforts to support a greener future. "Trees and green spaces help improve the quality of our planet as well as individual well-being. Our commitment to plant trees is a real, measurable way to act upon our belief that a greener future is a better future," Timberland global brand president Jim Pisani said in a statement. To help hit the mark, the label will partner with several green organizations including Smallholder Farmers Alliance, GreenNetwork, Tree Aid and others. Tree-planting projects for the first year will take place in Haiti, China, the Dominican Republic, the U.S., Tanzania and Mali.
The company will kick off the effort with "Nature Needs Heroes," its largest marketing campaign to date, which is a "calling on consumers around the world to join the movement by taking simple, small actions for a healthier planet." It highlights 12 eco-heroes who are making positive change for the environment and communities, all outfitted in the brand's fall '19 line. Aside from the campaign's promotional rollout, Timberland will also host a three-day pop-up park and urban greening event in New York City, a Remade workshop in Shanghai and greening events in London, Paris, Milan, Berlin and Amsterdam.
Sept. 11, 2019: Tall Order, a direct-to-consumer website featuring socks for men with average to large size feet, has launched a limited-edition dress sock in support of FealGood, an organization designed to assist emergency personnel who have been injured or face serious injury in the line of duty. Half of all proceeds from the sale of the socks sporting the FealGood Diversity logo will be donated to the organization. Tall Order was founded by twin brothers Dan and Mike Friedman, whose father Andrew, perished in the Sept. 11 terrorist attack.
Sept. 6, 2019: Luxury brand PS821 put a retro touch on its new capsule collection of vegan sneakers done in 1980s-approved terry cloth. The colorful, limited-edition unisex line of high-tops ($315) and low-tops ($298) are available on Ps821.com and at its NYC pop-up shop at 225 Mulberry St. Along with the new shoes, the brand also incorporates its choose-your-own-charity philanthropy model. With every purchase from the collection, 8.21% of proceeds are donated to one of three social causes selected by the purchaser: No Kid Hungry, The Trevor Project and Water.org.
Sept. 5, 2019: Born is partnering with St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in support of Childhood Cancer Awareness Month in September. The 2019 Born x St. Jude Take Comfort, Give Hope campaign is focused around the launch of a limited-edition colorway of the Meggs Too, a sock bootie, sold exclusively on bornshoes.com. The style will retail for $140, with Born donating all of the net proceeds to the hospital and no less than $90 per pair directly benefiting St. Jude. Born will also donate $1 for every sign-up to the bornshoes.com email database in September (up to $10,000).
Sept. 4, 2019: U.S. Women's National Soccer Team star Alex Morgan has teamed up with online resale marketplace Poshmark to put her closet on sale for charity. The collection features 40 items from the soccer star's wardrobe, including clothing, shoes and accessories from brands such as Giuseppe Zanotti, Nike, Off-White, Stuart Weitzman and more. Prices range between $21 and $2,000, and all proceeds from sales will be donated to a pair of animal welfare organizations: The Animal League – Central Florida Humane Society and The HIT Living Foundation.
Want more? See how other brands and retailers are giving back.
Charity Works: Mephisto Co-Sponsors Anti-Bullying Concert + More News


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The season of goodwill to all men (and women)?
It's certainly no season of good will to animals. I have to say it's been a Christmas I'd rather forget. I have images burned into my brain that will never go away, there'll be there til I pop my mortal coil along with exactly how I felt at the time. The devastation, the helplessness, the revulsion, the anger but also the amazing feeling of strength and pride.
On boxing day we attended the Cambridge and Enfield Chace hunt at Eltisely. The hunt made a big show as they always do and made claims of their legality. All complete nonsense of course and this was proved when they killed a fox shortly after leaving the meet. It was in hunting terms known as a "chop". The scenting conditions on the day were very poor. This can sometimes mean the hounds literally stumble upon a fox and kill it without a chase. It's not really what the hunt want as the chase is all part of the "sport" for them and they will of course claim it was an accident. However if you don't lay a trail in the first place and you cast your hounds into likely fox holding areas then it's hardly an accident when you manage to find and kill one.
It was reported to the police and there was at least one decent officer on the day (PC Pete Mills) who, after some discussion with us and the hunt sent the hunt back to kennels very early on their biggest day of the year. Hardly the outcome the Cambridge and Enfield Chace were after and although they will all be interviewed regarding the kill the chance of anything further happening are virtually zero.
New Years Day is like a Boxing Day take two. This time we went along to the Fitzwilliam Hunt who held their meet at the Haycock in Wansford. The Fitzwilliam (Milton) Hunt haven't been monitored or sabbed in many years and it showed. They were some of the most offensive people I've had the displeasure in meeting. The support were abusive and aggressive and we had to tread carefully.
Of course we never back down from these challenges.
We watched them chase and kill a fox. When I and some others arrived the poor fox was still alive and being ragged by the hounds, it's guts spilling out all over the place. We did our absolute best to save it but sometimes there are situations you cannot control. There was a scuffle with supporters who were trying to hide the body, I dived in, I filmed, got covered in blood and, once the police arrived had to pronounce the animal dead.
Support were shouting and jeering, reveling in the suffering of a sentient mammal and making lurid sexual references. It's very difficult to describe what goes through your head at a time like this but we had to hold it together. We gave our details to the police, not something I do lightly but as I'm generally known to them now there seems little point in not being proactive. The hunt carried on and continued hunting as if nothing had happened.
Once away from the area I was left with the other sab who witnessed all the gruesomeness and also gave her details. As we walked back to the road we had a little moment and consoled each other, it was nothing more than a show of solidarity between people with a passion for animals and a common cause. We then got back on with the matter at hand.
We believe we have a good case against them. We have footage of the chase and the kill and more importantly the intent shown by the hunt staff. We're getting good advice from a barrister with experience in prosecuting these cases (for free, thanks if you're reading this) and we will proceed with it further. We know these cases are extremely difficult to get the desired conclusion however it won't stop us trying.
I didn't sleep well that night despite my best efforts of drowning the images in my mind with several beers and you know what, I hope it never goes away. It'll be a constant reminder of why I and many others like me do what we do. It shows me that this barbarity cannot ever go unanswered and if the authorities won't do it then we will. If over 80% of the population really are against this grotesque minority pass time then we really need to show it. Find your local sab group or monitors, join them, support them, get out there.
Happy New Year.


text:
Heidi joined the firm's Minneapolis office in 2010 as a paralegal intern and has moved her way up the ranks to paralegal, assisting the attorneys in cases involving Wage & Hour and Consumer Protection. Maintaining client contact and case filings fill a large part of Heidi's day-to-day activities, and her energy and dedication are known by all who encounter her.
Heidi is the lead paralegal working on the Target Security Breach case, assisting attorneys as they represent banks and other financial institutions affected by the largest data security breach in the United States. She also supports the attorneys with client contact and filings for the Hepatitis C outbreak lawsuit, and GAF Timberline Shingle cases. Heidi played a significant role in the legal team that successfully challenged FedEx's independent contractor model, assisting attorneys as they represented 141 Illinois drivers in a lawsuit brought under federal and Illinois wage and hour laws. Her optimism and go-getter attitude make her a valuable addition to the firm and deserving recipient of the 2012 ZR Star award. She is trusted by the senior partners of the firm in handling tasks as they arise, and is more than willing to lend a hand to anyone in the office who needs assistance.
Heidi received her Associates Degree in Paralegal Studies from North Hennepin Community College in December 2011, and a Bachelor's Degree at Metro State with a focus in legal studies in 2014. Away from ZR, Heidi spends any free moment with her nieces and nephews and also unwinds from her busy work week by being active, attending sporting events and traveling.


text:
Pons, School Board facing accusations
Major construction projects at a half-dozen Leon County Schools were split into smaller contracts over the past several years to avoid a competitive-bidding process, with millions of dollars going to companies that have contributed to Superintendent Jackie Pons' political campaigns, according to school-district documents.
In all cases, Pons recommended approval of the contracts, which each came in just under a $2-million threshold in state statute that would have triggered competitive bidding. All of the contracts were approved as part of the School Board's consent agenda, where routine items appear requiring no discussion or debate.
In at least one case, a contract came in at exactly one penny below the $2-million threshold.
District officials have subjected the transactions to outside review — lawyers and accountants hired by the district and paid more than $30,000 for their work — and determined that the contracts did not follow best practices, but were neither illegal nor unethical. District officials have provided those responses to the FBI.
The construction projects involve contracts dating to 2010 at schools including Gilchrist Elementary School, Gretchen Everhart School, Griffin Middle School, Kate Sullivan Elementary School, Killearn Lakes Elementary School and Rickards High School. The projects included new school wings, underground utility work and heating and air-conditioning upgrades.
The vendors involved include Baycrest Corporation, Culpepper Construction, Childers Construction, LLT Building Corporation, Premier Construction, Pro-Steel Building, RAM Construction & Development, Southland Contracting, all of whom gave to Pons' 2012 campaign. Baycrest and Premier are both controlled by the Ghazvini family, who are major local political donors.
Some of the contracts were awarded just after a March 2012 report by the Florida Auditor General's Office that said the district "effectively circumvented" state statutes by not competitively bidding selected construction firms involved in work at Griffin. Vendors selected came from the district's prequalified list of firms.
Shortly before Christmas, Pons became aware from someone outside the district of a nearly 90-page packet of information calling into question the projects and some of his personal business dealings. School officials say they are unsure exactly who compiled the report.
"I immediately took actions which included an independent audit with both full internal and external reviews," Pons said in a written statement. "All actions taken, both present and future, will continue to include full transparency and disclosure. I believe we have taken the appropriate steps and I am very comfortable with the audit recommendations received and the implementation that has followed."
John Hunkiar, chief of school security, said after Pons became aware of the report, he contacted Woody Hildebrandt, principal of Lively Technical Center and a former director of construction, to see whether he knew about the report. According to Hunkiar, Hildebrandt told Pons that Rocky Hanna, division director and former principal at Leon High School, compiled the report. Hildebrandt gave Pons a copy of the report.
Hanna has since twice declined to meet with Pons to discuss the matter, Hunkiar said. He also declined to comment for this article. In June 2012, Hanna was moved from his job at Leon to his current district post, which touched off a community rally to keep him at the high school.
Hanna's attorney, Tim Jansen of Tallahassee, said Hanna is considering any and all legal rights he has.
"Rocky Hanna is a dedicated public servant to the school system and has kids and their education in the forefront of his mind," Jansen said. "He is not a witness to any of these allegations that have come forward or is out there in the public arena now. I've been retained to advise him and protect all of his legal rights and remedies in this matter."
Since the district became aware of the report, it has hired outside attorneys and its own accounting firm to review allegations, Hunkiar said. Attorney Robert Sniffen, a former member of the Florida Commission on Ethics, was hired to review some of the issues, while attorney Ron Meyer was hired to examine Pons' personal business dealings. The district's accounting firm, Thomas Howell Ferguson, was hired to examine contracts involving school construction. So far, the district has spent roughly $30,000 on the firms, though Pons hired Meyer out of his own pocket.
In an undated memo, Sniffen wrote that the reviews found no evidence of criminal acts, fraud, unethical conduct or personal gains by Pons. However, he wrote that the accounting firm found areas where internal procedures could be improved.
Hunkiar said the district later gave copies of the accounting firm's findings and Meyer's report to the FBI, which contacted the district in March after the arrest of Paul Byrd, a former assistant superintendent of maintenance and transportation. Byrd was arrested on drug-possession and trafficking charges Feb. 28 by Franklin County deputies after they allegedly found more than 31 grams of cocaine in his School Board-owned truck during a traffic stop. FBI officials wanted permission to search the vehicle, Hunkiar said.
During his conversation with the FBI, an agent told Hunkiar he was aware of allegations involving contracts coming in under $2 million, Hunkiar said. But Hunkiar said the FBI gave no indication that the contracts were the subject of an investigation.
"That's the first time that we were aware that they might have information that might be similar to what we have," Hunkiar said. "So then after that ... we wanted them to have the same information that we have."
Barbara Wills, assistant superintendent for professional and community services, said the school-construction projects were divided into multiple contracts for two reasons: to speed up construction work to meet deadlines tied to a federal, low-interest bond program and to spread around construction work to multiple vendors during the recession.
She said that in hindsight, the district should have competitively bid the projects, though she said it still would have divided up the projects among builders.
"When you look at the intent of the statute ... the process is in place so that one contractor doesn't get all the work," she said. "The process is in place so the project doesn't cost the district more money. And in our situations, none of those things happened."
Wills also said the contracts were awarded based on vendors on the district's prequalified list, not because of political contributions.
"Project recommendations are made to the superintendent according to contractor qualifications, capacity and past performance," she said in an email. "When multiple projects are awarded, every attempt is made to distribute the work in order to meet project and school deadlines. Every effort is made to review the process carefully and improve it wherever possible."
The anonymous report also calls into question a project to build a multi-purpose facility with four basketball courts at Ghazvini Learning Center, an alternative school on Blountstown Highway for students who were removed from their previous school for bad behavior or trouble with the law.
The project, which was to use proceeds from a half-percent sales tax approved by voters in 2012, had been recommended for funding by the Capital Improvements Review Team, a group of 70 citizens and business leaders, Wills said.
But the district found that clay soil at the site could not support construction and ordered soil remediation, Wills said. So far, more than $470,000 in contracts have been awarded to five different vendors, including $247,155 to Baycrest for the site work and remediation, according to school-district documents. No work on the building itself has begun, and the project itself has been halted. Wills said the district is re-evaluating the school's needs but still plans to build a gym there.
School Board member Joy Bowen said she had seen a statement the district issued about the construction contracting.
"The district is committed to cooperating with the authorities," Bowen said. "I have received all of the findings and I am monitoring the situation as a school board member."
School Board member Dee Dee Rasmussen said the outside audit and legal review forwarded by the district administration to board members — she had not seen the underlying documentation gathered by an unknown source — concluded there was nothing illegal done and hesitated to suggest how the board might react, preferring instead to see the outcome of investigations.
"Here we've got a investigation going on and (a former employee arrested) and it seems like we should wait until that is done," she said, adding the extent of law enforcement inquiries are not known. "That's part of the issue is we don't know what the FBI is or isn't investigating."
Project and contract details
Griffin Middle School
• • Childers Construction, awarded contract totaling $1,868,943 in April 2011.
• Culpepper Construction, awarded contract totaling $1,998,334 for one phase of the project in July 2010 and $1,984,808 for another in October 2010.
Killearn Lakes Elementary School
• Baycrest Corporation, awarded contract for $20,000 in July 2012, amended in September 2012 for an additional $1,979,999, bringing the total to $1,999,999.
• Pro-Steel Building, awarded contract for $19,856 in June 2012, amended in September 2012 for an additional $1,980,143.99, bringing the total to $1,999,999.99.
Gilchrist Elementary School
• Southland Contracting, awarded contract for $1,999,782 in June 2012.
• LLT Building Corporation, awarded contract for $1,998,960 in June 2012.
Kate Sullivan Elementary School
• RAM Construction & Development, awarded contract for $17,134 in May 2012, amended in June 2012 for an additional $1,981,347, bringing the total to $1,998,481.
• Culpepper Construction, awarded $76,000 contract in May 2012, amended in June 2012 for an additional $1,923,213 in June 2012, bringing the total to $1,999,213.
• Childers Construction, awarded contract for $16,847 in May 2012, amended in June 2012 for an additional $1,983,065, bringing the total to $1,999,912.
Gretchen Everhart School
• RAM Construction & Development, awarded contract for $66,885.86 in July 2011, amended for an additional $1,922,433.91 in October 2011, bringing the total to $1,989,319.77.
Source: Leon County Schools


text:
Not only did I cry, I sobbed. When I couldn't control it at my desk, I went to a bathroom stall and let it out. All my anger, frustration, confusion and powerlessness came to a head. It's hard to say if it's related to the holidays, my aunt passing away, my marriage ending or all of it accumulated, but what set me over the top was my controlling, borderline abusive boss.
The afternoon prior, I'd left our holiday volunteer event 15 minutes prior to scheduled ending because I needed to get to a personal appointment. I didn't get a group photo of the volunteers before I left because of leaving early, as well as my hands were deep in the food we were serving. I'd also published promotional posts on our work social media related to our volunteer event without her review/approval. She knew I had the appointment, but she acted like I hadn't asked her and I had just snuck away. She is the type that you have to ask for permission in writing. Leaving early negated getting the group photo, and I realize that it's part of my role to get that. I messed up and tried to apologize. Posting on social media without her approval is just a ridiculous charge.
So that same night of the event, she emailed me with her list of offenses I'd committed. I knew that I would hear all about it the next day. I wrote back with my defense. Then she came into the office the next morning and I already felt really sullen and filled with dread. I went in to her office to try to talk to her and she started blowing up. Some things she said: "You need to own your shit", "Your defiance", "You need to get out of your head"... I was stunned and hurt. I felt attacked and angry.
Some of my 'woe is me' thoughts: why does she have to make it personal? What did I do that was so horrific? Why do I feel so targeted? Why can't I do anything right in her eyes? Why does she have to control every little thing? Why can't I ever be happy working anywhere? Why would a boss do that?! What is wrong with her?! What is wrong with me?!
She ended up walking away without us resolving it and going to a colleague's office. Likely to talk about me. I sat at my desk and started to well up. Then I started crying, then let myself go to the bathroom to sob. When I came back, of course people noticed. She then tried to soften her approach and talked to me about my personal life and suggested I go elsewhere to work remote. (I think so others didn't realize she'd made me cry as it would be a bad reflection on her.)
Like usual, I didn't stand up for myself adequately in this situation because she intimidates me. We don't have an HR department and the president is rarely in the office. But we did talk it out and some of the air was cleared. The team gave me a sincere greeting card for the loss of my aunt. The day went better as it went on, as her morning anger melted and she transformed into a jovial, social person in the company. But the damage has been done. I don't know what crazy shit show I signed up for, but I need to save myself and my career.
I'm starting to question my perceptions and how much is reality or what seems to be depression. I feel paralyzed by everything and burdened. Irritated and annoyed. Everything is a task. Nothing is a joy. How am I supposed to get better? People always have helpful advice. I take it for the most part. But a new therapy I will begin to take is journaling. (Which is like blogging, but even more free style.) Where I can really drop some F-bombs.
Other useful depression therapy advice commonly recommended (many of these I try):
- Exercise
- Yoga
- Meditate
- Mindfulness
- Healthy diet
- Good rest
- Friendships/connectedness
- Gratitude journal
- Positive self talk
- Limit caffeine
- Limit alcohol
- Give back to the community
- Self care (massage, nail salon...)
- Nature/outdoors
- Therapy
- Music
- Self help books
- Support groups
- Church
- Prayer
I am reading Brene Brown's book Daring Greatly right now and it's been pretty therapeutic so far. I wish I could retain those nuggets of wisdom when I'm feeling the most vulnerable and stressed. Or when I feel personally attacked at work.
Tomorrow is Monday. Ugh. After the Thanksgiving break. Double ugh. I hope I can get through the week staying on her good side and doing an acceptable job. (I FEEL LIKE A VICTIM OF ABUSE WHERE SHE IS CONDITIONING ME AND CONTROLLING ME SO I WALK ON EGG SHELLS). Am I crazy or am I correct in my assumption?
Needless to say, I'm on the hunt for my next opportunity. I need to be secure, content and productive when I work. I'm wasting my time and talents at this place. Hmph.


text:
Chartering yacht:
Catamaran Lagoon 4500.0 (0 opinions) see all reviews
Charter details
Select charter days:
Yacht pick up at - Return at:
Details of yacht
Yacht model: Lagoon 450
Boat type: Catamaran
Production year: 2015
Boat type: Catamaran
Production year: 2015
Number of people: 8
Number of cabins: 4
Collocation: 0
Bathrooms: 4
Water tank (litres): yes
Number of cabins: 4
Collocation: 0
Bathrooms: 4
Water tank (litres): yes
Boat length: 13.5m
Boat width: m
Minimal draft: 1.3m
Maximal draft: m
Cabin height m
Boat width: m
Minimal draft: 1.3m
Maximal draft: m
Cabin height m
Sail area: m
Engine power (HP): 2
Fuel tank (litres): 990
Fuel tank (litres): 990
Yacht description
Lagoon 450 King Lewis is a luxury catamaran charter extremely popular among sailors from all over the world. The yacht can be characterized by not only an excellent speed and easy handling but also a stylish design and comfortable spaces. Lagoon 450 King Lewis is an ideal luxury catamaran rental choice if you want to explore beautiful British Virgin Islands. The boat has been waiting for your charter in Road Town, the capital city situated on scenic Tortola. Tortola's location is really convenient if you are planning on island hopping in the Caribbean, as it is located within a short distance to the rest of the BVI.
- 4 Cabins & 4 Heads
- 2 Single cabins in V-Berth & Salon Table Converts
- Generator & Air-Conditioning
- Semi Battened Main with Stackpack and Lazy Jacks & Furling Genoa
- 4 Electric Quiet-Flush Toilets & 5 Electric Winches
- Electric Windlass w/Chain Counter
- 2 Refrigerators & Cockpit Fridge
- AM/FM CD Stereo w/Speakers on Flybridge
- Sun Deck with Cushions
- Forward & Aft Cockpit
- Chart Plotter, GPS, Autopilot & Wind Instrument
- 10ft Dinghy & 9.8HP Outboard, Davits
- Chart & Saftey Equipmen


text: I bought your add-on "Comment Each Post" I am testing it before i put it on my real forum. I have a question about it. #1 Is there an easy way to change the order of the "Comment" & "Watch Post" Links? I want to change the order of these "Like" "Dislike" "+Quote" "Reply" "Watch Post" "Comment" Which template do i edit. I want the Reply at the end. I think that's the best spot. In fact this is how i want it: "Like" "Dislike" "Comment" "Watch Post" "+Quote" "Reply" #2 How can i remove the comments from the "Forum Statistics" #3 Does this add-on use alot of processing power to install? In my test forum. It installed very easy. But my real forum i had a very hard time installing it. I would keep getting timed out. I had to turn off my board to install this add-on. My other forum has many posts and threads. I was worried maybe it didn't install well. But now it seems to be working! I like this add-on. Thanks.


text:
If you happen to see a strange securitydata resource group in your Azure subscription, you would be pretty much surprised what the heck it is. You would be angry on someone in your cloud team if the Azure subscription is shared to every member. Even you think of the subscription being hacked by somebody else then you would delete this resource group then change your password. Congrats on having a seriously security awareness which has to be required today in the digital transformation.
My upcoming book will cover more security stuffs and defense in depth strategy as well as step-by-step guidance on how to set things up. Go purchase it from here with only exclusive price at $9.99 before the release date on 15 June 2017
I've recently had to clean up my Azure subscription to prepare some of the demons for the upcoming Global Azure Bootcamp 2017 in Singapore. I realized I did delete securitydata resource group in the past but it was still there in my Azure subscription. I was pretty surprised and a little scary as to why it still existed. I opened Azure Resource Explorer to look up this resource group and realized that it was created in East US region. Oh I have no people from such a far region to use my Azure subscription. The farthest distance is UK where my friend is out there. Inside the resource group, there was a storage account which continuously generated many Blob containers. I spent a couple of hours to look at each container and table to check up what type of data was stored. Finally I found something as below which gave me a sign on Azure Security Center service I've been working with.
I wondered if this storage account stored data collected from Azure Security Center via monitoring module. After a couple of minutes on Microsoft Azure website regarding data collection in Azure Security Center, I figured out that securitydata resource group is automatically created along with storage account every time if we don't specify an existing storage account. We can find the setting from Security policy in Azure Security Center. I'm pretty sure I never touched this configuration during the time enabling Azure Security Center service for my Azure subscription. That's why I spent my time looking into what was stored in securitydata resource group. If you do not want data collection, turn it off but this action is not recommended as usual.
What I should be mentioning here is Microsoft should change the name to be more meaningful, for example azuresecuritycenter-data. Such a name will never make people feel unsafe when they manage Azure. If the environment is large then there would be an audit action plan to check through the entirely Azure subscription which would take time and effort.
Additional references which address to the securitydata resource group:


text:
Release Date: Friday, March 4 2016
Ginnifer Goodwin , Jason Bateman , Idris Elba , Jenny Slate , Nate Torrence
Genre(s): Comedy, Action, Animation, Family, Crime, Adventure, Mystery, Police, Animal
"Zootopia" story, characters and photos © Walt Disney Animation Studios
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text:
5mm multi-layer, form fitting compression panels for stabilization and proper knee position
Contoured design follows the knee's full range of motion and promotes circulation
Continuous SuperFlex arc vent panel maximizes breathability and manages moisture
Strategically designed upper and lower back panels to minimize bulk
Reversible design for training options.
Wear the smooth side in for quick transitions and easy on/off.
Wear the smooth side out for better traction and a secure fit
Hand wash with cold water / air dry


text:
Fast and Furious 8. This has the custom features showing the power of this car. The detail has the special power units in the back, along with other great features. Motorized pull back action with openable doors.
Is this a gift? We offer free gift wrapping, just add as an item.
The product may be discontinued without notice. Out of stock items may take 4-6 weeks to receive.


text:
APC Issues Serious Warning To Atiku
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has cautioned Atiku Abubakar to watch the way he issues public statements as though he is the president.
Former Vice-President, who was the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that lost to President Muhammadu Buhari in the 2019 presidential poll, has consistently issued statements on pressing national issues.
APC spokesman, Lanre Issa-Onilu, in a statement on Tuesday, said Atiku might be committing an offence which is tantamount to felony, and the government will not hesitate in taking decisive actions.
"The All Progressives Congress (APC) strongly condemns the 2019 presidential candidate of the opposition's Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar who has now made it a pastime to make public statements on issues, which constitutionally should be reserved for the duly elected head of government or his designees," the statement read.
"As a party, we would have thought that Alh. Atiku who in the past occupied such high office as the country's vice president would clearly understand the workings of government, particularly as it bothers on national security, foreign policy and our international engagement. We have noted Alh. Atiku's incessant habits of releasing statements on public issues as if he were an alternative President of this country and with a clear intention to undermine President Muhammadu Buhari and the APC-led government.
"In recent times, Alh. Atiku has demonstrated lack of regard for the sovereignty of the office of the President and Nigerian government through condescending statements. He has made several of such statements regarding the activities of the Nigerian military, issues of national security, and international relations.
"We reiterate that Alh. Atiku has lost the 2019 presidential election and it would be unhelpful to him to continue to make a mockery of our country. We expect Alh. Atiku to quickly address himself to the stark reality of his loss and move on. Our laws are clear on all acts of criminalities, in this case, a clear case of felony. Nigerians expect that the enforcement of relevant laws should apply to every Nigerian, irrespective of class and status. This government would not be found wanting where it is required to take decisive actions."
The ruling party said it noted with serious concern that Atiku has been throwing himself around as a shadow president of Nigeria.
It added that the former vice-president should understand that being a candidate for an elective office, including that of the president, does not confer on him a sovereign status, and his continuous portrayal of himself as a shadow president under "borders on felony and makes him a patent impostor".
"There can only be one democratically elected and legitimate government at a time in this country. That clearly is the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari. It is important to remind Alh. Atiku that issues of national security, foreign policy and international engagements are not matters to be exploited to achieve mischievous political ends," the party added.


text:
A tight core is desired by many females! Try these proven 3 ab exercises!
Ab Exercises:
Whether that's a six-pack or a slim waist, most females put in countless hours to develop their core muscles. But not all exercises are created equal!
Here are our favorite ab routines to target all muscles in the abdomen area.
- Bicycle Crunches A not-so-easy exercise that combines a crunch movement with riding a pretend bicycle.
- Mountain Climber In a plan position you drive your knee inwards in fast motion.
- Reverse crunch– A great overall stomach exercise that strengthens the smaller core "stabilizer" muscles and improves balance. Drive your leg inwards while laying flat on your back.
Keep in mind to see your abs your #1 priority is to burn fat! Doing countless ab exercises will not burn body fat around your abdomen. Ab exercises simply develop the muscles under the body fat. To burn belly fat, you must follow these principles:
–Stay consistent on an exercise program that incorporates resistance training, compound exercises, and HITT training 4-6 days per week. Join Shestough.com today!
– Eat a diet high in whole foods consisting of clean proteins, healthy fats, and low sugar carbohydrates
-Don't stress too much. A high-stress lifestyle has been shown to increase belly fat in the abdomen
Watch this video for a quick AB Routine by LaToyaForever
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text:
Protecting you intellectual property is important. What do you want to register?
Step 1: Select a distinctive trademark
A trademark must be distinctive. Otherwise, we will have to refuse your application. This implies that we will not register your trademark in the Benelux Trademarks Register. Your trademark will not be protected, and your fees will not be refunded.
What do we mean by a 'distinctive trademark'?
Some tips:
- Not literal
Your tradename or logo must not literal describe or depict your goods or services. Unacceptable: Biomild for yoghurt with a mild flavour. Acceptable: Mona for yoghurt.
- Not misleading
Example: an image of a coffee bean is misleading for a tea product.
- Future-proof
Avoid using vogue words that may be descriptive and non-distinctive for your goods and services in the near future
- No promotion
The trademark must amount to more than a value judgment alone. Unacceptable: the best, the tastiest.
Check examples distinctive trademarks
Doubts about whether your trademark is distinctive?
If so, seek the advice of an external IP professional. BOIP is an independent body and is therefore not allowed to advise you.
Step 2: Choose the countries where you want to protect your trademark
In the Benelux
In the Benelux you can only register your trademark in Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg. It is not possible to register your trademark separately in one of these countries. Do you want to register your trademark in the Benelux? If so, you can register your trademark with us online. BOIP is the registration body for trademarks in the Benelux. We administer the Benelux Trademarks Register and will be pleased to help you with the registration process.
Outside of the Benelux?
Do you also trade outside of the Benelux? There are various ways of registering your trademark outside of the Benelux. This can be arranged at once for the whole of the European Union or for one or more countries.
Need advice?
If so, seek the advice of an external IP professional. BOIP is an independent body and is therefore not allowed to advise you.
Step 3: Check whether your trademark already exists
Search in the Trademarks Register
The Benelux Trademarks Register contains all valid trademarks applied for and registered in the Benelux. Not only Benelux trademarks, but also EU trademarks and international trademarks that are valid in the Benelux.
If a trademark is not found in the Trademarks Register, that does not necessarily mean that it is available. You should also check, for example online, whether the trademark is already being used in a specific sector.
Need help?
If you prefer not to do this yourself, an external IP professional can also carry out a search for previous registrations for you. A fee is charged for this service.
Search tips
- Don't just search for the exact word, but also for variants on it. Rather than searching for Apple alone, search for Aple, Appel, and Pomme, for example. Trademarks that resemble yours may also present a danger.
- If you find a trademark that resembles yours, check which goods and services it has been registered for. A problem could arise if the trademarks resemble each other and the goods and services correspond.
- The trademarks Ajax FC, Ajax fire extinguishers and Ajax cleaning products can exist alongside each other without further ado because the trademarks are registered for goods and services that do not overlap.
- Do you also trade outside the Benelux? If so, we advise you to check via TMView whether your trademark is listed in the registers of other countries.
My trademark is not yet listed in the Trademarks Register
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This topic provides instructions for configuring your Abode Smart Home skill to allow Alexa to unlock smart locks that you have integrated with your Abode System.
When enabled, you'll be able to say phrases like "Alexa, unlock my Front Door". Alexa will respond asking you for a PIN code. When you've provided a valid PIN code, the door will unlock and Alexa will confirm that the door was unlocked.
Enable Unlock by Voice
Please note that this topic assumes you have already integrated the Abode Smart Home Skill with your Abode Home. If you have not done this yet, please follow these instructions. Once you've completed the integration, return to this topic to enable unlocking via Voice Control.
Follow these steps to enable Unlock by Voice in your Alexa App.
- Open the Alexa app on your mobile phone, tap the menu in the top left corner and select "Smart Home."
- On the "Smart Home" page, tap on one of your integrated locks.
- On the "Lock Settings" page, tap "Edit" in the top right corner.
- Tap the toggle next to "Unlock by Voice."
- Tap OK in the "Enable unlock by voice" dialog.
- Create your 4 digit pin, then confirm your PIN by entering it again.
- Complete the process by confirming your Amazon Alexa password.
- That's it! You can now see that "Unlock by Voice" has been enabled.
- If you would like to also allow doors to be unlocked via your Amazon Alexa mobile app, you can also enable that by tapping "Unlock by app."
Test it out
Confirm that things are working properly by telling Alexa to unlock a door. She will respond asking for your unlock PIN. When a valid PIN has been provided, she will respond that your door has been unlocked.
"Alexa, unlock my Front Door."


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Editor : Bloomsbury Publishing USA
Type : PDF, Epub and Kindle
Language : en
Views : 192
Available for
On August 19, 1418, a competition concerning Florence's magnificent new cathedral, Santa Maria del Fiore--already under construction for more than a century--was announced: "Whoever desires to make any model or design for the vaulting of the main Dome....shall do so before the end of the month of September." The proposed dome was regarded far and wide as all but impossible to build: not only would it be enormous, but its original and sacrosanct design shunned the flying buttresses that supported cathedrals all over Europe. The dome would literally need to be erected over thin air. Of the many plans submitted, one stood out--a daring and unorthodox solution to vaulting what is still the largest dome (143 feet in diameter) in the world. It was offered not by a master mason or carpenter, but by a goldsmith and clockmaker named Filippo Brunelleschi, who would dedicate the next twenty-eight years to solving the puzzles of the dome's construction. In the process, he did nothing less than reinvent the field of architecture. Brunelleschi's Dome is the story of how a Renaissance genius bent men, materials, and the very forces of nature to build an architectural wonder we continue to marvel at today. Denounced at first as a madman, Brunelleschi was celebrated at the end as a genius. He engineered the perfect placement of brick and stone, built ingenious hoists and cranes to carry an estimated 70 million pounds hundreds of feet into the air, and designed the workers' platforms and routines so carefully that only one man died during the decades of construction--all the while defying those who said the dome would surely collapse and his own personal obstacles that at times threatened to overwhelm him. Even today, in an age of soaring skyscrapers, the cathedral dome of Santa Maria del Fiore retains a rare power to astonish. Ross King brings its creation to life in a fifteenth-century chronicle with twenty-first-century resonance.


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Obituaries » Anna Mae Fox Mattis
Anna Mae Fox Mattis
July 27, 1932 - February 1, 2017
Service Date: February 6, 2017
Cemetery McNulty Funeral Home
Anna Mae Fox 84 of Freeland a guest at Fritzingertown Senior Living Community passed away Wednesday at Fritzingertown.
Born in Hazleton she was the daughter of the late Joseph and Anna (Pangrac) Mattis.
She was a member of St. Luke's Evangelical Lutheran Church, Freeland and a Freeland High School graduate.
Before retiring she was employed by PPL and as a cafeteria worker for the Hazleton Area School District.
Anna Mae enjoyed cooking and was an organist and member of the former Ss. Peter's and Paul's Slovak Lutheran Church, Freeland and other churches in the Freeland Area, Freeland interfaith choir and senior citizens.
She is the last surviving member of her immediate family.
Surviving is her husband of 60 years William Paul Fox Sr. Sons; William and his wife Jamie- Drums, Chris and his wife Lisa- Freeland and Jeffrey and his wife Rose- Freeland. Daughter- Judy and her fiancée Jim Avillion -Freeland. Grandchildren; Jesse, Jonathan, Brianna, Samantha and her husband Rob Franklin, Lucas and his wife Jessica Fox, Deanna, Sarah, Todd, Katie, Marissa, Krysta, and Jada. Great Grandchildren; Paul, Maelee, and Maci also survive.
Funeral will be held Monday 10:30am from the McNulty Funeral Home 494 East Butler Dr. Freeland with Services 11am in St. Luke's Evangelical Lutheran church, Washington St. Freeland.
Burial will follow in Ss. Peter's and Paul's Lutheran Cemetery, Freeland.
Friends may call at the funeral home Sunday from 4 to 6pm and Monday from 9:30 to 10:30am.
Donations can be made to the charity of one's choice.


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A changing of the guard at the labour ministry.
photo: ČTK
The country's social insurer Sociálna poisťovňa (SP) registered as of June 30, over 1.3 million contracts and citizens so far have deposited Sk17.3 billion in personal pension accounts.
While the previous government took pride in its pension reform inspired by the Chilean model, the new Minister of Labour, Social Affairs and Family Viera Tomanová said there are many holes to mend in the system.
The state pension system is rather complex. Currently, Slovaks transfer 18 percent of their salary to the country's social insurer Sociálna poisťovňa (SP). Half of the sum (9 percent) goes to the private pension funds (DSS) and half (9 percent) remains in the SP.
The new ruling coalition has hinted that it might propose keeping 12 percent in the SP and transferring only 6 percent to the DSS.
The pension system as instituted by the last government has three components: the first is the pay-as-you go element, the second consists of savings in private accounts, and the third is voluntary savings.
Prime Minister Robert Fico says the ruling coalition is deeply disturbed by the growing deficit of the SP that will continue to grow because half of incoming funds are due to be transferred to funds operated by private companies.
Former Labour Minister Iveta Radičová, a representative of the Slovak Democratic and Christian Union (SDKÚ) and a strong advocate of the existing system, says changing the rules of the present system now that people have started their savings accounts is outrageous.
Still Fico suggests that the percentage of the funds transferred to private accounts must be reduced. Radičová, however, remains skeptical that Fico's plan would solve the problem of the swelling deficit.
The former government planned to cover the growing deficit with privatization proceeds but Fico is a committed opponent to selling off the state's strategic properties to private companies and he has stated that this is not a viable solution to this problem.
The business community has come out strongly against the proposed changes. They say that altering the system now would be like changing the rules of the game after it has begun. The DSS has already made considerable investments into the system.
However, Director of the F A Hayek Foundation Martin Chren, who participated in a media debate over the issue with the new labour minister, says that the government has not yet made a final decision.
"The labour minister said the government wants to make the entry to the capitalization pillar voluntary for the people who are entering the labour market. They want to give people an option to decide whether they want to enter the second pillar or not," Chren explained to The Slovak Spectator.
Chren says that the government's final decision will depend on the financial balance of the pension system since the state must somehow find the money to cover the deficit in the SP.
According to Chren, the public finances are currently tuned in a way that they should be able to handle the deficit of the pension system.
Chren says that for him the most important factor is what kind of impact the changes will have on the people.
"The pension system was reformed because the old system did not secure sufficient pensions for the future. If the state decides to trim down the second pillar, the basic impact will be that the people will not have a dignified pension secured in the future.
"The second thing is that the eventual change would threaten the functioning of the whole sector," Chren says.
"As the system is currently turned, the DSS will start making a profit in about ten years. If the payments to the second pillar are reduced, the incomes of these companies would get reduced as well and their investments would be endangered," Chren added.
According to him, some companies might even consider suing the country for thwarting their investments.
The pension administrators entered a tough market and out of the eight companies originally established, only six remain on the market: Aegon, Allianz-Slovenská dôchodková správcovská spoločnosť, ČSOB DSS, ING DSS, VÚB Generali DSS, and Winterthur DSS.
At the end of March 2006, Allianz - Slovenská DSS had the largest share of the market, administering 30.8 percent of the total volume of pension savings.
Winterthur administered 29.5 percent of the total value of savers' assets, followed by VÚB Generali with a 17 percent market share. ING DSS administered 12.1 percent, ČSOB DSS had 5.8 percent and Aegon DSS 4.8 percent, the Association of Pension Fund Management Companies told the SITA news agency.
In mid-June the Sociálna poisťovňa reported that it has used Sk6 billion (€160 million) of the privatisation proceeds it received from the sale of a 49-percent stake in gas utility Slovenský plynárenský priemysel (SPP) to cover the cost of introducing the capitalisation pension pillar.
"SP should receive another Sk11.6 billion from the Finance Ministry by the end of the year," she said to SITA.
A total of Sk70 billion has been earmarked from SPP's privatisation to settle debts related to the introduction of the second pension pillar.
Next year the SP expects the state to allocate around Sk19.8 billion for this purpose, Sk22.2 billion in 2008, Sk23.3 billion in 2009 and Sk22.8 billion in 2010.


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"Check out sex tape," Donald Trump advised in a pre-dawn tweet Friday, in an attempt to discredit the former Miss Universe he once called "Miss Piggy."
Well, people did. And they didn't find any evidence that Alicia Machado starred in any such salaciousness, other than a reality show appearance in 2005.
On the other hand, some reporters at Buzzfeed have dug out what looks like an appearance from Trump himself in a porn film.
He appears to feature in Playboy's 2000 soft core classic Centerfold starring the Bernaola Twins.
Trump, however, plays a passing role. He's shown spraying champagne onto a Playboy car in the clip obtained from a digital video store and posted online, and doesn't feature in any of the film's racier scenes. Scenes that include, Buzzfeed says, "fully nude" women "touching each other sensually and rubbing honey on themselves."
The film travels from the "sun-drenched beaches of California to Vermont's snowy peaks... in search of stunning beauty." When they reach New York, the women discover Trump. He's included in IMDB's credits for the film as "himself."
Mashable has reached out to the Trump campaign for comment.
In a 2012 documentary, Trump gave his thoughts on Hugh Hefner and the world of Playboy. "Hugh Hefner really understood the art of using mass media, better than anybody else of his generation" he said, an hour and fifteen minutes into the clip below.
"He did something that really has been done very rarely -- he made himself the company, in terms of his image. And it's been a huge asset for Playboy. It's really become such an amazing brand."
Clinton took to Twitter Friday to declare Trump "unhinged" following his early-morning tweetstorm, in which he called Machado "disgusting."
"When something gets under Donald's thin skin, he lashes out and can't let go," she wrote. "This is dangerous for a president."
And then when news of the soft-core porn appearance surfaced later Friday, a Clinton spokesman had this to say:
Tweet may have been deleted (opens in a new tab)


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By the time a Latino child born now enters second grade, she will be part of the largest minority group in America. Already, there are more Latino children in our country than African-American children.
Rosario Wilkins works with Latino immigrants every day, many of whom came here for jobs in agriculture. She says our culture is often a shock for such newcomers.
"They come from remote areas and here is just a totally new world," says Wilkins.
Wilkins adds that two of the biggest problems are a lack of transportation and the language barrier. Local emergency officers rely on interpreters to help. Nearly everyone at one rural health center speaks English and Spanish so patients don't have to rely on friends or relatives in order to communicate.
"When the patient has a confidential problem to talk about, they need to keep that confidential medical problem with the staff," says Betsy Richards, family nurse-practitioner.
Places of worship are also making changes. One Wilson church attracted so many Spanish-speaking people recently that it added two separate services, complete with interpreters, to accommodate the newcomers.
"We have a few people here in the church who speak good fluent Spanish and they do the worship services and they also interpret all the preaching services," says
More Spanish-speaking newcomers are expected to follow as families put down roots here, forcing communities to make room for the changing face of America.
Many doctors also have added priorities for their Spanish-speaking patients. Right now, they are battling an increase in cases involving rubella and tuberculosis in the migrant community.


text: In defiance of the mighty Roman Empire, which destroyed Jerusalem and our Temple, Rabbi Akiva taught Torah to his disciples, for which he was arrested and brutally murdered on a bed of nails. In his last moments he said the words of the Shema and became one of the greatest symbols of Jewish martyrdom in history. And yet the Gemara tells us that as he was dying the angels in the heavens cried out before G-d the terrible question: "Zu Torah ve-zu sechara" – "This Torah and this its reward?!" At this time of agony, as we see the pictures of the pure shining faces of Gil-Ad Shaer, Eyal Yifrah and Naftali Fraenkel, and of their bereft parents, when we see the sad, lonely, flag-draped coffins, we can almost hear the angels in heaven thunder in protest: "This is Torah and this its reward?!" But we remember in our grief how the Gemara describes G-d's response that the angels be silent; we remember the brave and unflinching faith of Rabbi Akiva and generations of Jews who, in the spirit of King David's Psalms, walked "in the valley of the shadow of death" and did not fear "for G-d is with me." And so too at this time of terrible pain, we bow our heads before G-d in humble, yet resolute, acceptance of the tears of this unredeemed world.Our Torah teaches that anyone who dies defending the mitzvot, like Rabbi Akiva, or who sacrifices his life defending the Jewish people, as thousands of Israel's brave soldiers have done, or any Jew who is murdered merely because he or she is Jewish, like the six million martyrs of the Holocaust, is considered holy, someone who died al Kiddush Hashem – for the sanctification of Hashem's name. We are taught that their souls ascend to the loftiest heights of Gan Eden into the close embrace of G-d Himself, and they become immortal heroes of Jewish destiny.Gil-Ad, Eyal and Naftali left this world as heroes of Am Yisrael – of the Jewish people, heroes who died al Kiddush Hashem because they were murdered for one simple reason, and one reason only – and that is that they were Jewish. The last words of the murdered journalist Daniel Pearl were famously, "My mother is Jewish, my father is Jewish, I am a Jew," and shortly after uttering these words his abductors slit his throat. Daniel Pearl was murdered for being a Jew, and he died al Kiddush Hashem. Gil- Ad, Eyal and Naftali were murdered for being Jewish, and they died al Kiddush Hashem. They join generations of Jews brutally murdered by enemies across thousands of years and different continents who had one common vision, complete destruction of the Jewish people.At moments of such unspeakable horror, the enemies of the State of Israel reveal their true vision and philosophy. They do not fight about borders or statehood, but about the very fact that there is a sovereign Jewish state on the holy land of Israel. By definition, any Jewish presence in Israel is offensive to Hamas and others who seek Israel's complete destruction. So they kidnap and murder young Jewish boys, as anti-Semitic villains have done throughout history. When Gil-Ad, Eyal and Naftali died al Kiddush Hashem, they fell on the front lines of a war declared against the Jewish state by those with a savage and evil ideology who seek the complete destruction of the Jewish people.But as happens so often in history – such as during the time of Nazi Germany – when the Jewish people are under attack, the battle is one which is a prelude and a warning of impending danger to the other nations of the world. These three brave young men died on the front lines of battle in defense of the Jewish state – in fact, on the front lines of the battle for human civilization.Their kidnapping and murder demonstrate clearly the savage and evil ideology that drove the perpetrators of these unspeakably evil deeds for all the world to see.The same evil, savage ideology that drives and motivates Hamas, drives and motivates Boko Haram in Nigeria, al-Shabaab in Kenya and the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (formerly ISIS) . This evil can only be stopped if the civilized world recognizes it for what it is. Our three boys died in a battle between the forces of dark savagery and the forces of morality and civilization.Acknowledging that Gil- Ad, Eyal and Naftali died al Kiddush Hashem helps us to see them as heroes and to be inspired by their sacrifice, but it doesn't remove the awful pain – we remain broken- hearted. Their holy heroism demands that we respond by creating a Kiddush Hashem of our own – spreading the light and goodness of our Torah, recommitting ourselves to Jewish destiny and preserving the awesome Jewish unity which these three boys inspired. We can draw strength from realizing that the Roman Empire is gone but we still learn the teachings of Rabbi Akiva, that in spite all the pain and sacrifices of Jewish history, we are people of miracles who have carried our Divine mission with inspiring success and tenacity, and that, through Divine intervention and in defiance of every expectation, we have outlived all of our savage enemies and overcome the greatest odds imaginable.We take comfort in knowing that Rabbi Akiva himself was surely waiting in heaven to welcome Gil-Ad, Eyal and Naphtali. They would be able to discuss with him the Torah they were learning in yeshiva just before they left this world. It was the same Torah that Rabbi Akiva learned and taught. We take comfort in knowing that our mother Rachel, who is buried not far from where they were murdered, was waiting for her three boys with open arms – Rachel "who weeps for her children," who weeps for all our pain, and who certainly joins us in our prayers as we plead before G-d to bring about the ultimate Kiddush Hashem, to redeem our world, speedily bringing us to the time when, as the verse says, "He will wipe away tears from all faces."The writer is chief rabbi of South Africa.


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By Meghan Betts
Increasing evidence suggests that a disruption of the healthy human microbiome (i.e. communities of microbes, their genetic content and their interaction with the human host) is linked to an increased risk of developing allergic diseases.
Studies have shown that newborns who later develop either asthma or allergies commonly have a different composition of microbes in their guts (the gut microbiota) within the first few months of life compared to those who are unaffected by these disorders. There are many factors that can alter the composition of the microbiome in early life including:
Caesarean birth
Numerous studies have also shown that the mode of delivery (vaginal or caesarean) impacts the diversity of the microbiome. During a vaginal birth a baby encounters some of the first microbes that will colonise the gut from the mother. On the other hand, during a caesarean the baby is not exposed to these microbes and in addition encounters other microbes from the hospital environment. This alteration in the microbiota is believed to contribute to the development of allergy and asthma. One study in 2013 found that babies born by caesarean were 5 times more likely to develop allergies prior to turning two years old compared to babies born by vaginal delivery.
In an attempt to restore microbial diversity to caesarean-born babies, studies have swabbed newborn babies with the mother's vaginal fluid. As unusual as this may seem, it has shown some success with the swabbed babies presenting with a gut microbiota more similar to those in babies born vaginally than babies who were not swabbed. This research is still in its early stages and more needs to be done to determine any risks of passing on pathological bacteria, but current results look promising.
In addition to the mode of delivery, an infant's microbiota population is also impacted whether they are breastfed. One recent study showed that up to 28% of the infants microbiome comes directly from the mother's breast milk, with an additional 10% from the skin on the mother's breast. There is some evidence to suggest that breastfeeding protects against the development of allergies such as asthma, however research into this is still ongoing.
An emerging body of evidence suggests that exposure to pets at an early age may offer a level of protection from the later development of allergies and asthma. Originally it was believed that the protection conferred by early exposure to animals was due to desensitisation to potential allergens. However, new research suggests that the connection is linked to beneficial changes in the gut microbiome through exposure to a more diverse range of microbes. In particular, it appears that this is most effective prior to birth and during the first year of life.
Many epidemiological studies show that children who grow up in with regular contact with animals (i.e. on a farm or pets-owners) have a lower risk for developing allergies and asthma. As well as the presence animals themselves, other factors such as traces of soil that are brought in with them also contribute to an environment with a greater diversity of microbes.
Antibiotic use causes long term alterations to our gut microbiota and increasing evidence suggests that this is significantly associated with a rise in allergies. Dr Gary Huffnagle, University of Michigan, provided the first experimental evidence for the role of antibiotics and microbes in the development of allergic airway disease. The study showed that an alteration of the gut microbiota following a course of antibiotics caused an increased hypersensitivity and reactivity in the lungs of mice in response to harmless yeast spores. In particular, antibiotic use during the early years of life is shown to significantly impact the risk of childhood atopy (a genetic tendency to develop allergic diseases), in particular sensitivity to food allergens.


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We've heard for so long about Eva Longoria just wanting to find a great guy to settle down with but apparently once that situation potentially arose she thought twice. She hooked up with Ernesto Arguello when he was a contestant on her very short lived dating show and the two were a public PDA-fest until a few weeks ago. Then after meeting each others' families and pretty much declaring their undying love it all came to an abrupt halt.
According to the Sept. 9th print edition of Life & Style they fell hard and fast, then decided to allow work to keep them apart. Eva is based in LA while Ernesto works out of Miami and the two now claim that it's impossible to make it work with their schedules. Something tells me that there's a little more to this story that we have yet to hear. Otherwise Eva was handed exactly what she thought she wanted most and then realized that it wasn't really after all.
Long distance relationships are tricky but we are talking about celebs who have the means to hop coasts whenever time allows. Dropping everything for a weekend is easy for both of them, but it's not something that they are willing to do any more and believe me, there's a reason for that! Do you think Eva got cold feat because they heated up so fast and it freaked her out, or did one of them screw things up and that caused the abrupt split? Was it really love for Eva and Ernesto or pure lust that eventually wore off leaving them with little to talk about? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below!
Editor's Note: How about this theory – Eva, with her new Masters degree, finally figured out that Ernesto wasn't so earnest after all and was a total gold digger – plus not so hot in bed?