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Our Practice
Contact Us
Welcome to Marco Chiropractic
Our practice focuses on treating a variety of conditions. We treat patients daily who suffer from:
Acute/Chronic lower back and neck pain
Repetitive stress disorders and fatigue
Sports injuries - sprains/strains
Nerve related injuries -Herniations
Pregnancy related discomforts
Our care is unique. We provide for our patients excellent chiropractic care, physio-therapy methodologies, exercise therapy, as well as professional ergonomic advice.
We have office hours for early birds, evening hours for commuters and Saturday hours for your convenience and accept most insurance plans.
Optimal health is our goal for you and your family
Dr. Stephen P. Marco, DC
16607 Riverstone Way
Suite 100
Charlotte, NC 28277
Cedar Walk - corner of Ardrey Kell and Marvin Road
16607 Riverstone Way - Suite 100
Website Designed
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subset: commoncrawl


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All blog posts
Aug Author
Aug Author
My Sheep and Cows
Hey kids! Did you see me in the cool Farm Animals game? Did you like playing it? I know I did! All those cute little sheep and cows were all begging for my attention. So of course I had to help them out. And now it's your turn to prove you can wash, feed and take good care of them while I have a break.
I need to hang out with my friends sometimes, you must understand, right? Mina will be upset otherwise, not to mention Toto, my special puppy.
By the way? How do you think I look like all dressed-up up like a cow-girl?
You can write to me on our Facebook page.
Hugs for all of you!!


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Like many gamers that live with physical disabilities, I have had my fair share of difficulty with many of the non-traditional control schemes that have become synonymous with Wii software since the console was launched almost three years ago.
Whether coming to grips with the Nunchuck attachment or simply using the pointer of the Wii Remote, sometimes it has been difficult and frustrating for me to play Wii because of the limited dexterity of my left hand associated with Cerebral Palsy and the Arthritis in my hands and arms. I wanted to share a few simple tricks that I use to help me enjoy playing Wii, even on days that my body doesn't want to co-operate.
From the time we brought our Wii home on launch day, I had problems using the Nunchuck attachment. It became apparent to me that over the years I had spent learning to use game controllers with my left hand, I had become used to having my right hand providing both resistance and support. To this day, I still have trouble pushing up on the analog stick and end up just tilting the Nuchuck down because my right hand is not holding the controller in place.
I have tried a couple of things to help alleviate this. First, though I am right-handed, I tried swapping the Wii Remote to my left hand so I could use the analog stick and small C button with my good hand. This setup reminded me of the way I learned to use an N64 controller "left-handed" and it is how I played through most of Super Mario Galaxy.
Now, I do find it tough to use the pointer extensively and reach the 1 and 2 buttons with my left hand, but for me it was an extremely simple solution to a very frustrating problem and it has allowed me to play and complete quite a few games.
Something else I learned to do early on while struggling with The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess was to use my leg to stabilize my left hand. I simply rest my left hand on the side of my leg to stabilize it and prevent it from just moving through the air. I find that this also helps me grip the analog stick better with my thumb. It still feels unnatural to play games with my hands so far apart, but it works most of the time.
I actually have idea for an attachment that would basically be an arm/wrist rest that hooks over your leg. I think my problem with pushing the Nuchuck through the air stems from weakness in my elbow and forearm and that resting my left arm/wrist on something allows my hand to grip harder.
While the lefty flip method works for some games, there are obviously others it is not practical for. The Trauma Center games are some of my favourites on the DS, but the Wii versions proved to be difficult for me to control because of extensive Nunchuck use that needed to be executed with precision and pointer-heavy gameplay that I needed to use my right hand for.
My solution here is the Wii Zapper accessory. It lets me turn the Wii Remote and Nunchuck into a single, two-handed controller that allows me to better use the analog stick. It also lets me guide the pointer with my right hand and though using the A and B buttons in concert took some getting used to, I found that this also provides me with greater pointer stability.
When I'm having a day that sees me struggling with Arthritis pain, even holding up the Wii Remote and keeping it still enough to use its pointer can be difficult. While the Wii Zapper is great for games that require a Nunchuck, it isn't very comfortable and it's impractical for games that use only a Wii Remote or genres like third-person action that tend to require shaking the Wii Remote and/or Nunchuck.
An accessory like the Nyko Perfect Shot is affordable and allows for a more ergonomically sound grip on the Wii Remote while allowing free movement of both the pointer and Nunchuck attachment. The drawback here is that using the A and B buttons at the same time is virtually impossible with one hand.
Of course, the pistol can be gripped with both hands in the case of Wii Remote-only games like Zack & Wiki or my import copy of Another Code: R, which allows for operation of all the Wii Remote buttons and also for shaking, twisting and tilting of the controller. The Wii Wheel attachment is also effective as a two-handed grip for pointer-based games, though I tend to use it for something else.
When I was playing Super Paper Mario I grew to hate playing games for any extended length of time while holding the Wii Remote sideways "NES Style". The controller is simply too small and the left side of it is very thin. I found it tough to grip it properly and my thumb would tend to slip off of the d-pad and accidentally hit the A or B buttons.
While the Wii Remote Jacket that Nintendo introduced some time later does help by creating a larger surface to grip on the left side of the Wii Remote, the right side is still small and quite often I'll feel myself getting "Claw Hand" from trying to grip it, especially on days when my Arthritis is flared up. I find that the Wii Wheel not only makes the controller symmetrical, but slightly thicker as well, allowing me a more comfortable grip. It also makes the B button on the back easier to detect and it still allows for shaking, tilting and pointing.
The first thing I do when I play Wii software is check to see whether it supports the Classic Controller or GameCube controller. For many games it simply feels more natural to play on a traditional controller and I do whenever it is possible, which is sadly not nearly as often as I would hope. Many of the "traditional" Wii games like platformers are ported from, or simultaneously developed for the PS2 and/or PSP, so implementing a traditional control scheme on the Wii version should be easy enough for a developer.
While the Wii is arguably the least accessible home video game console ever produced for people with physical limitations or disabilities, adaptations can be made to make it more enjoyable for those of us that struggle with its standard control setup.
I would love to see Nintendo or a third party step up and actively try to make playing Wii more accessible, whether through specifically-designed accessories or by making traditional controls more standard. Nintendo has gone to great lengths to bring video games to a wider audience, now it's time to bring it back to millions of gamers living with physical limitations and disabilities who grew up and learned to play with them.


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Area designated along the parkway for the pilot off-paved trail program
On September 8th, the Sacramento County Department of Regional Parks will open the Off-Paved Trail Cycling Pilot Program in the Woodlake and Cal Expo areas of the American River Parkway. Mountain bikers will be allowed to ride six miles of unpaved maintenance and fire roads in these areas during a trial period from September 2017 to 2020. Mountain biking remains prohibited throughout the American River Parkway outside of the Woodlake and Cal Expo areas.
Kim Nava: Sacramento County Communication and Media 916-874-5001


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Dr. Kevin J. Tracey: Inventing the Future of Medicine
Dr. Kevin J. Tracey, president & CEO of the Feinstein Institutes, is a trailblazer in the neuroscience of immunity, bioelectronic medicine, and unlocking the secrets of the brain. ℘℘℘ For those of us fortunate enough to walk and run with ease, it's hard to imagine living with chronic joint pain and swelling that makes every step difficult, and normal activities like dashing for a bus...More
First Word: Inventing The Future of Medicine
You would think after all this time as editor of this magazine, I would cease to be surprised at the mighty achievements of Irish-Americans. We have showcased the measure of that success down through the years, and yet the honorees profiled in this issue give me pause. The incredible work that they do – in research institutions, clinics, hospitals, and other healthcare facilities – is...More
Bringing Music to Ahalin National School
Michael Dowling, president and CEO of Northwell Health in New York, presented an Irish American Partnership grant of $10,000 to Ahalin National School in Knockaderry, County Limerick, during his June 26 visit to the school. The grant will establish a musical instrument loan scheme at Ahalin, promoting Irish arts and culture at a formative age. Dowling attributes his accomplishments to the...More
Waterford's Annual
Harvest Festival
The 11th annual Waterford Harvest Festival is set for September 6-8. ℘℘℘ Waterford is expecting over 40,000 attendees to partake in the annual celebration of local food, culture, and heritage. This year there is a special emphasis on sustainability. On opening night, a dinner hosted by nonprofit GIY (Grow It Yourself) will feed 50 lucky diners a zero-waste meal. The dishes will be prepared...More
Irishman Wins British Open in Northern Ireland
I hadn't drank a brandy since 2009," said Emily Scanlon, grandmother of golfer Shane Lowry, after Lowry won the 148th British Open Championship on Sunday, July 21, at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland. "I drank two yesterday. It's nearly killing me." The 32-year-old Lowry from Clara, County Offaly, won the Irish Open back in 2009 as an amateur (and his grandmother had some brandy to...More


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Home » Case Studies and Articles » Seasonal Rice Production Facilities for Income Generation and Fight Against Food Insecurity in Tillaberi region
Initiatives by Region
agricultural investments agriculture agroecological approaches agroecological farm agroecology agroforestry climate change Community participation development ecological farming family farming farmers food food policies food production Food Security food sovereignity food sovereignty food system food systems freedom hunger indigenous community land land grab nutrition organic agriculture peasants policies policy research resilience rice right to food rural communities SDGs seeds small-farmers smallholders farmers small scale farmers sustainable agriculture sustainable farming training transition women
Other Websites
|150 organizations have signed on to the document Rio+20 Time to act. See the list of organizations which have signed on to it, at www.timetoactrio20.org
|Agriculture at a crossroads. Findings & recommendations for future farming. You may visit the website at www.globalagriculture.org


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Spring is the ideal time to raise new plants form seed. It is easy, rewarding and doesn't necessarily demand lots of equipment.
Both pellets of compressed peat that swell into small pots and cubes of rockwool in plastic trays are popular at the moment but they take up a lot of space and have a tendency to dry-out very quickly. Unless you have a greenhouse and can keep an eye on your seedlings every day, these are not the best solution. Commercial growers use plastic trays with small compartments, known as cells. Versions of these plug trays are now available to gardeners but, again, the disadvantage is that they dry out very quickly.
Traditionally seeds have been sown in seed trays and pots. This is still the simplest and most efficient way to raise plants from seed, especially where space is limited. A typical seed tray can be used to grow lots of seedlings. Too many, in fact, for most gardeners. Even a half-sized seed tray can hold about twenty seedlings of a perennial plant such as Astrantia major, or three times as many seedlings of an annual such as marigold. If you don't need to raise large numbers of plants, sow seeds in 4inch to 5inch pots. Think carefully about the size of tray or pot to use. A large container will waste compost, space and seed, but too small a container may result in seedlings being overcrowded and dying. Old trays and pots can be recycled for sowing, but wash and scrub them clean first.
Some plants develop long roots and should be sown in deep pots. These range from hinged plastic modules with grooves to force the roots downwards to unfussy biodegradable tubes. Sweet peas, early sowings of beans, and tree seeds all benefit from being sown in these deep pots (often called long toms).
Choosing Composts
Professional growers spend a great deal of time and energy mixing composts, often using different mixtures for different seeds. Combinations of peat, loam, grit, bark, sand and leaf mould are used, and many nurserymen guard their recipes with the same vigour as Michelin-starred chefs. For sowing seeds at home the palaver of following a recipe and mixing your own compost is unnecessary: general-purpose seed compost from a garden centre is ideal. Ready-mixed seed composts are all fine-textured and low in plant food. The fine texture enables continual contact between the compost and the seed, essential for germination and seedling growth. Seed composts do not contain plant nutrients: rich composts, with high levels of fertilizer, will either kill your seedlings or cause them to grow tall, straggly and unable to support themselves. We use seed compost that is a mixture of loam (sterilised garden soil), coir (the fibre from coconut husks) and Perlite (granules of volcanic rock).
Sowing seeds
Overfill the container with compost, paying particular attention to the corners of seed trays. Remove the excess compost with the side of your hand or with a flat piece of wood. Gently firm the top of the compost flat to about 1/4inch below the surface of the container. Use a specially-made compost presser, a shaped piece of polystyrene or the bottom of an empty tray or pot. Don't push too hard as this will compress the compost. Compacted compost will inhibit seed germination and seedling growth. All you are trying to do is create a smooth, level surface to sow seeds onto.
Before you sow, the compost needs to be gently watered using a watering can with a fine rose. Alternatively, soak the container in a shallow tray of water until moisture percolates to the surface of the compost. Sow the seed directly from the packet, tapping lightly on the packet to release the seed, or from the palm of your hand. The line that runs across the top of the palm is a useful groove to run seeds down onto the compost. If you are using seed trays, sow in lines along the length of the tray, turn it 180°, and then sow again in lines along the breadth of the tray. This gives an even distribution of seeds. If the seeds are large, lay them individually on the surface of the compost.
The vast majority of seeds need to be covered with a thin layer of fine compost. Check the instructions on the seed packet for those few genera that prefer to be left exposed to the light. In general the seeds should be covered with a layer of sieved compost to about twice the thickness of the seed. If you don't have a sieve, rubbing compost between the palms of your hands over the seed tray should produce fine compost. Label the container with the name of the plant you have sown and water it.
There is no room for clumsiness when it comes to watering seeds. If you are not careful you could ruin the work you have done so far by making indentations in the surface of the compost or even washing seeds away. Use a fine rose on the end of the watering can's spout (brass roses give a finer spray than plastic ones). Turn the rose upwards and move the watering can from side to side over your pots or seed trays to water evenly and thoroughly.
The seeds of most perennial plants take up to a year to germinate, during which time containers will become covered with liverworts, moss and weeds, all of which can prevent your seeds from germinating, or smother the seedlings as they emerge. A layer of fine horticultural grit over the surface of the compost will hold back most mosses and weeds.
Where to keep your seedlings
Once your seeds have been sown you need to find a place to store them. The perfect environment is somewhere that does not have huge fluctuations in temperature and that is light but away from direct sunlight. An unheated greenhouse or coldframe is ideal for most seedlings, or next to the window of a garage or shed. Inside the house, the spare room with the central heating turned down works well. The place not to keep your seed trays is on the often-recommended kitchen windowsill. The warm, moist atmosphere produces leggy seedlings that are liable to rot away. Once you have found the right place all you need to do is to make sure that the compost does not dry out, and wait for the seed to germinate.
Pricking out
The speed at which seeds germinate varies from plant to plant. Some annual and vegetable seeds germinate within a week while some perennial seeds will wait for two years before showing any signs of life. In most cases these first signs are two small leaves pushing through the surface. These leaves, called cotyledons, are there to produce more energy for the seedling to continue growing. The plant's true leaves appear after the cotyledons. Seedlings grown in containers need to be transplanted into larger containers as soon as they have developed a pair of these 'true' leaves. The job is known as 'pricking out'.
Before starting to prick out, prepare small pots or module trays filled with a potting compost. Push a pencil or a widger (a special tool for scooping out seedlings) into the compost underneath each seedling and ease them out, keeping as much compost around the roots as you can. Hold the plant by one of its leaves: if you damage a leaf another will grow but if you damage the stem it's the end of the plant. Make a hole in the compost in the new container with a pencil or a dibber (another nifty little tool specially designed for the purpose) and place the seedling into it. The seed leaf should be level with the surface of the compost. Use your pencil (or dibber) to gently push compost around the roots of the plant. Water the seedlings after they have been transplanted.
Hardening off
Seedlings that have been mollycoddled in a cold greenhouse or spare bedroom need to adjust to the rigours of life in the garden before they can be planted out. Stand the plants outdoors during warm days but cover them with horticultural fleece, or bring them back inside, at night. Tender plants should not be left outside nor planted in the garden until the danger of frosts has passed.
Some seeds can't wait for the Spring
The usual time to sow the seeds that you collect is the Spring. Some seeds, though, have a very short shelf-life and very quickly loose their ability to germinate. Hellebore seed should be sown as soon as you've collected it; wait until March and very little of the seed will germinate. Most umbellifers (members of the same family as cow parsley) germinate more successfully when they are sown in the same year that they have been collected. Primrose seed doesn't store well either and should also be sown as soon as the seed is ready.


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I started with a family tree made by my uncle
NOLTE around 1940. In the Berlin evangelical central archive (EZAB) I found the
microfiche films of all French-Reformed church books from the area Berlin
and Brandenburg that lasted
throughout times and wars. With these books and with the help of other
family researchers I mostly met via the internet I was able to proof and
complete the inherited data.
From this table
you can choose the families to view:
The family Fouquet


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Youth Ministry
The Youth Ministry program is intended for students, grades 9-12.
The Youth Ministry program will meet twice a month from October to April in the Gallagher Center at the Basilica of St. John the Baptist. Meetings will include Faith formation, service projects, and social events. Each year the Youth Ministry calendar will be determined by the participants.
Please check the Religious Education section of your weekly bulletin for specific dates and news.
If at any time you have questions or concerns about our Youth Ministry program please call me at (330) 453-8493 or email me at email@example.com.


text: I know I haven't posted here in forever. I haven't had a lot to say. Today I do. This is pretty important, on a personal level:I have been supporting my mother and her expenses for three years.. rent, utilities, the whole thing.. all atop my own. The money I was using for this - my late father's IRA - has run dry as of this summer. I am now being compelled to take a second job just to keep myself above water. I'm not sure how long I'll be able to sustain this situation ... a few months at most before my body likely rebels and breaks. I'm not in my twenties anymore, after all.I strongly doubt I'll get any response from this, I know few -can- help, and even fewer -will-. But... I'm putting this out here:If I can get help for Mother's bills, in some way, from the community, or anyone that can help, she and I will be eternally grateful.She will be willing to make something for anyone that does help. The bigger, the better. She does have a lot of craft skills she can pull upon.If you can't help, or don't feel like it, I will understand. (Though two hundred posts of "no, can't/won't help", won't be that useful).If you -can- help, contact me here, or off-list:


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Debate & I.E. Finish Regular Season Strong in Missouri
Lebanon, Ill. — The McKendree University debate and individual events team finished
its regular season by taking second place as a squad at Whitman College and reaching
finals in three events at the Missouri State tournament.
Fifteen colleges and universities attended the Whitman College tournament in Walla Walla, Wash., on Feb. 15-17, including the University of Oregon, Texas Tech University and Pepperdine University. Representing McKendree were seniors Ben Reid and Ian Reynolds, and juniors Lucas Barker, Alex Cunningham, Sarah DeBruyckere, Mat Myles, Brent Nicholson and Brad Thomas.
At the first half of Whitman, the team of Myles and Thomas posted a 3-1 record in prelims. In elims, they defeated the College of Idaho, Washburn University and Whitman College, and finished as semifinalists. Reid and Reynolds also went 3-1, beat Whitman College in octofinals, and finished as quarterfinalists. DeBruyckere and Nicholson posted a 2-2 record and overcame Concordia University in double-octofinals. They finished as octofinalists. Finally, the team of Barker and Cunningham finished with an even record, barely missing elimination rounds on points. Reid was recognized as the third place speaker, while Nicholson and Reynolds took 12th and 16th, respectively. As a squad, McKendree took second place at the first half of the tournament.
At the second half of the tournament, Reid and Reynolds went 5-0 and finished as octofinalists. Myles and Thomas also finished as octofinalists, after posting a 4-1 record. Finally, DeBruyckere and Nicholson went 3-2, finishing as double-octofinalists. Myles took home the sixth place speaker award, while Reid, Thomas and Reynolds received ninth, tenth and 12th place awards. Additionally, Cunningham took second place in impromptu speaking. As a squad, McKendree took fourth place in debate sweepstakes and third in overall sweepstakes.
Eleven colleges and universities, including Truman State, Illinois State and the University of Nebraska, attended the Missouri State tournament hosted by Southwest Baptist University on Feb. 16. Representing McKendree were seniors Lance Allen and Darren Meeker, and sophomores Rebecca Blake and Spencer Marcum. Marcum took second place in prose interpretation, after taking first place in all of his prelims. He also took third place in programmed oral interpretation. Allen qualified for the semifinal round of impromptu speaking. After winning semifinals, he finished third in the final round.
This weekend marks the end of the regular season for the McKendree University debate and individual events team. McKendree will begin its national tournament competition in March.
McKendree University students Lance Allen, Darren Meeker, Rebecca Blake and Spencer Marcum competed in the Missouri State tournament.


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Background info. on street children:
"They think every child who lives or makes a living in the streets is a bad child"
Who are "street children"?
The term 'street children' is hotly debated. Some say it is negative – that it labels and stigmatizes children. Others say it gives them an identity and a sense of belonging. It can include a very wide range of children who: are homeless; work on the streets but sleep at home; either do or do not have family contact; work in open-air markets; live on the streets with their families; live in day or night shelters; spend a lot of time in institutions (e.g. prison). The term 'street children' is used because it is short and widely understood. However, we must acknowledge the problems and wherever possible we should ask the children what they think themselves. In reality, street children defy such convenient generalizations because each child is unique.
How many are there?
Nobody knows. Street children are not easy to count because: they move around a lot, within and between cities; they are often excluded from 'statistic-friendly' infrastructures (schools, households etc.); definitions of 'street children' are vague and differing. Numbers of 'street children' have often been deliberately exaggerated and misquoted in order to sensationalise and victimise these children. Street children have the right to be accurately represented. City-level surveys conducted by local organisations and supported by a clear definition are more reliable. In many countries, there is anecdotal evidence that numbers are increasing, due to uncontrolled urbanisation (linked to poverty), conflict and children being orphaned by AIDS. Most statistics are just estimates e.g. Kenya: 250,000; Ethiopia: 150,000; Zimbabwe: 12,000; Bangladesh: 445,226; Nepal: 30,000; India: 11 million (these are based on broad definitions of 'street children'). Regardless of the statistics, even one child on the streets is too many if their rights are being violated.
What about girls?
I have been a street girl since my father made a 'woman' out of me.
In general there are fewer girls than boys actually living on the streets (studies indicate between 3% and 30% depending on the country). This is for several reasons. In many cultures, there is much greater pressure for girls to stay at home than boys. Research shows that girls will put up with abuse at home for longer than boys but that once girls make the decision to leave home, the rupture is more permanent than for boys. Girls are also less visible on the streets as they are often forced or lured into brothels. Even though there are fewer street-living girls than boys, they are extremely vulnerable to human rights abuses both on the street and when they are arrested. However, it is important to note that street boys are also at risk of sexual abuse and exploitation as well as girls.
Where are their families?
Relatively few street children are actually orphans (although these numbers are increasing in some countries due to AIDS). The majority of street children are still in contact with their families and/or extended families. Many of them work on the streets in order to contribute to their family's income. Those who run away often do so because of physical, psychological and/or sexual violence or abuse at home. Family breakdown is also common in the case of re-marriage and problems with step-parents. Importantly, many projects try to reunify street children with their families. However, this is a complex and frustrating task that requires much specialised counselling to address the root causes why the child ran away in the first place. Unfortunately, in many cases, reunification with the family fails, or is not in the best interests of the child. In these cases alternatives such as fostering, group homes and residential centres are needed. Street children are rarely alone, even if they have no family contact:
What about the authorities?
Ironically, street children are often at greatest risk of violence from those that are responsible to protect them – the police and other authorities. Police often beat, harass, sexually assault and even torture street children. They may beat children for their money or demand payment for protection, to avoid false charges, or for release from custody. They may seek out girls to demand sex. For many street children, assaults and thefts by the police are a routine part of their lives. Some are even killed by police. Very rarely are those responsible brought to justice.
Victims, villains or heroes?
Many images and stories portray street children either as helpless victims, dangerous criminals or heroic survivors. The reality is usually somewhere in between. They show incredible resiliency and initiative in the face of desperate circumstances. They have to be resourceful and strong in order to survive. But some do not survive. Others can only do so by breaking the law. We should respect their individual stories and characteristics. Each child is unique.
Street Children and the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC)
These are some of the street children on the street of Adama
There are three major activities involved in our street and vulnerable children's program:
1. Prevention: This preventive measure takes into consideration those children who've recently run away from their homes and have just begun to live on the street, or those who're about to come out from their home environment because of economic disadvantages, loss of one or both parents, or because of violence of one form or another, we try to counsel them and get them reconciled with their parents or relatives. We try to reach the parents and create a conducive family environment. We also attempt to show them the high risks of street life.
Those that have demonstrated dramatic change after receiving counseling service, material assistance and reconciled:
Illustrations of this type:
A photo showing counseling being offered
|Actually engaged in the work The boy depicted in the photo as counseling being offered, named Ismael Sofania, went on to save money by doing different tasks, went on to sew seams and hem clothes like trousers and skirts.
These are children who have actually left their home and have recently or for a long time been economically and socially engaged on the street. They left home for disagreeing on different levels, some because of drug addiction, others of violence and abuse, still others for economic pressures. Counsel is given to them and they're clothed and returned to their families with gifts as a peace offering and reconciliation is made.
An Illustration: Abbu Biru was born in the small town called Alemtena about 100 kilometers south-east of Addis Ababa, on the way to Awasa. He grew up with his father and mother on a farmstead near the town. They owned a plot of land where they planted and collected lots of tomatoes. One day, however, he was persuaded by his close companion to sell crates of tomatoes and with the money they got to run away to Mojo and then to Addis Ababa where, they thought, life would be much more attractive than their drab country life in Alemtena . But as soon as they reached Addis, life turned out to be awfully hard, many days without food, no home to go to, and no future. Then they came down to Nazareth where nothing better came to their lives. They roamed the streets of Nazareth for several months and finally, Abbu Biru met some of the staff from "Remember the Poorest Community" and was counsel to be reconciled with his parents. He was convinced of the uselessness of street life and was willing to go back to Alemtena and make peace with his father and mother.
Rehabilitation Program:
This program involves those who are totally engaged on the street economically and socially, limited to living in one place, not migrating from town to town. They need to have a lot of counseling much work has to be done with them so that they reform their character. They have to be persuaded so that they begin to accept the fact that being employed in some useful activity is the best thing for their well-being. After they get this conviction, they are provided with the opportunity to be engaged in some form of self-employment.
An Illustration: Natnael Girma was born in the town of Asella, about 75 kilometers south of Nazareth (Adama). When he was about fifteen years of age, he and his buddy contrived how to leave Asella and come to Nazareth which, they thought, was a much more pleasant place to live work and live in. So, they sold a couple of Natnael's parents' sheep and with the money they came to Nazareth and squandered it on drinking alcoholic beverages, chewing "chat" (an addictive type of leaf), etc. Their money was gone within a few days and they found themselves roaming the streets and begging for food. Later on, they even started engaging in criminal activities. They were arrested and imprisoned a few times. After coming out of prison the last time, Natnael found street life unbearably hard. Finally, however, he met people from "Remember the Poorest Community" who advised him to change his ways and gave him seed money to start polishing shoes and selling a few items. He became such a hardworking young man that he became an assistant to a truck-driver. Now he is a proud fellow, actively and gainfully employed.
Kedija Abedella, a former street girl with her child, now she sells
Detailed Activities of Street children program.


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Having a Tilted Uterus Can be Tricky. This Menstrual Cup Can Help.
The following information is a case study that documents one individual's journey to find a menstrual cup that worked despite having been diagnosed with a tilted uterus. Continue reading to learn more.
Tilted or Retroverted Uterus
Difficulty using a menstrual cup with a tilted uterus
Hannah, a nixit user recently commented on one of our social media posts letting us know that she was successfully using our menstrual cup with a tilted uterus. This was a big deal for a couple of reasons:
- We frequently receive messages from customers asking whether our product is an effective tool for individuals who have a tilted uterus.
- She had tried more than 10 menstrual cups before she found one that worked for her body!
After learning more about her situation, we decided that it was important to share Hannah's story to give individuals who have a tilted uterus some hope when it comes to the period product options available!
First, let's take a minute to hash out what it means to have a tilted or retroverted uterus. According to Healthline, "A retroverted uterus is a uterus that curves in a backward position at the cervix instead of a forward position."
It is speculated that nearly a quarter of all women have a tilted uterus. Those who have a tilted uterus often experience symptoms such as vaginal or lower back pain during sex, pain during menstruation, difficulty inserting tampons, uncomfortable pressure on the bladder, frequent UTI's, and more.
Therefore, it can be a challenge to find a reusable menstrual cup that is compatible with a tilted uterus because users often experience challenges like:
- Annoying bubbles related to the suction of the cup.
- Frequent leaking during exercise or movement related to the cup losing suction.
- Bladder discomfort resulting from the firmness of the cup pressing up against the bladder or abdomen.
- Vaginal canal pain due to the stem of some cups rubbing constantly while inserted.
nixit is considered one of the softest and most supple menstrual cups on the market. Its thin base, made from medical grade silicone, makes nixit an excellent option for those who have a tilted uterus. This is because the soft silicone base is very supple which means that it can form perfectly to almost any type of vaginal fornix. Further, nixit sits in the vaginal fornix, rather than in the vaginal canal which means that users with a tilted cervix can generally use it without issue.
Fewer leaks and no discomfort
After giving nixit a go, Hannah was elated to find a menstrual cup that worked for her body. She was happy because she didn't have to use any tampons, had no leaks, and actually found the cup to be comfortable.
Hannah shared, "With other cups, I found no matter what I couldn't get a good seal/placement so even if I checked and thought it was placed properly, it would leak. [With other cups] It seemed like because of the position of my cervix/uterus it couldn't catch everything. This also led to having to constantly adjust the cup and re-insert. I was always worried about leaks, which happened often. The stiffness of some of the other cups material and constant readjusting was very irritating. I love that I almost forget I'm wearing my nixit. It truly offers 12 hours of protection for me which is something I never thought I'd be able to have. I tried other disc products as well before that couldn't stay in place and would leak. I think nixit's rim is a great advantage there. Super comfortable and great coverage."
Tips & Tricks
While success stories are awesome the most important thing is getting nixit to work well for each of our users. Sometimes the learning curve can be a bit tricky, especially for those with a tilted uterus so we thought it would make sense to include some tips from our users!
Hannah's Tips
When we asked Hannah if she had any tips to pass along she shared that her best advice is to, squish it thin, insert horizontally, and then start pushing it back/down. Then bear down to make sure it is in place after tucking it behind the pubic bone.
Jené's Tips
Lydia's Tips
Lydia shared that she had to experiment with inserting at different angles when inserting.
Patrice's Tips
Finally, our last tip comes from Patrice who said, the initial techniques she tried strained her muscles. She found it much easier to just slightly squat or even put a leg up onto the side of a tub or anything slightly raised. From there, she pretty much followed the directions provided to slide it until she could feel her pubic bone. Once she could find her pubic bone she would tuck it behind the ridge. She continued that because the cup is so wide it helps prevent leaking, even if it doesn't catch the blood it still never leaks which she finds relieving and amazing. Ultimately, she thinks that the angle she is able to get by propping her leg up on something as opposed to a serious squat helps her to better angle the cup in a way that it doesn't hit my cervix.
Have a Tilted Uterus?
If you have a tilted uterus and are curious to learn more about the nixit menstrual cup, click here.
Our mission is to create a space where we can talk openly about topics like these!
With that in mind, we would love to know… what has your experience been like using menstrual cups with a tilted uterus? We recognize that everyone is different so please share your story in the comments!
Feature photo by Sasha Freemind on Unsplash


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Bust our your beret, because the 12th annual Sacramento French Film Festival is coming to Sacramento June 21–30. This event, held every June, celebrates the rich past and present of French cinema, featuring new releases and rarely seen classics. Don't speak French? Don't fret: The films will feature English subtitles. For more information and a full schedule of events, click here.
What: Sacramento French Film Festival
When: June 21–30
Where: Crest Theatre, 1013 K St., Sacramento
Cost: Individual screenings $10-$15, festival passes $36-$90


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About the Project
Role: Lead Front-End Developer, Designer
Tools & Technologies: Adobe Photoshop, CSS, HTML, jQuery
The Michigan Department of Education, Low-Incidence Outreach (MDE-LIO) is a trustee for the American Printing House for the Blind (APH) in Michigan. As such, they are tasked with providing eligible students with visual impairments with accessible instructional products. Initially, MDE-LIO accepted requests for such products via a basic online form. The Center for Educational Networking (CEN) was asked to revisit the order form and make it more usable.
After analyzing the the existing form, I concluded that making it usable required much more functionality than a basic web form could provide. I designed a set of mockups that were approved by MDE-LIO after a few revisions. After approval, I developed a 'skeleton' in code that provided the basic functionality using HTML, CSS, and jQuery and handed it off to CEN's backend developer.


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Helicobacter pylori and Systemic DiseaseView this Special Issue
Helicobacter pylori Infection in Dialysis Patients: A Meta-Analysis
Background. Infection with Helicobacter pylori contributes to the etiopathogenesis of various extragastrointestinal conditions, yet its etiological association with either symptomatic or asymptomatic dialysis patients remains inconclusive. Methods. Two researchers working independently conducted a literature search of the online databases PubMed, EMBase, ScienceDirect, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials to identify relevant articles to the end of 2012. Case-control and cross-sectional studies that met the inclusion criteria were included. Results. Fifteen studies involving 1237 dialysis patients and 1568 controls with normal renal function were included. Compared with normal controls, dialysis patients overall were associated with a relatively lower risk of H. pylori infection though not statistically significant. A significant inverse association was found between H. pylori prevalence and duration of treatments in those who were dialyzed >4 years (odds ratio 0.28; 95% confidence interval 0.22–0.36, ). No relationship between H. pylori status and duration of dialysis was observed in CRF patients. There were no significant differences in endoscopic features between patients and controls. Conclusions. Our meta-analysis found no evidence of a significant association between infection with H. pylori and dialysis overall, whereas long-term treatments of more than four years had a significant protective effect.
1. Introduction
Helicobacter pylori, an infectious organism, is present in about 50% of the global population, and the infection levels exceed 70% in some developing areas [1]. Infection with H. pylori has been implicated not only in the etiopathogenesis of gastrointestinal disease, such as gastritis, ulcerative diseases, low-grade mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma, and gastric malignancies [2], but also in various extragastrointestinal conditions, among them chronic renal disease [3].
From 25% to 75% of chronic renal failure (CRF) patients who receive hemodialysis or continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) for long periods experience gastrointestinal troubles [4]. It has been postulated that high urea concentration makes the gastric mucosa of these patients more susceptible to colonization by H. pylori [5]. However, an etiological association between H. pylori and either symptomatic or asymptomatic dialysis patients remains inconclusive.
The prevalence of H. pylori infection in CRF patients may be as high as 64% and significantly higher in dialysis patients than in normal controls [6–9]. Others [10–12] report quite the opposite. Many factors would seem to contribute to the inhibition of H. pylori growth in the stomach of CRF patients (e.g., higher levels of proinflammatory cytokines, impaired immune system, increased pH, higher blood urea levels, and antibiotic treatment). Nevertheless, some studies [13–19] found no difference in the prevalence of H. pylori infection between patients on dialysis and healthy controls, leading to the conclusion that the level of urea is not a risk factor predisposing to H. pylori infection in this population. Because of these conflicting reports, the seriousness of H. pylori infection in dialysis patients remains unclear.
The number of dialysis patients increases by 7% annually [20], and it is therefore imperative to resolve some important issues concerning H. pylori infection in dialysis patients. The present study is a meta-analysis, designed to help clarify the prevalence of H. pylori in CRF patients as well as the relationship between dialysis duration and the prevalence of H. pylori. In addition, H. pylori status in CRF patients and the course of dialysis will be discussed.
2. Materials and Methods
2.1. Literature Sources and Searches
We systematically searched the databases MEDLINE, EMBASE, ScienceDirect, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) for relevant articles and abstracts published in English (ending 31 December 2012). Terms and keywords used to identify articles in Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) were Helicobacter pylori/H. pylori, and dialysis (("Helicobacter pylori" OR "H. pylori") AND "dialysis"). Two reviewers (MG and SPX) manually screened each eligible article's title, abstract, and full text to independently determine if the article met the inclusion criteria (below). Differences between the reviewers were solved by consensus.
2.2. Inclusion and Exclusion Criteria
For inclusion in the meta-analysis, case-control or cross-sectional studies had to report data on the rate of H. pylori infection in patients with and without dialysis and include a control group with normal renal function; base diagnosis of H. pylori infection on histology (e.g., Giemsa stain or Warthin-Starry method), culture, immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibody detection, rapid urease test, or urea breath test; concern human subjects only; and be published in English. Studies were excluded that were case reports, observational studies without control groups, review of the literature, or duplicated reports; if data on H. pylori infection in the dialysis group or control group was incomplete or unavailable; or if subjects had a history of drug use for antibiotics, H2 blockers, proton pump inhibitors, or bismuth within 4 weeks.
2.3. Data Extraction
Two independent reviewers extracted the information from the included articles. Discrepancies in the extraction were resolved by mutual discussion. For each study, the following data were collected: author; publication year; country; study design; basic characteristics of patients including number of patients with and without dialysis and type and duration of dialysis; detection methods for H. pylori infection and endoscopic abnormalities.
2.4. Data Analysis
The software Review Manager (RevMan, version 5.1, Copenhagen: The Nordic Cochrane Centre, The Cochrane Collaboration, 2011) was used to analyze the data. We arranged eligible articles chronologically, starting with the earliest. The odds ratios (ORs) and their 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for major outcomes were estimated in a fixed model or random model for each study. Statistical heterogeneity was evaluated with the statistic, and % indicated substantial heterogeneity [29], in which case the condition random effects model was used. The differences were considered statistically significant when a value was less than 0.05.
3. Results
3.1. Basic Information and Characteristics
The literature search initially yielded 152 articles relevant to the topic (Figure 1). Eighty-eight of these were excluded for not meeting the inclusion criteria. The full texts of the remaining 64 citations were carefully reviewed. Ultimately, 49 of the 64 were excluded due to the use of certain drugs within 4 weeks or for meeting any other of the exclusion criteria. This process left 15 qualified essays (Table 1).
3.2. Overall Analysis
These 15 articles comprised 1237 dialysis patients and 1568 controls with normal renal function. Since I2 was greater than 50%, a random model was applied. Pooled data showed that there was no difference in H. pylori prevalence between the dialysis (hemodialysis and CAPD) patients and normal controls (OR = 0.86, 95% CI: 0.52–1.42, ; Figure 2(a)). A subanalysis showed no difference in H. pylori infection between patients receiving hemodialysis and the control group (OR = 1.11, 95% CI: 0.69–1.81, ; Figure 2(b)). A funnel plot indicated that there was no publication bias (Figure 3).
In this meta-analysis, various methods were adopted to confirm H. pylori infection as stated previously. As we all know, IgG antibody detection cannot judge present infection of H. pylori, since serum antibodies specific to H. pylori would still remain for several months after successful eradication, nevertheless; serology is the only test which is not affected by local changes in the stomach that could lead to a low bacterial load and to false negative results of the other tests and it is the third method commonly used as a noninvasive method to diagnose H. pylori infection [30]. In order to exclude the probability that different methods for H. pylori detection would lead to different outcomes, we chose to exclude 2 articles [11, 22] which only utilized IgG to detect H. pylori infection. However, subsequent analysis again found no differences between the two groups (Figure 4). Still, we wanted to detect if other detection methods like rapid urease test (RUT) would influence the overall analysis, while more than one kind of detection method was involved in the other studies included in our meta-analysis. The data of other detection methods cannot be analyzed separately.
3.3. Effect of Dialysis Duration on H. pylori Prevalence
Some studies have indicated that the rate of H. pylori infection decreases over a prolonged course of hemodialysis. Hence we performed a subgroup meta-analysis of H. pylori infection and the duration of dialysis (Figures 5(a) and 5(b)). Those who underwent dialysis longer than four years [4, 11, 28] indeed showed a significantly lower rate of H. pylori infection () than those with normal renal function, while it is another story when it comes to those who endured dialysis duration shorter than four years [6, 14, 15, 21–23, 25] () with no difference in H. pylori infection rate between two groups.
3.4. Effect of H. pylori Status on Duration of Dialysis
A few previous studies have shown that H. pylori positive patients required a significantly shorter course of dialysis than uninfected patients [22, 31]. Among the included studies, five studies [4, 15, 21, 22, 25, 28] evaluated the relationship between H. pylori status and duration of dialysis. However, no statistical significance was observed between H. pylori negative and H. pylori positive patients. The weighted mean difference between these studies was 4.56 (95% CI: −1.55–10.67, ) (Figure 6).
3.5. Endoscopic Findings
We compared the endoscopic findings between the dialysis and control groups, mainly concerning gastritis and ulcerative diseases. Ten studies [4, 6, 10, 11, 13, 15, 21, 24, 26, 28] provided detailed endoscopic information regarding, for example, gastritis, ulcerative diseases, and intestinal metaplasia. The incidence of gastritis and ulcerative diseases in dialysis patients and normal controls was 66.2% versus 56.2% () and 13.7% versus 24.9% (), respectively. There are no significant differences in endoscopic abnormities between the dialysis patients and the controls with normal renal function (Figures 7(a) and 7(b)).
4. Discussion
Recently, more and more evidence has shown that H. pylori is related to extragastrointestinal diseases such as iron deficiency anemia, idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura [32], and diabetes mellitus [33]. Moreover, patients with CRF usually suffer from systemic or local chronic circulatory failure (or both) [34], hypergastrinemia [21], high ammonia levels [35], and enhanced inflammation that facilitates H. pylori infection. In the present study, we performed a meta-analysis and found that CRF patients on dialysis treatment had an overall H. pylori infection rate of ~50.8%, which was relatively but not significantly lower than the 55.6% in controls ().
Upon investigating the association between H. pylori infection and the different types of dialysis, we found that H. pylori infection was not statistically associated with hemodialysis specifically. However, the H. pylori infection rate in the hemodialysis group (54.5%) was slightly higher than that of the control (45.9%), which contrasts with the results of the overall analysis. Due to lack of data, we were not able to analyze the difference in H. pylori prevalence between CRF patients undergoing CAPD and those receiving hemodialysis. Thus, our results from these studies revealed that the prevalence of H. pylori infection is similar between CRF patients who were receiving dialysis and the control group with normal renal function ().
From the results of the present study, it appears that CRF treatment with dialysis does not change the probability of H. pylori infection. Although one researcher went against current thought and concluded that the level of urea is not a risk factor in H. pylori colonization [28], neither theory has proved definitive and more research is required to clarify the issue. Among the included studies in our meta-analysis, some researchers [4, 11, 13, 28] found that the prevalence of H. pylori in CRF patients undergoing dialysis was significantly lower than in non-CRF controls with or without gastrointestinal symptoms. The truth is that many CRF patients who receive dialysis inevitably have access to antibiotics, proton pump inhibitors, or H2 receptor antagonists which then influence the H. pylori infection rate to some extent [13, 36]. Moreover, gastric atrophy progresses along with decreased secretion of acid [37] as well as higher levels of proinflammatory cytokines [38] in CRF patients, making H. pylori difficult to survive. Apart from these, the prevalence of H. pylori varies widely across different demographic and geographic areas due to economic situations, sanitary conditions, cultural habits, and more.
Our subgroup analysis revealed that the prevalence of H. pylori of those patients who were on dialysis for longer than 4 years was significantly lower than of individuals with normal renal function, while the duration of dialysis between H. pylori negative and H. pylori positive patients did not differ from each other. It is in accordance with other studies. Sugimoto et al. [11] showed that the prevalence of H. pylori infection decreased in the first 4 years of dialysis and plateaued after 5 years of treatment and it was not affected by basement diseases. He and his colleagues concluded that more than one-third of patients who had received approximately four years of dialysis treatments had been naturally cured of H. pylori infections. Nakajima et al. [31] also reported that the prevalence of H. pylori decreased along with extended hemodialysis duration of two years and more. They declared that the reduction of H. pylori prevalence in long-term dialysis patients was due to reduction of gastric acid secretion related to chronic gastritis or frequent antibiotic consumption. Nevertheless there are actually conflicts about the relationship between H. pylori status and duration of dialysis. Several studies argued that duration of dialysis was inversely related to H. pylori colonization in dialysis patients [39–41], and some found an opposite result [42]. Yet, the underlying mechanism is still obscure. More investigations are warranted to be conducted to elucidate these findings in the future.
Endoscopic abnormities such as erosive gastritis, duodenitis, and peptic ulcers are often found in CRF and dialysis patients. In some studies, peptic ulcers and gastroduodenal mucosa lesions were associated with H. pylori infection [43–47]. Khedmat et al. [6] showed that there was no significant difference in the rate of nonerosive gastritis, duodenitis, and gastric ulcer diseases between hemodialysis patients and those with normal renal function. These findings are in accordance with the results of our present meta-analysis, which indicated no statistical differences between dialysis patients and normal controls () concerning endoscopic gastritis and ulcerative diseases. Thus it seems that dialysis itself is not a risk factor for the occurrence of gastritis or ulcers, although it is still necessary to perform endoscopy in dialysis patients with gastrointestinal symptoms. However, the above results rarely came from children's studies. Whether to recommend upper gastrointestinal examination based on symptoms requires more consideration in pediatric dialysis patients.
Although in the present meta-analysis we found no significant difference in H. pylori prevalence between dialysis patients and control subjects, according to some studies [21, 48, 49] successful eradication of H. pylori would lead to a significant decrease in dyspeptic symptoms, improvement in upper endoscopic results, and reduction in serum gastrin concentrations among hemodialysis patients. In such patients, due to impaired renal function and decline in the rate of excretion of drugs, the ideal treatment regimen should emphasize high efficacy and few adverse effects. Seyyedmajidi et al. conducted a randomized controlled trial comparing sequential therapy and standard triple therapy for H. pylori eradication in uraemic and nonuraemic patients. The eradication rates did not differ with both sequential and standard therapeutic regimens in the patients and normal controls. They preferred the standard triple therapy due to its lower side effects and complexity [50]. Chang et al. [28] found that a 7-day triple therapy with a low-dose OAC (omeprazole, amoxicillin, and clarithromycin) regimen was effective and safe for eradication of H. pylori infection in hemodialysis patients, with the consideration that amoxicillin and clarithromycin are primarily eliminated via the renal route. Further studies investigating the effect of eradication of H. pylori on symptom relief of dialysis patients are necessary.
When weighing the findings of the present meta-analysis, it is imperative to note that these studies were all case-control or cross-sectional studies, each performed at a single center with a cohort, and the sociodemographic characteristics of the populations were unclear. Although we adjusted for potential confounders, heterogeneity still existed among the study designs; confounding is an intrinsic limitation of these observational studies, so we precluded any assessment of causality in reported associations. Also, variables such as age and gender may be important considerations in the analysis of risk factors, but here we were unable to adjust for them, mainly due to incomplete data.
5. Conclusion
In the present meta-analysis there was no evidence of a significant association between infection with H. pylori and dialysis treatments for CRF patients. With heterogeneity limiting certainty of this association, there is a need for well-conducted randomized controlled trials to further verify these findings. According to subgroup analysis dialysis treatments for more than 4 year appears to have a protective effect against H. pylori infection; mechanistic studies of this negative association are needed to be further identified. It is indeterminable whether H. pylori status would affect duration of dialysis in CRF patients or whether endoscopic abnormalities of dialysis patients are related to H. pylori infection; further clinical studies investigating the effect of H. pylori infection on endoscopic findings of dialysis patients are necessary.
Conflict of Interests
The authors declare no conflict of interests.
Authors' Contribution
Min Gu and Shuping Xiao contributed equally to the work.
This work was supported by Grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (nos. 81072032 and 81270476).
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Travelling during rainy season??
Posted by pricelj1 on 4/5/2006 at 04:47
Hey all,
Great website first of all!
I am considering a 3 month trip through SE Asia (Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia), Mid August 06 - Mid November 06. It sounds like this is almost 100% rainy season, and I'd like to find out how much of an issue this would be.
Therefore, I'd love to hear comments from travellers who have experienced the countries in the rainy season as to -
1. How much rain is there and for how long daily (it sounds like it's the odd big downpour each day rather than rain all day)?
2. How much does it disrupt travel services like buses and trains
3. How much would it hamper the ability to see/do stuff (i.e. are any places closed in the rainy season etc etc)
Rough Itinerary -
Arrive Bangkok
1 week Bangkok/Chiang Mai area, getting to Laos
2 weeks in Northern Laos last wk August/1st wk September (around the Luang Prabang area)
3 weeks in Vietnam (rest of September) - would hope to travel the country from North to South (Hanoi - Ho Chi Minh)
2 weeks in Cambodia (1st 2 weeks in October) (Phnom Penh area, Angkor Watt, and whatever else we can fit in)
3 weeks (last 2 weeks in October/first week in November) Thailand on the southern beaches.
#1 pricelj1 has been a member since 24/4/2006. Posts: 2
Posted by exacto on 4/5/2006 at 09:55
Yes, that's the rainy season. You will definitely get wet! But if that is the only time you can go, I'd say go. The up side is that prices will be lower and places less crowded.
As far as your questions go:
1. You are right that it typically rains hard in the late afternoons for an hour or so. Having said that, I remember once in Lop Buri where it rained straight for an entire week.
2. You can occasionally get delayed because of the rain. I've seen the train tracks down south get washed out a few times, as do some roads from time to time.
3. Some of the more popular tourist places do close during the rainy season, but for the most part you'll still be able to see/do what you'd planned.
On your itinerary, you might want to stick mostly to the Gulf of Thailand side for your southern beach experience that time of year. You could visit the Andaman Sea side, but you'd get soaked (but also pay a lot less and have it more to yourself when it isn't raining.) Have fun!
#2 exacto has been a member since 12/2/2006. Location: United States. Posts: 2,840
Posted by somtam2000 on 4/5/2006 at 11:32 admin
Hi pricelj1,
Welcome to Travelfish - glad you like the site!
Exacto has pretty much knocked the nail on the head. Just a couple of minor additions:
1) pack a raincoat!
2) In Laos the roads will be rougher going (landslides etc) -- in fact last year one of our researchers was trapped in Laos with landslides on both sides of her bus! But overall things just slow down a little rather than grind to a complete stop.
3) Some places are actually better in wet season -- at Angkor Wat for exaple, it is far lusher, with abungand birdlife and nothing quite beats watching Angkor under an electric storm.
4) By mid November the Thai islands on both sides will be coming into their own -- ask other travellers closer to the date for info on what the weather is like on the west coast islands.
#3 somtam2000 has been a member since 21/1/2004. Location: Indonesia. Posts: 8,093
Posted by pricelj1 on 5/5/2006 at 13:46
Thanks to you both this was very useful, look out for more questions from me as I plan the trip!
#4 pricelj1 has been a member since 24/4/2006. Posts: 2
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Interested in learning what's next for the gaming industry? Join gaming executives to discuss emerging parts of the industry this October at GamesBeat Summit Next. Register today.
In our second Threeview, we get a critic's, an analyst's, and an academic's review of Bad Piggies, the followup to casual gaming king Angry Birds.
Does developer Rovio's new release (out now for iOS, Google Play, PC, and Mac) have the same addicting qualities and money-cloning potential as the original bird-flinger? It's a very different game, after all. While both Angry Birds and Bad Piggies are physics-oriented, Bad Piggies is less about knocking over structurally unsound buildings and more about navigating tricky levels with homemade contraptions — like the surely 5-star safety-rated ride pictured above. See the game in action in the video below.
Our critic reviews Bad Piggies for consumers and gamers, while the analyst discusses its business aspects. Our academic wraps up with an analysis of the game design.
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Join gaming leaders live this October 25-26 in San Francisco to examine the next big opportunities within the gaming industry.
Bad Piggies: The critic's review
- By James Pikover, GamesBeat staff writer
Bad Piggies may seem like a hardcore game from a casual gaming company, but the formula Rovio has implemented is very similar to Angry Birds. The only difference is the scale: A bigger challenge reaps greater rewards. That difficulty spreads too far with no option to skip levels, but a smart save system keeps it great for mobile users. The depth of puzzles and creative building aspect will keep players hungrily coming back for more.
Click here for the full GamesBeat review.
Final critic's score: 85/100
Bad Piggies: The analyst's review
- By Jesse Divnich, VP of insights and analysis, EEDAR
- Twitter: @JesseDivnich
Bad Piggies is a valiant extension within the Angry Birds' universe. With an intellectual property as strong as Angry Birds, it's essential that Rovio expand its portfolio to create an emotional connection outside of the primary characters. The goal of portfolio expansion, however, is twofold: to exploit loyal users of the primary brand while at the same time bringing new consumers into your ecosystem. Loyal Angry Birds fans will not be disappointed with Bad Piggies, which pushes the physics puzzle genre ever so slightly forward. I do, however, have to question why Rovio remains hesitant to experiment with other genres.
Rovio has achieved one of the greatest accomplishments in entertainment: worldwide brand recognition. Recognition that often takes decades and hundreds of millions of dollars to achieve. With that recognition, however, comes great responsibility, and in the business world that means developing (exploiting) your brand to new consumers.
Bad Piggies is a sign that Rovio is still gun-shy on experimentation, and its lack of aggressiveness into other genres is resulting in missed financial opportunities. While there is always risk of "jumping the shark" with your brand, which often results in consumer alienation, there is also a risk of consumer fatigue. With countless popular genres outside of physical puzzles, I would have preferred to see Rovio bring its Angry Birds brand, along with its cast of characters, into new sectors. Whether that be word puzzle, pinball, or even an action-platform, there are innumerable amounts of opportunities to evolve the Angry Birds brand into newer, and arguably fresher, genres.
If Bad Piggies were released in 2011, I would hold no complaints. The title does introduce new features into the genre, and the mobile market was still too much of a rising tide to make any risky brand plays. If released in 2013, I'd hold serious concerns over management's ability to capitalize on rising markets (genres). For now, Bad Piggies was a sane business decision, and the title serves its purpose for Rovio's product portfolio. It keeps loyal consumers engaged, while at the same time raking in millions in revenue.
Final analyst's score: 75/100
Bad Piggies: The academic's review
- By Devin Monnens, assistant course director for game history, Full Sail University
- Blog: Desert Hat
After staring at the title screen of Bad Piggies for several minutes watching bizarre flying machines go by, I've finally come to the conclusion that this game is about the glory days of airplane invention. And just like many flight experiments met with embarrassing disaster, so, too, did my first attempts at self-propelled Piggie-mobiles, which wrecked in mangled heaps or exploded on the launch pad, sending pigs flying. After all, you can't build a Boeing 747 without first crashing a few wooden contraptions into Midwestern farmland, and if invention is 99 percent inspired failure and one percent success, then Bad Piggies is the perfect sandbox to demonstrate that process, because you'll keep wanting to try until you get it.
You'll start off building a rickety soap box derby racer that wouldn't pass inspection but displays the concept of what a "car" is: three boxes, two wheels, and a pig. Once you've understood the basics of slope and weight placement, you start playing around with fans, bellows, soda bottles, and the almighty box of TNT to create odd "vehicles" that can run loops and fly through the air — or more likely, be blown to smithereens. But with each failure, you'll get closer to the solution, which lies in either a different vehicle configuration or better piloting technique, and with each new success, you'll earn a new toy and a new arena to test your contraptions in.
This structure illustrates a theory of game design that early levels should teach players skills needed to master the later ones, and that each level teaches the player something new. This keeps players constantly challenged with mastering new mechanics, as skills learned early on build on each other, allowing the player to overcome more complex, interesting challenges. And by having a tight balance between the challenge and skills, the designer can hopefully keep the player in a state of blissful flow.
Only here's where I run into a problem. I found it difficult to grok the basics of such simple tools as the TNT box and the sandbag weight, even with the helpful notebook of "Oinkville Wright." Am I just a terrible engineer, or has the game not properly explained these mechanics?
Thankfully, I don't feel like a complete idiot, because my test pilot, a green, freckled pig with a silly stupid grin and ridiculous laugh, is an even bigger moron than I am. And that's reassuring.
Final critic's score: 90/100
GamesBeat's creed when covering the game industry is "where passion meets business." What does this mean? We want to tell you how the news matters to you -- not just as a decision-maker at a game studio, but also as a fan of games. Whether you read our articles, listen to our podcasts, or watch our videos, GamesBeat will help you learn about the industry and enjoy engaging with it. Discover our Briefings.


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A while ago, I read "Non-Binary Lives" and I decided that this would be a good opportunity to reflect on my own non-binaryness. Then a few weeks ago, came an author knows an J.K. Rowling, who decided to use her vast platform to discriminate NB folks. So I decided that it was time to use my - albeit small - platform to share what it means to me to call myself non-binary while I do not neatly fit into a cishet's ideas of "looking non-binary".
If I was forced into putting a label on my gender it would be agender. Unlike great stories that come to conclude that they always struggled with gender norms and their assigned gender roles, I never spent a lot of time thinking about my gender. If you don't have one, what is there to think about?
However, there are also environmental, and social aspects that played into this:
One reason is where I grew up: I was born, raised and still live in a German speaking country - a language famous for gendering everything. Even though we have a neutral option, it does not factor in when people are concerned. So being born with a vagina, I was always referred to as a girl, a young lady and what not, and used she/her, sie/ihres, and Miss/Frau.
Another reason is that I was never that much of a young lady. I vividly remember playing in the boy camp during Volksschule, hating skirts, and disliking anything pink. Since I was a girl and my mother is for her generation very feminist, this was never seen as "not acting as a girl" but rather as me giving the male world a middle finger, and extending gender roles as far as it was deemed acceptable.
Thus I lived my life, enjoying the things I liked no matter if they were branded typically masculine or feminine. I like knitting, and can fix your bicycle. I love plants and ride motorbikes. And people became to adore me for this mix, I myself came to adore me for it. I was simply me. I never even thought of an activity as typically gendered, it was just fun and if it was dominated by men, I could barge in in the spirit of "girls rule the world."
At the same time I never thought of my body as much of a female body: It has a vagina, so you take care of it. I have tits because I produce these hormones but I like my body because of the things I can do with it. "You're a pretty girl" has no meaning for me, but "well done in running the course in that time."
I love my body for what it can do and how by being strong I feel strong both physically and mentally. So I tend to barge through life, and despite only being a bit above 160 cm I was told that I radiate so much confidence people I shocked I am only so small.
The turning point for my gender story came when I started a relationship with a woman. This meant that for the first time in my life I was seriously confronted with gender norms. It was always "a same-sex couple" instead of "a couple" and the stereotypes did not fit. She appeared girlier on photos but was taller and a bit wider. Meanwhile I was "manly" but smaller and thinner. It started with looks and ended with which part you are by how you like spooning. And I didn't like it. I did not feel it. I was just me and she was a girl. Since I had no idea what "agender" might be, I thought that it was a same sex relationship, so didn't I have to move closer toward her femininity? And yet, the more I did, the less I felt like myself.
Ironically this was also the first time I openly talked about gender with someone. And one time she dropped the sentence "you define your own womanhood" and I just wondered "my own what? What is there to define?"
I don't define myself through my vagina. I don't define myself through being a woman, a girl, or wearing my hair long. I just happen to have long hair. The idea that I might be non-binary did not quite click yet, because somehow people think that non-binary people also have to look a certain way.
That is until Good Omens aired.This show featured two non-binary/agender angels who both present more as men during the major part of the plot. Still they are non-binary and the internet very much defended this ground. I sat there reading posts and talking to Silver about it and said "that's me."
Suddenly I had a word I could toss around! And what did I do about it?
Pretty much nothing. I didn't magically change my pronouns because I am used to "she/her" and don't mind it, and if someone uses "they/them" that's nice too. I didn't cut my hair into some butch haircut, instead I kept it long because it grows that way. So from the outside I was still passing as female.
However, the realisation made me more confident about wanting to and finally acting more like myself. Especially in small ways:
I started wearing men's jeans because whatever they are more comfortable and gender is fake. I don't even bother with push-up bras or bras with cups anymore because I don't fancy it and I don't want to showcast my boobs. I had always worn them because it is what women do. I started wearing less make-up than I did during my relationship because I liked my face more natural. I tuck my shirts in, and use the phrase "well then I am your man" because for me it is just that, a phrase. Doing all of these things just made me feel like myself. Me, an agender non-binary … well, queen. Because you say "you are the queen" when you rock something.
Sure, there are amazing stories in "Non-Binary Lives" about people who somehow, feel "more non-binary." They change pronouns, face adversaries and difficulties and talk openly about everything. Then there are also people who think that this identifier is fake and we're all confused. After all, I don't mind being called "Susanne". I know that it is a female name but for me it is just my full name.
And when someone says something like "oh, I knew it was a good idea to ask you about interior design. After all you are a woman." I feel a shiver going down my spine and I can't quite place where it comes from. Because he just saw me as a woman and thus assumed things that he can't know are true or not? It would bind me to a gender again, and no thank you.
At the same time, I have co-workers who have no idea about my gender. If they assume something about me it usually goes the opposite way. I work in a typical feminine job - P.A. - but was never told that it is because I am a woman. They know I am just me and when I talk to them, I feel that they just see me as me and not as a gender and any assumption.
As long as people don't base assumption about me on what gender they think they see, I don't mind if they use "she/her" or use my full name. And maybe that also comes from the German language and the Austrian culture. Sex and gender are the same word (Geschlecht) and when asked after your Geschlecht, it is usually your sex. On the passport, Geschlecht even translates as sex, not gender.
Despite some people's effort to cry loudly in the opposite direction: sex and gender are not the same! I am in no way defined through this mystical thing called "womanhood". I have no idea what it feels like. The feeling that I do know, is one that I am not even on the binary: I am non-binary!
Even when I enjoy girly things - still non-binary. When I wear "male" jeans: still non-binary and agender. I wear my hair long: guess what? Non-binary. Don't mind "she/her" - yes, also non-binary. I do not have a gender no matter what I look like to the outside. What matters in the end, is not the genitalia you were born with, it is what you feel that defines your gender; or in my case: lack of.
In the end, I am the only one to define my gender, and nobody can take that away!


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(June 2000- Sept 2000)
In 2000, I assisted in design and fabrication of prototype gas-to-gas humidifier for a portable PEMFC.
I tested multiple iterations of humidifier prototypes. Near the end of my coop term, I designed and built testing equipment for leak testing and I helped setup a facility for the manufacturing and quality control of the humidifiers.


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SEO (Search engine optimization) is the most powerful skill which is observed in some talented people. This is not a difficult skill to learn. Many people adopt their profession to SEO exper... Read more
Our blog is publishing a unique stories of people, share your feeling with world today, share your opinion with public , share your message to get inspire others. Send us your life journey s... Read more
Facebook messenger is not a secure,due to its security fault! Messages that we send through our Facebook Messenger can be read easily by hackers using a hacking backdoor in the app. This se... Read more
For the last two weeks the news was published on different website that torrentz.eu was shut down for ever and it's domain was seized and the owner"Artem Vaulin" is arreste... Read more
Torrent the fasts and informative site goes shutdown for ever,now no one can get information from this sit. Without any warning and alerts the world most popular site "TORRENTZ.EU... Read more
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Here's some information: A blue circle means your message is sending. A blue circle with a check means your message has been sent. A filled-in blue circle with a check means your messa... Read more
Go to WampServer website and download the latest WampServer. You will see different version of wampserver on their download page. Simply choose the one that suits to your Windows (64-bit or... Read more