text:
Hello and welcome to the Davis Tackle Website.
Lets start with some late reports, the first was for the long awaited Bullhead Match that was attended by most of the top local anglers on Sunday, so with their buckets on the ready to keep their prize's in, they all come unstuck, not one single angler captured a Bullhead, I have received information that there is a grass in their midst, someone let all the Bullheads know that they were all about to be captured, most of the information came via the R.D.A.A website, so future matches for Bullheads should be kept a secret, the other problem was nuisance fish, and on this match the culprit was the Chub, again information that I received was that the Chub are close friends of the Bullhead and they came to their rescue, so apart from all that, fishing is for fun, and well done all you lads that had a day out and a good laugh, here is Steve New with one of the nuisance fish a Chub of 6lb 2oz.
The next late report was from Shaun Spires with a pike of 21lb 10ozs, well done Shaun, a nice fish.
Another late report came in from Eddy Widdup, who started the day with a puncture, so with this nightmare fixed, it was off to do a bit of fishing, when you mention the trots we all think of one thing, but on this occasion it was for trotting the swim, so with these tactics in mind, Eddy was soon roving and trotting and soon had two nice Chub to his credit, one fish of 5lb 7oz and the other at 5lb 10ozs, well done Eddy, glad you caught Plenty.
Monday and things started on a high note, quite a few anglers were soon catching some fish, the perch were still being caught in good numbers, and catches of 20 fish were commonplace, the pike were also putting theirselves about, with Peter Hilken taking five fish to 7lb, although not massive fish, it was a nice days sport, well done Peter. Avon bailiff Paul Woodget managed to capture a nice Chub of 5lb 8oz, Whilst Avon manager Phil Nixon caught five Chub to 5lb 15oz, I suppose Phil had to catch more than his Bailiff, being the manager, still it's nice to see our neighbours visiting us.
David Barratt was on his very first trip to Throop, travelling from Dorking in Surrey, home of the famous Bury Hill Lake and home to a great match angling team, so starting today on his two day trip, David tempted three chub to the net, with the best weighing in at 5lb 14oz, plus a bonus sea-trout, I must also mention that David was also overjoyed at Throop's wonderful wildlife.
Tuesday and Scott Mosley was again on the banks trying for another carp, with his fishing buddy Arran Morgan, last week Scott had his PB common carp, a fish of 11lb 1oz, well this time no such luck, he missed a couple of bites, I told him that he must put a hook on the end of the line, so it was two blanks for Scott and Arran. Gordon Barrett was also trying his skill, and it paid off, catching a small pike on BREAD, well done mate, you should have been named Gordon Bennett.
Gordon Bennett was born in Scotland in 1795, and the meaning of "Gordon Bennett" is an exclamation of surprise.
Tom Flynn was fishing with his pal Will Jones, Tom had one chub and a small Salmon, whilst Will had a great day fishing, although a couple of fish were dropped, Will succeeded in landing 8 chub to 5lb 14oz, well done lads. Dave Webley was once again catching some Throop Perch, and this time landed a cracker of 3lb, and I was on hand to take a couple of photos, great fish Dave, well done.
It's David Baratts second and last day of his trip, and again he brought a chub to the net, a nice fish of 4lb 5oz, well done David, so after all our e-mails to one another I'm glad it all came together and you enjoyed your visit, perhaps next time you may catch one of our lovely barbel, and perhaps some warmer weather would be nice.
Wednesday, and not many anglers were on the banks today, the water temperature had come up 3f to 43f, the colour has now dropped out, and the river is looking very good. Scott Mosely was again on the banks trying to make up for yesterday's blank session, and he certainly took revenge with a great mixed bag of fish in a very short fishing session, first to the net was a carp of 10lb 8oz, then a pike of 11lb, this was followed by a PB Tench of 5lb, and to top it all, a perch of 1lb 11oz, well done mate, what a shame you had to go home early, well the story never ended there, his fishing buddy Arran Morgan turned up and took over the swim, and he too kept up the reputation of this productive swim by catching a nice mirror carp of 11lb, and this was followed by a bream of 8lb 8oz, well done Arran.
I would like to point out that after repeated phone calls, and young Scott trying for two days to send me his photo's, he finally found the problem, he had been spelling my e-mail address wrong, anyway it is now sorted, well done Scott, at last.
The next incredible catch was made by Dave McDonigle, last week whilst feeder fishing, Dave hooked a very large pike, after an epic 25 minute battle, the pike was netted, the size 20 hook was removed and the fish was weighed thumping the scales down to an incredible 23lb 6oz, now the reason for the inclusion for last weeks catch today was because Dave returned to the same spot, not content in catching "Big Mommy" he had to catch the rest of the family, dad, son, daughter, aunts, uncles, cousins, in fact apart from two chub, Dave had caught 15 pike in one session and that was up to 4:00pm, wow, that was something very special, as I was on the phone to Dave, he said, I have to go my float has gone under, most of the pike were small ( up to 7lb ) but what a fabulous days fishing, well done Dave.
I think that only one angler blanked today, and that was me, after missing one bite in the first 15 minutes, I never had another touch, I was joined by Phil Nixon who landed 3 chub whilst I enviously looked on, after I left, Phil Landed another two fish, the best fish weighing in at 6lb 2oz, the rest were estimated at about 5lb, well done mate, at least you stayed on in very windy conditions, it's a shame that your fish fingers that you rushed home for, wasn't that good.
Our Bailiff Sid managed to land two chub, although I left before I had a chance to get there weights.
A phone call to Alan Paget revealed that he has had is operation and he is recovering well, although he is not recovering too well with the thought that he is now sixty, but he can't wait to get back on the banks again..........and get his bus pass...........and free prescriptions, good luck Alan.
Thursday and I had a day on the Avon with Avon manager Phil Nixon, but because this is a Throop report I am not allowed to tell you that he had two Barbel, one of 10lb 10ozs and the other weighed in at 11lb 3oz, so I will keep it a secret, yes I blanked again.............not a bite in site, my new slogan.
Back to Throop.
Luke was doing a bit of roving, but apart from missing one bite, he ended up blanking. Sid done well today, he managed to catch a minnow, so he never blanked. Steve New, managed to catch one of those last knocking fish, why do these fish come out to play when it's time to go home, but this one was worth the wait, a nice Barbel weighing in at spot on 9lb, well done Steve, thanks for the photo.
So with such a poor day, we must write about something, so that brings me to bait, and the bait I have in mind is CHEESE PASTE, if you look on the Internet for some recipes, you will find so many different ways on how to make it, in fact it can become confusing on what is such a simple bait to make. One well known local angler takes a block of cheese and just keeps kneading it until it is soft enough to use, nothing else is used except a bit of work.
This is how I make my cheese paste.
Buy some Just-Rol puff pastry or short crust, the pack should contain two 340g blocks.
Roll out one of these blocks using a rolling pin, lightly dust with some flour.
Once this has been rolled, spread on some cheese spread, this can be any make or flavour, it comes in a tube.
Then sprinkle on some grated strong cheddar, and then crumble on some Danish Blue Cheese.
Fold over the corners and then start kneading the mix, keep this going until you have the right texture, if it's a bit wet or too soft, add a sprinkle of flour.
I must admit that once I have folded over the mix, I then bung the whole lot into Tina's dough maker, and let the machine do the work.
Once finished, you should have a nice soft paste, man enough to stay on the hook, but not too hard as it can impede a hook penetration, if you pull a piece of your finished paste, it should have a slight spring in it, test it out in a glass of water to see how long it would stay on the hook. Please note that it can feel a bit soft at first, but it does stiffen up slightly once left. Whilst making your paste, write down exactly what portions you use, once you have achieved your target, then every time you make some paste, it should be 100% successful. If you think you have made too much, cut and roll the paste into separate balls and place each ball into its own plastic bag and place them into the freezer.
Now you can go and try it out, then moan at me because you blanked, good luck.
Friday, and once again the weather is playing havoc with our " Passion for Angling " this time we have gale force winds, and the forecasters have told us that it will get worse over the weekend, so that will put paid to any fishing that I might have had planned, what with a dodgy arm and a bad back, and no sympathy from Phil Nixon, he says I should get a grip, it's not easy as you get older, come to think of it, I'll have to find out how old he is, he must be young, he never complains, except when he is fishing and gets stuck on only catching 5 chub every time he goes out, well thank goodness for the last chub that he caught on today's session, at last Phil has caught six Chub, that's how many he had today in appalling conditions, the best fish weighing 5lb 13oz, well done mate.
Also out and about was John McGough who had a couple of nice Chub to 5lb 10ozs, I will have to moan about my aches and pains to John, he had a bad back until an operation cured it. We also had three fishing buddies braving the windy conditions, they were Paul Cake, Alan Willarbough and John Booth, they all caught fish, Paul had six Perch, and three Pike weighing 5lb, 6lb, and 7lb, and lost four more, Alan had 10lb of Perch, and last but not least was John who had two Pike both weighing 7lb each, plus two Bream of about 4lb apiece and a mixed bag of Roach and Perch, well done lads, and many thanks for your report. Another angler who was working very hard float fishing, up to his waist in water, catching five Chub trotting before the swim died.
Saturday, and today the weather is the dominant factor, the wind is gale force, and it is such a shame that the lads that were braving today's elements were struggling, finding the right swim is a major factor, most of the swims that have been producing were smack bang in the strong winds, a brolly was impossible, and finding a swim that is out of the wind can be a dodgy affair as there are a lot of willows trees that are on the river bank, and believe me, the willows are one of the last trees that you would want to shelter under, they are so unpredictable and can lose their branches very easily, so apart from some minnows I had no reports of any catches for today.
So rather than leave you with no fish catches I thought that this would be nice for you to have a look at this.
Here are two photos, one is from a Throop regular, it is Mathew Beddows from Coventry who recently caught this 7lb 5oz Chub from the River Ouse, just look how different they are from the Throop Chub, so compare it to a similar size fish from Throop, this 7lb 4oz fish that was caught by Luke "GaGa" in July.
Because I mentioned Coventry [I wish you hadn't Brian, they beat us 2-1 yesterday ], it jogged my memory, another Coventry angler Phil Smith rang me for a chat this week and the subject discussed was how good some anglers were in catching lots of fish, and we both agree that a major factor was enthusiasm and dedication, of course skill and luck always play a big part, but when some of the anglers venture out onto the river bank in appalling conditions and spend many hours trying to catch their prize, they deserve to achieve their target and it's these lads that I admire greatly.
Sunday and the river bank is almost empty and the few anglers that I met up with were struggling, a couple of anglers that were fishing a side stream were taking a few small roach and perch. Nick Roberts had a morning session and landed a couple of small Chub. Roving the river bank was Stuart Jupp, I must admit that Stuart is getting me worried a bit, every time he ventures onto the river bank here at Throop, the weather is appalling, we have had very heavy frosts, floods and now gale force winds, I am beginning to think that he may be a curse, well his first couple of fish may throw some light on the curse subject, with his famous paste, his first two fish that he landed was the famous Throop veggie pike that eat everything in site, well theses two fish were landed and weighed at 8lb each, so that was a start, so still braving the winds Stuart went on to land three Chub, two fish around 5lb, with the best fish weighing in at 5lb 7oz, well done Stuart, well earned. Luke "GaGa" phoned me and we discussed some various swims, so with the water temperature up around 48f , he set out for an afternoon session, and what a great session it was, fishing for four hours from 2.00pm to 6.00pm he managed two Chub, one weighed 5lb 2oz whilst the other went 5lb 15oz, just one ounce short of the magical six, and if that wasn't enough his catch was completed by bringing to the net a cracking Barbel of 9lb 9oz, well done Luke.
Many thanks to you all for your reports and photo's, don't forget to check the local weather forecast before you make plans and travel, check out the link, click on to each day for wind speeds. [And many, many thanks to Brian, not only for writing these report week in, week out, but also for the first time ever not sending me any micro pictures to try and work with!]
Brian Willson Throop Bailiff.


text:
Phone: 919-499-2200
Degrees and Certifications:
Dr. Jennifer Spivey
Parents: The best way to reach Dr. Spivey during this time of school closure is via email: email@example.com
Students: WE MISS YOU
Most recent newsletter: May 19 Newsletter
Dear Highland Elementary School Community,
As principal my leadership vision is to make a positive difference in the lives of children. I am committed to providing the highest quality education for all students. Every decision, every day is made for the children I am entrusted to serve. I am honored to serve Highland Elementary School as principal for the third consecutive year. Please feel free to contact me if you are interested in volunteering or have questions for me. I feel strongly that students need to be proficient readers and writers to find success after elementary school. We need your partnership to help our students reach their academic goals. One easy way to help us is to read each night with your child. Together we are reaching new heights!
HES Mission (Why we exist?):At Highland Elementary School we believe in all children. We exist to inspire and prepare students to make a positive impact on their families, communities, and world.
HES Vision (What is the long term impact of our work?):Highland Elementary School, in partnership with parents and community, will help children discover their gifts and make a positive difference in the world.
Core Values: Passion, Kindness, Integrity, Resilience & Teamwork
School Improvement Goals for the 19-20 School Year:
- We will improve core instruction in literacy and improve student proficiency by at least 10%
- We will improve core instruction in math and improve overall student proficiency by at least 10%
- We will improve student engagement through participation in PBIS, global learning, and character education.
Our five year plan is to become a Letter A school--a destination for talented and passionate educators. HES will be a sound foundation for future world changers.
Jennifer Spivey, Ed.D.
RISING KINDER PARENTS PLEASE practice letter and sound recognition with you child:
Children should read for leisure at home daily. Please let children choose their text. Choice allows children to foster an affinity for reading vs. forced efforts.
Why 20 minutes of reading COUNTS

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Attention Beneficiary,
We are pleased to inform you of the result of the just concluded
annual final draws of United Nation 2013 Grant compensation of scam victims
and also powered by World Bank and the Nigeria Government. The United
Nation compensation draws was conducted from an exclusive list of
47,000,000 e-mail addresses of individual and corporate bodies
picked by an advanced MTN Network online automated random computer
ballot search from the internet and Your e-mail address was among
the lucky winners of the United Nation 2013 Grant compensation and
You have therefore been approved for a lump sum payout of $750,000.00 USD.
A Cheque of $750,000.00 USD has been Issued to you and deposited with
the FedEx Courier Company (West Africa,Nigeria) For Delivery to you
and for your information, we paid the Delivery fee and Security
Keeping fee & Shipping charges as well as the Vat fees but we did
not pay for the Insurance fees because we don't know when you will
be contacting them via email for your package, so you will have to
pay the sum of $140 USD to the FedEx Delivery Department for the
Insurance Fee. All you need to do is to insure your Package with the
Nigeria Insurance Company, which is registered with FedEx Courier
Company Nigeria. So you are to pay the FedEx Courier Company Nigeria
the Insurance Fee to enable the insurance company of Nigeria Insured
your winnings Package for delivery to you.
We do hope you receive this mail and Kindly complete the below form
and send it to the FEDEX DELIVERY DEPARTMENT with the below
information. This is mandatory to reconfirm your Postal address and
telephone numbers.
Your Winning Package Reg. No. is IND/234/64072
FedEx DELIVERY POST
Senior Delivery Officer's Name: Dr. Peter Scott
Phone Number:+234-6741-1496
FedEx Online Team Management®
© Copy Right Reserved 1994-2013.
Note: You are advice to contact FedEx as soon as possible.
As soon as you contact Fedex and their delivery team will give you the
necessary payment procedure so that you can effect the payment for
the Insurance Fee. As soon as they confirm your payment of $140 USD,
they will not hesitate to work straight to the insurance company and
insure your winning for delivery.
Yours faithfully,
Dr Travis Willey
United Nation Representative


text:
An essential on your quest to catch 'em all, Pokeballs are used to capture Pokemon out in the wild. You start the game with 50. It's unlikely you will need to purchase any extra as they are readily available as rewards at Pokestops. However if you would prefer they can be bought at the shop.
20 Pokeballs = 100 Pokecoins
100 Pokeballs = 460 Pokecoins
200 Pokeballs – 800 Pokecoins
You can only purchase regular Pokeballs, great, ultra and master are collectible only.
Pokeball – Unlocked from the start – Used capture Pokemon. Just throw at them.
Great Ball – Unlocks at Level 12 – This is an upgraded Pokeball and has an improved capture rate. It is also more likely to be able to capture higher level CP Pokemon
Ultra Ball – Unlocks at Level 20 – Highly advanced Pokeballs, having an even better capture rate than Great Balls. Ideal for capturing those rare high CP monster that would otherwise resist capture from lower Pokeballs.
Master Ball – Confirmed to be in the game


text:
Performance by the Bulldog Chamber Orchestra
By: Steven Fernandez, Orchestra Director at Brighton Area Schools
The Bulldog Chamber Orchestra was founded in order to give 7-12 grade students an opportunity to play in an ensemble. In our second year of the program, we only offer orchestra classes in 5th and 6th grade, but will be expanding to the 7th grade next year. As the program expands through the grade levels, the BCO will continue to be offered to students in grades 7-12. In its infancy, the group now has five students.
We recently gave our premiere concert at Caretel Inns in Brighton, an assisted living facility. Playing at this venue was mutually beneficial, as we had a much larger audience than had we only invited families. The residents were elated to have us, noting that a string ensemble was a welcome addition to the series of guitarist songwriters they had previously hosted. As a bonus, performing at Caretel Inns also saved us the cost of renting a performance space.
Too often for middle schoolers, music is about "me". By performing for a rapt audience of Caretel residents, we hoped to provide students with an experience of giving to others through music.
Holiday Features: Giving Back to the Community Through Music Performance
During the Month of December, the blog will feature ensembles that are giving back to the community. If you would like to include a piece about your ensemble's community performance, send an email to: firstname.lastname@example.com.


text:
Braver/Wiser Archive
Braver/Wiser Archive
Braver/Wiser Archive
Nourishing Our Whole SelvesOur souls and minds need sustenance as much as our physical bodies. May we delight in the ways we find to provide this nourishment to our whole selves.By Aisha Ansano | 7/26/2017
Love's Pronoun Is PluralMy son, Caleb, and I went to Starbucks on a recent Saturday morning. We often do this as a prelude to the weekly grocery shopping. It sweetens the deal, which is important, as he is about to be 14 and on the autism spectrum. Both of these factors contribute to his resistance to...By Elea Kemler | 7/19/2017
Love Always ProtectsThere's something deeply moving for me about the idea of a love that will always have my back. "Always"—meaning unconditionally and without hesitation. And there's something deeply jarring for me about the idea that, despite my most earnest hopes, my best intentions and desires...By DeReau K. Farrar | 7/12/2017
Becoming a "Real" AmericanFor almost thirty years after coming to the United States, I didn't fully understand the cultural cues around me. Initially, this gave me the false sense of liberation. I often interpreted uncomfortable situations to be my fault, as an ignorant immigrant. Trying hard to...By Yuri Yamamoto | 7/5/2017


text:
"World's Leading Large Ship Specialist"
Tom Baker, President — CruiseCenter
Great Rates.
Please contact your travel advisor for more information.*
*Promotion is subject to availability, may not be combinable with certain fares or other amenity offers, is capacity controlled and may be withdrawn at any time. Other restrictions apply.
To view our top picks, please click here.
San Juan, Puerto Rico, is an old city of cobblestone streets, colonial architecture and shaded courtyards. It reflects its Spanish past in such famous fortresses as El Morro and San Cristobal. San Juan is also a modern world capital -- a cosmopolitan metropolis of wide boulevards, lively cafes and highly regarded shops and galleries. San Juan is two unique destinations -- and you'll be fascinated by them both.
There are many ways to hunt for treasure in St. Thomas. You can discover its historic wealth in such places as the birthplace of painter Camille Pissarro or the infamous Bluebeard's Tower. Its sporting riches are tennis, golf, sailing and incredible beaches. Beneath its crystal-clear waters, you'll find coral gardens and shimmering schools of jewel-colored fish. Its fortune of earthly treasures can be found in the many shops of Charlotte Amalie, where savings on jewels, crystal, perfume and fine wines will arouse your hunting instincts.
With a beach for each day of the year, Antigua is a water-lover's delight. For shopping and feasting on local seafood, the capital city of St. John's offers many choices on Redcliffe Quay. Or motor around the coast to historic English Harbour, a superb restoration of the 18th century dockyard where Admiral Lord Nelson once ruled the British fleet.
With the island's colonial background, the capital Roseau features both historic and modern buildings. Situated above town, on the slopes of Morne Bruce, are the beautiful Botanic Gardens with rare native and imported plants. The prominent 18th-century Fort Young is now part of the Fort Young Hotel complex.
A lively blend of French and English cultures, St. George's has steep hills to climb, spectacular views to photograph and a rum distillery to tour. St George's has one of the prettiest harbour settings in the Caribbean. Tourist infrastructure is still generally small-scale and locally owned and offers a good balance between comfort and price, making Grenada a great getaway for those who want to avoid the resort experience.
The island's capital, Bridgetown, is one of the Caribbean's major free ports, bustling with activity. Trafalgar Square features the monument to Horatio Nelson. Facing the square are handsome structures of the House of Assembly and the Legislative buildings. George Washington worshipped at St. Michael's Cathedral during the only trip he made outside of the United States. Housed in former British military prison buildings, the Barbados Museum is divided into various galleries that feature exhibits depicting the history of Barbados from the pre-Columbian period to modern times.
Built in 1816, Gun Hill Signal Station is the finest of several signal stations on the island. The white limestone lion behind the garrison is a well-known landmark. Barbados boasts excellent golf courses. A wide range of watersports is available at hotels and special watersports centers.
No information currently available.
San Juan, Puerto Rico, is an old city of cobblestone streets, colonial architecture and shaded courtyards. It reflects its Spanish past in such famous fortresses as El Morro and San Cristobal. San Juan is also a modern world capital -- a cosmopolitan metropolis of wide boulevards, lively cafes and highly regarded shops and galleries. San Juan is two unique destinations -- and you'll be fascinated by them both.
Itinerary subject to change without notice. Please confirm itinerary at time of booking.
Cruise rates are in US dollars, per person, based on double occupancy, capacity controlled and subject to change at any time without prior notice. Government taxes and fees are additional for all guests. Ships' Registry: The Bahamas & Panama.
Information and pricing is subject to change without notice. While we do our very best to ensure that information and pricing appearing in this website is complete and accurate, we cannot be responsible for incomplete and inaccurate representations, which may or may not be under our control. In the event of a pricing error, misrepresentation or omission, we reserve the right to adjust the pricing or make any other corrections.
4801 Woodway Suite 400W
Houston, TX 77056
4801 Woodway Suite 400W Houston, TX 77056
(800) 497-8799
Monday - Friday: 9:00 am - 6:00pm (CST)
Travel Insurance
CruiseCenter recommends optional travel insurance that protects you in the event of having to cancel your trip avoiding travel vendor cancellation policies and more! Click here!
© Copyright 2018. All Rights Reserved. CruiseCenter.
Terms & Conditions | Privacy Policy


text:
This is an awesome story, you should repost this in the main forum to get more traffic, i only happened to stop by this forum cuz i sometimes shoot in AL.
Link to the story on Foxnews.com
MONTGOMERY, Ala. A burglar in Montgomery chose the wrong family to mess with, literally.
Adrian and Tiffany McKinnon returned to their Centennial Hill home Tuesday after a week away to find that thieves had emptied almost everything the family of five owned, Tiffany McKinnon said through tears.
"Tears just rolled down my face as I walked in and saw everything gone and piles of trash all over my home," she said.
Adrian McKinnon sent his wife to see her sister while he inspected the piles left behind. As he walked back into the sunroom, a man walked through the back door straight into him, Tiffany McKinnon told the Montgomery Advertiser in a story Thursday.
"My husband Adrian caught the thief red-handed in our home," she said. "And what is even crazier, the man even had my husband's hat sitting right on his head."
Adrian McKinnon held the suspect, 33-year-old Tajuan Bullock, at gunpoint and told him to sit on the floor until he decided what to do.
"We made this man clean up all the mess he made, piles of stuff, he had thrown out of my drawers and cabi-nets onto the floor," Tiffany McKinnon said.
When police arrived, Bullock complained about being forced to clean the home at gunpoint.
"This man had the nerve to raise sand about us making him clean up the mess he made in my house," she said. "The police officer laughed at him when he complained and said anybody else would have shot him dead."
Capt. Huey Thornton, a police spokesman, said police arrested Bullock at 2 p.m. Tuesday on burglary and theft charges. He was being held in the Montgomery County Detention Facility on a $30,000 bond.
"The victims were lucky in this case to be able to catch the suspect in the act and hold him until police arrived," Thornton said.
He said the case was unusual because generally burglars act while the homeowner is away and are in and out fast so they can quickly sell the stolen items.
The couple said they chose to rent the Ross Street home because it was a quiet place for their three young children to play outside. Turns out it was a bit too quiet most of the homes near theirs are vacant.
"We don't have any neighbors to help watch our house because it's like a ghost town here except when the church is meeting across the street," Tiffany McKinnon told the Advertiser Wednesday
This is an awesome story, you should repost this in the main forum to get more traffic, i only happened to stop by this forum cuz i sometimes shoot in AL.
I see a couple of problems with the scenario.....
1) I wonder if the owner could be charged with illegal imprisonment or something along the lines of forced labor
2) Dead men can't testify
Victory rewards not the army that fires the most rounds, but who is the more accurate shot. ---Unknown
Because when seconds count, the police are only minutes away
Posting in .
USA Carry
Glock Talk
Tennessee Gun Owners
also check
Tennessee Laws at: Michies Legal Resources
Can any of you imagine the fallout that would result if charges of any kind were pressed against him? As corrupt as the justice can be at times, I honestly can't envision charges of any kind being pressed against him.


text: Spacious sun-flooded 2 bedroom in elevator building with dishwasher on the beautiful and serene Roosevelt Island with spectacular views. Building features tons of amenities including a doorman pool, gym, garage parking, and rooftop terrace with grills. It is located steps fro the F train, putting you only 1 stop from Manhattan. Pets welcome.


text:
As a preferred partner to the world's leading providers of print hardware, we marry our expertise with the best technology there is to provide the right solution for your business. Let us help you select the best of the best for your needs.
Our higher-level accreditation with the world's leading print manufacturers recognises our superior service levels and our proven ability to understand which devices and technology will deliver the very best results for our clients.
In turn we receive their highest levels of commercial and technical support – benefits which we can pass on to our clients to make them more streamlined, more stable and more secure.
Our service teams are manufacturer-trained to keep your hardware working to the highest standards, your output at maximum levels.
Intelligent, integrated technology
The right print hardware not only cuts costs, but can help to automate your workflow to make it more intuitive for your users - saving time and enabling them to be more productive.
Where possible, we include legacy print and scan devices into our solutions, combining and integrating them with your new technology to improve workflow and minimise waste.
Our higher level supplier partnerships give us access to product roadmaps, allowing us to future-proof our clients' print solutions.
Our partners:
Get in touch if you have a question or would like to explore how our solutions could help your organisation.Get in touch


text:
We at LeedsBookClub do like to set ourselves little challenges
every now and again.
This year, we very much hoped that you (that's right, YOU) would join us in our first ever -
Out choice? The festive (and not excessively long) classic by Charles Dickens' - A Christmas Carol
A Christmas Carol Rough GuideStave One - 21st October
Stave Two - 4th November
Stave Three - 18th November
Stave Four - 2nd December
Stave Five - 16th December
Hopefully, if we get a bit of interest, we'd be able to meet up before Christmas for mince or apple pies and mulled wine.
Or to watch the definitive version...
The Muppet's of course!!!
Fine the Project Gutenberg book here!!!
(I might just stick the book up here for direct download once I get a minute)
* * * * *
Christmas - Table of Contents


text:
So pretty! The floral arrangements are stunning.
Anabeth & Tim: Married!
Last weekend I had the pleasure to assist my dear friend, Natalie, of All Buttoned-Up with a wedding. The ceremony took place at the picturesque Grandale Farm in Purceville, VA. It couldn't have been a more perfect day in September . . . the sun was shining and there was a slight breeze in the air. When the guests were shuttled in from Landsdowne Resort, they witnessed how the rustic farm was transformed into whimsical fairyland, full of details. The bride herself put so much thought into her special day, all the way down to making sure her parents were seated on a special tablecloth, which belonged to her grandmother. There was so much love in the air as the guests dined on local food, sipped vodka lemonade out of mason jars, and danced the night away under the stars. Enjoy some details from their special day!
The centerpieces were made of a variety of flowers set in antique jars, teacups and bottles. They rested on vintage books and were topped with painted birdhouses.
Natalie transformed the ceiling with twinkling lights, paper flower garland and paper chandeliers.
Each place setting had it's own vintage napkin.
Bride & Groom
Dancin' shoes for the guests.
Take a seat on the straw couches!
The guestbook was made up of pages and pages of tiny envelopes where guests could slip little notes of wisdom.
It was such a beautiful day!
Congrats to Anabeth & Tim and fabulous job Natalie!
2 Comments on "Anabeth & Tim: Married!"
Oh my goodness, there were so many cute ideas. Beautiful outdoor wedding!!


text:
Megan Regan
Creative Director, Market Intel
p: 212-763-3580Download Vcard
Megan Regan serves as the Creative Director of Market Intel at MHP Real Estate Services.
As the Creative Director of MHP, Megan collaborates with the Director of Brokerage Operations, leasing agents, and PR/marketing consultants of exclusive MHP assets with the development and implementation of brand identity assignments.
Ms. Regan is responsible for producing compelling pitch strategies and content for client presentations, proposals and Request for Proposal responses. In addition, Megan manages MHP's media presence, website creation, and maintenance with brand-centered content.
Megan is certified in Adobe Creative Suite and uses her unique graphic design abilities to create, implement and launch innovative marketing campaigns for MHP and our clients. As the creative project leader, Megan handles our media public relations and sponsorship event coordination in the continued development of new business initiatives of existing clients and prospective tenants in the market.
Through Megan's longstanding industry relationships, she can tap into various resources to produce comparative sales and leasing analysis of current trends and recent transactions in New York City and the Tristate markets.


text:
Food & Drink
Here's Why Employees Love Working at Chobani
Chobani may have completely changed the yogurt game since it was founded in 2005, but that doesn't mean it's changed its company culture (pun intended.) The company was started with just five employees and a simple mission: bring good food to people. Today, there's around 2,000 people in the Chobani family, and they say it's still like working at a tiny start up -- thanks in particular to how they give back.


text:
shared by
Will Artificial Intelligence be the Future of HR?
2020 will be a year when the Fourth Industrial Revolution will be here, predicts the World Economic Forum. It is said that many job roles will turn obsolete due to the advent of artificial intelligence, robotics and automation. The skill set required for today's job roles will be transformed due to


text:
Dead Presidents
The Dead Presidents' Guide to Project Management considers 40 brief lessons that these great men have bestowed upon us. It is the author's opinion that the job of president of the United States requires a lot of the same strengths and characteristics needed by both project managers and executive sponsors. Most projects need both a strong, skilled executive sponsor and a project manager (or if an organization follows an agile methodology such as Scrum, then a Scrum master and product owner); and both positions can learn from our dead presidents.
Joseph Puthenpuracka
Joseph Puthenpurackal (aka PC) has over 25 years of IT experience in the Banking and Financial Services domain across functions like Application Development, IT Infrastructure, Information Security, IT Services Management and Program / Project Management. He is currently based in Bangalore, India and leads the Technology Operations function at Wells Fargo EGS, where he is responsible for program governance and process excellence across all Technology verticals and helps Wells Fargo run IT as a business. Current real-life experiences in program delivery effectiveness, catalysed by insights from the Good Sponsor workshops form the genesis of these articles.


text:
Comments are not displayed in cells ISSUE
When the mouse pointer is over a cell with comments, these must be displayed while the pointer is over the cell. In the latest version of Excel for iMAC this is not the case.
I had to contact Technical Support and they could not solve it (ticket 1443809072), what they did was uninstall my latest version of Excel and install an earlier version.
How can I know that they have solved this problem?
Thank you
3 votes
LUDWIG ESCARZAGA BRUNT shared this idea


text:
How to Go about the Choice of the Right Wall Decor for Your Space at Home
To begin with, you need to bear in mind the fact that the manner in which you will spruce up your home will be a true tell of your personality and taste. As such one of the considerations you will have is to have picked items which will not only improve the space you are working in but will as well fit in your unique styles and preferences. Getting that wall d?cor which will strike a balance will be a kind of a daunting task for many as we will have seen in the home renovation shows and as well the DIY blogs will as well only get you rather a kind of a picture perfect ideal.
It is as such necessary for you to bear in mind the fact that when you are going about home renovations and improvements with the wall d?cor you need not necessarily have your home looking as is seen in the magazines and the other promotional blogs. All that is required for you is to have a space that will be significant to you. This as such points to the fact that irrespective of the nature of the remodel plans, be it the full scale remodel or one that may be specifically on the walls, all that will matter for the best of the walls will be the choice of the right home d?cor. See below some of the tips we will share so as to enable you get the best of the wall d?cor that will perfectly match your home.
The number one idea is to have selected something meaningful. You will in fact realize that there are a number of reasons why you will need to have brought in and factored your personal beliefs and ideals into your wall d?cor. You need to choose a piece that is personally meaningful to you and as well gets you a positive attitude. This even applies as you think of art as you will be fine doing with a piece of motivational art that is all the same making the much desired sense to you. Some of the pieces of motivational art may be such as the popular sayings and phrases. Or otherwise you may be perfectly doing with the images that get you uplifted. Nevertheless, whatever your choice will be for the pieces of the inspirational art you will have to go for, it will be necessary that you have them placed so strategically in the house walls such that they will always keep you inspired by being able to see them always.


text:
Faith = Focus
"I don't care how much power, brilliance or energy you have, if you don't harness it and focus it on a specific target, and hold it there, you're never going to accomplish as much as your ability warrants." — Zig Ziglar
It is during our darkest moments that we must focus to see the light."
— Aristotle Onassis
"The successful warrior is the average man, with laser-like focus." — Bruce Lee
I believe that one of the biggest differences between Jesus and you and me was his ability to stay focused. It would have been easy for Jesus to become distracted or fall prey to the temptations of the world (basically all those things Satan threw at Jesus in the wilderness in Matthew 4:1-11). The material world was powerless over Christ because he had his eyes fixed on his call and future. The lesson in this for us is that, "Faith allows us to stay focused".
Living our daily lives grounded on the future may sound odd due to the fact that therapists (me included) are always telling clients to focus on today and worry less about tomorrow. After all, the Bible even tells us to live day-to-day. There is no contradiction here really as we are able to focus on and live in today because we are assured of a successful, safe and victorious future.
The reason that Jesus was not seduced by the world was that he knew God's plan and purpose for his life. Anything that came along that was not in line with that plan or purpose Jesus ignored and avoided. He was able to focus and act appropriately in the present because he knew the ultimate outcome; simply put, He was not distracted (my definition of sin by the way is anything that distracts us from glorifying God).
To see the importance of faith as it relates to focus we need look no further than Peter in the boat in the stormy Sea of Galilee. As long as he was focused on Christ he was able to walk on water but as soon as he took his eyes off Jesus he began to sink. When we begin to get overwhelmed or feel like we are sinking there is a good chance that we too have lost sight of Christ.
Sports Psychology says the ability to focus is vitally important to successful performance. Christian athletes have a real advantage here. By using the model of Christ (sports theology) they are free to focus on the moment because their spiritual future is secure. Through faith they know that God loves them, protects them and has a plan for their future, which frees them to play and perform without stress. The outcome of the performance, although unknown, never alters God's love and plan for their lives. Christian athletes are free to focus on glorifying God through their performance.
The connection between a worry-free existence and a faith-based view of the future is huge. Scripture tells us to focus on today because we are told that God will take care of tomorrow. This only works if we believe what God tells us. If we don't – it won't.
A stressed-out Christian is a contradiction of terms. As a Christian counselor I am seeing more and more clients who struggle with anxiety and stress. Secular therapists may say increased stress is expected due to the state of the economy and world affairs. I say for Christians, who live each day secure in his or her salvation, worldly stressors matter less. Jack Nicklaus once said that, "Focus is a fine antidote to anxiety." I would say faith is too.
As I said before, Jesus was able to focus on what was in front of him because he knew the ultimate outcome – so do we.


text:
- You Are Here:
- Home
- Community
- Living In
- Events & Festivals
- Recycled Boat Regatta
Recycled Boat Regatta
Event Details
Tentative date May 9, 2020
Please check back for updated information
9 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Boats must be on-site for inspection and judging by 9:15 a.m.
Race starts at 10 a.m.
Burleson Recreation Center, 550 NW Summercrest Blvd
vent Information
Gather your recyclables and create a boat for the City's Recycled Boat Regatta. Participants must be 6 - 17 years of age and boats must be made from previously used, recycled material. Individuals or teams may participate. Any member of the team may pilot the boat. Teams may choose to have more than one pilot. All racers must be dressed in swimwear.
RegisterDeadline: May 6 (817) 426-9848
Event Rules and Information
• Boats must be made from previously used, recycled material
• You must propel the boat using a homemade oar constructed of recycled material
• Individuals or teams may participate
• No more than 4 people shall be in each boat
• Any or all members of the team may pilot the boat
• Racers must be dressed in swimwear
• All materials are to be securely fastened to the boat so that no loose objects fall off into the pool during the regatta
• If any piece of your boat falls off into the water, you must retrieve it
• Duct tape is allowed for binding purposes only, not total coverage
• No sabotage of competitors boats before, after, or during the race
• Contestants or teams must provide a list of all materials with origin
• Cardboard
• Plastic bottles
• Metal cans
• Twine/rope
• Cloth
Examples of unacceptable materials:
• NO containers that contained pollutants or other hazardous waste;
• NO potentially dangerous objects (e.g., NO glass, nails, rusty metal or anything with sharp edges)
• NO parts from "real" boats or commercial flotation (e.g., no old boat hulls, no boogie/surf boards, no borrowed rudders);
• NO material that could break off into the pool (e.g., NO Styrofoam)
Please make sure all materials on the boat are securely fastened so that no loose objects fall off into the pool during the regatta. If any piece of your boat falls off into the water, you must retrieve it. Duct tape is allowed.
Prize categories include the following:
• First boat to cross the finish line
• Most creative
• Best name
• Titanic award (to the most spectacular failure)
• People's Choice


text:
Infobox incomplete
The infobox template in this article is missing some required data. You can help Nukapedia by filling it in.
The tattered mole outfit and tattered mole head are an outfit set in Fallout 76.
The tattered mole head is a piece of headgear that provides 1 damage resistance.
- Both the outfit and head can be found at Dolly Sods wilderness, behind a locked (Picklock 2) door, upstairs in the residential cabin.
Expansion required
This article is too short to provide more than rudimentary information about the subject. You can help Nukapedia by expanding it.
Community content is available under CC-BY-SA unless otherwise noted.


text:
As Asian food continues its conquest of the world, chopsticks are becoming a regularly used utensil in many of our meals. However, many of us are still forced to use cheap, unpleasant, uncomfortable, and environmentally unfriendly chopsticks. But don't despair! We have put together a collection of 10 of the coolest (and most stylish) chopsticks. Some are playful, some are sexy, and all are better than those crappy wooden ones at your local sushi place. See below for what we mean.Continue Reading
Kitchen & Dining
Are These the 10 Best Asian Sauces?
Spicy, sweet, sour, and so much more, Asian sauces are so much more flavorable than many of those you will find normally used in Western cooking. But be careful, sometimes all it takes is a little of these sauces to go a long way! See below for some of the best available Asian sauces: Continue Reading
This Soups for You: The Best Asian Soup Spoons
Soup is not just an appetizer but a meal in itself. But without the correct utensil, you are often left slurping soup off the floor due to limited depth of most spoons. However, with an Asian style soup spoon (such as you have probably seen at your local Japanese restaurant with your miso), your troubles are over. So get slurping in style with these great Asian style soup spoons:Continue Reading
Top 10 Best Asian Ginseng Products
Ginseng has been used for centuries to treat a range of health problems and to maintain good health. In fact, ginseng has been rumored to treat such things as a lack of energy, high blood sugar and cholesterol levels, as well as reducing stress, promoting relaxation, treating diabetes, and even helping with sexual dysfunction in men. See below for our list of the 10 best ginseng products currently on the market. Continue Reading


text:
One more tech group pushes Bush
Computer makers are adding their voice to a growing push for a policy
statement on broadband from the Bush administration.
Several tech-company CEOs -- including Dell Computer Corp.'s Michael Dell,
Intel Corp.'s Craig Barrett, Motorola Inc.'s Chris Galvin and NCR Corp.'s Lars
Nyberg -- spent the past two days meeting with Vice President Dick Cheney,
director of homeland security Tom Ridge, White House chief of staff Andrew Card,
House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) and other key members of Congress and the
administration to promote their ideas.
'We want a declaration of a broad and aggressive vision on broadband for the
country,' Galvin said.
Technology companies are at least partly pushing for this because they
believe an established policy would persuade companies to invest in and roll out
a high-speed infrastructure more quickly.
That should encourage companies to develop broadband applications, which
should give the faltering economy a boost, Galvin said.
The CEOs want the administration to set a goal that by the end of next year,
80 percent of U.S. homes will be able to access the Internet at speeds of 1.5
megabits per second and 50 percent of homes will be able to get 6 mbps from at
least two providers.
By the end of the decade, the CEOs said, 100 million homes should be able to
access speeds of 100 mbps.
Comparably, high-definition television transmits at speeds of 19.4 mbps.
The average Internet connection is currently 56 kilobits per second. Services
now called broadband run between 250 kbps and 900 kbps.
The proposal, put forward by the Computer Systems Policy Project, has the
same overarching goal as one released last week by Tech Net, another group of
tech-company CEOs.
One difference, however, is that the CSPP's proposal strongly emphasizes
wireless technologies.
The CSPP suggested the creation of a federal interagency National Spectrum
Management Policy Group to work toward freeing up 120 megahertz of spectrum for
broadband purposes by 2004 and another 80 percent by 2010.
This could mean that the government will want to push broadcasters off their
analog spectrum even more quickly while it searches for some free spectrum to
assign to wireless broadband providers.
Wireless broadband requires large chunks of spectrum, and most of what is
available in the United States already is being used.
The administration is currently working hard to develop a broadband policy,
the CEOs said, but no one knows when the White House will be ready to announce
The television industry's top news stories, analysis and blogs of the day.
Thank you for signing up to Next TV. You will receive a verification email shortly.
There was a problem. Please refresh the page and try again.


text:
My '06
My '99
My '89
Nice ride ranked you high. Stop by my page sometime. Hey, you should change your color option from grey to Alloy Clearcoat. The option is there now. Also, check out the Alloy Clearcoat club on this site. Trying to recruit since there are so few of us. Get some more pictures up when you can.
Welcome to GS! I went ahead and ranked your stang,let me know when you have you other pics up and I'll come back and re-ranked ya.
Get a chance check out my 1HOTPONY.
wow.. those taillights actually look good on the grey lol. usually i hate them.. nice work.. very nice. keep it up.. got you ranked
© 2004-2015 Gostang.com
All product names are the trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies
gotstang.com is not affiliated with Ford Motor Company


text:
Masai Village Visit in Nairobi | Maasai Village Tours In Kenya
Masai Village Visit from Nairobi, Nakuru, Naivasha, JKIA Nairobi Airport
Masai village visit in Nairobi is a half day tour to Maasai village in a 1-day excursion to see Masai culture and homesteads.
Masai village visit in Nairobi is a great way to experience the lives of the Masai and see how they live with their cattle and goats.
Masai Village Visit Itinerary
Masai Village Visit to see Maasai Culture, Houses, Manyatta, Jumping Dance, Singing, Moran, Warrior
08:30am Masai village day visit departs from your Nairobi hotel with a pick up from the reception to drive to Magadi road.
Your vehicle drives past the Nairobi national park and on to Kajiado road past the Ongata Rongai Township.
The drive goes behind the Ngong hills and into the masai plains. The undulating landscapes behind the hill is surreal and dotted with authentic masai homesteads.
It is one of these homesteads that we will be visiting today.
10:00am: On arrival we are met with smiling and excited children and women clad in red colored kikoi's coveralls and the men donning clubs and red ocred hairstyles.
The elders will welcome you to the village and the Masai women will break into a song while the Masai men start their levitation dance.
The Masai jump high up in the air with gravity defying leaps. They will invite you to join in the jumping dance. I won't say that you will be able to match their jumping heights though.
11:00am: Enter into one of the masai houses in the compound to experience the life of the Maasai people. The windowless houses are built with a framework of sticks filled in with mud and coated with a layer of cow dung. Masai women build the houses.
The layout of a masai village is also unique in that the houses are lined in a circular pattern with the cows shed in the middle. The homestead is surrounded with a thorn fence as well as the cow pen to keep the lions away from their livestock.
You will later learn how the masai throw their clubs, make fire without match sticks and traditional archery.
Later visit the local masai market where you can buy some tinklets and souvenirs to take back home.
12:00pm: Drive back home and drop off.
1:20pm: Drop off in your city hotel
End of Tour
Masai Village Visit Cost, Prices, Rates, Group Rates, Entrance fee
Maasai Village Visit Tour Charges from Nairobi, Naivasha, Nakuru, Mt Kenya, Nanyuki
Tour Cost: Contact us for current rates
Masai Village Visit includes
- Transport in a safari minivan
- Services of a driver guide
- Bottled drinking water
- 3hr Immersion into authentic masai culture
Masai Village Visit cost Excludes
- Masai village entry fee at usd 25 per person payable direct to masai people
- Tips and gratuities
Booking a Masai Village Visit from Nairobi Online
How to Book Masai Village Visit Tour Online


text:
Sometimes life is hard and that hardship brings sadness, disappointment, confusion, uncertainty, hurt, loneliness. It's important, though, to remember that all of these emotions, too, are beautiful.
I'm very happy, but I still feel these other emotions time and again. They only reinforce though that I am still strong and I can endure despite them.
I put this over my bed in my room because I think it is so important to remember, and someday when I'm 90, I know it will be the little things that I'll want to reflect on and they will bring me the most joy in their memory.


text:
5-Year Outcome of Pulmonary Vein Isolation by Loss of Pace Capture on the Ablation Line Versus Electrical Circumferential Pulmonary Vein Isolation
Author + information
- Received November 14, 2016
- Revision received April 12, 2017
- Accepted April 20, 2017
- Published online November 20, 2017.
Article Versions
Author Information
- Julia Moser, MDa,∗ (j.moser{at}uke.de),
- Arian Sultan, MDb,
- Jakob Lüker, MDb,
- Helge Servatius, MDc,
- Tim Salzbrunna,
- Manuel Altenburga,
- Benjamin Schäffer, MDa,
- Doreen Schreiber, MDd,
- Ruken Ö. Akbulak, MDa,
- Julia Vogler, MDa,
- Boris A. Hoffmann, MDe,
- Stephan Willems, MDa and
- Daniel Steven, MDb
- aDepartment of Electrophysiology, University Heart Center Hamburg, University Hospital Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
- bDepartment of Electrophysiology, University Heart Center Cologne, University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- cDepartment of Cardiology, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, and University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- dDepartment of Electrophysiology, Clinic Hirslanden-Heart Center, Zurich, Switzerland
- eDepartment of Cardiology II/Electrophysiology, Center of Cardiology, University Medical Center, Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
- ↵∗Address for correspondence:
Dr. Julia Moser, Department of Electrophysiology, University Heart Center Hamburg, Martinistrasse 52, Hamburg, Germany.
Graphical abstract
Objectives This study sought to compare long-term arrhythmia-free survival between electrical circumferential pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) and PVI with the endpoint of unexcitability along the ablation line.
Background PVI is the standard ablation strategy of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation, although arrhythmia recurrence in long-term follow-up (FU) is high. The endpoint of unexcitability along the ablation line results in decreased arrhythmia recurrence compared to electrical PVI in 1-year FU.
Methods Seventy-four consecutive patients (age 62.5 ± 10.6 years; 70.3% male) with de novo paroxysmal atrial fibrillation who were initially included in our randomized trial and underwent catheter ablation at our institution were analyzed. Patients who were randomized to either a conventional group (PVI, guided by circumferential catheter signals) or a pace-guided group (PG, anatomical ablation line encircling, ablation until loss of pace capture at 10 V, 2-ms pulse width on the ablation line) underwent long-term FU. The primary endpoint was recurrence of any atrial fibrillation or atrial tachycardia after a blanking period of 3 months.
Results Sixty-nine patients completed a mean FU period of 5.14 ± 0.98 years. Arrhythmia-free survival without antiarrhythmic drug therapy was significantly higher in the PG group (71.05% vs. 25.81%, p = 0.002). Furthermore, multiple procedure success (1.29 ± 0.61 procedures in PG vs. 1.97 ± 1.06 procedures in conventional group, p < 0.001) was higher in the PG group compared to the conventional group (89.47% vs. 58.06%, p = 0.005).
Conclusions The endpoint of unexcitability along the PVI line improves success rates, resulting in a significant reduction of exposure to invasive procedures in 5-year FU.
Long-term results describe increasing numbers of patients who benefit from the standard of interventional treatment of pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) in paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PAF) (1–3). However, arrhythmia recurrence is high, especially during longer follow-up (FU) time (4) and is most often attributed to recovery of conduction between pulmonary veins (PVs) and the left atrium (LA) (5,6).
One strategy to reduce recovery of PV conduction is to localize excitable tissue along the PVI line using the pace guided (PG) approach, whereby pacing from the ablation catheter's distal electrode pair along the PV ablation line is performed.
At sites where local LA capture at the ablation line is identified, additional ablation can be performed with the goal of unexcitability (UE) of the ablation line. This method has been shown to reduce arrhythmia recurrence in short-term FU, which we could demonstrate in our initial prospective randomized 2-center study (7) and has been shown in other trials (7–10).
However, there is a paucity of data regarding the potential beneficial long-term effect using an additional endpoint of UE along the ablation line in patients with PAF.
We therefore hypothesized that patients with PAF also benefit from the endpoint of UE in long-term FU from higher single-procedure success and freedom from atrial fibrillation (AF) compared with the standard approach.
Study population
A total of 103 patients with symptomatic PAF refractory to antiarrhythmic drugs (at least 1 type I or III antiarrhythmic drug [AAD]) were initially included in the prospective randomized, 2-center trial (University Heart Center Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany, and Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts) (7).
From this patient population, 74 consecutive patients who had been referred for their first catheter ablation (CA) to our institution between August 2009 and August 2011 were enrolled in this FU study. The study protocol was approved by the Brigham and Women's Hospital Human Subject Protection Committee and the Ethical Board Committee of the Ethical Committee of the medical Association, Hamburg, Germany. All patients provided written informed consent.
Pulmonary vein isolation procedure
Index ablation procedures have previously been described in detail (7).
Briefly, patients with strictly PAF were eligible for the ablation if effective anticoagulation with vitamin K antagonists (international normalized ratio 2 to 3) for ≥1 month was present and exclusion of LA thrombus by a transesophageal echocardiogram was performed before ablation.
All procedures were guided by a 3-dimensional (3D) mapping system (NavX, St. Jude Medical, St. Paul, Minnesota) with registration of a previously performed imaging study. Surface and intracardiac electrocardiograms (ECGs) were recorded (LabSystem Pro EP recording system, BARD Electrophysiology, Lowell, Massachusetts). Patients were randomized to a conventional group (PVI, guided by circumferential mapping catheter [CMC] signals, using standard techniques) and a pace-guided group (PG) (anatomical ablation line encircling, ablation until loss of pace capture on the ablation line with bipolar pacing at an output of 10 V at 2 ms pulse width) (9) (Figure 1).
A 10-pole circumferential PV mapping catheter (Lasso, Biosense Webster, Diamond Bar, California) was placed sequentially at the ostium of 1 of the PVs for mapping and confirmation of PVI. In the PG group the CMC signals were continuously recorded, but blinded to the operator during PVI until atrial tissue on the ablation line was UE to pacing. The presence or absence of local LA capture on the ablation line was monitored according to the atrial signal of the coronary sinus catheter (Figure 1A). At sites of local LA capture, additional radiofrequency (RF) energy was delivered until capture was no longer present (Figure 1B). The procedural endpoint was confirmation of loss of pace-capture along the entire circumference of the ablation line and bidirectional block, shown by the CMC.
The electrograms from the CMC were then reviewed and electrical isolation of the ipsilateral PVs was assessed with the CMC. In the conventional group, PVI was performed without blinding CMC signals to the operator.
Repeat procedures
In case of recurrence of symptomatic AF after a blanking period of 3 months after the index procedure, repeat procedures were performed at our institution using an open-irrigated 3.5-mm tip ablation catheter (without a 3D mapping system until November 2012, then repeat procedures were performed using a 3D mapping system (EnSite NavX (St. Jude Medical, Inc.), CARTO System (Biosense Webster, Inc.), or at other institutions, according to patient's preference. PVI was guided by earliest activation in sinus rhythm using CMC signals. The procedural endpoint was bidirectional block, shown by the CMC. According to the operator's preference, adenosine testing for dormant conduction, ablation of the site of reconnection until achievement of loss of pace capture, or waiting time of 30 min after bidirectional block could be performed in addition to demonstration of bidirectional block. If PVs were found isolated in the repeat procedures, ablation of defragmented signals was performed according to our institutional standards (11). In patients with AF duration of more than 7 days, additional defragmentation was performed.
Follow-up and outcomes
Periprocedural, in-hospital complications at first and repeat procedures were analyzed. Minor complications included hematoma at puncture site without surgical intervention, arteriovenous fistula, aneurysm spurium, and pericardial effusion without intervention. Major complications were defined as hematoma at puncture site with surgical intervention, esophageal-atrial fistula, aspiration pneumonia, pericardial effusion hemorrhage, phrenic nerve palsy, and stroke or transient ischemic attack.
After a 3-month blanking period, patients were followed up in the outpatient clinic with 12-lead ECG and 72-h Holter monitoring or 7-day autotriggered event monitor at 3, 6, and 12 months post-ablation and then at a minimum of a 12-month basis. Twenty-four h Holter monitoring was performed either at their outpatient cardiologist or at our institution, according to patient's preference.
If Holter-ECGs were performed by the referring physicians, the submitted full ECG documentation was analyzed in our clinic to exclude false positive or negative diagnoses of AF episodes.
Clinical FU was available at a minimum of 6 months for every patient. All patients received an additional questionnaire about arrhythmia symptoms and episode duration, last known recurrence dates, and current medications, and were contacted by phone calls if documentation was incomplete or unclear. In case of symptoms suspicious for arrhythmia recurrence without previous documentation, external ECG event recording was performed.
Patients with implanted pacemakers or defibrillators were eligible to be followed by device interrogation. Antiarrhythmic drug treatment was continued at the discretion of the operator, outpatient cardiologist, or patient's decision. Long-term FU data were analyzed in the patients with complete FU only.
Repeat procedures were scheduled if symptomatic AF was documented, or if symptoms were highly suggestive for AF recurrence.
The primary endpoint was recurrence of any AF or atrial tachycardia (AT) after a blanking period of 3 months. Recurrence was defined as recurrence of documented AF/AT >30 s by 12-lead ECG, 12- to 72-h Holter monitoring, transtelephonic monitor recordings, or device interrogation where applicable. Repeat procedures were documented.
Single-procedure success was defined as freedom from recurrence of AF/AT >30 s without treatment with antiarrhythmic drugs (class I/III). Multiple-procedure success was defined as freedom from recurrence of AF/AT >30 s without treatment of antiarrhythmic drugs (class I/III) after a blanking period of 3 months after the last performed CA of AF.
Statistical analysis
Continuous variables are expressed as the mean ± SD or median (interquartile range) and were compared with Student's t-test for normal distribution and Mann–Whitney U test for non-normally distributed variables. Categorical variables are expressed as frequency and percentage and were compared by chi-square test or Fischer exact test for expected frequency of 5 or less. Time to recurrence and event-free survival curves were calculated using the Kaplan Meier estimation method.
Because of the small sample size of patients undergoing repeat procedures, repeat procedures were only analyzed on patient level.
All tests were 2-sided. A value of p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. All analyses were performed using statistical software package GraphPad Prism version 6.0 (GraphPad Software Inc., La Jolla, California).
A total of 74 consecutive patients (age 62.5 ± 10.6 years; 52 of 74 [70.3%] male) were enrolled in the initial study protocol at our institution and eligible for long-term FU. Baseline characteristics are presented in Table 1. Patients in the conventional group had a lower mean combined stroke risk score: congestive heart failure, hypertension, age >75 years, diabetes, prior stroke/transient ischemic attack, vascular disease (CHA2DS2-VASc score) (1.4 ± 1.0 vs. 1.5 ± 0.7, p = 0.022); otherwise the groups were comparable.
In the PG cohort, all patients had 4 PVs and pulmonary ostia. One patient in the conventional group did have a left common ostium; all other patients in the conventional group had 4 PVs and pulmonary ostia each. In first repeat procedures, 1 patient in the conventional group presented with a left common ostium.
Ablation procedure
The endpoint of electrical isolation of all PVs (bidirectional block) was achieved in all patients. The mean procedure duration was 136.0 ± 42.3 min (venous puncture to groin compression) with mean fluoroscopy duration of 23.4 ± 8.2 min and RF application of 2,162.9 ± 893.2 s. Procedure duration was significantly longer in the PG group (157.6 ± 39.4 min vs. 109.7 ± 28.8 min, p < 0.001); fluoroscopy times were not significantly different (23.9 ± 7.0 min vs. 22.8 ± 9.5 min, p = 0.207). Total energy application was comparable among groups (Table 1). In the conventional group, entrance and exit block in the PV, guided by a CMC, was reached in all patients. After achievement of UE in the PG group, left and right vein pairs were isolated in 12 patients. In the remaining 26 patients, isolation of PVs was completed with CMC guidance (mean additional energy, 13,699.9 ± 13,001 J).
One-year success and freedom from AF
Overall freedom from AF after 18 ± 6 months was 64.86% in our cohort. After this FU interval, freedom from AF was significantly higher in the PG group (p = 0.005); 31 of 38 patients in the PG group (79.49%) versus 17 of 35 patients (48.57%) in the conventional group were event free.
Long-term success and freedom from AF
FU of >12 months was available in 69 of 74 patients (93.24%) (5 patients were lost to FU). After a mean FU of 1,915.83 ± 364.60 days (5.25 ± 1.00 years) in the conventional group and 1,846.42 ± 352.14 days (5.05 ± 96 years) in the PG group (p = 0.508), single-procedure success was significantly higher in the PG group versus the conventional group (27 of 31 [71.05%] vs. 8 of 38 [25.81%]; odds ratio [OR]: 7.06; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.43 to 20.51; p < 0.001) (Table 2).
Of those patients who were lost to FU, 1 patient died in the conventional group due to a malignancy and severe chronic obstructive lung disease; and in the PG group, 1 patient is in a coma due to complications after a bronchoscopy and 1 patient had a basal ganglia bleeding. None of these events were related to the ablation procedures.
Kaplan Meier analysis for event-free survival did show a significant difference in recurrence of AF (p < 0.001) (Figure 2).
AAD therapy (Class Ic/III) and beta-blocker therapy in FU was not different between the groups. There was also no difference between patients on beta-blocker therapy in the conventional versus the PG group. European Heart Rhythm Association (EHRA) class at FU was comparable between the groups.
After a mean number of 1.29 ± 0.61 (range: 1 to 2) procedures in the PG group versus 1.97 ± 1.06 (range: 1 to 4) in the conventional group (p < 0.001), there was a significant difference in multiple procedure success rate between the 2 groups (34 of 38 [89.47%] patients in the PG group versus 18 of 31 [58.06%] in the conventional group; OR: 6.14; 95% CI: 1.75 to 21.60; p = 0.005) (Table 2).
Regarding the primary endpoint, freedom from any atrial tachyarrhythmia without AAD therapy (Class I/III), a significant difference between the 2 groups could be observed (p < 0.001) (Figure 2).
Repeat procedures and reconnected veins
Time to the first repeat procedure after the index PVI was not significantly different. Of 69 patients, 39 underwent repeat procedures.
The number of patients with PV reconnection at first procedure was significantly higher in the conventional cohort, with 21 (of 31; 67.7%) patients in the conventional cohort versus 15 (of 38; 39.5%) patients in the PG cohort found with PV reconnection (OR: 6.7667; 95% CI: 2.3413 to 19.557; p < 0.001).
In patients undergoing first repeat PVI, 41.67% of PVs (15 of 36 veins) in the PG groups versus 46.98% of PVs (39 of 83 veins) in the conventional group were reconnected. The right superior pulmonary vein (RSPV) (38.45%) in the conventional group and the left superior pulmonary vein (LSPV) and RSPV in the PG group (33.34%, respectively) were the veins reconnected most often.
At second repeat procedures, PV reconnection was present in all patients of the conventional cohort (2 of 2 patients) and none of the patients in the PV group (0 of 2). The number of reconnected veins found in the second repeat procedure was higher in the conventional group with 5 of 8 veins found reconnected in the conventional group versus 0 of 8 veins in the PG group (Table 3).
In first repeat procedures, 1 patient of the conventional cohort had isolated veins and underwent ablation of defragmented signals. Five other patients of the conventional cohort underwent additional defragmentation (Table 4). In second repeat procedures, 1 of 2 patients underwent 3D-guided ablation, all patients underwent defragmentation, none received adenosine, none was tested for UE of the ablated gaps and none underwent waiting time after demonstration of entrance block.
In patients with multiple procedures, all veins were found isolated after the first repeat procedure in the PG group and after the second repeat procedure in the conventional group. In those patients undergoing more than 2 repeat procedures, no PV reconnection was found.
Ablation techniques in repeat procedures
Comparing ablation techniques of first and second repeat procedures, we found no significant difference in the use of 3D mapping systems, use of adenosine, pacing for UE on the site of PV reconnection, or waiting time of 30 min after bidirectional block was achieved.
The different ablation techniques of first repeat procedures are displayed in Table 4.
Procedural and in-hospital complications
Overall complication rates, including major and minor complications, were not significantly different at the time of initial procedure with 10.26% (4 of 39) of patients having complications in the PG group and 11.43% of patients (4 of 31) in the conventional group (p = 1.00). No major complication occurred in the conventional group, 1 major complication (hematoma with surgical intervention) was found in the PG group (p = 1.00).
Overall complication rates in first and repeat procedures were not significantly different between groups (complications occurred in 11 of 54 [20.4%] patients in the conventional group and 6 of 50 [12.0%] patients in the PG group, p = 0.5311). In repeat procedures no major complication occurred.
In this single-center long-term FU of a patient cohort included in our previously published randomized study (7) we were able to show that achieving UE along the ablation line significantly improved freedom of AF/AT more than 5.14 ± 0.98 years. In patients with a history of drug-refractory PAF, undergoing PVI pacing along the ablation line aiming for UE of the ablation line results in a better single-procedure and multiple-procedure success rate and less procedures per patient are required to achieve freedom from AF compared to standard PVI with demonstration of bidirectional block alone. These findings verify the important clinical implications of this method and indicate that favorable results can be achieved reducing the necessity for invasive repeat interventions.
The endpoint of an UE ablation line, as independently introduced by Eitel et al. (8) and Steven et al. (2010) (9) is a strategy to improve the outcome of PVI. Loss of bipolar pacing after RF ablation has been found to be associated with the formation of uniform lesions in atrial tissue, pacing at an output of 10 mA at a pulse width of 2 ms (12). To create durable lesions is of major importance to achieve lasting PV-LA conduction block at the index procedure. Several factors such as intra-atrial variability in tissue depth and tissue contact/catheter stability, edema formation and operator competency have been linked to arrhythmia recurrences (10). As mentioned before, delivering additional ablation can improve the durability and transmurality of the index lesion, and result in better long-term outcome (8–10,13–16).
We were able to confirm the findings of the randomized study by Steven et al. (2013) (7) showing that achievement of UE along the ablation line significantly improves short- and long-term freedom from AF/AT. According to our findings of lower numbers of reconnected veins at second repeat procedures, we hypothesize that the endpoint of UE results in more durable lesion formation.
We found a nearly 3-fold difference in recurrence after a single procedure, and after 5 years there still was a significant difference in success rates (34 of 38 [89.47%] in the PG group vs. 18 of 31 [58.06%] in the conventional group, p = 0.012).
According to a pilot study by Steven et al. (9), in conventional PVI, 50% of vein pairs revealed sites of capture on the ablation line after PVI was achieved. Based on these results, a 3-fold increase of single-procedure success might seem high; however, we do not exactly know the correlation of PV reconnection invasively documented at a certain time after PVI and symptomatic or asymptomatic AF episodes and especially the impact of an unexcitable PVI line on clinical long-term outcome.
The systematic review and meta-analysis by Nery et al. (17) showed that durable PVI is associated with a lower risk of AF recurrence after CA. However, PV reconnection was also found in arrhythmia-free patients. Furthermore, the association between durable PVI and outcomes was not statistically significant in the pooled analysis of the 7 studies, which exclusively investigated PAF patients. In our cohort, 3.4% of patients had AF episodes with isolated veins at the first repeat procedure (1 of 30 patients).
The above results would imply a smaller difference between success rates in our cohorts, as our cohort consists of patients with PAF. However, in this meta-analysis, no study with PVI plus the additional endpoint of loss of pace capture on the ablation line was included. The rather large difference in recurrence rates between the PG and conventional groups may not only be due to additional beneficial effects of the PG approach.
Applying more energy to the ablation line with creation of larger lesion formation may include ablation of the PV antrum, which may reduce AF recurrence by other mechanisms, for example, non-PV triggers, according to a sub-study of the trial by Narayan et al. (18), comparing treatment of AF with versus without focal impulse and rotor modulation.
AF drivers were shown to be located near the PVs of LA roof in 50% in PAF. PG ablation might thus be more effective, not only because of isolation of PV triggers and creation of durable lesions, but also due to elimination of AF drivers that might maintain AF.
Novel catheters, with combined contact force (CF) and stability measurements may further improve procedural outcome. Using CF guidance has been suggested to create more efficient lesions, probably by improving efficacy of transmural lesion formation (19). The EFFICAS (Efficacy study on atrial fibrillation percutaneous catheter ablation with contact force support) I (20) and II (21) could show correlations between CF parameters and PV durable isolation. Moreover, the use of CF has been shown to result in significant reduction in the prevalence of dormant conduction with improved freedom from recurrent arrhythmias after 1 year (22,23). Meta-analysis of recent research findings in CF-sensing RF ablation revealed improved clinical outcome at 1 year and CF parameters during ablation correlated well with the presence of gaps (24–26). In contrast, the study by Ullah et al. (27) did not show a significant difference in 1-year success rate using CF in ablation of PAF. Although the mean CF between the CF group and control group was not significantly different, the CF group did show more RF lesions within the defined CF range.
In addition, the ratio of force-time integral and wall thickness has been found to be a strong predictor of gap and dormant conduction formation in PV isolation (28). Besides CF guidance, continuity in deployment of RF lesions along the ablation line is a determinant factor for durable PVI (28). UE along the ablation line might be a surrogate for both good CF while ablating and a continuity of RF lesions along the line. Further studies are needed to evaluate the underlying mechanism.
The use of adenosine to reveal "dormant conduction" within the ablation line appears to be expandable when using the endpoint of UE, as reported by Schaffer et al. (29) in a study of 58 patients. Pacing for UE can identify potential sites of dormant conduction and even sites that would have not been detected by testing with adenosine. However, Kogawa et al. (28) assumed different mechanisms of dormant PV conduction revealed by adenosine test and exit block to the left atrium by pacing from the PV side of the ablation line, suggesting both tests should be performed to reduce PV reconnections.
Other strategies have been used to improve outcomes for patients with PAF, as the use of cryoballoon therapy. Jourda et al. (30) postulated that CF-guided RF and second-generation balloon (CB2) cryotherapy are comparable regarding complications and freedom from AF after 12 months (event-free survival 85.3% in the cryoballoon group vs. 88% in the CF group).
Also, 2 years after the initial procedure in patients with PAF or short-persistent AF undergoing PVI using the 28-mm CB2 2-year single-procedure, clinical success rates of 73% have been reported (31). In a multicenter, randomized trial, Kuck et al. (32) showed a 1-year arrhythmia recurrence rate of 34.6% in the cryoballoon group and 35.9% in the RF group. Cryoballoon ablation was not inferior to RF ablation regarding efficacy (32). None of the "single-shot" devices have been shown to improve long-term outcome compared with PVI using RF energy.
Study limitations
Whether a longer waiting period at the completion of the procedure would have identified sites where local edema or atrial myocardium stunning may have contributed to the endpoint of UE was not tested in the initial study protocol.
Moreover, outcome after AF ablation is dependent on the quality of clinical FU. In our case, we attempted to maximize detection of arrhythmia recurrences through the use of serial 24-h Holter monitoring and transtelephonic monitor recordings being aware of the inherited limitations of not using continuous monitoring devices.
As FU of patients with PAF (especially detection of silent AF episodes) is always challenging, our study results may underestimate the rate of sub-clinical AF episodes in FU. However, differences of performed repeat procedures and the use of AADs between the conventional and PG group reflect the clinical relevance of the PG approach. Consequently, higher frequency and duration of ECG monitoring in FU might have revealed higher numbers of asymptomatic AF episodes, but this should not have influenced the number of repeat procedures and clinical outcome.
Because of the lower number of patients included in the conventional arm, success rates in this arm could be significantly affected by a few patients having a different outcome. The magnitude in difference between outcomes after 1 procedure may therefore be over-estimated.
We have analyzed patients treated at our institution who were part of a 2-center randomized trial in this extended FU study (7). We assume that, due to similar 1-year success rates between our institution and Brigham and Women's hospital, the chance of a potential ascertainment bias in this extended FU study is low; however, we cannot fully exclude it.
3D mapping systems were not used in every repeat procedure because PV reconnection can, in most cases, be sufficiently identified using a CMC alone. This may have led to a higher total numbers of repeat procedures, as procedural success increases with the use of these systems.
We did not use adenosine or CF in the conventional group, which are now common methods to improve clinical outcomes. At the time of randomization, those methods did not have clinical relevance as they do today. The impact of adenosine testing or combination of adenosine and CF catheters compared to the endpoint of UE remains to be evaluated.
In repeat procedures, UE of the circumferential ablation line was not tested. We have ablated only the sites of PV reconnection to avoid extended ablation.
The data of this FU study provides evidence that the endpoint of UE is easily applicable and achieves high success rates without depending on adenosine administration, procedure prolonging waiting times, or the necessity to use CF-enabled catheters. Long-term FU data for other approaches aiming for more durable PV isolation are pending.
COMPETENCY IN MEDICAL KNOWLEDGE: Arrhythmia recurrence during longer FU in PAF is high and mainly attributed to recovery of conduction between PVs and LA. Approaches to achieve better acute lesion durability, such as the use of adenosine to identify sites of dormant conduction, the use of CF catheters, or "single-shot" devices have shown beneficial short-term success in effective lesion formation, but none of these has been shown to improve long-term outcome. Herein, we propose a therapeutic CA technique to improve clinical long-term outcome of CA by achievement of the endpoint of loss of pace capture on the PV ablation line.
TRANSLATIONAL OUTLOOK: Unexcitablity along the ablation line as endpoint of PVI may represent an easy tool in clinical practice to achieve better long-term outcomes. Further long-term studies are required to determine the efficacy of novel catheter techniques as well as the use of different energy sources or the use of novel catheters in combination with the endpoint of UE are required to find the best strategy for patents with PAF aiming for durable lesions and high arrhythmia-free survival in long-term FU. Furthermore, long-term FU studies to prove the efficacy of translating these techniques into ablation strategies of persistent AF are required.
Dr. Schäffer has received lecture fees from St. Jude Medical and Boston Scientific. Dr. Willems has received a grant from St. Jude Medical; and lecture fees from St. Jude Medical, Biosense Webster, and Boston Scientific. All other authors have reported that they have no relationships relevant to the contents of this paper to disclose.
All authors attest they are in compliance with human studies committees and animal welfare regulations of the authors' institutions and Food and Drug Administration guidelines, including patient consent where appropriate. For more information, visit the JACC: Clinical Electrophysiology author instructions page.
- Abbreviations and Acronyms
- antiarrhythmic drug
- atrial fibrillation
- atrial tachycardia
- contact-force
- CHA2DS2-VASc score
- combined stroke risk score: congestive heart failure, hypertension, age >75 years, diabetes, prior stroke/transient ischemic attack, vascular disease
- circumferential mapping catheter
- electrocardiogram
- European Heart Rhythm Association
- follow-up
- left atrium
- left inferior pulmonary vein
- left superior pulmonary vein
- paroxysmal atrial fibrillation
- pace guided
- pulmonary vein
- pulmonary vein isolation
- radiofrequency
- right inferior pulmonary vein
- right superior pulmonary vein
- standard deviation
- unexcitability
- Received November 14, 2016.
- Revision received April 12, 2017.
- Accepted April 20, 2017.
- 2017 American College of Cardiology Foundation
- ↵
- January C.T.,
- Wann L.S.,
- Alpert J.S.,
- et al.
- ↵
- ↵
- Ouyang F.,
- Tilz R.,
- Chun J.,
- et al.
- ↵
- Ganesan A.N.,
- Shipp N.J.,
- Brooks A.G.,
- et al.
- ↵
- Ouyang F.,
- Antz M.,
- Ernst S.,
- et al.
- ↵
- ↵
- Steven D.,
- Sultan A.,
- Reddy V.,
- et al.
- ↵
- ↵
- ↵
- Andrade J.G.,
- Pollak S.J.,
- Monir G.,
- et al.
- ↵
- ↵
- ↵
- ↵
- ↵
- Miyazaki S.,
- Kobori A.,
- Komatsu Y.,
- et al.
- ↵
- ↵
- Nery P.B.,
- Belliveau D.,
- Nair G.M.,
- Bernick J.,
- et al.
- ↵
- Narayan S.M.,
- Krummen D.E.,
- Clopton P.,
- Shivkumar K.,
- Miller J.M.
- ↵
- ↵
- Neuzil P.,
- Reddy V.Y.,
- Kautzner J.,
- et al.
- ↵
- ↵
- ↵
- ↵
- ↵
- Hoffmayer K.S.,
- Gerstenfeld E.P.
- ↵
- ↵
- Ullah W.,
- McLean A.,
- Tayebjee M.H.,
- et al.
- ↵
- Kogawa R.,
- Okumura Y.,
- Watanabe I.,
- et al.
- ↵
- Schaeffer B.,
- Willems S.,
- Sultan A.,
- et al.
- ↵
- ↵
- Metzner A.,
- Heeger C.H.,
- Wohlmuth P.,
- et al.
- ↵


text:
6205 1748 Laser Hot Hits. Isley Brothers "This Old Heart," Candi Staton "Honest I Do." SINPO 55444.
6285 1740 Coast FM v relay. Steppenwolf "Born to be Wild," Billy Joel "Uptown Girl." SINPO 54444.
6300 1905 Radio Mustang. Heavy rock. SINPO 55544.
6305 1753 Radio Merlin Int. Signal just faded in. Del Shannon "Hats Off to Larry," Chubby Checker "The Twist," greetings. SINPO 44433.
6423 1744 Radio Zeewolf. Tears for Fears "Shout," ID, ABC "Poison Arrow," greetings and off. SINPO 44433.
(via Kiwi SDR, SW England)


text:
I first saw the new production of Oklahoma! that's inaugurating the newly-refurbished Arena Stage thanks to a friend involved with the production who got me tickets to the invited dress rehearsal. Given that the curtain call hadn't even been staged at that point, I felt it wisest to suspend any public comment about the venture.
My overarching impression of the show was that it was a venture of a director who didn't like musicals and was theatrically wary of spectacle. In addition, there seemed so much effort in trying to re-think Oklahoma — starting with a dumb-show sequence instead of Aunt Eller on the porch churning butter, beefing and hottening- up the role of Judd, cutting verses and reprises, changing Laurie from a soprano ingénue with spunk to a charmless, hostile belter, aggressively non-traditional casting, limiting the dance in the performance to the dance breaks in songs rather than have it imbue the program – that I wondered in part why even do the show.
Other things also annoyed me like the set pieces that seem to block audience views of the action, a lifeless, under-staged, under-harmonized title number, and an unfinished-looking set. But there were bright spots, particularly E. Faye Butler as Aunt Eller and June Schreiner as Ado Annie.
I was also fortunate to see opening night two weeks later as the guest of another friend involved with the show.
As the world knows, the leading lady had been replaced by this point by Elisha Gamble singing the role gorgeously and exuding masses of charm every moment she is onstage.
But during the show it struck me that Molly Smith really seemed to want to direct the play Green Grow the Lilacs and not the musical Oklahoma! Every time a musical number came along, I really felt that it was interrupting Smith's attempt at storytelling – ironic for the show that most famously integrated musical numbers into the dramatic action, and was famous for billing itself as a "musical play" rather than a "musical comedy." I also questioned a musical where the fight choreography seemed to be more compelling and featured more prominently than the dance choreography.
But I have to confess that mine seems to an idiosyncratically cranky take on this venture. Ron who went to opening night with me was practically turning cartwheels coming out of the theater. The show has become the highest-grossing venture in Arena history and has even extended. Evidently the Rodgers & Hammerstein people love the show. And I haven't talked to anyone who has seen it who doesn't love it.
A general rule for cabaret performers filtering feedback is that 30 audience members will have 30 different reactions to anything and that one person's favorite number will be someone else's most annoying moment in your show. But if you get the same reaction from 29 out of 30 people it would be wise to listen to it. I'm feeling that about what seems to be a general consensus on Oklahoma! Okay.


text:
Solar Without Subsidy
Indian solar power companies are now seriously contemplating putting up large scale ground-mounted solar power plants without a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) in place. Typically almost all power generation plants in the world are built with a PPA from a buyer in place. The financing of the power plant only happens if there is a PPA from a legitimate buyer.
The reason is that developing a power plant is a capital intensive process which is generally financed 70%-80% from debt. The lender to the power project requires some sort of comfort that the future cash flows of the power plant are secure enough for the developer to pay back the interest as well as the principal of the loan from the cash flows. However, that paradigm is changing with the advent of super cheap renewable energy power from solar and wind energy. IRENA has in a report said that onshore wind and solar power prices fell by 13% in 2018 globally and are now cheap enough to displace coal power plants without subsidies. We all know that wind and solar prices have been setting new records for low prices all over the world at as low as 2-3 cents unit.
Also, read The Government Comes Up With Yet Another Plan For the Betterment of the Indian Farmers
Indian's state-owned power generation company NTPC is considering to put up a solar power plant without a PPA. The company is confident enough now on the cheapness of solar power that it does not think it needs a long term power purchase contract to sell the power. As solar power is the cheapest source it should be able to sell the power without worrying about who the buyer will be. However, for this to become a reality for most of the new power plants using solar energy, there has to be a radical reform of the sector. Currently, state regulations in India make selling power tough on a pure market basis. There are lots of charges such as banking, wheeling, cross-subsidy charges, etc. that power generators have to pay the distribution companies if they want to use their wires for moving the power from the power plant to the buyer. These charges are sometimes so high that it makes it uneconomical to generate renewable energy even if the cost of renewable energy is lower than that of fossil fuel generated power from coal or gas.
Despite the short term challenges, solar power will increasingly be built without long term PPAs which are anyway dying a natural death with most distribution companies in India preferring to avoid them now. These PPAs were a construct of older times when power prices used to increase and technology used to be static. With the technology of power generation and consumption changing so rapidly, buyers are now reluctant to lock themselves for 25 years into buying a commodity whose prices are falling by each year.Google+


text:
This month we have two exceptional PARMA produced releases on our Navona and Ravello Records labels. In addition to these albums already receiving reviews and radio airplay, both of these composers' works were performed at the PARMA Music Festival this past August. Streams by Martin Schlumpf was premiered with David Taylor, Matthias Müller, and the PARMA Orchestra, and Gregory Hall performed a few improvisational piano pieces. Both performances were excellent and a great teaser for their albums! Take a listen on Amazon, where the albums are available in CD and Mp3 formats.
Martin Schlumpf
Navona Records NV5918
Catalog Page
Sample Tracks
Gapplegate Classical-Modern Music Review
Since the late 1980s, Swiss Composer Schlumpf has been widely active in the borderlands between improvisation and composition. With STREAMS, the follow-up to his 2012 Navona Records release SUMMER CIRCLE, Schlumpf presents three concertos that are representative of a creative period in his career marked by the influence of minimalism and jazz, new tonal concepts, a strong emphasis on rhythm, and clear-cut formal designs.
These colorful concertos— Mouvements, Waves, and Streams—feature stand-out performances from pianist Martin Levický, cellist Petr Nouzovský, clarinetist Matthias Müller, and bass trombonist David Taylor. The soloists are accompanied by the stellar Moravian Philharmonic Orchestra and the newly-formed PARMA Orchestra in their first on-disc performance. With diverse influences from Ravel, Schubert, and the ethnic music of Asia and Africa, the sonic world of STREAMS pits soloist(s) and orchestra in multi-tiered dialogues featuring an array of delicate minimalist textures, engaging improvisations, and rich harmonic colors.
Gregory Hall
Ravello Records RR7870
Catalog Page
Sample Tracks
COMPOSITIONAL IMPROVISATIONS: FROM THE MYSTERIA, VOL. 1 is Gregory Hall's debut collection of improvisational classical music based on contemporary music theory, performed by the composer himself. Hall's improvisations feature sprawling-yet-contained passages that weave in and out of harmonic motives, drifting away from centralized themes and seamlessly returning to the source material.
The tracks on COMPOSITIONAL IMPROVISATIONS draw from Hall's live concerts of compositional improvisation, which harken back to the days when improvisation was commonplace in classical performance. The improvisations—driven by Hall's desire to create spontaneous contemporary classical music that remains approachable—embraces both consonance and dissonance, and are informed by the spirit of the composer/pianists of the early 20th century.