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Armenian language, Armenian Hayeren, also spelled Haieren, language that forms a separate branch of the Indo-European language family; it was once erroneously considered a dialect of Iranian. In the early 21st century the Armenian language is spoken by some 6.7 million individuals. The majority (about 3.4 million) of these live in Armenia, and most of the remainder live in Georgia and Russia. More than 100,000 Armenian speakers live in Iran. Until the early 20th century, an Armenian population had lived in Turkey in the area around Lake Van since ancient times; a small minority of Armenians lives in Turkey today. Armenians also live in Lebanon, Egypt, Azerbaijan, Iraq, France, Bulgaria, the United States, and elsewhere.
Several distinct varieties of the Armenian language can be distinguished: Old Armenian (Grabar), Middle Armenian (Miǰin hayerên), and Modern Armenian, or Ašxarhabar (Ashkharhabar). Modern Armenian embraces two written varieties—Western Armenian (Arewmtahayerên) and Eastern Armenian (Arewelahayerên)—and many dialects are spoken. About 50 dialects were known before 1915, when the Armenian population of Turkey was drastically reduced by means of massacre and forced exodus; some of these dialects were mutually unintelligible.
Origins of the language
Armenian belongs to the satem (satəm) group of Indo-European languages; this group includes those languages in which the palatal stops became palatal or alveolar fricatives, such as Slavic (with Baltic) and Indo-Iranian. Armenian also shows at least one characteristic of the centum group—comprising Celtic, Germanic, Italic, and Greek—in that it preserves occasional palatal stops as k-like sounds.
Precisely how and when the first Armenians arrived in eastern Anatolia and the areas surrounding Lakes Van, Sevan, and Urmia is not known. It is possible that they reached that territory as early as the second half of the 2nd millennium bc. Their presence as the successors to the local Urartians can be dated to approximately 520 bc, when the names Armina and Armaniya first appear in the Old Persian cuneiform inscription of Darius I (the Great) at Behistun (present-day Bisitun, Iran). A variation of that early designation, Armenian, is the name by which the people who call themselves Hay are known worldwide.
The invention of the Armenian alphabet is traditionally credited to the monk St. Mesrop Mashtots, who in ad 405 created an alphabet consisting of 36 signs (two were added later) based partly on Greek letters; the direction of writing (left to right) also followed the Greek model. This new alphabet was first used to translate the Hebrew Bible and the Christian New Testament.
Grabar, as the language of the first translation was known, became the standard for all subsequent literature, and its use produced what has come to be considered the golden age of Armenian literature. It concealed the noticeable dialectal variations of the spoken language and was used for literary, historical, theological, scientific, and even practical everyday texts. The first Armenian periodical, Azdarar (1794), was also printed in Grabar, although by the end of the 18th century the spoken language had so diverged from the written that the language of the periodical was not widely understood.
This divergence had been evident from roughly the 7th century, and, beginning in the 11th century, a variation of the spoken language (now called Middle Armenian) was also written. One of the territorial varieties of Middle Armenian became the official language of Lesser Armenia, the kingdom of Cilicia ruled by the Rubenid and Hethumid dynasties from the 11th to the 14th century.
By the 19th century the discrepancy between Grabar (which had continued to prevail as the written language) and the spoken language (which had by then splintered into numerous dialects) had grown so vast that a movement arose to elaborate a modern standard language that would be comprehensible to all and fit for use in schools. This movement eventually yielded two diglossic varieties of Ašxarhabar (Ashkharhabar), the modern standard language; Grabar remained the language of formal high style during the 19th century.
Western Armenian (formerly known as "Armenian of Turkey") was based on the dialect of the Armenian community of Istanbul, and Eastern Armenian (formerly known as "Armenian of Russia") was based on the dialects of Yerevan (Armenia) and Tbilisi (Georgia). Both Eastern and Western Armenian were purged of "Muslim" words (Arabic, Persian, and Turkish loanwords), which were replaced by words taken from Grabar. Loanwords in Grabar (from Greek, Syriac, and, most numerous of all, ancient Iranian), however, were considered part of the native traditional vocabulary and were fully absorbed.
Western Armenian is used by Armenians living in Turkey and some Arab countries as well as in emigrant communities in Europe and the United States. Eastern Armenian is prevalent in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Iran. Although they share almost the same vocabulary, the important divergences in pronunciation and the grammatical differences between the two varieties are so significant that they may be considered two different languages.
Linguistic characteristics
Old Armenian had seven vowel phonemes: /a/, /e/, /ê/ (from *ey; an asterisk indicates a reconstructed rather than an attested form), /ə/, /i/, /o/, and /u/ (written o + w). In the modern language there is only one /e/. The vowel /ə/ is reduced and cannot be stressed. Semivowels were /y/ and /w/, consonantal variants of /i/ and /u/ that in certain positions in Modern Armenian have developed into the fricatives /h/ and /v/ or have merged with adjacent vowels. Sonants included the trilled r /ṛ/ and single-flap r, a velarized l /ł/ (which developed into the velar fricative gh /γ / in all dialects), l /l/, and the nasals m /m/ and n /n/.
Old Armenian and modern fricatives are v /v/ (perhaps a positional variant of w), s /s/ (originating partly from Proto-Indo-European palatal k', as in other satem languages), š /sh/, z /z/, ž /zh/, x /χ/ (= kh, uvular), and h /h/. The modern language also has an f /f/.
The most characteristic of the Armenian consonants are plosives (i.e., stops and affricates). In Old Armenian they formed a system of 15 phonemes with three types of articulation—voiced, voiceless, and voiceless aspirated—in every point of articulation: b-p-p'; d-t-t'; g-k-k'; j-c-c' ( /= dz/-/= ts/- /= ts'/); ǰ-č-č' (/ = English j/-/= English ch/-/= ch'/). According to some linguists, Old Armenian b, d, g, j, and ǰ were voiced aspirated and p, t, k, c, and č glottalized.
That system had developed from Proto-Indo-European plain consonants and some clusters as a result of palatalization processes as well as the so-called consonant shift, a process including the devoicing of Proto-Indo-European voiced consonants. The consonant shift in Proto-Armenian had some similarities to the Proto-Germanic shift (see Grimm's law), although these processes were independent of one another. It should be mentioned that this explanation of the origin of Armenian plosives is a traditional one. Some glottalist linguists claim that the Old Armenian system had not undergone any important changes from the Proto-Indo-European system, which they interpret in a manner quite different from the traditional view. Namely, they argue that Proto-Indo-European stops traditionally reconstructed as voiced *b, d, g, j, and ǰ were in fact glottalized voiceless *p', t', k', c', and č'.
Modern dialects as well as the two modern literary languages have retained many aspects of the Old Armenian system. In modern forms of Armenian the stress falls on the last syllable of a word. In the initial position, Eastern Armenian has voiced or, in some dialects, voiced aspirated consonants corresponding to Old Armenian b, d, g, j, and ǰ; intensive voiceless slightly glottalized plosives in place of Old Armenian p, t, k, c, and č; and voiceless slightly aspirated plosives in place of Old Armenian p', t', k', c', and č '. In medial and final position the correspondences are different.
In Western Armenian, Old Armenian b, d, g, j, and ǰ are pronounced as voiceless and, in some dialects, voiceless aspirated, having merged with Old Armenian p', t', k', c', and č ', whereas Old Armenian p, t, k, c, and č are pronounced as /b/, /d/, /g/, /j/, and /ǰ/ in all Western dialects. An example of the difference between the two varieties of Modern Armenian can be seen in two common personal names of Greek origin that are pronounced /Petros/ and /Grigor/ in Eastern Armenian, without any change as regards the voicing, but /Bedros/ and /Krikor/ in Western Armenian. This reveals consonant shifts in Armenian dialects that, all told, represent as many as seven types of development of the Old Armenian plosive system. The highly variegated picture of Modern Armenian consonants seems to corroborate the idea that Armenian has been a "shift" language from its very beginning.
Morphology and syntax
Old Armenian had preserved to some degree the general morphological character of older Indo-European languages based on the inflexion of nouns and verbs. It was close typologically to Greek, though the shapes of words were very, even surprisingly, different. The nominal and pronominal declension had seven cases: nominative, genitive, dative, accusative, ablative, instrumental, and locative. However, many of these forms overlapped so that usually only three or four different forms existed; e.g., žam 'time' was both nominative and accusative, žamê was ablative, and žamu was genitive, dative, instrumental, and locative. A special form of locative was very rare. There was no gender category. The case endings varied for various types of stems.
By means of distinctive endings, the verb distinguished three persons in singular and plural. The tenses were based on the present stem (present, imperfect, subjunctive present, and prohibitive) and the aorist past stem (aorist, subjunctive aorist, and imperative).
The Modern Armenian noun has maintained and even developed this plan, especially in Eastern Armenian, which has the special locative ending -um in its declension. But, in comparison with Old Armenian (where case endings were different in singular and plural), Modern Armenian declension resembles rather the Turkish or the Georgian type of agglutination. This resemblance is especially visible in Eastern Armenian, where plural forms usually have the same endings as the singular—for example, -i for genitive and dative, the only difference residing in the plural infixation -ner- inserted between the stem and the ending for multisyllabic nouns—e.g., ašakert 'pupil,' ašakert-i 'of pupil, to pupil,' ašakert-ner-i 'of pupils, to pupils.'
There are significant differences between Eastern and Western Armenian in case endings and in the use of the definite article, expressed as -ə (after consonants) and -n (after vowels). For instance, in Eastern Armenian the definite article may not be used after the genitive: pat(-ə) '(the) wall,' pat-i 'of (the) wall,' pat-er(-ə) '(the) walls,' pat-er-i both 'of walls' and 'of the walls.' In contrast, Western Armenian usage is, respectively, bad(-ə) '(the) wall,' bad-i 'of wall,' bad-i-n 'of the wall,' bad-er(-ə) '(the) walls,' bad-er-u 'of walls,' and bad-er-u-n 'of the walls.' Western Armenian has retained the Old Armenian ablative ending -ê, whereas Eastern Armenian has -ic'; for instance, 'from Armenia' is rendered as Hayastan-ê-n (with -n being the definite article) in Western Armenian and as Hayastan-ic' in Eastern Armenian.
There are essential differences in the verb structures of the two varieties of Modern Armenian as well. Western Armenian, which is more conservative in this respect, forms the present tense by prefixing gə, a particle of unknown origin, to old forms, made up of the stem and personal endings. Eastern Armenian uses periphrastic forms: participle ending in -um (probably of locative origin) plus the copula em, es... 'am, are…'. Thus, Old Armenian sir-em 'I love' is Western Armenian gə sir-em and Eastern Armenian sir-um em. The Old Armenian present tense has in both modern languages the value of a subjunctive. In Modern Armenian the passive is formed by means of the infixation -v-, as with sir-v-um em 'I am loved' (Eastern form).
In Old Armenian a declined adjective could be placed before or after a noun; in the modern language it may only precede a noun and has no case endings, as in Turkish and Georgian. Similarly, in Modern Armenian the genitive always precedes a noun. Postpositions are preferred to prepositions in Modern Armenian, unlike in Old Armenian. In other respects, Armenian word order is relatively free.
Learn More in these related Britannica articles:
Indo-European languages: ArmenianArmenian, like Greek, is a single language. Speakers of Armenian are recorded as being in what now constitutes eastern Turkey and Armenia as early as the 6th century
bce, but the oldest Armenian texts date from the 5th century ce.…
Syria: Ethnic and linguistic groups…the extreme northeast and northwest; Armenian, spoken in Aleppo and other major cities; and Turkish, spoken in villages east of the Euphrates and along the border with Turkey. Adyghian, a Kabardian (Circassian) language, is also spoken by a minority of the population (
seeCaucasian languages: Abkhazo-Adyghian languages). English and French…
Caucasus: PeopleThe language of the Armenians is also Indo-European but distinct from other groups of languages in the family. The Ossetes, the Kurds, the Tats, and the Talysh speak Indo-European languages of the Iranian branch. The majority of the peoples, however, speak tongues that are sometimes classified as a Caucasian…
Transcaucasia: The peopleOf the Indo-European languages, Armenian (which is the official language of Armenia) has the greatest number of speakers. Greek is spoken in parts of southern Georgia, and several languages of the Indo-Iranian branch of Indo-European are also spoken. The latter consist of Ossetic (spoken in central Georgia), Talysh (spoken…
Iranian languages
Iranian languages, subgroup of the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European language family. Iranian languages are spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, and parts of Iraq, Turkey, Pakistan, and scattered areas of the Caucasus Mountains. Linguists typically approach the Iranian languages in historical terms because they fall readily into three distinct categories—Ancient, Middle,…
More About Armenian language4 references found in Britannica articles
Assorted References
- classification
- Caucasia
- Syria
- Transcaucasia


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Google isn't a fan of all the software patent disputes taking place right now.
Google's public policy director Pablo Chavez slammed the patent wars as being harmful to innovation and called for reforming software patents during a Q&A at the Technology Policy Institute conference on Monday.
"We think that these patent wars are not helpful to consumers," Chavez said, according to CNET. "They're not helpful to the marketplace. They're not helpful to innovation."
Whether or not you agree with Chavez's points, the timing of his statements is questionable.
Just three days before Chavez took the stage, Google's subsidiary Motorola Mobility filed a lawsuit against Apple for infringing on a series of patents for voice recognition, location-based reminders and more. As part of the lawsuit, Motorola is seeking to ban imports of iPads, iPhones and Macs to the U.S.
Get the latest Google stock price here.

subset: commoncrawl


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|Congratulations Lil!
I am listening to this song below with the kids. Part 0:46 is so so so so true.;o)
Rainbow influences everyone in a beautiful way. It calms the crying soul, it remedies the blemished aura, it nurses the wounded heart and it balms the bruises of any falls. It's those seven colours we seek after the rain, be it in our heart or outside our window pane. I am gathering all the seven colours here after the rain, with you looking in my window pane. wiz
|Congratulations Lil!
Posted by Wiz at 5:01 PM
Chill lah wiz. Semua ok.
PakCik Van- Insya Allah. A mother worries all the time. Thanks
Yeay!! Great to see u r back kak Wiz and of course ur gorgeous cake!
Yes, me too sometimes wondered what would happen in my absence..would they live, who'd shower them the same attention and love..
Dont you worry..be strong and show them love..we plan, Allah swt determines. I pray for your health ;)
Kak Wiz,
Love reading your writings. Always make my sky looks brighter and the room feels warmer. :)
And yea I agree, a good pair of feet and a good heart are the best things to equip.. for everybody.
Take care!
Zatil, thanks for dropping by. We always wonder, I think mothers do best at that but the thing is whilst wondering we worry sometimes too much kan. InsyaAllah, Allah is the best of all planners.
Aida- my sky is brightest today and my room is warmest. All because of you. :o)
aaah. sis.. been wondering the same thing.. i even talk to them about my absence.. they still cant take it. kept saying ummi pls dont say like that.. pls dont die yet..


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ALISO VIEJO — The acoustics were so refined that one could hear the faintest touch of the piano onstage and the slightest rustling of a paper program across the room. Sometimes at the same time.
Indeed, one hears everything at a performance in Soka University's new Performing Arts Center. Hopefully it's mostly the music. That's because there is, more often than not, a lot of great music-making happening on that hall's Alaskan white cedar floor surrounded by the cherry wood walls.
Thursday's chamber ensemble concert with about 45 musicians from the Pacific Symphony was no exception. Led by the Costa Mesa-based orchestra's longtime conductor, Carl St.Clair, the program had three selections: Mozart's overture to "The Marriage of Figaro" opera, Saint-Saëns' "Carnival of the Animals" and Beethoven's Symphony No. 1.
St.Clair also made a few remarks about some history regarding the night's music, which was a welcome touch considering the program contained no historical background notes. He said Mozart's overture to "The Marriage of Figaro" was composed in 1786; Saint-Saëns' "Carnival of the Animals" came 100 years later. Though most know of Mozart's child prodigy background, Saint-Saëns was of the young musical genius type as well. Both had impressive classical prowess by age 5 and were making strides not long after.
Right away when the orchestra began playing the Mozart, one could notice more of an immediacy in the sound given this hall's smaller size compared to the Pacific Symphony's home base, the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall in Costa Mesa. Soka is not as grandiose, there is no massive organ and it seats about half as many people as a fully-packed Segerstrom.
It was also a brighter sound overall, likely due to the chosen music and the hall's acoustics.
The star, though, was the piano duo of Desirae and Deondra Brown, two traveling pianist siblings of The 5 Browns.
The 5 Browns last played with the symphony in July at Irvine's Verizon Wireless Amphitheater.
The Brown sisters, each playing on a Steinway that faced one another, played marvelously throughout the 14-movement "Carnival of the Animals," which turned out to be an excellent choice. In addition to both gentle and virtuosic piano playing, the piece features a variety of instrument solos for a small ensemble.
Of particular note was the transfixing solo in "Le Cygne" (The Swan) by principal cellist Timothy Landauer, the deep resonance of the double bass in "L'éléphant" (The Elephant) by Steven Edelman and the simple cuckoos of principal clarinet Benjamin Lulich in "Le Coucou au Fond des Bois" (The Cuckoo in the Depths of the Woods).
As a whole, the orchestra sounded as beautiful as ever in the enigmatic "Aquarium" movement, which has been used in countless movie trailers to designate "mysterious" music.
St.Clair conducted the Beethoven from memory, leading a spirited rendition of the composer's early work that's reminiscent of Haydn and Mozart. Much of it went briskly along, joyful and triumphant.
I loved being able to pick out the specific instruments because the acoustics were that good. I could even hear the slightest tap of the timpanist's playing.
Despite a lovely concert, the crowd response at the end seemed lukewarm. There were only a few standing ovations, a lot less compared to what the Pacific Symphony normally gets in Costa Mesa.
The symphony next performs at Soka on April 28 with a concert featuring violinist Karen Gomyo.
BRADLEY ZINT is a copy editor for the Coastline Pilot and a classically trained musician. Email him story ideas at email@example.com.


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- Girls who trade nudes on kik
- Minecraft sex club
- Hot xxx sexy sex
McCord is no exception. This new leak is dedicated for all those who were looking for Jillian Murray leaked videos. Nude pic hacker pleads guilty: Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Next page. Uldouz Wallace is a social media personality, actress, and model who reached the 1 million follower milestone on Instagram in These hot celebrities had no idea that their tits and boobs will be for public view. Enjoy her hacked pics in HQ. Check back daily for the latest and hottest paparaz It is very unpopular for any Al-Fayeed to go topless.
She is popular for her work in comedic roles and to be precise the lead part of Cindy Campbell in the Scary Movie. A Chicago man was sentenced Tuesday to nine months in prison for hacking the electronic accounts of 30 celebrities and stealing private information, including nude videos and photos. With over actresses to see fully shedding their cloth.


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Latest News
- First Released
- February 5, 2009
- Platforms
- pc
- Genre
- Simulation
- Summary
- Evochron Legends is a freeform mercenary space-sim that focuses on 'lone-wolf' survival gameplay. You can play the game in a variety of ways and complete many activities including buying, trading, negotiating, bribing, spying, racing, escorting, transporting, mining, exploring, cleaning equipment, clearing paths through asteroid fields, recruiting, protecting, hiring crew members, fuel harvesting, and designing your ship. Evochron Legends is a technical simulation, not a character based simulator, so you are not limited by pre-selected character roles, skills, or attributes. Your decisions and actions define your role in the game and establish your reputations, wealth, progress, and ranking. The emphasis is on real-time tactical gameplay strategy for both combat and non-combat objectives. You are in control of your ship virtually all of the time in open space, including player controlled combat and planetary descents. Your ability to successfully pilot around or through dangerous objects in space, develop trade strategies, evade detection, harvest resources, efficiently explore for hidden benefits, and transport people and items can be just as important as your skill in combat. The game also rewards players who devise their own gameplay strategies and 'think outside the box'.


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The iconic blue Main Street Bridge will be closed the night of March 29 for the filming of a music video by rapper Rick Ross and his song, "Box Chevy."
Jeffrey Harper, executive producer of Miami-based Dre Films, said the bridge will be operated on a hold and release basis from 8 p.m. March 29 through 5:30 a.m. March 30.
"We don't want to inconvenience the citizens of Jacksonville," he said, explaining that during breaks in the shooting, traffic will be let through.
The permit for the filming the video for the sexually explicit song was issued by the Florida Department of Transportation since it controls the bridge. The permit said boat traffic would not be affected.
Melissa Bujeda, a spokeswoman for the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office, said the production company will have to pay five off-duty officers and supervisor to handle traffic control on the bridge.
Harper said the producers chose Jacksonville because it is mentioned in Ross' song. In addition to filming on the bridge, they are also filming at The Florida Theater, because both are iconic in Jacksonville. He expects the video to cost about $30,000.


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You've heard about the "Wheat Belly" diet, right? Well, technically, it doesn't exist.
Dr. William Davis points out that the word "diet" does not appear on either the cover of his bestselling "Wheat Belly" book published in 2011 or on the follow-up, "Wheat Belly Cookbook," which was published last month and already tops bestseller lists.
And that omission is intentional, Davis said.
"Wheat Belly" is about stripping your plate of a substance that contributes to heart disease, causes joint pain, inflammation, foggy thinking, bloating and much more, Davis said. Losing weight, he added, is simply a nice aside.
The cardiologist believes wheat is the single biggest contributor to the country's obesity epidemic, in part because aggressive breeding methods and genetic manipulation have turned it into what Davis derides as a "Frankenwheat." One of its most troubling side effects? Triggering uncontrollable carb cravings, the doctor said.
Why do you believe wheat is so problematic?
The advice to cut your fat and eat whole grains is the worst advice you can possibly pass on to people. I say, "Eat more fat. Eat as little grains as possible." Grains really don't belong in the human experience.
I didn't go looking to demonize wheat. I told my patients to stop eating [wheat products] as part of treatment because many were suffering from diabetes or were prediabetic. But they'd come back in three to six months, and they were 25 to 40 pounds lighter. And they'd say, "The pain in my wrist and shoulder is gone." "My [irritable bowel syndrome symptoms] are gone." I only did it for blood sugar. But I thought, "What in the world is in wheat besides its potential to raise blood sugar? Why would their asthma go away? Why would someone's food obsession disappear?" So many things happened. In the beginning I had no idea why. I had to see it thousands of time before it got drilled into my head. We are treating the consumption of modern wheat. Only we call it hypertension. Obesity. Arthritis. Acid reflux. … You take out the wheat, all that goes away. You could argue that wheat is perfectly crafted to exert maximum damage to multiple organs.
Your books make ditching wheat sound like discovering the fountain of youth.
I tell people just try it for 30 days. It's an exceptionally common observation for people to come back to me and say, "I feel 20 years younger!" For one, you'll have a dramatic increase in energy … and you experience what I call "youthful sleep." That's where [someone] can clang pots and pans and you won't wake up. People lose weight, they're more flexible, they're lighter on their feet. Memory improves. Skin improves. The puffy look around the eyes? That improves. When you lose the wheat, you lose several pounds the first week. Part of that is fat weight, but also water weight.
This is a lot for people to wrap their heads around. We've been told grains are good.
What humans have been doing for 2 million years is consuming animal meat, vegetables, nuts, fruits and the like. ... When we added grains 10,000 years ago, more or less, there's an observation of dramatic downturns in health. ... We are meat-consuming omnivores who made a mistake by this detour into grains. Modern times made it much worse by changing grains on us. [And agri-business] has decided, "Let's just put wheat in everything, from tomato soup to salad dressings." Why is wheat in tomato soup? When you make tomato soup at home, do you put wheat in it? No. I know this sounds conspiracy-ish, but I've got to believe that at some level some very smart people have realized [that wheat triggers binge eating]. How else can you justify that wheat got into everything?
You say that many "Wheat Belly" followers feel a profound sense of relief — and not just because of the weight loss.
We're told that Americans are diabetic and overweight because we're the most gluttonous and lazy people in the world. But that's not true. Many have just been getting seriously bad advice. They are exercising, cutting their calories, doing all the things they are supposed to do, and there is this destructive thing in their diet that they are told to eat more of. Not only is that advice — to eat more grains — ineffective, it's destructive.
You have people who are saying, "I'm doing everything right, I've cut my fat and cholesterol, I don't eat junk food or fast food. I exercise an hour a day, or an hour and a half a day, and I've gained 18 pounds." … They are doing what appears to be right, and yet they are desperately frustrated. But they have failed to make that fundamental distinction. It's not about calories. It's not about fat. It's not about exercise. It's about this destructive, appetite-stimulating food in your diet.
What is the hardest part about giving up wheat? And what should we be eating?
There is so much to eat! Real foods. Vegetables, fruit, meats, organ meats and so on. And when you are eating real foods, you can eat all you want. The hardest part for most people is giving up bread. And it's not enough to just go gluten-free. I tell people, "You don't have to give up sandwiches." [The cookbook has several recipes for breads, including focaccia, pretzels, walnut-raisin bread, cheddar cheese biscuits, brownies and pie crusts, made with wheat substitutes such as almond, coconut and garbanzo bean flours.] I tell people just go cold turkey and try it for 30 days. What do you have to lose?


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Donor Needed for Baby
Read the story. Click the "LISTEN" button at the bottom of the page to hear the story. When you are done, click the "NEXT" button.
A baby named Trevor is fighting a deadly disease. The disease is called cancer. He has been treated five times with a chemical that kills cancer. So far, the chemical treatment hasn't worked. His family hopes that a special procedure will help save his life. The procedure is called a bone marrow transplant. Doctors say he needs the transplant to survive.
Marrow is the soft tissue inside of bones. It contains blood cells that can multiply. Healthy people volunteer to have their marrow tested. The test is to see if it can help a sick person. If the marrow is a match, doctors can remove a tiny bit. Then the doctors inject the healthy marrow into the bones of sick people. This can help a cancer patient recover.
Sometimes these tests are done in one place. Many people come and have their blood tested at one time. These events are called bone marrow drives. A database is kept with information on everyone who is tested. Doctors use the database to match patients with donors. The baby's parents hope they will find a match for their son.
Some firefighters are organizing a special bone marrow drive. They hope to find someone whose bone marrow will match Trevor's. Over 550 people signed up for the drive. Over a thousand people have already been tested. So far, no one has matched the baby.
One woman is helping because her husband died from cancer. He was a firefighter. She wants to do what she can to help the baby. She is doing it to honor her husband's memory.
The baby's mother says the volunteers are heroes. She hopes that a match is found soon. Doctors say that a bone marrow transplant is the baby's best hope.
On April 25, 2007, Trevor Kott lost his fight with leukemia. A matching bone marrow donor was not found.
Over 5,000 people registered with different blood banks all over the country because of the media coverage on this story. Trevor's family say that is Trevor's legacy and hope that someone else may be saved.
(This was adapted from an original story provided by News10 KXTV Sacramento.)


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A poster-sized reproduction of Sports Illustrated's cover for its 1981-82 college basketball preview issue hangs above the replica playing floor at the Carolina Basketball Museum, which is a site to behold. College hoops might not have been invented here, but the Tar Heels' stately shrine to their own excellence surely suggests it was perfected here.
North Carolina was SI's pick to win the '82 NCAA tournament, and the cover jinx didn't hold -- the magazine got it right.
The cover photo suggests a missing-man formation in that it includes only four players: James Worthy, Sam Perkins, Jimmy Black and Matt Doherty, returning starters from a 29-8 Tar Heels team that lost to Indiana in the '81 title game.
Buzz Peterson was supposed to be the fifth. The slick-shooting guard from Asheville had been prep Player of the Year in Carolina in 1980-81, but an SI cover would have been a bit much given coach Dean Smith's aversion to publicizing freshmen.
Besides, anyone who had seen or heard about the Tar Heels' informal preseason scrimmages knew otherwise.
"I watched one day, and I came back and told the other coaches, 'I think I've just seen the best 6-4 player I've ever seen,' " said Roy Williams, then a Carolina assistant who took over as head coach in 2003 after a 15-year apprenticeship at Kansas.
If his fellow staffers were skeptical, it was understandable. Williams, a fourth-year assistant, had less seniority than longtime Smith aides Bill Guthridge and Eddie Fogler, and he had recruited the player he was so high on: Mike Jordan, a lesser-known 6-foot-4-inch guard from Wilmington, N.C.
"You try not to get carried away," Williams said, "but even then he had so many intangibles to go with that explosive talent. The work ethic, the toughness, the competitiveness. ... You just sensed he had a chance to be something special."
Buzz Peterson's early take: "I'm thinking I better find a new position."
But an obvious truth engendered no bitterness; the two were roommates as well as teammates and remain close.
And sure enough, 18-year-old Mike Jordan seized the starting spot with the ferocity and flair that would characterize his play for nearly two decades. He scored the first two points of the season in a 74-67 victory over Kansas, and the last two on perhaps the most storied bucket in Carolina history: an 18-foot jumper from the left wing that beat Georgetown 63-62 in the Louisiana Superdome for Dean Smith's first national championship.
Along the way there were increasingly frequent glimpses of the once-in-a-lifetime player he would become ... Michael Jordan, not Mike.
"That was Coach Smith's doing," recalled Carolina historian Rick Brewer, then the school's media relations director. "In Wilmington he was Mike, and most of our players called him Mike. Coach Smith always called him Michael. I asked him which he preferred, and he said it didn't matter. So we went with Coach Smith's choice. Rolled off the tongue a little better."
Jordan had ambition to match his talent.
"We used to kill our guys in preseason conditioning drills, really try to bury them so they'd welcome being in the gym," Williams said. "Michael and I were talking one day as they were cooling down after some strenuous running and he told me, 'I want to be the best guy who ever played here.' I said, 'Well, Michael, you've got a chance to be a great player, but you're going to have to work awfully hard.' He said, 'What do you mean? I work as hard as anyone.' And I said, 'That's just it. You're at a different level now. As hard as anyone won't get it done -- you've got to work even harder.'
"Next day he came in and it was like, 'I'm going to show you.' From that point on he tried to win every sprint, every drill, dominate every scrimmage.
"And the only thing he did better than play was talk. Whether it was basketball or pool or cards or golf later on, if he was competing, he was going to win. And he was going to tell you about it."
Peterson can attest: "He came home with me for a weekend one time and he was yappin' to my mom about beating her at cards. Probably cheated her, just to win."
As can Worthy. "I used to hide from him," he said. "Every day, no matter how hard we practiced, Mike wanted to play one-on-one. I was pretty much regarded as the best player on the team, and he wanted to test himself. 'Come on, Junior, I'm going to take you today,' and he'd have stayed out there all night until he did."
Still, the young Jordan knew his place on a talented, veteran team.
"He carried the bags, did all the freshman things, made every effort to blend in," Perkins said. "He was a confident player, but he understood that it was team first. And you couldn't deny his talent. It was pretty clear he was going to be instrumental in what we were trying to do."
That would be win a national championship, the one omission from Smith's glittering résumé. Already a coaching icon, he had never cut down the nets in six previous trips to the Final Four. The Tar Heels were 27-2, ACC regular-season and tournament champions and the top-ranked team in the country heading into the '82 NCAA tournament.
"Mike was the missing piece," Worthy said. "Coach Smith did a great job bringing him along. By tournament time he was ready to blossom."
Thirty-two seconds remained in the title game when Smith called a rare timeout after Sleepy Floyd's basket had given Georgetown a 62-61 lead. The noise from the crowd of 61,612 inside the Superdome suggested a jet engine at full power.
Worthy was a 6-9 power forward, strong and quick, a two-time All-American and national Player of the Year whom the Lakers would choose with the first pick in the 1982 NBA draft. Accordingly, the deciding play was designed for him -- he had 28 points on 13-for-17 shooting -- but Smith knew Georgetown's alley-fighter defense would prioritize denying Worthy the ball.
Perkins, a long-armed, left-handed center known as "Big Smooth," was not a bad second option, but 6-11 shot-blocker Patrick Ewing loomed over his shoulder in the low post.
"We always tried to move the ball quickly enough to find the gaps in the defense," Worthy said, "so if I was covered and Sam was covered in that set, we'd reverse it to Mike on the wing."
Where Smith knew he had a third option.
"As we were breaking the huddle," Worthy said, "Coach Smith patted Mike on the butt and said, 'Knock it down, Michael' -- he's a freshman, remember. Mike got this look in his eye and kind of smiled. He was excited, not nervous."
And he delivered, with the cold-blooded self-assurance that would define his play in dozens of game-deciding situations over the next 20 years.
A freshman, remember.
Later that evening, on Bourbon Street, Jordan and Peterson observed Carolina rooters' long-suppressed revelry. "Mike looks at me and he says, 'I guess that was a pretty big shot I made,' " Peterson recalled. "I said, 'Buddy, that was a huge shot, believe me.' "
"Knock it down, Michael" is memorialized in a spot of honor on the museum floor, along with several other big shots in Carolina history. Results notwithstanding, it might not have been MJ's signature effort.
"With about three minutes to go, Georgetown was making a real run at us -- they got a six- or seven-point lead down to one," Worthy recalled. "Mike drove on Patrick and went over him with this left-handed finger roll and scored. I don't know how he got it over him. Changed the momentum of the game."
Perkins recalled a play against Maryland in February as MJ's breakthrough moment.
"They had a pretty good team, and it was a close game, back and forth," he said. "I blocked a shot and got it to Mike, and he took off and made this windmill dunk over Ben Coleman, who was about 6-10. That's when I think people started to talk about Michael Jordan."
And after the Georgetown shot they rarely stopped.
"Every accomplishment made him more confident, and also more competitive -- he wanted more, and he never lost that hunger," Williams said. "The Georgetown shot took his confidence to another level. He came back for his sophomore year knowing he'd be a marked man, so to speak, and he wanted to prove he was up to it. ACC Player of the Year, defensive Player of the Year, national Player of the Year -- he just kept getting better."
Carolina, oddly, did not: The Tar Heels went 28-8 and lost to Georgia in the East Regional finals in Jordan's sophomore year. They took a 27-2 record and the No. 1 ranking into the '84 tournament, but Indiana stunned them in the East Regional semifinals as MJ encountered foul trouble and a poor shooting night: 13 points on 6-for-14 shooting in 26 minutes in his final college game.
"That was probably one of the best Carolina teams ever, too," Peterson recalled ruefully. "But the NCAA tournament is one and done, and if you don't have it for 40 minutes, somebody can get you. Indiana got us."
Steve Alford, an Indiana freshman, hit the Tar Heels with 27 points, but it was fellow guard Dan Dakich whom CBS analyst Billy Packer tried to immortalize, raving about his defensive work on Jordan. Dakich, who went on to a coaching career and now hosts a radio talk show in Indianapolis, enjoys reliving his 40 minutes of fame.
"Game's over, I go for Steve Alford, who was great ... hug the hero and you're on TV, right?" Dakich said. "This lady from CBS grabs Steve, and then she says they want to talk to me. I'm thinking, 'What for?'
"So Billy Packer says, 'How'd you stop Michael Jordan?' Truthfully, I didn't know I had, but if he wanted to say I did. ... Then I said something really dumb like, 'It wasn't that hard.'
"Of course, he was not yet Michael Jordan. He was really good, but he wasn't Michael Jordan. And we were Indiana. We didn't think it was an upset. We expected to win games like that."
With Smith's blessing, Jordan declared for the NBA draft after his junior year. The Bulls chose him in the first round, No. 3 overall behind Hakeem Olajuwon to Houston and Sam Bowie to Portland.
And after a star turn as the leading scorer on the gold-medal-winning '84 U.S. Olympic team, it was on to the NBA, which had never seen the likes of him.
"We didn't think about the pros much because Coach Smith kept us focused on schoolwork and trying to win the ACC," said Perkins, who went to Dallas at No. 4 in the same draft. "I thought Mike would be a good pro because the game suited his skills, but I'd be lying if I said I knew he was going to become the player he became. He just manhandled the NBA. That was all Mike."
Peterson caught a glimpse of Jordan's NBA future on a tour of Europe before their sophomore year.
"He got 34 on an Italian team that had Scott May," he said, "and the next game he went for 34 again against a team of pros from Yugoslavia. He was already a handful for the older guys, pros like Walter Davis and Al Wood, when we played in the summer. I said to Coach Williams, 'I think my roommate is going to be like Dr. J some day.' "
Williams saw an insatiable drive for betterment that was first displayed in Wilmington, in one-on-one games with older brother Larry on the Jordan back-yard court at 4647 Gordon Road.
"We thought he'd be a good NBA player, possibly an All-Star, but none of us knew he was going to be able to do what he eventually did -- I certainly did not predict it," Williams said. "But one of the reasons he became Michael Jordan is he continued to work at it.
"He was back here after his rookie year. Averaged 28 a game, won Rookie of the Year, but he was almost strictly a driver. He said, 'What do I have to do to get better?' I said, 'You need to work on your outside shot. They're going to play you to deny you the drive, so if you can knock down the outside shot when it's there, they'll have to respect that and you'll be illegal.'
"You look at the shots he made over the years, when he made them. ... I'd say he became a pretty good shooter."
Williams was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2007, the eighth Tar Heel honored. He plans to be in Springfield, Mass., when MJ becomes the ninth.
"People around here heard me talk about Tyler Hansbrough for four years," Williams said of the three-time All-American and 2008 Player of the Year who led the Tar Heels to the 2009 national championship. "His work ethic and his effort and his competitiveness ... they probably got tired of hearing me talk about it. I'm proud of Tyler and what he did, just like I'm proud of all our guys.
"But Michael, he's the gold standard for Carolina basketball."
A poster-sized reproduction of Sports Illustrated's cover for its 1981-82 college basketball preview issue hangs above the replica playing floor at the Carolina Basketball Museum, which is a site to behold. College hoops might not have been invented here, but the Tar Heels' stately shrine to their own excellence surely suggests it was perfected here.


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The vast majority of employees lack a clear idea of what their employers expect from them, new research shows.
In the Florida State University study, less than 20 percent of employees are certain they know what is expected of them at work each day, with the majority reporting varying levels of clarity concerning responsibilities, ranging from "some" to "complete" ambiguity.
The study, which assessed the opinions of more than 750 blue- and white-collar employees across multiple job environments, concluded that employee accountability problems cost American organizations hundreds of millions of dollars each year, in both direct and indirect costs.
"When employees aren't sure what's expected of them, the results simply just cannot be positive, especially when the complexity of work and the pace of change is taken into consideration," said Allison Batterton, one of the study's co-authors.
The researchers discovered a number of significant differences between those who knew what was expected of them and those who didn't. Specifically, 60 percent of those uncertain about their responsibilities reported higher levels of mistrust with leadership, while 50 percent had higher levels of overall work frustration. In addition, 40 percent felt they were being overworked, while 33 percent were more likely to search for a new job within the next year.
Most respondents cited a lack of leadership as the reason responsibilities were unclear. Specifically, employees say management fails to be forthcoming and proactively develop communications, until a lack of accountability triggers an organizational crisis.
"It seems the more that communication is needed, the less likely it is provided," said professor Wayne Hochwarter, one of the study's co-authors. "No wonder so many employees feel completely lost at work these days."
Hochwarter said most employees want to do a good job and contribute to their organizations.
"Perhaps it's overly simplistic, but this can only take place when employees know what's expected," he said. "Sadly, many do not, and the situation appears to be getting worse rather than better."
The researchers offer managers a four-step approach to dealing with accountability failures:
- Set up a formal communication system using the most current and user-friendly technology, and make sure all employees are able to use it effectively.
- Include employee accountability in both the supervisor's and employee's performance evaluations.
- Develop informal accountability networks, such as a buddy system, that allow employees real-time access to information needed to effectively focus attention on tasks considered most important for that particular time.
- Make accountability proactive, rather than reactive.
This story was provided by BusinessNewsDaily, a sister site to LiveScience. Follow Chad Brooks on Twitter @cbrooks76 or BusinessNewsDaily @BNDarticles. We're also on Facebook & Google+.
- Words to Leave off Your Résumé
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The aim of forensic oratory is to teach, to delight, to move."
Marcus Tullius Cicero
People speak. That's what we do. Each of us has a unique skill in speaking.
Now you can take your unique skill and really do something with it.
If you'd like to win trophies and meet lots of very cool people, then the GCC Speech and Debate Team may be for you. (Later you'll see that there are also many scholarships available to four-year schools all around the nation.)
We don't want to brag, however, at last year's American Forensic Association Tournament, GCC ranked first among the competing 2-year colleges.
Whether it be a dramatic reading, debate, a spontaneous speech or persuasion... we're looking for you.
And now you've found us.
Now, before you ask, you don't have to be a speech major. In fact, some of our strongest competitors aren't speech majors. (But don't tell them that we said that.)
So, explore this site. Get to know who we are and what we do.
Then let us know you found us. Complete the contact page so one of our coaches can contact you.


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Houseplant, any plant adapted for growing indoors. The most common are exotic plants native to warm, frost-free parts of the world that can be grown indoors in colder climates in portable containers or miniature gardens. Most houseplants are, therefore, derived from plants native to the tropics and near tropics. Those that make the best indoor subjects are the species that adjust comfortably to the rather warm, dry conditions that generally prevail in indoor living spaces.
Although many plants can be grown successfully indoors, there are certain groups that, because of their attractiveness and relative ease of maintenance, are generally considered the best houseplants. These include the aroids, bromeliads, succulents (including cacti), ferns, begonias, and palms, all of which have long been favourites. Somewhat more demanding are those that are grown primarily for their flowers—African violets, camellias, gardenias, geraniums (Pelargonium species), and orchids.
Historical background
Paintings and sculptures make clear that the practice of indoor gardening can be traced at least to the early Greeks and Romans, who grew plants in pots and perhaps brought them into their homes. The older civilizations of Egypt, India, and China also made use of pot plants but usually in outdoor situations, often in courtyards that were extensions of the house; and for centuries the Japanese have carried on the dwarfing of trees and other plants for room ornaments. But the popular art of growing houseplants did not receive much comment until the 17th century, when, in The Garden of Eden (1652), Sir Hugh Platt, an English agricultural authority, wrote of the possibility of cultivating plants indoors. Shortly thereafter, glasshouses (greenhouses) and conservatories, which had been used during Roman times to force plants to flower, were built in England and elsewhere to house exotic plants. In mid-19th-century England and France, books began to appear on the growing of plants in private residences, and the use of enclosed glass cases of plants (the wardian cases, or terraria) became popular.
Types of houseplants
There are thousands of tropical and subtropical plants that can adapt to growing indoors. Although some fancy exotic species do well only in a humid conservatory or a glass-enclosed terrarium, a great many species have been introduced that endure the adverse conditions of dry heat and low light intensity that prevail in many houses. A selection of the more widely favoured houseplants follows, under two sections: foliage plants, some of which also bear interesting flowers; and flowering plants, species kept primarily for their flowers.
Foliage plants
In the aroid family, which has provided a range of long-lived houseplants, most prominent are the philodendrons. These are handsome tropical American plants, generally climbers, with attractive leathery leaves, heart-shaped, and often cut into lobes. Monstera deliciosa, or Philodendron pertusum, the Swiss cheese plant, has showy, glossy, perforated leaves slashed to the margins.
The dumb canes, of the genus Dieffenbachia, appear in a number of attractive species. They are handsome tropical foliage plants usually with variegated leaves; they tolerate neglect and thrive even in dry rooms. The Chinese evergreens, of the genus Aglaonema, are fleshy tropical Asian herbs of slow growth, with leathery leaves often bearing silvery or colourful patterns; they are durable and are tolerant of indoor conditions. Members of Scindapsus, popularly known as pothos, or ivy-arums, are tropical climbers from the Malaysian monsoon area; their variegated leaves are usually small in the juvenile stage. They do well in warm and even overheated rooms. The peace lilies (not a true lily), of the genus Spathiphylla, are easy-growing, vigorous tropical herbs forming clumps; they have green foliage and a succession of flowerlike leaves (spathes), usually white. Species of Anthurium, many of which, such as the flamingo flower, have colourful spathes, do best in humid conditions. Caladium's tropical American tuberous herbs produce fragile-looking but colourful foliage; they keep surprisingly well if protected from chills and wintry drafts.
Begonias, with their often very decorative leaves, have long been favourites among houseplants, but, with few exceptions, they require more humidity and fresh air than the modern home provides. Begonia metallica, with its olive-green, silver-haired foliage; B. masoniana, with beautiful green, puckered leaves splotched brown; and B. serratipetala, with small leaves spotted pink, are examples of types more resistant to dry rooms.
There are many small foliage plants, often with strikingly patterned foliage, native to the tropical forest floor, some of which have become remarkably good houseplants. Among them are several prayer plants (Maranta species), which fold their attractive leaves at night; and the exquisite Calathea makoyana, or peacock plant, with translucent foliage marked with a feathery peacock design. Pilea cadierei, or aluminum plant, is easy to grow; it has fleshy leaves splashed with silver. Codiaeum species, or crotons, are multicoloured foliage plants that need maximum light and warmth to hold their leaves and coloration well. Although primarily thought of as bedding plants, the varicoloured coleuses, or painted nettles, can decorate a sunny window with a brilliant array of leaf patterns. Peperomia species form miniature rosettes or vines with waxy foliage, corrugated and decorated either with silver or creamy white.
Bromeliads constitute a plant family peculiar to the Western Hemisphere; they dwell on trees and rocks (as epiphytic plants) or on the forest floor (as terrestrial plants) and usually form rosettes of leathery, concave leaves, many with bizarre designs or striking variegations. Their flowers may be hidden deep in the centre of the rosette, surrounded by a cup of brilliant crimson inner leaves, as in Neoregelia and Nidularium. Species of Aechmea and Guzmania form colourful spikes or heads of long-lasting leathery bracts or bright berries. Billbergia species are tubular in shape; their showy flower stalk, with blue flowers, is often pendant. Most forms of Tillandsia and Vriesea have spear-shaped, flattened, colourful flower spikes. The earth stars of the terrestrial genus Cryptanthus are more or less flattened rosettes with striking leaf design, mottled, striped, or tiger-banded in silver over greens and bronzes.
Cacti, most members of which are native to the Western Hemisphere, have developed a special capacity to store water in thick, fleshy bodies. They thrive in much sunlight and need very little water. There are many often curious forms: the tiny button cactus, Epithelantha; the myriad pincushion species of Mammillaria; Parodia, or Tom Thumb cactus; and Rebutia, the pygmy cactus. The last two bloom when young and tiny. Other forms include Gymnocalycium, or chin cactus; Notocactus, or ball cactus; Echinocactus, known as barrel cactus; various Opuntia species, including bunny ears and chollas; and Cephalocereus, or old-man cactus, with its glistening white hair. Larger cacti include Cereus and its relatives, often night-blooming, and the giants of the desert, such as the saguaro (classified as Cereus giganteus or as Carnegiea gigantea), with branching columns up to 50 feet (15 metres) in height. Cacti of tropical forests include the epiphytic Rhipsalis, found also in Africa, Madagascar, and Sri Lanka, and the near-epiphytic leaf, or orchid, cacti, Epiphyllum, which bloom in many colours.
Succulents other than cacti have also contributed favourite subjects for indoor growing. A typical stem succulent is Euphorbia, with its often angled candelabra-like columns resembling those of cacti. Leaf succulents are represented by Aloe, famous since ancient times as a medicinal plant; Echeveria, or hen and chickens; Kalanchoe tomentosa, the panda plant; Crassula, the jade plant; and Haworthia, which has rosettes with pearly dotted leaves. Durable pot plants include the strap-leaf snake plants, or Sansevieria species; they are remarkable for tolerating much neglect and growing in less than ideal locations.
Dracaena, the dragon trees, includes such houseplants as D. marginata, from Madagascar, which forms clusters of twisted stems topped by rosettes of narrow, leathery leaves. Other examples are D. deremensis 'Warneckei,' with its handsome, symmetrical rosette of sword-shaped, milky-green leaves with white stripes; and D. sanderiana, the ribbon plant, a diminutive and slender, highly variegated species that can be grown in water. Similar in appearance is Pandanus veitchii, which has a rosette of leathery, sword-shaped leaves—glossy green and banded white—arranged in spirals.
Several subtropical evergreens can be grown in cooler locations indoors. Preeminent among them is the Norfolk Island pine (Araucaria heterophylla, or A. excelsa)—not a true pine—an undemanding graceful conifer with tiered branches of fresh green needles; it is long-lived even in dim corners in any temperature above freezing. Podocarpus, the somber Buddhist pine, forms dense pyramids of dark-green needlelike leaves; it also prefers cooler locations.
Among the many broad-leaved woody evergreens used as houseplants is Brassaia actinophylla, the umbrella tree, better known as Schefflera. Its spreading crowns of palmately divided, glossy green leaves do best in a light and warm location. Another picturesque plant is Polyscias fruticosa, the Ming aralia, with willowy, twisting stems densely clothed toward their tops with fernlike, lacy foliage.
The so-called rubber trees of the genus Ficus are widely used in homes and offices. All require good light to hold their foliage well. Best known is the large-leaved F. elastica 'Decora,' but perhaps even more attractive, because of their very graceful habit, are several small-leaved kinds, such as F. benjamina, F. retusa, and F. nitida. The giant violin-like, leathery leaves of F. lyrata, better known as F. pandurata, make the plant an attractive indoor "tree." Coccoloba, the sea grape, is another sturdy woody plant, somewhat resembling Ficus, with leathery, rounded leaves and crimson veining.
Because of their majestic beauty and distinctive decorative appeal many palms are grown indoors. Best known of the feather palms is the paradise palm (Howea, or Kentia), which combines grace with sturdiness; its thick, leathery leaves can stand much abuse. The parlour palms and bamboo palms of the genus Chamaedorea have dainty fronds on slender stalks; they keep well even in fairly dark places. Similar in appearance is the areca palm (Chrysalidocarpus) with slender yellowish stems carrying feathery fronds in clusters. The pygmy date (Phoenix roebelenii), a compact palm with gracefully arching, dark-green leaves, is an excellent houseplant if kept warm and moist.
Ferns, which come in a wide variety of forms, provide many popular houseplants. Among the best smaller parlour ferns is the sword fern, Nephrolepis, with bushy rosettes of leafy fronds; the holly fern (Cyrtomium), which has glossy dark leathery leaves; and the leatherleaf fern (Rumohra), with its leathery but lacy fronds. The bird's-nest fern (Asplenium nidus) forms a rosette of parchment-textured, fanlike, light-green fronds. Long-lasting Polypodium, often known as hare's-foot fern because of its pawlike, woolly rhizomes (rootlike structures), has feathery leaves on slender stalks. Among the attractive damp-loving ferns are the several species of dainty maidenhairs (Adiantum). The so-called table ferns are a varied group of mainly Pteris and Pellaea species; some are frilly, others variegated; and in their younger stages they are ideal subjects for terraria. The Platycerium, or staghorn fern, has always aroused great curiosity because of its unusual shape. Growing as epiphytes on trees, these ferns have sterile fronds that cling snugly to the bark or, in cultivation, to a wire basket or wooden block; their much divided fertile fronds resemble the antlers of deer. One of the best of the palmlike tree ferns is the Hawaiian Cibotium, with a stout, fibrous trunk that bears a crown of light-green fronds.
Popular fernlike plants include Asparagus species that have plumy fronds. Species of Selaginella, called sweat plants or club moss, are strictly warm terrarium subjects; their delicate fronds greedily soak up moisture from the atmosphere to keep from shriveling.
Climbers and trailers
Climbers and trailers, weeping plants with stems too weak to support themselves, occur in most plant families. Best known are many varieties of ivy (Hedera). Generally, they prefer a cool location, but some small-leaved or variegated varieties do well on the windowsill. Several Cissus species, such as C. rhombifolia, the grape ivy, with metallic foliage, and the leathery C. antarctica, or kangaroo vine, are excellent plants for boxes or room dividers. Intriguing is the slow-growing Hoya, or wax plant, with leathery foliage and waxy, wheel-shaped blooms. By contrast, the inch plants and wandering jew, species of Tradescantia and Zebrina, are rapid growers with watery stems and varicoloured leaves; these long-beloved houseplants are used widely in window shelves or hanging baskets. The spider plants (Chlorophytum, or Anthericum) are houseplant favourites, forming clusters of fresh green ribbonlike leaves banded white; young plantlets develop from the tips of arching stalks.
Flowering plants
Most of the flowering potted plants seen at holiday times are not easy subjects for long-term indoor cultivation. They require high light intensity, careful watering, and day–night differences in temperature that are not usually available in the home; greenhouses offer better chances for successful cultivation. There are exceptions, however; one of the most successfully adapted houseplants is the African violet (Saintpaulia), with countless named varieties, with blossoms from violet blue through rose to white and single- and double-flowered forms. Window bloomers, such as Abutilon, the parlour maples, have bell-like flowers resembling Chinese lanterns. Impatiens, or busy Lizzie, is a genus of succulent herbs producing a succession of spurred flowers in gay colours. Hibiscus, the rose mallows, has short-lived giant blossoms in brilliant colours. Geraniums (botanically Pelargonium) have long been popular flowering plants in the sunny window; the foliage is often variegated or scented, and flower clusters may be in reds, pinks, and white.
A number of bulbous plants do well in lighted windows, including Hippeastrum, better known as amaryllis; Haemanthus, the blood lily; Neomarica, the apostle plant; and Veltheimia, the forest lily.
Orchids present a more difficult and specialized subject for successful home cultivation, usually because of their requirements for light, controlled temperature, and sufficient humidity and ventilation. There are some kinds, however, that give good results with ordinary care: epiphytic Epidendrum species, with waxy, usually fragrant, often greenish blossoms; and Oncidium species, or butterfly orchids, with brightly coloured, long-lasting yellow flowers marked with brown and often produced in large sprays.
Small flowering plants that produce edible fruit can be grown on a windowsill. With sufficient light and ventilation, success may be had with the Calamondin orange (×Citrofortunella mitis), the dwarf Chinese lemon (Citrus limon 'Meyeri'), and the American-wonder lemon (C. limon 'Ponderosa'). The fig tree (Ficus carica) can be grown to yield edible fruit, as can the dwarf Cavendish banana (Musa acuminata, formerly M. nana) and the dwarf pomegranate (Punica granatum nana), the pineapple (Ananas comosus), and the coffee tree (Coffea arabica).Alfred Byrd Graf Roy Perrott
Learn More in these related Britannica articles:
plant disease: Soil moistureExcessive watering of houseplants is a common problem. Overwatering, by decreasing oxygen and raising carbon dioxide levels in the soil, makes roots more susceptible to root-rotting organisms.…
plant disease: Adverse environment… is a common problem with houseplants. Salt concentrations may build up as a whitish crust on soil and container surfaces of potted plants following normal evaporation of water over a period of time. Symptoms include leaf scorching, bronzing, yellowing and stunting, and wilting, plus root and shoot dieback. Damage from…
philodendron…of rainforests, they are popular potted plants for homes and offices.…
red spider…are a common pest on houseplants and agriculturally important plants, including the foliage and fruit of orchard trees.…
Greenhouse, building designed for the protection of tender or out-of-season plants against excessive cold or heat. In the 17th century, greenhouses were ordinary brick or timber shelters with a normal proportion of window space and some means of heating. As glass became cheaper and as more sophisticated…
More About Houseplant4 references found in Britannica articles
Assorted References
- infestation by red spiders
- In red spider
- use of philodendrons
- In philodendron
effects of
- overwatering
- water-soluble salts


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Sporty and versatile, the 2019 Civic Hatchback is an exciting new model within the restyled team of Honda Civics. Its 5-door hatchback design is sleek and impressive, with stylish European influences and a sporty feel. You'll love to drive it because of how impressively it handles on the road.
$199.00 per month for 36 months. $2,199.00 total due at signing. Details


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YouTube user Weave613 has an interesting skill of Game of Thrones impersonations.
He couldn't really handle an entire episode, what with the lack of the many female characters, but I'd say he could do some funny low budget sketches at the least. Particularly because he excluded Joffrey, since we all know Joffrey is the absolute worst. He also has a little bit of fun with Ser Jorah Mormont near the end, so be sure to watch.
Kirk will be back to host your open thread tomorrow, but in the meantime I thought I'd pay him tribute with a reference to one of his favorite shows. Hope you enjoy it! Also, look at these really cute USBs. Take it away, Kotaku!
Game Of Thrones Impressions by Steve Love [YouTube via Reddit]


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How to Make an Effective Opt-in Form | Leslie Samuel | Email Marketing 101 for Bloggers
Welcome to Email Marketing 101 for Bloggers with Leslie Samuel. Your email list is probably your most valuable asset. However, your list growth could be greatly stunted if you are not using a compelling and effective web form. In Leslie's video, you'll see the steps you can take to ensure you are creating an effective web form, as well as a great example from Leslie's blog with a form he's actually using.


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The brakes on your car utilise fluid pressure.
When the brake pedal is depressed, it activates a plunger in the master cylinder,
which pressurises the brake fluid in the pipes and hoses causing the brake components to move.
Brake repairs are one of the most common reasons to visit a garage; all cars need their brake discs and pads replaced at regular intervals. Some of the warning signs for brake failure are squealing or grinding noises when depressing the brakes, or the brake feeling 'spongy' when the pedals is pressed. And of course if you need to brake increasingly hard to effectively slow or stop your car, then you could well be looking at brake replacement.
There are two main types of brake systems: disc brakes and drum brakes.
Disc brake systems are comprised of two pads per wheel, which clamp down on the brake disc when the brake pedal is depressed. When the fluid becomes pressurised, it sends a plunger in the calliper forward, forcing the brake pads on either side of the brake disc to squeeze it, which results in the slowing and stopping of the car.
Drum brakes operate in the same way as disc brakes, but with a different design. They both use friction to slow and stop the car, but drum brakes use shoes, instead of pads. The shoes are inside the steel brake drum itself, which spins with the wheel. When brake pressure is applied, a component called the wheel cylinder expands, forcing the brake shoes apart and towards the inside edge of the drum. Drum brakes are usually found on older vehicles, or just on the rear brake system.
Lots of people want to take their car to a specialist garage for their make and model of car. Here atBook My Garage, you can find one from the comfort of your sofa and get the car service or repair you need for your vehicle.
TheBook My Garage database features hundreds of garages in your area. If you have a garage in mind, you can find it here and visit their official BMG profile page. If you would simply like to find a specialist garage for your car brand, you can select the manufacturer then view specialist garages and find out more about each before getting a quote or making an appointment right there on their profile page.
The DS garages listed here provide a range of services. It doesn't matter what problems you're experiencing, you'll find a specialist DS mechanic for the problems below and much more.
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Adult Obesity Rate in Iowa Could Reach 54.4 Percent by 2030, According to New StudyPosted: September 27th, 2012
The number of obese adults, along with related disease rates and health care costs, is on course to increase dramatically in Iowa over the next 20 years, according to F as in Fat: How Obesity Threatens America's Future 2012, a report released by Trust for America's Health (TFAH) and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF).
For the first time, the annual report includes an analysis that forecasts 2030 adult obesity rates in each state and the likely resulting rise in obesity-related disease rates and health care costs. By contrast, the analysis also shows that states could prevent obesity-related diseases and dramatically reduce health care costs if they reduced the average body mass index of their residents by just 5 percent by 2030. (For a six-foot-tall person weighing 200 pounds, a 5 percent reduction in BMI would be the equivalent of losing roughly 10 pounds.)
"This study shows us two futures for America's health," said Risa Lavizzo-Mourey, MD, RWJF president and CEO. "At every level of government, we must pursue policies that preserve health, prevent disease and reduce health care costs. Nothing less is acceptable."
The analysis, which was commissioned by TFAH and RWJF and conducted by the National Heart Forum, is based on a peer-reviewed model published last year in The Lancet. Findings include:
Projected Increases in Obesity Rates
If obesity rates continue on their current trajectories, by 2030, the obesity rate in Iowa could reach 54.4 percent. According to the latest data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in 2011, 29 percent of adults in the state were obese.
Nationally, by 2030, 13 states could have adult obesity rates above 60 percent, 39 states could have rates above 50 percent, and all 50 states could have rates above 44 percent. Mississippi could have the highest obesity rate at 66.7 percent, and Colorado could have the lowest obesity rate for any state at 44.8 percent.
Projected Increases in Disease Rates
Over the next 20 years, obesity could contribute to 367,691 new cases of type 2 diabetes, 857,998 new cases of coronary heart disease and stroke, 765,455 new cases of hypertension, 494,563 new cases of arthritis, and 120,441 new cases of obesity-related cancer in Iowa.
Currently, more than 25 million Americans have type 2 diabetes, 27 million have chronic heart disease, 68 million have hypertension and 50 million have arthritis. In addition, 795,000 Americans suffer a stroke each year, and approximately one in three deaths from cancer per year (approximately 190,650) are related to obesity, poor nutrition or physical inactivity.
Projected Increase in Health Care Costs
By 2030, obesity-related health care costs in Iowa could climb by 3.7 percent, which could be the third lowest increase in the country. Nationally, nine states could see increases of more than 20 percent, with New Jersey on course to see the biggest increase at 34.5 percent. Sixteen states and Washington, D.C., could see increases between 15 percent and 20 percent.
In the United States, medical costs associated with treating preventable obesity-related diseases are estimated to increase by $48 billion to $66 billion per year by 2030, and the loss in economic productivity could be between $390 billion and $580 billion annually by 2030. Although the medical cost of adult obesity in the United States is difficult to calculate, current estimates range from $147 billion to nearly $210 billion per year.
How Reducing Obesity Could Lower Disease Rates and Health Care Costs
If BMIs were lowered by 5 percent, Iowa could save 7.1 percent in health care costs, which would equate to savings of $ 5,702,000,000 by 2030.
The number of Iowa residents who could be spared from developing new cases of major obesity-related diseases includes:
77,783 people could be spared from type 2 diabetes,
67,065 from coronary heart disease and stroke,
60,940 from hypertension,
34,635 from arthritis, and
5,849 from obesity-related cancer.
"We know a lot more about how to prevent obesity than we did 10 years ago," said Jeff Levi, PhD, executive director of TFAH. "This report also outlines how policies like increasing physical activity time in schools and making fresh fruits and vegetables more affordable can help make healthier choices easier. Small changes can add up to a big difference. Policy changes can help make healthier choices easier for Americans in their daily lives."
Report Recommendations
On the basis of the data collected and a comprehensive analysis, TFAH and RWJF recommend making investments in obesity prevention in a way that matches the severity of the health and financial toll the epidemic takes on the nation. The report includes a series of policy recommendations, including:
- Fully implement the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act, by implementing the school meal standards and updating nutrition standards for snack foods and beverages in schools;
- Protect the Prevention and Public Health Fund;
- Increase investments in effective, evidence-based obesity-prevention programs;
- Fully implement the National Prevention Strategy and Action Plan;
- Make physical education and physical activity a priority in the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act;
- Finalize the Interagency Working Group on Food Marketed to Children Guidelines;
- Fully support healthy nutrition in federal food programs; and
- Encourage full use of preventive health care services and provide support beyond the doctor's office.
The full report with state rankings in all categories is available on TFAH's website at www.healthyamericans.org and RWJF's website at www.rwjf.org. TFAH and RWJF collaborated on the report, which was supported by a grant from RWJF.


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In my previous "Faith in Vermont" column, I wrote about the sickness season that's hard upon us. This time of year is also mouse season; as the weather turns colder, the mice peek out of their frozen burrows at our warm, well-lit house and think, Heyyyyy! That's not a bad idea! The Gong residence gets mice year-round, but this past month we've been catching almost a mouse a day in our mudroom, which is apparently some sort of mouse superhighway.
I have issues with mice. Not to be overly dramatic, but: The WORST thing about living in Vermont is that there are mice here. Lots and lots of mice.
"But Faith," you say, "you live in the WOODS. Surely you expected mice." Actually, I didn't. Up until coming to Vermont I had shockingly little experience with mice. I grew up deep in suburbia, in a house so sanitary that it could have been the Lysol showcase home. The first time I saw an actual mouse I was about 8 years old. That experience is burned deep into my memory, and it influenced all of my subsequent dealings with mice.
I was visiting my cousins in New Hampshire, riding bikes on their street, when I looked down and saw it: a dead mouse, laying on the asphalt. Since this was the first actual mouse I'd ever seen, I mentioned it to my two older cousins. Sensing I was shaken, they decided to have a little fun with me, and ended up scarring me for life.
"Hey, guys, did you see that dead mouse back there?" I asked, feigning coolness.
"Yeah," answered Michael, "I saw you run over it."
"WHAT?!? No I didn't!"
"I don't know," teased Martha, "I saw a tire track running right across its stomach."
When you're 8 years old, that's all it takes. I lay awakeall night, picturing the flattened mouse. By morning, I was not only terrified of mice, but I was convinced that the only thing worse than a live mouse is a DEAD mouse.
Flash forward a couple decades: We moved into our Vermont "dream house" to find that the previous occupants either didn't notice or didn't care about their massive mouse situation. There were droppings everywhere; I spent the first couple of months in a permanent stoop, scanning the floorboards for fresh mouse poo. Worse than that was the nightly tap dance overhead. Our house is constructed in a "post-and-beam" style; there's no attic over the main part of the house, and in our master bedroom we have a steeply-pitched wood beam ceiling that acts as an amplifier for whatever runs around on the roof. On our first night in this house, it sounded like mice the size of elephants were about to claw through the ceiling.
As in any marriage, ours functions based on a division of duties: I will raise the children, cook the meals, clean the house, tend the yard, and fix leaky faucets, but I will NOT do mice. Thankfully, my husband has embraced his role as household exterminator. We have about 50 T-Rex traps strategically placed around our house. Erick does both the setting and the disposing, sincethe only thing worse than a live mouse is a dead mouse. The first time he had to empty some traps, he wore: rubber gloves, a face mask, goggles, and -- I'm not kidding -- a hard hat. I'm not quite sure what he was expecting from the dead mice, but since I would've required a full hazmat suit, I really couldn't judge him.
After a few months, Erick was so hardened to the carnage that he was emptying traps bare-handed. He was also starting to train our daughters in mouse disposal, planning for a time when he might not be around. (It's the best con we've come up with yet: "Hey, girls, want to help empty the mousetrap?!" And they come running.) But later that first winter, I looked out the window to see a dead mouse, right on our front lawn, just a couple of feet from the house. I mentioned it to Erick, but he promptly forgot all about it, and I didn't have the heart to nag him.
I decided the time had come to face my fear and take responsibility for the dead mouse myself.
Then it rained, and then it snowed. The mouse was covered up for a couple of days, but when the snow melted it was still there, a little worse for wear. Scooping it up with a shovel no longer seemed like a good idea. At this point, I figured it was best to take the organic route, and let the mouse become one with our lawn: the circle of life, natural fertilizer... that sort of thing.
The problem was that the mouse refused to become topsoil as quickly as I'd hoped. Perhaps some freeze-drying had occurred during the snowfall; every morning I'd look out the window and it was still there. (This was before we got our dog, who would've quickly used the mouse as a chew toy). I wondered what was wrong with the dozens of owls that live in our woods: Wasn't this their job? What's wrong with a slightly aged mouse corpse, owls?
So I got out the shovel, took a large scoop of mulch from our mulch pile, and, standing a mere 3 feet from that mouse, threw the mulch on top of it. For good measure, I tossed on a few dry leaves. A burial mound, of sorts. I felt very brave and innovative.
Then one weekend the girls were racing around our yard with a couple of friends. They knocked on the front door to request snacks, and when I opened the door THERE WAS THAT DANG MOUSE. AGAIN. Somebody must've kicked over my burial mound, and the scraggly mouse corpse was lying exposed in the sunlight, like my fear staring me in the face.
I did what I should've done weeks before: I called for Erick. He went outside with a plastic bag, and within minutes the whole ordeal was behind me.
Since that first year, I've had to face many more dead mice in the yard. It's never fun, but I'm making progress: Now I can scoop them up with a (long-handled) shovel and toss them into the woods with panache. The traps are still the province of my husband and daughters. I guess no matter how old you are, there will always be some things that you never grow over.
Happy trapping!
A version of this column originally appeared as "Trapped!" in The Pickle Patch blog on April 26, 2012.
Faith Gong has worked as an elementary school teacher, a freelance photographer, and a nonprofit manager. Since moving to Addison County in 2011, her work has involved caring for a house in the woods, four young daughters, one anxiety-prone puppy — and writing for her blog, The Pickle Patch.


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I have been alone for days
dusk and dawn breathing in the distance
while the silence envelops
like an approaching front.
But don't get me wrong, the weather is fine
even as the coyotes call from the ridge line
and veils of moisture drift in to the trees.
These days, it is I who am the sentinel
turning the light toward the movement
in the underbrush, dispersing the dark.
pbsweeney. 9/27/2008


text: The Instruments will be playing tonight at Cine in Athens at 8:30. The band for this show is Derek Almstead on upright bass, Jim Wilson on drums, Andy Gonzales on organ/guitar, Emily Growden singing harmonies/percussion, myself on violin/clarinet/bass clarinet, and of course Heather McIntosh singing/guitar/cello. It's between the showings of a movie called Red Heroine. Thanks, John


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Koji are a Japanese brand which makes those things for giving you the doube eyelid look, glues etc. etc.
They have some cool videos to watch on their website
I am always looking for the perfect eyelash curlers. I have them all – Shu Uemura, Suqqu, Shiseido, Jill Stuart, The Body Shop, Jemma Kidd, Kose etc. My current favourite is Nars which fits my eye perfectly and gets a nice curl without too much effort.
I was excited that this product had the words "spring" and "mini" in them. I love mini everything! However the "Spring" just meant that this was a springy type of curler, not that it was evocative of spring, little chicks and baby lambs. I was hoping this would come with a baby lamb. I daydream too much.
This curler is small but it's not Mini. The awkward shape does not make it very easy to fit into the make up bag.
Verdict: I didn't like this at all – it takes quite a lot of effort, and I mean double handed squeezing to get a good effect and I had to go over it twice. It really isn't very good for the lashes to be clamping down on it with the force of my ginormous hands. I've never personally liked curlers with "spring" element to them anyway, it's like making a hard job even harder (with my stubborn lashes anyway).
I got this from but really, don't bother.


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body craft
- Power Rack – BodyCraft (F430)$899.00
BodyCraft Strength Equipment, Cardio Equipment and Home Gyms - BodyCraft has been supplying top quality home exercise equipment since 1994. Today, they have greatly expanded their offerings to include a large selection of commercial strength equipment including Smith machines and weight benches as well as commercial cardio equipment such as magnetic resistance rowing machines and exercise bikes.
Free Weight Benches - Find the free weight bench you need right here that will make any garage gym complete. The Flat / Incline / Decline bench will enhance any dumbbell workout with it's multiple angles and quick adjustments. This bench is also expandable with arm curl and leg extension options.
Power Cages and Power Racks - Every good garage gym deserves a good power cage that allows the user to perform all the muscle and power building exercises such as bench presses, squats and deadlifts. This cage is also capable of expanding with the optional lat row attachment, 200 lb. weight stack and dip attachment.
Indoor Rowing Machines – Finally residential and light commercial rowing machines that are quality built but won't break the bank. Kick up your cardio training with your choice of two dependable rowers that offer air and magnetic resistance.
Cardio Equipment - When it comes to cardio equipment, a quality product is important but customer service is paramount. Buy with confidence knowing the cardio brand you are selecting has been around since the 1990's. Check out our selection of stationary bikes which includes indoor cycle bikes, upright bikes and recumbent bikes.
Smith Machines - A good Smith machine can help you take your fitness to the next level while providing additional safety especially when working out by yourself at home. The 3-D movement of the Jones Machine allows the user the traditional vertical movement of a regular Smith with the added benefit of horizontal movement, which can also be locked into place, which provides the user with the same freedom of movement they would experience while using an Olympic bar.
Home Gyms - Body Craft Home Gyms are built to last with quality components that include 2" x 3" heavy gauge steel, 2,000 lb. tensile strength air craft cables and double stitched heavy gauge vinyl upholstery. Each gym is crafted to withstand environments such as multi-housing complexes and corporate fitness centers.
Need a fast custom quote today? Call 1-888-758-7527 or email firstname.lastname@example.com


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Forget the obscure brand of this Patriot media streamer. For a cheap cheap $130, this 1080p box is worth a quick look, so long as you can stomach the equally cheap UI.
The kit includes a remote, 2.5-in space for a you-provided HDD, three USB slots, Ethernet, and support for more than a few file formats. It launches, well, soon, as there's no date and it's currently in pre-order. [Amazon via The Gadget Site via Engadget]


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Foster Orientation
Thank you for you interest in becoming a foster parent with Citizens for Animal Protection, with your help we can save many lives! To learn more about the CAP Foster Home Program and its procedures and policies you may register for an upcoming Foster Home Orientation. For more information on the foster home application and training process, please visit the Foster Homes page.
Each person who attends the Foster Orientation must register, please do not bring young children or extra guests. Please know that CAP Foster Parents must foster a minimum of three pets per year in order to remain active in the program. Foster parents must be 18 years of age and have landlord approval.
Event Properties
|Event Date
|10-17-2018 2:00 pm
|Event End Date
|10-17-2018 3:30 pm
|Available place
|CAP Shelter


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ICD-10 Code H91.8X1
Other specified hearing loss, right ear
Diagnosis Code H91.8X1
Short Description: Other specified hearing loss, right ear
Long Description: Other specified hearing loss, right ear
Version 2019 of the ICD-10-CM diagnosis code H91.8X1
Valid for Submission
The code H91.8X1 is valid for submission for HIPAA-covered transactions.
Code Classification
- Diseases of the ear and mastoid process (H60–H95)
Information for Medical Professionals
The diagnosis code H91.8X1 is grouped in the following Diagnostic Related Group(s) (MS-DRG V35.0)
Convert to ICD-9
Information for Patients
Hearing Disorders and Deafness
Also called: Hearing loss, Presbycusis
It's frustrating to be unable to hear well enough to enjoy talking with friends or family. Hearing disorders make it hard, but not impossible, to hear. They can often be helped. Deafness can keep you from hearing sound at all.
What causes hearing loss? Some possibilities are
- Heredity
- Diseases such as ear infections and meningitis
- Trauma
- Certain medicines
- Long-term exposure to loud noise
- Aging
There are two main types of hearing loss. One happens when your inner ear or auditory nerve is damaged. This type is usually permanent. The other kind happens when sound waves cannot reach your inner ear. Earwax build-up, fluid, or a punctured eardrum can cause it. Treatment or surgery can often reverse this kind of hearing loss.
Untreated, hearing problems can get worse. If you have trouble hearing, you can get help. Possible treatments include hearing aids, cochlear implants, special training, certain medicines, and surgery.
NIH: National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders
- Acoustic trauma (Medical Encyclopedia)
- Age-related hearing loss (Medical Encyclopedia)
- Audiometry (Medical Encyclopedia)
- Ear examination (Medical Encyclopedia)
- Hearing loss (Medical Encyclopedia)
- Occupational hearing loss (Medical Encyclopedia)
- Otosclerosis (Medical Encyclopedia)
- Sensorineural deafness (Medical Encyclopedia)
[Read More]
Nonsyndromic hearing loss Nonsyndromic hearing loss is a partial or total loss of hearing that is not associated with other signs and symptoms. In contrast, syndromic hearing loss occurs with signs and symptoms affecting other parts of the body.Nonsyndromic hearing loss can be classified in several different ways. One common way is by the condition's pattern of inheritance: autosomal dominant (DFNA), autosomal recessive (DFNB), X-linked (DFNX), or mitochondrial (which does not have a special designation). Each of these types of hearing loss includes multiple subtypes. DFNA, DFNB, and DFNX subtypes are numbered in the order in which they were first described. For example, DFNA1 was the first type of autosomal dominant nonsyndromic hearing loss to be identified.The characteristics of nonsyndromic hearing loss vary among the different types. Hearing loss can affect one ear (unilateral) or both ears (bilateral). Degrees of hearing loss range from mild (difficulty understanding soft speech) to profound (inability to hear even very loud noises). The term "deafness" is often used to describe severe-to-profound hearing loss. Hearing loss can be stable, or it may be progressive, becoming more severe as a person gets older. Particular types of nonsyndromic hearing loss show distinctive patterns of hearing loss. For example, the loss may be more pronounced at high, middle, or low tones.Most forms of nonsyndromic hearing loss are described as sensorineural, which means they are associated with a permanent loss of hearing caused by damage to structures in the inner ear. The inner ear processes sound and sends the information to the brain in the form of electrical nerve impulses. Less commonly, nonsyndromic hearing loss is described as conductive, meaning it results from changes in the middle ear. The middle ear contains three tiny bones that help transfer sound from the eardrum to the inner ear. Some forms of nonsyndromic hearing loss, particularly a type called DFNX2, involve changes in both the inner ear and the middle ear. This combination is called mixed hearing loss.Depending on the type, nonsyndromic hearing loss can become apparent at any time from infancy to old age. Hearing loss that is present before a child learns to speak is classified as prelingual or congenital. Hearing loss that occurs after the development of speech is classified as postlingual.
[Read More]
ICD-10 Footnotes
General Equivalence Map Definitions
The ICD-10 and ICD-9 GEMs are used to facilitate linking between the diagnosis codes in ICD-9-CM and the new ICD-10-CM code set. The GEMs are the raw material from which providers, health information vendors and payers can derive specific applied mappings to meet their needs.
- Approximate Flag - The approximate flag is on, indicating that the relationship between the code in the source system and the code in the target system is an approximate equivalent.
- No Map Flag - The no map flag indicates that a code in the source system is not linked to any code in the target system.
- Combination Flag - The combination flag indicates that more than one code in the target system is required to satisfy the full equivalent meaning of a code in the source system.
Present on Admission
The Present on Admission (POA) indicator is used for diagnosis codes included in claims involving inpatient admissions to general acute care hospitals. POA indicators must be reported to CMS on each claim to facilitate the grouping of diagnoses codes into the proper Diagnostic Related Groups (DRG). CMS publishes a listing of specific diagnosis codes that are exempt from the POA reporting requirement.


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