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Boston, MAAccording to new research from Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH), an anti-AIDS treatment regimen, which includes the WHO-recommended drug nevirapine, is just as effective at suppressing the HIV virus as lopinavir/ritonavir, which is more expensive. The study is published in the June 12 issue of PLoS Medicine.
These findings are reassuring as they confirm the 2010 recommendation from the World Health Organization (WHO) that initial treatment of HIV-infected women, in resource-limited settings, should be a nevirapine based regimen. This particular combination is rapidly becoming one of the most commonly used antiretroviral treatment regimens worldwide, particularly among women. However, minimal data regarding the efficacy of this combination existed before this study and earlier data raised concerns about the potency of this regimen.
The researchers, led by Shahin Lockman, MD, a physician-researcher in the Division of Infectious Diseases at BWH, conducted one of the larger treatment studies in HIV infected women, worldwide. They analyzed 500 HIV-infected women in Africa who had not previously taken any antiretroviral treatment but who were found to have advanced HIV disease and required treatment. Half of the women received an antiretroviral therapy which contained nevirapine, and the other half received the antiretroviral therapy which contained lopinavir/ritonavir, which is much more expensive and is reserved for second-line treatment in resource limited settings.
The researchers found that the two treatment regimens were equally as effective in suppressing the HIV virus and keeping people alive. However, the major difference in the two treatments was that 14 percent of the women in the nevirapine group stopped treatment because of adverse health effects. None of the women in the lopinavir/ritonavir group stopped treatment.
"Our findings show that the nevirapine based regime is potent and effective, just not optimal," explained Lockman.
Overall, while the study provides some reassurance regarding effectiveness, the results reinforce that other better-tolerated regimes should be sought after and used where possible.
"The take away message of our study should be that while this regimen works, it's not the best that we could be using and we need to continue to press for better access to better regimes," Lockman added.
|Contact: Jessica Maki
Brigham and Women's Hospital


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meVC.com Offers White-Knuckle VC Ride to the Masses
Page 1 of 2
The Internet world's philosophy of trickle-down populism has spawned a new contestant -- meVC.com -- which aims at letting "the little guy" in on those juicy venture capital deals once open only to people with a net worth that rivals most Third World countries.
One can but pray that it is more successful than Bill Hambrecht's OpenIPO which seems to price stock so correctly that share prices instantly stagnate on opening day or have fewer side effects than day trading which has raised the adrenaline levels of everybody from the SEC to the local Guns 'N Ammo Emporium.
Launched with a $4.5 million investment from VC wunderkinds Draper Fisher Jurvetson, the San Francisco-based meVC filed its N-2 SEC registration statement on Dec. 8 stating its intention to raise half a billion dollars sometime in February 2000 through the sale of 25 million shares at a proposed offering price of $20 per share.
Formally named the MEVC Draper Fisher Jurvetson Fund I Inc., the company is structured as a closed-end fund which will invest its proceeds alongside those of DFJ which has been retained to identify, structure and negotiate investments for the fund. They may also invest up to 10% of net assets in an index of publicly traded information technology companies.
And while closed-end funds often trade below their net asset value, meVC said in its SEC filing that it believes their structure is more flexible in the types of investments it can make and will allow it to remain more fully invested in securities that are consistent with its long term objectives.
Shareholders in the new fund need to qualify by having either a net worth of at least $150,000 (not including the value of their home) or a net worth of at least $50,000 (not including the value of their home) and annual gross income of at least $50,000. The minimum investment will be 100 shares according to the SEC filing. The company promises to make distributions of cash and securities to its shareholders of at least 90 percent of the net investment income received from interest and dividends plus net short-term capital gains. "We intend to make the first distribution, which will likely be comprised entirely of investment income from short-term investments in accordance with our investment objective, by Dec. 31, 2000," said the SEC filing. Shares from IPOs or received from the sale of a portfolio company will be distributed pro-rata.
While meVC is technically a separate entity with its own management, it is joined at the heart, brain and wallet with DFJ. Headed by co-founder and CEO Andrew Singer, who was previously with Robertson Stephens & Co., meVC has a compensation relationship with DFJ that leaves both companies with their hands deep in each other's pockets.
According to the SEC filing, the MEVC Draper Fisher Jurvetson Fund I will pay meVC Advisers an annual management fee equal to 2.5 percent of its average weekly net assets, payable in monthly installments. "We have also agreed to pay to meVC Advisers annual incentive compensation equal to 20 percent of our annual realized capital gains net of realized and unrealized capital losses. Payment of this type of incentive-based compensation, referred to as a 'carried interest,' is typical in the venture capital industry. Carried interest payments provide an economic incentive for venture capital fund managers to select investments with the potential to achieve the greatest increase in value over time."
Then, a

subset: commoncrawl


text: Indigenous US flutes are definitely probably the most magical of devices. Music played on a Native six gap flute has actually a means of fascinating folks. They are able to calm your nature. If you're acquainted flute songs you must be thankful too. If you should be a new comer […] Browse Top 9 Native American Flute Tips13 Mar, 2015 in American Art / Flute tagged Adaptive reuse / American / American Indian Movement / Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy / Angkor / Art Nouveau / Auto mechanic / beautiful music / Browse / Flute / Native / Peter Gabriel / Tips / United States by Manuel Marino


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Clearance Fabrics
Shop clearance fabrics in the Fabric Cellar, a special section of our website where prices are even lower! At FabricGuru.com we inspect our fabrics carefully. With the many thousands of fabrics we inspect we do find some that are less than perfect but are still great for most uses. Some of the fabric on clearance in The Fabric Cellar are slightly irregular and the problem will be stated in the detail page. Other fabrics in The Fabric Cellar are at clearance prices to make room for new stock.


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Boat Reels
Browse our range of Boat Fishing Reels which includes Abu Ambassadeur, and Penn Fathom, Rival, Squall, Rival, Pursuit and Warfare reels.
Boat Fishing Tackle - Reels
We have lots more products in store than currently displayed here. If you can't see what you are looking for, please contact us for advice. We can also take your order over the phone (01323) 460441.


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Don't choke anybody actually. Snapped by photographer Paul Weiskel, this photo was taken at a, deep breath, pseudo-Occupy protest against an anti-LGBT Tea Party rally. An individual wearing a Neon Genesis Evangelion shirt.
Are police allowed to chokehold unarmed protestors? That purple wig is no weapon.
(Top photo: Paul Weiskel | Flickr)


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Picnic at Hanging Rock
What we see and what we seem are but a dream... a dream within a dream.
Picnic at Hanging Rock is one of the first Australian films to break through to an international audience, and it is also one of director Peter Weir's earliest and most important works. Weir would later go on to direct such giants as The Year of Living Dangerously, Dead Poet's Society, and The Truman Show. Picnic at Hanging Rock, mysterious and dream-like, confusing and open-ended, provides a glimpse of this prolific director's early vision.Continue Reading
The Crying Game
In his introduction to the published screenplay of Chinatown, Robert Towne wonders if there's anything left to do with noir. He wonders if the aesthetics and thematics and poetics of noir are simply outdated in the information age, where a sense of mystery is harder to come by. Sensibly, he shrugs off this worry and points to The Crying Game as an example of how noir can still say new things to us as a modern audience. The thing I admire so much about the film, though, is that it manages to be both a deeply personal love story as well as a morality play about modern day political crime in Britain. It's an IRA story with terrorism, assassinations, and a queer love story at its center. Somehow it all makes complete sense.
The first third of the film is told in flashback. Fergus, played by Stephen Rea, is an IRA operative who feels immense guilt for having had a role in the death of a hapless British soldier, Jody, played by an overbearing and overacting Forest Whitaker. Whitaker's character gets to know Fergus after he's nabbed and before the inevitable happens, Jody makes Fergus promise to check in on his girlfriend, a London hairdresser named Dil, after he is gone. The story goes from IRA thriller to blue neon Brit noir when Fergus goes to London, haunted by the tragic fate of Jody. He looks in on Dil as promised and quickly becomes infatuated with her. Dil is a cool London chick and a transgendered woman (with a penis) though Fergus has no idea. Fergus isn't saying who he really is and Dil isn't saying who she really is. Once nature takes its course and Fergus discovers the truth about Dil he doesn't handle it very well. But because of the fact that he actually has a conscience, and his genuine confusion over his feelings towards Dil, he doesn't ever really leave her. The IRA is never truly going to let him go, though, and his loyalty to them becomes a liability for someone in the throes of a curious new relationship.Continue Reading


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MSPcomix wrote:...I can get into the site settings and WebFTP just fine, but I can't edit the guide info.
Numskull wrote:... but STILL i cannot log in....
Dr Neo Lao wrote:MSPcomix wrote:...I can get into the site settings and WebFTP just fine, but I can't edit the guide info.
You can't change the Guide information. The Guide is depreciated, no longer being maintained and is marked for deletion. You should create/update your comics' page on the CGWiki instead. And if you say you can "get into site settings", then that means that you can get into SiteAdmin.
Dr Neo Lao wrote: It's the current SiteAdmin hiccup that is preventing new members from getting into SiteAdmin...
Your browser did not return the expected response Bellcountycomics
Referred from: http://siteadmin.comicgenesis.com/?&logout
User Agent(Browser) reports it is: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:220.127.116.11) Gecko/2009042316 Firefox/3.0.10
No Proxy Detected
Your Actual IP Address: 220.127.116.11
Your browser is broken
Browser status: MSIE 7: Working
Firefox 220.127.116.11: Working
Safari 3.0.2: Working
Opera 9.21 (8776): Working
Nintendo DS Opera: Not working
Please use Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari or Opera or something that supports HTTP Digest Authentication compliant with RFC2617!
Also you get this if you entered the wrong password, or have never logged out of forums.comicgenesis.com and back in after July 22nd 2007
Logout to try again (hit cancel)
Still can't get into SiteAdmin
Bellycountcomics wrote:...here's the error I'm receiving:
Bellcountycomics wrote:...wtheck, man? its supposed to be Bell County, not Belly County...
Dr Neo Lao wrote:Bellcountycomics wrote:...wtheck, man? its supposed to be Bell County, not Belly County...
My apologies, not reading right. "Bellcountycomics" is what I meant.
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 0 guests


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HYDT high-voltage suboil motor
Product specification:
Motors in the HYDT series from drive specialist ZIEHL-ABEGG provide customised solutions for special applications that rely on the particularly high output density and low weight of the drive unit. The motor is designed as a stator rotor unit without housing or mounting to allow it to be easily integrated into your application without taking up too much space.
Properties & special features:
Cooling is provided by seawater on the housing itself or by a separate oil cooler. Since it is filled with oil there is no need for a pressure-resistant housing even at great water depths. The version for high-voltage applications allows for small wire cross sections, which provides many benefits particularly for long supply lines.
- Output up to 280 kW
- Voltage 3000 V DC
- 2 and 4 pole
- Higher output or higher voltage on request.


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Browsing by Author "Salter, Ammon"
Now showing items 1-3 of 3
economic and scientific specialisation among OECD countriesLaursen, Keld; Salter, Ammon (København, 2002)[More information][Less information]
URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10398/7220
Files in this item: 1druid02-03.pdf (362.8Kb)
The Role of Appropriability Strategies in Shaping Innovative PerformanceLaursen, Keld; Salter, Ammon (København, 2005)[More information][Less information]
Abstract: The strategies firms use to protect their intellectual property and knowledge can strongly influence their ability to capture the benefits of their innovative efforts. In attempting to appropriate their innovations, firms can chose from a range of mechanisms, including patents, trade secrets and lead times. Yet, little is known about how the use of different appropriability mechanisms may shape innovative performance. Using a large-scale database of UK manufacturing firms, we examine how legal (such as patents) and first mover (such as secrecy) appropriability strategies shape performance. We find that both strategies are curvilinearly (taking an inverted U-shape) related to innovative performance, indicting that some firms may suffer from a myopia of protectiveness, relying too heavily on appropriation to the detriment of other activities. Keywords: Appropriability, Intellectual property rights, Innovation, Innovative performance URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10398/7301
Files in this item: 1
what types of firms use universities as a source of innovation?Laursen, Keld; Salter, Ammon (København, 2003)[More information][Less information]
Abstract: Abstract This paper examines the factors that influence whether firms draw from universities in their innovative activities. The link between the universities and industrial innovation, and the role of different search strategies in influencing the propensity of firms to use universities is explored. The results suggest that firms who adopt "open" search strategies and invest in R&D are more likely than other firms to draw from universities, indicating that managerial choice matters in shaping the propensity of firms to draw from universities. Key words: University-industry links, innovation, external search strategies JEL Codes: C25, C42, O31, O32 URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10398/7260
Files in this item: 103-16.pdf (758.8Kb)
Now showing items 1-3 of 3


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In our last post, we explored how the Microsoft Solver Foundation can be used to solve simple maximization/minimization problems from C#. The problem we looked at is the following: given a set of products, each with a unit cost, a reselling price, and a weight, how can we maximize profit if we have only a limited budget and a limited weight capacity available.
Expressing and resolving the problem for a particular set of inputs was rather easy. However, the example we presented was very static: the decisions, the goal and the constraints were completely hard-coded.
The real value I found in the Microsoft Solver Foundation is that it can be completely integrated in your .NET code, working with strongly-typed objects. Today, we will revisit the same example we presented previously, but our goal will be to make the optimization program "generic", so that we can resolve the same prototypical problem, given any set of inputs.
At a high level, what we are looking for is a class which, given a collection of Products, a Budget and a Capacity, returns a "recommended" purchase quantity for each product, maximizing our profit:
public class Profit
public static IDictionary<Product, int> Maximize(
IEnumerable<Product> products,
double budget,
double capacity)
// do stuff here
Let's first define what a Product is:
public class Product
public Product(string name, double cost, double price, double weight)
this.Name = name;
this.Cost = cost;
this.Price = price;
this.Weight = weight;
public string Name { get; private set; }
public double Cost { get; private set; }
public double Price { get; private set; }
public double Weight { get; private set; }
public double Margin
get { return this.Price - this.Cost; }
Tags: Optimization, Microsoft Solver Foundation, MILP, C#, OML, Math
Category: .NET ∙ C# ∙ quantitative modeling
Permalink ·
Comments (8)
While most of my posts tend to focus on software development, my background is in optimization. Unfortunately, I don't get to use these two skillsets together too often, because most projects require fairly basic modeling, and because the tools they require do not always integrate well together.
Luckily, the project I am currently working on involved performing some optimization, from within a .NET application, which gave me an opportunity to investigate the Microsoft Solver Foundation, which comes with a free solver and provides a framework for leveraging existing commercial solvers.
What is a solver? In a nutshell, it is an algorithm designed to identify optimal input values to maximize a function, while satisfying constraints. Certain classes of problems can be solved very efficiently using known algorithms, while others require the use of heuristics – but in general, if you find yourself asking "what is the best combination of values for this situation", chances are, a solver is the tool you should be using.
Rather than go into theory, let's look at an illustration, which will hopefully give you a sense for what the Microsoft Solver Foundation can do for you, and how you can leverage it in your .NET applications.
Imagine the following situation. You are an enterprising individual, and realize that there is good money to be made by importing goods from the Republic of Gadgetistan, the neighboring country. You break the piggybank, invest in an old truck, drive over there and get ready to buy a truckload of the local specialties, Widgets, Sprockets and Gizmos.
The truck didn't come cheap, so you have only 200 Rublars (the official currenty of Gadgetistan) left in your wallet – this is your Budget Constraint.
The truck user manual is very clear – the Capacity of your truck is 500 Kilograms. One pound more, and your wonderful truck could collapse in a sad heap of scrap metal. This is your Capacity Constraint.
A bit of market research yielded the following information about the main product: the buying Cost, the reselling Price, and the Weight for a unit of each of the main goods from Gadgetistan.
Your problem at that point is simple: how many units of each product should you carry in your truck, to make the most of your trip?
Tags: Optimization, Microsoft Solver Foundation, MILP, C#, OML
Category: C# ∙ quantitative modeling ∙ Algorithms
Permalink ·
Comments (5)
About me
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Calamari Salad
Crispy Calamari tossed in a Tomato, Green Pepper, Onion and Feta Cheese Salad
Calamari Salad
Crispy Calamari tossed in a Tomato, Green Pepper, Onion and Feta Cheese Salad
April 26, 2016 Read More
Great food, great service, Food is fresh and tasty. Tastes like good Greek food. lunch was delicious, supper delicious. All homemade.
May-26-2016 Read More
What a great place! Our server was fantastic. He had a personable, positive energy and was super informative! Two gals split the appetizer for 2 platter and the saganaki to start. Definitely very filling. It might have been the litre of wine, but we'll definitely be back. ? Opa!
RelatedCorrine Davidson
Omg, if you haven't been here yet you are missing out! Went for lunch today, it was sooooo good! So fresh and tasty. The service was phenomenal as well. We are planning our next visit for supper, and cannot wait!
RelatedLisa B.
Jan-16-2016 Read More
The food and staff are fantastic. We had the dinner platters so we were able to sample a lot of their different dishes. Take a healthy appetite because you will need it. We will be back.
RelatedJim B.
April-25-2016 Read More
Lovely restaurant with a Mediterranean feel. Excellent food – very authentic, lots of choice. Great service from very friendly staff. Good prices.


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US State Dept: Don't Censor The Internet! Unless We Order You To, As We Did In Spain...
from the sing-a-song-of-hypocrisy deptWe've discussed how the State Department, and Hillary Clinton in particular, have been spending a lot of time talking up the importance of internet freedom, and speaking out against countries that censor the internet. That even resulted in Joe Biden's unintentionally hilarious explanation of why internet censorship is horrible... while he supports internet censorship at home.
It seems like there's a real disconnect in our government, however, when the censorship is couched in the word "copyright." We just wrote about how Spain adopted its SOPA-like law this week, despite widespread public outrage. We had noted that the US State Department was a major force behind the bill, and (no surprise) more news has leaked that there was more of the same behind this new decision to adopt the Sinde Law. It's been leaked that, just last month, State Department officials threatened the Spanish government that if it didn't pass the law, there would be repercussions. This was a letter from US ambassador Alan Solomont to the outgoing Spanish government, sent December 12th, in which he talked about "promises" made to the US government:
"The government has unfortunately failed to finish the job for political reasons, to the detriment of the reputation and economy of Spain... The government of Spain made commitments to the rights owners and to the US government. Spain can not afford to see their credibility questioned on this issue."Stunning. Because, in actuality, the commitment the Spanish government has is to its own citizens -- who are very much against the bill. The only thing that raises questions about Spain's "credibility" is caving to US diplomatic pressure to censor the internet.
Meanwhile, if we want to talk "credibility," the US State Department is increasingly losing its credibility on this issue. How can any diplomat, with a straight face, go public talking about internet freedom and being against censorship, when the State Department demanded Spain pass a law that allows for censoring the internet?
Filed Under: alan solomont, censorship, free speech, hypocrisy, internet freedom, sinde, spain, state department


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Copa America verdict: Best and worst game, best goal, biggest surprise, more
Now that the 2016 Copa America has come to an end, we asked our writers to reflect on its highs and lows.
Tim Vickery: I enjoyed Argentina's semifinal display in the 4-0 win vs. the U.S. and Chile's 7-0 quarterfinal rout of Mexico immensely; they were magnificent team performances. But in terms of a game involving two teams, I think I might have to go with Ecuador 2-2 Peru. The Peruvians started out like a train, with Ecuador straining to get back in it.
Jeff Carlisle: Argentina 2-1 Chile: This...


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Life Insurance
If you are like many living on a modest income, you can still make a major charitable donation without affecting your financial needs by naming the Garden as the sole or partial beneficiary in your life insurance policy or your retirement plan. There are different ways a gift of life insurance can be made in order to accomplish your charitable goals while meeting estate or financial needs.
THE GARDEN as Beneficiary: the Garden can be the primary or secondary beneficiary of your life insurance policy, while you still retain ownership and access to the policy's cash. With this type of charitable giving the proceeds will still be included in your taxable estate because the life insurance policy is still under your name. However, you benefit through a charitable estate tax deduction and the insurance proceeds do not go through probate.
THE GARDEN as Owner: This type of donation provides you with immediate tax benefits. When you assign the irrevocable insurance policy to the Garden, you will be allowed an immediate federal income-tax deduction and there will be no estate taxes since the Garden owns the policy. You have the option to pay the premiums directly to the insurance company or to the Garden, which in turn pays the premiums. With an existing policy, you can transfer ownership of the policy to the Garden.
Planned Giving Notification Form
The Santa Barbara Botanic Garden conserves California native plants and habitats for the health and well-being of people and the planet.
Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, Inc. is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization.
Our Tax ID number is 95-1644628.


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Be at the Center of it All and Ring in the New Year at Hard Rock Cafe on the Strip with DJ Nesta B
WHAT: Say goodbye to 2012 and hello to 2013 with DJ Nesta B as he comes to the Hard Rock Cafe on the
Las Vegas Strip Monday, December 31.
Party-goers will have an amazing front and center view of the Las Vegas Strip and the world-famous firework displays, visible from the third floor balcony. All ticket purchases include a hosted Red Bull & Absolut bar as well as passed appetizers from 9pm to 10pm. At midnight, there will be a champagne toast to usher in the New Year.
DJ Nesta B hails from Nairobi, Kenya and has been spinning professionally for more than a decade. As the acclaimed originator of the Video DJ, Nesta has transformed and elevated this form into an art. He has performed and shared the stage with many other respectable music artists, in various famous venues and clubs.
Monday, December
9 p.m. doors
21+ only
Hard Rock Cafe on the
3771 Las Vegas Blvd S. (Across from Monte Carlo)
Las Vegas, NV
Tickets are $39.00 in advance and $50.00 day of event. Tickets include a hosted Red Bull & Absolut Bar and passed appetizers from 9pm – 10pm. VIP tables available upon request at 702.650.8590.


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Serviços Personalizados
Links relacionados
- Citado por Google
- Similares em Google
South African Dental Journal
versão On-line ISSN 0375-1562
versão impressa ISSN 0011-8516
S. Afr. dent. j. vol.70 no.5 Johannesburg Jun. 2015
Oral medicine case book 70: Oral Malignant Melanoma
S SinghI; NB ZwaneII; SL ShangaseIII
IBDS, MSc (Wits). Department of Oral Medicine and Periodontology, School of Oral Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand
IIBDS (Medunsa). Department of Oral Medicine and Periodontology, School of Oral Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand
IIIMDent (Oral Medicine and Periodntology) (Medunsa). Department of Oral Medicine and Periodontology, School of Oral Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand
Oral mucosal melanoma is an extremely rare, aggressive malignancy that is noticeably distinct from its cutaneous counterpart by its heterogeneity in clinical course, histopathological features and prognosis.
There is limited knowledge on the aetiopathogenesis of oral mucosal melanomas, however, recent studies have been focused towards molecular and genetic studies. Studies on cytogenetic alterations (loss of heterozygosity) and familial patterns of inheritance have been investigated, and these differ genetically from cutaneous melanomas. A possible association between the oral mucosal melanoma and Diabetes Mellitus has been alluded to.
Most clinicians and researchers believe that oral mucosal melanomas arise de novo, and less frequently from a precursor benign melanocytic lesion, unlike their cutaneous counterparts which are believed to arise due to chronic sun exposure. Oral mucosal melanomas may present with a heterogeneous range of macroscopic and microscopic features that can make the clinical and histopathological diagnosis and interpretation difficult.
Key words: Oral malignant melanoma, Invasive malignant melanoma, Oral cancer
Malignant melanomas develop from melanocytes which are derived from the neural crest and are widely distributed throughout all cutaneous, ocular, and mucosal surfaces with the cutaneous types being more common than the mucosal.1 The oral mucosal melanoma (OMM) is an extremely rare, aggressive malignancy that is noticeably distinct from its cutaneous counterpart by its heterogeneity in clinical course, histopathologic features and prognosis.2
There is limited knowledge on the aetiopathogenesis of OMM, however, recent studies have been focused towards molecular and genetic studies. Studies on cytogenetic alterations (loss of heterozygosity) and familial patterns of inheritance have been investigated, and these differ genetically from cutaneous melanomas.3 Unlike their cutaneous counterparts which are believed to arise due to chronic exposure to the sun; most clinicians and researchers believe that OMMs arise de novo, and less frequently from a precursor benign melanocytic lesion.2 Oral mucosal melanomas may present with a heterogeneous range of macroscopic and microscopic features that can make the clinical histopathologic diagnosis and interpretation difficult2 and hence may complicate the therapeutic approach.3 The OMM usually presents at a more aggressive vertical (nodular) growth phase with the underlying submucosa already invaded.4 The aggressive nature of this tumour commonly presents with widespread metastasis in advanced stages with the most common sites of metastases being lymph nodes, liver and lungs. Conventional treatment of oral malignant melanoma includes surgical excision that may be combined with radiotherapy or chemotherapy.3 The five year survival rate has been reported as varying from 0-55%.5
Oral mucosal melanomas are very rare neoplasms, and account for 1% to 8% of all melanomas in United States and Europe.6 The incidence of this neoplasm and the associated survival rate are very low in Europe, whilst higher incidences have been reported amongst the Japanese,6 African7,8 and North American Indian populations.910 Oral melanomas are usually diagnosed from the 5th to 7th decade of life and carry a poor prognosis because of the vertical growth phase, with frequent metastasis,11 and ample thickness of the tumours4 seen upon first consultation. Studies done on the incidence of oral malignant melanomas in the South African population have been extremely limited with only two cases reported in the past five years.12,13 Early diagnosis and prompt management is essential for improved survival rates and dental clinicians need to be made aware of the different presentations and the need for urgent referral. The tumour usually occurs more in males than females.6,14,15 According to Muller, the male to female ratio is noted at 2.5-3:1.16 Kumar et al also reported a similar ratio,3 but there have been contrasting reports in the literature with some reports suggesting a slightly higher female incidence.17
The OMM that presents without skin lesions is referred to as the primary oral melanoma (POM). The POM is initially asymptomatic19 and not readily seen. Together with inexperience of surgeons/dentists in its identification during early stages, these factors lead to delayed diagnosis and hence the poor prognosis of mucosal melanomas.2,17 The palate is the most common site of involvement (32%-40%), followed by the maxillary gingiva (16%).4,6,11,19 Other sites that may be involved include the mandibular gingiva (7%), buccal mucosa (7%), lips (7%) and alveolar gingiva (5%)6; all of which are easy to access during routine intraoral clinical examination.3
In cases where POM is suspected, and having no previous history of melanomas, a whole body skin examination and ophthalmic examination must be done to exclude primary cutaneous or ocular melanomas.21 Depending on the size and site of the lesion, an incisional/ excisional biopsy is mandatory when suspicion for oral melanoma is high.19
Lesions which mimic malignant melanomas and should be considered i n differential diagnosis i nclude: amalgam tattoo, Kaposi's sarcoma, vascular blood-related pigments, oral melanotic macule, physiologic pigmentation, drug-induced pigmentation and zygomycosis, the latter particularly in cases having a medical history of diabetes.19
The POM case we are reporting in this paper is of interest to the dental community because of its striking clinical resemblance to an intra-oral zygomycosis infection, which is often associated with acidosis as a result of diabetes mellitus (DM).18
Greene et al proposed three criteria for the diagnosis of primary oral malignant melanoma:22
• The demonstration of malignant melanoma in the oral mucosa
• The presence of e so-called junctional activity' (i.e. melanocytes arranged along the basal layer of the surface epithelium) in the lesion
• The inability to show malignant melanoma at any other primary site
These criteria have been used for many years in the diagnosis of primary oral malignant melanomas. More recent and improved methods are now also utilized together with conventional microscopy. Included are cytogenetic and molecular analyses and in particular the use of sensitive markers such as HMB-45, S-100 protein and NKI/C3, HLA-DR, PCNA and cytokeratin (AE1/AE3).6 About 10% of cases have been reported to be amelanotic, which complicates the diagnosis even further. However more than 95% of lesions are anti S-100 antigen positive and more specific markers including HMB-45, Melan-A and antityrosinase can be used to facilitate the diagnostic process.19
A simple classification of malignant tumours based on a clinical staging system (primary tumour (T); lymph nodes (N); distant metastases (M): TNM) has been used on oral mucosal melanomas and recognizes three stages (Table 1). This system has been shown to be of prognostic value and is used to direct treatment.19 Current conventional parameters such as Clark's level and the Breslow tumour thickness,2,4,17 are important prognostic indicators for cutaneous melanoma but these were not originally established for mucosal melanomas; and there has been very little evidence to support their direct application to cases of oral malignant melanomas.3
The classification of oral melanomas is very controversial and not well documented compared with the skin melanomas, because of their different behaviour.19 A nomenclature was proposed at the 1995 WESTOP Banff Workshop to classify oral melanomas by histological patterns such as in situ, invasive and, combined invasive and in situ.4,6,17 Since then, researchers have made various attempts at classification systems but none have been confirmed in the literature to date.
A 76 year old female patient presented to the Oral Medicine clinic with a complaint of a large 'black growth' on her palate with spontaneous bleeding from the site. The patient only became aware of the 'growth' following the extraction of tooth 26; which had occurred one month prior to consulting with us. The reason for the extraction of tooth 26, as reported by the patient, was increased mobility which made it difficult to chew. Following extraction at the local clinic, she was given antibiotics and subsequently referred to the Oral Medicine Clinic for further investigations, as there was no resolution with antibiotic treatment. At the time of initial examination the patient confirmed that she was receiving treatment for diabetes, hypertension and arthritis.
Extra-oral examination discovered enlarged left cervical and submandibular lymph nodes (Figure 1) which were also tender on palpation. Intra-oral assessment revealed a large black-brown fungating mass in the 24-28 region covering almost the entire left side of the hard and soft palate (Figure 2). The palatal lesion was continuous with the lesion on the buccal gingiva via the interdental papillae (Figure 3). Whilst the palatal lesion was homogenous in colour, the gingival lesion was of mixed hue with an erythematous area amid the predominantly brown-black lesion. The patient also presented with poor oral hygiene and severe halitosis. Physiologic pigmentation was noted on the buccal maxillary and mandibular gingiva; and in the 24 area the lesional tissue appeared to be confluent with the physiologic pigmentation.
The panoramic radiograph exhibited a 'moth-eaten' radi-olucency in the region of 24-28 with severe bone loss and a loss of lamina dura around teeth 26 and 27 (Figure 4). An incisional biopsy was taken from both the palatal and gingival lesions and the specimens were submitted to the National Health Laboratory Services (NHLS) for analysis. Since the patient had no cutaneous lesions the possibility of a metastatic malignant melanoma to the oral cavity was ruled out in this case. Histologically the tumour showed a cellular proliferation of spindle cells and epitheloid cells (Figure 5). The melanocytes appeared pleomorphic with pale nuclei, prominent nucleoli, brisk mitotic activity and pale cytoplasm containing melanin pigment (Figures 6 & 7). These histological features were morphologically in keeping with an invasive malignant melanoma.
The patient received counselling when the results were made known to her. She was subsequently referred to the Department of ENT for further management. Though there were no distant metastases noted, there was N3 nodal involvement. The patient was placed on the surgical list for resection and soft tissue reconstruction. Unfortunately the patient passed away three months later before undergoing surgical intervention.
The primary mucosal malignant melanoma is an exceedingly rare and biologically aggressive tumour.11,19 It is known to account for 0.5% of all malignant oral neoplasms.11 To date, most reported cases of oral malignant melanomas have been associated with an extremely poor prognosis, diagnosis having been at a late-stage of the disease. The reasons for this are not completely understood.3 Garzino-Demo stated that the possible reason for the poor prognosis is not only late detection but the problem could also be related to the histotype, difficulty with the wide resections necessitated during surgery and close proximity to vital structures, early haematogenous metastases and the age of the patient.14
Risk factors for oral mucosal melanoma have not been confirmed, as the oral mucosa, unlike the skin, is not exposed to the sun. Cigarette smoking was considered as a risk factor because of the higher incidence of oral pigmented lesions amongst smokers but studies have not been conclusive.21 Diabetes has been hypothesized as a potential risk factor for melanoma, based on both population-based and clinical surveys which showed a predilection of melanoma to occur in individuals with diabetes.23 The results of this study by Qi et al point to the possibility of diabetes being an independent risk for melanoma, a likelihood further strengthened by the reported increased efficacy of anti-melanotic drugs when used in combination with the anti-diabetic drugs than when used alone.24 The patient presented in this paper was diabetic; and hence the question to be asked is: could her diabetic status have played a role in the development of the melanoma or impacted on its aggression? A number of possible mechanisms through which DM can impact on melanoma have been postulated.23
The complex aetiopathogenesis and the rarity of melanoma have lead to familial risk recently becoming a strong field for investigation by researchers. Future studies are directed at biomarker identification and early detection with the possibility of prevention through the use of predictive genetic testing for melanoma, which is aimed at reducing mortality. However, studies are still relatively new and are mainly focused on the cutaneous forms of melanoma. Whilst oral melanoma develops de novo, it has been linked to precursor non-threatening benign oral melanocytic lesions.2,4 The case that we have reported on had racial/ physiologic pigmentation. The apparent confluence of the lesion on the buccal gingiva of tooth 24 (Figures 2 & 3) with the racial pigmentation can only be suggestive. Though it cannot be suggested that all benign melanocytic lesion will transform to malignancy, nevertheless, given the common link to familial heredity between racial pigmentation and oral melanoma,; it appears prudent to recommend close follow-ups on patients with oral melanocytic lesions, in particular racial pigmentation. Whilst no melanocytic lesion has been confirmed as a precursor lesion for oral melanoma, a third of the patients diagnosed with melanoma have a history of a pre-existing pigmentation at the site of the tumour;4 and when biopsied such pigmentations often display atypical melanocytic hyperplasia.15,25 Close follow-ups are recommended on patients in the age groups between the 5th and 7th decade with melanocytic lesions, particularly physiologic pigmentation. Studies to further explore this association should be encouraged.
Surgery remains the main treatment option. After surgical management and ablation, recurrence and metastasis are frequent events in these cases. Surgery and chemotherapy with or without immunotherapy or radiation therapy is generally the most preferred choice of treatment. Malignant melanoma is generally resistant to radiation therapy but this can be used as an adjunctive treatment when adequate margins are not achieved after surgery due to close proximity to vital structures. Chemotherapy can be used to reduce the size of the tumour for improving surgical management.6 In recent literature surgical excision with a course of IL-2 as adjunctive therapy has been proposed to reduce the incidence of recurrence, but the data regarding this option is still lacking.19
The importance of maintaining a high index of suspicion during routine oral examinations by clinicians can never be stressed enough, particularly when pigmented lesions are seen, occurring on the palate and the maxillary gingiva, which are high-risk sites for malignant melanoma. Equally important is the education of patients especially those perceived to be at risk, for them to do regular self-assessment of the oral mucosa and to keep regular review appointments with the clinician, as this may help with early diagnosis of OMM. Clearly not enough is known about melanomas and specifically oral melanomas. However, given their aggressive nature and poor prognosis, research on risk factors and management of oral melanoma is essential to enhance the survival rates of these patients; and should be encouraged.
Declaration: No conflict of interest declared.
OMM: Oral Mucosal Melanoma
POM: Primary Oral Melanoma
TNM: primary tumour (T); lymph nodes (N); distant metastases (M)
NHLS: National Health Laboratory Services
DM: Diabetes Mellitus
1. Tas F, Keskin S. Mucosal melanoma in the head and neck region: different clinical features and same outcome to cutaneous melanoma. ISRN Dermatol 2013, Article ID 586915, 5 pages, 2013, doi:10.1155/2013/586915. [ Links ]
2. Seetharamu N, Ott PA, Palvick AC. Mucosal melanomas: a case-based review of literature. The Oncologist 2010; 15: 772-81. [ Links ]
3. Kumar SKS, Shuler CF, Sedghizadeh PP, Kalmar JR. Oral mucosal melanoma with unusual clinicopathologic features. J Cutan Pathol 2008; 35: 392-7. [ Links ]
4. Hicks MJ, Flaitz CM. Oral mucosal melanoma: epidemiology and pathobiology. Oral Oncology 2000; 36:152 - 69. [ Links ]
5. Gondivkar SM, Indurkar A, Degwekar S, Bowate R. Primary oral malignant melanoma - A case report and review of literature. Quintessence International 2009; 40: 41-6. [ Links ]
6. Gu GM, Epstein JB, Morton TH. Intraoral melanoma: Long-term follow-up and implication for dental clinicians. A case report and literature review. Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol Endod 2003; 96: 404 - 13. [ Links ]
7. Broomhall C. Malignant melanoma of the oral cavity in Ugandan Africans. Br J Surg 1967; 54: 581 -4. [ Links ]
8. Snow GB, van der Waal I. Mucosal melanomas of the head and neck. Otolaryngol Clin North Am 1986; 19:537 - 47. [ Links ]
9. Soman CS, Sirsat MV. Primary malignant melanoma of the oral cavity in Indians. Otolaryngol Clin North Am 1974; 38: 426 -34. [ Links ]
10. Black WC, Wiggins C. Melanoma among south-western American Indians. Cancer 1985; 55: 2899 -902. [ Links ]
11. Sortino-Rachou AM, Cancela MC, Voti L, Curado MP. Primary oral melanoma: Population-based incidence. Oral Oncology 2009; 45: 254 -8. [ Links ]
12. Tlholoe MM, Khammissa RAG, Bouckaert M, Altini M, Lemmer J, Feller L. Oral mucosal melanoma: Some pathological considerations and an illustrative report of a case. Head and Neck Pathol. 2015; 9:127 -34. [ Links ]
13. Mosalleum E, Afrogheh A, Dreyer WP, Scheider JW. Oral malignant melanoma. SADJ 2014: 69; 276-8 [ Links ]
14. Garzino-Demo P, Fasolis M, Maggiore GMLT, Pagano M, Berrone S. Oral mucosal melanoma: a series of case reports. Journal of Craniotomy-Maxillofacial Surgery 2004; 32: 251 -57. [ Links ]
15. Barker BF, Carpenter WM, Daniels TE et al. Oral mucosal melanomas: the WESTOP Baniff workshop proceedings. Western Society of Teachers of Oral Pathology. Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol Endod 1997; 83: 672-9. [ Links ]
16. Muller S. Melanin-associated pigmented lesions of the oral mucosa: presentation, differential diagnosis and treatment. Dermatologic Therapy 2010; 23: 220-9. [ Links ]
17. Umeda M, Komatsubara H, Shibuya Y, Yokoo S, Komori T. Premalignant melanocytic dysplasia and malignant melanoma of the oral mucosa. Oral Oncology 2002; 38: 714 -22. [ Links ]
18. Samaranayake LP, Leung KL, Jin L. Oral mucosal fungal infections. Perio 2000 2009; 49: 39-59. [ Links ]
19. Femiano F, Lanza A, Buonaiuto C, Gombos F, Di Spirito F, Cirillo N. Oral malignant melanoma: a review of the literature. J Oral Pathol Med 2008; 37: 383-8. [ Links ]
20. Takagi M, Ishikawa G, Mori W. Primary malignant melanoma of the oral cavity in Japan, with special reference to mucosal melanosis. Cancer 1974; 34:358-70. [ Links ]
21. Mihajlovic M, Vlajkovic S, Jovanovic P, Stefanovic V. Primary mucosal melanomas: a comprehensive review. Int J Clin Pathol 2012; 5: 739-53. [ Links ]
22. Greene GW, Haynes JW, Dozier M, Blumberg JM, Bernier JL. Primary malignant melanoma of the oral mucosa. Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol 1953; 6: 1435-43. [ Links ]
23. Qi L, Qi X, Xiong H et al. Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and Risk of Malignant Melanoma: A systematic review and meta-analysis of cohort studies. Iranian J Publ Health 2014; 43: 857 -66. [ Links ]
24. Azvolinsky A. Diabetes plus anticancer drug combination targets melanoma cells unresponsive to standard treatments. www.cancercommons.org/2013/06/21, accessed 10/06/2015. [ Links ]
25. Meleti M, Vescovi P, Mooi WJ, van der Waal I. Pigmented lesions of the oral mucosa and perioral tissues: a flowchart for the diagnosis and some recommendations for the management. Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol Endod 2008; 105: 606 - 16 [ Links ]
SL Shangase
Head Department of Oral Medicine and Periodontology
School of Oral Health Sciences
University of the Witwatersrand
Tel: 011 488 4887
Fax: 011 488 4902
E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com


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Mark A. Miller is a practicing architect/builder/developer living in Chicago who designs projects around the country. His studio, Mark A. Miller Architects + Builders, designs and builds high-performing, energy-efficient homes that speak to the soul. Mark recently co-founded the Passive House Alliance Chicago and is lecturing about the Passive House standard throughout the Midwest. You can learn more about his unique approach to designing thoughtful homes at his websites: Zen + Architecture and Passive House Midwest.
I wanted to start to go through some of the techniques that help one achieve the Passive House standard. We spoke last time about the air tightness, and I wanted to continue this discussion a little further into one element in particular, a weak link in our wall system, that is our entry doors.
I recently moved our family into an older home on the northwest side of Chicago. The front door was similar to most American front doors, about 1 3/4-inches thick, little to no insulation, and minimal attempts at weather stripping. We noticed right away that a huge amount of cold winter air was coming inside our heated space, as there wasn't much of door sweep. So, being the energy-efficiency nut I am, I went down to the local hardware store to see what I could buy, off the shelf, to improve my situation.
I found a insulating product called "Twin Draft Guard," which is designed for folks in this unfortunate situation like myself. It's basically a long sock with two long compartments connected by about three inches of material. The idea is to insert a one-inch diameter tube of foam in each compartment and slide this under your door. Each tube of foam is to nestle up on either side of the door and seal any gaps between the door and the threshold. Well, be careful here. Out of the box this product does not work. Most doors are 1 3/4-inches thick, and the material between the two tubes of foam is 3 inches. That leaves 1 1/4-inches of space that doesn't allow the tubes to nestle up to the door and stop air from pushing in.
My letter is on its way to this product manufacturer, but I was able to fix the product. I happened to have some foam "Backer Rod" left over from my handy "City of Chicago Home Weatherization Kit" I was fortunate to get at my kid's school's holiday fair. I added a length of 3/4-inch diameter backer rod to each sleeve, which forced the foam tubes closer to the door, and hey hey, it now works fairly well.
OK so what have learned here? The state of doors in this country are quite poor in meeting the energy efficiency desires of today's green community. Let's take a quick look at what the German building products companies are producing to give us a little benchmark comparison of how much room there is for improvement regarding this item.
Three gaskets stop air infiltration. Photo Courtesy Mark Miller.
If you look at the photo here, you see a door from a building products expo in Germany. This was shared with us during my Passive House training. Let's look at the upgrades this product offers:
• Insulation, what a novel idea. This door is a good five inches thick. You can see in the photo that the body of the door has a good 3 1/2 inches of solid insulation, which improves the door's R-value exponentially over our U.S. doors. Ever been in a commercial kitchen? Imagine the doors of a walk-in cooler. These too are four inches thick and filled with insulation to keep all of that expensive freezer air in, and the hot kitchen air, out to save money. When we can improve the R-value of our doors, they will start joining the effectiveness of the R-value of our wall assemblies.
• Gaskets: You will see on the frame of this door that there is not just one compressible gasket to stop air infiltration, but three! If the first one doesn't stop everything, the second or third certainly will. I like to call it "Belt and Suspenders" as my mentors would always drill into me to always have a backup in case the first line of defense fails. You will find all three gaskets on all sides of these doors: jambs, head and sill. I have contacted two friends of mine who are door fabricators and have encouraged them to be the first to offer this in the U.S. (If you have heard of anything out there I am not aware of, please email me.)
One last interesting item regarding entry doors and passive houses: most folks are familiar with a long running technique in this country where a home has an "entry vestibule" or an "air-lock". This is the little room with coat hooks or small front porch that let's us get out of the winter winds, so when the entry door to the living space is opened, cold air does not rush in. Great idea, but oddly enough, this is not needed in a Passive House. Turns out the air pressures are so evenly balanced due to the home's design and ERV (energy recovery ventilator) that when a front door to the exterior is opened in the winter, cold air does not come rushing in, nor our conditioned air out. It's counterintuitive, but the director of Passive House U.S. tells me this is the case on her own Passive House.
So, be conscious of the exterior doors in your home to limit the air-infiltration issues until the time when U.S. door manufacturers join us on the high performance, energy efficiency bandwagon. Send letters to your favorite companies asking them for this type of product. Your intentions and dollars may just persuade these companies to up their game. If you want to read further into this subject, check out this recent article from Green Building Advisor.
Read more thoughts from Mark Miller on Passive House design!
Editor's Note: Natural Home does not recommend, approve or endorse the products/services offered by companies guest bloggers review online. You should use your own judgment and evaluate products and services carefully before deciding to purchase.


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You are here
Could You Be A Team Mint Contender?
August 9, 2007
That's right, we're on the lookout for ambitious friends in far away cities and exotic distant lands. Friends who are involved in their local music scene. Friends who are interested in joining our secret society. Friends who can help spread the joys of all things Mint. (And by joys, I mean posters, zines and other Minty goodies.)
How does one get involved?
It's easy. Just send a quick note to Shena. Tell her a little about yourself. Tell her your hopes. Tell her your dreams. Tell her why you deserve to be a part of Team Mint. Soon after, she will write you back. Possibly with more questions, a Minty Mission or a little life advice.


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All Hands on Deck!
|All Hands on Deck!
Juan Cortez telling Tommy Vercetti that he must make a hasty exit from Vice City to escape the French Secret Service.
|GTA Vice City
|Juan Cortez
|French Secret Service
|Washington Beach, Vice City
Death of Tommy Vercetti
Death of Juan Cortez
Abandoning Juan Cortez
|Unlocked by
|Death Row
All Hands on Deck! is a mission in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City given to protagonist Tommy Vercetti by retired army colonel Juan Cortez from his yacht docked in Ocean Beach/Viceport, Vice City.
The French Secret Service has discovered that Juan Cortez sent the courier (in Mall Shootout) to steal the missile technology guidance chips, and now they want them back. Cortez, however, wants to keep them and so is escaping Vice City on his yacht. He asks Tommy for assistance. The boat leaves the dock, with French secret servicemen firing from the docks and four boats following the yacht. Tommy fights them off and then more gunmen on Dinghies. The yacht reaches a bridge, which is blocked by more boats. More servicemen are also climbing on board, but Tommy again manages to defeat them. The French then attack with two Maverick helicopters and then a Hunter, with Tommy destroying all three. When in the open sea, Cortez asks Tommy to keep an eye on Mercedes and gives Tommy a speedboat to return to Vice City.
Juan Cortez: Circumstances force a hasty departure, amigo.
Tommy Vercetti: What's the problem?
Juan Cortez: Ehh, the French want their missile technology back and after that last incident, I feel it is time to find safer harbors.
Tommy Vercetti: Wouldn't it be safer to fly?
Juan Cortez: I'd be dead before I reached check-in. Besides, I need to get my merchandise out of the country.
Tommy Vercetti: Need another gun?
Juan Cortez: You, my friend, are worth ten guns...
(Cortez' yacht begins to leave the dock)
(The French block the yacht's path with boats)
Cortez' Goon: The bridge up ahead!
Juan Cortez: Tommy, we are being overrun by the French. Tommy, everywhere I look there are French Men, I hate it!
(Cortez and Tommy reach the open sea, having fended off the French)
(The French attack the yacht by helicopter)
Juan Cortez: Thomas, kill them! My country will love you!
Cortez Crew member: Shoot the helicopter!
Cortez Crew member: We are being overrun by the French!
Juan Cortez: Thomas, we are being overrun by the French. Thomas, everywhere I look there are French Men, I hate it!
Juan Cortez: How are you feeling Tommy?
(Cortez and Tommy reach the open sea, having fended off the French)
Juan Cortez: Thomas, you have protected and served me well. But now you must leave us before we reach the open seas. I will now lower my personal launch. Keep it, my friend, as a token of my gratitude.
Tommy Vercetti: Thank you Colonel.
Juan Cortez: One more request. While I'm away, could you keep an eye on Mercedes for me?
Tommy Vercetti: I think she could look after herself, but sure, I'll keep an eye out.
Juan Cortez: Gracias, amigo. Hasta Luego.
Tommy Vercetti: Adios, amigo.
Post mission phone call
Kent Paul : Alright, Tommy, it's Paul. I just heard from a mush that you've been a real naughty boy. Somebody has taken offense to you acting like the big guy all of a sudden, giving it the big shot thing. Well, don't say I never warned you or nothing. Boasting is a mug's game, son. Anyway, I heard there's some price been put on your head and someone's going to have a crack at you, so watch yourself, and remember me, mate .
The reward for completing the mission is $5,000 and a Speeder, which can not be saved except if beached and pushed into a big enough garage.
- The French Secret Service that attack the player, Cortez, his yacht, and his men are that same model as a pedestrian that is seen throughout the city.
- Cortez' Speeder is shows as having a red primary body color when being lowered in the sea, but the Speeder the player is in after the mission is white like all other Speeders.
- Even if you already have a melee weapon, a Katana will replace it.
- This is the first time that Tommy Vercetti speaks Spanish.
- Two uniquely black Washingtons may be seen driven by the French Secret Service. While it is possible to reach the cars and enter them, it is impossible to drive them during the mission (as the mission immediately ends and the car is lost). It is possible to push the cars to where the missions would start as an alternative, but the player is only given a brief window of time before Juan Cortez is killed, leading to mission failure which warps the player back to the nearby mission trigger with the cars waiting there.
- As these Washingtons are a unique black color (which can otherwise be obtained by modifying the carcols.dat file to make the Washington have a selectable black color), they may be confused with the similarly colored FBI Washington.
The French SWAT about to run down the jetty to Juan Cortez' yacht.
Tommy Vercetti shooting a French SWAT boat.
A blockade of four French SWAT boats blocking Juan Cortez' escape.
Tommy Vercetti about to shoot a French SWAT agent.
Tommy Vercetti shooting a French SWAT helicopter and two agents.
Tommy Vercetti shooting a French SWAT attack helicopter.
Tommy Vercetti shooting at the French SWAT boats.
Juan Cortez' yacht sailing into the open seas.
Juan Cortez and Tommy Vercetti parting ways.
Juan Cortez asking Tommy Vercetti to look after his daughter Mercedes.
Video walkthrough
|PC Version - GTASeriesVideos


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Michigan and Alabama meet in top-10 matchup
Arlington, TX – The marquee matchup of the first week of the FBS schedule takes place in Arlington, Texas, as the second-ranked and defending national champion Alabama Crimson Tide begin their quest for back-to- back titles, as they take on the eighth-ranked Michigan Wolverines at Cowboys Stadium.
Nick Saban's squad has won two of the last three national crowns and a third would put the team in dynasty status. There is plenty of reasons to believe that could happen, as the team returns some serious talent from last year's squad.
Behind a devastating defense, the Crimson Tide recorded three shutouts on the season and finished at 11-1, with the sole loss, a 9-6 decision against LSU during the regular season costing Alabama a chance at an SEC title. However, the Tide would get their revenge, dismantling LSU in the BCS Championship Game, 21-0.
Brady Hoke's first season in Ann Arbor couldn't have gone much better, as he took a team that struggled with direction under Rich Rodriguez and led the Wolverines to their own 11-win campaign. The team did not win the Big Ten, but did beat arch-rival Ohio State for the first time since 2003 and returned to national prominence with a BCS Bowl bid, knocking off Virginia Tech in the Sugar Bowl, 23-20 in overtime.
This marks the fourth meeting between these two teams. Michigan holds a 2-1 series advantage, with all three prior games taking place in the postseason. The last meeting was the 2000 Orange Bowl, as the Wolverines topped the Crimson Tide 35-34 in overtime.
Michigan had plenty of offensive success in 2011, finishing second in the Big Ten in rushing (221.9 ypg) and third in total offense (404.7 ypg). The team scored 53 offensive TDs, with 31 coming on the ground.
Star quarterback Denard Robinson was a big part of that, rushing for 1,176 yards and 16 TDs. To maximize Michigan's potential though, Robinson has to become a more polished passer, after completing just 55 percent of his throws in 2011, for 2,173 yards, with 20 TDs and 15 INTs.
Hoke is confident in Robinson's grasp of the system and his growing maturity under center.
"He has really become a guy you can count on when it comes to leadership and how his work ethic is and those things that he's done." .
Wideouts Jeremy Gallon (31 receptions, 453 yards, 3 TDs) and Roy Roundtree (19 receptions, 355 yards, 2 TDs) will try to help Robinson in his quest to be a better passer.
Despite an offseason arrest and subsequent suspension, junior Fitz Toussaint is listed as the top tailback for the opener. Toussaint came on strong toward the end of last season and finished with 1,041 yards on the ground -- the school's first 1,000-yard tailback since Mike Hart in 2007.
The offensive line must replace a pair of starters including center David Molk, the 2011 Rimington Award winner. Junior left tackle Taylor Lewan (6-8, 302) is now the anchor up front.
The good news for the Michigan defense is that all three starting linebackers return, along with all four members of the secondary, which started in the Sugar Bowl. Fifth-year senior Kenny Demens will man the middle once again after leading the team with 94 tackles in 2011. He will be flanked by a pair of sophomores in Jake Ryan (37 tackles, 8 TFLs) and Desmond Morgan (63 tackles).
In the secondary, fifth-year senior Jordan Kovacs (75 tackles, 4 sacks in 2011) is a natural leader. Junior Thomas Gordon will man the other safety spot, while senior J.T. Floyd and sophomore Blake Countess round out the secondary at cornerback.
Alabama suffered another purging by the NFL, but the loss that could hurt the most is Heisman finalist Trent Richardson, who rushed for a school-record 1,679 yards and 21 touchdowns in 2011.
Saban does have a proven backup at his disposal in Eddie Lacy, who was effective in limited playing time in 2011 (694 yards, 7 TDs), and could become the next featured back in Tuscaloosa.
Saban is optimistic about his backfield situation.
"Eddie Lacy has done extremely well over the summer. I do think that we have a couple running backs that will probably create some competition. But we've always played more than one running back. We had Mark Ingram and Trent Richardson sharing time as players. Hopefully we'll be able to find somebody as productive as those two guys have been to share that role again sometime in the future."
There is more stability under center with the return of junior A.J. McCarron. He was solid in 2011, completing 66.8 percent of his passes for 2,634 yards, with 16 TDs against only 5 INTs.
With the loss of several key contributors on the outside, it is now wideout Kenny Bell's (255 yards, 2 TDs) time to shine, along with tight end Michael Williams (191 yards, 2 TDs).
The story for Alabama in 2011 was without question its defense, which ranked first in the FBS in total defense (183.6 ypg), scoring defense (8.1 ppg), rushing defense (72.1 ypg) and pass efficiency defense (83.7).
The squad lost a number of high-impact players in the offseason, including Dre Kirkpatrick, Mark Barron, Courtney Upshaw and Dont'a Hightower - all of whom went in the first 35 picks of the 2012 NFL Draft. Still, the cupboard isn't exactly bare.
Linebacker Nico Johnson returns after ranking fourth on the team in tackles (47), with 6.5 TFLs, a sack, an interception and a fumble recovery.
Robert Lester plans to lead the secondary and hopes to improve upon his 39- tackle, two-interception from a season ago. He is a maturing defensive back that continues to earn the praise of Saban as he career progresses.
"Robert has been a really good player for us for two years now and continues to be more vocal in terms of his ability to communicate and run the secondary, make the checks, not depend on somebody else to do it for him and show leadership. I can't say enough about how this is an example of a guy who has worked hard and had all of the right stuff, in terms of perseverance, resiliency in overcoming adversity, as a player."
This looks to be a real treat to kick off the college football season, as both teams have realistic shots at playing for the national title.


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The Grim Reapers have chosen this period to once again open our recruitment doors as we use our scythes to determine if any are worthy of joining.
Of course, every competitive clan has guidelines, suggestions, "requirements" and we are no different. Although these do not guarantee entry, they are characteristics which are looked favorably upon:
[R]esponsible - You must act in a manner which will not be an embarrassment.
[E]xperimental - It won't hurt if you feel that you are capable of more complex maps, even enjoying them.
[A]ctive - 99% turns taken.
[P]oints - Ideally, 1600 is a minimum. If this is dropped below during a trial period, so be it, nobody is perfect.
[E]xperienced - A minimum of a bronze in all team game types is always a good thing to see.
[R]elaxed - Joining a clan is not an overnight process, you must not expect it to be so.
[S]pecial - Everyone is different, but we're looking for that unique something that makes you stand out. What makes you stand out?
If you think you belong with the Reapers, reply to this thread or message me. Even if you don't quite meet the above "requirements", it doesn't mean we don't want you, it just means you have to give us more proof that you're capable. We aren't looking for quantity, we're looking for quality, so that's what we expect...a high quality.
Every person will go through an assessment process, but this will be discussed later. If you've played in team games with (or against) Reapers in the past, we'd gladly love to see what you've got. Not everyone will be successful, but you don't know if you don't try.


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Photographers Thursday
|Beach Rocks covered with Barnacles and Seasweed
We are sharing today with:
A Rural Journal
Alphabe Thursday
Two Bears Farm
Each blog is filled with excellent photographers and amazing creativity so good for the 'spirit'. Do hope you have enjoyed our blog and will check out the other blogs. Enjoy.
Hugs and namaste,
We love to have you post your comments, thoughts or questions to delight us all in the day ~ especially ArtMuse Dog ^_^
QUOTE FOR THE DAY: 'A mind too active is no mind at all.'
~ Theodore Roethke


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In this era of tight defense budgets and cost-cutting, the latest target may be stateside base commissaries.
In this era of tight defense budgets and cost-cutting, the latest target may be stateside base commissaries.
Reports continue to circulate that commissaries may be on the chopping block, including the one right here at Cherry Point.
We�re not sure that outright closure is a good thing. After all, many of our local Marines and sailors count on making ends meet because of the savings they can get by shopping at a base commissary versus retail grocery stores.
However, base commissaries rely on a $1.4 billion annual taxpayer subsidy to operate. Though we taxpayers are supposed to provide for the common defense, we�re not sure how a box of Macaroni and Cheese or a can of Campbell�s soup can be considered a primary mission of the Department of Defense, a department tasked with cutting $50 billion a year through sequestration.
We think it�s hard to justify cuts in military training or needed equipment maintenance to keep around a store that offers a can of beans 10 cents cheaper than one can buy at Walmart or Food Lion.
Don�t get us wrong. This has nothing to do with our appreciation for our military personnel. They deserve and have our utmost respect.
But in these times of tough choices, this is just another in a long list that must be made.
The commissaries do serve a role. They offer groceries at generally reduced prices to military personnel.
Still, some changes must be made to reduce the amount of tax dollars that support them while increasing their profitability. Prices could be raised or surcharges added, while wastefulness should be eliminated and some operations reduced.
Commissaries came about because access to retail grocery stores was limited decades ago. Now, as the retail grocery industry has grown, access to stores can be found right outside the gates.
Closure may be the best option, but if not, changes in operation must be made to ensure commissaries are not a drain on the taxpayer and defense budget.
Either way, the discussion is definitely food for thought.


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Discussion on Constitution Supervision of Chinese Local People's Congress: The Way out of the Nominal Constitution Supervision in China
Due to the vague rules of Chinese constitution on constitution supervision of Chinese local people's congress, there is an argument in the academic world on whether local people's congress has the constitution supervision power. To figure out whether Chinese local people's congress has the constitution supervision power, we cannot just read the text of the Chinese Constitution. We need to make comprehensive analysis on the relationship between the power of central and local governments, the purpose of constitution draft, and the objective reality so that to form a well structured realistic basis for the operation of constitution supervision system. Of course, the constitution supervision power cannot be obtained by every local people's congress. The constitution supervision power of local people's congress is not the final say and it is different from the constitution supervision power of the national people's congress and its standing committee.
Key words: Chinese local people's congress; Constitution supervision; Constitution supervision power
Full Text:PDF Indexed/Included/Archived
WANG, Guanghui (2002). The way to constitutionalism – Research of constitution supervision theory and practice (pp. 136). Beijing: Law Press China.
WU, Yanyi (2004). Characteristics of Chinese constitution supervision system and its room for development. Research of MAO Zedong and DENG Xiaoping Theories, (2).
RONG, Jian (1989). Democracy Theory (pp. 153-162). Shanghai: Shanghai People's Publishing House.
ZENG Xianyi (2001). Consideration on Completing Chinese constitution supervision system. Journal of South-Central University for Nationalities, (2).
CHENG Xiangqing (1999). Supervision system and supervision work of organs of state power (pp. 31). Beijing: China's democracy and legal system press
PU Xingzu (2002). Modern Chinese Political System (pp. 2). Shanghai: Fudan University Press.
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3968/j.ccc.1923670020120804.2031
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Daily boat
Summer and water sports are a perfect combination of fun and activity. But why not take it up a notch by building your own surfboard, sailing boat or raft? See you in the water!
At a top speed of three kilometers an hour, a rafting trip on Sweden's Klarälven River is a leisurely drift. But first you have to build your own raft – using whole tree trunks.
Build your own kayak, row- or sailboat in only a week at the Great Lakes Boat Building School in the U.S. state of Michigan. Then set sail straight into the water sports arenas that are the Great Lakes on the doorstep.
Foam surfboards are a dime a dozen. At Patrick Burnett in Cape Town, you can make your own beautiful, ecofriendly, custom wooden board – and then test it at South Africa's top surf spots.


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After some quick check I found that negative dimensions are not used. But we have negative probability, negative energy etc. So is it so likely that we won't ever use negative dimension(s) ?
I understand there're also dimensions that are not integers e.g. dimension 1½ (?) for fractals or so. Could there also be a dimension such as dimension i (imaginary)?


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Topic: Stupid Traveling Titanic Museum
So yesterday my mom dragged me across town to the biggest mall in the city to a traveling Titanic museum. It was the WROST ever! We had to wait two and a half hours just to even get in. No shade, no places to sit. Just standing in a hot parking lot for more then two hours. And it wasn't even close to worth it! There were about a dozen artifacts and thats it. 90% of the place was posters with pictures and facts on them. A decent reader could get through the place in 5 minutes, no joke. But even going through inside was a pain because they were loads of people gathered around to look at things like...a couple of cufflinks, and a pair of socks. Sure its amazing they survived underwater for 90 years intact. But not two and a half hours waiting worth of amazing. Or stare at them for ten minutes worth of amazing.
Bottom line, if you hear of a traveling Titanic museum coming to your town, DON'T GO. Just read a book about the ship. You'll learn all you need to know about the ship without having to wait for hours for the same information.


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*3/28/20 NOTE: As the COVID-19 situation continues, the calendar isn't of much use, but we're adding known online events, so let us know if you're scheduling one!*
(original introduction) Want your West Seattle event/meeting/performance to be listed here? Please send basic info to email@example.com – thanks! Please include full details AS PLAIN TEXT IN YOUR E-MAIL, *not* in an attached doc/poster/flyer/etc. A web link for more info helps too. Thank you!
USING THE CALENDAR: Mouse over any entry to show the "plus" sign at right; click it to expand the item for more info without leaving this page; click "read more" for the FULL listing, usually including a map, plus a chance to post a comment/question.
There are no upcoming events to display at this time.


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I am referring to the teenage years with my daughter. She turned 6 this past August and if I didn't know any better, I would have thought she turned 13. She certainly acts like it. The emotions, oh, the emotions. The littlest tasks bring out all of the emotions. Crying, whining, complaining (she must have been listening to her 12 year old brother too much), screaming…you get the picture. Getting dressed. You would think I was asking her to perform brain surgery. We have tried picking out the clothes the night before, that just moves the argument to the night instead of in the morning. The only consolation there is that it is more appropriate for Mommy to have had a glass of wine at night then first thing in the morning. 😉 The arguments are about what type of outfit, skirst, pants, dresses, skorts. Does she have gym the next day? If so, no dresses unless she is wearing tights or leggings. Then you have what kind of shoes. Which color/type. Again, gym days require gym shoes. That can send us all the way back to the beginning of the whole darn procedure. Then, how is she going to wear her hair? Up, down? Pony tail or Pig Tails? Braid, no braid? All the way up or partially up? Just clips? This whole process takes WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY too long. I really need to set a timer and let her know that if the decisions aren't finished by the time the timer rings, I pick it all. So, we have it all set at night and then she wants to change her mind in the AM. She wants to wear off season clothing (sweaters when it is 90 outside, shorts when it is freezing). **Note to self, put away summer clothes this weekend. So, if this is starting now, does it mean that she is getting it out of her system now so that she can be a polite, respectful, sweet teenage girl? Not likely, but one can always dream. My Mother always told me that I would get mine when I had kids. She is referring to the payback I deserve for being such a hell raiser during my teen years. Yes, I deserve some payback, but how much is enough? We also have arguments over what she is having for breakfast. This is probably partially my doing as she has too many choices. I like variety, so have several things to choose from for breakfast. Cold cereal (4 or 5 different kinds), French Toast Sticks, Nutri-Grain Bars, fresh fruit, cheese and PB toast. I don't recite this all off to her every day, she knows what is there. This whole decision process can take 20 minutes or so. As soon as I see her smiling face come downstairs I let her know that she needs to start thinking about what she wants for breakfast. It generally takes her a while to wake up and decide. I am fine with that. Once 7:30 rolls around, I start reminding her that she needs to make a choice. Once a choice has been made, she sits down to eat. This can take a while too. She will chatter more than she eats. Then she gets mad and emotional that I am nagging her to eat. Ay yi yi! I really can't wait until she is 13. That is going to be so much fun! NOT!
I have to say that she does get a lot of this from Jon. He is certainly not a teenage girl, but he has got the attitude of one. I think a certain little girl needs to quit taking lessons from her big bro on behavior!
Filed under: Family | Tagged: clothing choices |


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Planning your travel
Adelaide has plenty of options to get you around town, across the city and into the suburbs.
Take a moment to complete the quick survey and rate your ride or if you have 10 mins complete the full survey.
Looks like you've already completed the quick survey, if you have 10 mins you're welcome to complete the full survey.
Current date and time in South Australia
06 June 2020 - 05:37PM


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No tomorrow: Oregon Hill's groovy fallback
Oregon Hill Funk All-Stars
at Outback Lodge
Friday, August 29
It felt like a party for someone you don't know very well; listening to the jazzy, loose funk of the Oregon Hill Funk All-Stars inspired good-natured head-bobbing and a desire to move elsewhere after 40 minutes.
Four regular-looking guys from Richmond (the brass section) would sway back and forth for 10 seconds, playfully unconcerned with keeping their step in unison. Their smiles were relaxed, self-confident, and genuinely content. During the band's second set at Outback Lodge, when they did a squealing-falsetto cover of Beck's "Debra," there were no signs of irony, and several graying white folks shook it like they were hearing one from 30 years ago. We were all happy we came.
So, then, what did Midnite Vultures really mean? Beck's 1999 ode to slow jams and smooth '70s funk revived a decaying niche, a Freakenstein monster, with an overload of incongruous trends. The OHFAS are gimmickless, neither time machine nor tribute, a solid 10-piece of various ages and backgrounds who could play the genre as if it had been stunted rather than hackneyed.
They covered Cypress Hill, quoted the JB's, and dabbled in ska, but the groove remained music-box mechanical. The most party-oriented numbers, especially in the second set, were too predictable to sustain my interest, although they did get the (somewhat sparse) crowd onto the dance floor.
I don't mean to demean the rhythm section, for every member of the group could really play. Musicianship was the pleasure of the night, particularly in the brass section, with the saxophonist/bandleader dropping the more expressive and rhythmically intricate solos.
The fifth song of the first set included some tense horn harmonies, although by the end of everyone's solo, any momentum had slowed considerably. I imagine that the OHFAS are one of the best in the region at what they do; their cool vibe is a bit weak for the booty-dancing numbers, but they are tight enough to play with structure and tempo when they want to.
Although the OHFAS forgoes surprises, its most routine covers and generic exercises were what Friday's crowd seemed to want most. You get what you pay for, six bucks of funk, a snack that left me far from full. It was a living reminder, a memo, a substitute, a mild night to be forgotten in itself.
Friday was the band's third appearance at the Lodge this year, and a local audience should continue to build.


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Ultimate Credit Card Checker is a small, simple and innovative utility that can be used to Identify, Validate and Check almost all major Credit/Debit Card types.
The Credit Card number can be entered in any format, i.e. with space or without, with letters, etc., the application will filter out the numbers that represent the Credit Card number.
The Ultimate Credit Card Checker ActiveX SDK DLL Library (Framework) is also available for Windows Software Developers (.NET, ASP, Visual Basic, FoxPro, PowerShell, Delphi, Python, RealBasic, etc.), which can be purchased separately!
• Very easy and simple to use
• Supports all major Credit/Debit Card types
• Credit/Debit Card type Auto Detection
• No Internet connection required/needed
• Supports 64-bit Windows platforms
• No additional components needed
No installation needed, just run and use it as Portable application.
Supported Credit/Debit Card Types:
• American Express (Amex)
• Carte Blanche
• Diner's Club
• Discover
• enRoute
• InstaPayment
• Laser
• Maestro
• MasterCard
• Visa
• Visa – Electron
• Visa – Virtuon
Supported Operating Systems:
• Windows 2000 Professional
• Windows XP (32/64-bit)
• Windows Server 2003 (32/64-bit)
• Windows Vista (32/64-bit)
• Windows Server 2008 (32/64-bit)
• Windows 7 (32/64-bit)
• Windows 8 DP and CP (32/64-bit) Beta
The Package includes:
• Executable Portable Application (only 264KB)


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I blog frequently on this site about forgiveness. Like here. And here. It's something I've considered often over my life. Mostly out of necessity. (People just keep doing shit to me!)
Like trying to forgive my mom for spending most of my teen years at the bottom of a vodka bottle. Forgiveness of a friend for actually trying to get me to date a guy she liked (don't ask me. Suffice to say I've lost count of her ex-husbands. And ex-friends). And, of course, forgiveness of a spouse for betrayal.
It turns out I'm not so good at this forgiveness stuff. I try. Really I do. But somehow hanging on to the rage I feel about what has been done to me is soooo much easier. And comes far more naturally to me.
However, I'm getting closer to forgiveness with my still-husband than ever before. But sometimes I wonder if forgiveness isn't almost exactly like exhaustion. As in, I'm just too damn tired to carry this grudge any further. So I let it go.
But I recently read something that makes it clearer to me:
In order to forgive, we need to try and stop identifying ourselves with the suffering that was caused.
I think the brilliant soul who offered up this thought to the world is right. Forgiveness comes when we become willing to stop seeing ourselves as victims. When we become willing to identify ourselves as someone other than a betrayed wife. And though the name of my site might suggest that the moniker is my identity, I assure you it's not.
At least not anymore.
For a while, it was. I couldn't see beyond my own pain to define myself as anything other than broken. And it was hard to imagine myself whole again.
But today – more than three years from the 1st D-Day later – It's part of who I am. There's no denying that. I am a betrayed wife. But I am not only a betrayed wife. Any more than I am only my children's mother. A writer. A gardener. A runner.
And whether or not you have a still-husband or an ex-husband or something in between, forgiveness has far less to do with him, I'm learning, than with me.
I hear frequently from women who've been divorced from their husbands for years...and yet they still carry with them that burden of victimhood. They haven't been able to forgive, they tell me. And they state it as if forgiveness is a feeling, rather than an action that we make happen.
What trips so many of us up, I believe, is that we think of forgiveness as a get-out-of-jail-free card. If we forgive, our thinking goes, we're saying it's okay that they cheated.
Of course it isn't. But forgiveness, paradoxically, isn't something we do for the other person. It's a gift we give ourselves. A get-out-of-jail-free card for ourselves. Or rather a get-out-of-pain card.
It means accepting the situation. No more what-ifs. Or he-shouldas. Or we-shouldas. It is what it is.
We realize, upon closer inspection, that suffering begets suffering. And once we stop nursing that suffering, compassion is possible. For him. And for ourselves. Even – dare I say it? – for the Other Woman.
Give yourself the gift of time. To grieve. To confront the loss. Of trust. Of security. Of a certain future.
Then decide that you are NOT your wound. It is part of you, to be sure. But a part that will heal, though a scar will remain.
Then move forward...with forgiveness.


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Lush green lung
Singapore is one of the most densely populated regions in the world. The designers at WOHA are enhancing quality of life in the megacity by planting vertical gardens.
Trees sometimes really do grow as high as the sky: In the city-state of Singapore, they grow alongside climbers and hanging plants on four stories of the Parkroyal hotel on Pickering, on the edge of Chinatown. They form a roughly 15 000-square-meter green area that simultaneously cools the 89-meter-tall building and cuts air conditioning costs. Rain collected on the roof is used to water this useful jungle, which helps Singapore breathe, as does a new law introduced in 2018 which limits the number of new car registrations.


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Duration: 8 DaysThink just over a week isn't enough to get a good look at Europe? The Western Quest is here to prove you wrong. Experience the contrast of the bustling city of Barcelona to the wine region of Bordeaux & the seaside San Sebastian to the monuments & museums of Paris. When you uncover France & Spain, you've truly entered the world of Europe.
Western Quest(Multi Share,Start London, End Barcelona)
from $2295
Day 1
London to Paris
Welcome to the first day of the best holiday of your life - we're calling it early! After a few pleasantries in London we'll get the show on the road with Paris in our sights.A few hours in and your jaws are on the floor already. These chalk cliffs that edge the English coastline are known as the White Cliffs of Dover, the first of many natural beauties we'll see on this trip.After we ferry across the English Channel for France we'll arrive in Calais, where we will take in the history of World War I battlefields in the Valley of the Somme.Kicking off night one, we arrive in none other than the lust-worthy Paris! It's straight down to business with a tour of the city lit up by the lights of night.
Day 2
Drool over haute couture you can't afford, admire the Notre Dame Cathedral whilst juggling coffee and crêpes, & get artsy at the many museums of the Louvre. Just don't wear yourself out, you will probably want to get involved with dinner and a cabaret show. Smitten and it's only day two!
Day 3
Paris to Bordeaux
Wipe away your tears sad travellers! Paris is not going anywhere, you can always come back and visit her again. You, on the other hand, are going somewhere, and it's somewhere pretty magnificent...Wise folk tell us that wine has been produced in Bordeaux since the 1st Century - that's a long time, which means they know what they're doing. And it's not just the vin that has dragged us here, it's a pretty place to boot featuring its famous Miroir d'eau (water mirror).
Day 4
Bordeaux to San Sebastian via Saint Jean de-Luz
Breathe in your last breath of Bordeaux before we hit the road in search of the Spanish border. In just a few short hours we'll be beach side and exploring San Sebastian.Keep your swimmers out for our stop at a local fishing village for a dip and some people watching in this cute little town on the French and Spanish border.With two nights in Spain's coastal town of San Sebastian, it will be hard to wipe the smiles off our faces. Flop on the beach or take a walk to the aquarium where you can get a closer look at Isla de Santa Clara. The night is yours.
Day 5
San Sebastian
We'll be dropping lots of delicious sounding words today as we explore Parte Vieja, Playa de la Concha and Centro Romántico. Say it again: Romántico! Follow the cobblestone roads & soak up San Sebastian's coastline. Here you can learn to surf, lounge on the beach, or bar hop until you're sinking in pintxos.
Day 6
San Sebastian to Barcelona via Zaragoza
Having settled into life with afternoon siestas, today will only be a departure from San Sebastian, leaving Spain is not on the agenda. Sigh with relief.This town comes complete with a baroque Basilica, a perfect combination of Islamic and Gothic architecture and truly a sight to behold.Hola Barcelona...The first dose of Mediterranean Sea! That's if you can drag yourself away from the intoxicating city & get to the beach. Unique gothic architecture, round the clock parties & plenty of street life will leave you spellbound by Barcelona.
Day 7
They say this sexy city sizzles and we couldn't agree more. For a taste of what you can do, here's just a start of the never-ending list. Channel Gaudi at Sagrada Familia, his greatest masterpiece, started in 1882. This labour of love is still not compete, but is one for the Instagram upload for sure. Parc Guell could be next on the list, followed by a swim at the beach, and of course taking to the backstreets for some endless tapas and paella. Washed down with sangria of course.
Day 8
Depart Barcelona
That's it folks. The incredible ride has come to an end and you should all be left utterly inspired by what your time on the road has achieved. Now you have the pleasure of picking your next adventure. Greek Island Hopping, anyone?
- See the Parte Vieja, Playa de la Concha and Centro Romántico
- Explore Barcelona's Gothic beauty on a walking tour including Las Ramblas
Start Date: 2020-09-04
End Date: 2020-09-11
Adult Price: $2295
Start Date: 2020-09-11
End Date: 2020-09-18
Adult Price: $2295
Start Date: 2020-09-25
End Date: 2020-10-02
Adult Price: $2295
Start Date: 2020-10-02
End Date: 2020-10-09
Adult Price: $2295


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"Boundaries both abstract and formal are the focus of this project. Shot along the border of Moscow city it also explores the boundaries of an image itself confronted with the abstract plane of photographic paper" —Alexander Gronsky
Photographing areas of Moscow that are neither entirely urban nor rural, Alexander Gronsky reveals the ambiguous spaces in which city dwellers relax and find solace in nature. These are certainly not idyllic settings; the edge of the city looms in the background with its faint skyline and construction cranes, leaving the viewer ever aware that these natural settings exist within yet a vaster urban context. Both the man-made and wild spaces look quite abstract—not inhospitable, as much as unknowable and vast.
Alexander Gronsky (born in Tallinn, Estonia, 1980) began working as a professional photographer in 1998. In 2005 he joined Photographer.ru agency. He has received many awards, including the Linhof Young Photographer Award. He is represented by GALLERY.PHOTOGRAPHER.RU in Moscow, Russia.
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Gratitude changes my perspective immediately. When I remember to be grateful, almost any situation I find myself in changes directions. And, so this is my theme for Thanksgiving.
I would like to express gratitude and say thank you to the wonderful people in my life – those I work with each day (especially my husband of 38 years, Ray), the special guests who visit the Inn, my family and friends I enjoy spending time with, and to Hot Springs for providing a beautiful and fun place in which to live.
My life is so full of interesting experiences – some challenging and others filled with great joy, all capable of becoming more meaningful when I look on them with appreciation. I truly believe this is what Thanksgiving was meant to be – a time to experience and show gratitude.
At Lookout Point Inn we love the holidays: the cool, crisp weather, making cookies with my grandchildren, decorating the Inn for Christmas, visiting Holiday Lights at Garvan Gardens and in Downtown Hot Springs, offering Thanksgiving dinner to guests at the Inn and in the community, and so much more.
So, thank you to all the guests we've had the privilege of meeting and getting to know during the last 11 years. I've said it before and it is still true: YOU are the best guests in the entire world! If you haven't spent time with us during Christmas, treat yourself to a weekend getaway in Hot Springs and stay at the Inn. What a great Christmas gift to give yourself.
We're getting the decorations out, Christmas desserts are planned for the afternoon reception, and almost every day there is an entertaining event somewhere in Hot Springs. We'll be blogging about many of them. Make reservations online or call us at 501.525.6155.


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The Japanese Nuclear situation at Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant is ongoing and ever-changing, but if you were curious at how and what happened to cause such problems, this NHK video serves as a great explainer (it's easy to understand, too).
The video details the three safety precautions created to cool the nuclear reactor and discusses how all three have failed in some way. A must watch. [CNN via The Awesomer]


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- Author: Kathy Keatley Garvey
The honey bee nectaring the Penstemon, aka Beardtongue, in Tomales, Calif., didn't seem to mind my presence.
The amber-colored bee was foraging among the purple two-lipped flowers. The plant derives its name from what appears to be a "tongue" (staminode) poking from the "mouth" of the blossom.
It's an attractive flower--indeed, humans hold Penstemon festivals in Flagstaff, Ariz. and Holden, Utah--and the bees like it, too.
The little Marin County honey bee glanced at me and then began cleaning her tongue. Or, as emeritus professor and pollinator specialist Robbin Thorp of the University of California, Davis, said of the photo below: "Caught in the act of cleaning her tongue with the brushes of hairs on the inner sides of her forelegs."
"Even worker bees take time to groom," he said. "Vanity or just good maintenance?"
We like to think she was primping for the photo shoot.
Bee tongue and the Beardtongue.


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Spray Painter - Smash Repair Canberra
Job No:
Company Overview
Smash Repair Canberra as a part of the Gemini/AMA Group is Australia's largest network of accident repair facilities, which currently comprises of over 100 outlets and over 2,000 employees across Australia and New Zealand, and has further plans to continue to grow both domestically and internationally.
The Gemini/AMA Group's success is a result of our commitment of providing our clients and work providers with quality and cost effective repairs, as well as exceptional customer service. Our people is what makes this possible and are therefore our focus.
The Gemini/AMA Group have been built on the foundations of families, enabling our people to continue to enjoy the family feel work environment and a sense of belonging, whilst having the opportunity to pursue a career and make a difference.
The Role
We have an exciting opportunity for a qualified and experienced Spray Painter to join our team.
We are leaders in the repair industry and offer:
- Great team environment
- Ongoing training
- Career opportunity
- Latest tools, equipment and process
- Great opportunity to earn big $$$
- Fantastic Employee Benefits including but not limited to discounted Car, Home, Travel Insurance, Private Health, Gym membership.
If you are hardworking, motivated, seeking a career and not just a job and would like to move forward with an industry leader please apply online.
All applications will be treated in strictest confidence.


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61:35 minutes (14.09 MB) Happy Thanksgiving! On this episode of Teachers Teaching Teachers we give thanks for OER!
Open Education Resources (OER) are teaching, learning, and research resourcesthat reside in the public domain or have been released under an intellectual property license that permits their free use or re-purposing by others. Open educational resources include full courses, course materials, modules, textbooks, streaming videos, tests, software, and any other tools, materials, or techniques used to support access to knowledge.
Defining ORE wikieducator.org/Educators_care/Defining_OER#cite_
We are joined by Karen Fasimpaur and Antero Garcia fresh from their NCTE presentation (along with Paul Oh and Harry Brake) NCTE 2011 - OPEN EDUCATION, DIGITAL RESOURCES, SHARING, AND NEW LITERACIES.
Scott Shelhart
and Daye Rogers
also join Paul Allison
and Monika Hardy