text:
As I mentioned in my last post, I am not a medical person. Consult your doctor for specific advice. My knowledge comes from my experiences and research plus conversations with my child's pediatrician.
Experts recommend a good sunscreen when out in the sun. The problem is, not all sunscreens (also called sunblock) are the same. Some don't offer the protection their labels say they do while others are actually unsafe. To learn more, listen to this recent podcast "Sunscreen Takes Some Heat" from On Point with Tom Ashbrook. (It's about 45 minutes long, so you may want to download the podcast and listen in your car). Among other things, it describes the changes coming in sunscreen labeling. But that won't happen until next summer.
I also recommend using the Environmental Working Group (EWG) "Skin Deep Cosmetics Database" to learn more about what goes into our cosmetics and which health and beauty items are safe. Just because a product says "All Natural" or "Organic" doesn't mean it's good. Sometimes one particular product in an entire line is recommended by EWG while other products by the same company are listed as not safe or ineffective. And fancy name brands don't guarantee safety or effectiveness, either. One of this year's top sunscreen picks is a Walgreens' brand sunblock.
A warning: You can drive yourself crazy checking all of the products you currently use and get overwhelmed by information.
Here's my advice: Start by searching the list of recommended sunscreens. Your skin is your largest organ and you cover it with sunscreen all summer long. Choose a sunscreen that is safe and effective for you and your children. Then, at some future point, maybe you'll research safer shampoo or facial cleanser or eyeshadow. Choose one new item at a time. That's what I did.
When I first visited the Skin Deep website about 5 years ago, I was overwhelmed. I thought I needed to change all of my products right away. I was practically paralyzed by the information until I just started with one item- sunscreen. I figured it was the product we used in volume so I might was well start there. Maybe six months later, I chose a safer shampoo for myself, then a while later a new product for my kids, and so on. Gradually, I replaced any unsafe products as I learned more. I'm still learning.
In fact, listening to the On Point podcast alerted me to another sunscreen database at Good Guide. I took a quick look at it but had to stop because I was feeling overwhelmed. So, for now, I'm sticking with the sunscreens I chose based on Skin Deep. When I have time, I'll take a closer look at the Good Guide. (One interesting point, for those who are interested- the Good Guide rates products three ways- for health, environment, and society).
So take baby steps. Learn what you have time to learn and make more informed decisions about the products you use. Even one change, like sunscreen, can make a big difference.
Two final points:
- It's better NOT to choose a sunscreen/insect repellent combination. Why? because you generally do not reapply insect repellent whereas you need to reapply sunscreen every 2 hours, regardless of sweating or swimming.
- To properly cover an adult body (in a bathing suit) with sunscreen you need to use one ounce of sunscreen. That's about the size of a golf ball or shot glass. Experts say most people don't use enough.
Have you used the EWG database? Good Guide? Which do you prefer? Do you know of other resources that might be useful to Polliwog readers?
Related posts:
Mystery Rash (Poison Ivy)
Insect Safety


text:
Drupal integration module for Google App Engine
Since posting Drupal on Google App Engine the App Engine team has been working hard to identify and improve many of the troublesome areas identified in the original post, other external sources, and further internal discussions. In addition, I have developed a Drupal integration module for Google App Engine. The combination of the integration module and the work done internally provides a more compelling Drupal experience on App Engine.
For those of you who are not sure what features App Engine provides or why to consider App Engine have a look at the reference material. Getting started is also easier than ever as the whitelist has been removed and the SDK comes bundled with PHP. The rest of this post will focus on what improvements have been made, what the integration provides, and how to make use of it.
To see a functioning Drupal site making use of the App Engine module and the Memcache module see my demo site. The demo site includes an example of a file field served out of Google Cloud Storage.
If you are just interested in making use of the integration visit the Google App Engine Drupal project, have a look at the included README and/or the Getting started section of this post. The second half covers some technical details on the implementation for those who are interested.
Getting started
The preferred method of developing for App Engine is to work locally using the SDK and the included development server. Once the site is ready it can be uploaded to App Engine.
You can choose to skip the local development setup and work directly on App Engine, but you will still need the SDK setup for uploading the app. Regardless, there are a number of ways to get a hold of Drupal and the integration module.
- all-in-one download
- drush make
- manual
All-in-one download
Simply download the full release containing a patched Drupal core, Google App Engine module, and Memcache module.
Extract the files and enjoy.
Drush make
The App Engine module includes Drush make scripts. There are two profiles: minimal using drupal.make; and full (to include more going forward) using drupal-full.make. Only the latter contains the memcache module.
Depending on which profile is desired, invoke the appropriate command.
$ drush make http://drupalcode.org/project/google_appengine.git/blob_plain/refs/heads/7.x-1.x:/root/drupal-full.make
$ drush make http://drupalcode.org/project/google_appengine.git/blob_plain/refs/heads/7.x-1.x:/root/drupal.make
Obviously, the components can be downloaded and manually assembled as well.
Drupal installation
Follow the normal process for installing Drupal. Keep in mind that the Drupal files will not be writable on App Engine so any changes to settings.php or any other modules configuration will need to be made prior to upload. See the SETTINGS.PHP section of the README for details on setting up the settings.php file for development against the local server and production App Engine.
The gist of the comments is to use the following for database credentials, filling in the {} sections.
if(strpos($_SERVER['SERVER_SOFTWARE'], 'Google App Engine') !== false) {
// Cloud SQL database credentials.
$databases['default']['default'] = array(
'database' => '{DATABASE}',
'username' => 'root',
'password' => '',
'unix_socket' => '/cloudsql/{SOME_PROJECT}:{DATABASE}',
'port' => '',
'driver' => 'mysql',
'prefix' => '',
else {
// Local database credentials.
$databases['default']['default'] = array(
'database' => '{DATABASE}',
'username' => '{USERNAME}',
'password' => '{PASSWORD}',
'host' => 'localhost',
'port' => '',
'driver' => 'mysql',
'prefix' => '',
Memcache module
If you choose to make use of the Memcache module be sure to follow the setup instructions. For the default setup simply add the following lines to the bottom of settings.php.
$conf['cache_backends'][] = 'sites/all/modules/memcache/memcache.inc';
// The 'cache_form' bin must be assigned no non-volatile storage.
$conf['cache_class_cache_form'] = 'DrupalDatabaseCache';
$conf['cache_default_class'] = 'MemCacheDrupal';
$conf['memcache_key_prefix'] = 'something_unique';
Additionally, a patch should be applied to define
MEMCACHE_COMPRESSED which is missing from the App Engine implementation (fix upcoming).
App Engine module
To make use of the integration enable the App Engine module. In order to use Google Cloud Storage be sure to configure the default storage bucket by visiting admin/config/media/file-system in your Drupal site.
If you choose to enable CSS/JS aggregation be sure to read through the serving options on admin/config/development/performance and choose the one that best suites your workflow.
If you are looking to import an existing site into Google App engine take a look at the following documentation links.
- Cloud SQL - Importing and Exporting Data: for import existing Drupal database
- gsutil copy command: for importing files directory to GCS
Be sure to add and enable the App Engine module to the existing code base.
If you encounter any difficulties please let us know via the appropriate channel.
- For general App Engine (PHP) support please visit Stackoverflow
- For issues specific to this Drupal module please visit the issue queue
Integration details
The rest of the post will discuss the implementation details behind the integration. The features provided by the 1.0 release of the App Engine module are as follows. See previous blog post for details on what led up to this work.
- App Engine mail service
- Cloud Storage
- Drupal core patch
App Engine mail service
Implements Drupal MailSystemInterface to make use of the App Engine mail service. The system email address will be used as the default from address and must be authorized to send mail. To configure the address, visit admin/config/system/site-information. For details on App Engine mail service, read this document.
For further details see the mail integration code.
Cloud Storage
The GAE team has provided a PHP stream wrapper which allows the use of standard PHP file handling functions for interacting with GCS. The current implementation requires a storage bucket in the file path which means applications must be altered to not only make use of the stream wrapper, but include a bucket in all file paths. Additionally, Drupal requires the implementation of an additional set of methods (DrupalStreamWrapperInterface) on top of the default set required for all PHP stream wrappers.
Instead of attempting to provide a format that allows the bucket to be optionally included, the best route forward is to provide a bucketless stream wrapper that always assumes no bucket is included and instead uses a default bucket. The new stream wrapper would sit atop the default stream wrapper and add the default bucket to all paths before handing off to the parent implementation. For lack of anything more descriptive the letter b (for bucketless) was appended to the gs stream wrapper. The examples below demonstrate the usage.
- gs://defaultbucket/dir1/dir2/file
- gsb://dir1/dir2/file (assumed defaultbucket and thus equivalent to first example)
The additional stream wrapper solution means that paths can be identical to those used with a local file-system, but applications wishing to utilize more than one bucket can still do so.
An additional implication of removing the bucket is that it allows for staging sites in different environments with the same set of files and corresponding data since a different bucket may be configured for the entire site instead of duplicated in each path and requiring changing. Obviously, those applications that choose to use more than one bucket will need to handle the cases themselves. This also aids in site migration as file paths stored in database do not need to be changed.
In lieu of an upstream GAE PHP runtime user-space setting the Drupal module will provide a typical Drupal setting and make use of it in the bucketless stream wrapper. In the future, it would make sense for the Drupal setting to merely set the upstream user-space setting.
The following is the class hierarchy used for implementing the bucketless and Drupal specific stream wrappers discussed in details below.
In order to facilitate a clean implementation and the possibility for moving upstream, while working within the restriction that the current stream wrapper is a final class, a rough facsimile, that acts as a proxy, of the base implementation is provided in order to allow for extension. The bucketless stream wrapper is built on top of the facsimile. This provides two basic stream wrapper implementations without any Drupal specific additions. The facsimile is implemented as a PHP Trait in order to allow for multiple inheritance as needed later for the Drupal wrappers.
There are two levels of integration with Drupal that make sense to allow GCS to be used as comprehensively and easily as possible. The first is providing stream wrappers that implement the additional functionality defined by the DrupalStreamWrapperInterface and the second is overriding the default provided local file-system stream wrappers to use GCS. The first is required for the second, but also allows for the use of GCS in a specific manner vs catch-all local file-system.
The three core stream wrappers (private://, public://, temporary://) are overridden via hook_stream_wrappers_alter() to use the GCS wrappers. The storage bucket must be configured in order for the GCS integration to function properly. The standard mechanisms for controlling the file system setup (admin/config/media/file-system) can be used and file fields can be stored within one of the default stream wrappers.
File MIME types are determined by DrupalLocalStreamWrapper::getMimeType() which consults file_mimetype_mapping() for a mapping of extensions to MIME types. The type is included in the stream context when writing files to GCS and as such the file will be served with the assigned MIME type.
Drupal core patch
In order to have Drupal run properly on Google App Engine a few changes need to be made to Drupal core. Those changes can be found in root/core.patch which is managed in the 7.x-appengine branch and rebased on top of Drupal core updates. The patch creates three other files within the appengine root directory that need to be placed in the Drupal root.
- Alters drupal_http_request() in common.inc to work without requiring socket support.
- Alters drupal_move_uploaded_file() in includes/file.inc to support newly uploaded files from the $_FILES array being referenced via a stream wrapper. In the case of App Engine all uploaded files are uploaded through the GCS proxy, hosted on GCS, and thus start with gs://. The change should be generally useful and has been rolled as a core patch.
- Alters file_upload_max_size() in includes/file.inc to only check PHP ini setting 'upload_max_filesize' instead of also checking 'post_max_size' which is normally relevant, but in the case of App Engine is not since all uploads are sent through GCS proxy and are thus not affected by app instance post limits.
- Alters drupal_tempnam() in includes/file.inc to manually simulate tempnam() since it is currently not supported by App Engine.
- Alters system_file_system_settings() in modules/system/system.admin.inc to include #wrapper_scheme property to be picked up by system_check_directory() in modules/system/system.module. Given that the current code voids using the stream wrappers this is technically a bug and is a candidate for being fixed in Drupal core as well.
- Alters system_requirements() in modules/system/system.install to skip the directory check since the GCS integration will not be loaded until the App Engine module is enabled.
A number of the changes included in the patch are being looked at and will hopefully becoming unnecessary in the future. The following are also included in the patch as a convenience, but they do not alter Drupal core.
- Add app.yaml to root which provides basic information about the app to Google App Engine so that it can invoke Drupal properly.
- Add php.ini to root which enables some php functions used by Drupal and turns on output buffering.
- Adds wrapper.php to root which simulates Apache mod_rewrite like behavior.
Aggregate CSS/JS
Since a local writable file-system is not available on Google App Engine for various reasons, the ability for Drupal to aggregate CSS and JS into combined files is restricted. There are three choices.
Directly from static files (recommended, but requires proper setup)
Serving from static files requires that the aggregate files be uploaded with the app. There are a couple of ways to achieve this some of which are better than others.
- Build site locally using the development server and generate the files locally. During upload the aggregate files will be present and included with app.
Upload app and generate the files while running on App Engine and written to GCS. Download the files locally into the app and re-upload. This method means that your app may serve with out-of-date CSS or JS until you re-upload which can cause all sort of issues.
gsutil makes it easy to download the css and js files from GCS.
Run the following with the relevant values filled in.
./gsutil cp -R gs://{BUCKET}/sites/default/files/css {~/path/to/drupal}/sites/default/files/ ./gsutil cp -R gs://{BUCKET}/sites/default/files/js {~/path/to/drupal}/sites/default/files/
From GCS using Drupal router as proxy (default)
By default, aggregate files are served via a Drupal router which acts as a GCS proxy. The proxy should always work without any additional configuration, but this will consume instance hours for serving static aggregate resources.
Directly from GCS
Serving directly from GCS does not require uploading static files with the app, but can cause difficulties since resources referenced from CSS will need to be uploaded to GCS as well (or referenced using an absolute URL). Also note that that the CSS and JS files will be served from a different domain which may cause complications.
There are areas that could be improved and I plan to continue working so stay tuned. If you have any ideas or want to pitch in you may do so in the Google App Engine issue queue. As always I look forward to your feedback.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Oman Oil Company (OOC) has successfully concluded the acquisition of Oxea which was announced in October. Oxea is one of the largest global manufacturers of Oxo chemicals. With the acquisition, OOC aims to become a vertically integrated global chemical leader in the downstream industry.
"Oxea is an impressive company with a strong track record, highly diversified product portfolio and strong customer base. With its international presence in Europe and North America, leading technology, efficient platform and longstanding experience in the Oxo segment, Oxea will support our further expansion into the chemical sector," said H.E. Nasser bin Khamis Al Jashmi, Chairman of Oman Oil Company.
Based at Frankfurt, Oxea produces more than 1.3 million tonnes of oxo products and derivatives annually. Its sales in 2012 totalled EUR 1.5 billion. The portfolio of more than 70 products is sold to producers of coatings, dyes, lubricants, flavours and fragrances.


text: wbdent I wanted to take the time to thank everyone that attended the event yesterday and dropped money in the web site donation box. We were trying to raise $160 to pay for the software that we have been using illegally. We came pretty darn close. We raised $141. We were just $19 short of our goal. I will put the $19 in to make it $160. I was just worried I was going to have to put a lot more then that in. It goes to show that we are a great group of people. Thank you everyone that donated. I will be purchasing the legal license this week.


text:
I have been wondering- I have a few friends who are working on projects and want me to help them by starting (and maybe managing <_< ) their Wiki(a) page(s). They said, among other things, I could "have a large part of the Wikia (ad?) revenue.
Now, I'm definitely the most-techie inclined person, but unless the brain has failed, I don't think wikia pays the "owner" of a wiki a percentage of ad revenue- is that correct, is it wrong?
Essentially, does Wikia pay a percentage of their ad fee to the owner? Or are there (viable) alternatives to Wikia for a profit-gaining wiki?


text:
You may or may not know but I got them done last year with a very minimal change but I feel like this time round I went a lot fuller than I expected to - I actually had double the amount put in compared to what I got last time! When the lady suggested it I was a bit nervous as I was letting someone I didnt know take my look and face in their hands. However I really trusted Allison (her contact info is in the down bar of the video) and she did a perfect job! While I'm pretty swollen right now I cant wait to see the finished result!
I go through the whys what and where's over in the video so if you want to know a little more in depth about them then as well as covering some points about surgery and why Im sick of people being looked down on for changing their bodies.
Watch it above or check it out over on my channel! Make sure you like & subscribe if you havent already!


text:
Historical reenactments of the Middle Ages, they sometimes bring out the blackguards, brigands, and bad apples. Early Monday morning in the French town of Bitche, the organizers of the popular festival Medievales Europeennes de Bitche found themselves down 20,000 € (approximately $25,000) when a marauding band of "knights" held them up at sword-and-axe-point. Explains AFP of these anachronistic crooks:
"According to witnesses, there were three or four individuals, masked and wearing medieval attire," the spokesman said. They struck one of the organisers with the handle of the axe and escaped with the cash.
The crime should fit the punishment here. Should these bandits be nabbed expeditiously, they should spend the rest of the summer in the festival's pillory, subjected to a nonstop barrage of mutton bones, moldy brie rinds, and unfounded accusations that they are actually warlocks.
Image: Wallenrock/Shutterstock, because "unruly knight" comes up zip, but "sexy knight" unveils one of the most magically stupid photos ever to grace a stock photo gallery.


text:
Hi Andrew,
I discovered that the skin being used sets the size and family of the <body> tag font, that applies to any typing in the editor window done without selecting a paragraph style and a font.
Now I can control this. However, my bigger concern is that when tinymce comes up, I would like to preselect the paragraph style, and thus probably also preselect the font and size settings. Is this possible?


text:
We use our own and third party cookies in order to improve your experience and our service. With the aid of cookies we analyze the typical use pattern of visitors to the website. Your continued use of our website shall be conclusively deemed acceptance of the use of cookies. For further information please read our Privacy Policy.
The KTM 300 EXC has been at the forefront of the insane pace of development of the highest levels the sport of Extreme Enduro. This nimble, lightweight all-terrain master fears no obstacle and with the advent of TPI technology, has risen to ridiculous new heights. The new 2020 model is completely reworked and even more refined. New bodywork and ergonomics make moving around a bliss, while the reworked frame allows the rider to select a line with instant precision. An innovative and strong new 3D stamped exhaust, as well as improved cooling and suspension, all help to make the new KTM 300 EXC TPI ready for the most extreme enduro challenges.
- Engine
- Displacement
- 293.2 cm³
- Bore
- 72 mm
- Stroke
- 72 mm
- CO2 emissions
- 64 g/km
- Fuel consumption
- 2.79 l/100 km
The illustrated vehicles may vary in selected details from the production models and some illustrations feature optional equipment available at additional cost. All information concerning the scope of supply, appearance, services, dimensions and weights is non-binding and specified with the proviso that mistakes, printing, setting and typing errors may occur; such information is subject to change without notice. No rights may be derived from incorrect statements. The consumption values stated refer to the roadworthy series condition of the vehicles at the time of factory delivery.


text:
If she couldn't win the Emmy herself, Taraji P. Henson is happy Viola Davis could.
The "Empire" and "How to Get Away With Murder" stars made history in July when the Television Academy nominated two black women in the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series category. Davis made history again when she became the first black woman to win the award, and Henson was one of the first people to give her peer a standing ovation. Still, Henson is human, and she would have liked to win.
"It was bittersweet, you know what I mean, because we all want to make history and be important to society and everything," Henson said on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show," airing Tuesday. "But then I thought about it. I was like, 'It's 2015 and we have a black president and no black woman has ever won in this category. Like, this is weird.' So, when I went into it and I knew I was being nominated alongside of Viola, I just thought to myself, 'God, just please give it to one of us so we will never have to say that again. You know, let's just break this barrier down and keep on pushing.' I think the universe is happy. Viola deserved that award. And, honestly, I would have felt weird if I had gotten it over her. You know what I mean? She's been doing it longer. You've just got to give respect and know when your time is."
U.S. & World
NEWS: Twitter reacts to Viola Davis' historic Emmys win
Ellen DeGeneres referenced Davis' powerful acceptance speech, in which she said, "You cannot win an Emmy for roles that are simply not there." Henson was proud of Davis, saying, "I feel like the universe needed to hear that message last night.
"Had I won it wouldn't have been that message. I mean it would've been good. Don't ya know!" said Henson, who earned her first Emmy nomination in 2011. "It would've been great! I just think the universe orders up what it needs when it needs it. And I think the world needed to hear what she had to say last night."
APP: Download the E! Online app to get the latest red carpet news on the go
Henson brought her 91-year-old grandmother to the Emmys Sunday. "She's been with me to the Oscars and I took her to the Emmys the first time I was nominated. I love her so much...It was just a very special moment for her. I treated her like a queen. I flew her out first class. We all got facials–her and my mom and my aunt, who flew with her out here," the actress said. Attending the event with four generations of family members (including her son) made the night extra special. "That to me was the win, the fact that I could do that for my family," Henson said.


text:
Changing your business from a one-on-one to a one-to-many model is the dream of many (many) business owners. We've all been there working long and tiring hours trying to get as much done in the hours we have. But it's never enough.
That's not working smart. It's working hard.
I've met and spoken with thousands of business owners about this roadblock, many of you want to break free from the client work and start hosting events and workshops but you simply don't know how to go about it.
You feel stuck and frustrated. You don't have a clear pathway to take yourself out of the grind and into your dream of scaling the business so you can help more people – and live your life with passion and purpose.
The FM half-day workshop aims to get you on the path to business success by giving you the framework to build a loyal following and leverage your community - even if you don't have one yet.
Running successful events has so many benefits to you as a business owner and doesn't need to be difficult, tiring or confusing.
In the FM half-day workshop, I'll show you the proven formula that is going to explode your business in only a matter of weeks by teaching you the tricks of the trade, which the masses haven't caught on to yet, including Meetup, Facebook groups and Facebook Live, plus a host of others. Yes, these are well-known platforms, but are you using them to your best advantage?
Huge client successes
My clients are achieving huge success…one increased work by 80 percent in 4 weeks another started to leverage a community of more than 10,000 people they didn't know they had. Others have grown their communities by thousands of targeted active followers. While many have opened the taps on extra work from their ideal customers. They have grown their businesses and their profile to become influential leaders and go-to people in their industry. I used this formula myself when I moved to Brisbane and started a new business. I didn't know anyone, let alone have a network to leverage. But in six short months I was running fully booked events and workshops and had a six-figure business.
Leveraging your community and using my tried and trusted promotion techniques is how you fill events - whether they are networking events, seminars, conferences, webinars or workshops – to generate more leads and boom your business.
In the FM half-day workshop, you will:
- Understand your personal story, the importance of it and how to use it in your pitch. This is completely different to any "elevator pitch" you will learn.
- Find authentic ways to bring in more targeted clients.
- Discover the ways to network properly and profitably – on and offline.
- Learn how to connect with people of influence easily.
- Build your tribe and increase your following quickly.
- Identify your target clients and people of influence by being an online detective.
- Uncover the very simple strategy to build your attendees at your events.
- Plus, find out the shortcuts to achieve and grow a huge network.This is how you run a successful business that allows you to help more people and change their lives – as well as changing your own.


text:
Congratulations to Diane! Her choral number for women,
Look to God and Live! (SSA) was given an Award of Special Recognition at the 2015 LDS Church Music Submission Awards in the Relief Society category.
LDS Living Magazine has named our site as one of The Five Best Websites for Free LDS Sheet Music. Thank you LDS Living Magazine!
"Abide in Me, O Love of God, Abide!"
by Toni Thomas, was given Special Recognition at the 2014 LDS Church Music Submission Awards in the hymn text category.
Find music for Christmas HERE
Here are some of our favorite web sites:
Diane Tuiofu & Toni Thomas have been providing free sheet music to the LDS/ Christian community since 1985.


text:
Well, does it matter if AA is a religion or not? For people outside AA it might, but not for people inside it. As to the "recovery rate," even if it is only 2%, that is still better than 0%. The next thing is, AA has been working since 1935, much longer than any other treatment for any physical/psychological malady has. The fact that it has been effective for millions, for decades, must mean that it has something going for it.
Finally, the Traditions state that AA is "not affiliated with any sect, denomination, politics, organization, or religion." While you may still argue that this means that AA is a religion unto itself, apart from all others, the meaning and practice clearly shows otherwise. AA will stand or fall despite what any of us here say, but my point is that if it works, it works. If a person drowning in Hurricane Katrina last year were pulled out of the raging water by someone on shore, do you really think that that person would first stop to ask the "religion" of the rescuer?
Thank you Pete. I too have attended many AA meetings but only to get my mother interested in sobriety. I never did drink as I saw what it did to my mother and all 4 of her brothers. It was amazing that the entire family was strickened with this terrible disease. UCLA did a history of the family back in the early 50s. I was told at the age of 20 that it could be an interited weakness and I should watch out for it.
I did some social drinking until my mother finally died trying to light a cigarette and lit her gown on fire. She had been drinking for several days and at 72 could not function at all. It also hit me that my father had been drinking at a party and drove off Sunset Boulevard to his death at the age of 39. How much more did I need?
My mother had married two alcoholics after that and there was a lot of violence in our home. I finally moved in with my grandmother for my own sanity. I went to a boarding school and never again spent a night under my mother's roof. I married and had some kids and although we tried to get my mother involved in our lives, she seldom had a sober day. I made it clear to my own kids that unless they were very careful they too could end up like their grandmother. By that time all her brothers were dead of alcoholism. My cousins went from alcoholism to drug addiction, which was carried down to their children. It is worse than cancer due to the fact that it is often spread through social activities.
It is sad that alcohol is involved in all celebrations and is used to ease one through disasters. When the kids went off to college, and my mother died, I moved out of the city where we all were born. I was the third generation to be born in Santa Monica and I could not wait to get out of the area. I have never forgiven my mother for leaving my 3 kids with the impression that she was nothing but a drunk; either coming off a drunk or heading into one. Raising kids to become proud of being humans with superior brains over the animal world is tough enough without seeing members of the family passed out somewhere. Yes, I am bitter as hell! I approached the problem and told them the choices would always be theirs to make. So far, so good.
[quote author="Ellecram"]Whim - Have you read any of the AA Horror stories that Ken Ragge and Rebecca Fransway have published?
If not - here is a link to the website that allows you to read them free.
This website also has an interesting article on the cult aspects of AA written by Devin Sexon -
Mind Control Tactics Of Alcoholics Anonymous
by Devin Sexson
June 2002 http://www.morerevealed.com/dev_art.jsp
I've not read the Ragee/Fransway publications as yet. However, I am aware of the many controversies concerning AA and the cult issue(s).
I've long followed Steven Hassan's research and information, as well as the BITE Model for mind control and Mr. Hassan's resource page contains balanced information and links to secular alternatives to twelve step programs for those facing alcoholism:
The cult aspect of AA was not the issue I was addressing: Ralphcox's posed the question "does AA work?" To which he incorrectly answered no. He then further supported his erroneous answer with data he twisted.
The AA 12-step method does indeed work for a great many people, and to falsely claim it doesn't is simply irresponsible.
For clarity; I want to add one more thing regarding the percentages that have been quoted off & on in this thread. This is from the March 2006 Cochrane Database regarding AA's effectiveness:
Source: http://www.cochrane.org/reviews/en/ab005032.html
The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2006 Issue 4
Copyright © 2006 The Cochrane Collaboration. Published by John Wiley and Sons, Ltd.
Date of last Subtantial Update: March 20. 2006
Plain language summary:
Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is self-help group, organised through an international organization of recovering alcoholics, that offers emotional support and a model of abstinence for people recovering from alcohol dependence using a 12-step approach.
As well as AA, there are also alternative interventions based on 12-step type programmes, some self-help and some professionally-led. AA and other 12-step approaches are typically based on the assumption that substance dependence is a spiritual and a medical disease. The available experimental studies did not demonstrate the effectiveness of AA or other 12-step approaches in reducing alcohol use and achieving abstinence compared with other treatments, but there were some limitations with these studies. Furthermore, many different interventions were often compared in the same study and too many hypotheses were tested at the same time to identify factors which determine treatment success.
Even the Cochrane report states there has been numerous limitations within the studies that have made them indeterminate.
At this point, know one really knows how effective or uneffective AA's 12-step program actually are because no clear studies of effectiveness having been preformed. Thus it's irresponsible to conclusively state current percentages of effectiveness as indisputable facts; at best they should be stated as limited results and not reflecting the true effectiveness of any particular program.
At this point, know one really knows how effective or uneffective AA's 12-step program actually are because no clear studies of effectiveness having been preformed. Thus it's irresponsible to conclusively state current percentages of effectiveness as indisputable facts; at best they should be stated as limited results and not reflecting the true effectiveness of any particular program.
Oh boy, I couldn't agree more! The reason behind this is actually quite simple, although the underlying causes are quite complex. There is no group of people on the planet, I believe, more capable of lying to themselves and believing it then the addicted.
I believe that deep in the heart of even the most committed creationist is a small little voice that says: "Yea, but what about all them bones?" Not within an addict though, at least not 'till all the tumblers click into place and they become willing to do something different for a change.
I know you could have put me on a polygraph a couple of days before I stumbled into AA, asked me about my drinking, and I would have beaten the machine. I had two or three lives going, and a whole network of lies, and even lies about the lies. Trouble is, I believed all of it!
That's why the studies mean absolutely nothing. Alcoholics lie! Do you believe it? The trick is to stay sober long enough (length varies from person to person) to see through the bullshit. For me it was almost nine months 'till I realized (quite suddenly and somewhat dramatically) that I was an alcoholic and could not drink successfully.
If a person reaches that point, almost anything will work, in my opinion, as long as one does not pick up a drink or drug.
There are some aspects of addiction that have parallels in religiosity, especially to ability to ignore mountains of objective evidence in order to maintain an absurd belief system.
How can you reduce such complex human processes to percentages? I don't think you can. The physiological aspects of addiction, receptors, dopamine and all the rest, have been if not understood for some time, at least heavily researched and quantifiable results obtained.
What goes on in the mind of an addict, however, may be understood at some point, but is far more difficult to quantify. Perhaps we will find some "magic bullet," a one-size-fits-all recovery program, or perhaps a one-shot cure for religion, but we don't have them yet.
Good for you Pete. I envy your family who saw you through your being able to heal yourself. I tried hard for 50 years to try to cut through that devil that had my mother under control. She would come out of the rehab hospital, I would drive her home and she would treat me as if nothing had happened. Christmas, Thanksgiving, birthdays, Easter all were lost to her. She ruined all my holidays and then tried to ruin my kids' too. I learned always to make alternative plans so they wouldn'[t be too disappointed.
Sounds as if you have your life under control. I am giving you a standing ovation.
FYI - excerpts from on going research…
Source: Eureka Alert Science News
Addiction, Parenting, Mental Health Section
Alcoholics Anonymous membership may decrease alcohol-related homicides
* There is a strong association between alcohol use and violence.
* New findings confirm a strong relationship between alcohol consumption and homicide rates, particularly among males who consume beer and spirits.
* Conversely, as Alcoholics Anonymous membership increased, homicide levels decreased.
Studies consistently show a strong link between alcohol use and violence, such as homicide. New research that looks at the relationship among drinking, Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) membership, and homicide mortality has found that AA can have a beneficial effect on alcohol-related homicide mortality rates, particularly among males who consume beer and spirits.
Results are published in the October issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research.
—end excerpt
Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research (ACER) is the official journal of the Research Society on Alcoholism and the International Society for Biomedical Research on Alcoholism. Co-authors of the ACER paper, "Alcohol Consumption, Alcoholics Anonymous Membership and Homicide Mortality Rates in Ontario 1968-1991," were: Rosely Flam Zalcman, Reginald G. Smart, and Helen Suurvali of the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health; and Brian R. Rush of the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health as well as the Departments of Psychiatry and Public Health at the University of Toronto. The study was funded by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health.
Alcoholics Anonymous and treatment seem to work best together
* People with alcohol-use disorders who want to change their drinking habits tend to choose self-help groups, such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), or treatment.
* New findings indicate that individuals who participate in professional treatment and AA together are most likely to achieve remission.
Most clinical studies examine individuals either during or immediately following treatment. A study in the October issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research tracks individuals for 16 years who have first acknowledged their alcohol-use problems and then chosen Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), treatment, or both. Findings indicate that people who become involved in both AA and treatment fare better than those who obtain only treatment.
"We know that self-help groups, such as AA, contribute to better alcohol-related and psychosocial outcomes," said Rudolf H. Moos, senior research career scientist for the Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care System in Palo Alto, California, and corresponding author for the study. "For example, patients with alcohol use-disorders who participate in AA, and those who attend more meetings and/or participate for a longer time, are more likely to be abstinent and to maintain remission up to five years after an episode of professional treatment than patients who are not involved or less involved in such groups. Affiliation with AA also is associated with more self-efficacy and problem-solving coping skills, and better social functioning, which are linked to better alcohol-related outcomes."
—end excerpt
Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research (ACER) is the official journal of the Research Society on Alcoholism and the International Society for Biomedical Research on Alcoholism. The co-author of the ACER paper, "Paths of Entry into Alcoholics Anonymous: Consequences for Participation and Remission," is Bernice S. Moos of the Center for Health Care Evaluation at the Department of Veterans Affairs, and Stanford University, in Palo Alto, California. The study was funded by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, and the Department of Veterans Affairs Health Services Research and Development Service.
AA helps alcoholics stay abstinent over the long term
Individuals who were encouraged to cut down on their drinking by fellow Alcoholics Anonymous members were three times more likely to be abstinent a year after their first treatment for alcoholism, compared to individuals who received no support, a new study reports.
Individuals who received similar support from non-AA members, however, had nearly the same chance of being abstinent as if they had received no support at all, according to Lee Ann Kaskutas, P.D., of the Alcohol Research Group in Berkeley, Calif., and colleagues.
"This suggests that AA members offer types of social support that differ from those typically offered by nonmembers," Kaskutas says.
—end excerpt
Health Behavior News Service: 202-387-2829 or http://www.hbns.org.
Finding sobriety, and saving money, through spirituality
* Skepticism abounds regarding the role of "faith-based" groups in achieving and maintaining sobriety.
* Yet treatment programs - both spiritual and cognitive-behavioral in approach - have the same inpatient costs and clinical outcomes.
* One study found that spiritually oriented programs have lower post-discharge costs and a higher rate of abstinence.
* Fellowship provided by faith-based groups may be the key.
Addiction treatment, like many other aspects of health care, does not entail a standard, paint-by-number approach. There exists a wide spectrum of treatment options. On one end lies the medical approach, such as cognitive-behavioral treatment. On the opposite end are "faith-based" initiatives such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and Narcotics Anonymous (NA). A study in the May issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research evaluates the post-discharge health-care utilization and associated costs of these two very different types of approaches.
—end excerpt
The co-author of the Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research paper was Rudolf Moos of the Center for Health Care Evaluation and Program Evaluation and Resource Center at the Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care system, and the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University School of Medicine.
The study was funded by the Department of Veterans Affairs Mental Health Strategic Health Group, and the Department of Veterans Affairs Health Services Research and Development Service.
Very interesting information. With the cooperation of parents who do not drink in front of their children and instead give the warnings of alcohol being addictive, we might have more success with all alcoholics.
I've lived in the years of parental alcoholism and it did a ton of problems for me to be able to trust anyone. I heard millions of promises that the drinking was over. Anxiety was the downfall for my mother. That feeling of looking forward to any celebration got her drinking and it was many years before I realized Mother's Day was on a Sunday; it was Wednesday in our home when my mother got out of the drunk tank.
Her anxiety made me afraid of holidays and birthdays. I spent all my time at home in a book. She was a beautiful and talented woman and when she hit 70 she looked like a bum living on the street. When I was in boarding school, many of the girls had their mothers and fathers in and out of rehab drunk tanks. We used to sit around and talk about the waste of their lives. It was a school where all the movie star's girls attended and it showed all of us that success, talent and money made no difference to an addict. I believe the addiction comes from people who never had to use their brains for any reason. They are usually well educated but not in critical thinking. Many came from religious families where critical thinking is not encouraged.
I want to beg all of you to stay away from alcohol! I celebrate with a cup of coffee which suits me just fine! I do a lot of socializing and find that half the people attending will head for sparkling water or coffee too.
[quote author="zAZen"][quote author="hampsteadpete"]What makes a religion a religion? What is the minimum requirement? Does a religion have to have a supreme god-figure, or is a set of dogma enough?
tend to take Alan Watts' characterization: a religion is defined by the presence of three things: [list]1. The creed (a definitive proclamation of what is believed to be true);
2. The code (a set of rules governing behavior, morals and ethics based on the creed set forth previously); and (of course)
3. The cult (the authoritarian hierarchy of worshipful who enforce the previous two components).[/list:u]
That's a rather limited explanation.
Here are the elements of religion.
1.Worship of a God Or gods
In AA that would be the higher power
2.System of ritual.
AA meetinggs almost always open with a prayer and close with a prayer.
Select readings are done from the Big Book and members then give testimonials.
3.Charismatic leader.
Christianity had Christ. AA has Bill Wilson
4.Sacred text
The AA bible is The Big Book
And of course loads and loads of dogma.
"On the face of it, this would seem to include TSGs like NA and AA. After all, TSGs do have a definitive proclamation of truth regarding a specific problem, such as addiction and alcoholism. However, this proclamation comes about as a result of collective experiences that have to no small extent been verified by medical science"
This statement is misleading. The disease concept of alcoholism was first proferred by Dr. Benjamin Rush at or about 1806. He declared alcoholism to be a disease without any proper scientific study or investigation. He also declared that criminal behavior was a disease as was being born black.
"(at least in terms of the symptoms and behaviors of the afflicted), NOT divine revelation.
With respect to "the code," there are the 12 Traditions which govern how members of these groups are to interact with one another and how they interact with non-members. "
The traditions are meaningless in AA. Simply because there is no way to enforce them. And besides that most everyone I ever met in AA pretty much ignored them.
"This is somewhat problematic, as the Traditions are guidelines, not moral dictates. Interestingly, neither NA nor AA require that you stop using or drinking (respectively). Working the steps and living the program is entirely optional. You are not required to do either one if you do not find it necessary."
I can see you are "a dyed in the wool" stepper from this statement. This is the palty excuse most AAcult members use to lure members into the program. They TELL them that belief is optional but they don't mean it.
The only way to rise in the AA heirarchy is to adopt the dogma. Otherwise you are considered a second class citizen in the AA group.
And yes! Some are considered more equal than others once the meeting starts.
"Finally, we come to whether or not the members of a TSG constitute a cult. While I acknowledge the experiences described by others as to the cult-like behavior of one group or another's members, the fact is that nothing in any of the literature I have read, nor in the experiences I've heard recounted by others in these groups, suggests that it is at all appropriate to indoctrinate newcomers or behave toward them in such an aggressive and proselytizing manner."
You obviously know very little about this subject. Step 12 REQUIRES the individual cult member to proselitize. If they don't they are told they may drink again. Fear is a motivational force that is used with impunity in AA.
"In other words, these individuals who feel it is their moral duty to preach the gospel of (insert program here) have grossly misunderstood the purpose and intent of TSGs, and it is they, not the fellowships, who are in error. "
That statement is an outright lie. Nuff said
"As you point out, meeting attendance is encouraged, not required. You are not forcibly removed from your family or forced to stop talking to others outside the fellowship."
Scientologists don't forcibly remove people from their families. Does this mean they aren't a cult? Your arguments are very weak and uninformed may I add.
"Furthermore, I seem to recall TSGs being very specific about the problem they address and the problems they do not. Neither NA nor AA pretend to have all the answers to all of life's problems, and state very specifically and clearly that they do not. I challenge you to find any religion that does as much."
So now you admit they are a religion?
You need to read the steps again. They are written in a nebulous manner.
They are very unspecific if anything. But God is mentioned more times in the 12 steps than in the Ten Commandments.
AA first tells you that you have a terrible affliction that if left untreated will result in only three possible outcomes: Jail, insanity or death.
The old AA death threat. Heard it many times. It's simply a cowardly fear inducing method to keep the cult members in line. it isn't based on fact.
"TSGs relate common experience, they don't "tell" you anything in the sense of a lecture or sermon. Sharing in meetings (when done appropriately) is of the "This is what happened to me" variety, not the "Let me tell you something, buster" variety. "
They testify just like those in the Baptist Church do. It's a sneaky way of telling peole what to do. An typical with the dishonesty which which AA is riddled with.
But I thought AA wasn't a religion? LOL
"I don't see you denying that alcoholism or addiction are afflictions."
They are behavioral problems not diseases.
"The AMA lists both as diseases, with particular symptoms and recommended regimens for treatment."
Marty Mann politicized the disease issue and with the help of her organisation The Ncaad , whic is th political wing of AA,she twisted the arms of the AMA to admit it was a disease. It was voted on. As a matter of fact alcoholism was the only "disease" in the history of the AMA that required a vote. It won by consensus. That could be any figure over 50%.
In other words this argument is not valid.
" Religions, Christianity in particular, often describe these conditions in terms of being moral problems, TSGs do not."
Another lie.
Steps 4 and 5 specifically deal with sin and AA founder Bill Wilson specifically states in the 12x12 that members should start their inventory process by looking at the 7 deadly sins.
You really need to do some homework here my friend.
"Neither NA nor AA, in my experience, have ever endorsed a viewpoint in which addicts or alcoholics were sinners in need of redemption. "
Wrong again. You have a very limited understanding of the steps.
The steps were primarily created for religious conversion. There is no requirement in any of the steps that one stop using alcohol. It's the typical AA bait and switch.
"The phrase I've heard more often than I care to remember is, "We're not bad people trying to be good; we're sick people trying to get well.""
More dogma and loaded language. Some of us refer to the use of sloagans as the language of non-thought. And they use this prpaganda and brainwashing technique with fervor in AA.
The idea that someone is "sick" forever is what keeps people coming back to meetings forever. They are told they can recover at first and then later told they will never recover. Another AA lie
You are then informed that in order to save yourself you must develop a relationship with a "power greater than yourself," 'cause you do not have the power yourself to overcome your affliction. You are then taught a method that will arrest your affliction, and release you from the "obsession to drink" as long as you follow the steps and "work the program." You are encouraged to attend as many meetings as you possibly can, and estrange yourself from any former friends and family who are not supportive of your efforts.
"Actually, I believe the first step mentions only powerlessness and unmanageability, not "higher power."
More dogma. One is not powerless over alcohol. But that's simply common sense. Personally I never saw a bottle of booze that had arms and legs growing out of it and forced it's contents down my throat.
The conclusion as to whether or not one is powerless over and unable to manage or control it is left entirely up to the individual, preferably after a rigorous, and dare I say scientific, investigation into the nature of one's behavior in relation to this problem: when one used, where, how much, consequences of, efforts already made to stop, etc. You are an addict or an alcoholic if and only if you say you are; no one else can make that decision for you.
"The doctrine of original sin places Christians,"
if they buy into it, in the same position as the alcoholic entering AA for the first time. Without "salvation," to save them from this imaginary "affliction," they will spend eternity in a lake of fire. But wait, just accept jesus….. and you will be OK.
See previous. TSGs do not—ought not—to frame the problems of addiction and alcoholism as primarily moral problems.
Bill Wilson and Dr. Bob clearly believed that SIN was the main cause of alcoholism. Read the steps!
I guess the biggest difference is, AA addresses a real problem
This is a lie. AA has absolutely nothing to do with curing diseases especially imagined ones. If it does it's just another pseudo science faith healing cure at best.
AA is all about religigious conversion. There is NO SCIENCE to support their claims.
where Christianity addresses an imaginary one with a solution involving an imaginary being.
Agreed. And I think we can agre that atheists can work the 12 steps and live by the traditions as well as the most die-hard book-thumpering fundie.
This is totally incorrect. You really need to read the steps.
They will not "work" without a belief in God.
But they don't work anyways so who cares?
In AA's favor, though, they don't operate like any religion I know where money and power is concerned. I think everyone in AA, from top to bottom, is driven by an honest desire to help as many alcoholics as possible, and the normal donation when the hat is passed is still the same as it was when I came in.
GSO claims AA has 60 million dollars in the bank as we speak. They are a powerful cult religion.
Agreed. Just because TSGs have some superficial similarities with religions doesn't mean that TGS are religions.
welcome to the forum.
Thank you for responding. I enjoy these conversations. Here's my question to you: do you think it possible for an atheist to work the 12 steps, inasmuch as there are a number of those that DO mention the "G-word?"
I don't think that AA is cultish. For a while I attended a mental illness support group that was set up like AA and even used the same books. It was a great help to me and the others involved. A lot of my recovery came from being in that group and the personal reflection it entailed outside of the group. Nothing lead me to believe that it was cultish.
MsWitt. AA worked for you but to many of us it is simply another attempt to alter your brain to follow them. What ever it takes to make you feel normal or whatever was your problem. It is very harmful to young people facing addiction as it removes their individual responsibility. It seems that in America mind control has become a world all its own. We drug the hell out of kids in school and at home we place our children in front of the most active mind control of all…..the television.
I became aware of this drug of mind control back in 1963 and removed my teleivion from our home and we spent the time reading and discussions of what we read. We became addicted to Scrabble not Dowdy Doodie. We worked puzzles (crossword and jig saw) and we never missed the television. I was highly critized by many for making my kids different. That was the whole purpose.
Today there are all kinds of drugs used to control the mind and brain. Whatever works!
[quote author="MsWitt"]I don't think that AA is cultish. For a while I attended a mental illness support group that was set up like AA and even used the same books. It was a great help to me and the others involved. A lot of my recovery came from being in that group and the personal reflection it entailed outside of the group. Nothing lead me to believe that it was cultish.
You are not alone. New, ongoing research is showing the effectiveness of the these types of programs. (Emphasis added by me)
January 2, 2007
American Journal of Preventive Medicine
Interviewing Technique Reduces Risk for Binge Drinking and Unplanned Pregnancies
Charlottesville, Va., Jan. 2, 2007 - A University of Virginia Health System researcher and colleagues have just published findings showing that just a few targeted counseling sessions had a notably positive impact on women at high risk for binge drinking, unplanned pregnancy, and exposure to alcohol during pregnancy. The counseling technique, called motivational interviewing (MI), has proven effective after just four counseling sessions. In addition, Karen Ingersoll, Ph.D., has won a grant for $1.9 million from the National Institutes of Health to study how this effective counseling technique works.
Ingersoll, a lead researcher in the UVa Department of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences, and her colleagues found that a few nonjudgmental counseling sessions prompted women both to scale back risky drinking and practice more effective contraception. This study, called Project CHOICES, was designed to reduce the risk of alcohol-exposed pregnancy before conception, and was funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The study took place at six sites in Virginia, Texas and Florida and enrolled 830 women from many different backgrounds.
The motivational intervention doubled the odds that binge-drinking women who were at risk for pregnancy would be successful in moving from the category of at-risk to low-risk for alcohol-exposed pregnancy. These findings, published in the American Journal of the Preventive Medicine, are noteworthy because it can be difficult for some women to reduce binge drinking, which can cause harm to their fetuses should they become pregnant.
"We demonstrated that using motivational counseling can have a major impact, even on behaviors that are considered difficult to change, such as binge drinking," Ingersoll said. "While our main goal was to reduce the risk of alcohol-exposed pregnancy, ours was the first multi-site study to show that motivational counseling can be effective when targeting more than one health behavior, in this case, both drinking and contraception habits, among women who were not seeking help to change."
The women, who were binge drinkers or frequent drinkers, volunteered to be in the study. All of the women were sexually active but not using reliable means to prevent pregnancy. They came from two high-risk samples in each of three cities, including Richmond, Va. During this randomized, controlled trial, the trained counselors used MI to express empathy with the individuals who come for counseling, manage resistance without confrontation, and support the self-confidence of the individual. They used counseling techniques such as open-ended questioning, reflective listening, summarizing, and affirming. Although the study targeted both behaviors (binge drinking and poor contraception use) associated with alcohol-exposed pregnancy, counselors were allowed to emphasize the target behavior favored by the participant.
Now Dr. Ingersoll and colleagues will use the new grant money to answer the question of why this form of counseling, brief as it is, can be so effective. To date, motivational interviewing research has found few links between the characteristics of the people being counseled (clients) and their outcomes.
Thus, the UVa team will look at other aspects of MI, using Project CHOICES' audiotapes of therapy sessions and its outcomes dataset. The researchers will rate audiotapes to capture therapist and client behaviors and interpersonal interactions, and merge this process data with the existing dataset. They then will test a number of hypothesized mechanisms of action during motivational interviewing. The team plans to examine therapist behaviors, client behaviors, and interpersonal interactions; and evaluate their inter-relationships and their relationships to outcomes to unlock the secrets of MI.
"Our hope is to identify which aspects of this effective counseling style are most important and linked to the positive outcomes, so that we can create even more effective therapies to help people make healthy changes in problematic habits," Ingersoll said.
This project could have an impact on public health if the researchers do uncover the components of MI that will have the best impact on clinical practice. Once these components are identified, new, scientifically sound interventions could be developed for a range of health-threatening behaviors for people with chronic illnesses, including addictive disorders.
Motivational interviewing and 12 step groups are two totally different treatment modalities.
There has never been a properly run CONTROLLED scientific study that has shown AA to be any more effective than just quitting drinking on ones own..
There has never been a properly run CONTROLLED scientific study that has shown AA to be any more effective than just quitting drinking on ones own..
It's even worse than that, Ralph. As far as I know there has never even been an improperly run, uncontrolled, unscientific study run.


text:
Chemistry Placement Exam
Who Should Take the Chemistry Placement Test?
Any student accepted to a program in the College of Engineering & Science, any students interested in Pre-Dental, Pre-Medicine, Pre-Physician Assistant, Pre-Dental Hygiene, Nursing or any student wanting to take a chemistry class should take the chemistry placement test.
TCPE (Toledo Chemistry Placement Exam)
Along with many other colleges and universities nationwide, Detroit Mercy administers the 2010 Toledo Chemistry Placement Exam (TCPE). The TCPE is written by the American Chemical Society and evaluates a student's general math and algebra skills, as well as overall knowledge of chemistry. It is designed and used to evaluate how well a student is prepared for freshman chemistry courses taught at Detroit Mercy. Results will be used to ensure that the student's background in chemistry and math is adequate for success.
Engineering and Science Students (Pre-Medical, Pre-Dental, Pre-Physician Assistant, 5-Year Physician Assistant, 7-Year Dental) Chemistry Placement Possibilities:
CHM 1050 (also requires math placement into MTH 1400 or higher)
or CHM 1070 (also requires math placement into MTH 1400 or higher)
Nursing and Pre-Dental Hygiene Students Chemistry Placement Possibilities:
CHM 1015 (also requires enrolling in MTH 1010 or MTH 1020/1030/1040 or higher)
or CHM 1025 (also requires math placement into MTH 1010)
Strong Recommendation: Prior to orientation, reviewing the chemistry you have had in high school and reviewing study guides for the Toledo Chemistry Placement exam may help improve your placement.
Note: Students in accelerated 5-year PA or 7-year Dental programs that place into CHM 1050 will have to take a Chemistry course in the Summer to stay in proper course sequence.
What is on the Chemistry Placement Test?
The test consists of 60 math and chemistry questions. Part 1 is 20 math-based questions, Part 2 is 20 general chemistry questions and Part 3 is 20 specific chemistry questions. The math questions cover math skills up to and including college-level algebra. The chemistry questions cover topics including measurements, unit conversions, classifications of matter (elements, isotopes, ions, compounds) and change (chemical/physical), trends of the periodic table, ionic and covalent bonding, moles, writing/balancing chemical formulas/equations, chemical reactions, stoichiometry, oxidation/reduction, states of matter, pressure/volume/temperature relationships (gas laws), quantum theory, solubility and solutions, equilibria, acids and bases, kinetics and thermodynamics.
You will have 55 minutes to complete the test. You may use a scientific calculator, but you must bring it. Scrap paper, pencil and a Periodic Table of the Elements will be provided to you.
Guidelines for Calculator Use
The following types of calculators are NOT permitted:
- Pocket organizers, handheld or laptop computers, or cell phones
- Electronic writing pads or pen-input devices
- Models with a QWERTY (typewriter) keypad.
- Models with built-in capability to simplify algebraic expressions, multiply polynomials, or factor polynomials (often called Computer Algebra Systems), for example, CFX-9970G, TI-89, and TI-92
View Chemistry Course Material
For An Introduction to Chemistry by Mark Bishop: PreparatoryChemistry.com
For Concept Development Studies in Chemistry: Cnx.org/content/col10264/latest


text:
"Hunted" star Melissa George doesn't fake fights very well.
"Next season they're going to teach me how to pretend," the actress told me during a phone interview from her Paris home. "But this season I was like, 'OK, OK, OK, I'm going to really show these massive guys. But I felt like I had to go all out because I was so worried it wouldn't look real...
"My fight trainer would take me aside and hold both my arms down and say, 'Pull back. You don't really have to hit them!'"
George, who plays spy Sam Hunter in the Cinemax series, trained for the role by studying martial arts, hand-to-hand combat and the Keysi fighting method, a technique that uses natural instincts for self-defense. Apparently she was a good student. During filming for the eight-episode season currently airing at 9 p.m. CT Fridays, she busted open a stunt man's lip and gave Neil Finninghan, who plays the homicidal Military Man, a black eye.
"She gave as good as she got," said Frank Spotnitz, the show's creator. "I don't think any of the stunt men hurt her, but she injured herself doing a lot of the things and she did injure more than one stunt man."
As George says in the video above, she got to a point where she couldn't make a fist with one of her hands. George was flattered when one of the stunt men, who had worked as a mercenary in the past, told her he loved that she was fighting so hard. It didn't make her body feel any better, though.
"I'm like, 'I know but I hurt myself! Forget about you. You can take it,'" she said. "No matter how equipped I was or how ready I was, you're never ready to be attacked in an alley way or suffer physical violence. I don't think anyone is ready for that."
It was also difficult to fake the fights, she said, because she felt the adrenaline rush as if she really was being attacked. Many of her biggest fight scenes took several hours to film even though they last just minutes, or even seconds, in the episodes. By the end of filming, her body was tense from the adrenaline, she said, and she was ready to sleep for two days.
"You're trying to fight for your life," she said of her character in the scenes, adding that she, the actress, experienced the same rush. "The adrenalin couldn't be faked anyway. I wanted just open up the top of my head and let it out. It's that feeling where your head just wants to explode."
One of her favorite days of the shoot involved filming another fight over eight hours. In the third episode, "Hourglass," Sam enters a maze and takes out two henchmen. It was the scene in which George elbowed a stunt man and split his lip open. ("I felt really bad," she said.)
The scene was shot outside of London at a mansion used in the film "Orlando."
"That iconic scene when she's running through the maze in that couture gown? I was running in the same maze as a spy with a gun," she said. "We basically all crammed in there as a crew and pretty much came out eight hours later. I was in the maze for eight hours, can you imagine?
"And I loved it because I was rolling on the ground and I was firing a weapon and I suffered a busted eardrum because an earplug fell out as I was firing."
Despite the injuries, George said, she's eager to film a second season of the series and to do battle once again.
"Oh my God I love it," she said. "If I could just fake it a little better, which I didn't so well, I would do much better with the fighting. It wouldn't hurt so much."
Want more? Discuss this article and others on Show Patrol's Facebook page.


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Nov 24, 2010 (CIDRAP News) – More than 15,000 Canadians were hospitalized with pandemic influenza last year, thousands more than in a typical year, which prompted hospitals to cope by employing such steps as reducing the number of planned admissions, according to a report from a government-funded research institute.
About 65% of the hospitalizations occurred in a 5-week period that started at the end of October 2009, during the pandemic's second wave, says the 28-page report from the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI). The report also showed big increases in emergency room visits during the pandemic peak.
"As the first global pandemic in more than 40 years, the response to H1N1 from public health authorities was unprecedented," said Jeremy Veillard, CIHI's vice president of research and analysis, in a press release.
"While there have been suggestions this response may have been exaggerated, our study shows that, in fact, the impact of the virus on hospitals was significant and much higher than originally estimated. The good news is that Canada's acute care facilities were able to weather the storm."
The CIHI said it counted hospitalizations for both confirmed and probable H1N1, because many hospitalizations for unspecified flu are assumed to have been H1N1. The tally of 15,200 hospital cases is about 6,500 higher than the number of lab-confirmed hospitalizations reported at the end of 2009, the group said.
During the 5-week peak period, H1N1 accounted for 3.4% of all hospitalizations in Canada, which exceeded the percentages for such common conditions as heart attacks (2.5%) and strokes (1.6%) during the same weeks, according to the report.
The report covers the period from April, when the pandemic began, through December. The 15,200 flu hospitalizations during that time compares with about 1,300 flu cases recorded for those months in a typical year, the report says. "During the five busiest weeks of the pandemic, almost 10,000 more flu patients were hospitalized than in a typical year," the group said.
During the peak period, hospitals accommodated about half of the pandemic influx simply by increasing their patient populations, as overall hospitalizations were about 1.7% higher than average, the analysts found.
They said hospitals apparently coped with the rest of the increase by "managing occupancy in other areas." The number of patients with pre-booked admissions was 2.7% below normal in the peak period, suggesting that some planned surgical procedures may have been postponed. Also, the number of patients hospitalized for angina was down about 20% during that period, prompting the authors to speculate that more patients than usual were given guidance about managing their symptoms at home.
The CIHI also found that, to make room for flu patients needing intensive care unit (ICU) placement, hospitals in some cases moved patients who typically would've received ICU care to regular rooms with increased monitoring.
Concerning emergency department visits, the authors focused on Ontario, since data were not yet available from other provinces. They found there were about 230,000 visits for flu-like symptoms in October and November 2009, 92% above average for those months. By age-group, the biggest increase was for 5- to 19-year-olds, who accounted for 43,000 visits, more than 200% of normal. But only 2.3% of those patients were admitted.
The CIHI estimated the cost of the pandemic for hospitals at abut $200 million, with about $128 million of that spent during the peak 5-week period.
The report says Canada's response to the pandemic was based on lessons learned during the SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) epidemic of 2003, in which Canada was the hardest-hit country outside Asia.
"Our study shows that Canada's hospitals were able to build on what was learned during SARS in 2003 and effectively cope with the high number of H1N1 patients," said Kathleen Morris, head of emerging issues at CIHI, in the press release.
The CIHI describes itself as an independent, not-for-profit research corporation that is funded by the Canadian federal, provincial, and territorial governments.


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A hot, windless August weekend didn't prevent bikers at the Prairie Biker Rally from donning their black and leather and enjoying and participating in all the rally activities.
The rally kicked off Saturday morning at 10 a.m. with registration and the Show and Shine contest with 12 categories, ranging from Best Metric to Best Classic American to Best Trike to Best Chrome (results follow). Winning Best of Show was Jamie Luft's 1995 Buell Chopper.
The biker rodeo participants gave it all their gusto and skill, making for an entertaining afternoon for both participants and observers. The water race and balloon toss also provided an opportunity for bikers to cool off.
Other events included the slow race, plank race, tennis ball and weenie bite.
For those not familiar with these events, the slow race gauges how slow a biker can ride their bike, and the plank race measures how far a biker can drive the bike straight down a plank. Other events involve two people on the bike, often a member of the biker's family including teens.
In the water race, the passenger begins the race with a large, empty glass, filling it with small glasses of water set on empty cones as the biker rides by. The duo with the most water in the container wins. In tennis ball, the passenger picks up tennis balls placed on top of cones on the first drive by and then tries to place them back on the cones on the return trip.
In the water balloon toss, the passenger throws the water balloon over a horizontal rod while in motion trying to catch it on the other side. The weenie bite contest involves the passenger, while in motion, seeing how much of a hot dog they can bite off as it dangles from a rod.
Beer was flowing at the beer garden booths with the oppressive heat prompting a price reduction from $5 to $4 per beverage. Other booths offered food, biker apparel, sunglasses, jewelry and tattoos. Saturday's event were capped off with two bands performing – Loaded Dice and Eclipse, the music of Journey, and a Salute to Fallen Firefighters.
Sunday's events included a poker run with bikers participating in a traveling poker game by riding with stopping points in Brush, Akron and Fort Morgan. The run was followed by a hog roast Sunday afternoon.
Ron Prascher, executive director of the Brush of Chamber of Commerce, said 202 registered for the rally, which is similar to last year. He said he and rally organizers were pleased with the turnout.
"I thought it went quite well," Prascher said, noting that Sunday may have drawn a larger crowd than the Saturday afternoon events.
Prascher said he is extremely appreciate of all the work and help of the biker committee, chaired by Janet Krohn, and volunteers, saying, "We can't do it without the volunteers."
2013 Biker Rally Results
Show and Shine:
Best Metric – #116, Tracy DuPlessis, 2001 V-Star
Best Classic Metric – #103, Paul Caughlan, 1967 BSA
Best American – #115, Faiz Kahn, 2011 Fat Boy
Best Classic American – #121, Jack Chapman, 1942 Knucklehead
Best Custom – #124, Jamie Luft, 1995 Buell Chopper
Best Dresser – #129, Dan Worley, 2012 Harley Ultra
Best Trike – #109, Dee Murray, Road King Trike
Best Sport Bike – #132, Bob "T-Bone" Chapman, 1985 BMW Commando
Best Chrome – #118, Pat Thompson, 2008 Big Dog
Best Paint – #111, Marius DuPlessis, 2003 Swift Punisher
People's Choice – #121, Jack Chapman, 1942 Knucklehead
Best of Show – #124, Jamie Luft, 1995 Buell Chopper
Judges – Steve Myers, Terry Myers, Bill Smith, Garry Chapman and Tamara Chapman
Biker Rodeo:
Slow Race – Jack Chapman, slowest
Plank Race – Robert Steven Hohn, full full 37'
Tennis Ball – Jack & Adrienne Chapman, 12 four times
Water Race – Jack & Adrienne Chapman, 894 grams
Weenie Bite – Bob "T-Bone" Chapman & Robert Steven Hohn, 4 inches
Balloon Toss – Lawrence Bassett & Bob "T-Bone" Chapman, 3
Poker Run – approx 153 bikes and 49 rider/passengers – so about 202 participants
1st place – $1000, Parker Stebakken from Sterling
2nd place – $500, Leonard Lanckriet from Julesburg
3rd place – $300, Rod McClaran from Sterling
4th place – $200 Trent Bushner from Yuma
5th place – $100 Faye Plank from Brush
Prairie Biker Rally draws a good crowd
A hot, windless August weekend didn't prevent bikers at the Prairie Biker Rally from donning their black and leather and enjoying and participating in all the rally activities.


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Wizards Waive Gray and Randolph
October 27, 2012
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Washington Wizards President Ernie Grunfeld announced today that the team has waived guard Steven Gray and forward Shavlik Randolph.
Gray (6-4, Gonzaga) appeared in two games averaging 1.5 points in eight total minutes.
Randolph (6-10, Duke) appeared in five games averaging 2.2 points and 3.0 rebounds in 10.0 minutes per contest.
The Wizards roster now stands at 17.


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American Airlines unveils new logo
Airline is buying $40 billion in new airplanes
MIAMI – American Airlines unveiled a new logo on Thursday as it continues merger talks with U.S. Airways.
The release of the new logo is just one part of American's effort to re-brand the entire airline.
"Since placing our landmark aircraft order in July of 2011, we've been building anticipation toward a moment in time when the outside of our aircraft reflects the progress we've made to modernize our airline on the inside," said Tom Horton, American's Chairman and CEO. "While we complete the evaluation of whether a merger can build on American's strengths, we remain steadfast in each step we take to renew our airline, a step we take with great respect for our name American. Today marks important progress in that journey as we unveil a new and updated look for the first time in more than 40 years."
The airline has also purchased $40 billion worth of new airplanes, including dozens of brand new 737s from Boeing in Seattle.
The airline is also buying 757s, 767s, 777s and 787s.
Once those aircraft are in place, American says it will have the youngest fleet of any airline.
American says, "
"Our new logo and livery are designed to reflect the passion for progress and the soaring spirit, which is uniquely American," said Virasb Vahidi, American's Chief Commercial Officer. "Our core colors -- red, white and blue – have been updated to reflect a more vibrant and welcoming spirit. The new tail, with stripes flying proudly, is a bold reflection of American's origin and name. And our new flight symbol, an updated eagle, incorporates the many icons that people have come to associate with American, including the 'A' and the star."
It's unclear how much American is spending on its re-branding.
"Marketing is essential to any company," said spokeswoman Martha Pantin. "It will take some time. As we have deliveries of our new planes this year, they will all have the new logo."
American says the new logo is on the screens of the self-service terminals at Miami International Airport, although Local 10 was unable to find any.
Whether the new logo will change the mind of customers is yet to be determined.
"It doesn't matter what's spray painted on the outside. I want a cheap ticket and a safe flight," said Scott Houser.
American Airlines is the fourth largest private employer in Miami-Dade County with 9,000 workers.
If American merges with U.S. Airways, they would form the world's largest airline.
Copyright 2013 by Local10.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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TRIAL: You can try this program, but this version has some limited features or time usage restrictions. You should purchase it in order to remove those limits.
You are about to download WinRAR x64 5.31 from our server
Your download is always available
The best download speed
File is free of spyware and viruses
Download instructions:
Click on the download button above, then on Accept into the browsers pop-up box
Once the download is complete, double-click the installer to begin the installation process
Follow the steps of the installer
Enjoy your application!


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Goods or Services are subject to 6% GST for sales inside Malaysia.
Kamen Rider: Dragon Knight 假面骑士-龙骑 Vol.10 (DVD)
主角Kit Taylor為了尋找自己下落不明的父親而被卷入戰鬥從而得知鏡世界(Ventara)的存在,以及統治者General Xaviax對地球伸出魔掌,於是他與龍締結契約,成為十二位守護騎士之一的龍騎(Dragon Knight)。
Driven to find his missing father, KIT TAYLOR discovers a mysterious ADVENT CARD that gives him the power to transform into a KAMEN RIDER, an armored warrior who exists only in the MIRROR WORLD, a dimension opposite of our own reality.
Kit joins forces with LEN, the leader of the KAMEN RIDERS, after he learns that his father may be a hostage of the evil GENERAL XAVIAX, a renegade warlord who gains his power by kidnapping people from the world.
Kit, now KAMEN RIDER DRAGON KNIGHT, must quickly learn to use his newfound powers to battle General Xaviax and his evil army in the hopes that he will one day find his father. Little does Kit realize that if the remaining 10 ADVENT CARDS should fall into the wrong hands, it could pose an even greater danger… DARK KAMEN RIDERS…
» Price:


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A judge has granted rapper Flavor Flav permission to reopen his fast food diner, just one day after it was shut down by police.
Flavor Flav's Chicken & Ribs restaurant in Sterling Heights, Michigan was hit with an eviction notice earlier this month after the building's landlord filed a lawsuit against the Public Enemy star, claiming he was owed more than $20,000 in back rent.
On Thursday officials arrived to shut down the establishment, clear out the staff and change the locks, prompting the hip-hop star's attorneys to file a motion to delay the eviction pending another hearing.
Now a judge has agreed to grant the 52 year old's request, provided the troubled reality star, real name William Drayton, Jr., pay the landlord $3,500 to cover one month's rent, according to TMZ.com.


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Today's Lineup
Rollins, ss; Victorino, cf; Utley, 2b; Howard, 1b; Burrell, lf; Jenkins, rf; Dobbs, 3b; Ruiz, c; Kendrick, p.
24 hours after the Phillies had taken the NL lead in runs scored, LHP Jon Lester and his bullpen mates tossed a shutout, setting up the rubber game this afternoon.
Phillies offense has been inconsistent at times but credit last night goes to Lester, who was involved in his fourth scoreless outing of the season.
Robbie on Mound
60 years ago today Robin Roberts made his major league debut, as was mentioned in this space yesterday.
Thought the following from the Phillies 1949 Yearbook was interesting:
A young man the National League believes has a date with pitching stardom . . . a spunky, right-hander with a violent fast ball, a crackling curve and though still a raw rookie in a professional sense, has no fear of any hitter he faces. Signed out of Michigan State, this imperturbable youngster debuted in the Inter-State League with Wilmington last season, fanned an average of nine per game, won nine of 10 decisions and was brought up in mid-June. Pitched 10 complete games, won 7, lost 9; fanned 84 and in all worked in 20 games. Beat Cincinnati three out of three; also scored wins over Boston, Chicago and Pittsburgh.
All-Star Voting
Chase Utley continues leading all NL players, which is great. Matter of fact, his lead over the second-place vote-getter (Chipper Jones) increased.
Pat Burrell moved from ninth to sixth and Jimmy Rollins from fifth to fourth. But, Ryan Howard, dropped a notch to fifth place. Rollins had the second most votes among shortstops over the past week which is good news.
We need to get behind our players. In-park voting ends Saturday but online voting continues until 1:59 p.m. July 2. Fans can vote up to 25 times on phillies.com.
Minor League Notes
OF Greg Golson (Reading) has been placed on the DL with a left wrist strain . . . RHP Tyson Brummett (Clearwater) has been promoted to Reading . . . OF Michael Taylor and RHP Drew Naylor (Lakewood) have been moved up a level to Clearwater. Each was having a banner year with the BlueClaws.


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First and foremost.... my million 'thank you's for voting and supporting me on Babble.com. When I first discovered that I was nominated ... which was 2 weeks ago... From My Lemony Kitchen was at no 300plus... currently as I am typing away... I am at no 94... unbelievable!!! I made it to top 100... thank you... thank you... thank you...
Its been a long while since we last had Naan... and my first attempt in making homemade Naan was a complete disaster...
Recipe (yield 10 pieces)
500g flour250 ml milk7g dried yeast2 teaspoon kalonji1/2 teaspoon baking powder1/2 teaspoon salt1 egg lightly beaten2 tablespoon oil185ml thick yoghurt
- Sift the flour and the baking powder into a mixing bowl.
- Add in yeast, kalonji and salt.
- In a jug, add in lightly beaten egg, oil and yoghurt.
- Make a hole in the middle of the flour mix, pour in about 200 ml of milk and the egg-yoghurt mixture.
- Knead into a soft pliable dough. If the dough seems on the 'drier' side... add the remaining milk.
- Knead for 5 minutes on lightly floured surface.
- Keep the dough covered in an oiled mixing bowl.
- Leave it to rest until the dough doubled in size.
- Preheat the oven to 250C.
- Place a roasting pan with half-filled water underneath the rack. divide the dough into 10 portions.
- Spread the dough into a 'pizza' like thickness.
- Place the stretched Naan on a lightly greased tray and bake for 7 minutes, then turn the Naan over and cook for another 5 minutes.
- Divide into 10 portions.
- Stretched the dough.
- Brush the top of the Naan with oil.
- Place on hot BBQ plate.
- Close the BBQ lid,and cook the for 3 minutes, repeat with the other side.


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Dairy export volumes show large increase
Dairy export volumes show large increase – Media release
In the September 2012 quarter, seasonally adjusted dairy export volumes rose 32 percent, Statistics New Zealand said today. Milk powder was the largest contributor to this rise.
Dairy products made the largest contribution to a 9.7 percent rise in seasonally adjusted export volumes. Meat export volumes rose 15 percent. Import volumes rose 0.7 percent, led by intermediate and capital goods.
"Dairy export volumes are at record levels, after adjusting for seasonal effects," prices manager Chris Pike said. "Dairy values remain at high levels, even though export prices have fallen for five consecutive quarters."
Export prices fell 6.3 percent, led by dairy prices (down 13 percent), while import prices fell 3.3 percent, led by a fall in petroleum and petroleum product prices (down 13 percent).
In the September 2012 quarter, the terms of trade fell 3.2 percent. A fall in the terms of trade means that fewer imports can be funded by the same quantity of exported goods. The terms of trade are 9.1 percent lower than a year ago.
The price and volume indexes for exports and imports of goods are compiled mainly from overseas merchandise trade data.
Geoff Bascand
Government Statistician
Published 3 December 2012
For more information about these
• Visit Overseas Trade Indexes (Volumes): September 2012 quarter (provisional)
• Open the attached files
Information release (PDF) Tables (Excel) Copy of this media release (PDF)
(See attached file: OverseasTradeIndexesVolumesSep12qtr.pdf)(See attached file: otiv-tables-sep12qtr.xls)(See attached file: OverseasTradeIndexesPricesSep12qtrMR.pdf)
Overseas Trade Indexes Prices Sep12qtrMR.pdf


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Windows Azure Storage In-Depth Course Available on Pluralsight
Originally posted on: http://blog.developeracademy.co.uk/asmith/archive/2014/03/17/155700.aspx
For the past few months I have been working on a Windows Azure Storage In-Depth course for Pluralsight. The course is now live, and available on their site.
The content is as follows:
- Introduction
- Windows Azure Storage Accounts
- Storage Account Management & Monitoring
- Windows Azure Storage Client Library
- Windows Azure Storage Queues
- Windows Azure Table Storage
- Windows Azure Blob Storage
- Windows Azure Storage Scalability and Performance
- Using Shared Access Signatures
- Transient Fault Handling
If you are new to Windows Azure and want to get an idea of the usage scenarios, performance and scalability of Windows Azure Storage it's well worth taking a look at the introductory modules and scenarios. If you are an Azure developer the more advanced sections will be good for getting to grips with the full feature set of the storage services.
I really enjoyed putting the course together, and doing so taught me a lot about some of the more advanced usage scenarios of the storage services. Hope you find the course useful, and feel free to contact me with any feedback or questions.
The course is available here.


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What can you do to fix a visually uninteresting garden space? What can I do to have a landscape which will amaze anyone who visits my home? You will find the answers to all your questions right here, as well as some great tips on how to create the best landscape possible.
Prior to starting your landscaping, sketch out how you envision it. Making a sketch will show you what the end results will look like and you get a brighter picture of the items you require. Not to mention that it's easier to change a sketch than rearranging plants and such once they are planted.
Changing the edging on your beds can dramatically alter the look of your landscaping. Curved beds are more contemporary and up-to-date than sharp corners and straight lines. Edging is an inexpensive technique to beautify lawn areas that will really improve the look of your yard.
Consider using granite for surfaces on outdoor kitchen areas you may be planning to add to your landscaping. While more costly, granite is a more durable and elegant material to use rather than marble.
Test your soil prior to starting a landscaping project. Having a soil test done will let you know what can grow well in your local area. This will ensure a successful and thriving garden.
Do you plan on selling your home soon? Landscaping can provide you with great returns on your home. Enhance curb appeal by sprucing up the front lawn, or create a great living space to hang out in your backyard.
What you learned has provided a good introduction to landscaping that any homeowner can benefit from. Whether you want to do something huge or just need to perform a little touch up, with the landscaping information you've learned from this article, you are now ready to get started. You can do it!
Tips On Having A Lusher Lawn


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Two police officers dressed in civilian clothes tried to cross Northwest 13th Street with the hesitancy of someone dipping their toe in a pool.
Two police officers dressed in civilian clothes tried to cross Northwest 13th Street with the hesitancy of someone dipping their toe in a pool.
Some drivers let them cross the busy road early Monday morning. Others rolled through the crosswalk as the officer, in a black shirt and jeans, stood there.
He smiled.
A short way down the road, a Gainesville Police officer wearing a bright yellow reflector vest greeted them with staccato whistle blasts as he waved them into a parking lot.
One by one, each received a $154 citation and a potential three points on their driver's license during the special detail in front of Gainesville High School. At this location and later at St. Patrick Interparish School, at 550 NE 16 Ave., the officers wrote 74 citations for not yielding to pedestrians in a crosswalk.
Sgt. Joe Raulerson, head of the GPD traffic safety unit, said the Pedestrian High Visibility Enforcement Program is able to conduct operations like this because of a grant from the Florida Department of Transportation. He said the department plans to do a couple of these a month at different locations around the city, but he has no more planned for this week.
He indicated this emphasis is in response to recent accidents involving pedestrians being struck while in crosswalks, including two young adults who were hit on Feb. 12 on Southwest 62nd Boulevard.
The stops will be set up around high-traffic areas, especially around schools.
"The goal is for everyone to yield for pedestrians so we don't have to write any citations," Raulerson said.
Gainesville city commissioners have increased their concern of pedestrian safety, especially on Southwest 62nd Boulevard.
"We can have meetings and committees and on and on but something must be done right now. Period," said Todd Chase, Gainesville city commissioner, in an email to Russ Blackburn, Gainesville city manager.
"I take it personally," Raulerson said.
In the past, Raulerson said his team cited 70 drivers in one day on Southwest 62nd Boulevard. When he was there on Friday, he only cited five drivers.
"That's a good day," he said.
The system is to have two plainclothes officers alternate crossing the street every five to 10 minutes while one officer takes notes and radios to other officers down the road on whose day to ruin.
Some officers on Monday waited more than 30 seconds before a driver would stop for them.
Those who drove through the crosswalk may have thought they were clear, until an officer stepped out into the road and directed them into a parking lot where another group of officers waited to cite them.
GPD uses the parking lots of businesses that normally aren't open yet. On Monday, it used Mattress Town's parking lot until 10 a.m.
When Ron Noel, sales manager at Mattress Town, came into work early, his boss told him to let the officers follow their protocol.
At about 10 a.m., Noel said he needed to ask the officers to leave.
This is the third time in about a year and a half officers have used the store's parking lot because it is so close to Gainesville High School, he said.
The procedures are standardized and used around the country. Orlando, Pinellas County, Volusia County and others use the same structure.
After seeing how effective they were in Pinellas County, Gainesville will install rapid flash beacons into the roadway on Southwest 62 Boulevard.
Raulerson said Gainesville Regional Utilities and Gainesville Regional Transit are working with GPD to install light poles to power the flashing signs and other ways of keeping pedestrians safe. The City of Gainesville Public Works will be responsible for their installation.
"We're all here for the same cause," he said.
He said in the past five years, crashes in Gainesville have gone down by 35 percent.
"One fatal crash is too many," Raulerson said.