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Experience quality dental care and convenient payment options at Alluring Smiles! Because we don’t want financial concerns to stand between you and a gorgeous smile, we accept several payment and insurance options at our Mesa, AZ dentist office, including:

  • All major credit cards
  • Metlife
  • Aetna
  • Cigna
  • Delta Dental
  • Many more insurance plans accepted, call to inquire about your plan

We also accept financing through CareCredit, and we are happy to arrange monthly installment plans for most treatments! We even offer free second opinions for any treatment you are interested in!

Treat yourself to convenient payment options and quality care at Alluring Smiles by calling 480-525-6617. You can also use our online form to schedule or ask questions.

Call Today to Schedule Your Appointment

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Thursday, 19 February 2015

Brookwood Station and the London Necropolis Funeral Railway

UK Railway History

Brookwood station, Surrey.      Photo: Charles Moorhen

Brookwood railway station, on the former London & South Western Railway (L&SWR) line, between Woking and Basingstoke, is one of those nondescript places to which the average rail passenger would not give a second glance.  But, in the overall history of L&SWR, later to become the Southern Railway, Brookwood played a fascinating role.

Behind the little station building, on the track that runs to Basingstoke, is the largest cemetery in Western Europe - Brookwood Cemetery. It was the brainchild of Sir Richard Brown, in response to the serious overcrowding of London's cemeteries in the 1800's.

In 1849, in order to transport the dead to their final resting place, the London Necropolis Railway (LNR) began running dedicated funeral trains from London's Waterloo station, where the LNR had its own platform with waiting rooms, to Brookwood Cemetery.

Up until the 1930's, any suitable locomotive available was used to haul the funeral trains. After that, and until the LNC officially ceased it operations just after World War Two, the trains were usually hauled by an M7 Class steam locomotive.

The smaller Brookwood station building, built by the London & South Western Railway for use by funeral mourners.
Photo: Charles Moorhen

On arrival at Brookwood railway station a funeral train would pass the station for a few hundred yards whereupon it left the main line and steamed onto a branch line. Once on the branch line the train would reverse down an incline (which can still be traced on the ground) before stopping at one of the two railway stations built in the grounds of the cemetery; Brookwood Cemetery North or Brookwood Cemetery South.

The latter station still survives to this day and is privately owned.

Brookwood Cemetery South Station   Photo: Charles Moorhen

The LNC offered three classes of funeral. First Class cost £2 10s (equal to £205 in 2015 terms), Second Class cost £1 (about £82 in 2015) and Third Class cost 10 shillings (.50p) or about £41 today.

However, the above prices did not taken into account travel costs for the funeral mourners. A First Class return ticket to Waterloo cost 6 shilling (.30p), Second Class cost 3/6d (17.5p), while a Third Class ticket would set a mourner back the princely sum of 2 shillings (.010p).

A number of famouspeople were buried at Brookwood Cemetery. Two such people were Robert Knox and Edith Thompson.

Robert Knox was the anatomist who accepted cadavers for dissection from the grave robbers, William Burke and William Hare. Hare saved himself from execution by turning King's evidence against Burke who was hanged and his body dissected.

Edith Thompson was a housewife and milliner whose lover, Frederick Bywaters, murdered her husband Percy. She was judged complicit in the murder of Percy and along with Bywaters, was hanged on the 9th January 1923; she at Holloway Prison; he at Pentonville Prison.

The last recorded funeral party carried on the London Necropolis Railway was that of Edward Irish, a Chelsea Pensioner, who was buried in Brookwood Cemetery on 11 April 1941.

Here is a 'Quick Find ' locator for all Steam/Diesel Locomotives - Diesel Multiple Units (DMU) - Electric Multiple Units (EMU) photos to be found across the 'Along These Tracksblog pages.

Steam Locomotives:
30075   30517   34016   60163   71000  7802

Diesel Locomotives:
08466   08909   09018   20107   20311   20314   31168   31288   31305   31462   31467
43081   43151   57307   60017   66005   66013   66086   66237   66502   66765   67006  67013   66017  67026   66717   66729   66731   66738

Diesel Multiple Units:
153329  153364   153366   153370   156411  165006   172344  172345  220006   220010   220018   220028   222002   222015

Electric Multiple Units:
310086   317327   323214   350120   350250   390128   450108

To visit my Google Plus profile containing a large number of photos, please click here.

First Great Western Class 153329 DMU at St. Austell, Cornwall

Class 153 329 DMU           Photo: Charles Moorhen First Great Western Trains DMU Class 153 329 stands alongside the east-bound pl...

Along These Tracks Popular Posts

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October 14, 2008

A Quickie

Posted in General, WoW tagged , , at 11:06 pm by Andrea

Ugh. Got the patch installed, tried to log in for about an hour, then finally got in. Loaded up Pallylust, threw in some talent points for now, and then checked out the achievements. Ive got 91 already on her….. and then the world crashed. Can’t move anywhere, can’t do anything…. So I give up until a bit later… I’ll post what I see when I can actually see it. Sorry folks! But this is excatly how I remember it going… at least Blizz is consistant XD, and Im sure the job is not an easy one, so I am not mad, just don’t want to sit around waiting all afternoon. I’m sure I’ll enjoy it later.

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UTSA Alumni Association
Alumni Events Calendar
Calendar View List View Printer-Friendly Version Print View Export as iCalendar Published Events
Event Details
Alumni Travel - Springtime Tulip River Cruise

Wednesday, April 19, 2017 - Thursday, April 27, 2017

Departure Date: April 19, 2017

Return Date: April 27, 2017

Birds of a feather fly together! Springtime travel with fellow alumni to Holland and Belgium, where you’ll explore exotic lands, local cuisine, and new cultures.

These trips are limited capacity and sell out fast, so register quickly!

Learn more about the Traveling Roadrunners and other trips available.

Trip Itinerary

Location: Holland and Belgium
Contact: (210)458-4133
Calendar: Alumni Events Calendar
More Information
  Add this single event to my Outlook(TM) Calendar  Add this single event to my Google(TM) Calendar  Add this single event to my Yahoo!(R) Calendar


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Tag Archives: Outdoor Activities

Bon Temps

8 Sep

I wandered lonely as a cloud

Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

That floats on high o’er vales and hills

When all at once I saw a crowd

A host, of golden daffodils

Beside the lake, beneath the trees.

(William Wordsworth)

Month 1 in Telupid.

1. Camping

2. Camping

This town is blessed with the abundance of nature – Sungai Labuk, Maliau and Wasai, to name a few. I haven’t been to one (camping) since a decade or so ago. Haha. Kasiangg! (quoting the boyfriend, hehe).

Camping Spot 1 — Sungai Maliau

Sungai Maliau is just a 10-min drive away from Telupid town. It’s reachable by 4WD right at the campsite. Or one can park somewhere further and walk for about 5min along the path (which will be a tad too muddy if it rains) to reach the place.

Mind you, even those 4WDs will get stuck in the muddy path leading to the camping spot. Horrifying to even see the sight of the 4WD in front of you scrambling to get back on its ‘feet’ after an attempt to avoid the mud! Nay, I’m not trying to scare you off. Belum cuba, belum tahu bah.

Camping Spot 2 — Sungai Wasai, Entilibon

If one needs that rejuvenating time-off (and to do away with the surrounding heat), head on to Sungai Wasai. On top of that, heard there’s a waterfall nearby! Me? I barely dipped myself into the water. The rocks are too slippery. Or maybe it was just me and my aqua-phobic self! Gah.

A car as small as Kancil and it’s close cousin, Viva can reach the spot. Not as muddy as the path to Sungai Maliau. Even that, there are still huge and humongous rocks along the pathway leading to the campsite. New cars are highly not recommended! Unless you’re in (dire) need of some adventure. Hehe.

A decade of shying away from all sorts of outdoors (in exception to climbing up Mt Kinabalu), and poof, here I am in Telupid embracing what life has to offer! Of course not without those giving-up moments.

I could go on rambling. But then again, it’s crystal-clear in those pictures how indebted I am for the littlest things God has to offer.

John Keats says it best — “the poetry of the earth is never dead”. Indeed!


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Pregnancy ‘Glow’

When I was pregnant with Vivienne three years ago I eagerly awaited the infamous glow of pregnancy. It never arrived. Instead I was greeted by extremely unpleasant pregnancy acne, everywhere! My face, my décolletage, around my hips even. It wasn’t nice and got me down, especially towards the end. Breastfeeding seemed to make it even worse and I was petrified to try new acne products at the risk of harming Vivienne in any way. Three years later, second pregnancy, and I almost have the little nasties under control. I’ve done my research, I know what I can and can’t use, and I am armed. My skin is so much better than the first pregnancy so I wanted to share with you my top tips for battling that anti-glow we’re blessed with for 9months+.

Lesson 1.

Glycolic acid and salicylic acid – I have been using both, salicylic acid products MUST be under 2% strength though, and if you’re unsure or worried about using it speak with your doctor first. I use the salicylic in the evenings to clear the excess sebum and glycolic in the AM to help freshen the skin. After every cleanse I use the Pixi Glow Tonic to exfoliate.

Lesson 2.

I will not be afraid of moisturising creams. When my skin was breaking out I steered clear of adding any extra moisture in fear of it making the spots worse. Big mistake. My skin was battling with itself and producing more than it needed to compensate. Morning and night I use the Charlotte Tilbury magic cream on my face and around my eyes. My skin feels plump and happy.

Lesson 3.

Body brushing. I usually only do this in the Summer but now I am taking the time to apply creams to my stomach to avoid stretch marks each evening I am throwing in a quick body brush and its worked a treat at keeping those bumps away.

Lesson 4.

Treatments. I know when this baby arrives with Vivienne as well, I won’t have much time, if any to pamper myself. So I am making the most of the evenings when she is asleep to give my skin a little treatment every other night. Current favourites in rotation are Ren Wake Wonderful, Pixi Overnight Glow, Clarins HydraQuench cream-mask and Peter Thomas Roth Vitamin C serum.

Lesson 5.

When I do get a spot – I will not touch it! I have had the odd spot, always around my mouth and chin, lovely hormones. And I have made every effort to not touch it. Bacteria spreads so rapidly and those wandering hands in the day are the biggest culprits in helping the spread. I have the Sarah Chapman spot stickers and they’re fab if you can’t help but touch.

Lesson 6.

Keep on drinking. I am guzzling water so much at the moment, much more than I ever would this time of year. It helps that the pregnancy has made me increasingly thirsty all the time, but it also stops me over-eating (kind of) and as everyone knows is the best antidote to dry, breakout skin.

I’ve linked all of my favourite products here for you if you’re interested in trying any of them. Feel free to email me or comment below with any questions too.

  1. 22nd December 2016 / 6:06 pm

    Could not agree more! My first pregnancy I never got the so called “glow” either and just got spot after spot. This time though I’m making a big effort to make sure I treat my skin kindly. Still could do with some extra help so thanks for the product recommendations! First stop for me I think will be the Pixi Overnight Glow. Happy 3rd trimester. My baby girl is also due in March! x

    • The Editing Mother
      22nd December 2016 / 7:42 pm

      Oh Grace the spots are horrid aren’t they, would so recommend the tonic it’s great, and the overnight glow is such a nice treatment every few days. March babies!!! Xx

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Selling blue jeans and economic hope, from Levi’s.

August 14, 2010 — Leave a comment

You may have seen this great effort from Levi’s and Weiden & Kennedy (the same company behind the Old Spice “I’m on a Horse” ads). They all hunkered down in the city of Braddock, Pennsylvania just outside of Pittsburgh, and didn’t just shoot some TV ads. They invested real cash money into its community center, library, and an urban farm.

It’s a fantastically cool idea. Advertising, reality TV, cause marketing and economic investment, all in one. Awesome. It takes a lot of hustle to pull something like this off.

Levi’s got a lot of crap for doing this. “Why didn’t they put jobs into Braddock?” “Why help just one city?” “Levi’s are made in Mexico, not the U.S. for Pete’s sake!” Parts of the ad community hammered it, calling some of the lines trite (“We are all workers”) and the whole thing too precious. It stirred up debate. Good.

Listen, Braddock is hosed. This town is dying before its eyes. But Levi’s put $1 million into this dying city. The State of Pennsylvania didn’t. General Motors didn’t. The critics who called the advertising crappy didn’t do a damn thing for Braddock, except help raise Braddock’s search rankings. Levi’s got off it’s denim ass and tried to do some good, and should get some karma points for that at the very least and profit at best.

I’m a die hard Levi’s guy. It’s practically all I wear. And despite thinking that most of their advertising has stunk for the last 15 years (including the Spike Lee stuff – sorry Spike), I really hope this one works for Levi’s. They’re sales are up worldwide 8%, so it may be doing them some good. But (much) more importantly, here’s hoping it does some good for the people of Braddock.

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Behavioral Economics and Conservatism

David Brooks has noticed the increasing popularity of behavioral economics. He argues that it would be a mistake to allow the recognition that people aren’t perfectly rational to convince us that policy makers should intervene more in the economy, since they aren’t rational either. My reaction is that, of course, the level of sophistication required to play it safe is less than the level of sophistication required to beat the market and so support for prudential regulations does not require the assumption that the regulators are smarter than market participants.

Matthew Yglesias demonstrates (again) that he is a genius and that a degree in philosophy can be an excellent preparation for economic analysis. He considers the ban on interstate banking — clearly not an optimal policy — and argues that concerns about human irrationality might have convinced us to keep it

when we’re looking at a regulatory regime that seems to be working okay, and the regulated parties start saying we need tweaks x and y and z and oh there’s no danger there we should be very suspicious. We shouldn’t count on being to fine-tune our results to perfection,

Oddly he entitles his post “The case for crude measures” and concludes “we should either lean in with a heavy hand or else stay away.” His reasoning has nothing to do with this conclusion. He is arguing in favor of conservatism. If something has existed for a long time and seems to be working okay, we shouldn’t change it — even if it is a regulation.

This argument makes sense (and was made by Edmund Burke some time ago I might add). It may have seemed to some people, including economists (one of the groups detested by Burke) that economic theory gave us a simple guide to optimal regulation. It may have seemed to some of them that optimal regulation was no regulation. These people are radicals who trust their own reasoning more than the wisdom of the ages.

Behavioral economics teaches us two things. First it is much more difficult to understand the economy than it would be if we could count on it to be in Nash equilibrium, so we should be cautious about our theories including our theories based on a particular hypothesis about irrationality. Second, we’re not rational either, so we should be humble. Both support conservatism.

The strange thing is that Brooks doesn’t seem to remember what conservatism originally was. He suggests that it tells us we should regulate — that is odd since economies have traditionally been regulated and respect for tradition and things the have been found to serve and work okay would suggest we continue to regulate it. This is particularly odd, because Brooks is unusual among contemporary American conservatives, because he leaves no doubt that he has actually read Burke and, in large part, agrees with him.

Odd that he uses the old old conservative argument in the defense of radical free market experimentation.

Given the polls, it is not odd that Yglesias doesn’t want to admit that a strong case can be made for actual conservatism as I’m sure he believes that it will in the near future become again the ally of right wingness after having spent 8 to 28 years as its nearly effective adversary (that is the least weak of the pathetically weak hindrances to right wing lunacy).

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Credit ratings

Via Mark Thoma Economist’s View comes this note on credit rating company incentives:

While the US Department of Justice did not give any statistical evidence in its deposition, our new research (Efing and Hau 2013) suggests that rating favors were indeed systematic and pervasive in the industry.

In a sample of more than 6,500 structured debt ratings produced by Standard & Poor’s, Moody’s and Fitch, we show that ratings are biased in favor of issuer clients that provide the agencies with more rating business. This result points to a powerful conflict of interest, which goes beyond the occasional disagreement among employees.

Additional evidence for rating bias emerges for bank ratings. Hau, Langfield and Marques-Ibanes (2012) show in a paper forthcoming in Economic Policy that rating agencies gave their largest clients also more favorable overall bank credit ratings. …

Hau, Langfield and Marqués-Ibañez (2012) also show that large banks profited most from rating favors. … The rating process for banks may have contributed to substantial competitive distortions in the banking sector, thus fostering the emergence of the too-big-to-fail banks

The lawsuit against Standard & Poor’s highlights the conflicts of interest inherent in the rating business, but can do little to resolve them. If new and complex regulation and supervision of rating agencies provides a remedy is unclear and remains to be seen. However, three alternative policy measures could make the existing conflicts much less pernicious:

  • Similar to US bank regulation under the Dodd-Frank act, Basel III should abandon (or at least decrease) its reliance on rating agencies for the determination of bank capital requirements.
  • As forcefully argued by Admati, DeMarzo, Hellwig and Pfleiderer (2011), much larger levels of bank equity as required under Basel III could reduce excessive risk-taking incentives and ensure that future failures in bank-asset allocation do not trigger another banking crisis.
  • More bank transparency in the form of a full disclosure of all bank asset holdings at the security level would create more informative market prices for bank equity and debt, with positive feedback effects on the quality of bank governance and bank supervision.

Our reliance on bank ratings could thus be greatly reduced. …

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Medicare does “NOT PAY FOR ITSELF”

In the comments section of an earlier post (1/3 of Medicare is Wasted), Maggie Mahar had stated to everyone; “Medicare Does Not Pay for Itself.” This is what I meant by that comment:

“For more than a decade the the federal government has borrowed to pay for the rising cost of Medicare. Debt-financing of Medicare will increase sharply as the population over 65 doubles from 2010 to 2030 and the number of beneficiaries over 85—with the greatest medical needs—triple.”

Note, using borrowed money to finance Medicare is not something happening in the future as it began more than a decade ago. Yet, as the article notes: “Members of Congress are reluctant to argue with constituents who sincerely believe that they have ‘paid for’ Medicare with payroll taxes and premiums. Most find it more convenient to tiptoe around the minefield of Medicare financings.” So the charade continues even today.

People who believe that they have paid for their Medicare with payroll taxes and premiums are terribly naïve and do not realize how much Medicare actually costs or how much “Medicare for all” would cost.

The article goes on to explain the history of how we arrived where we are today and why I make the comment on Medicare:

“In the mid-1990s, Democrats proposed to balance the Medicare budget by limiting fees paid to physicians for services, while Republicans sought to contain the costs by transferring the program to managed care insurers and capping the annual per capita rise in premium subsidies.

In 1997 the leadership in both parties agreed to a plan that would eliminate borrowing for Medicare, principally by limiting the growth in the level of fees paid to physicians. That Medicare reform, along with increasing general revenues paid by taxpayers in the highest bracket, led to a federal budget that balanced in fiscal year 2000.

The balance turned out to be short-lived. In 2001 and 2003 Congress passed debt-financed reductions in income tax rates. And in 2003 it also suspended the application of ceilings on fees set in 1997. Later that year Congress used debt to finance a new Medicare prescription drug benefit and higher payments to Medicare managed care plans.

As a result, the portion of Medicare paid for with dedicated taxes dropped from 73 percent in 2000 to 53 percent in 2010, the year that the first of the Baby Boom generation became eligible for Medicare.”

“After the 2008 election of President Obama, Democrats sought Medicare ‘savings’ for the purpose of expanding other medical services rather than balancing the budget for Medicare. In order to offset the cost of expanded PPACA medical services for families with low incomes; they placed restrictions on reimbursement rates, provided incentives for more efficient delivery of medical care, raised the Medicare tax paid by taxpayers with high-earned incomes, and applied Medicare taxation to gains from investment.”

On the other side of the political spectrum, “Republican House Budget Chairman Paul Ryan exemplifies his party’s ambivalence toward Medicare reform. He ran as the vice presidential candidate on a ticket in 2012 that attacked the Affordable Care Act’s limits on Medicare reimbursements. Yet before and after that election, he incorporated those very cost-saving measures into his own budget plans.”

Incumbents from “both parties find it awkward to even talk about the practice of borrowing to pay for Medicare. Obviously, an extra layer of interest on debt simply increases the program’s long-term cost. Any attempt to highlight that issue naturally invites the question of whether to cut Medicare costs or raise tax revenue dedicated to the program. No mainstream politician seeks to cut benefits by almost half and down to the level payable by revenues from premiums and payroll taxes. Democrats condemn any increase in payroll taxation as ‘regressive,’ while most congressional Republicans have signed a pledge to oppose any tax increase.”

Both sides of the aisle feint a reluctance to either cut Medicare benefits or increase Medicare withholding taxes and an honest discussion with their constituents regarding Medicare financing knowing full well something must be done. Indeed, it is politically expedient to kick the can or the bucket into the next decade avoiding the third rail of Medicare.

What can we do? I will answer that question in my next post.

Notes and References:
1. “Pay As You Go Medicare” Washington Monthly, Bill White, June 23, 2014

2. Maggie Mahar writes the Health Beat Blog Maggie is also the author of Money-Driven Medicine: The Real Reason Health Care Costs So Much (Harper/Collins 2006). Mahar also served as the co-writer of the documentary, Money-Driven Medicine (2009), directed by Andrew Fredericks and produced by Alex Gibney. Before she began writing about health care, Mahar was a financial journalist and wrote for Barron’s, Time Inc., The New York Times, and other publications. Her first book, Bull: A History of the Boom and Bust 1982-2003 (Harper Collins, 2003) was recommended by Warren Buffet in Berkshire Hathaway’s annual report.

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The “Tapes” Threat

by Sandwichman

The “Tapes” Threat

This may be so obvious it needs no explanation — but allow me to explain. This tweet puts on notice anyone who has a conversation with the POTUS that whatever they say MAY be recorded and selectively “leaked” for the purpose of blackmail, extortion and/or intimidation.

That should be an effective strategy for ensuring candid, confidential communication and advice. Mitch McConnell and Paul Ryan may be too stupid to realize the implications or too corrupt to care but there is no putting this genie back in the bottle.

Comments (15) | |

1/3 of Medicare Spending is Wasted

This was initially posted at Angry Bear September 14, 2014 by Maggie Mahar of Health Beat A little history: Dan and I invited Maggie Mahar to write at Angry Bear Blog as I was covering much of the Healthcare debate and Maggie could add much more in-depth knowledge and analysis of healthcare than I could. This is an important post as it gets down to the nitty-gritty of Medicare-For-All, things we need to know, and why it may not work.

Maggie Mahar in answer to a commenter:

You write: “That claim that one-third of Medicare spending is wasted sounds pretty questionable to me.”

This is your opinion. If you had spent the last 20 years working as a medical researcher investigating unnecessary treatment, your opinion would be of great interest to all of us; but, I’m assuming you have not done so.

Thus, you might be interested in some facts . . .

Dr. Donald Berwick, who headed up Medicare and Medicaid during the 1st half of the Obama administration has said, repeatedly, that at least 1/3 of Medicare dollars were wasted on unnecessary tests, procedures and drugs that provide no benefit for the patient. He is only one of dozens of health policy experts who have made the same statement. (Google “Health Affairs” the leading medical journal that focuses on health policy and “unnecessary treatments” Over the past 30 years, researchers at Dartmouth have provided stacks of evidence documenting unnecessary care in the U.S.

You also write: “I doubt that treatment protocols in the U.S. are all that different from other countries.”

Again, this is your opinion. Unfortunately, you are wrong.

In other countries, doctors and hospitals tend to follow evidence-based guidelines. In the U.S. a great many doctors object to the idea of someone telling them how to practice medicine even though that “someone is “science”. They value their autonomy and prefer to do things the way they have always done them. Of course this is not true of all doctors; but even when you look at protocols at our academic medical centers, you find that the way they treat similar patients varies widely.

Here, I’m not talking about how much they charge for a procedure (which also varies widely) but how many tests they order, how often they prescribe spine surgery for someone suffering from low-back pain, how often they tell a woman she needs a C-Section . . .

One big problem is that our doctors and hospitals are paid on a “fee – for service basis;” in other words, the more they do, the more they are paid.

As Dartmouth’s Dr. Eliot Fisher points out: “U.S. patients are not hospitalized more often than patients in other countries; but in the U.S., a lot more happens to you while you’re there.”

In addition, traditionally our medical schools have trained doctors to practice very aggressive medicine. The resident who orders a battery of tests is praised. Students are told “Don’t just sit there (and think). Do Something!” Traditionally, our medical culture has been a very macho culture and it is just beginning to change.

Finally, Americans tend to think that “more is always better.” Larger servings in a restaurant, bigger cars, bigger homes, etc. And when it comes to healthcare, patients in the U.S. tend to think that “more care is better care.” They are wrong. Every medical product and service carries some risk. If it provides no or little benefit, the patient is exposed to risk without benefit.

When medical protocols in the U.S. are compared to how medicine is practiced in other countries, researchers have found: —- Much unnecessary spine surgery. The rate of back surgery in the U.S. is five times higher than in the UK. Studies have shown little difference in long-term outcomes for patients who undergo back surgery compared to those who select non-surgical treatment.

The U.S. does more testing than other countries. For instance, the number of MRI and CT tests for every 1,000 people in 2010 was double the average in other OECD countries. Comparatively, there were also more tonsillectomies, caesarean sections and knee replacements. Regardless of how much more, nearly every procedure, scan and drug costs; it’s nothing compared to how out-of-whack the medical heroics thrown at Americans in the last stages of life The Cost of Health Care: A Country-by-Country Comparison

Colonoscopies are prescribed and performed more frequently than medical guidelines recommend and are given preference over less invasive tests that screen for colon cancer. Those less invasive tests are not only routinely performed in other countries, they’ve also been proven to be just as effective by the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force.

“We’ve defaulted to by far the most expensive option, without much if any data to support it,” said Dr. H. Gilbert Welch, a professor of medicine at the Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice.

In the U.S. many more patients die in ICU’s getting futile care. This is a painful, lonely way to die. In other countries, more patients are treated in hospices or allowed to go home where nurses and even doctors visit them.

Half of all heart surgeries (using stents) do no good. We know which half! But stent-makers and other providers have turned this into a big business.

– Our drug companies enjoy 20% profit margins.

– Our device-makers boast 16% profit margins.

We are over-medicated (particularly older people), and undergo too many surgeries that involve very expensive devices. Medicare covers virtually everything (even drugs that have been shown to be dangerous–until they are taken off the market). If it does not cover all of the newest treatments and products lobbyists would howl– and Congress makes sure that heads roll.

This is one reason why we don’t want to give everyone 40 to 65 a chance to enroll in Medicare. No one could afford it. (This idea was considered in the late 1990s. Do you have any idea how much 40-65 year olds would have to pay for our extraordinarily inefficient and wasteful Medicare system? On top of that and like people over 65, they would have to pay hefty sums for MediGap to Medicare advantage — private insurance plans that cover all of the things that Medicare doesn’t.

Medicare is now beginning to cut back, and over time it will refuse to pays for unnecessary surgeries (heart surgeries, unproven prostate cancer surgeries, and some hip and knee replacements, unless the patient has tried physical therapy first–and losing weight, if possible. (Some people just can’t lose weight, even under a doctor’s supervision.)

Medicare will also stop covering every new drug that comes on market, setting up a formulary and only paying for drugs that are effective — and cost-effective. The same will be true of devices.

Then — and only then — we might talk about letting people 40-65 sign up for Medicare, though in many cases, research on quality of care suggests that they would be better off with the best of our non-profit insurers: Kaiser, Geisinger, etc.

Medicare is a highly politicized bureaucracy and inevitably, Congress dictates what it can and can’t do. Medical guidelines should be set by medical researchers and doctors who have no financial interest in the outcome.

Maggie Mahar is the originator and author of the Health Beat Blog. Maggie wrote “Money-Driven Medicine: The Real Reason Health Care Costs So Much (Harper/Collins 2006),” and was the co-writer of the documentary, Money-Driven Medicine (2009), directed by Andrew Fredericks and produced by Alex Gibney.

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Burning a Source ?

Who thinks that Trump is “in the grip of some kind of paranoid delusion” ? That is the very hottest quote in the must read Phllip Rucker “analysis” of what is very wrong with the President.

I immediately tried to guess who had told Rucker that. The source is “One GOP figure close to the White House “. My first guess was Newt Gingrich (who can be relied upon to stab everyone close to him in the back). However, I now think Rucker made it very clear who is the “GOP figure”.

Later in the article I read

Robert M. Gates, a former defense secretary who informally advised Trump during the transition, criticized his handling of Comey’s ouster.

“Not terribly well done,” Gates told John Dickerson in a CBS News interview scheduled to air Sunday on “Face the Nation.”

Hmm Gates is a GOP figure close to the White House who Rucker might have asked to supply additional cutting comments.

The second to last paragraph in the article is

“Trump is so unsophisticated about government, and he lacks even basic knowledge about how the government functions, of what the unwritten but very important rules and traditions are. His attitude toward all those things is they don’t matter: ‘I’m going to drain the swamp!’ ” said a veteran of past Republican administrations who is close to the Trump White House and spoke on the condition of anonymity to candidly critique the president.

That anonymous source is virtually identified as Gates (to the extent that I searched for the quote by searching for “Gates” and had to scroll down and find it by hand to remind myself that the name wasn’t, quite, spelled out.

In other transparent anonymity I read “a third person denied that Bannon first learned Comey had been fired from television news reports and said that he had actually counseled Trump to delay his decision to lessen the political backlash.” Uh what “third” person could be the one who claims that Bannon wasn’t out of the loop, is familiar with Bannon’s thoughts, and notes that they were prescient ?

How about Patrick Caddell (the most hacktacular hack in the world) later identified as “Pollster Patrick H. Caddell, a longtime confidant of Bannon who served in Jimmy Carter’s White House,”? Rucker couldn’t find a Republican to Ballance the general view that Trump is destroying his presidency, so he had to go to old reliable Caddell for the Democrats in disarray distraction.

It’s like reliving the Carter administration on steroids,” Caddell said. “This is an outsider administration being surrounded by Apache knives. Every inch of the political class and both parties are going after him. The president can’t afford in this type of environment to not execute these kinds of announcements better.”

Look at how far down the hack depth chart Rucker (et Costa et Paletta) had to go to find someone willing to say anything sympathetic about the Trump administration. Does anyone (but me) even remember who Caddell was 40 years ago when he was a somebody ?

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Where the ACA Should Go Next?

run75441: This is the first in a series of 3 posts written by Maggie Mahar discussing Medicare, what it covers, and what it lacks in coverage. Maggie touches on the Public Option and Medicare. I start to get edgy when people talk about the Public Option, Universal Coverage, Single Payor, Medicare-For-All, etc. as they do not really define it and who will control its funding. We have a Congress which is intent on cutting the PPACA/ACA/Obamacare, which many take offense to today, and leave us with far less. I am not so sure we can trust Congress and politics to insure our healthcare.

On Tue, Sep 9, 2014 at 1:47 PM, Dan <> emailed:

Rortybomb, New Piece on Where the ACA Should Go Next Rorty touts the 2009 House Bill which calls for a Public Option and described here To improve ‘Obamacare,’ reconsider the original House bill

Maggie Mahar replies:

Originally I favored a public option, but in fact, at the time, no one really spelled out who would run the public option–or how it would be run.

One of the best things about the ACA is that lets both HHS and CMS make end-runs around Congress. I would never want a public option that was run by Congress.

Here is the comment I just posted in reply to the post “Where the ACA Should Go Next”

I would need to know far more about the public option—and how it would be different from Medicare– before voting for it.

Medicare is extraordinarily wasteful– 1/3 of Medicare dollars are squandered on unnecessary treatments that provide no benefit to the patient. Why? Because Congress is Medicare’s board of directors, and lobbyists representing various specialist’ groups, hospitals, device-makers and drug-makers control Congress.

Meanwhile, Medicare does not cover much needed care, ie. vision checks are just one example. This is why the vast majority of Medicare beneficiaries must buy separate private insurance (MediGap or Medicare Advantage) to supplement what medicare doesn’t cover.

Finally, I favor narrow networks. They keep costs down. The doctors and hospitals that are not included in the networks are those that refuse to negotiate  prices.  By excluding them we remind doctors and hospitals that we can no longer afford letting providers charge whatever they wish. No other developed nation allows doctors and hospitals to simply set prices.

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First Impressions: Fate/Grand Order (iOS/Android)

In my work crazed state I’ve fallen into a bit of Fate moment: watching Fate/Apocrypha as it airs, rewatching the first couple of episodes of Fate/Stay Night Unlimited Blade Works in preparation for the Heaven’s Feel movie in October and finally downloading the new mobile game in the franchise, Fate/Grand Order.

At the start of the year (it was actually New Years Day in fact) I watched the one off extended episode of Fate/Grand Order: First Order, before letting it slip to the back of my mind and promptly forgetting it. The anime adaptation of the prologue of this game was okay at best with a cast of characters that felt as if they should have been in a mobile game. Well, that’s the thing isn’t it – because they actually work very well in the real mobile game.

Grand Order is set in yet another parallel world to the Stay Night timeline and focuses on a magical organisation that is tasked with observing and maintaining humanities existence on Earth. Disaster strikes when 47/48 of the potential masters chosen to fix an anomaly are killed by a bomb leaving the least likely of the bunch to become the hero: yes, that’s you.

The story doesn’t really matter, although I will say for a mobile game I’m pretty impressed by the depth of the story. The characters are pretty bland, but pretty mouldable. In terms of gameplay, you’re looking at a tactical Final Fantasy-esque setup as you, the master, command three servants in battle with a range of attacks, power ups, card customisation (where does the card thing even come from in Fate?!) to defeat a range of enemies that vary depending on the world you’re sent to. The problem I’m having with this so far is that there isn’t much of a challenge because of the friend support function that you have to use each time. Basically, of the three characters you line up with to start with, one has to be a support from another human user – but of course the game has been going for a while now and people play a lot so you can choose a character to help that is vastly over levelled for where you are in the game. Sure, you can try and find a character that is down at the right level for where you are, but you’re always going to have an easy way out if things get tough.

As a big Fate fan, one of the most exciting things the game offers is the chance to collect and play as every servant you can possibly think of (and more for that matter). Arthuria makes an early game appearance with Jeanne of Arc following soon after – but add onto that various Roman Gods, more British mythical heroes, Chinese assassins, Japanese samurai and several figures I’ve never heard off and you’ve got quite the lineup! It’s easy to see why people pay to get currency for more servants – as much as I’ve played the extra daily quests, it takes a long time to get enough for 10 cards, and even then all of those won’t be servants. It seems restraint will be necessary.

After finishing the prologue and the first couple of sections of the first part of the game proper, I’m thoroughly enjoying Fate/Grand Order – even if the support characters have a broken levelling system. The story could go either way at this point, but that’s okay, because I think I’ll keep playing just to collect more servants.

What are your thoughts on Fate/Grand Order? Are you in it just for the story/characters or is the gameplay your thing instead? Has anyone had any problems with downloading the game outside of North America and if so how far have you gone to get passed those problems?

6 thoughts on “First Impressions: Fate/Grand Order (iOS/Android)”

  1. I would say the game is pretty nice so far. I seem to be favoured by luck whenever a draw/lotto type of system is involved, so I don’t have too many problems with the gacha system either.
    The story is solid, the gameplay is really fun, and I’m just waiting for more singularities to come out in the NA version that I’m playing.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Awesome! So you say you’re waiting for more singularities to come out? How many are there at the moment? I had just supposed the story would be fully available with more to come as and when but from what you’re saying maybe not…?

      1. Well, the english version currently has 2 singularities along with the tutorial singularity. More will probably come next time as they translate more. The japanese version does have all the singularities available though.
        Basically, the english version is what the japanese version was when it first came out, and will probably slowly go through the events the japanese version went through too.

        Liked by 1 person

  2. The game has surprising depth for a mobile game. I have played others for a while before Fate such as Fire Emblem Heroes and none of them have the narrative that Fate does. I really enjoy the gameplay as while it is simple, it can be challenging at times. My servant pulls have been pretty fair so far- got a 4 star Gilgamesh a couple weeks ago and he has ballin for me since. The campaign bonuses such as Saber Lily when the game first launched are a great gesture- hope they keep that up. I agree that the friend system can make things too easy at times- I always just put that character in the final slot as a last resort if needed. Great post and thanks for sharing!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I’m in the UK so missed lots of the initial hype for it, but am glad I took the effort to work around the regional lock to download it. Even playing a bit more of the first full singularity it does seem as if the narrative is actually pretty good! Hopefully they’ll keep going with more seasonal and campaign bonuses to give the game a good life span because it really does have potential. Thanks for reading and commenting!

      Liked by 1 person

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St. Bernardus Extra 4 by Brouwerij St. Bernardus NV

10593132_10101996994324330_9153501560502863547_nRating: 4.5/5

St. Bernardus Extra 4 by Brouwerij St. Bernardus NV is a 4.8% ABV Belgian Pale Ale/Belgian Single.

Extra 4 is a classic Belgian “Single” style, light golden in color, full of flavor and character and brewed with more hops and bitterness in comparison to the other well known St Bernardus abbey ales. Extra 4 will be brewed with high fermentation and bottled conditioned with an ABV of 4.8%. Extra 4 will be a unique, tasty and refreshing spring and summer quencher with a lower alcohol content than such other popular St Bernardus products as Abt 12, Tripel and Prior 8.

I never knew the Single style was actually Belgian pale ale. Dubbels are brow, Tripels can be light or hazy and Quads Dark and Strong. But Belgian Pale Ales are closer to the Golden Ales or Golden Blondes. I feel like I learn something with every beer I try and I am glad I can bring this knowledge to you. St. Bernardus beers are typically world class and some of the best beers out there and the number 12 is simply the best! Cheers and hope you enjoy my review!

Biscuit Bread, grains, vanilla, honey, caramel, peppercorns, sage spice, floral, grassy and herbal hops, citrus, lemon zest, lemon peel, clove spice, banana hints, honey comb, waffle cone, stone fruit and coriander spice.

Honey, bananas, clove spice, peppercorns, citrus, lemon peel, vanilla, dulce de leche caramel hints from the yeast they use, grassy and herbal hops, stone fruits hints of peaches, apricots and plums, sage spice, coriander spice and waffle cone.

Honey, biscuit bread, herbal and grassy hop linger for only a little bit before they dry. No alcohol in the taste whatsoever, easy to moderate drinkability, hazy medium body, light to moderate mouth feel, crisp and refreshing. Definitely for the summer.

Very good indeed and not as heavy as other Belgian beers in terms of the full mouth feel or higher ABV. This is supposed to be lighter on purpose and is possibly the first time I try a Belgian ‘Single’, that is, if the Golden Ale, Belgian Pale or Belgian Blonde style were not the style referred here. Even though the flavors do math similarly to that of those styles. Either way, this is something I can definitely see myself drinking several on a summer day for sure. Still getting those nice Belgian flavors at a lower ABV. I would definitely recommend you try this out and see how you like this one.

Anime Corner:
Ryuko Matoi from Kill La Kill in her Super Saiyan/Fashion Week Mode was used in this pairing because I wanted to one of my four favorite anime characters in a St. Bernardus beer. If you look at my other St. Bernardus beers, you will find that I paired 1 of the 4 with one of the beers, except Tokyo since that one is unique. Anyways, when I heard this beer was coming out and I heard it was a beer style I had not heard before, I figured, this version of Ryuko is perfect for that golden ale. While she is more powerful than the ABV this beer carriers, the flavor is where the strength lies in.

2 thoughts on “St. Bernardus Extra 4 by Brouwerij St. Bernardus NV

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Understanding Estate Taxes: Net Value, Reduction/Elimination and Exemptions

Signing of tax exemptions for 2014 FIFA World ...

Image via Wikipedia

How is the net value of my estate determined?

To determine the current net value, add your assets, then subtract your debts. Include your home, business interests, bank accounts, investments, personal property, IRAs, retirement plans and death benefits from your life insurance.

How can I reduce or eliminate my estate taxes?

In the simplest terms, there are three ways:

1. If you are married, use both estate tax exemptions

2. Remove assets from your estate before you die

3. Buy life insurance to replace assets given to charity and/or pay any remaining estate taxes

Using Both Exemptions

If your spouse is a U.S. citizen, you can leave him or her an unlimited amount when you die with no estate tax. But this can be a tax trap, because it wastes an exemption.

Let’s say, for example, that Bob and Sue together have a net estate of $4 million and they both die in 2006. Bob dies first. He leaves everything to Sue, so no estate taxes are due then. When Sue dies, her estate of $4 million uses her $2 million exemption. The tax bill on the remaining $2 million is $920,000! ($900,000 in 2007 and 2008.)

But if, instead, Bob and Sue plan ahead, they can use both their exemptions and pay no estate taxes. A tax planning provision in their living trust splits their $4 million estate into two trusts of $2 million each. When Bob dies, his trust uses his $2 million exemption. When Sue dies, her trust uses her $2 million exemption. This reduces their taxable estate to $0, so the full $4 million can go to their loved ones.

This planning can also be done in a will, but you would not avoid probate or enjoy the other benefits of a living trust.  Speak with an experienced Estate Planning Attorney in Los Angeles today to plan for your estate taxes.

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Understanding Estate Taxes: Who Has to Pay Estate Taxes?

Who has to pay estate taxes?

Depending on how much you own when you die, your estate may have to pay estate taxes before your assets can be fully distributed. Estate taxes are different from, and in addition to, probate expenses (which can be avoided with a revocable living trust) and final income taxes (on income you receive in the year you die). Some states also have their own death/inheritance taxes.

Federal estate taxes are expensive – the rate is 46% in 2006, 45% in 2007 and 2008 – and they must be paid in cash, usually within nine months after you die. Since few estates have this kind of cash, assets often have to be liquidated. But estate taxes can be substantially reduced or even eliminated – if you plan ahead.

Your estate will have to pay estate taxes if its net value when you die is more than the “exempt” amount set by Congress at that time.

Here is the current schedule:

Year of Death                    “Exemption” Amount

2006, 2007 & 2008        $2 million

2009                                     $3.5 million

2010                                     N/A (repealed)

2011 and thereafter         $1 million

For additional questions about estate tax law, speak with our experienced Estate Lawyer in Los Angeles today.

Summary of Living Trust Benefits

The Main Benefits of a Living Trust:

• Avoids probate at death, including multiple probates if you own property in other states

• Prevents court control of assets at incapacity

• Brings all your assets together under one plan

• Provides maximum privacy

• Quicker distribution of assets to beneficiaries

• Assets can remain in trust until you want beneficiaries to inherit

• Can reduce or eliminate estate taxes

• Inexpensive, easy to set up and maintain

• Can be changed or cancelled at any time

• Difficult to contest

• Prevents court control of minors’ inheritances

• Can protect dependents with special needs

• Prevents unintentional disinheriting and other problems of joint ownership

• Professional management with corporate trustee

• Peace of mind

For additional questions about living trust, please review our blog series entitled “Understanding Living Trusts: How you can Avoid Probate, Save Taxes and More FAQ” or speak with our Living Trust Attorney in Los Angeles.


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Home » Community » Advice » Oh Tampon!

Oh Tampon!

Girl Talk: Just So You Know

Lots of women knows what a “tampon” is, though men somehow knows about it too but they never use it because it is for women only. I was browsing a magazine while I am at home and there are usual ads were target markets are women of all ages. I turned pages to pages and see 1 or 3 full-page ads of Playtex and Tampax’ “tampons”. I know women use it when they have a period. So I wonder what it is, what is it looked like and how to use it.

I have searched it through the web and see how was it looked like and how to use it. I have watched a demo video from youtube.com about it and it is so easy.

I don’t know how to explain it but here’s how to use it:

It was like a rolled bandage gauze. using an applicator, women must insert it into their vajayjay and pull the applicator out. If you didn’t get it just watch the demo here.

Oh Tampon!! Now I know what it is! It is an another form of sanitary napkin instead of pads. Soon I will figure out how to use it personally.

“Have a happy period.” :)

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Posts Tagged With: bad day

Day 1684: What’s the difference between a bad day and a good day?

In last night’s therapy group, somebody was having a good day and somebody was having a bad day. I suggested we all think about and share the differences between a good day and a bad day, which included:

  • perspective,
  • mood,
  • hope,
  • helplessness,
  • action,
  • rest,
  • shame,
  • awareness,
  • self-judgment,
  • faith,
  • doubt,
  • gratitude,
  • expectations,
  • assumptions,
  • self-care,
  • isolating,
  • connecting,
  • the weather,
  • the news,
  • worry,
  • patience,
  • anxiety,
  • nature,
  • guilt,
  • technology,
  • other people,
  • acceptance, and
  • being in the moment.

What’s the difference between a good day and bad day for you?

I am now trying to share yesterday’s photos in this post, but it’s no good.  Does that make today a good day or a bad day?  I am choosing to see it as a good day, especially because I’m seeing Bonnie Raitt and James Taylor tonight at Boston’s Fenway Park.

Because my son and I are leaving for Edinburgh, Scotland, a week from tomorrow to share several good days together, I shall try to resolve these photo-loading issues a good day before then.

Here are Bonnie Raitt and James Taylor sharing a Goode song with thousands of people:

Good thanks to all who helped me create today’s good-enough post and — of course! — to YOU.

Categories: group therapy, personal growth | Tags: , , , , , , , | 28 Comments

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Write Well, Don’t Speak So Good

“Words. Words.Words,” replies the titular whiny Prince of Denmark when asked what he is reading in what is arguably William Shakespeare’s greatest drama Hamlet. While the sentiment is meant more as a snarky response from a thirty-year old the needs to learn how to take revenge instead of whining about it for an entire play, the quote itself summerizes my life and the world quite nicely.

Words. Words. Words. Sure, the world is made up of atoms, molecules, and other science-type stuff, but we are more than the physical world, my friends. We are ideas, concepts, creativity, and thought. To express these things, including the concepts of science, we need words.

Spoken or written, words matter, and there is not much else in this world I love more than words and language.

I just wish I could use it well and consistently both vocally and in written form.

Ask me to vocally utilize vocabulary, and I will speak shortly and simply. Put a pen in my hand, and watch me express my mental concepts and ideas in a way that could rival William Shakespeare.

I consider myself an artist when I write. Some paint pictures and ideas with paint, crayons,  or pencils. Others create with clay or wood. I create with words. As a student of linguistics, I studied language extensively and hold a great reverence for the power it possesses to shape the world, especially when utilized properly. Words, both elaborate and simplistic, can affect the smallest and greatest of the world around us because they are the expression of the ideas that can create and destroy .

I love words. I love how language can be broken down to the smallest of units and phonemes and built up to construct some of the greatest literary works and ideas of all time.

I just wish I could translate my linguistic love to my normal speaking voice.

When I write, I can be the most intelligent and eloquent person. I can construct a singular thought in a singular sentence that can last and stretch an entire paragraph, with grammatical twists and turns that match the very ideas I am attempting to convey to any given audience. However, vocally, I’m unable to express as elaborately as I do when I compose a written piece.

I…tend…to speak..particularly..and…stumble a lot.

Call it shyness or social anxiety or both. For some reason, I am unable to translate my thoughts clearly to my vocal cords.

This has been a problem since my younger years of When I was in high school, the school required, unfairly in my humble opinion since some people are better listeners than talkers, all of the students to take speech class. I vocally stumbled over every line of every speech but kept talking just to fill the silence with something other than the quite. It was anxiety provoking and awkward.

I hate awkward silences, but I hate having to be the one to break the ice.

I can talk. My vocal chords can make sound that sort of sounds like a coherent thought every now and again, but my true voice will always come from my mind with the pen as my microphone.

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Trip to Diu and Daman

Now I am going to explain a part of it in which I went to Diu and Daman (Union Territory) with my cousins. It was an amazing place, but the time we went is not suitable for that spot. Actually it is a place which is to be visited during Rainy Season. It took around four hours to reach from Mumbai to Silvassa.

Silvassa is the capital of Diu and Daman. We reached Silvassa around 10:00 in the morning. First we thought of going to Lion Safari. I was so excited that we are going for a Lion Safari. But after going there only I came to know that it is not a lion safari. After going there I was surprised because it was only one lion in the park. I thought it would be boring even for the remaining part also. But my calculations went wrong.

After the lion safari we planned to visit the Damanganga dam . The way which led to the reservoir was amazing. It was a ghat road with lots of greenery. In the midway we stopped to have some pics with my cousins. One of my fav pics taken there was with my sister and brother (small kids). I got enough comments for that particular pic. 😛 After reaching there we thought of going for boating which was through the reservoir. We went all the way from one end of the reservoir to the other end of the reservoir. The place was truly amazing. It took around one hour to come back. In the mean while we had some snaps also. But one thing we missed is the Tarpa Festival.

After that we thought of going to the deer park. After a long waiting for around two hours we got our turn finally to go and visit some deer’s. The deer park was truly awesome. It was a safari of about 20 min. All the way through the way we travelled it was full of deer’s only. I was lucky enough to touch a deer which was passing by from our vehicle. But problem is the driver didn’t give enough time to take good pics of the deer’s.  But the time we spent in the deer park was like heaven for me because it was so pleasant and quite there.

That’s how it is done for that day. The next day we decided to spend the whole day in the beach. So we planned to go the Jampar Beach which is located in Daman. The thing is that whole of Silvassa is full of industries and Daman part is like Mumbai with full of tall buildings and apartments. By the time we reached the beach it was around 11:00 in the morning. When we went in the first thing which attracted my mind is paragliding. I’ve decided to do that since I was a person who is interested in adventures. 😀

It was an amazing experience when I was in air for the first time with a parachute on my back. It will be about 200 feet I was from the ground level in the air. I was shouting like hell coz I was so excited. One thing which I was surprised of the beach was the water went back around 500 ft during the morning time. Two more days we had fun covering the places there nearby including Surat. It was one of my best trips till now.

That’s it for my short trip to the Union Territory. 🙂


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15 Celebs Who Released Lewd Photos Of Themselves

Celebrity nude pics – remember when they were something new and shocking? Na, we don’t either. Maybe it wasn’t so many years ago, relatively speaking since the practice began, but after the constant barrage everything from fairly innocent semi-nude pics to explicit sex tapes over the last decade or more, checking out the latest celebrity nude posts is pretty much an everyday thing.

Read more at: http://www.therichest.com/shocking/15-celebs-who-released-lewd-photos-of-themselves/

Published by

Anya Wassenberg

Freelance writer & singer


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Before and After Camera; Toy Camera

Last week I posted a picture taken in Prague with a tilt shift effect that was added using Topaz Lens Effects. Stacy who hosts the “Before and After Forum” found the image intriguing and wondered how I had got the effect. The tilt shift effect is one that has been around for a long time with large format cameras, but more recently with the lens baby and the lomography styled images has created a trend of photographing or turning images to make them appear as miniature models.
You don’t need to use plugins to emulate this effect, in fact Photoshop has its own tilt shift filter, which is good but has some drawbacks and is quite linear. Using 3 layers and the Gaussian blur filter you can be quite creative in creating a miniature style image.

I have found that the best type of image for this type of effect is one taken from a high vantage point looking down with a wide depth of field. The before picture started off in Lightroom with some basic adjustments and then was opened in Photoshop.

I duplicated the background layer and applied a Gaussian blur with a setting of 10px. I added a hide all layer mask, used a large brush and painted black onto the mask. I painted to reveal area that would be the focus of the image.
When choosing the area I want in focus I think about what the natural depth of field would look like and keep to that. I chose the park area in the foreground with the lamppost. After a roughly revealing the area, I zoomed in and refined the selection painting out areas of the selection. This can take some time especially if there are a lot of tricky areas. I zoomed out a lot to make sure the base of the effect looked natural.

I duplicated the blurred layer with its mask and then applied another Gaussian blur to the layer, this time at 20px. I lowered the opacity of my brush and then added to the mask areas that don’t need to be as blurry. In the case of this image the trees on the edge of the garden.

Once again I duplicated the layer I had just been working on and applied a Gaussian blur for the last time at 30px. This time I filled the layer with black and then used the gradient tool to reveal the top part of the mask. I did this to add some more depth to the image. I once again refined the mask with a brush to make sure that the blur seemed natural.

Toy cameras have an unreal quality about them. I added a levels adjustment layer to create some contrast and clipping in the highlights and shadows. I used a curves adjustment to lift the midtones and then a vibrance adjustment layer to boost the colours.

Lastly I duplicated the background layer and sharpened via the highpass filter. I added a hide all layer mask and revealed roughly the park area which is the focus of the image.

Prague Tilt Shift Blur

Although this process can be time consuming depending on the image, it is well worth the time and effort. This shot took about an hour to edit from start to finish. It does seem to have a miniature feel to it especially with the lamppost that pulls in the eye.

If you have any comments or questions let me know in the comment box below. Also if you use this process on an image of your own drop a link in the comments so we can all have a look.
Remember to head over to Stacy’s post to see all the others who have participated in the forum this week.

Remember if you liked this post to; like, share and subscribe.

If you wish to get notifications when I post on my blog, you can follow me on Twitter@apertureF64, on or alternatively be emailed by subscribing below. All images are the Copyright of Benjamin Rowe , ALL RIGHTS Reserved unless credited to another photographer. For more information please read my Copyright Statement

7 thoughts on “Before and After Camera; Toy Camera

  1. Wow, Ben. Did you create this method or did you learn it somewhere? I am amazed at the creativity in figuring out how to achieve this look with the PS tools! Thanks for taking the time to recreate and share all your steps. I’m still trying to wrap my head around plain layers, but I’m determined to become comfortable working in PS. In fact, I signed up for an all day class this weekend – Intro to PS 🙂 That will really help me better understand what you’ve done to achieve all your great results!

    • I have a notebook that I like to call a recipe book full of tutorials/notes/workflows that I have collected through the years.most are just rough steps that I can adapt for different images. It was something I did when I started using Photoshop.
      If I was to learn the same way now (just trawling the web) I doubt I would learn as much as most sites have links to the same tutorials.
      I love just playing with Photoshop.

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Astronomy Picture of the Day

Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.

2004 May 24
See Explanation.
Moving the cursor over the image will bring up an annotated version.
Clicking on the image will bring up the highest resolution version available.

Planets Over Easter Island
Credit & Copyright: Magnus Galfalk (Stockholm Observatory)

Explanation: It isn't every day that planets line up behind a stone giant. For one thing, it helps to have a good planet line-up, such as occurred in the sky just last month. For another, it helps to be on Easter Island, where over 800 large stone statues exist. The Easter Island statues, stand, on the average, over twice as tall as a person and have over 200 times as much mass. Few specifics are known about the history or meaning of the unusual statues, but many believe that they were created about 500 years ago in the images of local leaders of a lost civilization. Pictured above, the Moon, Venus, and Mars can be seen behind Ahu Tahai, a famous Easter Island statue. The bright star Aldebaran is also visible.

Tomorrow's picture: Moon Between the Stones

< | Archive | Index | Search | Calendar | Glossary | Education | About APOD | >

Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (USRA)
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.


text:
potrace, inkscape
2018-01-15 14:49
CVE-2017-7263 potrace
2017-10-23 14:15
2017-08-17 14:03
2017-08-01 15:04
2017-07-20 21:29
2017-06-16 19:22
2017-05-10 23:45
2017-04-14 10:19
2017-04-01 21:42
2017-03-28 21:03

The bm_readbody_bmp function in bitmap_io.c in Potrace 1.14 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (heap-based buffer over-read and application crash) or possibly have unspecified other impact via a crafted BMP image. NOTE: this vulnerability exists because of an incomplete fix for CVE-2016-8698.

Am I vulnerable?

The constraints below list the versions that this vulnerability is patched in, and versions that are unaffected. If a patch is ready but unrealeased, then it is pending.

Or, you can just let us figure it out for you! Appcanary continously monitor your installed packages, and tell you if any of them are vulnerable.

Sign up for monitoring

Affected package information

Release Package Patched in
artful potrace None
devel potrace None
trusty potrace None
xenial potrace None

Release Package Reason
precise potrace ignored
inkscape ignored
precise/esm potrace DNE
inkscape DNE
vivid/ubuntu-core potrace DNE
inkscape DNE
vivid/stable-phone-overlay potrace DNE
inkscape DNE
yakkety potrace ignored
inkscape ignored
zesty potrace ignored
inkscape not-affected
trusty inkscape not-affected
xenial inkscape not-affected
artful inkscape not-affected
devel inkscape not-affected

Needs Triage

Release Package Reason
upstream potrace needs-triage
inkscape needs-triage


text:
Category Archives: chapbooks

The Quilliad Press is Kickstarting New Publications

As some of you may already know, in addition to managing Apple of my Odd Eye, I am the editor-in-chief of The Quilliad, a biannual journal that publishes the work of emerging and established Canadian writers and artists. As part of our commitment to growth, The Quilliad is now being published through our new small press, The Quilliad Press. And we’re Kickstarting to try to get our next issue of The Quilliad plus our first line of chapbooks out into the world.

In addition to copies of The Quilliad, poetry on demand, our press’s forthcoming chapbooks, and other great rewards, The Quilliad Press’s rewards include chapbooks by me, Sarah Varnam, and fellow Apple of my Odd Eye Collective member Devin P.L. Edwards, as well as art prints by yours truly! Here are a few sample images:

To see the rest, visit The Quilliad Press’s Kickstarter project page at

Leave a comment

Filed under art prints, chapbooks, illustrations, Kickstarter, mixed media, paintings, poetry, The Quilliad Press


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Now showing items 1-1 of 1

  • Redistributive Forces of the Irish Tax-Benefit System

    O'Donoghue, Cathal (National University of Ireland, Galway, 2003)
    This paper charts the main changes in structure of the Irish system of tax and social benefits over the period 1955-2002. It analyses the evolution of the redistributive forces in the system over the period and considers ...


text:
, ,

Yesterday I was listening to the magical sound of Lisa Indish’s delightful fairy voice on her CD Via Poetica and it occurred to me for the first time how healing sound can be. I have always loved music, it is an intrinsic part of who I AM, and I cannot envision a life without it. Sound calms the mind, soothes the Soul, and heals the body, there is no doubt about it.

Once again I am being reminded that there is nothing that we have to do, except BE. BE in Joy, and BE in Love, for these states of BE-ing is all that it takes to renew, revitalize and heal ourselves of all that is not love. When in these states of BE-ing we are unconsciously, via our Divine Self and Higher Consciousness, receiving and transmitting this healing energy into our physical and energy body and out into the Universe. We do not even have to know where we are transmitting this healing energy to, and to whom, because our Higher Consciousness knows this already, and it is sending the healing to where it is most needed. Our Higher Consciousness knows our intentions, it knows what is in our Hearts.

Isn’t this wonderful? So DO what brings you Joy and move away from that which does not resonate with you. Stop to think before just automatically doing something. Ask yourself, is this working for me or not? In the books ‘Conversations with God’ which are available on my Downloads page, God says that there is no right or wrong, only that which works or doesn’t work. So instead of following the crowd, start questioning your actions. Is this really serving my purpose, or not? Is what I am doing serving my highest intention as a vehicle of Divine Love?

Like the author of the book says, if eating a salami sandwich brings you Joy, then by golly, do it!!! Follow your Bliss Angels, there is no other way! Listen to heavenly sounds that ignite your Soul, and free your mind. This life is meant to be en-JOY-ed!

Note: There is a link to Lisa’s CD in my sidebar!

Un-copywrited. If you happen to like this blog, and you would like to share it, you do so with my blessing. I ask only that you include a link back to my blog: http://archangelanddevas.wordpress.com


text:
This invasion is boring

I want to see raw mayhem. Where’s the burning cities? The millions of refugees streaming down a road, masks of suffering and terror, from one end of the horizon to the other? Where’s the expenditure of millions of rounds of steel followed by retreat followed by mass executions? Somewhere in Valhalla there’s two drunken Nazi and Red Army officers arm-in-arm screaming, “That’s not how you do it, pig!”

All ambiguity’s gone now. There’s no doubt. Russia’s invaded Ukraine. You could make excuses earlier, whatever you found most convenient: The rebellion started in Donetsk with ethnic Russians, but they’re Ukrainian citizens so it’s not an invasion; Russia only provided equipment, or volunteers to fight, not the actual army; and so on.

Well, the excuses are over now. Thousands of rebels armed with heavy equipment didn’t just magically appear more than fifty miles from the Donetsk front. They came across the border and I’ll bet my dog’s favorite toy that every single one of them is regular Russian army.

Russian invasion of Ukraine circa 1944

It has to really suck being history’s invasion doormat. Just ask your Middle East or Balkans neighbor. Ukraine’s had the joy of getting run over by Scythians, Persians, Greeks, Romans, Goths, Mongols, Turks, Russians, Nazis, Russians again, and now Russians again.

But by the standards of any of the aforementioned dance parties, this invasion is positively lightweight. Vlad’s not looking to sack Kiev for the twelfth time.  So what’s he up to? Well, that’s the strange part.

You know, trying to determine what Vlad’s going to do next is probably just about the most interesting and frustrating thing you can do. He keeps you guessing. It’s one of the things that allows him to run circles around his weaker, indecisive Euro-trash counterparts.

But honestly, I think most of the time Vlad doesn’t know what he’s going to do either. And not just because he’s totally insane, although that’s certainly the case. I think he’s a master of the wait-and-see approach to all of life’s challenges. He takes a major step, evaluates how his enemies respond, and then determines what his next move is.

Western leaders used to be very good at this strategy too, remember Bismarck, Roosevelt, or De Gaulle. But the West’s leaders are now willingly enslaved by this afternoon’s three second sound bite and next Tuesday’s polls. So this kind of deep thinking is beyond their meager brains. Please remember kids, Western politics is a “game played by smart people”. Smart being defined as never thinking more than twelve seconds into the future, unless it’s about the next election. Either way, Vlad doesn’t have that problem.

So what’s Vlad likely to do? Probably for the first time since this all began, I think it completely depends on what Europe does. Because Vlad no longer seems to care what Ukraine does. He’s confident he can manage Ukraine alone.

He launched this invasion while he was in Belarus talking “peace” face-to-face with Poroshenko. It wouldn’t surprise me if a few minutes into these talks Vlad had sipped his vodka, shrugged, and blurted out, “Oh, Petro, by the way, I’m taking Novoazovsk as we speak. You’re fucked. Want a drink?”

Vlad the Unmerciful, Catherine Ashton (the decent but powerless hack of Europe), Lukashenko (Overload & Dictator of All Belarus), and Poroshenko (current holder of the second hardest job on the planet after bear baiter.

Ukraine can beat the rebels given time, but Vlad won’t allow that to happen. He’ll let them get just close enough to victory to ensure the rebels can’t completely ruin his idea of peace. But he won’t let Ukraine achieve total victory. He can’t allow them to do that for a whole slew of reasons we’ve previously discussed in other posts.

So he’ll keep messing with Ukraine until Poroshenko gives in and cuts some kind of one-on-one deal with Vlad. On terms that broadly favor Russia. I think the whole Belarus meeting, plus the simultaneous invasion, was meant to beat Petro over the head with this reality. This invasion is meant to bring about that end state.

But, no seriously but, Vlad’s also going to wait and see what Europe does. Don’t be surprised when if Europe mostly does nothing, that Vlad might try and keep the army advancing until Russia controls Novoazovsk, Mariupol, and ultimately creates a Russian land link all the way to Crimea.

If Vlad can get away with that, why wouldn’t he do it? As far as victories go, he’d be hailed in Russia as Peter the Great’s militant ghost. Because, hell, nothing can better distract Russia’s citizens from the reality that they’re living in an open sewer, fueled by Vlad, than one of Vlad’s immortal victories.

Will Europe allow it? Honestly, I have no idea. I’m not optimistic. But on the other hand, Europe’s been talking tough lately. Maybe they’ll pass another round of sanctions fierce enough to scare Vlad off. Or maybe they’ll do nothing because they’ll realize that winter’s coming and Vlad still has his hands on the gas pipeline valve. We’ll see.

But no matter what happens, even though this crisis has been shit to the goodness of humanity from the start? We should still take comfort that this invasion is boring. We’re still playing the same old silly games, but the overall body count is 0.0001% of what it once was. So at least there’s that. It’s not much, but we should take it.

Still, here’s hoping the Ukrainian army keeps doing its thing. Here’s hoping Europe steps up and proves they’re still alive. And here’s hoping one of Vlad’s belligerent mistresses cracks a bottle over his head on Saturday night. So that he’ll get mixed up inside his brain and make a cruelly dumb decision. Like ordering the army to invade Mongolia. Because why not?

We just need Vlad to make a mistake, one major mistake, that might be enough. Although maybe it won’t be enough. Apparently shooting down an airliner wasn’t a major mistake. So maybe we’re all just screwed. We’ll see.

To understand how far they’ve come, I submit the discipline of this convoy would have been beyond the Ukrainian army even two months ago, let’s hope it’s enough

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“Milky Way” says Schofields Public School is a very nice place to be.

Our next Archibull Prize judging challenge came from Schofields Public School’s entry “Milky Way”.

Schofields  (15)

Most of the students at Schofields live in semi-rural areas and rural hospitality was exactly what we got when we arrived. The last line of the Schofields School Song says, “It’s a very nice place to be.” And indeed it is.

Schofields was hosting an entertainment event in the school hall for local senior citizens when we arrived and “Milky Way” was proudly centre stage.

Schofields  (31)

Teacher Laura Gilbody said “the students thoroughly enjoyed painting the cow and their Young Farming Champion Stephanie Tarlinton’s visit was a highlight.

steph visit 026

Laura said “The Archibull Prize was a lot of fun and certainly instigated a lot of conversation about sustainability and basically promoted the effort and time of farmers in general.”

Schofield Public School students love their Milky Way

The school also found the resource kit supplied by Dairy Australia excellent for library sessions and getting all children involved and to promote understanding

During the ten weeks the program was in the school the students had weekly K-6 library lessons about dairy industry “from grass to milk”….naming competitions, design tasks and even named one of Farmer Steph’s new calves

See Farmer Steph’s video here

Laura said the program helped the students comprehend sustainability and its importance now for the future as well as enhancing their understanding the time and effort put in by farming industries in order to supply daily wants and needs.

See and celebrate Schofield’s Archibull Prize PowerPoint entry here

Milky Way thinks Schofields is a nice place to be

Schofields Primary School picked up the award for the Champion Video Primary Section

Check it out here its just a scream

Author: Picture You in Agriculture

The world needs creative, innovative and courageous young people who can connect, collaborate and act. We know that youth may only be 20% of the population but they are 100% of the future. The time is now to let them share their dreams and design the future they want to see.

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text:
Meet David Brunton who believes the future of agriculture demands professionalism, thoroughness and tenacity

Today’s guest post comes from budding young plant doctor David Brunton

“I like to think that things that start as a dream usually turns into reality, if you are willing to work hard with diligence, motivation and passion towards it. These dreams usually seem unachievable at the start however the pathway on which we choose to chase these dreams ultimately determines the outcome”.

My name is David Brunton and my story begins as a young child on the farm, getting my hands dirty, driving the machinery and ultimately paving a pathway towards my future ambitions. Not only did I grow up in the best location for a child, the wide open spaces of the country, but I also never had to put up with any siblings. We (my parents and I) farm two hours west of Melbourne, at Vite Vite North in Victoria’s western district running a mixed farming enterprise of super fine merinos, prime lambs and winter cereals.

David Brunton

Since a young child my passion has revolved around growing crops, regardless of type so long as I had a patch of land on which I could grow my trial plots and this passion has grown to a point where my future career will see me spending my life focusing on the welfare of crops and the soils that support them.

My years at school were rewarding and enjoyable with the occasional challenge thrown in, mainly due to the fact that I really do not like sitting inside all day. At school friends and teachers remember me as the kid who planted every square meter of land to crop trials with the contents of my pencil box not being pencils or a calculator rather seed and fertilizer, as the time went on my passion grew stronger.

Before I knew it the final year was upon me which was ultimately the make or break for getting into university. I worked hard and prestigiously topped the state in agriculture and horticultural studies which opened a floodgate of opportunities.

Initially in my final year of school I had a position guaranteed, studying rural science at the University of New England however this all changed rather swiftly once I received an offer of a four year agricultural science scholarship from the University of Tasmania. Obviously at this time I was unsure of what sounded better, but I took the risk and grabbed the scholarship whilst it lasted. Many have asked me do I regret not going to UNE and the answer simply is no.

My time at the University of Tasmania has been one of the most life changing experiences. Not only does university teach you to think more broadly it helps to shape you as the person you will ultimately become by instilling important life requirements such as patience, tolerance and understanding to name a few. Now entering my final year, the big one honours I strongly believe that this year will be not only challenging and frustrating, but also extremely rewarding, another important step to preparing me for the life on the beyond the walls of the university.

My ambition once graduating is to pursue a career in the grains industry as an advisory or consultant agronomist, specialising in broad acre cropping focused towards herbicide resistance and resistance management. Resistance within pest populations globally is following a fairly consistent pathway and this challenge has potential to significantly undermine the advances science is making for agricultural production systems and our ability to feed an ever rapidly growing global population.

Over the past 12 months I have spent time on a weekly basis working side by side with an agronomist. This has not only given me the opportunity to both put theories taught at university into practice and enabled me to interact with clients. This has enable me to have a deeper understanding of what the job actually requires and to think laterally about crop recommendations and experience the challenge that comes with being a “plant doctor”.

I have also for the last three years been providing agronomic advice within our own cropping operation and this has once again exposed me to the next challenge which is making an independent decision which untimely has consequences. The following traits are something that I stick too on a daily basis no matter what the task. These words might not mean much on a page however when put into practice are more than able to shape a pathway towards success,

  • Professionalism
  • Thoroughness
  • Tenacity

In my quest for success my mentors have inspired me to

  1. Remain positive and having the right attitude
  2. Take calculated risks
  3. Stick to achievable goals
  4. Reward myself and those around me for a job well done

Finally I would like to thank my parents for providing me with the opportunities…to never let anything get in my way. Their support, continuous encouragement and care have allowed me to become the person I am today. I look forward to the years ahead and look forward to contributing positively to Australian and global agriculture.

Please feel free to contact me

Author: Picture You in Agriculture

The world needs creative, innovative and courageous young people who can connect, collaborate and act. We know that youth may only be 20% of the population but they are 100% of the future. The time is now to let them share their dreams and design the future they want to see.

One thought on “Meet David Brunton who believes the future of agriculture demands professionalism, thoroughness and tenacity”

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While you were sleeping

City commission was in session burning the midnight oil.  No kidding, it was one of those late midnight sessions.  Just look, got to see who’s putting up those lights that make this town feel fairytale like for our holiday events.                                                                                From here on in I’m cruising down the middle of town slowly every time IDSCN1607 DSCN1609‘m out late.

About Lake Worth Florida by the moment the source of inspiration

A former Unite Press International photographer. Spent 9 years with Cruise Ship Photos of London. Moved to Lake Worth from Coconut Grove, with artist husband Fred Hunt. Never leaves the house without a camera. Writes another blog "One Ear Society" dealing with the ins and outs of the art world. Closed her Art Gallery in Coconut Grove after 17 years to relocate in Lake Worth.
This entry was posted in Uncategorized. Bookmark the permalink.

One Response to While you were sleeping

  1. Sarah S. says:

    Unrelated to post, but I’d love to join you with my bike in the parade. I got lights today! When/where are we meeting tomorrow?

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text:
Learning to be good: Rescuers of Jews in Nazi Europe

In studying rescuers of Jews in Nazi Europe, Samuel and Pearl Oliner conclude that the rescuers were people who believed they could influence events. In psychological terms, they possessed an internal locus of control. They viewed themselves as people who had some influence over the course of their lives. While they couldn’t completely control their destinies, neither were they pawns in the hands of Fate.

Many other Germans viewed themselves as victims, subject to the psychic wounds of defeat after WW1 and the ensuing economic chaos. Psychologists refer to attributing events as beyond one’s ability to influence them as an external locus of control.

Furthermore, the Oliners write, “An examination of the early family lives and personality characteristics of both rescuers and non-rescuers suggests that their respective wartime behavior grew out of their general patterns of relating to others.”

Many of the German non-rescuers who stood by while Jews died didn’t necessarily remain passive because they overtly rejected or hated Jews or other outsiders. Their acceptance of tyranny was mainly one aspect of their personalities. The non-rescuers were people who distanced themselves from any relationship they considered burdensome. Non-rescuers had constricted personalities, while the personalities of the rescuers were extensive ones. Non-rescuers hunkered down and closed up; rescuers opened their arms

But how did rescuers get to be the people they were? Why does anyone take risks on the behalf of others? Sometimes when confronted with the acts of altruism we are left with less than scraps to help us understand the setting in which they were born.

Fortunately, research has helped illuminate some of the mystery by studying rescuers honored at Yad Veshem. The Oliners were able to question hundreds of rescuers of Jews in Germany in order to get more insight about the roots of altruism. They found that one of the keys to understanding rescuers was the rescuers’ parents’ method of discipline. Rescuers’ parents relied upon reason and explanation. When their child harmed another, they suggested ways to remedy the hurt. Physical punishment was used sparingly. Instead they made great use of persuasion and advice.

The major lesson from Fogelman’s and the Oliners’ research is that altruism can be learned. Morality doesn’t emerge from a vacuum. What the children learned every day from their parents through acts of kindness and tolerance and through encouragement toward independent thinking helps explain why they became rescuers. These values became ingrained and habitual. Altruistic behavior had been so instilled in them that personal risk was not a consideration. They had to do what they did in order to be true to themselves. Being a rescuer was almost a natural outcome of their upbringing.

Says Dr. Fogelman, “At a time of worldwide upheaval, when civilized norms were held in suspension, a few individuals held fast to their own standards. They were not saints. Nor were they particularly heroic or often all that outstanding. They were simply ordinary people doing what they felt had to be done at that time.”

The implications of the Holocaust findings can instruct parents seeking to raise moral children. We can help our children to be good people. We teach them every day by word and by example. When we assist others, we help our children to be caring. When we see people as individuals, we teach respect for differences. When we encourage independent thinking, we help keep them from being swayed by the mob.

These are values worth passing on to our children in any time. As Eva Fogelman concludes in her book, “It is appealing to contemplate a day when those seeking moral heroes need only look as far as their mirror.”

2 thoughts on “Learning to be good: Rescuers of Jews in Nazi Europe

  1. As I recall, one of elements in the upbringing of rescuers, beyond the absence of corporal and arbitrary punishment, was the teaching of universal values; that is the worth of all, despite particularist distinctions

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