News for today's 2018: 03/30/13

Babe of the Week: Playboy Bunnies

9:00 PM Tukiyooo 0

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">For Easter Sunday it's only fitting that we celebrate some of the hottest Playboy Bunnies of all time!<br /><br />Sara Jean Underwood ...<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbsLBP41C9tcalliaHGV2PmdBmIJ4n9ZTnh9YewACMTMczr0xNKG-TtMLZFM6IzhGWztsd3Tk7nOqJ5sHUf5Z6AfVCx-ZU9D8Sjj8IyCVBD6bsQw5tkGhe6sevCu1_QgaDgRLtma80xTw/s1600/Sara-Jean-Underwood-Bikini-Hot-Nude.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbsLBP41C9tcalliaHGV2PmdBmIJ4n9ZTnh9YewACMTMczr0xNKG-TtMLZFM6IzhGWztsd3Tk7nOqJ5sHUf5Z6AfVCx-ZU9D8Sjj8IyCVBD6bsQw5tkGhe6sevCu1_QgaDgRLtma80xTw/s400/Sara-Jean-Underwood-Bikini-Hot-Nude.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br />Tia Carrere ...<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig5jpEn-vQpgiW4ToH6e0XM3rplaB_W4WXYje_S_851jG-6QbGUT3Q-60fn8wLCge_qb3VB-g2yD0JQuCKitCoLsaLr-KwdS3ZyCl8E_yLNZZv5crfxNQdzk9zkfqfdpn5haJ46NprW4o/s1600/tia-carrere-nude-hot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig5jpEn-vQpgiW4ToH6e0XM3rplaB_W4WXYje_S_851jG-6QbGUT3Q-60fn8wLCge_qb3VB-g2yD0JQuCKitCoLsaLr-KwdS3ZyCl8E_yLNZZv5crfxNQdzk9zkfqfdpn5haJ46NprW4o/s320/tia-carrere-nude-hot.jpg" width="275" /></a></div><br />Barbi Benton ...<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin5mQ9J4haKrgHi9cdYSc1woL0q_cfaqFncc5Wcp-gn18HYFMN1G7kEQQqBfgrbLyc6IQwJCzzPwEgjhopTMc_WpeSjOnBPp1-s3LiiGUfh5UpGBhU_Ooxj8E4QcYlluslG6XIiRQ70ZU/s1600/Barbi-Benton-Hot-Nude.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin5mQ9J4haKrgHi9cdYSc1woL0q_cfaqFncc5Wcp-gn18HYFMN1G7kEQQqBfgrbLyc6IQwJCzzPwEgjhopTMc_WpeSjOnBPp1-s3LiiGUfh5UpGBhU_Ooxj8E4QcYlluslG6XIiRQ70ZU/s400/Barbi-Benton-Hot-Nude.jpg" width="270" /></a></div><br />Brooke Burke ....<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghdZYV8JXH79d9as1IzfHpZswFrWhgSYPtmVOiulxoHK8itfAKvNTUxCjupivFTtrf2lVOGq-2lVkPxOUyi_7UzwIuUf605kHqfFdH6-ugtAAu4cpHAP-3fC1ziuGML9dlgvpucPNFwZ0/s1600/Brooke-Burke-Nude-Hot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghdZYV8JXH79d9as1IzfHpZswFrWhgSYPtmVOiulxoHK8itfAKvNTUxCjupivFTtrf2lVOGq-2lVkPxOUyi_7UzwIuUf605kHqfFdH6-ugtAAu4cpHAP-3fC1ziuGML9dlgvpucPNFwZ0/s400/Brooke-Burke-Nude-Hot.jpg" width="230" /></a></div><br />Adrianne Curry ...<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhff18VOTmFgtbmvnyj1twJaQ2xXU8QXB0nBcSPnjYp7VtXe6dQJDtKk54VlqEGLOhznvXL_YxJRQN7jOXchNeH0Vy4J_1-KFqtGLtaDJxhkOPoRlIOQUp0MMiioff_NwJ2BCSJUxLTiI/s1600/Adrianne-Curry-Nude-Hot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhff18VOTmFgtbmvnyj1twJaQ2xXU8QXB0nBcSPnjYp7VtXe6dQJDtKk54VlqEGLOhznvXL_YxJRQN7jOXchNeH0Vy4J_1-KFqtGLtaDJxhkOPoRlIOQUp0MMiioff_NwJ2BCSJUxLTiI/s400/Adrianne-Curry-Nude-Hot.jpg" width="251" /></a></div><br /><br />Also, don't forget to tune into "<a href="http://www.blogtalkradio.com/im-with-stupid/2013/03/31/christs-coming-out-party" target="_blank">Christ's Coming Out Party</a>" on IWS Radio Sunday at 12 Noon ET! We have lots of goodies to put in your Easter Basket! </div>

Babe of the Week: Playboy Bunnies

For Easter Sunday it's only fitting that we celebrate some of the hottest Playboy Bunnies of all time!Sara Jean Underwood ...Tia Carrere ...Barbi Benton ...Brooke Burke ....Adrianne Curry ...Also, don't forget to tune into "Christ's Coming Out Party"…

Javits Plaza v3.0

4:00 PM Tukiyooo 0

I've written about Jacob Javits Plaza—the public space at the corner of Lafayette and Worth Streets in Lower Manhattan—many times. First was about <a href="http://archidose.org/wp/2000/04/10/jacob-javits-plaza/">Martha Schwartz's design</a> on my weekly page; then in 2007 I did <a href="http://www.archidose.org/writings/javits.html">an analysis and history of the space</a> for grad school; most recently I contributed <a href="http://archpaper.com/news/articles.asp?id=4208">an article to <i>The Architect's Newspaper</i></a> about <a href="http://www.mvvainc.com/">Michael Van Valkenburgh</a>'s redesign. Before Schwartz's design the plaza was occupied by Richard Serra's <i>Tilted Arc</i>, which makes Van Valkenburgh's design the third installment since 1981, not counting the interim "design" between the demolition of Serra's sculpture in 1989 and the completion of Schwartz's plaza design in 1997. The plaza is not yet open to the public (a couple guys were applying some chemical of sorts to the stone paving when I walked by and snapped these photos yesterday), but it looks like any day now it will be complete and this corner of Lower Manhattan may finally be free of controversy.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/archidose/8602382589/" title="Javits Plaza by archidose, on Flickr"><img alt="Javits Plaza" height="340" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8533/8602382589_522b6fcd3c_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/archidose/8603483924/" title="Javits Plaza by archidose, on Flickr"><img alt="Javits Plaza" height="450" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8115/8603483924_5e15790243_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/archidose/8603483280/" title="Javits Plaza by archidose, on Flickr"><img alt="Javits Plaza" height="800" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8111/8603483280_a4ebe4dd51_c.jpg" width="600" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/archidose/8602377327/" title="Javits Plaza by archidose, on Flickr"><img alt="Javits Plaza" height="480" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8528/8602377327_35d78893ea_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/archidose/8603481746/" title="Javits Plaza by archidose, on Flickr"><img alt="Javits Plaza" height="480" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8254/8603481746_fd4caec42f_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/archidose/8603480278/" title="Javits Plaza by archidose, on Flickr"><img alt="Javits Plaza" height="800" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8110/8603480278_51a5f47e23_c.jpg" width="600" /></a><br /><br />

Javits Plaza v3.0

I've written about Jacob Javits Plaza—the public space at the corner of Lafayette and Worth Streets in Lower Manhattan—many times. First was about Martha Schwartz's design on my weekly page; then in 2007 I did an analysis and history of the space for…

Supper with my sister

3:09 PM Tukiyooo 0

Tonight my sister made me a supper of Clonakilty Black & White Pudding and Brown Bread.<br /><br />If you are interested, here are the ingredients in the pudding.<br /><br />Black: Oatmeal, Onions, Irish Beef Fat, Water, Dried Blood, Spices. <br /><br />The white pudding has no dried blood in it but does have salt.  Of course the other ingredient in white pudding is Irish Pork.<br /><br />So delish!<br /><br />  <br/><br/><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5_qTfFTu37cvz_MMZWabyRW6_RXGHsrnxA8k7ioB-puNzZ1xMv7kRpbT0xHD8R9f9GwIg_2KxLSpJcpacfBkoN2szu3kMPUEiZ-w4oY8PSRW1GB4Hp36tP2RsW3_9NKv7uTjX-hXng6ZW/s640/blogger-image--2066405156.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5_qTfFTu37cvz_MMZWabyRW6_RXGHsrnxA8k7ioB-puNzZ1xMv7kRpbT0xHD8R9f9GwIg_2KxLSpJcpacfBkoN2szu3kMPUEiZ-w4oY8PSRW1GB4Hp36tP2RsW3_9NKv7uTjX-hXng6ZW/s640/blogger-image--2066405156.jpg" /></a></div> <br/><br/><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEienjGb_F3X64OVcnZfKE_JHzZ_A9dVnBsGC6-ZyWA1rIJKmKPNtvLZGer8Rw6boO2lO2p8ktOVT68FvcqtgF4yRI5RYEFiX8UxyWWyfJsZR6A-pyyj6aiPsp_vYYHKoD5-VfRK8P0DaVbW/s640/blogger-image--318560538.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEienjGb_F3X64OVcnZfKE_JHzZ_A9dVnBsGC6-ZyWA1rIJKmKPNtvLZGer8Rw6boO2lO2p8ktOVT68FvcqtgF4yRI5RYEFiX8UxyWWyfJsZR6A-pyyj6aiPsp_vYYHKoD5-VfRK8P0DaVbW/s640/blogger-image--318560538.jpg" /></a></div> <br/><br/><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil9eU6boHpg2UPGIcnIsMIo7hMBTo6ev-DCzN1BCplcNbxgv54F6SS1HrnX8AmGtBwVzle24viZQFl-JrtJbIG-2PiuvS40NCaqjhG9yWRmiSMGFq-3_-wJe_xVZ-5EOHkfc9DWI21AYHE/s640/blogger-image-360555057.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil9eU6boHpg2UPGIcnIsMIo7hMBTo6ev-DCzN1BCplcNbxgv54F6SS1HrnX8AmGtBwVzle24viZQFl-JrtJbIG-2PiuvS40NCaqjhG9yWRmiSMGFq-3_-wJe_xVZ-5EOHkfc9DWI21AYHE/s640/blogger-image-360555057.jpg" /></a></div> <br/><br/><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfQz7wFq8qCMimKtGiIPbRm9I_IsmRR4N3I9Ju22DGtnoIonuzSWemXcPXWwifwTrxZfs9dkFOKz5F1ioEFKLYI3i5cIknsM3Y7fOCOvfRgs0dc7iWwL-dJo0L2Gl-5-_1fU1icI_wAKUX/s640/blogger-image-1625907178.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfQz7wFq8qCMimKtGiIPbRm9I_IsmRR4N3I9Ju22DGtnoIonuzSWemXcPXWwifwTrxZfs9dkFOKz5F1ioEFKLYI3i5cIknsM3Y7fOCOvfRgs0dc7iWwL-dJo0L2Gl-5-_1fU1icI_wAKUX/s640/blogger-image-1625907178.jpg" /></a></div> <br/><br/><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxmLq3Dj9Uq1-Xmyz9861l57TzKmLsjzDiBpE8nLm8PFhxjNApoE0_VoOAVxs0WDVlk2Jg3hHtNT0aPKge0o2Fjv7Y32eNgsOhTQyaMtKrba1sZqfeWQ8O_RAlic5eI09oyvx2n4U9tBGb/s640/blogger-image-1229792879.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxmLq3Dj9Uq1-Xmyz9861l57TzKmLsjzDiBpE8nLm8PFhxjNApoE0_VoOAVxs0WDVlk2Jg3hHtNT0aPKge0o2Fjv7Y32eNgsOhTQyaMtKrba1sZqfeWQ8O_RAlic5eI09oyvx2n4U9tBGb/s640/blogger-image-1229792879.jpg" /></a></div> <br/><br/><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO5QuKdBxZqkZ3dk7j5VIrKPHMCmFPeD_kfaSqRwA5PFzM8IO-JcAgTeWsEL-W42uNBSLZQsO6eCe2OanssbnSafc5wfY06CFDmN1ZzKb00Ts9s7D7_KHydrdX_OrUG0vM5_TMW6dNhzMi/s640/blogger-image--1248915347.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO5QuKdBxZqkZ3dk7j5VIrKPHMCmFPeD_kfaSqRwA5PFzM8IO-JcAgTeWsEL-W42uNBSLZQsO6eCe2OanssbnSafc5wfY06CFDmN1ZzKb00Ts9s7D7_KHydrdX_OrUG0vM5_TMW6dNhzMi/s640/blogger-image--1248915347.jpg" /></a></div> <br/><br/><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGM9nZtMIQmCIxSKLJtYlldf42RaEocQlRkOgjoI7XlI9DRB2eadOU6hklo-TqSkfkilLyPxzdGKYISazbLI_Waej_Oo7kkCKkd-3_xBSCFRdzqY5bItQ1o-QJBp7uHa-OeL3kKqCtYX2x/s640/blogger-image-752628045.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGM9nZtMIQmCIxSKLJtYlldf42RaEocQlRkOgjoI7XlI9DRB2eadOU6hklo-TqSkfkilLyPxzdGKYISazbLI_Waej_Oo7kkCKkd-3_xBSCFRdzqY5bItQ1o-QJBp7uHa-OeL3kKqCtYX2x/s640/blogger-image-752628045.jpg" /></a></div>

Supper with my sister

Tonight my sister made me a supper of Clonakilty Black & White Pudding and Brown Bread.If you are interested, here are the ingredients in the pudding.Black: Oatmeal, Onions, Irish Beef Fat, Water, Dried Blood, Spices. The white pudding has no dried b…

Posh crisps!

11:03 AM Tukiyooo 0

<p>What's your favourite crisp flavour?  </p><p>My sister and I bought some in Marks & Spencers today - Lobster Cocktail and BBQ flavour.  Oh my! What a taste sensation.</p><div class='separator' style='clear: both; text-align: center;'> <a href='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfLjS-VtPt4qEt8cdhrq-ba4y6I4sxZUEZ7uFfb2pA4IkwhMXIKa65p1Du40OJwyuOb7LEo73VJEmdais15ob8hnuzVzj0PEOQzNEyLXqFV01tlkT-9NAi1-JUH-tbz_wS_GGpORVMIvxi/s1600/20130330_165451.jpg' imageanchor='1' style='margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;'> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfLjS-VtPt4qEt8cdhrq-ba4y6I4sxZUEZ7uFfb2pA4IkwhMXIKa65p1Du40OJwyuOb7LEo73VJEmdais15ob8hnuzVzj0PEOQzNEyLXqFV01tlkT-9NAi1-JUH-tbz_wS_GGpORVMIvxi/s400/20130330_165451.jpg" /> </a> </div><div class='separator' style='clear: both; text-align: center;'> <a href='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvAfZdz4ksQNBu5B7hhPVswxMN-1JKKGcoBY3Rp-sobiTDPfUL4_n8cB_8uPl_3m0USdX9yMKrFM5y-gPyfw-UcRLS4n0h7c3mXiAzuCiqHjob1l7KhpQ7pqgE3Q1p-iaWoUxWb9C1g7Cq/s1600/20130330_180011.jpg' imageanchor='1' style='margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;'> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvAfZdz4ksQNBu5B7hhPVswxMN-1JKKGcoBY3Rp-sobiTDPfUL4_n8cB_8uPl_3m0USdX9yMKrFM5y-gPyfw-UcRLS4n0h7c3mXiAzuCiqHjob1l7KhpQ7pqgE3Q1p-iaWoUxWb9C1g7Cq/s400/20130330_180011.jpg" /> </a> </div><div class='separator' style='clear: both; text-align: center;'> <a href='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp_s9cM4zOOYGBDlAlRvcVfpHAyInvR_CD930goGRuHQ11EdEwrkTU1Y7yBP3KcMJOWdO_GqrUIdXwZnIvT51XV_YiXR7LhQa5_rdXO9EcfzzAx-k0WN7B3Ae78-dFAwTJlGqLoNnKidv2/s1600/20130330_165510.jpg' imageanchor='1' style='margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;'> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp_s9cM4zOOYGBDlAlRvcVfpHAyInvR_CD930goGRuHQ11EdEwrkTU1Y7yBP3KcMJOWdO_GqrUIdXwZnIvT51XV_YiXR7LhQa5_rdXO9EcfzzAx-k0WN7B3Ae78-dFAwTJlGqLoNnKidv2/s400/20130330_165510.jpg" /> </a> </div>

Posh crisps!

What's your favourite crisp flavour? My sister and I bought some in Marks & Spencers today - Lobster Cocktail and BBQ flavour. Oh my! What a taste sensation. …

CYPRUS AND TURKEY

10:23 AM Tukiyooo 0

<br /> <br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 1;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;"><br /></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 1;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;"><br /></span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3HuxcQg3__BxT1YrIYQHvmufJn7B3liunpt5uoQAVdUdipqBqtjWc4QOzUtrYdmAPEjQa13vH5WpeqLXMpTit97oZR3Yc-qbRR5YeR6ul1x2ZzYa5xK1sobOZoHTwCbyOhhQ28_ANXgJc/s1600/thumb.php.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3HuxcQg3__BxT1YrIYQHvmufJn7B3liunpt5uoQAVdUdipqBqtjWc4QOzUtrYdmAPEjQa13vH5WpeqLXMpTit97oZR3Yc-qbRR5YeR6ul1x2ZzYa5xK1sobOZoHTwCbyOhhQ28_ANXgJc/s320/thumb.php.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;"><br /></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">TURKEY TAKES ADVANTAGE OF CYPRUS DESPERATION</span></b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 1;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">As the </span><a href="http://oilprice.com/Energy/Natural-Gas/Cypriot-Bailout-Linked-to-Gas-Potential.html"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">geopolitical game</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">over Mediterranean hydrocarbons heats up, TURKEY has suspended energy deals with ITALY’S Eni over the company’s involvement in oil and gas exploration offshore CYPRUS. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The timing is important. It comes just days after CYPRUS secured a painful </span><a href="http://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/EU-Caught-Playing-Dirty-and-its-all-about-Russian-Gas.html"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">EU bailout package</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">and  it considers extending April bidding for the next round of oil and gas exploration licenses. Bidding is set to end on 26 May, but may be prolonged, according to </span><a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-03-26/cyprus-may-extend-offshore-gas-tender-to-attract-more-bids.html"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Bloomberg</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">EXPLORE IN CYPRUS, GET KICKED OUT OF TURKEY</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpO7HG7u0IGgmXnWq4Csw1ZIyyzw4E412nVrgc2ES36Yf3Hr2OgV1HfiMPBm1GjfEz9INtZ3TegPE2-QR9AStj0Kx7aB5v3_FlYTu5g5SAy7famdzerYa-rJyrXqs-HsH6UnkeMU_Bg74j/s1600/Turkey_to_israel_pipes.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpO7HG7u0IGgmXnWq4Csw1ZIyyzw4E412nVrgc2ES36Yf3Hr2OgV1HfiMPBm1GjfEz9INtZ3TegPE2-QR9AStj0Kx7aB5v3_FlYTu5g5SAy7famdzerYa-rJyrXqs-HsH6UnkeMU_Bg74j/s1600/Turkey_to_israel_pipes.gif" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The extension of the deadline would give CYPRUS more time to lure in additional investors, which it desperately needs. TURKEY is hoping to send these potential investors a message: Explore in CYPRUS, get kicked out of TURKEY. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">CYPRUS is divided along GREEK-CYPRIOT and ethnic TURKISH lines, with the GREEK CYPRIOTS controlling two-thirds of the Mediterranean island nation. The GREEK-CYPRIOT Republic of CYPRUS became an EU member in 2004, but TURKEY only recognizes the breakaway north. TURKEY has warned CYPRUS against any unilateral move to explore for oil and gas offshore CYPRUS, maintaining that TURKISH CYPRIOTS should have equal rights to these resources. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">TURKEY IS CONCERNED OF THE POSSIBILITY THAT NOBLE ENERGY INC.’S ANNOUNCES BLOCK 12 AS COMMERCIAL VIABLE</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><b><span style="color: #0b5394;"><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Background Information: </span></u></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: #0b5394;"><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></u></span></div><span style="color: #0b5394;"> </span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: #0b5394;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">ENERGY HOTSPOT: EASTERN MED</span></b></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #943634; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-themecolor: accent2; mso-themeshade: 191;"></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2012/04/complexity-of-eastern-med-energy-games.html"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2012/04/complexity-of-eastern-med-energy-games.html</span></b></a><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #943634; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-themecolor: accent2; mso-themeshade: 191;"></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #943634; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-themecolor: accent2; mso-themeshade: 191;"><a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2011/12/energy-games-in-eastern-mediterranean.html">http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2011/12/energy-games-in-eastern-mediterranean.html</a></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #943634; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-themecolor: accent2; mso-themeshade: 191;"><a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2012/02/geo-strategic-dynamics-in-eastern.html">http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2012/02/geo-strategic-dynamics-in-eastern.html</a></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #943634; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-themecolor: accent2; mso-themeshade: 191;"><a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2012/08/turkeys-erratic-foreign-policies-all.html">http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2012/08/turkeys-erratic-foreign-policies-all.html</a></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDUaEJFiRMwePK5P8Gqu-R1LNNxDjE48Y2sDL3vjq4g2A-nul1y0NOvZqb5ngZB057lRbxp8ZQw8Tl5jH8MOugymMadQZ2n78b5XkCcoqvW4j5zZdSYHv0XXhmpJuZRq6ZAkwL2TjgHvyr/s1600/cyp_oil_and_gas_drilling_72.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDUaEJFiRMwePK5P8Gqu-R1LNNxDjE48Y2sDL3vjq4g2A-nul1y0NOvZqb5ngZB057lRbxp8ZQw8Tl5jH8MOugymMadQZ2n78b5XkCcoqvW4j5zZdSYHv0XXhmpJuZRq6ZAkwL2TjgHvyr/s1600/cyp_oil_and_gas_drilling_72.jpg" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Eni is a key partner in three major TURKISH pipeline projects. The suspension appears to be centered on the Samsun-Ceyhan pipeline project, which will transport oil from RUSSIA and KAZAKHSTAN to TURKEY. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It is unclear what will happen to Eni’s involvement in two other pipelines, the RUSSIAN-led South Stream  and Blue Stream gas pipelines, which run through the Black Sea to deliver RUSSIAN gas to TURKEY. Eni has a 20% share in the South Stream project, while Gazprom holds a 50% share.    </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In January , Eni and its partner—SOUTH KOREAN Kogas—signed an agreement to explore in the CYPRIOT part of the explosively rich Levant Basin. Total, Eni and Kogas plan to conduct seismic surveys later this year and drill their first wells in 2014. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">What’s really irked Turkey is Noble Energy Inc.’s (NBL) </span><a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-03-26/cyprus-may-extend-offshore-gas-tender-to-attract-more-bids.html"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">plans to start drilling</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">an appraisal well in June and the possibility that it could announce commercial viability in its Block 12 before the end of this year. Noble thinks it’s block holds a minimum of 7 trillion cubic feet of gas. This is the development to watch closely, because commercial viability will be the tipping point for Ankara. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">STRATEGIC SHIFT: TURKEY & RUSSIA VERSUS CYPRUS & EU</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh236yJ-0nipnkh5dqyNrh1G4Ntf-BiTeBYo2orsElKvcxlDFOdhyphenhyphenwNlcDGvypRZzQm5FaGXhWWVOtvgnedgaIYY2eE8scy63HAhcjiSwk2anZLnBA4RkTh1hctjDy5xDn-5L8yEQ0Rn2Lf/s1600/pipeline.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh236yJ-0nipnkh5dqyNrh1G4Ntf-BiTeBYo2orsElKvcxlDFOdhyphenhyphenwNlcDGvypRZzQm5FaGXhWWVOtvgnedgaIYY2eE8scy63HAhcjiSwk2anZLnBA4RkTh1hctjDy5xDn-5L8yEQ0Rn2Lf/s320/pipeline.jpg" width="291" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In the meantime, RUSSIA missed its chance to win a nice share in CYPRUS’ offshore exploration in return for a </span><a href="http://oilprice.com/Finance/the-Economy/Russian-Oligarchs-to-Involuntarily-Fund-Cyprus-Bailout.html"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">bailout package</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">. Cyprus wasn’t offering enough to make it worth RUSSIA’S while to anger TURKEY, which it needs for its massive pipeline projects. So far, RUSSIA’S Gazprom has steered clear of Cypriot waters. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">What this comes down to is that a choice has to be made between CYPRUS and TURKEY. The EU will stick with CYPRUS for now, and RUSSIA will keep its pipeline plans secure in Turkey.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal">Via oilprice</div>

CYPRUS AND TURKEY

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What can happen when you're obese

8:47 AM Tukiyooo 0

It's been a tough week. Ha! What else is new with me? Every week seems to be a tough week. Now a health concern on top of everything else. <br /><br />I had the CT scan on Tuesday and was told it was a large fibroid and an ovarian cyst on my right side. The gynecologist was concerned I might have ovarian cancer so she ordered a ultrasound yesterday.  I had the ultrasound and the technician showed me  the screen. We could see the huge fibroid filling up my entire uterus. It grossed me out. <br /><br />My gynecologist called me at 2pm and told me the good news is the ovarian cyst doesn't look like cancer, however, my fibroid isn't a fibroid. It's endometriosis, where the lining of my uterus has become so thick that it's taking up my entire uterus. <br /><br />Monday I'll have a biopsy done where they'll stick a tube up through my cervix and into my uterus to get cell samples. That doesn't always work, and if id doesn't then a "scraping". Even if it's not cancer then she needs to know what is causing the endometrium to grow out of control. This is extremely rare in postmenopausal women. <br /><br />Google has told me what caused this medical condition. It's on every "postmenopausal endometreosis" website I visited. The number one risk factor is OBESITY. I have the next several risk facts as well, but the most shocking and hard to handle one is obesity. That was in my control. There others were out of my control.<br /><br />I also looked at my medical history on my clinic's website. I signed up for it yesterday so it was the first time I've looked at it. There it was, in 2004 when I weighed 240 pounds. The words hurt.<br /><br />2004 MORBID OBESITY<br /><br />I know I'm fat, obese, morbidly obese, but to see it there in print where someone typed it in, (in all caps -- nothing else was in all caps), it was like a kick in the head. I remember the doctor too. A tiny little Asian woman. I remember the conversation we had about it. I remember immediately, within a couple days anyway, joining Weight Watchers and losing a significant amount of weight. Now I've gained most of it back. Now I'm paying the price with my health. <br /><br />I screwed up. Big time. This is my fault. The fact that I have to have a complete hysterectomy. Even the fact I might have cancer. I did this to myself. There's no one else to blame. I knew the risks of being morbidly obese. I thought I could get away with it. I was wrong.<br /><br />I'm over the initial shock of the whole thing. I got the news yesterday. Got angry at myself, but it's too late now. The damage is done. If it's cancer, I'll deal with it. If it's not, then it's just a simple hysterectomy. Not a huge deal. <br /><br />Either way, this is an eye opener for me. I'm another statistic of what happens when we let ourselves get obese. I suppose I'm like a smoker that doesn't think they'll get cancer. I won't happen to me! <br /><br />My immediate goal is to start on a really healthy eating plan and exercise. I've let that slide lately. Now that I have surgery in my near future I know I won't be able to lose much weight before the surgery, but I can at least get on a healthy eating track. <br /><br />

What can happen when you're obese

It's been a tough week. Ha! What else is new with me? Every week seems to be a tough week. Now a health concern on top of everything else. I had the CT scan on Tuesday and was told it was a large fibroid and an ovarian cyst on my right side. The gyne…

How to change a Smart Car panel

5:42 AM Tukiyooo 0

Someone crashed in to my car so I needed to change the panels over my back wheels.  Originally they were red but I was only able to source black replacements - with a Smart Car you can mix the colours up a bit.  It took my husband and Dad about 45 mins to do the job.  <br/><br/><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9EwXehH7GTqdVtNc-YfOzqVTLBU3chY3S1ARejApF2SyhnQbaJIDTLx1WKtO15b-JzC3Q8NCbSll8Ei-8V5hf82fD-HIvXk9FemHcxgU1203MRrqZTMRi63xB1G5fJPAk84NJaPEcBgd_/s640/blogger-image--718494967.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9EwXehH7GTqdVtNc-YfOzqVTLBU3chY3S1ARejApF2SyhnQbaJIDTLx1WKtO15b-JzC3Q8NCbSll8Ei-8V5hf82fD-HIvXk9FemHcxgU1203MRrqZTMRi63xB1G5fJPAk84NJaPEcBgd_/s640/blogger-image--718494967.jpg" /></a></div> <br/><br/><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvLn6D62y-uc4Xr1Yb6WS8n_8X2iP3UURyesnPq-JToRxOrF62jnJkCYqlER0v1NOsecdkXKVB2JtOkheCh1ETTryUK0XQm8zZQNMw3e-dBY06BZvUz2l-ZBSMp5G0doaCzip0IK3qCyZ8/s640/blogger-image--205845275.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvLn6D62y-uc4Xr1Yb6WS8n_8X2iP3UURyesnPq-JToRxOrF62jnJkCYqlER0v1NOsecdkXKVB2JtOkheCh1ETTryUK0XQm8zZQNMw3e-dBY06BZvUz2l-ZBSMp5G0doaCzip0IK3qCyZ8/s640/blogger-image--205845275.jpg" /></a></div> <br/><br/><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY_Pw7rqIcABWLzMXeTHrGlxHOKSTEp9Q3rAIwPeyGghdbFdV771BsVfRWFk5BJfSVx6Rz2RTSXUY9OKIQ1cLZMCKPdO_lq8wb2l2i5P71VQab-uZzbLS1aB3-VMuAPb-9PWTnAHG4wmrF/s640/blogger-image--534473805.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY_Pw7rqIcABWLzMXeTHrGlxHOKSTEp9Q3rAIwPeyGghdbFdV771BsVfRWFk5BJfSVx6Rz2RTSXUY9OKIQ1cLZMCKPdO_lq8wb2l2i5P71VQab-uZzbLS1aB3-VMuAPb-9PWTnAHG4wmrF/s640/blogger-image--534473805.jpg" /></a></div> <br/><br/><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjjL3FFQEYSTG-mDu1ZQFpG9YyUkzzZInDPI6s6nubPLEKpEKtw-_t44nFR9_JEvWbt5iqPmJ60koB1RCrp1w_ICO20yMxiR0nyRURoSJR-A-yao8nP7b_kl4DAxOd13It257OzUpNxlag/s640/blogger-image--1650785266.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjjL3FFQEYSTG-mDu1ZQFpG9YyUkzzZInDPI6s6nubPLEKpEKtw-_t44nFR9_JEvWbt5iqPmJ60koB1RCrp1w_ICO20yMxiR0nyRURoSJR-A-yao8nP7b_kl4DAxOd13It257OzUpNxlag/s640/blogger-image--1650785266.jpg" /></a></div> <br/><br/><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQPKjY72aG1IkGLMWhlNbmOo3fTwA8FMsjB04ylbR5vQ2ZlG8TAE6uUa0QYciK9sCOgwzbQ8PyGmHzd5Xn_RtoEaU-7fodXptg_5fE37iVy81QI24Jd25s4NenPng2Y-Z-2aohlyn2612N/s640/blogger-image-801589666.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQPKjY72aG1IkGLMWhlNbmOo3fTwA8FMsjB04ylbR5vQ2ZlG8TAE6uUa0QYciK9sCOgwzbQ8PyGmHzd5Xn_RtoEaU-7fodXptg_5fE37iVy81QI24Jd25s4NenPng2Y-Z-2aohlyn2612N/s640/blogger-image-801589666.jpg" /></a></div> <br/><br/><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbjD4XX1yUh-oivQbEnfmfEt_Tm4sesAaQV7O2vwq99vyE26GFl5aJf-7XPz53zGhUtUhD9uIaubkBCL6A_sgm6qPXeToIyYYh-YFEOaQIj7CIFtgpfvOr_KgtyxydKUdeF3eZ0YJATxmh/s640/blogger-image-1812791716.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbjD4XX1yUh-oivQbEnfmfEt_Tm4sesAaQV7O2vwq99vyE26GFl5aJf-7XPz53zGhUtUhD9uIaubkBCL6A_sgm6qPXeToIyYYh-YFEOaQIj7CIFtgpfvOr_KgtyxydKUdeF3eZ0YJATxmh/s640/blogger-image-1812791716.jpg" /></a></div> <br/><br/><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7SIEJe-xsXtAT0aVcizmzAirh_LBWUWbi_4SAqRzT3XvdavdXRwgjz3eRbXGRybslUYe6ybDHBOLAnGRH-T4-4qlIGp3xJU8GhZPnX_oCcdlQ6aZKmFYWMHbUpKhScUw2YqMRaCBnR8i8/s640/blogger-image--624771598.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7SIEJe-xsXtAT0aVcizmzAirh_LBWUWbi_4SAqRzT3XvdavdXRwgjz3eRbXGRybslUYe6ybDHBOLAnGRH-T4-4qlIGp3xJU8GhZPnX_oCcdlQ6aZKmFYWMHbUpKhScUw2YqMRaCBnR8i8/s640/blogger-image--624771598.jpg" /></a></div>

How to change a Smart Car panel

Hospitals Question Fairness of New Medicare Rules - NYTimes.com

5:05 AM Tukiyooo 0

<base href="data:"><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px; color: black; text-align: left; "><nyt_text style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; "><div id="articleBody"><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">It is no longer enough for hospitals to make patients healthy enough to leave. Now, as part of the Obama administration's <a href="http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/health/diseasesconditionsandhealthtopics/health_insurance_and_managed_care/health_care_reform/index.html?inline=nyt-classifier" title="Recent and archival news about healthcare reform." class="meta-classifier" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 153); text-decoration: none; ">health care overhaul</a>, they are spending millions of dollars to keep those patients from coming back, often acting like personal assistants to help them manage their post-hospital lives.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">While federal statistics show the effort is beginning to reduce costly and unnecessary readmissions, a growing chorus of critics is asking whether the government policy, which penalizes hospitals that have high readmission rates, is unfair. They are also questioning whether hospitals should be responsible for managing the personal lives of patients once they are released — or whether they should focus on other ways to improve care.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">"It's consumed a lot of resources," said Dr. J. Michael Henderson, who focuses on quality and patient safety for the Cleveland Clinic, which attributes its relatively high readmission rate to the fact that it successfully treats a high number of severely ill patients.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">Under the new federal regulations, hospitals face hefty penalties for readmitting patients they have already treated, on the theory that many readmissions result from poor follow-up care.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">It makes for cheaper and better care in the long run, the thinking goes, to help patients stay healthy than to be forced to readmit them for another costly hospital stay.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">So hospitals call patients within 48 hours of discharge to find out how they are feeling. They arrange patients' follow-up appointments with doctors even before a patient leaves. And they have redoubled their efforts to make sure patients understand what medicines to take at home.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">But hospitals have also taken on responsibilities far outside the medical realm: they are helping patients arrange transportation for follow-up doctor visits, get safe housing or even find a hot meal, all in an effort to keep them healthy.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">"There's a huge opportunity to reduce the cost of medical care by addressing these other things, the social aspects," said Dr. Samuel Skootsky, chief medical officer of the U.C.L.A. Faculty Practice Group and Medical Group.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; "><a href="http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/health/diseasesconditionsandhealthtopics/medicare/index.html?inline=nyt-classifier" title="Recent and archival health news about Medicare." class="meta-classifier" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 153); text-decoration: none; ">Medicare</a>, which monitors hospitals' compliance with the new rules, says nearly two-thirds of hospitals receiving traditional Medicare payments are expected to pay penalties totaling about $300 million in 2013 because too many of their patients were readmitted within 30 days of discharge. Last month, the agency reported that readmissions had dropped to 17.8 percent by late last year from about 19 percent in 2011.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">But increasingly, health policy experts and hospital executives say the penalties, which went into effect in October, unfairly target hospitals that treat the sickest patients or the patients facing the greatest socioeconomic challenges. They say a hospital's readmission rate is not a clear measure of the quality of care it provides, noting that hospitals with higher mortality rates may also have fewer returning patients.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">"Dead patients can't be readmitted," Dr. Henderson said.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">"We're using a proxy because it's a convenient proxy — it's just not a very accurate proxy," said Dr. Karen E. Joynt, a health policy expert and co-author of <a title="New England Journal of Medicine article." href="http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMp1300122" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 153); text-decoration: none; ">an article critical of the penalties</a> in The<a href="http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/organizations/n/new_england_journal_of_medicine/index.html?inline=nyt-org" title="More articles about New England Journal of Medicine" class="meta-org" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 153); text-decoration: none; ">New England Journal of Medicine</a> this month. Large academic medical centers and so-called safety-net hospitals are bearing the brunt of the new policy, and the authors warn that the penalties could make it even harder for hospitals struggling to care for those patients with the highest needs. The current policy, the article says, "has the potential to exacerbate disparities in care and create disincentives to providing care for patients who are particularly ill or who have complex health needs."</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">The penalties, which apply to rates of readmission after hospitalization for heart attacks, <a href="http://health.nytimes.com/health/guides/disease/pneumonia/overview.html?inline=nyt-classifier" title="In-depth reference and news articles about Pneumonia." class="meta-classifier" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 153); text-decoration: none; ">pneumonia</a> and <a href="http://health.nytimes.com/health/guides/disease/heart-failure/overview.html?inline=nyt-classifier" title="In-depth reference and news articles about Heart failure." class="meta-classifier" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 153); text-decoration: none; ">heart failure</a>, are now calculated at 1 percent of hospital payments but will increase to 3 percent by 2015. Medicare also expects to expand the targeted readmissions to include more kinds of hospitalizations, like those for chronic lung disease.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">Some hospitals say they have little choice but to incur the penalties, simply because they have other demands. At Boston Medical Center, which serves a high number of low-income patients, efforts to reduce readmissions, including making follow-up appointments and writing out a simple plan of what to do after leaving the hospital, have been successful for <a href="http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/health/diseasesconditionsandhealthtopics/medicaid/index.html?inline=nyt-classifier" title="Recent and archival health news about Medicaid." class="meta-classifier" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 153); text-decoration: none; ">Medicaid</a> patients.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">But the medical center chose not to immediately expand the program to all patients, including the Medicare patients who would count toward future penalties.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">"We make those trade-offs," said Dr. Stanley Hochberg, the center's chief quality officer. Medicare's focus on readmissions "doesn't necessarily align with our social priorities and medical priorities," he said. Medicare officials say they have listened to hospitals' concerns but defend the policy as heading in the right direction. "It's a very traumatic event to go back to the hospital," said Jonathan Blum, a senior Medicare official. "I'm personally comfortable with some imprecision to our measures."</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">"The ultimate goal is to have these numbers come down," he said.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">Because so many hospital readmissions are tied to social or economic factors, hospitals have a hard time predicting which patients are likely to return, said Dr. Jan Berger, the chief medical officer for Silverlink Communications, a consulting firm. When Marjorie Crear, 66, left Ronald Reagan U.C.L.A. Medical Center after a stroke, she struggled to keep track of her medications and to remember her doctor appointments. Tiffany Phan, a newly hired care manager, helped with those tasks and has also been trying to find public housing with a shower instead of a hard-to-navigate bathtub.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">Making it even harder for hospitals is the number of consultants and companies springing up to offer solutions with little hard evidence about which steps are the most effective. "We don't really know very clearly how to prevent more readmissions," said Austin Frakt, a health economist at Boston University.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">In some cases, such prevention may take a combination of efforts that differ from hospital to hospital, said Dr. Risa Lavizzo-Mourey, chief executive of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, which has been financing pilot programs aimed at reducing readmissions. "One of the key factors we keep emphasizing is that there isn't a single magic bullet to fix everything," she said.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">And complicating the issue even further is the possibility of doing harm. In 2011, for example, the Department of Veterans Affairs halted a program in which patients with chronic lung disease were supposed to learn to take better care of themselves when 28 patients in the program died, in contrast to 10 deaths in the group receiving typical care.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">"It was just an incredible thing," said Dr. Dennis E. Niewoehner, a researcher from the University of Minnesota who said the findings were "a warning signal" for others thinking about embarking on similar programs. The higher death rate may have been purely chance, he said, but the researchers, who published <a title="The V.A. study." href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22586006" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 153); text-decoration: none; ">their findings</a> last year, do not know.</p><nyt_correction_bottom><div class="articleCorrection" style="margin-bottom: 2.8em; "></div></nyt_correction_bottom><nyt_update_bottom></nyt_update_bottom></div></nyt_text><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); display: inline !important; float: none; "></span></div><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/30/business/hospitals-question-fairness-of-new-medicare-rules.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=edit_th_20130330&pagewanted=print">http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/30/business/hospitals-question-fairness-of-new-medicare-rules.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=edit_th_20130330&pagewanted=print</a><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px; color: black; text-align: left; "><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div>

Hospitals Question Fairness of New Medicare Rules - NYTimes.com

It is no longer enough for hospitals to make patients healthy enough to leave. Now, as part of the Obama administration's health care overhaul, they are spending millions of dollars to keep those patients from coming back, often acting like personal …

Dropbox

3:33 AM Tukiyooo 0

<p>Yesterday I tried to organise myself a bit.  I've been seeing that Google Reader will be going shortly so I signed up for Bloglovin' to keep track of the blogs that I follow.</p><p>The other thing that I did was sign up for Dropbox and moved all my photos from my iPhone over.  Embarrassingly, I had over 2, 500 photos on my phone!!! I now have to delete them all :-(</p><p>Dropbox is useful for both storing safely and sharing of likes, photos, videos, etc.</p><p>Click<a href="http://db.tt/fFPYB5pF"> here for Dropbox</a></p><p>Click <a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/">her for Bloglovin</a></p><br /><br />BTW, the daffodils are in full bloom here in Ireland! <br/><br/><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOQfp1W68CkUkgZLHxqpuoVG0T0c3eTVhggnAb4U1mBS_KIZXH6qWArUErGAF2PEp5eWY-Dx4AZRKP6W_kRnKxpBBlsUKyUUTfa8bjad7ePujMFWOiHvCwhhbJDQcfLbAey_c0saAbUgya/s640/blogger-image--2113145254.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOQfp1W68CkUkgZLHxqpuoVG0T0c3eTVhggnAb4U1mBS_KIZXH6qWArUErGAF2PEp5eWY-Dx4AZRKP6W_kRnKxpBBlsUKyUUTfa8bjad7ePujMFWOiHvCwhhbJDQcfLbAey_c0saAbUgya/s640/blogger-image--2113145254.jpg" /></a></div>

Dropbox

Yesterday I tried to organise myself a bit. I've been seeing that Google Reader will be going shortly so I signed up for Bloglovin' to keep track of the blogs that I follow.The other thing that I did was sign up for Dropbox and moved all my photos f…

Daily Education and Technology News for Schools 03/30/2013

2:30 AM Tukiyooo 0

<ul class="diigo-linkroll">      <li>      <p class="diigo-link">                <a href="https://edshelf.com">edshelf | Reviews & recommendations of tools for education</a>      </p>      <p class="diigo-description">Another interesting site for recommendations of apps, etc. Edshelf has some very interesting collections. They have collections for school counselors, for creating things, etc. I'm joining and looking into this site for finding cool things. If you like apps, try this site.</p>              <p class="diigo-tags">          <span>tags:</span>                      <a href="https://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/education">education</a>            <a href="https://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/news">news</a>            <a href="https://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/apps">apps</a>            <a href="https://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/ipadchat">ipadchat</a></p>                                        </li>      <li>      <p class="diigo-link">                <a href="http://classbadges.com">ClassBadges | Home</a>      </p>      <p class="diigo-description">As I look to gamify my classroom, I'm heading to Class badges to do this. If you want to gamify your classroom, look to this website. (Hey, yes, you could, dare I say it, align with standards!) </p>              <p class="diigo-tags">          <span>tags:</span>                      <a href="https://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/education">education</a>            <a href="https://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/news">news</a>            <a href="https://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/badges">badges</a>            <a href="https://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/motivation">motivation</a>            <a href="https://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher/gamification">gamification</a></p>                                        </li>  </ul><p class="diigo-ps">Posted from <a href='https://www.diigo.com'>Diigo</a>. The rest of my favorite links are <a href='https://www.diigo.com/user/coolcatteacher'>here</a>.</p>

Daily Education and Technology News for Schools 03/30/2013

edshelf | Reviews & recommendations of tools for education Another interesting site for recommendations of apps, etc. Edshelf has some very interesting collections. They have collections for school counselors, f…