Jayman Through the Years

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="MsoNormal">Hola y’all! One of the things people ask me about most is my past. Seems as though I’m some kind of international man of mystery to most of you people and you get to wondering about me. So, I thought I’d take everyone a photographic journey through my life today and maybe you’ll know me a little better that way. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">I was born in the Spring of 1968, just before all hell broke loose in America. Luckily, I arrived in time to attend the Woodstock Music Festival in ’69 with my fellow “Free Love Hippies.” <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIfu2OAqkaJBMNkAYYx1v9p7pMw7W9rQmUNBTYqRblB1L3tyRRr8_7u6YhtNqhZQr5Ot3SIIa0XZeQTEQgN5nSEYhKEX_QHL6XD1d7qxr6bqJ62-mWWk2rQGyvuQavZ-_XMO65rF89CGxX/s1600/Jay+60s+Hippies+Bus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="257" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIfu2OAqkaJBMNkAYYx1v9p7pMw7W9rQmUNBTYqRblB1L3tyRRr8_7u6YhtNqhZQr5Ot3SIIa0XZeQTEQgN5nSEYhKEX_QHL6XD1d7qxr6bqJ62-mWWk2rQGyvuQavZ-_XMO65rF89CGxX/s400/Jay+60s+Hippies+Bus.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p><br /></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">Those were some good times. Dropping acid and making love under the stars and shit like that. We were gonna change the world you know! Well, those days eventually gave way to the Disco Era of the 70’s. More wild times! I had a closet full of leisure suits and an awesome fro and was hitting Studio 54 a few nights a week!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRgT4ng5CZtPTK-asGeuEPxR5b32zOtvNmsmmdbVzVoszC8GW040kTsUdtSJRQMilPbEgZQGXO2rWXkKSmLVpPOfZJU0mIB2K74vUl2hdkwEKp8fnOUruGLKh7fSClwzpNleWhhr8VxBqf/s1600/Studio-54-Strippers-Jayman-Leisure-Suit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRgT4ng5CZtPTK-asGeuEPxR5b32zOtvNmsmmdbVzVoszC8GW040kTsUdtSJRQMilPbEgZQGXO2rWXkKSmLVpPOfZJU0mIB2K74vUl2hdkwEKp8fnOUruGLKh7fSClwzpNleWhhr8VxBqf/s400/Studio-54-Strippers-Jayman-Leisure-Suit.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p><br /></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">Unfortunately Disco died a brutal and untimely death and things really got weird.  The 80’s was all about big hair, heavy metal music and cool fashion like Member’s Only Jackets. I spent most of that decade on the West Coast partying and rock ‘n rolling hard with the likes of Phoebe Cates. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtFArKehol_aUIGahldhklXBku3Jz4FAux5rtFyJKABWkJUe_dr0U1anoGAhLvspUY-_0XdNrBNpVVDY176CJ6m4brpF5hzstla-vgHCKuDHXcBsTiFB39OAZ67JY2dQpqhs24l7KyBsZy/s1600/Jay+80s+Metal+Fast+Times+Phoebe+Cates.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="325" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtFArKehol_aUIGahldhklXBku3Jz4FAux5rtFyJKABWkJUe_dr0U1anoGAhLvspUY-_0XdNrBNpVVDY176CJ6m4brpF5hzstla-vgHCKuDHXcBsTiFB39OAZ67JY2dQpqhs24l7KyBsZy/s400/Jay+80s+Metal+Fast+Times+Phoebe+Cates.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p><br /></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">Ohhhhhhhhh yeahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!! Hottest babe ever! That’s pretty much all the 80’s had to offer though and by the time the 90’s hit we were all ready for something completely different.  Yeah, it was Grunge time y’all! Nasty hair, plaid shirts and jackets and all the music was just someone mumbling into the microphone bitching about some shit nobody could understand. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">It was awful really. The mosh pits were gross and full of guys who never showered or anything. People were doing crack and meth and it just wasn’t as fun as the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s had been. Mostly it was meaner and there was a lot less love to go around. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQuHJcS7cibijlBTDCqTObhfSsAOlJIVe48LSHn7P8RtHIfuxGO_qFBNos5P7HTRLHT3N4cERZH1EF_QXFVQEi9_jjHsKYoH0RqNBdcNYztit98Jw5usM-rh6rfXLFgdjDs7A9X5uaLXId/s1600/mosh-pit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQuHJcS7cibijlBTDCqTObhfSsAOlJIVe48LSHn7P8RtHIfuxGO_qFBNos5P7HTRLHT3N4cERZH1EF_QXFVQEi9_jjHsKYoH0RqNBdcNYztit98Jw5usM-rh6rfXLFgdjDs7A9X5uaLXId/s400/mosh-pit.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p><br /></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">Then the 2000’s hit and things got a lot worse. All we ever did was hang out on street corners in our Sopranos style track suits flashing our bling and keeping folks in line. People were up to all kinds of dirty deals too. Not just selling a little weed to the working man or even just crack and meth to freaks either. We were into serious corruption like money laundering and providing protections. It got pretty scary yo …. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoFhb2XoVqaJUENzUPYuRpjtXDHpB1Vux4FFlY9cWoG_1pQBvqfJ9K8Sh3T0E2g73ITmoYbXxAXrFGykx9PUXSaVBti9ML7U2YRxWmIjDrIQsUo-y-snqINuWwXaUBvtEtr4XRW2mJyKCL/s1600/Sopranos+Jayman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoFhb2XoVqaJUENzUPYuRpjtXDHpB1Vux4FFlY9cWoG_1pQBvqfJ9K8Sh3T0E2g73ITmoYbXxAXrFGykx9PUXSaVBti9ML7U2YRxWmIjDrIQsUo-y-snqINuWwXaUBvtEtr4XRW2mJyKCL/s400/Sopranos+Jayman.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p><br /></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">I’m glad those days are behind me. You know that partying all the time and doing drugs and gang-banging and shit is a young man’s game. I ain’t about that life anymore. Nope. Today I’m just your average everyday mild-mannered <a href="http://www.blogtalkradio.com/im-with-stupid">internet radio star</a> who sometimes shows up on the red carpet with someone like Blake Lively … <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiLMmERT4EeyO8tvCIxg8RbMf9ax4aX2IIShLijF8luyEcY0G1jo3bUQcOvJYmLEJBq2JNbHEQL-JL-_GIwJXkC1Ettchjgk0lHSb7jHN_C57s2LGkKzdEQHmxcd-X11H2Wi3kKYsHqygX/s1600/Blake-Lively-Jayman-Hot-Sexy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiLMmERT4EeyO8tvCIxg8RbMf9ax4aX2IIShLijF8luyEcY0G1jo3bUQcOvJYmLEJBq2JNbHEQL-JL-_GIwJXkC1Ettchjgk0lHSb7jHN_C57s2LGkKzdEQHmxcd-X11H2Wi3kKYsHqygX/s1600/Blake-Lively-Jayman-Hot-Sexy.jpg" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p><br /></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">I guess we all gotta grow up sometime right? A whole lifetime of Rock ‘n Roll and partying and living in the fast lane is just too much. I mean, I’m glad I did it cause those were some wild times no doubt, but this whole international celebrity thing has its advantages too. I guess all this just gets mixed together and makes me the man I am today. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLL4pPpnIg5Qhq_9aPq8xmk3aQ4SEZ5kC2M_XK-W7W3IjlFKTCqDKUF61G-9V5PnIAXOt5glODMzRIMK0jbT1Q-o-b-UdcWROCfMMPjQ6mLOv-c6niYKdOIKV2Nt-NYw14BUrT51V6DzP2/s1600/Jay+IWS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLL4pPpnIg5Qhq_9aPq8xmk3aQ4SEZ5kC2M_XK-W7W3IjlFKTCqDKUF61G-9V5PnIAXOt5glODMzRIMK0jbT1Q-o-b-UdcWROCfMMPjQ6mLOv-c6niYKdOIKV2Nt-NYw14BUrT51V6DzP2/s320/Jay+IWS.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p><br /></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">I hope you enjoyed my little trip down memory lane. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="mailto:Jayman3768@gmail.com">Jayman3768@gmail.com</a><br /><a href="http://www.facebook.com/jayman68">Facebook: Jayman68</a><br /><a href="http://www.twitter.com/jayman_iws">Twitter: @Jayman_IWS</a> <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div></div>

Jayman Through the Years

Hola y’all! One of the things people ask me about most is my past. Seems as though I’m some kind of international man of mystery to most of ...

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HLWIKI Canada

...an open, free-to-use global encyclopedia with ten (10) portals on health librarianship, social media and a range of information technology topics curated by a team of international health librarians<br /><br><br /><br><a href="http://hlwiki.slais.ubc.ca/index.php/HLWIKI_International">http://hlwiki.slais.ubc.ca/index.php/HLWIKI_International</a>

HLWIKI Canada

...an open, free-to-use global encyclopedia with ten (10) portals on health librarianship, social media and a range of information technolog...

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Monday, Monday

<span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.archidose.org/wp/">A Weekly Dose of Architecture</a> Updates:</span><br /><br />This week's dose features the <a href="http://archidose.org/wp/2013/08/12/pedestrian-connection-in-chur/">Pedestrian Connection in Chur</a>, Switzerland, by Esch Sintzel Architects:<br /><a href="http://archidose.org/wp/2013/08/12/pedestrian-connection-in-chur/"><img alt="this week's dose" src="http://archidose.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/Aug13-12.jpg" title="This week's dose" width="640" /></a><br /><br />The featured past dose is the <a href="http://archidose.org/wp/2012/03/20/la-lira/">La Lira</a> in Ripoll, Spain by RCR Arquitectes / Joan Puigcorbé:<br /><a href="http://archidose.org/wp/2012/03/20/la-lira/"><img alt="this week's dose" src="http://archidose.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Mar12-19.jpg" title="featured past dose" width="640" /></a><br /><br />This week's book review is <a href="http://archidose.org/wp/2013/08/12/building-like-moses-with-jacobs-in-mind/"><i>"Building Like Moses with Jacobs in Mind": Contemporary Planning in New York City</i></a> by Scott Larson (L):<br /><a href="http://archidose.org/wp/2013/08/12/building-like-moses-with-jacobs-in-mind/"><img alt="this week's book review" height="300" src="http://archidose.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/building-like-moses_110512_sm.jpg" title="This week's book review" /></a> <a href="http://archidose.org/wp/2004/01/19/starting-from-zero/"><img alt="this week's book review" height="300" src="http://archidose.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/zero.jpg" title="This week's book review" /></a><br />(R): The featured past book review is <a href="http://archidose.org/wp/2004/01/19/starting-from-zero/"><i>Starting from Zero: Reconstructing Downtown New York</i></a> by Michael Sorkin.<br /><br />: : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : :<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">American-Architects <a href="http://www.american-architects.com/en/pages/50x50">Building of the Week</a>:</span><br /><br /><a href="http://www.american-architects.com/en/projects/42336_Glen_Oaks_Branch_Library">Glen Oaks Branch Library</a> in Queens, New York, by Marble Fairbanks:<br /><a href="http://www.american-architects.com/en/projects/42336_Glen_Oaks_Branch_Library"><img alt="this week's Building of the Week" src="http://www.american-architects.com/files/projects/42336/images/glenoaksbranchlibrary2.jpg" title="Current Building of the Week on american-architects.com" width="640" /></a>

Monday, Monday

A Weekly Dose of Architecture Updates: This week's dose features the Pedestrian Connection in Chur , Switzerland, by Esch Sintzel Archi...

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EGYPT AND ISRAEL:"JOINT VENTURE"

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font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} </style><![endif]--> <br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: #134f5c;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqnV2UAr_hyM-7Q8rKPbW2n1bv-L5eS12iAYwtS7XrqRsXrqMVwrV4NOggGDAq_WJRpEuG4Va4_Dj0qDxJN6JH_P8v_jAkGnP8B3UJoj7LDeSQN8_28XRTS5KdPfcTd6baAcuwGxgPJGev/s1600/323295champagne.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqnV2UAr_hyM-7Q8rKPbW2n1bv-L5eS12iAYwtS7XrqRsXrqMVwrV4NOggGDAq_WJRpEuG4Va4_Dj0qDxJN6JH_P8v_jAkGnP8B3UJoj7LDeSQN8_28XRTS5KdPfcTd6baAcuwGxgPJGev/s400/323295champagne.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Gaza City Skyline</b></td></tr></tbody></table></span></b></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: #134f5c;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">EGYPT’S MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD GOES UNDERGROUND, HIDES COMMAND STRUCTURE IN GAZA </span></b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: x-small; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Via DEBKAfile </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">On July 22, debkafile revealed that a group of six Muslim Brotherhood officials escaped from EGYPT after the July 3 overthrow of president Mohamed Morsi in a military coup and smuggled themselves into the Gaza Strip to lead an uprising against the military. The group was headed by Mahmud Izzat Ibrahim, known as the Brotherhood’s “iron man” and fourth in rank in its hierarchy after Supreme Guide Muhammed Badie.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The fugitives set up a command post at the Gaza Beach Hotel for operations against EGYPTIAN military and security targets in collaboration with Hamas and armed Al Qaeda-linked Salafist Bedouin in SINAI. The group planned their revolt to spread quickly out from SINAI to EGYPT proper and topple the interim rulers in Cairo.<br />WESTERN intelligence agencies following the inner workings of the Muslim Brotherhood have since discovered that the Brotherhood’s plans are a good deal more high-powered than first thought.</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";">MUSLIM BROTHERHOODS HIDDEN COMMANDERS MANIPULATED FRONT POLITICIANS FROM THE SHADOWS UNDER THREE EGYPTIAN PRESIDENTS</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; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">According to debkafile’s intelligence sources, the movement never dismantled its clandestine paramilitary underground. Its hidden commanders manipulated front politicians from the shadows under three EGYPTIAN presidents and continued to do so after the Brotherhood was elected to power in Cairo in 2012. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />At all times since then, the Brothers stood ready to step in should their Freedom and Justice Party leaders be ousted and sent back to prison. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><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";">“Supreme Guide,” Mohammed Badie was therefore no more than an obedient front for the Muslim Brotherhood’s real leader, who was until now Mr. X.<br />It now transpires that he is none other than Mahmoud Izzat Ibrahim, who is firmly at the helm and running the show both in SINAI and Cairo from the Gaza Beach Hotel, under the auspices of the Palestinian Hamas rulers.<br /></span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">He plans to confront with violence every action ordered against the Brotherhood by Defense Minister, Gen. Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">While conducting a war of terror against military targets in SINAI, Izzat Ibrahim’s orders keep thousands of followers maintaining their sit-in protests in Cairo for their president's reinstatement. They are determined to leave the military no option but to use force to disperse them.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />Ibrahim's goal is to lead his movement into a bloody confrontation with the military.<br />Gen. El-Sisi, for his part, knows that the Brotherhood’s underground command center in the Gaza Beach Hotel must be destroyed in order to beat its war of resistance.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">For effective action in the Gaza Strip, the EGYPTIAN military needs help from ISRAEL’S Defense Forces, just as the IDF needs the EGYPTIAN army to counteract the al Qaeda and other Islamic terrorists in Sinai who are dedicated to attacking ISRAEL as well as EGYPT.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><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";">FOCAL POINT NORTH SINAI </span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">This tacit interdependence and the interchanges against a shared enemy shot into prominence over two incidents. The first was the two-hour closure of Eilat airport at ISRAEL’S southernmost tip, following an EGYPTIAN intelligence tip-off over a missile threat from SINAI.  Later, foreign sources reported that two missiles fired by an ISRAELI drone in NORTH SINAI destroyed a missile launcher and killed four or five terrorists at Ajarah.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBX2YdeYNCs73W3EDwR6rgGZwSxdcK-X3MzdO3nsCdOudrUKwPYjyfyQC_cELjJPLw5Sbl92JsEZhOTBcAJP-oXr57XP9_GwoWTMppMZQja1qocsCxKyVdsgOe9Q0iEdDsLa4RW6yUEjGR/s1600/sinai1_large.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBX2YdeYNCs73W3EDwR6rgGZwSxdcK-X3MzdO3nsCdOudrUKwPYjyfyQC_cELjJPLw5Sbl92JsEZhOTBcAJP-oXr57XP9_GwoWTMppMZQja1qocsCxKyVdsgOe9Q0iEdDsLa4RW6yUEjGR/s400/sinai1_large.jpg" width="400" /></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />ISRAEL never confirmed this attack. The impression it made was quickly overlaid with conflicting reports. EGYPTIAN officials initially attributed the ISRAELI drone attack to intelligence cooperation between the two armies. An Al-Qaeda group in SINAI, Ansar Beit al-Maqdis, accused ISRAEL of killing four of its members by a drone strike and vowed vengeance. debkafile reported that the attack may not have been conducted by ISRAEL but EGYPTIAN authorities, which preferred to disavow an operation carried out on the Muslim festival of Eid al-Fitr.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />Finally, the EGYPTIAN military reported that its operation against armed groups in the SINAI believed to have been plotting attacks on security forces and other targets was ongoing. At least seven people were killed over night and six arrested in a raid.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />The EGYPTIAN military statement went on to report that the raid followed an air strike by the EGYPTIAN military, which saw at least four people killed. The assault on the weekend occurred when Apache helicopters hit areas south of Sheikh Zuwaid in north SINAI, according to EGYPTIAN state media.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">ISRAEL’S Defense minister commented: “The EGYPTIAN army is fighting first and foremost to defend EGYPTIAN citizens and sovereignty. We will not let rumors and speculations impair the peace relations between our countries.”</span></div>

EGYPT AND ISRAEL:"JOINT VENTURE"

Gaza City Skyline EGYPT’S MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD GOES UNDERGROUND, HIDES COMMAND STRUCTURE IN GAZA Via DEBKAfile On July 22, debkafile revealed...

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The 1963 March on Washington was about jobs -- and freedom

<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGhioKgbi1Oz0EoSaoEsoAiBNhyphenhyphenl7-UiXQJpUpHnrZhNbD7K1Z36YmZKNucdQ1x67VUI352zbOMd_CP_YzPGbtgKqaJeVwS8NgttXjrDUXeYXJqvtw6pYtnjKLkCGN-Q7xaH-mXnQlAbDB/s1600/March+on+Washington+Aug+63+(2).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGhioKgbi1Oz0EoSaoEsoAiBNhyphenhyphenl7-UiXQJpUpHnrZhNbD7K1Z36YmZKNucdQ1x67VUI352zbOMd_CP_YzPGbtgKqaJeVwS8NgttXjrDUXeYXJqvtw6pYtnjKLkCGN-Q7xaH-mXnQlAbDB/s400/March+on+Washington+Aug+63+(2).jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Teamsters head toward Washington in 1963.</td></tr></tbody></table>As the 50th anniversary of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/March_on_Washington_for_Jobs_and_Freedom" rel="nofollow">March on Washington</a> approaches, we should all remember that 300,000 people didn't just want equality. They wanted jobs, and good wages, and economic justice.<br /><br />They wanted the same things that low-wage workers are still fighting for today.<br /><br />Algernon Austin at the <a href="http://epi.org/" rel="nofollow">Economic Policy Institute</a> recently chronicled how far we still have to go to realize the dream of the March on Washington:<br /><blockquote class="tr_bq">March organizers demanded a minimum wage that could realistically be expected to lift a family out of poverty. Specifically, they demanded a minimum wage of $2.00 an hour (up from $1.15 an hour). We are nowhere near that goal today. Adjusting for inflation, that wage would be more than $13.00 an hour today, close to twice the current federal minimum wage of $7.25. In fact, the inflation-adjusted value of the minimum wage today is about $2.00 less than it was at its peak value in 1968 (Cooper and Hall 2013).</blockquote>Mark Vorpahl writing in <a href="http://truth-out.org/news/item/18094-the-august-24-march-on-washington-why-we-need-a-new-civil-rights-and-labor-movement#.Uga2QeX7p1s.facebook" rel="nofollow">truthout</a> notes the 1963 marchers also demanded a federal jobs program -- something not even contemplated today, though the unemployment rate is higher now than it was then.<br /><blockquote class="tr_bq">The ten demands of the march included both calls for the "Withholding of Federal funds from all programs in which discrimination exists" and "Desegregation of all school districts in 1963." These were combined with "A massive federal program to train and place unemployed workers — Negro and white — on meaningful dignified jobs at decent wages" and "A national minimum wage act that will give all Americans a decent standard of living." </blockquote>Often overlooked is the fact that the 1963 March on Washington was organized by unions and by people close to the labor movement. A. Philip Randolph, president of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, was in charge of the organizing effort.<br /><br />Labor unions, including the Teamsters, are again supporting a March on Washington on August 24. The Labor Fightback Network urges you to participate:<br /><blockquote class="tr_bq">Join the March on Washington August 24, 2013, to demand jobs and freedom for all; defend and expand Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid; respect and protect workers’ rights; and restore and expand voting rights!</blockquote> Find out more <a href="http://www.laborfightback.org/" rel="nofollow">here</a>.<br /><blockquote class="tr_bq"></blockquote>

March on Washington minimum wage protest The 1963 March on Washington was about jobs -- and freedom

Teamsters head toward Washington in 1963. As the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington approaches, we should all remember that 300,00...

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For a giggle....

<span style="font-size: large;">I can't resist sharing this photo!</span><br /><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjre3S80RsQ9HKIYOKI_nYqTgQja3MF-ttxcAudDxmMR95k-eShIPILMgsjYt07NF7yq0eOsfbwji49ojsP8DUKO9M7RumcSCKqHsSmkylwATWzGg7gChyphenhyphenCfol5oAxvOJknxi28Gt6qb0S2/s640/blogger-image--947621949.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjre3S80RsQ9HKIYOKI_nYqTgQja3MF-ttxcAudDxmMR95k-eShIPILMgsjYt07NF7yq0eOsfbwji49ojsP8DUKO9M7RumcSCKqHsSmkylwATWzGg7gChyphenhyphenCfol5oAxvOJknxi28Gt6qb0S2/s640/blogger-image--947621949.jpg" /></a></div><br /></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Did it make you laugh?</span></div>

For a giggle....

I can't resist sharing this photo! Did it make you laugh?

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The Art Of Manliness Demonstrated

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/KZ-slvv_ZT4" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br /><br /><br />That's Old School Cool folks.

The Art Of Manliness Demonstrated

That's Old School Cool folks.

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McDonnell welcomes STEM education to Lynchburg

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiNpGmfgNvpfIcCan7G6aZQ4OHnlWgJ5H2CiuQ9pn9rwa1exLq77ejTTUP-BgG_PPDwg3kvTuegpcL7RVZcQOLaZpi4AoyfA7m1MZcFbJ8TZ4i8R-YrQLhuw8LUmulK1Udr7Al_NS1t4Hi/s1600/Bob+McDonnell+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiNpGmfgNvpfIcCan7G6aZQ4OHnlWgJ5H2CiuQ9pn9rwa1exLq77ejTTUP-BgG_PPDwg3kvTuegpcL7RVZcQOLaZpi4AoyfA7m1MZcFbJ8TZ4i8R-YrQLhuw8LUmulK1Udr7Al_NS1t4Hi/s1600/Bob+McDonnell+5.jpg" /></a></div><br />Bringing more science-based education to Virginia's students has been a priority of Governor Bob McDonnell and so, on Monday, he was in Lynchburg to <a href="http://www.wdbj7.com/news/local/virginia-opens-16th-stem-academy-in-lynchburg/-/20128466/21429128/-/uthgpo/-/index.html">open XLR8, the 16th STEM Academy</a>, at Central Virginia Community College. It's a move that will provide students with access to lab equipment and classroom space, and open a world of possibilities. <br /><br />The goal of STEM -- an acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math -- is to help close the gap between education and industry, and further the economic vitality of the region. The overall program motivates students with hands-on learning to solve real problems with real solutions in a real-world situation. <br /><br /><a href="http://www.isa.org/InTechTemplate.cfm?template=/ContentManagement/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=83593">InTech</a> reported in 2010 that STEM was a necessary part of future education because "most jobs of the future will require a basic understanding of math and science—10-year employment projections by the U.S. Department of Labor show that of the 20 fastest growing occupations projected for 2014, 15 of them require significant mathematics or science preparation." They also noted, "The 2010 ACT College and Career Readiness report found only 29% of the tested 2010 graduates are considered college-ready in science and 43% are considered college-ready in math."<br /><br />The STEM Academy curriculum works toward leveling the playing field for American students, offering them an opportunity to learn in an innovative, engaging classroom where they will develop critical thinking skills through hands-on, project-based learning. STEM Academy students will receive dual enrollment credits for all courses, allowing them the option to work toward a college degree. <br /><br />Additionally, the STEM Academy will offer transfer possibilities through articulation agreements with local colleges and universities for students wishing to continue their education. STEM Academy students will also be able to earn industry certifications, allowing for job readiness upon program completion. <br /><br />The Governor, who is fulfilling a campaign promise to Virginia students, noted, "We set a goal of making sure that every student, regardless of their zip code, would have access to a high quality education," and continued:<br /><blockquote>“Making sure Virginia’s students have access to the best education possible is the single most important thing we can do to ensure their success in the future. In today’s highly technical global economy, careers in science, technology, engineering and math are on the rise. <br /><br />"In order for our students to be successful and fill rapidly expanding technical jobs, we must ensure mastery of the STEM subjects. Over the last three years, we have seen a doubling of STEM academies in the Commonwealth. <br /><br />"Today, I am pleased to join XLR8, Central Virginia Community College and AREVA to cut the ribbon and officially open the Commonwealth’s 16th STEM academy. STEM academies are partnerships created between K-12 schools and our colleges which provide our students with new opportunities through the use of state of the art labs, access to instructors at the college level, and the ability to earn dual course credit.”</blockquote>Providing more science, technology, engineering, and math to students is a partnership of private business and government. In Lynchburg, the new STEM school has been a joint effort of Region 2000 Technology Council, Future Focus Foundation and Workforce Investment Board; Central Virginia Community College; the school divisions of Amherst, Appomattox, Bedford, Campbell and Lynchburg; and area business partners including AMTI, AREVA, The Babcock and Wilcox Company, Centra, Delta Star, and Wells Fargo. XLR8 compliments current regional K-12 STEM activities and workforce development initiatives.<br /><br />Cross-posted at <a href="http://www.swacgirl.blogspot.com/2013/08/mcdonnell-opens-16th-stem-academy-in.html">Virginia Politics On Demand</a>

Bob McDonnell Central Virginia Community College EDUCATION engineering InTech Lynchburg Lynn R. Mitchell math Science STEM Stem Academy Technology XLR8 McDonnell welcomes STEM education to Lynchburg

Bringing more science-based education to Virginia's students has been a priority of Governor Bob McDonnell and so, on Monday, he was in ...

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Australia’s minimum wage is $16

<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Say the U.S. businesses can't pay a living wage? </span><a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2013/08/the-magical-world-where-mcdonalds-pays-15-an-hour-its-australia/278313/" rel="nofollow"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">One just needs to look at Australia</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">, which already pays workers at least $15 an hour and fast-food employees above $16 an hour, to see that it can be done.<o:p></o:p></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">What is the result of paying workers a fair wage? High unemployment? Slow economic growth? Neither. Instead the Land Down Under was the only nation that avoided a catastrophic recession five years ago. All while receiving health care, vacation days and sick days as required by the Australian government.<o:p></o:p></span></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Salvatore Babones, a senior lecturer at the University of Sydney, notes the </span><a href="http://truth-out.org/video/item/18106-australia-has-16-minimum-wage-and-is-the-only-rich-country-to-dodge-the-global-recession?tmpl=component&print=1" rel="nofollow"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">conditions for working people are just plan better</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> in his country:</span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><blockquote class="tr_bq"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I think it's long past the time when Americans should wake up and see, you know, how far along the rest of the world has come. If a $15 minimum wage seems unrealistic, it's only because we're stuck in the 1950s or 1960s idea of how you should live as a worker in America. Ordinary workers, people who do, you know, grocery store checkout or fast food, simply do much better in the rest of the developed world than they do in the United States.<o:p></o:p></span></blockquote></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> While buddies of big business have long insisted that an increase in wages would only hurt workers, that just hasn’t proven true. Jared Bernstein, a senior fellow at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, said </span><a href="http://economix.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/08/09/the-economics-of-a-higher-wage-floor/?smid=tw-share" rel="nofollow"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">economists no longer hold such a point of view</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">:</span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><blockquote class="tr_bq"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Why don’t they lose their jobs? In part, because some of the cost of the higher wages comes out of profits, which, as noted, explains the “who and why” of the people fighting the hardest against this idea.<o:p></o:p></span></blockquote></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Others agree. Too many companies are simply </span><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/companies-need-to-pay-people-more-2013-8" rel="nofollow"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">holding onto cash in an effort to maximize their bottom line</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><u><span style="color: blue;">s</span></u></span>. In the end, they are hurting themselves:</span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><blockquote class="tr_bq"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If average Americans don't get paid living wages, they can't spend much money buying products and services. And when average Americans can't buy products and services, the companies that sell products and services to average Americans can't grow. So the profit obsession of America's big companies is, ironically, hurting their ability to accelerate revenue growth.<o:p></o:p></span></blockquote></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> It is time for corporate America to move beyond the old tired lines it has used for decades. It can afford to pay higher wages without shuttering. Let’s create a system that pays fair wages and allows businesses to profit, too.</span>

Australia living wage low-wage workers Australia’s minimum wage is $16

Say the U.S. businesses can't pay a living wage? One just needs to look at Australia , which already pays workers at least $15 an hour a...

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Wintergreen: 8th Annual Blue Ridge Mountian Music Festival this weekend

8th Annual Blue Ridge Mountain Music Festival<br />August 17<br />12-7 pm<br />Dunlop Pavilion, Wintergreen Resort<br /><br />Celebrating our mountain heritage, Wintergreen Performing Arts presents the 8th Annual <a href="http://direct.wintergreenresort.com/ct/22881275:23605075909:m:1:1511708989:696BC2655C4E4C3F4E415FEEFEDEF136:r" target="_blank">Blue Ridge Mountain Music Fest</a>. This year the Fest features the return of the always popular Robin and Linda Williams and Their Fine Group and the Grammy-nominated marquee bluegrass group, Blue Highway. Rounding out the program, we welcome Honey Dewdrops as well as Kim and Jimbo Cary & Peter and Ellen Vigour.<br /><br /> Schedule:<br /><br />12 pm Honey Dewdrops<br />1 pm Blue Highway<br />2 pm <a href="http://direct.wintergreenresort.com/ct/22881278:23605075909:m:1:1511708989:696BC2655C4E4C3F4E415FEEFEDEF136:r" target="_blank">Robin and Linda Williams</a> and their Fine Group<br />3 pm Honey Dewdrops<br />4 pm Blue Highway<br />5 pm Robin and Linda Williams and their Fine Group<br />6 pm  <a href="http://direct.wintergreenresort.com/ct/22881279:23605075909:m:1:1511708989:696BC2655C4E4C3F4E415FEEFEDEF136:r" target="_blank">Kim & Jimbo Cary</a> and <a href="http://direct.wintergreenresort.com/ct/22881281:23605075909:m:1:1511708989:696BC2655C4E4C3F4E415FEEFEDEF136:r" target="_blank">Peter & Ellen Vigou</a>r<br /><br />Join us for a toe tapping good time!

Blue Highway Blue Ridge Mountains Honey Dewdrops Kim and Jimbo Cary Nellysford Peter and Ellen Vigour Robin and Linda Williams Virginia Is For Lovers Virginia tourism Wintergreen Resort Wintergreen: 8th Annual Blue Ridge Mountian Music Festival this weekend

8th Annual Blue Ridge Mountain Music Festival August 17 12-7 pm Dunlop Pavilion, Wintergreen Resort Celebrating our mountain heritage, Winte...

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Teamster employer causes Walmart nightmares

<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrjncEpFyseMo9S0w4aByoPE1__woQl4K4m6PH0v9EZh4VnYge9xT5IQb2_Wdqdqi0qyzCtcVHfvYSru6JoKgykOu_X67gG9fDRUjEKDs2-oIVE9AI86NeASSYKrVtquq4XjACeCeOxMRd/s1600/winco.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrjncEpFyseMo9S0w4aByoPE1__woQl4K4m6PH0v9EZh4VnYge9xT5IQb2_Wdqdqi0qyzCtcVHfvYSru6JoKgykOu_X67gG9fDRUjEKDs2-oIVE9AI86NeASSYKrVtquq4XjACeCeOxMRd/s400/winco.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Walmart's worst nightmare.</td></tr></tbody></table><a href="http://www.wincofoods.com/" rel="nofollow">WinCo</a>, a Teamster employer, is described by retail analysts as "Walmart's worst nightmare." Not only can WinCo undercut Walmart on price, but it treats its workers well.<br /><br />Imagine that.<br /><br />Brother Dale Varney brought the story to our attention. The Teamsters already represent two WinCo distribution centers in Woodburn, Ore., and Modesto, Calif. He's helping to organize WinCo workers in Boise, Idaho. The Boise-based company owns about 100 grocery stores, mostly in the West.<br /><br />Here's how WinCo describes itself:<br /><blockquote class="tr_bq">We are The Supermarket Low Price Leader®, proudly offering 24 hour service at each of our WinCo stores for your convenience. Incredibly low prices, great quality, a vast selection, excellent service and local employee ownership; that’s who we are. How may we help you today?</blockquote>Brad Tuttle at <a href="http://business.time.com/2013/08/07/meet-the-low-key-low-cost-grocery-chain-being-called-wal-marts-worst-nightmare/" rel="nofollow">Time</a> magazine tells us more about how WinCo treats its workers: <br /><blockquote class="tr_bq">...what really might scare the world’s largest retailer is how WinCo treats its employees. In sharp contrast to Walmart, which regularly comes under fire for practices like understaffing stores to keep costs down and hiring tons of temporary workers as a means to avoid paying full-time workers benefits, WinCo has a reputation for doing right by employees. It provides health benefits to all staffers who work at least 24 hours per week. The company also has a pension, with employees getting an amount equal to 20% of their annual salary put in a plan that’s paid for by WinCo; a company spokesperson told the Idaho Statesman that more than 400 nonexecutive workers (cashiers, produce clerks and such) currently have pensions worth over $1 million apiece.</blockquote>Tuttle explains how WinCo is able to keep its prices low:<br /><blockquote class="tr_bq">Prices are kept low through a variety of strategies, the main one being that it often cuts out distributors and other middlemen and buys many goods directly from farms and factories. WinCo also trims costs by not accepting credit cards and by asking customers to bag their own groceries. Similar to warehouse membership stores like Sam’s Club and Costco, and also to successful discount grocers with small stores like Trader Joe’s and Aldi, WinCo stores are organized and minimalist, without many frills, and without the tremendous variety of merchandise that’s become standard at most supermarkets.</blockquote>Click <a href="http://www.wincofoods.com/about/locations/" rel="nofollow">here</a> to find the nearest WinCo near you. <br /><br />

Teamster employer causes Walmart nightmares

Walmart's worst nightmare. WinCo , a Teamster employer, is described by retail analysts as "Walmart's worst nightmare." No...

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Word Verification

Blogger's spam filter for comments really works pretty good and traps the comments off to a separate place where you can delete them later. I've only had one legitimate comment end up in there. I used to get a lot of spammy junk. I used word verification for a bit and that stopped the junk but I got a few emails that people couldn't comment when they wanted to because it was too hard. So I switched it to block anonymous comments.  Still no spam. I left open the option to be a user anywhere, not just blogger. <br /><br />Maryanne (sorry, I mean maryanne lol) suggested changing the blog settings to block google from finding the blog. I had done that until I saw some of the search terms that were bringing people to my blog... and decided it was better to leave it available to be found. I openly admit my "crazies" and believe that DD is a good way - for me at least - to cope with daily struggles.  Not that I have any information or proof for them because we're not doing it.  But I think it's good to see you're not alone though.<br /><br />Anyway though, if you're having problems with spam comments that's probably a good way to stop it.  People would only find you through your comments you leave on others' blogs.<br /><br />If you've got word verification you might want to reconsider it.  I was trying to comment today from my phone and finally gave up.  Either the words were a bunch of blurry gobbledy-gook or the picture couldn't be read.  I couldn't get it to give me legible letters at the same time as a picture that could be read.  <br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVN-cTNwivIXpgyeuAMICMtpkXOAIPyz-xq4PCqNvYP-vQf30su8jptcDedQ2Yx3eUNJV5BhnLhsPuzPTJO_1lIdflwt4E3b4zuU27hIJHF3IDdDWjjt0PwNiedlMY_q3k9emcBdwW80c/s1600/imagew.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="145" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVN-cTNwivIXpgyeuAMICMtpkXOAIPyz-xq4PCqNvYP-vQf30su8jptcDedQ2Yx3eUNJV5BhnLhsPuzPTJO_1lIdflwt4E3b4zuU27hIJHF3IDdDWjjt0PwNiedlMY_q3k9emcBdwW80c/s320/imagew.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie_KbaDqH3nofyv9sRvGiP8a6_BndDrvPCiMqBeNrsxew8xBZ428RihhA7Y0hUb6vjNBNTXa48g5gWZp4BoFr_FYo4zqArw8rupmlXittAuI3dLgAxmZt8ukJCOPev50YZEG96ik5-OjM/s1600/image.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="157" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie_KbaDqH3nofyv9sRvGiP8a6_BndDrvPCiMqBeNrsxew8xBZ428RihhA7Y0hUb6vjNBNTXa48g5gWZp4BoFr_FYo4zqArw8rupmlXittAuI3dLgAxmZt8ukJCOPev50YZEG96ik5-OjM/s320/image.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />And speaking of randomly generated letters... I saw this on facebook this weekend.  Somebody bought a plane ticket and this is what she got.  <span lang="EN">Could you imagine???  I'd be wary of getting on that plane!  </span>She put on her tweeter and said <span lang="EN">"I know we've been through some hard times together, but is this really my conf number?"  </span><br /><span lang="EN"><br /></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmULhfiRWmOvyjfRPaMsEN2fOcZPJsKy-68aGaBVl_2H3YjQKTK2vNsRwiUbN7y9bh0VCBFaBJUrDUKHu02VmdLW5rfjegQUkMilA_CeKNeHyayqtS00EVp6gTpkwSYBZPXpdJTxDvSpY/s1600/6C42F142BDEF4E9E047CFA6F57991_h316_w628_m5_ceNebUfKn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="161" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmULhfiRWmOvyjfRPaMsEN2fOcZPJsKy-68aGaBVl_2H3YjQKTK2vNsRwiUbN7y9bh0VCBFaBJUrDUKHu02VmdLW5rfjegQUkMilA_CeKNeHyayqtS00EVp6gTpkwSYBZPXpdJTxDvSpY/s320/6C42F142BDEF4E9E047CFA6F57991_h316_w628_m5_ceNebUfKn.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span lang="EN"><br /></span><br /><br />

Word Verification

Blogger's spam filter for comments really works pretty good and traps the comments off to a separate place where you can delete them lat...

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Doughnuts anyone?

Good Monday morning everyone!<br /><br />One of my biggest weaknesses is Doughnuts.  On my way to work every day, I pass by several doughnut shops with 2 being really convenient.  But every day I just keep my car on the left lane so I can avoid that sudden right hand lane jerk my car tends to make.  This morning, as I was pulling out of the apartment complex, the staff at Camden Whispering Oaks Apartments had a table set up with these lovely little bags........<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFtsGJ1pwNhcloCB9XxmCUeshRbNmmKlihl9if1p4p60EfpodmG8DquH5O7qQblLibdh-X90stcl9_3vL6-smnwHS6C940bHvWPr4Wr22TSf9bqhXuPvP4b8JrFX0h37K3UMwzMucTxi0/s1600/doughnuts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFtsGJ1pwNhcloCB9XxmCUeshRbNmmKlihl9if1p4p60EfpodmG8DquH5O7qQblLibdh-X90stcl9_3vL6-smnwHS6C940bHvWPr4Wr22TSf9bqhXuPvP4b8JrFX0h37K3UMwzMucTxi0/s320/doughnuts.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br />It's not like there is a left lane I can pull over to avoid them.  And, the staff had such a great awesome cheerful smile, who wouldn't want to pull over, have a doughnut and some juice and talk about the beautiful blue skies.  Every car in front and behind me stopped.  They took a picture and everyone seemed happy.  Me, on the other hand, like Scrooge at Christmas, I just waved as fast as I could and kept on driving.  Hey, at least I had my windows down!!!!  And yes, I could SMELL THE DOUGHNUTS!!<br /><br />Actually, it wasn't really hard at all. Belviq has really curved my desire for sweets.  I can't tell you the last time I had something sweet or sugary.  Wait, yes I can!  It was June 20th - the day before I started Belviq!!! <br /><br />I want to thank Mary and the gang at Camden Whispering Oaks for being thoughtful this morning to the residents.  Most importantly, they are following my blog so they totally understand why I wouldn't stop haha. <br /><br />I hope everyone taking Belviq can appreciate the will power that Belviq will help you gain.  Really pay attention to it.  It gives you more motivation just realizing that for once, you are in control.<br /><br />Have a fabulous day!!<br /><br />xoxox<br />Ellie

Doughnuts anyone?

Good Monday morning everyone! One of my biggest weaknesses is Doughnuts.  On my way to work every day, I pass by several doughnut shops with...

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Indications That You Should Hire An Individual Fitness Instructor Sacramento Pro

<div style='font-style:italic;' class='uawbyline'>By Bill Hoyle</div><br /><br /> <div class='uawarticle'>Nowadays, individual instructors are not simply for those people that want to stay in a gym or enter into fitness pageants. Personal fitness instructors supply advice in a variety of health and wellness aspects, and you might profit from learning more about a personal instructor, regardless of what your line of business. Required some convincing? Right here are some signs that you need to hire an individual trainer Sacramento pro:. You don't understand how you can reach your fitness goals. For way too many people, merely not understanding enough about physical fitness keeps them away from trying in the first place. That is understandable, but it's not a good enough reason if you have health and fitness objectives that you're avoiding as a result of anxiety or unknowing. The best method to get over that hump is to grab the hand of a credibled consultant, and your individual fitness instructor could lead you via the wild up until you prepare to brave it by yourself.<br /> <br /> You've reached a stage. It might be that you are familiar with exercising, however that it has actually been a long time since you have actually seen any kind of good modifications in your physical fitness degree. It is really common for even the most knowledgeable health and fitness buff to reach a plateau where nothing appears to be functioning to move ahead. Rather than feel stuck, you can work with an individual trainer to get you out of the rut.<br /> <br /> You can't sustain. Whether we intend to confess it or otherwise, we will certainly all age much faster than we intend to, which time will certainly provide us about some bodily downsides. If you locate that you could not keep up with the boys and girls on household trips, or if you are also worn down after a day of work to even appreciate your brief minute of relaxation before bed time, then an individual trainer could be simply what you need to catch up to speed.<br /> <br /> Your health and wellness depends on it. Occasionally health and fitness refers life or death-- essentially. It is not unusual for doctors to impose strict diet plan and physical fitness regimens on their people with falling short wellness, as a result of conditions that could be turned around, or at least minimized, with exercise. Your individual instructor could help you nurse your wellness back to wellness.<br /> <br /> No matter what your current lifestyle or health and wellness targets are, you can benefit from the skills of a personal trainer. It is essential that you make sure in selecting a fitness instructor who is experienced, skilled, certified, and really interested in your general well-being.<br /> <br /> </div><br /> <div class='uawresource'><br /> <div style='font-style:italic;' class='uawabout'><br /> About the Author:<br /> </div><br /> <div class='uawlinks'>The indicated article author is very knowledgeable on <a href="http://www.personaltrainersacramento.net">personal training sacramento</a>. Please have a glance at their website to know even more.</div><br /> </div><br />

Indications That You Should Hire An Individual Fitness Instructor Sacramento Pro

By Bill Hoyle Nowadays, individual instructors are not simply for those people that want to stay in a gym or enter into fitness pageants...

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Frontiers | News in Medicine

Our grand vision is to build an Open Science platform that empowers researchers in their daily work and where everybody has equal opportunity to seek, share and generate knowledge.<br /><br><br /><br><a href="http://www.frontiersin.org/news/Medicine">http://www.frontiersin.org/news/Medicine</a>

Frontiers | News in Medicine

Our grand vision is to build an Open Science platform that empowers researchers in their daily work and where everybody has equal opportunit...

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Kettlebell Workout Routines For Amazing Fitness In 20 Minutes A Day

<div style='font-style:italic;' class='uawbyline'>By Chris Rivers</div><br /><br /> <div class='uawarticle'>Kettlebell workout routines are increasing with popularity and for good reason. It is a workout that is extremely versatile with many benefits. Some of these benefits are, combined cardio and strength training Most kettlebell workouts are designed with explosive exercises designed to keep your heart rate up while at the same time increasing resistance.<br /> <br /> The kettle-bell weights are designed so that when they are lifted, the body is forced to use the muscles that are normally utilized in everyday activities. For example, a person may feel as though they are carrying grocery bags when lifting the weights. This activity helps to strengthen these essential muscles in the body plus others that may not be used as much.<br /> <br /> Not only is this a practical way of gaining muscle because the strength can be used in everyday situations but it is also a method of preventing injury. Kettlebell workouts use the entire body. Different groups of muscles are utilized at the same time to maintain the body's balance as the person lifts the weights.<br /> <br /> As a result, the whole body is evenly strengthened including the core. Many workout injuries are prevented in this manner.<br /> <br /> While building strength through this type of workout, a person can also increase their cardiovascular fitness. The individual is exercising their heart and heightening its endurance over time. This makes the heart muscle stronger. As a result, people who use this kind of workout regularly can see a positive influence on their blood pressure and cholesterol level. Having a stronger heart also reduces the risk of heart disease, heart attacks, strokes, and even some types of cancer.<br /> <br /> To obtain the highest level of benefit from Kettlebell workout routines, they should be done regularly. To some people, this might mean every day. However, when a person is starting out, they may want to do a light workout two to three times a week until they are able to increase the intensity or frequency of the routine.<br /> <br /> </div><br /> <div class='uawresource'><br /> <div style='font-style:italic;' class='uawabout'><br /> About the Author:<br /> </div><br /> <div class='uawlinks'>If you're looking for a way to get fitter and tone up all in one session you need to try <a href="http://www.ultimatekettlebellworkoutroutines.com">kettlebell workout routines</a></div><br /> </div><br />

Kettlebell Workout Routines For Amazing Fitness In 20 Minutes A Day

By Chris Rivers Kettlebell workout routines are increasing with popularity and for good reason. It is a workout that is extremely versat...

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SciBite :: Drug Discovery, Now

SciBite is real-time drug discovery search engine, tracking new developments within biotech and pharma. We offer unparalleled tracking of the drugs, targets, indications and companies that make up the global drug discovery landscape. <br /><br><br /><br><a href="http://scibite.com/">http://scibite.com/</a>

SciBite :: Drug Discovery, Now

SciBite is real-time drug discovery search engine, tracking new developments within biotech and pharma. We offer unparalleled tracking of th...

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Risk of Adult Anxiety Seen in Children’s Stomachaches - NYTimes.com

<base href="data:"><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px; color: black; text-align: left; "><div id="well" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); 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 align="left"><div class="entry-content"><div style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: medium; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.375em; ">Children with chronic stomach pains are at high risk for anxiety disorders in adolescence and young adulthood, <a href="http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/embargo?embargoed-uri=http%3A%2F%2Fpediatrics.aappublications.org%2Fcontent%2Fearly%2F2013%2F08%2F07%2Fpeds.2012-2191" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102); text-decoration: none; ">a new study has found</a>, suggesting that parents may wish to have their children evaluated at some point for anxiety.</div><div style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: medium; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.375em; ">Researchers at Vanderbilt University tracked 332 children with recurring stomachaches that could not be traced to a physical cause — so-called functional abdominal pain — comparing them as they reached young adulthood with 147 children who had never had such stomachaches.</div><div style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: medium; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.375em; ">About half the teenagers and young adults who had had functional abdominal pain as children developed an anxiety disorder at some point, compared with 20 percent of the control group, the researchers found. The vulnerability to anxiety persisted into adulthood even if the pain had disappeared, although the risk was highest if the pain continued.</div><div style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: medium; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.375em; ">Forty percent of the children with functional abdominal pain went on to experience depression, compared with 16 percent of those who had never had these stomachaches.</div><div style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: medium; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.375em; ">The study was published on Monday in the journal Pediatrics.</div><div style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: medium; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.375em; ">"What this study shows is a strong connection between functional abdominal pain and anxiety persists into adulthood, and it drives home the point that this isn't by chance," said Dr. John V. Campo, chairman of the department of psychiatry at Ohio State University, who was not involved in the new study.</div><div style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: medium; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.375em; ">In 2001, Dr. Campo <a href="http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/108/1/e1.full" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 102); text-decoration: none; ">published a smaller study</a> that found that 28 young adults who had suffered functional abdominal pain as children were far more likely to have an anxiety disorder than 28 similar adults who had experienced another childhood illness.</div><div style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: medium; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.375em; ">Chronic abdominal pain affects 8 percent to 25 percent of school-age children. The problem can lead to school absences and take a toll on families.</div><div style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: medium; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.375em; ">"Somebody might say, 'Of course they have mental issues or they are emotionally distressed — it's because of the pain,' " said Lynn S. Walker, senior author of the study and director of the division of adolescent health at Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt.</div><div style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: medium; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.375em; ">"But we found even if the pain went away, these adolescents and young adults still have anxiety," Dr. Walker said. "So maybe we need to treat their anxiety."</div><div style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: medium; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.375em; ">The state-of-the-art treatment for functional abdominal pain is rehabilitative, focused on getting patients to participate in daily activities despite their stomachaches. "There's no question that there are triggers for the pain, but the problem is in the perception of the pain and adaptation to the pain," said Dr. Samuel Nurko, director of a functional abdominal pain center at Children's Hospital Boston.</div><div style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: medium; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.375em; ">Dr. Nurko compared the pain to a light on a dimmer switch, which psychological techniques can help children control. "You don't take away the pain," he said. "You 'dim' it to be able to cope better."</div><div style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: medium; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.375em; ">The new study underscores the importance of screening children with the condition for anxiety or depression, the authors said. Anxious children tend to be good children who are concerned about doing their best, Dr. Walker said, and parents may be flummoxed by the suggestion that such a child could be grappling with a mental health issue.</div><div style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: medium; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.375em; ">The majority of the children enrolled in the study "had not seen a mental health professional, ever," Dr. Walker said.</div><div style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: medium; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.375em; ">But Miranda van Tilburg, an associate professor of medicine at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine, cautioned parents against leaping to the conclusion that a child's unexplained stomach pain is "all anxiety based, because we don't know that."</div><div style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: medium; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.375em; ">"The take-away message should be you should not be afraid, if your doctor talks to you about anxiety in your child, to seek help from a mental health professional, because it could help your child feel better," Dr. van Tilburg said.</div><div style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: medium; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.375em; ">Such a referral is "not an admission that that's what's causing the pain," she said. "It's just an admission that anxiety is linked to the pain."</div><div style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: medium; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.375em; ">Nasrin Kazemi, a part-time real estate agent in Brentwood, Tenn., has three children, all of whom had frequent stomachaches. "If I get a little more excited, or sad, or mad about something, my stomach will start hurting," said Mrs. Kazemi's youngest daughter, Donya, 11.</div><div style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: medium; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.375em; ">The anticipation of starting sixth grade this fall has set off new waves of stomach pain. "It's probably not going to stop until I get used to sixth grade," Donya said.</div><div style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: medium; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.375em; ">She became anxious two years ago after a ghastly fortnight of flu-induced vomiting, her mother said. Since then, Donya worries about attending birthday parties where she might catch another flu, and such concerns make her abdominal pain flare up.</div><div style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: medium; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.375em; ">At first, Mrs. Kazemi was reluctant to seek psychological help for Donya, but her daughter eventually saw Dr. Walker. Mrs. Kazemi is hopeful about the new research, even though it suggests that Donya may have a lifelong vulnerability to anxiety.</div><div style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-size: medium; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; line-height: 1.375em; ">"Because she is learning to deal with her emotions and to not let them get the better of her, she'll be better with dealing with negative things that happen later in life," Mrs. Kazemi said.</div></div></div></div></div><a href="http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/08/12/risk-of-adult-anxiety-seen-in-childrens-stomachaches/?">http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/08/12/risk-of-adult-anxiety-seen-in-childrens-stomachaches/?</a><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px; color: black; text-align: left; "><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div>

Risk of Adult Anxiety Seen in Children’s Stomachaches - NYTimes.com

Children with chronic stomach pains are at high risk for anxiety disorders in adolescence and young adulthood,  a new study has found , sugg...

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Path to United States Practice Is Long Slog to Foreign Doctors - NYTimes.com

<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; ">Thousands of foreign-trained immigrant physicians are living in the United States with lifesaving skills that are going unused because they stumbled over one of the many hurdles in the path toward becoming a licensed doctor here.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">The involved testing process and often duplicative training these doctors must go through are intended to make sure they meet this country's high quality standards, which American medical industry groups say are unmatched elsewhere in the world. Some development experts are also loath to make it too easy for foreign doctors to practice here because of the risk of a "brain drain" abroad.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">But many foreign physicians and their advocates argue that the process is unnecessarily restrictive and time-consuming, particularly since America's need for doctors will expand sharply in a few short months under President Obama's health care law. They point out that medical services cost far more in the United States than elsewhere in the world, in part because of such restrictions.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">The United States already faces a shortage of physicians in many parts of the country, especially in specialties where foreign-trained physicians are most likely to practice, like primary care. And that shortage is <a title="Article about upcoming physician shortage under Affordable Care Act." href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/29/health/policy/too-few-doctors-in-many-us-communities.html?ref=health" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 153); text-decoration: none; ">going to get exponentially worse, studies predict,</a> when the health care law insures millions more Americans starting in 2014.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">The new health care law only modestly increases the supply of homegrown primary care doctors, not nearly enough to account for the shortfall, and even that tiny bump is still a few years away because it takes so long to train new doctors. Immigrant advocates and some economists point out that the medical labor force could grow much faster if the country tapped the underused skills of the foreign-trained physicians who are already here but are not allowed to practice. Canada, by contrast, has made efforts to recognize more high-quality training programs done abroad.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">"It doesn't cost the taxpayers a penny because these doctors come fully trained," said Nyapati Raghu Rao, the Indian-born chairman of psychiatry at Nassau University Medical Center and a past chairman of the American Medical Association's international medical graduates governing council. "It is doubtful that the U.S. can respond to the massive shortages without the participation of international medical graduates. But we're basically ignoring them in this discussion and I don't know why that is."</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">Consider Sajith Abeyawickrama, 37, who was a celebrated anesthesiologist in his native Sri Lanka. But here in the United States, where he came in 2010 to marry, he cannot practice medicine.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">Instead of working as a doctor himself, he has held a series of jobs in the medical industry, including an unpaid position where he entered patient data into a hospital's electronic medical records system, and, more recently, a paid position teaching a test prep course for students trying to become licensed doctors themselves.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">For years the United States has been training too few doctors to meet its own needs, in part because of industry-set limits on the number of medical school slots available. Today about one in four physicians practicing in the United States were trained abroad, a figure that includes a substantial number of American citizens who could not get into medical school at home and studied in places like the Caribbean.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">But immigrant doctors, no matter how experienced and well trained, must run a long, costly and confusing gantlet before they can actually practice here.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">The process usually starts with an application to a <a title="Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates Web site." href="http://www.ecfmg.org/" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 153); text-decoration: none; ">private nonprofit organization</a> that verifies medical school transcripts and diplomas. Among <a title="Steps to becoming a doctor in the United States if physicians were trained abroad." href="http://www.ama-assn.org//ama/pub/about-ama/our-people/member-groups-sections/international-medical-graduates/practicing-medicine.page" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 153); text-decoration: none; ">other requirements</a>, foreign doctors must prove they<a title="Information on U.S. Medical Licensing Examinations, which include English proficiency test." href="http://www.usmle.org/bulletin/exam-content/#step2cs" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 153); text-decoration: none; ">speak English</a>; pass three separate steps of the <a title="Information on the U.S. Medical Licensing Examinations." href="http://www.usmle.org/bulletin/exam-content/" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 153); text-decoration: none; ">United States Medical Licensing Examination</a>; get American recommendation letters, usually obtained after volunteering or working in a hospital, clinic or research organization; and be permanent residents or receive a work visa (which often requires them to return to their home country after their training).</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">The biggest challenge is that an immigrant physician must win one of the coveted slots in America's medical residency system, the step that seems to be the tightest bottleneck.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">That residency, which typically involves grueling 80-hour workweeks, is required even if a doctor previously did a residency in a country with an advanced medical system, like Britain or Japan. The only exception is for doctors who did their residencies in Canada.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">The whole process can consume upward of a decade — for those lucky few who make it through.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">"It took me double the time I thought, since I was still having to work while I was studying to pay for the visa, which was very expensive," said Alisson Sombredero, 33, an H.I.V. specialist who came to the United States from Colombia in 2005.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">Dr. Sombredero spent three years studying for her American license exams, gathering recommendation letters and volunteering at a hospital in an unpaid position. She supported herself during that time by working as a nanny. That was followed by three years in a residency at Highland Hospital in Oakland, Calif., and one year in an H.I.V. fellowship at San Francisco General Hospital. She finally finished her training this summer, eight years after she arrived in the United States and 16 years after she first enrolled in medical school.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">Dr. Sombredero was helped through the process by the <a title="Organization s Web site." href="http://welcomebackinitiative.org/" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 153); text-decoration: none; ">Welcome Back Initiative</a>, an organization started 12 years ago as a partnership between San Francisco State University and City College of San Francisco. The organization has worked with <a title="Data on Welcome Back Initiative participants." href="http://welcomebackinitiative.org/wb/outcomes/participant_outcomes/WBI-Demographics.pdf" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 153); text-decoration: none; ">about 4,600 physicians </a>in its centers around the country, according to its founder, <a title="Dr. Fernandez-Pena s homepage." href="http://healthed.sfsu.edu/people/faculty/jos%C3%A9-ram%C3%B3n-fern%C3%A1ndez-pe%C3%B1" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 153); text-decoration: none; ">José Ramón Fernández-Peña</a>.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">Only 118 of those doctors, he said, have successfully made it to residency.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">"If I had to even think about going through residency now, I'd shoot myself," said Dr. Fernández-Peña, who came to the United States from Mexico in 1985 and chose not even to try treating patients once he learned what the licensing process requires. Today, in addition to running the Welcome Back Initiative, he is an associate professor of health education at San Francisco State.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">The counterargument for making it easier for foreign physicians to practice in the United States — aside from concerns about quality controls — is that doing so will draw more physicians from poor countries. These places often have paid for their doctors' medical training with public funds, on the assumption that those doctors will stay.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">"We need to wean ourselves from our extraordinary dependence on importing doctors from the developing world," said <a title="Dr. Mullan s homepage." href="http://sphhs.gwu.edu/faculty/index.cfm?empName=%20Fitzhugh%20Mullan&amp;employeeID=144" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 153); text-decoration: none; ">Fitzhugh Mullan</a>, a professor of medicine and health policy at George Washington University in Washington. "We can't tell other countries to nail their doctors' feet to the ground at home. People will want to move and they should be able to. But we have created a huge, wide, open market by undertraining here, and the developing world responds."</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">About one in 10 doctors trained in India have left that country, he found in a 2005 <a title="New England Journal of Medicine study." href="http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMsa050004#t=articleResults" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 153); text-decoration: none; ">study</a>, and the figure is close to one in three for Ghana. (Many of those moved to Europe or other developed nations other than the United States.)</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">No one knows exactly how many immigrant doctors are in the United States and not practicing, but some other data points provide a clue. Each year the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates, a private nonprofit, clears about <a title="Data on E.C.F.M.G. certifications." href="http://www.ecfmg.org/resources/data-certification.html" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 153); text-decoration: none; ">8,000 immigrant doctors</a> (not including the American citizens who go to medical school abroad) to apply for the national residency match system. Normally about 3,000 of them successfully match to a residency slot, mostly filling less desired residencies in community hospitals, unpopular locations and in less lucrative specialties like <a title="Report on international medical graduates." href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1824721/?tool=pubmed" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 153); text-decoration: none; ">primary care</a>.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">Over the last five years, an average of 42.1 percent of foreign-trained immigrant physicians who applied for residencies through the <a title="Data on residency matching, see Table 4, p.15." href="http://www.nrmp.org/data/resultsanddata2013.pdf" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 153); text-decoration: none; ">national match system</a> succeeded. That compares with an average match rate of 93.9 percent for seniors at America's mainstream medical schools.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">Mr. Abeyawickrama, the Sri Lankan anesthesiologist, has failed to match for three years in a row; he blames low test scores. Most foreign doctors spend several years studying and taking their licensing exams, which American-trained doctors also take. He said he didn't know this, and misguidedly thought it would be more expeditious to take all three within seven months of his arrival.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">"That was the most foolish thing I ever did in my life," he says. "I had the knowledge, but I did not know the art of the exams here."</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">Even with inadequate preparation, he passed, though earning scores too low to be considered by most residency programs. But as a testament to his talents, he was recently offered a two-year research fellowship at the prestigious Cleveland Clinic, starting in the fall. He is hoping this job will give residency programs reason to overlook his test scores next time he applies.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">"Once I finish my fellowship in Cleveland, at one of the best hospitals in America, I hope there will be some doors opening for me," he said. "Maybe then they will look at my scores and realize they do not depict my true knowledge."</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">The residency match rate for immigrants is likely to fall even lower in coming years. That is because the number of accredited American medical schools, and therefore United States-trained medical students, has <a title="Projections for med school enrollment." href="https://www.aamc.org/newsroom/newsreleases/281296/new-projections.html" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 153); text-decoration: none; ">increased substantially</a> in the last decade, while the number of residency slots (most of which are subsizided by Medicare) has barely budged since Congress effectively <a title="More information on funding for medical residencies." href="https://www.aamc.org/newsroom/reporter/july09/68622/july09_gradmed.html" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 153); text-decoration: none; ">froze residency funding in 1997</a>.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">Experts say several things could be done to make it easier for foreign-trained doctors to practice here, including reciprocal licensing arrangements, more and perhaps accelerated American residencies, or recognition of postgraduate training from other advanced countries.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">Canada provides the most telling comparison. Some Canadian provinces allow immigrant doctors to <a title="College of Family Physicians of Canada list of jurisdictions whose postgraduate training is recognized." href="http://www.cfpc.ca/RecognizedTraining/" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 153); text-decoration: none; ">practice family medicine without doing a Canadian residency</a>, typically if the doctor did similar postgraduate work in the United States, Australia, Britain or Ireland. There are also residency waivers for <a title="Information on jurisdictions whose training is deemed similar to that in Canada." href="http://www.royalcollege.ca/portal/page/portal/rc/credentials/start/routes/international_medical_graduates" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 153); text-decoration: none; ">some specialists coming from select training programs abroad considered similar to Canadian ones</a>.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">As a result, many (some estimates suggest nearly half) foreign-trained physicians currently coming into Canada do not have to redo a residency, said Dr. Rocco Gerace, the president of the <a title="The federation s Web site." href="http://www.fmrac.ca/index.html" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 153); text-decoration: none; ">Federation of Medical Regulatory Authorities of Canada</a>.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">In the United States, some foreign doctors work as waiters or taxi drivers while they try to work through the licensing process. Others decide to apply their skills to becoming another kind of medical professional, like a nurse practitioner or physician assistant, adopting careers that require fewer years of training. But those paths present barriers as well.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">The same is true for other highly skilled medical professionals.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">Hemamani Karuppiaharjunan, 40, was a dentist in her native India, which she left in 2000 to join her husband in the United States. She decided that going back to dentistry school in the United States while having two young children would be prohibitively time-consuming and expensive. Instead, she enrolled in a two-year dental hygiene program at Bergen Community College in Paramus, N.J., which cost her $30,000 instead of the $150,000 she would have needed to attend dental school. She graduated in 2012 at the top of her class and earns $42 an hour now, about half what she might make as a dentist in her area.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">The loss of status has been harder.</p><p itemprop="articleBody" style="color: black; font-size: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 1em; line-height: 24px; ">"I rarely talk about it with patients," she said. When she does mention her background, they usually express sympathy. "I'm glad my education is still respected in that sense, that people do recognize what I've done even though I can't practice dentistry."</p></div></nyt_text><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium; "><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/12/business/economy/long-slog-for-foreign-doctors-to-practice-in-us.html?">http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/12/business/economy/long-slog-for-foreign-doctors-to-practice-in-us.html?</a></span></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px; color: black; text-align: left; "><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div>

Path to United States Practice Is Long Slog to Foreign Doctors - NYTimes.com

Thousands of foreign-trained immigrant physicians are living in the United States with lifesaving skills that are going unused because they ...

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