rift gold
Larry! Come here! said his furious mother, putting the telephone down, I’ve just had a call from Mrs. Harrison about your behavior to her Doris at the school dance last night. You wretched, rude boy!
I was nice to her, Mum, really I was! protested the youth.
I even paid her a compliment when we had a dance.
Did you, indeed? said his mother grimly, And what exactly did you say?
I said, Gosh, Doris, you sweat less than any fat girl I’ve ever danced with!
rift gold
2011年4月29日星期五
Pornography
Unambiguous depictions of the sexual act were already common among the Greeks of the archaic and early classical periods. The cult of Dionysus (the god of wine) inspired much erotic imagery. Cups and vases from around the 5th century BCE depict ithyphallic satyrs while bawdy songs accompanied the frenzied Dionysian festivals. Classical cups, medallions and vases which have no obvious cultic significance frequently portray heterosexual and homosexual combinations as well as acts of fellatio rift gold and bestiality. Satyrs and hermaphrodites are recurring participants in these revels. Greek art influenced that of the Etruscans who commonly painted erotic scenes in tombs. A typical example is a wall-painting from the Tomb of the Bull, Tarquinia, which shows a human-faced bull charging towards a copulating couple. The Romans also displayed a lively interest in the lascivious. The Roman poet Publius Ovidius Naso (known as Ovid, 19 bce–18 ce) wrote a poem entitled Ars amatoria (the art of love), a treatise on the art of seduction and deceit. A more serious approach to the erotic is that evinced by the frescoes found in the Villa of Mysteries at Pompeii, from around the 1st century ce. These illustrate episodes from the Dionysiac rites such as a girl unveiling a symbolic phallus and semi-nude figures engaged in flagellation (although the significance of the acts is by no means clear).
In India, too,rift gold classical art readily embraced enticing images. The sculpted torso of a yakshi (a nature spirit concerned with fecundity) from the 1st century bce has sensuous curves and is more voluptuous than her Greek counterparts. By the 10th century ce temples had espoused the full repertoire of the erotic. The carved facade of the Kandarya-Mahadeva Temple in Khajuraho (10th–11th century ce) is a mass of entwined divinities and seductive females as is the 13th-century temple at Konarak. India also produced the ancient sex manual, the Kama Sutra, a text that considers the spiritual aspects of sexuality and explores the many sexual positions and techniques that enhance lovemaking. Indian miniature paintings produced at Indian courts from the end of the 16th to the mid-19th centuries provided illustrations for the Kama Sutra as well as for the ragas, the modes of Indian music, many of which celebrate the erotic adventures of the god, Krishna.
In India, too,rift gold classical art readily embraced enticing images. The sculpted torso of a yakshi (a nature spirit concerned with fecundity) from the 1st century bce has sensuous curves and is more voluptuous than her Greek counterparts. By the 10th century ce temples had espoused the full repertoire of the erotic. The carved facade of the Kandarya-Mahadeva Temple in Khajuraho (10th–11th century ce) is a mass of entwined divinities and seductive females as is the 13th-century temple at Konarak. India also produced the ancient sex manual, the Kama Sutra, a text that considers the spiritual aspects of sexuality and explores the many sexual positions and techniques that enhance lovemaking. Indian miniature paintings produced at Indian courts from the end of the 16th to the mid-19th centuries provided illustrations for the Kama Sutra as well as for the ragas, the modes of Indian music, many of which celebrate the erotic adventures of the god, Krishna.
A burglar
rift gold
A man went to the police office wishing to speak with the burglar who had broken into his house the night before.
You will get your chance in court. said the Desk Sergeant.
No, no, no. said the man. I want to know how he got into the house without waking my wife. I've been trying to do that for years.
rift gold
A man went to the police office wishing to speak with the burglar who had broken into his house the night before.
You will get your chance in court. said the Desk Sergeant.
No, no, no. said the man. I want to know how he got into the house without waking my wife. I've been trying to do that for years.
rift gold
Englishman
Once, late at night,rift gold an Englishman came out of his room into the corridor of a hotel and asked the servant to bring him a glass of water. The servant did as he was asked. The Englishman re-entered his room, but a few minutes later he came into the corridor again and once more asked the servant for a glass of water. The servant brought him another glass of water. Every few minutes the Englishmen would come out rift gold
of his room and repeat his request. After a half-hour the astonished servant decided to ask the Englishman what he was doing with the water. Nothing, the Englishman answered imperturbably, It’s simply that my room is on fire.
of his room and repeat his request. After a half-hour the astonished servant decided to ask the Englishman what he was doing with the water. Nothing, the Englishman answered imperturbably, It’s simply that my room is on fire.
Walt Disney
Walt Disney brought visions and values of small-town America to mass media and theme parks; his multimedia conglomerate continues to grow after his death. Disney characters, films, books, toys and places, aggressively marketed, have sold America as a magical kingdom to a global audience. Others have read the man and his legacy as an evil empire defined by exaltation of carefully controlled consumerism, with over 400 Disney stores around the world selling everything from lunch boxes to the Tarzan CD-ROM. As an artist in Kansas City Kansas in 1919, Disney became involved in the production of local animation/live-action shorts (Laugh-O-Grams). By 1923 he had moved to Los Angeles, CA rift gold and created his own creative team and formats for animation. By 1928, after business setbacks mediated by brother Roy Disney produced Steam-boat Willie,
which united Mickey Mouse with sound (Walt did the voice). Over time, Disney’s productions increased in quality (with music and color in the Silly Symphonies series), while merchandising of Mickey and other items built revenues.
In the 1930s, Disney Studios pushed the boundaries of animation, including the first animated feature film Snow White (1939) and the growing artistry and complexity of Pinocchio (1941) and Fantasia (1942), despite continuing financial concerns and sometimes problematic labor relations. After the Second World War, Disney’s ability to control products and profits from re-releases, marketing tie-ins and new ventures provided a foundation to move into television and Disneyland (1955). The company also continued to control its labor force tightly supporting HUAC investigations of Hollywood labor organizers.
From Disney’s initial televisual outing, ABC’s Disneyland (1954–8), which promoted the planned theme park on its first show, some form of Disney prime-time children’s television showcase continued for thirty years, although changing titles and networks (in addition to the child ensemble of the Mickey Mouse Club, ABC, 1955–9). Disney continued to seek creative development and public recognition through films like Mary Poppins (1964), plans for a larger, visionary Disneyworld and publicity suggesting him for a Nobel prize. At his death in 1966, primary ownership of the studio stayed with the family Roy Disney finished the Florida project before his death in 1971, by which time studio profits had reached $250 million.
Despite the creative heritage the Disney corporation controlled, the next decade saw diffuse initiatives in films and audiences. By the early 1980s, corporate Disney was vulnerable to takeover battles that attracted Ivan Boesky and Michael Milken. Finally in 1984, the family reasserted control, bringing in Michael Eisner, Frank Wells and Jeffrey Katzenberg to revitalize the company. Their initiatives spurred Disney production in mature films (Touchstone, Hollywood Pictures, Buena Vista), distribution (Miramax), radio, television, cable, multimedia and, finally the second golden age of Disney animation with Who Framed Roger Rabbit? (1987), The Little Mermaid (1989) and successors. Disney theme parks continued a global expansion in Tokyo (1983), a stillgrowing EuroDisney (1992) and Hong Kong (estimated opening 2005), augmented by the urban Disney-Quest concept and Caribbean cruises.
Disney’s corporate growth was rocked by the Eisner/Katzenberg split (as well as problems with Michael Ovitz), and subsequent court cases dragged out details of finance and vituperation. In 1996, nonetheless, Disney moved to acquire the ABC network, creating a concentration of entertainment power that has generated worries about conflicting interests in journalism rift gold and creative competition. With Celebration, its new urbanist planned community near Disneyworld, the corporation has blurred the boundaries of theme park and idealized “real life.”
The Disney saga revels in many themes of American ideology—making it through work, promoting freedom, supporting family and hometown. Darker shadows appear in heavy-handed control of labor, stereotypes of gender, race and place, and incessant selling, not of the last product but the next. Here, its expanse, power and ideologies remain themes of concern even as new generations of children worldwide delight in these products themselves.
which united Mickey Mouse with sound (Walt did the voice). Over time, Disney’s productions increased in quality (with music and color in the Silly Symphonies series), while merchandising of Mickey and other items built revenues.
In the 1930s, Disney Studios pushed the boundaries of animation, including the first animated feature film Snow White (1939) and the growing artistry and complexity of Pinocchio (1941) and Fantasia (1942), despite continuing financial concerns and sometimes problematic labor relations. After the Second World War, Disney’s ability to control products and profits from re-releases, marketing tie-ins and new ventures provided a foundation to move into television and Disneyland (1955). The company also continued to control its labor force tightly supporting HUAC investigations of Hollywood labor organizers.
From Disney’s initial televisual outing, ABC’s Disneyland (1954–8), which promoted the planned theme park on its first show, some form of Disney prime-time children’s television showcase continued for thirty years, although changing titles and networks (in addition to the child ensemble of the Mickey Mouse Club, ABC, 1955–9). Disney continued to seek creative development and public recognition through films like Mary Poppins (1964), plans for a larger, visionary Disneyworld and publicity suggesting him for a Nobel prize. At his death in 1966, primary ownership of the studio stayed with the family Roy Disney finished the Florida project before his death in 1971, by which time studio profits had reached $250 million.
Despite the creative heritage the Disney corporation controlled, the next decade saw diffuse initiatives in films and audiences. By the early 1980s, corporate Disney was vulnerable to takeover battles that attracted Ivan Boesky and Michael Milken. Finally in 1984, the family reasserted control, bringing in Michael Eisner, Frank Wells and Jeffrey Katzenberg to revitalize the company. Their initiatives spurred Disney production in mature films (Touchstone, Hollywood Pictures, Buena Vista), distribution (Miramax), radio, television, cable, multimedia and, finally the second golden age of Disney animation with Who Framed Roger Rabbit? (1987), The Little Mermaid (1989) and successors. Disney theme parks continued a global expansion in Tokyo (1983), a stillgrowing EuroDisney (1992) and Hong Kong (estimated opening 2005), augmented by the urban Disney-Quest concept and Caribbean cruises.
Disney’s corporate growth was rocked by the Eisner/Katzenberg split (as well as problems with Michael Ovitz), and subsequent court cases dragged out details of finance and vituperation. In 1996, nonetheless, Disney moved to acquire the ABC network, creating a concentration of entertainment power that has generated worries about conflicting interests in journalism rift gold and creative competition. With Celebration, its new urbanist planned community near Disneyworld, the corporation has blurred the boundaries of theme park and idealized “real life.”
The Disney saga revels in many themes of American ideology—making it through work, promoting freedom, supporting family and hometown. Darker shadows appear in heavy-handed control of labor, stereotypes of gender, race and place, and incessant selling, not of the last product but the next. Here, its expanse, power and ideologies remain themes of concern even as new generations of children worldwide delight in these products themselves.
2011年4月28日星期四
New-Home Sales Rose 11% in March
More people bought new homes in March, helping give the battered industry a small lift after the worst winter for sales in almost a half-century.
New-home sales rose 11 percent last month to a seasonally adjusted rate of 300,000 homes, TERA Gold the Commerce Department said Monday. That follows three straight monthly declines. But the pace remains far below the 700,000 homes a year that economists view as healthy.
Last year was the fifth consecutive year of declines for new-home sales. Economists say it could take years before sales return to a healthy pace.
The median price of a new home rose nearly 3 percent from February to $213,800. RIFT Platinum New-home prices are about 34 percent higher than the median price for re-sales. That's more than twice the markup in healthy housing markets, making older homes more of a comparative bargain.
Such a disparity is a drag on the economy. New homes represent a fraction of sales but they have an out-sized impact on the broader economy. rift gold Each new home creates an average of three jobs for a year and $90,000 in taxes, according to the National Association of Home Builders.
"New housing prices look much less attractive compared to cheap existing stock," RIFT Platinum said Yelena Shulyatyeva, an analyst with BNP Paribas. "As such, new housing demand will likely remain depressed throughout this year and next."
Many builders are waiting for the glut of foreclosures and other distressed properties to be cleared before stepping up construction. Rift Gold But with 1.2 million foreclosures forecast this year nationwide, according to foreclosure tracker RealtyTrac Inc., a turnaround isn't expected for years.
New-home sales rose 11 percent last month to a seasonally adjusted rate of 300,000 homes, TERA Gold the Commerce Department said Monday. That follows three straight monthly declines. But the pace remains far below the 700,000 homes a year that economists view as healthy.
Last year was the fifth consecutive year of declines for new-home sales. Economists say it could take years before sales return to a healthy pace.
The median price of a new home rose nearly 3 percent from February to $213,800. RIFT Platinum New-home prices are about 34 percent higher than the median price for re-sales. That's more than twice the markup in healthy housing markets, making older homes more of a comparative bargain.
Such a disparity is a drag on the economy. New homes represent a fraction of sales but they have an out-sized impact on the broader economy. rift gold Each new home creates an average of three jobs for a year and $90,000 in taxes, according to the National Association of Home Builders.
"New housing prices look much less attractive compared to cheap existing stock," RIFT Platinum said Yelena Shulyatyeva, an analyst with BNP Paribas. "As such, new housing demand will likely remain depressed throughout this year and next."
Many builders are waiting for the glut of foreclosures and other distressed properties to be cleared before stepping up construction. Rift Gold But with 1.2 million foreclosures forecast this year nationwide, according to foreclosure tracker RealtyTrac Inc., a turnaround isn't expected for years.
Britney Spears' New Single Already No. 1 on iTunes
Since being leaked Monday, Britney Spears' "Hold It Against Me" is already the iTunes current best-seller. According to Reuters, rift gold the single is also already the number 16 most-played track in pop radio. From coast to coast, people are calling in and demanding their favorite pop star's newest hit on their local station!
"In 24 hours, RIFT Platinum 'Hold It Against Me' instantly shot to number one in station requests," said KISS assistant program director Julie Pilat. "Undoubtedly, Britney is back and on her way to another number one single.
The response to Britney's new song, which ended up being release a day before her label planned, has been overwhelmingly positive. RIFT Platinum Like many of her chart-topping hits before, the song is part dance track and part easy-listening, a combination that's proven to be a hit for Britney many times before.
The numbers don't lie. TERA Gold She released her first album in 1998, but thirteen years later, Rift Gold we still want more Britney! Check out her hot new single after the jump.
"In 24 hours, RIFT Platinum 'Hold It Against Me' instantly shot to number one in station requests," said KISS assistant program director Julie Pilat. "Undoubtedly, Britney is back and on her way to another number one single.
The response to Britney's new song, which ended up being release a day before her label planned, has been overwhelmingly positive. RIFT Platinum Like many of her chart-topping hits before, the song is part dance track and part easy-listening, a combination that's proven to be a hit for Britney many times before.
The numbers don't lie. TERA Gold She released her first album in 1998, but thirteen years later, Rift Gold we still want more Britney! Check out her hot new single after the jump.
Can I Take Vitamins to Keep My Heart Healthy?
Overview
Your heart, which is about the size of your fist, is the engine that drives blood through your veins and arteries. Although it is a powerful little organ, it is susceptible to various disorders. To help keep your heart healthy and strong, you need a diet rich in vitamins, such as B3, D, C and omega-3, as these are among the most essential nutrients when it comes to heart health. Rift Gold You can get your vitamins entirely from food, but you may also choose to supplement with certain vitamins and minerals if your diet is insufficient. Before you supplement, talk with your doctor or nutritionist. Either one can help you develop an eating plan that will meet your nutritional needs or guide you to a supplement that's right for you.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin, which means you need a continuous supply in your diet. Vitamin C can help you fend off heart disease by lowering your LDL, or bad, cholesterol, which can become plaque in your arteries and veins, according to the Mayo Clinic website. In addition, vitamin C is an anti-oxidant that protects your body from free radicals, which can contribute to the development of heart disease, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. Because of its anti-oxidant properties, vitamin C can also slow the progression of atherosclerosis, hardening of the arteries. RIFT Platinum Good sources of vitamin C include spinach, winter squash, kiwi, broccoli, oranges, pineapples and green peppers.
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Vitamin D
Your body manufactures vitamin D when you're in the sun. Food sources of vitamin D include fish, cheese, oysters, margarine and fortified cereals. According to the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition," vitamin D can help prevent congestive heart failure, rift gold as it contains anti-inflammatory agents, improve glucose tolerance and alleviate low-blood pressure. The Mayo Clinic website notes that vitamin D may promote heart health by strengthening your blood vessels.
Vitamin B3
Vitamin B3, or niacin, is one of the eight B vitamins. The University of Maryland Medical Center notes that vitamin B3 is efficient in lowering cholesterol levels in your blood while also promoting healthy circulation. RIFT Platinum In addition, vitamin B3 helps to lower LDL and triglycerides in your blood, which may make it a beneficial nutrient in the prevention of atherosclerosis. Peanuts, tuna, beef liver and bread all are rich in vitamin B3.
Omega-3 fatty acids
Getting sufficient omega-3 fatty acids may help you lower your risk of developing heart disease, TERA Gold according to the American Heart Association. The association recommends consuming foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids approximately two times a week. Fish such as trout and salmon are among those foods.
Your heart, which is about the size of your fist, is the engine that drives blood through your veins and arteries. Although it is a powerful little organ, it is susceptible to various disorders. To help keep your heart healthy and strong, you need a diet rich in vitamins, such as B3, D, C and omega-3, as these are among the most essential nutrients when it comes to heart health. Rift Gold You can get your vitamins entirely from food, but you may also choose to supplement with certain vitamins and minerals if your diet is insufficient. Before you supplement, talk with your doctor or nutritionist. Either one can help you develop an eating plan that will meet your nutritional needs or guide you to a supplement that's right for you.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin, which means you need a continuous supply in your diet. Vitamin C can help you fend off heart disease by lowering your LDL, or bad, cholesterol, which can become plaque in your arteries and veins, according to the Mayo Clinic website. In addition, vitamin C is an anti-oxidant that protects your body from free radicals, which can contribute to the development of heart disease, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. Because of its anti-oxidant properties, vitamin C can also slow the progression of atherosclerosis, hardening of the arteries. RIFT Platinum Good sources of vitamin C include spinach, winter squash, kiwi, broccoli, oranges, pineapples and green peppers.
Lose 10kg a month - JAPAN Lose weight with Herbalife products Safe, natural, healthy & effective www.removekilos.com
Sponsored Links
Vitamin D
Your body manufactures vitamin D when you're in the sun. Food sources of vitamin D include fish, cheese, oysters, margarine and fortified cereals. According to the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition," vitamin D can help prevent congestive heart failure, rift gold as it contains anti-inflammatory agents, improve glucose tolerance and alleviate low-blood pressure. The Mayo Clinic website notes that vitamin D may promote heart health by strengthening your blood vessels.
Vitamin B3
Vitamin B3, or niacin, is one of the eight B vitamins. The University of Maryland Medical Center notes that vitamin B3 is efficient in lowering cholesterol levels in your blood while also promoting healthy circulation. RIFT Platinum In addition, vitamin B3 helps to lower LDL and triglycerides in your blood, which may make it a beneficial nutrient in the prevention of atherosclerosis. Peanuts, tuna, beef liver and bread all are rich in vitamin B3.
Omega-3 fatty acids
Getting sufficient omega-3 fatty acids may help you lower your risk of developing heart disease, TERA Gold according to the American Heart Association. The association recommends consuming foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids approximately two times a week. Fish such as trout and salmon are among those foods.
With an assist from Yzerman, Lightning learn to live with pressure
PITTSBURGH—It wasn't a long speech, but with Steve Yzerman, it rarely is. For him, it’s more about timing. And content.
With his team facing elimination against the Penguins, down in the first-round series 3-1, the Lightning general manager spoke briefly to his players at the team hotel in Pittsburgh.
He reminded them that he believed they were a good team. That one overtime goal was all that stopped the series from being tied through four games.
“We hadn’t played our best hockey yet,” Yzerman told Sporting News. “Let’s not give up because we’re facing a tough road.”
The message continued.
“He just said to go out and have fun. Don’t be afraid to make plays,” Steven Stamkos said. “This is what you dream of as a kid, to play in the Stanley Cup playoffs. He basically said, ‘Go out there, win a game and give yourselves a chance.’ ”
Victor Hedman and Tampa's young players played better as the series progressed. (AP Photo)They did—in that game and the next one. And in the most hostile of environments, a packed Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh on Wednesday night for Game 7, they did it again. TERA Gold Their 1-0 win completed the comeback, and now there’s a chance to do much more than just extend a series. With each first-round game, Tampa’s young players like Stamkos, Victor Hedman and Steve Downie got better. They gained experience.
They started to believe they could succeed in the postseason. Lightning coach Guy Boucher told his youngest players that they had to learn, and they had to do it fast. With each game, he saw their confidence grow. He saw the nerves they’d shown playing in their own zone slowly disappear.
“Basically, they learned to execute under pressure,” Boucher said. “We had a lot of guys with no experience in the playoffs, basically half our team. We’re playing an experienced team that knows how to win battles… we knew it was going to be extremely hard. Our guys were nervous to start.”
They’re no longer nervous. RIFT Platinum Nerves have been replaced with something else.
“Just pure excitement right now,” Stamkos said. “We just won a playoff series, obviously my first playoff series, my first Game 7 and we battled back from a 3-1 deficit. We’ve shown that all year.”
They have a defense that’s not exactly fleet of skate. They have a 41-year-old goalie who would be the oldest player in the NHL if it weren’t for the ageless Mark Recchi. They surrendered their Southeast Division lead in early March to the Capitals, rift gold who blew past them and won that crown convincingly. When the season ended, they only outscored opponents by a total of seven goals. By comparison, the Canucks outscored opponents by 77 goals.
So there were doubts, to say the least.
But their Game 7 win revealed so much. Dwayne Roloson emerged as the best goalie of the first round. RIFT Platinum He made 36 saves in Tampa’s biggest game of the season, earning his first playoff shutout since 2006. He finishes the quarterfinals with the second-best goals-against average at 1.77. He has the best save percentage at .949. He was a rock for a team that needed one.
The Wayne Fleming-designed penalty kill dominated the Penguins, Rift Gold killing 34 of Pittsburgh’s 35 power plays. Fittingly, Game 7 ended with the Penguins unable to convert on a 6-on-4 for the final 1:33 of the game.
For one round anyway, concerns were alleviated. The slow defense might be exposed against a Capitals team that can actually score goals, but otherwise there’s not much left to doubt in the Lightning.
And really, they have. But there were still many concerns surrounding this team entering the postseason—really too many to consider them Stanley Cup contenders.
With his team facing elimination against the Penguins, down in the first-round series 3-1, the Lightning general manager spoke briefly to his players at the team hotel in Pittsburgh.
He reminded them that he believed they were a good team. That one overtime goal was all that stopped the series from being tied through four games.
“We hadn’t played our best hockey yet,” Yzerman told Sporting News. “Let’s not give up because we’re facing a tough road.”
The message continued.
“He just said to go out and have fun. Don’t be afraid to make plays,” Steven Stamkos said. “This is what you dream of as a kid, to play in the Stanley Cup playoffs. He basically said, ‘Go out there, win a game and give yourselves a chance.’ ”
Victor Hedman and Tampa's young players played better as the series progressed. (AP Photo)They did—in that game and the next one. And in the most hostile of environments, a packed Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh on Wednesday night for Game 7, they did it again. TERA Gold Their 1-0 win completed the comeback, and now there’s a chance to do much more than just extend a series. With each first-round game, Tampa’s young players like Stamkos, Victor Hedman and Steve Downie got better. They gained experience.
They started to believe they could succeed in the postseason. Lightning coach Guy Boucher told his youngest players that they had to learn, and they had to do it fast. With each game, he saw their confidence grow. He saw the nerves they’d shown playing in their own zone slowly disappear.
“Basically, they learned to execute under pressure,” Boucher said. “We had a lot of guys with no experience in the playoffs, basically half our team. We’re playing an experienced team that knows how to win battles… we knew it was going to be extremely hard. Our guys were nervous to start.”
They’re no longer nervous. RIFT Platinum Nerves have been replaced with something else.
“Just pure excitement right now,” Stamkos said. “We just won a playoff series, obviously my first playoff series, my first Game 7 and we battled back from a 3-1 deficit. We’ve shown that all year.”
They have a defense that’s not exactly fleet of skate. They have a 41-year-old goalie who would be the oldest player in the NHL if it weren’t for the ageless Mark Recchi. They surrendered their Southeast Division lead in early March to the Capitals, rift gold who blew past them and won that crown convincingly. When the season ended, they only outscored opponents by a total of seven goals. By comparison, the Canucks outscored opponents by 77 goals.
So there were doubts, to say the least.
But their Game 7 win revealed so much. Dwayne Roloson emerged as the best goalie of the first round. RIFT Platinum He made 36 saves in Tampa’s biggest game of the season, earning his first playoff shutout since 2006. He finishes the quarterfinals with the second-best goals-against average at 1.77. He has the best save percentage at .949. He was a rock for a team that needed one.
The Wayne Fleming-designed penalty kill dominated the Penguins, Rift Gold killing 34 of Pittsburgh’s 35 power plays. Fittingly, Game 7 ended with the Penguins unable to convert on a 6-on-4 for the final 1:33 of the game.
For one round anyway, concerns were alleviated. The slow defense might be exposed against a Capitals team that can actually score goals, but otherwise there’s not much left to doubt in the Lightning.
And really, they have. But there were still many concerns surrounding this team entering the postseason—really too many to consider them Stanley Cup contenders.
2011年4月27日星期三
I need a rich men too
rift gold
We were discussing the "don'ts" of public speaking in the PR class I teach. "Don'ts" include a man reaching into his pant pocket and jangling change as he speaks, which is very distracting. To illustrate my point, I asked for a student volunteer, saying, "I need a man with coins in his pocket." What I got was a girl yelling out, "Honey, so do I!"
rift gold
We were discussing the "don'ts" of public speaking in the PR class I teach. "Don'ts" include a man reaching into his pant pocket and jangling change as he speaks, which is very distracting. To illustrate my point, I asked for a student volunteer, saying, "I need a man with coins in his pocket." What I got was a girl yelling out, "Honey, so do I!"
rift gold
The Milkmaid and Her Bucket
rift gold
A SENATOR fell to musing as follows: "With the money which I shall
get for my vote in favour of the bill to subsidise cat-ranches, I
can buy a kit of burglar's tools and open a bank. The profit of
that enterprise will enable me to obtain a long, low, black
schooner, raise a death's-head flag and engage in commerce on the
high seas. From my gains in that business I can pay for the
Presidency, which at $50,000 a year will give me in four years - "
but it took him so long to make the calculation that the bill to
subsidise cat-ranches passed without his vote, and he was compelled
to return to his constituents an honest man, tormented with a clean
conscience.
rift gold
A SENATOR fell to musing as follows: "With the money which I shall
get for my vote in favour of the bill to subsidise cat-ranches, I
can buy a kit of burglar's tools and open a bank. The profit of
that enterprise will enable me to obtain a long, low, black
schooner, raise a death's-head flag and engage in commerce on the
high seas. From my gains in that business I can pay for the
Presidency, which at $50,000 a year will give me in four years - "
but it took him so long to make the calculation that the bill to
subsidise cat-ranches passed without his vote, and he was compelled
to return to his constituents an honest man, tormented with a clean
conscience.
rift gold
Pretend Doctor
rift gold
For several years, my job was to answer all viewer phone calls and mail concerning the daytime television soap operas our company produced. One day a woman called wanting medical advice from an actor who portrayed a doctor on one of our shows. I explained that the man wasn't a real doctor and couldn't help her.
After a moment of shocked silence, the woman replied indignantly, "Well, no wonder it takes his patients months to recover!"
rift gold
For several years, my job was to answer all viewer phone calls and mail concerning the daytime television soap operas our company produced. One day a woman called wanting medical advice from an actor who portrayed a doctor on one of our shows. I explained that the man wasn't a real doctor and couldn't help her.
After a moment of shocked silence, the woman replied indignantly, "Well, no wonder it takes his patients months to recover!"
rift gold
2011年4月26日星期二
MMA Top 10 Heavyweights: Fedor's Fall Continues
From 2003 to 2009, Fedor Emelianenko was the No. 1 heavyweight in mixed martial arts. In 2010, he finally fell from the top spot.
In 2011, Fedor is only a marginal member of the Top 10.
On a two-fight losing streak, with neither of those fights even being competitive, Fedor has fallen a long, long way. That's not surprising: Fedor is, after all, a man in his mid-30s. Athletes in all sports decline in their mid-30s, and MMA is no different. And Fedor trains in seclusion, which means that as the sport grows and other fighters get better, Fedor isn't improving along with them.
So as we look at the Top 10 heavyweights in mixed martial arts, we'll see Fedor in a place we're not accustomed to seeing him.
(Editor's note: The individual fighter's ranking the last time we did heavyweights are in parentheses.)
1. Cain Velasquez (1): The UFC champ stays No. 1 as he continues to rehabilitate his surgically repaired shoulder. The big question is whether he can get back into the Octagon quickly enough to stay on top, or whether the division will pass him by and the Strikeforce tournament winner will emerge as the sport's No. 1 heavyweight.
2. Junior dos Santos (2): The hardest hitter in the heavyweight division will gain exposure to a big audience as a coach on The Ultimate Fighter, and he'll get his biggest fight yet when he takes on Brock Lesnar in June. Big things are coming for Cigano in 2011.
3. Brock Lesnar (3): Can Lesnar bounce back from his loss to Velasquez? I'm skeptical of his chances against dos Santos but impressed that he's agreed to take on such a dangerous opponent. He'll have to significantly improve his striking defense to beat dos Santos.
4. Shane Carwin (4): At age 36 and coming off back surgery, it's tough to see Carwin remaining a wrecking machine for much longer. But he's still 12-1 and has wrecked everyone he's faced in the first round, even if he couldn't quite finish the task of wrecking Lesnar.
5. Fabricio Werdum (5): With wins over Fedor, Antonio Silva and Alistair Overeem, Werdum certainly deserves to be viewed as the No. 1 heavyweight in Strikeforce. The problem for him, and for Strikeforce, is that dos Santos knocked Werdum right out of the UFC. So don't expect Werdum to leapfrog dos Santos in the rankings.
6. Antonio Silva (10): Bigfoot simply dominated Fedor in a way no one else ever has: I gave Bigfoot the first round 10-9 and the second round 10-8 before the doctor ruled that Fedor couldn't fight in the third. RIFT Platinum Part of the difference between them was the enormous size advantage Silva had, but don't overlook how much more technically proficient Silva was in the Brazilian jiu jitsu game. Unlike Fedor, Silva is constantly improving by training with world-class fighters. It showed in the cage.
7. Alistair Overeem (7): The Strikeforce heavyweight champion is the favorite to win the whole tournament. Reaching the final would entail wins over both Werdum and Silva, and that alone would be enough to put him in the conversation for No. 1 heavyweight in MMA, although I'd have a tough time putting him ahead of Velasquez or the dos Santos/Lesnar winner.
8. Frank Mir (8): Mir's upcoming bout with Roy Nelson will determine who's next in the UFC's heavyweight division after the Big 4 of Velasquez, dos Santos, Lesnar and Carwin. It's tough to see Mir beating any of those four, but he's the gatekeeper for heavyweights who want to get to that level.
9. Fedor Emelianenko (6): It feels strange to put Fedor so far down the list, but that's what happens when you go 0-2 over a 15-month stretch, rift gold as Fedor has done over the last 15 months. When the folks at Strikeforce signed Fedor in the summer of 2009, I don't think they would have believed it if you had told them that in 2011, Fedor would be 1-2 in the Strikeforce cage, with a win over Brett Rogers and losses to Werdum and Bigfoot. This sport changes quickly.
10. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (9): The heavyweight division is thin enough, and Nogueira has accomplished enough, that I'll keep him in the Top 10 for now even though he hasn't fought in a year and has only won once in three years. Soon Nogueira will need to be replaced, Rift Gold although it's a pretty thin herd of heavyweights below him: Maybe the winner of the March fight between Brendan Schaub and Mirko Cro Cop will move into the Top 10, or maybe the winner of the April fight between Josh Barnett and Brett Rogers, RIFT Platinum or maybe Nelson will beat Mir and earn a Top 10 spot. But at the moment, Nogueira remains Top 10 by default.
In 2011, Fedor is only a marginal member of the Top 10.
On a two-fight losing streak, with neither of those fights even being competitive, Fedor has fallen a long, long way. That's not surprising: Fedor is, after all, a man in his mid-30s. Athletes in all sports decline in their mid-30s, and MMA is no different. And Fedor trains in seclusion, which means that as the sport grows and other fighters get better, Fedor isn't improving along with them.
So as we look at the Top 10 heavyweights in mixed martial arts, we'll see Fedor in a place we're not accustomed to seeing him.
(Editor's note: The individual fighter's ranking the last time we did heavyweights are in parentheses.)
1. Cain Velasquez (1): The UFC champ stays No. 1 as he continues to rehabilitate his surgically repaired shoulder. The big question is whether he can get back into the Octagon quickly enough to stay on top, or whether the division will pass him by and the Strikeforce tournament winner will emerge as the sport's No. 1 heavyweight.
2. Junior dos Santos (2): The hardest hitter in the heavyweight division will gain exposure to a big audience as a coach on The Ultimate Fighter, and he'll get his biggest fight yet when he takes on Brock Lesnar in June. Big things are coming for Cigano in 2011.
3. Brock Lesnar (3): Can Lesnar bounce back from his loss to Velasquez? I'm skeptical of his chances against dos Santos but impressed that he's agreed to take on such a dangerous opponent. He'll have to significantly improve his striking defense to beat dos Santos.
4. Shane Carwin (4): At age 36 and coming off back surgery, it's tough to see Carwin remaining a wrecking machine for much longer. But he's still 12-1 and has wrecked everyone he's faced in the first round, even if he couldn't quite finish the task of wrecking Lesnar.
5. Fabricio Werdum (5): With wins over Fedor, Antonio Silva and Alistair Overeem, Werdum certainly deserves to be viewed as the No. 1 heavyweight in Strikeforce. The problem for him, and for Strikeforce, is that dos Santos knocked Werdum right out of the UFC. So don't expect Werdum to leapfrog dos Santos in the rankings.
6. Antonio Silva (10): Bigfoot simply dominated Fedor in a way no one else ever has: I gave Bigfoot the first round 10-9 and the second round 10-8 before the doctor ruled that Fedor couldn't fight in the third. RIFT Platinum Part of the difference between them was the enormous size advantage Silva had, but don't overlook how much more technically proficient Silva was in the Brazilian jiu jitsu game. Unlike Fedor, Silva is constantly improving by training with world-class fighters. It showed in the cage.
7. Alistair Overeem (7): The Strikeforce heavyweight champion is the favorite to win the whole tournament. Reaching the final would entail wins over both Werdum and Silva, and that alone would be enough to put him in the conversation for No. 1 heavyweight in MMA, although I'd have a tough time putting him ahead of Velasquez or the dos Santos/Lesnar winner.
8. Frank Mir (8): Mir's upcoming bout with Roy Nelson will determine who's next in the UFC's heavyweight division after the Big 4 of Velasquez, dos Santos, Lesnar and Carwin. It's tough to see Mir beating any of those four, but he's the gatekeeper for heavyweights who want to get to that level.
9. Fedor Emelianenko (6): It feels strange to put Fedor so far down the list, but that's what happens when you go 0-2 over a 15-month stretch, rift gold as Fedor has done over the last 15 months. When the folks at Strikeforce signed Fedor in the summer of 2009, I don't think they would have believed it if you had told them that in 2011, Fedor would be 1-2 in the Strikeforce cage, with a win over Brett Rogers and losses to Werdum and Bigfoot. This sport changes quickly.
10. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (9): The heavyweight division is thin enough, and Nogueira has accomplished enough, that I'll keep him in the Top 10 for now even though he hasn't fought in a year and has only won once in three years. Soon Nogueira will need to be replaced, Rift Gold although it's a pretty thin herd of heavyweights below him: Maybe the winner of the March fight between Brendan Schaub and Mirko Cro Cop will move into the Top 10, or maybe the winner of the April fight between Josh Barnett and Brett Rogers, RIFT Platinum or maybe Nelson will beat Mir and earn a Top 10 spot. But at the moment, Nogueira remains Top 10 by default.
Britney Spears Talks Possible Wedding Plans
Britney Spears has a lot to celebrate these days, including two top singles from her latest hit album, 'Femme Fatale.' But could the pop singer be celebrating an upcoming wedding in the near future? Maybe.
Spears dished about her relationship with boyfriend Jason Trawick to UsMagazine.com.
"We have such a great time together!" RIFT Platinum Spears said. "He makes me laugh, and we are so comfortable being ourselves."
The pair have been dating for over two years and have been seen out together with Spears' family, including her two young sons with ex-husband Kevin Federline.
But does all of the family bonding mean wedding bells are in their future?
"Maybe," she teased to Us. "Never say never!"
Spears says she has "never been happier" now that she's with Trawick. rift gold A family source reveals that he was a source of light during her darkest days, adding he "was one of the only people who stuck by her through everything." Rift Gold Spears famously went through a public breakdown that resulted in a brief stint in a psychiatric hospital and losing custody of her sons.
"[Jason] was someone she felt she could be her true self with," the source said. RIFT Platinum "[Marriage] is what they talk about and the direction they're going in."
Spears dished about her relationship with boyfriend Jason Trawick to UsMagazine.com.
"We have such a great time together!" RIFT Platinum Spears said. "He makes me laugh, and we are so comfortable being ourselves."
The pair have been dating for over two years and have been seen out together with Spears' family, including her two young sons with ex-husband Kevin Federline.
But does all of the family bonding mean wedding bells are in their future?
"Maybe," she teased to Us. "Never say never!"
Spears says she has "never been happier" now that she's with Trawick. rift gold A family source reveals that he was a source of light during her darkest days, adding he "was one of the only people who stuck by her through everything." Rift Gold Spears famously went through a public breakdown that resulted in a brief stint in a psychiatric hospital and losing custody of her sons.
"[Jason] was someone she felt she could be her true self with," the source said. RIFT Platinum "[Marriage] is what they talk about and the direction they're going in."
2011年4月25日星期一
Brewers at Phillies Series Finale Pitching Matchups and Lineups
On paper, Randy Wolf should not have out-dueled Roy Halladay yesterday.
Rift Gold On paper, Chris Narveson should not out-duel Cliff Lee today. That means we'll have a similar result as yesterday, right? Riiiiigh?
Ron Roenicke will send Chris Narveson (1.45/2.31 ERA/FIP) to the mound this afternoon. Would anyone have guess that Narveson would have a 2.31 FIP three starts into the season? Or that he would be the best starting pitcher (in terms of FIP) on the team three starts into the season. Say what you will about small sample sizes, Narveson has certainly been a pleasant surprise so far this season. He's getting a little lucky so far this season, RIFT Platinum with a BABIP of .286, but in comparison to last season, he's striking out more batters (9.2 K/9, up from 7.4 from last season) and giving up fewer hits (6.8 H/9, down from 9.2 last season).
As I'm sure you've heard, rift gold Narveson started his season with 14 scoreless innings. His third start wasn't as impressive has his first two, as he walked in his first ER of the year, and lasted only 5.2 innings while giving up 3 ER against the Nationals. Narveson has yet to give up a homer this season, let's see if he can keep up that trend at the Bank. In his career against the Phills Narveson is 0-1 with a 6.35 ERA. No Philly has faced Narveson more than 10 times, but Shane Victorino does have a home run against him.
Narv-dog will be facing one of the Phillies 80 aces, Clifton Phifer Lee (2-1, 4.19/1.66 ERA/FIP). So far this season Lee has had one good start (7 IP, 3 ER), one bad start (3.1 IP, 6 ER), and one excellent start, RIFT Platinum the latter of which was his most recent start. He pitched a complete game shutout against the Nationals, holding them to just 3 hits ans 1 walk. And it took him only 99 pitches. Lee has given up just two walks this season. In has career vs. the Brewers Lee is 0-1 with a 10.50 ERA. Three Brewers have faced Lee at least 10 times:
Rift Gold On paper, Chris Narveson should not out-duel Cliff Lee today. That means we'll have a similar result as yesterday, right? Riiiiigh?
Ron Roenicke will send Chris Narveson (1.45/2.31 ERA/FIP) to the mound this afternoon. Would anyone have guess that Narveson would have a 2.31 FIP three starts into the season? Or that he would be the best starting pitcher (in terms of FIP) on the team three starts into the season. Say what you will about small sample sizes, Narveson has certainly been a pleasant surprise so far this season. He's getting a little lucky so far this season, RIFT Platinum with a BABIP of .286, but in comparison to last season, he's striking out more batters (9.2 K/9, up from 7.4 from last season) and giving up fewer hits (6.8 H/9, down from 9.2 last season).
As I'm sure you've heard, rift gold Narveson started his season with 14 scoreless innings. His third start wasn't as impressive has his first two, as he walked in his first ER of the year, and lasted only 5.2 innings while giving up 3 ER against the Nationals. Narveson has yet to give up a homer this season, let's see if he can keep up that trend at the Bank. In his career against the Phills Narveson is 0-1 with a 6.35 ERA. No Philly has faced Narveson more than 10 times, but Shane Victorino does have a home run against him.
Narv-dog will be facing one of the Phillies 80 aces, Clifton Phifer Lee (2-1, 4.19/1.66 ERA/FIP). So far this season Lee has had one good start (7 IP, 3 ER), one bad start (3.1 IP, 6 ER), and one excellent start, RIFT Platinum the latter of which was his most recent start. He pitched a complete game shutout against the Nationals, holding them to just 3 hits ans 1 walk. And it took him only 99 pitches. Lee has given up just two walks this season. In has career vs. the Brewers Lee is 0-1 with a 10.50 ERA. Three Brewers have faced Lee at least 10 times:
LeAnn Rimes on Falling for a Married Man: 'It Happens Every Day'
Regrets, she has few (if any). LeAnn Rimes has opened up about the cheating scandal that has damaged her once sparkling reputation and career, telling ABC News' Robin Roberts in a teary interview that she and Eddie Cibrian have nothing to be ashamed of for finding each other.
"It happens every day to so many people," Rimes says of meeting and falling for then-married Cibrian on the set of a TV movie. "And if I take away my album sales, my words ... you have just another couple. RIFT Platinum You had two couples whose marriages didn't work, who really stumbled upon each other and fell in love."
Rimes, who was married to dancer Dean Sheremet at the time, told Roberts that she was as shocked as anybody that she cheated.
"That's just not me. What happened is not who I am, period," she says. "I do know how much I love him. So, I've always said I don't live my life with regret. I can't."
Cibrian, who has two children with ex-wife Brandi Glanville, agrees with his lady. rift gold "The truth is that we're human beings. We make mistakes and we learn from them, but we're human. We fell in love."
Rimes' career has taken quite a hit since she and Cibrian's relationship started on the set of 'Northern Lights.' Recently, the editor-in-chief of Shape Magazine apologized to the mag's readers, who objected to having Rimes on the cover of the October issue.
"You are all in good company," Valerie Latona wrote to disgruntled Shape-ers. RIFT Platinum "As you all agree Shape has made a terrible mistake in putting LeAnn Rimes on the cover. Please know that our putting her on the cover was not meant to put a husband-stealer on a pedestal-but to show (through her story)... "
Rimes shot back, saying the magazine was sending mixed signals because they were throwing her a party to celebrate the cover. "I find this very contradictory," she wrote to her fans.
But Rimes isn't allowing the mounting criticism get to her, admitting in the ABC interview that she can't change critics' minds on the issue. Rift Gold "Nothing I'm going to say is going to change it. I do know that and I have accepted that."
"It happens every day to so many people," Rimes says of meeting and falling for then-married Cibrian on the set of a TV movie. "And if I take away my album sales, my words ... you have just another couple. RIFT Platinum You had two couples whose marriages didn't work, who really stumbled upon each other and fell in love."
Rimes, who was married to dancer Dean Sheremet at the time, told Roberts that she was as shocked as anybody that she cheated.
"That's just not me. What happened is not who I am, period," she says. "I do know how much I love him. So, I've always said I don't live my life with regret. I can't."
Cibrian, who has two children with ex-wife Brandi Glanville, agrees with his lady. rift gold "The truth is that we're human beings. We make mistakes and we learn from them, but we're human. We fell in love."
Rimes' career has taken quite a hit since she and Cibrian's relationship started on the set of 'Northern Lights.' Recently, the editor-in-chief of Shape Magazine apologized to the mag's readers, who objected to having Rimes on the cover of the October issue.
"You are all in good company," Valerie Latona wrote to disgruntled Shape-ers. RIFT Platinum "As you all agree Shape has made a terrible mistake in putting LeAnn Rimes on the cover. Please know that our putting her on the cover was not meant to put a husband-stealer on a pedestal-but to show (through her story)... "
Rimes shot back, saying the magazine was sending mixed signals because they were throwing her a party to celebrate the cover. "I find this very contradictory," she wrote to her fans.
But Rimes isn't allowing the mounting criticism get to her, admitting in the ABC interview that she can't change critics' minds on the issue. Rift Gold "Nothing I'm going to say is going to change it. I do know that and I have accepted that."
Internet Unlikely to Spark Zimbabwe Mass Mobilization - Freedom House
Washington-based think tank Freedom House says obstacles to Internet access in Zimbabwe make it questionable whether the World Wide Web can be a means for activists to mobilize the masses to press for immediate democratic reforms.
rift gold
In a report on the Internet and democracy in 2011, Freedom House said that although the Internet is nominally free from government interference, the 11 percent of Zimbabweans with access to the Web mainly use it for social purposes by visiting sites like Facebook.
Titled "Freedom on the Net 2011", the report notes that although there is no clear evidence the Zimbabwean government blocks access to digital media, there were structural constraints suggesting indirect blocking. Many hesitate to engage in Web activism because most users messages under their own names so they can communicate with family and friends.
Freedom House said the most worrisome move in Zimbabwe was the adoption of the Interception of Communications Act in 2007, allowing the state to monitor mail, phone and Internet messages, and obliging access providers to cooperate in this.
“Debates on the country’s political and socio-economic issues and reactions to Internet stories on Zimbabwe are mostly confined to chat rooms and feedback sections of online news sites,” the report said.
The roles of Facebook, Twitter and other websites played a key role in upheavals witnessed in Tunisia, Egypt and elsewhere this year, but Zimbabwe has not followed suit.
Freedom House says Internet usage has grown rapidly in the country from 0,3% of the population in 2000 to 12% by 2009 - but notes that the communications medium is still relatively expensive and erratic because of frequent power cuts.
rift gold
Freedom House Program Officer for Southern Africa Megan Shaw told VOA reporter Jonga Kandemiiri that Internet usage will increase with the introduction of new technologies.
Political analyst John Makumbe disagreed with the Freedom House report, noting at many Zimbabwean youths spend large parts of their day in Internet cafes.
rift gold
In a report on the Internet and democracy in 2011, Freedom House said that although the Internet is nominally free from government interference, the 11 percent of Zimbabweans with access to the Web mainly use it for social purposes by visiting sites like Facebook.
Titled "Freedom on the Net 2011", the report notes that although there is no clear evidence the Zimbabwean government blocks access to digital media, there were structural constraints suggesting indirect blocking. Many hesitate to engage in Web activism because most users messages under their own names so they can communicate with family and friends.
Freedom House said the most worrisome move in Zimbabwe was the adoption of the Interception of Communications Act in 2007, allowing the state to monitor mail, phone and Internet messages, and obliging access providers to cooperate in this.
“Debates on the country’s political and socio-economic issues and reactions to Internet stories on Zimbabwe are mostly confined to chat rooms and feedback sections of online news sites,” the report said.
The roles of Facebook, Twitter and other websites played a key role in upheavals witnessed in Tunisia, Egypt and elsewhere this year, but Zimbabwe has not followed suit.
Freedom House says Internet usage has grown rapidly in the country from 0,3% of the population in 2000 to 12% by 2009 - but notes that the communications medium is still relatively expensive and erratic because of frequent power cuts.
rift gold
Freedom House Program Officer for Southern Africa Megan Shaw told VOA reporter Jonga Kandemiiri that Internet usage will increase with the introduction of new technologies.
Political analyst John Makumbe disagreed with the Freedom House report, noting at many Zimbabwean youths spend large parts of their day in Internet cafes.
Umberto Eco
Italian philosopher and novelist. Umberto Eco studied philosophy at the University of Turin. His dissertation was on the problem of the aesthetic in Aquinas. Eco has been a collaborator in the cultural department of Italian Television (RAI); professor for aesthetics at the University of Turin and Milan; visiting professor at the universities of São Paulo, New York, Buenos Aires, as well as Northwestern University; and professor for semiotics rift gold and director of the Institute for Communication Theory and Theater Arts at the University of Bologna. In 1988 he became president of the University of San Marino. He was also cofounder of the avant-gardist “gruppo 63.”
Although the novels The Name of the Rose (1980) and Foucault’s Pendulum (1988) secured Eco’s fame, his significance was already established by the publication of his numerous works on semiotics. In 1967 he published La struttura asserte (Introduction to Semiotics), in 1976 A Theory of Semiotics, and in 1992 Limits of Interpretation. In addition, he has published writings on aesthetics and history; essays in cultural criticism; and numerous columns, literary miniatures, and parodies. The connecting piece of all these heterogeneous projects has been semiotics as a fundamental philosophy of the sign. It implies the foundation of a theory of culture insofar as signs exist only in the context of culture and, in turn, culture is expressed through the production of signs. Correspondingly, his aesthetic and cultural-historical writings can be considered contributions to a theory of symbolic production, whereas his cultural-critical essays have to be understood as applicatory models toward a semiotics of everyday life. The novels, on the other hand, are to be read in terms of a”narrative semiotics,” that is, an exemplification of theory and meta-narrative speculation according to the maxim: “What cannot be said theoretically, that has to be narrated.” Thus, Eco’s position in philosophy places itself within the cultural conditions of the late twentieth century. Against the one-sidedness of both modernity and post-modernity, Eco warns that neither reason nor the desiderata of the nondiscursive form a conclusive answer,rift gold since both lead into impossible alternatives: either into destruction or madness. Correspondingly, Eco’s position lies “between” modernity and postmodernity, for one can criticize the fatality of an independent reason without falling prey to the cult of an irrationalist counter-Enlightenment; and one can criticize the excesses of irrationalism without subscribing to sterile rationalism. And the theoretical program of semiotics, through its patient labor on the concrete and the respective social reality and culture, attempts to work within this narrow gap between a critique of rationality and a critique of the critique of rationality by following a logic of discovery founded in prudence as the kind of rationality always already marked by the insight into its own regionality and limitation.
Although the novels The Name of the Rose (1980) and Foucault’s Pendulum (1988) secured Eco’s fame, his significance was already established by the publication of his numerous works on semiotics. In 1967 he published La struttura asserte (Introduction to Semiotics), in 1976 A Theory of Semiotics, and in 1992 Limits of Interpretation. In addition, he has published writings on aesthetics and history; essays in cultural criticism; and numerous columns, literary miniatures, and parodies. The connecting piece of all these heterogeneous projects has been semiotics as a fundamental philosophy of the sign. It implies the foundation of a theory of culture insofar as signs exist only in the context of culture and, in turn, culture is expressed through the production of signs. Correspondingly, his aesthetic and cultural-historical writings can be considered contributions to a theory of symbolic production, whereas his cultural-critical essays have to be understood as applicatory models toward a semiotics of everyday life. The novels, on the other hand, are to be read in terms of a”narrative semiotics,” that is, an exemplification of theory and meta-narrative speculation according to the maxim: “What cannot be said theoretically, that has to be narrated.” Thus, Eco’s position in philosophy places itself within the cultural conditions of the late twentieth century. Against the one-sidedness of both modernity and post-modernity, Eco warns that neither reason nor the desiderata of the nondiscursive form a conclusive answer,rift gold since both lead into impossible alternatives: either into destruction or madness. Correspondingly, Eco’s position lies “between” modernity and postmodernity, for one can criticize the fatality of an independent reason without falling prey to the cult of an irrationalist counter-Enlightenment; and one can criticize the excesses of irrationalism without subscribing to sterile rationalism. And the theoretical program of semiotics, through its patient labor on the concrete and the respective social reality and culture, attempts to work within this narrow gap between a critique of rationality and a critique of the critique of rationality by following a logic of discovery founded in prudence as the kind of rationality always already marked by the insight into its own regionality and limitation.
Nelson Mandela
Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela
Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela was born July 18, 1918, at the Cape of Good Hope, in South Africa. He became a militant activist who fought for black rights against the white-controlled South African government. He spent twenty-eight years in prison,rift gold but eventually was freed and became the country’s first black president, an office he retained until 1999.
FIGHT AGAINST APARTHEID
For most of Mandela’s life, South Africa had been ruled under a system called apartheid. Apartheid—which means “apartness” in Afrikaans, the language of most white South Africans—required that whites, blacks, and other racial groups be separated as much as possible. In practice, apartheid meant that blacks, who made up the vast majority of the population, would be forced to be subservient, and whites, who made up less than 20 percent of the population, would have the best land, jobs, and lives. Mandela came from a prominent Xhosa family (the Xhosa comprise one of South Africa’s largest black ethnic groups) and was able to go to college and law school—a privilege most black South Africans could only dream of. Mandela, however, did not allow his privileged position to blind him to the injustice that characterized his country. He was determined to fight against it. In 1943, Mandela joined the African National Congress (ANC), a black civil rights group dedicated to ending racial discrimination in South Africa. Although he supported ANC goals, its approach was too moderate for Mandela and other young activists. In 1944, they formed the ANC Youth League, which had a more confrontational approach than the parent body. By 1947 Mandela and his allies were pushing the ANC to follow their more aggressive style. In 1960, responding to ANC-inspired antiapartheid protests, South African police fired on hundreds of unarmed demonstrators at the township of Sharpeville. The resulting uproar of protest led the whitecontrolled government to ban the ANC.
Mandela was transformed into a rebel. In 1962 he was charged with treason. At his trial he made a moving four-hour speech criticizing apartheid; the white court ignored his speech and ordered him imprisoned. He stayed in prison for the next twenty-eight years.
Mandela spent most of his prison time in Robben Island Prison, a dreary prison located off the coast of South Africa. In his memoirs, Mandela said: “Robben Island was without question the harshest, most iron-fisted outpost in the South African penal system. It was a hardship station not only for the prisoners but for the prison staff. Gone were the Coloured warders who had supplied cigarettes and sympathy. The warders were white and overwhelmingly Afrikaans-speaking, and they demanded a master-servant relationship. They ordered us to call them ‘baas,’ which we refused. The racial divide on Robben Island was absolute: there were no black warders, and no white prisoners. . . . Robben Island was like going to another country. Its isolation made it not simply another prison, but a world of its own, far removed from the one we had come from.”
During his twenty-eight years of captivity, Mandela became one of the most famous prisoners in the world. The South African government tried to portray him as a communist revolutionary and troublemaker, but most of the world grew to see him as a dedicated man fighting for justice and imprisoned for political reasons. “Free Nelson Mandela” signs, posters, and bumper stickers became commonplace in many parts of the industrialized world. The prominence of Mandela as a prisoner helped to make many people aware of the evils of apartheid and prompted them to support economic sanctions against South Africa. After 1985, the white regime, recognizing Mandela’s growing influence, tried to defuse his importance by repeatedly offering him a freedom in return for a promise to cease his political activities.
Mandela, not wishing to compromise his principles, refused these offers. Facing growing opposition from both inside and outside the country, the South African government finally recognized that apartheid had to end, and that apartheid’s most famous prisoner had to be released. President F. W. de Klerk released Mandela from prison on February 11, 1990. Mandela was chosen to be the leader of the ANC, and during the next few years he worked closely with de Klerk, his former enemy, to bring about a peaceful end to apartheid. The transition from apartheid to true democracy was marred by violence, much of it white on black, but Mandela consistently and continuously worked to calm tensions and avoid violent confrontations. In 1993, Mandela and de Klerk were jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Price. In 1994, Nelson Mandela was elected the first black president of South Africa. As president, Mandela worked to heal the wounds caused by apartheid. Rather than seeking revenge, he organized the Truth rift gold and Reconciliation Commission, whose job it was to investigate the crimes that occurred under apartheid, but not to punish them. Mandela recognized that seeking justice for past crimes might have led to continued violence in South Africa; it also might have alienated many white South Africans, whose education and technical skills were required if the country were to prosper economically. In 1999 he ended his term as president and retired from political life.
Mandela’s determination, even after years of imprisonment, and his magnanimity upon his release, marks him as unique among those who have fought for human rights. Many observers expected South Africa to explode into violence as apartheid ended; it is probably Mandela’s efforts, motivated by his respect for human life, that kept this from happening. For most of his life he was one of the oppressed; when he gained power, he refused to become an oppressor. He believed in human rights, not only for his people, but for all people.
Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela was born July 18, 1918, at the Cape of Good Hope, in South Africa. He became a militant activist who fought for black rights against the white-controlled South African government. He spent twenty-eight years in prison,rift gold but eventually was freed and became the country’s first black president, an office he retained until 1999.
FIGHT AGAINST APARTHEID
For most of Mandela’s life, South Africa had been ruled under a system called apartheid. Apartheid—which means “apartness” in Afrikaans, the language of most white South Africans—required that whites, blacks, and other racial groups be separated as much as possible. In practice, apartheid meant that blacks, who made up the vast majority of the population, would be forced to be subservient, and whites, who made up less than 20 percent of the population, would have the best land, jobs, and lives. Mandela came from a prominent Xhosa family (the Xhosa comprise one of South Africa’s largest black ethnic groups) and was able to go to college and law school—a privilege most black South Africans could only dream of. Mandela, however, did not allow his privileged position to blind him to the injustice that characterized his country. He was determined to fight against it. In 1943, Mandela joined the African National Congress (ANC), a black civil rights group dedicated to ending racial discrimination in South Africa. Although he supported ANC goals, its approach was too moderate for Mandela and other young activists. In 1944, they formed the ANC Youth League, which had a more confrontational approach than the parent body. By 1947 Mandela and his allies were pushing the ANC to follow their more aggressive style. In 1960, responding to ANC-inspired antiapartheid protests, South African police fired on hundreds of unarmed demonstrators at the township of Sharpeville. The resulting uproar of protest led the whitecontrolled government to ban the ANC.
Mandela was transformed into a rebel. In 1962 he was charged with treason. At his trial he made a moving four-hour speech criticizing apartheid; the white court ignored his speech and ordered him imprisoned. He stayed in prison for the next twenty-eight years.
Mandela spent most of his prison time in Robben Island Prison, a dreary prison located off the coast of South Africa. In his memoirs, Mandela said: “Robben Island was without question the harshest, most iron-fisted outpost in the South African penal system. It was a hardship station not only for the prisoners but for the prison staff. Gone were the Coloured warders who had supplied cigarettes and sympathy. The warders were white and overwhelmingly Afrikaans-speaking, and they demanded a master-servant relationship. They ordered us to call them ‘baas,’ which we refused. The racial divide on Robben Island was absolute: there were no black warders, and no white prisoners. . . . Robben Island was like going to another country. Its isolation made it not simply another prison, but a world of its own, far removed from the one we had come from.”
During his twenty-eight years of captivity, Mandela became one of the most famous prisoners in the world. The South African government tried to portray him as a communist revolutionary and troublemaker, but most of the world grew to see him as a dedicated man fighting for justice and imprisoned for political reasons. “Free Nelson Mandela” signs, posters, and bumper stickers became commonplace in many parts of the industrialized world. The prominence of Mandela as a prisoner helped to make many people aware of the evils of apartheid and prompted them to support economic sanctions against South Africa. After 1985, the white regime, recognizing Mandela’s growing influence, tried to defuse his importance by repeatedly offering him a freedom in return for a promise to cease his political activities.
Mandela, not wishing to compromise his principles, refused these offers. Facing growing opposition from both inside and outside the country, the South African government finally recognized that apartheid had to end, and that apartheid’s most famous prisoner had to be released. President F. W. de Klerk released Mandela from prison on February 11, 1990. Mandela was chosen to be the leader of the ANC, and during the next few years he worked closely with de Klerk, his former enemy, to bring about a peaceful end to apartheid. The transition from apartheid to true democracy was marred by violence, much of it white on black, but Mandela consistently and continuously worked to calm tensions and avoid violent confrontations. In 1993, Mandela and de Klerk were jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Price. In 1994, Nelson Mandela was elected the first black president of South Africa. As president, Mandela worked to heal the wounds caused by apartheid. Rather than seeking revenge, he organized the Truth rift gold and Reconciliation Commission, whose job it was to investigate the crimes that occurred under apartheid, but not to punish them. Mandela recognized that seeking justice for past crimes might have led to continued violence in South Africa; it also might have alienated many white South Africans, whose education and technical skills were required if the country were to prosper economically. In 1999 he ended his term as president and retired from political life.
Mandela’s determination, even after years of imprisonment, and his magnanimity upon his release, marks him as unique among those who have fought for human rights. Many observers expected South Africa to explode into violence as apartheid ended; it is probably Mandela’s efforts, motivated by his respect for human life, that kept this from happening. For most of his life he was one of the oppressed; when he gained power, he refused to become an oppressor. He believed in human rights, not only for his people, but for all people.
UN Humanitarian Appeal for Zimbabwe Falling Far Short of Need
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Zimbabwe has warned that developments in health, food security,rift gold and rising political violence could have a negative impact on the humanitarian situation in the country.
The report says the UN annual appeal to donors for around $415 million has only brought in a total of $54 million. At the moment, UN officials say new pledges total just $500,000.
Food shortages in many parts of Zimbabwe and a resurgence of cholera in some areas signal a continued need for humanitarian assistance.
In the OCHA monthly report,rift gold officials say the food security situation is alarming at a time when major donors are shifting focus from humanitarian to a transitional aid - the 2011 appeal is structured to provide funds for recovery projects as well as humanitarian aid.
Officials say various population segments have slipped back into humanitarian need since the agency adopted the transitional strategy in the country.
Economist James Wade says donors have seen fit to channel funds to specific projects and target areas, but the underfunding has left some vulnerable communities at risk.
The report says the UN annual appeal to donors for around $415 million has only brought in a total of $54 million. At the moment, UN officials say new pledges total just $500,000.
Food shortages in many parts of Zimbabwe and a resurgence of cholera in some areas signal a continued need for humanitarian assistance.
In the OCHA monthly report,rift gold officials say the food security situation is alarming at a time when major donors are shifting focus from humanitarian to a transitional aid - the 2011 appeal is structured to provide funds for recovery projects as well as humanitarian aid.
Officials say various population segments have slipped back into humanitarian need since the agency adopted the transitional strategy in the country.
Economist James Wade says donors have seen fit to channel funds to specific projects and target areas, but the underfunding has left some vulnerable communities at risk.
Tea
Tea is a beverage prepared by pouring boiling water over dry processed tea leaves. It ranks as the most popular refreshing drink in more countries than any other beverage. The annual worldwide production of dried tea totals about 53/4 billion pounds (2.6 billion kilograms).
rift gold
India has always played a dominant role in world tea production. Today, India produces over 11/2 billion pounds (720 million kilograms) each year. China is the second largest producer with over 11/4 billion pounds (600 million kilograms) annually. Other tea-producing countries include Indonesia, Kenya, and Sri Lanka.
The tea-producing countries themselves consume over one-half of the global tea crop. Britain imports the greatest amount of tea–about 400 million pounds (180 million kilograms) annually. On the average, about 7 pounds (3.2 kilograms) of tea are consumed per person each year in Britain.
People in the United States consume about 3/4 pound (0.34 kilogram) of tea per person per year. From leaf to cup The tea plant grows in tropical and subtropical climates. The plant, an evergreen, grows quickly at low altitudes where the air is warm. The finest tea comes from elevations of 3,000 to 7,000 feet (900 to 2,100 meters). The plant grows more slowly in cool air, adding to its flavor.
Tea plants have small, white, sweet-smelling flowers. Each flower produces three seeds that look like hazelnuts. On a tea estate or in a tea garden where tea plants are grown commercially, workers plant the seeds in a nursery bed. Another method of cultivating tea involves planting cuttings of tea plants with desirable qualities, such as high yield or special flavor, in the bed. About a year later, when the plants are about 8 inches (20 centimeters) high, they are transplanted to the field. About 3,000 tea plants grow on 1 acre (0.4 hectare) of land.
Wild tea plants grow as high as 30 feet (9 meters). But a commercial tea plant is pruned to keep it from 3 to 4 feet (91 to 120 centimeters) high. The plant matures in three to five years and produces a flush (growth of new shoots). Each shoot consists of several leaves and a bud. At lower altitudes, tea plants may grow a flush every week. At higher altitudes, a plant needs as long as two weeks to grow a flush. Tea plants produce no flushes in cold weather. Workers called tea pluckers pick the flushes off the bush by hand. A plucker can harvest about 40 pounds (18 kilograms) of tea leaves a day, enough to make about 10 pounds (4.5 kilograms) of manufactured tea. Mechanical pluckers are common in countries with flat land. These devices are tractorlike machines that can harvest as much tea leaf as up to 100 manual pluckers. However, tea of higher quality is generally produced from leaves that have been hand-plucked. Processing tea. There are three main kinds of tea: (1) black, (2) green, and (3) oolong. They differ in the method used to process the leaves. The processing takes place in a factory on or near the tea estate. All tea-producing countries manufacture black tea. Most of the green and oolong tea comes from China, Japan, and Taiwan.
Black tea. To make black tea, workers first spread the leaves on shelves called withering racks. Air is blown over the leaves to remove excess moisture, leaving them soft and flexible. Next, the leaves are crushed between the rollers of a machine to release their flavorful juices. Then, in a fermenting room, the tea leaves change chemically under controlled humidity and temperature until they turn coppery in color. Finally, the leaves are dried in ovens rift gold and become brownish-black. Green tea is made by steaming the leaves in large vats. The steaming prevents the leaves from changing color.
The leaves are then crushed in a machine and dried in ovens. Oolong tea is made by partially fermenting the leaves. This gives tea leaves a greenish-brown color. Grades of tea vary only according to the size of the leaves. The size of a tea leaf has nothing to do with the quality of the tea.
To sort the processed tea leaves by grade, they are passed across screens with different size holes. The largest tea leaves, selected for loose tea, are classified–in order of size–as orange pekoe, pekoe, and pekoe souchong. The smaller or broken tea leaves, generally used in tea bags, are classified as broken orange pekoe, broken orange pekoe fannings, and fannings. Instant tea is made by brewing tea on a large scale and then removing the water by a drying process. When the process is completed, only a powder remains. The powdered tea combines easily with moisture, and so it must be packed under controlled humidity and temperature. People make instant tea at home by simply adding water to the powder.
Teas grown in different countries, or even in different parts of the same country, vary in taste, flavor, and quality. To obtain the best teas, each tea company employs tea tasters who select only certain teas for purchase. These teas, after being blended by the company, have a flavor for which the firm is known. The company then sells its blend of tea under its own brand name.
Brewing tea. Tea is brewed by pouring boiling water over one teaspoon of loose tea, or one tea bag, per cup. To obtain the best flavor, the tea should steep (soak) for three to five minutes before being served. People who prefer weak tea can add hot water. Iced tea, the most popular form of the beverage in the United States, is prepared by first brewing a strong hot tea. For each two glasses, three teaspoons of tea or three tea bags should be used. After steeping for five minutes, the tea is cooled at room temperature and served over ice cubes.
History
According to legend, the use of tea was discovered by Emperor Shennong of China about 2737 B.C. The earliest known mention of tea appeared in Chinese literature of about A.D. 350. The custom of tea drinking spread to Japan around A.D. 600. The first shipment of tea to Europe was made in 1610 by Dutch traders who imported it from China and Japan. By 1650, the Dutch were importing tea into the American Colonies. In 1657, the beverage was sold for the first time in coffee houses in England. Tea went on to become the national drink of Britain. In 1767, Britain placed a tax on the tea being used by the American colonists. Colonial resistance to the tax brought about the Boston Tea Party in 1773 and contributed to the American independence movement. The use of iced tea and tea bags began in the United States. Richard Blechynden, an Englishman trying to increase the use of tea in the United States, first served iced tea at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition (also called the St. Louis World’s Fair) in 1904. That same year, Thomas Sullivan, a New York City coffee and tea merchant, sent his customers samples of tea leaves in small silk bags instead of the usual tin containers. The customers began to order tea leaves in bags after finding that tea could be brewed easily with them.
Instant tea was developed in the United States and first marketed in 1948. Scientific classification. The tea plant is a member of the tea family, Theaceae. It is Camellia sinensis.
rift gold
India has always played a dominant role in world tea production. Today, India produces over 11/2 billion pounds (720 million kilograms) each year. China is the second largest producer with over 11/4 billion pounds (600 million kilograms) annually. Other tea-producing countries include Indonesia, Kenya, and Sri Lanka.
The tea-producing countries themselves consume over one-half of the global tea crop. Britain imports the greatest amount of tea–about 400 million pounds (180 million kilograms) annually. On the average, about 7 pounds (3.2 kilograms) of tea are consumed per person each year in Britain.
People in the United States consume about 3/4 pound (0.34 kilogram) of tea per person per year. From leaf to cup The tea plant grows in tropical and subtropical climates. The plant, an evergreen, grows quickly at low altitudes where the air is warm. The finest tea comes from elevations of 3,000 to 7,000 feet (900 to 2,100 meters). The plant grows more slowly in cool air, adding to its flavor.
Tea plants have small, white, sweet-smelling flowers. Each flower produces three seeds that look like hazelnuts. On a tea estate or in a tea garden where tea plants are grown commercially, workers plant the seeds in a nursery bed. Another method of cultivating tea involves planting cuttings of tea plants with desirable qualities, such as high yield or special flavor, in the bed. About a year later, when the plants are about 8 inches (20 centimeters) high, they are transplanted to the field. About 3,000 tea plants grow on 1 acre (0.4 hectare) of land.
Wild tea plants grow as high as 30 feet (9 meters). But a commercial tea plant is pruned to keep it from 3 to 4 feet (91 to 120 centimeters) high. The plant matures in three to five years and produces a flush (growth of new shoots). Each shoot consists of several leaves and a bud. At lower altitudes, tea plants may grow a flush every week. At higher altitudes, a plant needs as long as two weeks to grow a flush. Tea plants produce no flushes in cold weather. Workers called tea pluckers pick the flushes off the bush by hand. A plucker can harvest about 40 pounds (18 kilograms) of tea leaves a day, enough to make about 10 pounds (4.5 kilograms) of manufactured tea. Mechanical pluckers are common in countries with flat land. These devices are tractorlike machines that can harvest as much tea leaf as up to 100 manual pluckers. However, tea of higher quality is generally produced from leaves that have been hand-plucked. Processing tea. There are three main kinds of tea: (1) black, (2) green, and (3) oolong. They differ in the method used to process the leaves. The processing takes place in a factory on or near the tea estate. All tea-producing countries manufacture black tea. Most of the green and oolong tea comes from China, Japan, and Taiwan.
Black tea. To make black tea, workers first spread the leaves on shelves called withering racks. Air is blown over the leaves to remove excess moisture, leaving them soft and flexible. Next, the leaves are crushed between the rollers of a machine to release their flavorful juices. Then, in a fermenting room, the tea leaves change chemically under controlled humidity and temperature until they turn coppery in color. Finally, the leaves are dried in ovens rift gold and become brownish-black. Green tea is made by steaming the leaves in large vats. The steaming prevents the leaves from changing color.
The leaves are then crushed in a machine and dried in ovens. Oolong tea is made by partially fermenting the leaves. This gives tea leaves a greenish-brown color. Grades of tea vary only according to the size of the leaves. The size of a tea leaf has nothing to do with the quality of the tea.
To sort the processed tea leaves by grade, they are passed across screens with different size holes. The largest tea leaves, selected for loose tea, are classified–in order of size–as orange pekoe, pekoe, and pekoe souchong. The smaller or broken tea leaves, generally used in tea bags, are classified as broken orange pekoe, broken orange pekoe fannings, and fannings. Instant tea is made by brewing tea on a large scale and then removing the water by a drying process. When the process is completed, only a powder remains. The powdered tea combines easily with moisture, and so it must be packed under controlled humidity and temperature. People make instant tea at home by simply adding water to the powder.
Teas grown in different countries, or even in different parts of the same country, vary in taste, flavor, and quality. To obtain the best teas, each tea company employs tea tasters who select only certain teas for purchase. These teas, after being blended by the company, have a flavor for which the firm is known. The company then sells its blend of tea under its own brand name.
Brewing tea. Tea is brewed by pouring boiling water over one teaspoon of loose tea, or one tea bag, per cup. To obtain the best flavor, the tea should steep (soak) for three to five minutes before being served. People who prefer weak tea can add hot water. Iced tea, the most popular form of the beverage in the United States, is prepared by first brewing a strong hot tea. For each two glasses, three teaspoons of tea or three tea bags should be used. After steeping for five minutes, the tea is cooled at room temperature and served over ice cubes.
History
According to legend, the use of tea was discovered by Emperor Shennong of China about 2737 B.C. The earliest known mention of tea appeared in Chinese literature of about A.D. 350. The custom of tea drinking spread to Japan around A.D. 600. The first shipment of tea to Europe was made in 1610 by Dutch traders who imported it from China and Japan. By 1650, the Dutch were importing tea into the American Colonies. In 1657, the beverage was sold for the first time in coffee houses in England. Tea went on to become the national drink of Britain. In 1767, Britain placed a tax on the tea being used by the American colonists. Colonial resistance to the tax brought about the Boston Tea Party in 1773 and contributed to the American independence movement. The use of iced tea and tea bags began in the United States. Richard Blechynden, an Englishman trying to increase the use of tea in the United States, first served iced tea at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition (also called the St. Louis World’s Fair) in 1904. That same year, Thomas Sullivan, a New York City coffee and tea merchant, sent his customers samples of tea leaves in small silk bags instead of the usual tin containers. The customers began to order tea leaves in bags after finding that tea could be brewed easily with them.
Instant tea was developed in the United States and first marketed in 1948. Scientific classification. The tea plant is a member of the tea family, Theaceae. It is Camellia sinensis.
2011年4月24日星期日
Prince William and Kate to Live in Royal Mansion
Like many young couples, Prince William and Kate Middleton are preparing for a spring wedding. RIFT Platinum But unlike most newlyweds, the royal-couple-to-be will have their first home already picked out: Clarence House, worth more than $76 million. Sara Firshein of Curbed.com has the very British details. rift gold Check out the gallery of interior photos below. Also, read about their honeymoon plans in our previous post, "Prince William and Kate Middleton to Rent Cottage."
Kate Middleton has lived in decent houses from childhood, but marrying a royal takes that whole quality-of-life thing to astronomical heights. RIFT Platinum Our friends at British real estate site Zoopla write in with a new set of stats that promise to make all 29-year-olds reading this feel even worse about their crappy one-bedroom apartments: Clarence House, where Middleton and Prince William will live once married, is valued at more than $76.68M and worth 343 times the average newlywed starter home ($223,282) in England. Sticking it further are the following stats about Windsor Castle, the royal country retreat (and the largest occupied castle in the world): it's valued at $279M and boasts more than 1,000 rooms over 484,000 square feet.
Eventually King William and his queen will move into Buckingham Palace,Rift Gold which, as the world's most valuable private residence, is currently valued at $1.6B. Kids these days!
Kate Middleton has lived in decent houses from childhood, but marrying a royal takes that whole quality-of-life thing to astronomical heights. RIFT Platinum Our friends at British real estate site Zoopla write in with a new set of stats that promise to make all 29-year-olds reading this feel even worse about their crappy one-bedroom apartments: Clarence House, where Middleton and Prince William will live once married, is valued at more than $76.68M and worth 343 times the average newlywed starter home ($223,282) in England. Sticking it further are the following stats about Windsor Castle, the royal country retreat (and the largest occupied castle in the world): it's valued at $279M and boasts more than 1,000 rooms over 484,000 square feet.
Eventually King William and his queen will move into Buckingham Palace,Rift Gold which, as the world's most valuable private residence, is currently valued at $1.6B. Kids these days!
How to Get a Free, Quick Divorce
Overview
Almost all divorces cost money, though some couples are eligible for free divorce filings whether or not the divorce is a short one. RIFT Platinum If you want a free divorce that goes as quickly as possible, you and your spouse must meet specific conditions. Getting a free divorce is often difficult, but the speed of the divorce is limited by state laws and whether you and your spouse agree to all the divorce terms.
Step 1
Talk to your spouse before filing the divorce. Though you can't get around your state's divorce waiting periods or the court scheduling process, you and your spouse need to agree on all terms if you want the quickest possible divorce. Anytime you can't come to an agreement, the court must make the decision for you. This makes your divorce take much longer.
Step 2
Talk to the court clerk. You can only get a free divorce if the court agrees to waive your divorce filing fee. Contact your local county courthouse clerk and ask about pro se litigant divorce requirements. You should also ask for a fee waiver form. You can only get a fee waiver if you and your spouse are financially unable to pay the filing fee for financial hardship reasons. rift gold Each state has different requirements for what constitutes indigent status.
Ask a Lawyer Online Now 12 Lawyers Are Online! Current Wait Time: 14 Minutes. Law.JustAnswer.com
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Step 3
Draft and file your petition and waiver of service. Divorces are lawsuits, so you or your spouse needs to file the law suit and serve the other party with an official copy of the divorce petition. RIFT Platinum The most effective and cost efficient way to prove service of process is by the non-filing spouse waiving service through a signed waiver filed with the court.
Step 4
Attend the hearing. Most divorces require that you and your spouse appear before the judge. Rift Gold The court must make sure you and your spouse agree to the divorce settlement terms before she orders the divorce decree.
Almost all divorces cost money, though some couples are eligible for free divorce filings whether or not the divorce is a short one. RIFT Platinum If you want a free divorce that goes as quickly as possible, you and your spouse must meet specific conditions. Getting a free divorce is often difficult, but the speed of the divorce is limited by state laws and whether you and your spouse agree to all the divorce terms.
Step 1
Talk to your spouse before filing the divorce. Though you can't get around your state's divorce waiting periods or the court scheduling process, you and your spouse need to agree on all terms if you want the quickest possible divorce. Anytime you can't come to an agreement, the court must make the decision for you. This makes your divorce take much longer.
Step 2
Talk to the court clerk. You can only get a free divorce if the court agrees to waive your divorce filing fee. Contact your local county courthouse clerk and ask about pro se litigant divorce requirements. You should also ask for a fee waiver form. You can only get a fee waiver if you and your spouse are financially unable to pay the filing fee for financial hardship reasons. rift gold Each state has different requirements for what constitutes indigent status.
Ask a Lawyer Online Now 12 Lawyers Are Online! Current Wait Time: 14 Minutes. Law.JustAnswer.com
Sponsored Links
Step 3
Draft and file your petition and waiver of service. Divorces are lawsuits, so you or your spouse needs to file the law suit and serve the other party with an official copy of the divorce petition. RIFT Platinum The most effective and cost efficient way to prove service of process is by the non-filing spouse waiving service through a signed waiver filed with the court.
Step 4
Attend the hearing. Most divorces require that you and your spouse appear before the judge. Rift Gold The court must make sure you and your spouse agree to the divorce settlement terms before she orders the divorce decree.
2011年4月22日星期五
Tigers beat poor Falcons
Leicester's match towards the Aviva Premiership title shows no signs of losing momentum after they won 24-13 against Newcastle.
The Tigers scored three tries through Alesana Tuilagi, Matt Smith and James Grindal but missed out on the bonus point win,rift gold although the four points keep them well ahead of Saracens in the table.
Tane Tu'ipulotu scored Newcastle's only try and Jimmy Gopperth kicked eight points.
Charlie Hodgson's final home match before joining Saracens ended in disappointment as the Exeter Chiefs spoilt the party with a superb 30-24 win over Sale Sharks.
The talismanic fly-half was at the heart of every Sale attacking ploy and duly slotted a penalty and three conversions,rift gold but it was the Chiefs who finished their away campaign in style.
Hodgson's opposite number Ignacio Mieres scored 10 points to go alongside tries from wings Nic Sestaret and Matt Jess. And although Sale responded with two scores of their own from centre Chris Bell and lock Wame Lewaravu, Chiefs lock Tom Hayes sealed the win late on despite Will Addison's consolation try.
The Tigers scored three tries through Alesana Tuilagi, Matt Smith and James Grindal but missed out on the bonus point win,rift gold although the four points keep them well ahead of Saracens in the table.
Tane Tu'ipulotu scored Newcastle's only try and Jimmy Gopperth kicked eight points.
Charlie Hodgson's final home match before joining Saracens ended in disappointment as the Exeter Chiefs spoilt the party with a superb 30-24 win over Sale Sharks.
The talismanic fly-half was at the heart of every Sale attacking ploy and duly slotted a penalty and three conversions,rift gold but it was the Chiefs who finished their away campaign in style.
Hodgson's opposite number Ignacio Mieres scored 10 points to go alongside tries from wings Nic Sestaret and Matt Jess. And although Sale responded with two scores of their own from centre Chris Bell and lock Wame Lewaravu, Chiefs lock Tom Hayes sealed the win late on despite Will Addison's consolation try.
Crusaders shock Giants
Engage Super League basement side Crusaders scored an incredible six-try 32-6 victory over league leaders Huddersfield Giants to make it a great Good Friday in Wales.
Clinton Schifcofske scored a try and kicked four goals for Crusaders with Jason Chan, Rhys Hansbury, Hep Cahill, Jordan Tansey and Stuart Reardon also crossing for the Welsh side.
rift gold
A Danny Brough try which he converted himself was the only response from the Giants.
Reigning man of steel Pat Richards scored two second-half tries to help Super League champions Wigan pull off a breathtaking 28-24 derby victory over a depleted St Helens in front of capacity crowd of 24,000 at the DW Stadium.
Saints looked to have overcome a glut of injuries when they fought back brilliantly from 22-10 down after an hour to draw level with the aid of 19-year-old Tommy Makinson's first Super League try.
And Royce Simmons' men were on course to take over at the top of the table when young winger Jamie Foster's penalty goal edged them in front seven minutes from the end. But the Warriors snatched the spoils with the last play of an enthralling match when substitute forward Liam Farrell went over for a fifth try to seal Wigan's first derby triumph in front of their own fans since 2007.
Martin Gleeson and Sean Long teamed up on derby day once again to overshadow Michael Dobson and help Hull exact revenge on their bitter rivals Hull KR for last year's play-off defeat and this season's opening-day loss in Cardiff with a 36-18 success.
Scott Dureau inspired the Catalan Dragons to a thrilling 37-30 win in London as they maintained their recent run of form by downing Harlequins.
rift gold
Warrington made it five wins in a row against Salford with a supercharged 10-try 60-0 win.
Wakefield produced a stunning second-half comeback to win 28-24 against Castleford.
Clinton Schifcofske scored a try and kicked four goals for Crusaders with Jason Chan, Rhys Hansbury, Hep Cahill, Jordan Tansey and Stuart Reardon also crossing for the Welsh side.
rift gold
A Danny Brough try which he converted himself was the only response from the Giants.
Reigning man of steel Pat Richards scored two second-half tries to help Super League champions Wigan pull off a breathtaking 28-24 derby victory over a depleted St Helens in front of capacity crowd of 24,000 at the DW Stadium.
Saints looked to have overcome a glut of injuries when they fought back brilliantly from 22-10 down after an hour to draw level with the aid of 19-year-old Tommy Makinson's first Super League try.
And Royce Simmons' men were on course to take over at the top of the table when young winger Jamie Foster's penalty goal edged them in front seven minutes from the end. But the Warriors snatched the spoils with the last play of an enthralling match when substitute forward Liam Farrell went over for a fifth try to seal Wigan's first derby triumph in front of their own fans since 2007.
Martin Gleeson and Sean Long teamed up on derby day once again to overshadow Michael Dobson and help Hull exact revenge on their bitter rivals Hull KR for last year's play-off defeat and this season's opening-day loss in Cardiff with a 36-18 success.
Scott Dureau inspired the Catalan Dragons to a thrilling 37-30 win in London as they maintained their recent run of form by downing Harlequins.
rift gold
Warrington made it five wins in a row against Salford with a supercharged 10-try 60-0 win.
Wakefield produced a stunning second-half comeback to win 28-24 against Castleford.
Zebras
If you saw a horse with black-and-white stripes, you might think you were “seeing things.” But you would be seeing a zebra. Zebras are a kind of horse. They walk,rift gold, trot, canter, and gallop just as horses do. Zebras live only in Africa.
There are three species (kinds) of zebras: Grévy’s zebra, the mountain zebra, and the plains zebra (also known as Burchell’s zebra). Each kind of zebra has its own pattern of stripes. And you can tell individual zebras apart. No two zebras have exactly the same stripes.
WHY DO ZEBRAS HAVE STRIPES?
Some scientists think zebra stripes act as protection. Zebras like to hang out together in groups. When zebras are feeding together, the stripes can confuse an attacking animal. The stripes make it hard for a lion or hyena to pick out one zebra in the crowd. The stripes also break up the zebra’s outline and make zebras hard to see at a distance.
Other scientists think zebras can tell each other apart by their stripes. The stripes might help zebras find family members and friends.
Each species of zebra has a different pattern of stripes. The Grévy’s zebra has narrow stripes set closely together. The mountain zebra has wider stripes. The plains zebra has the widest stripes of all. The plains zebra also has stripes that wrap around from its back to its belly. The other two kinds of zebras have white bellies. The plains zebra sometimes has faint gray stripes between the black stripes on its sides.
THE BODY OF A ZEBRA
Zebras are usually smaller than horses. The mountain zebra is the smallest zebra. These zebras are about 4 feet (about 1.2 meters) high at the shoulders. Plains zebras are slightly larger. Grévy’s zebra is the largest zebra. It stands about 5 feet (about 1.5 meters) high at the shoulder.
Zebras have manes that stick straight up from their necks. A zebra’s tail is shorter than a horse’s tail.
Zebras can hear very well. They turn their ears and big eyes toward the source of any sound. They are always on the lookout for danger. How zebras hold their ears helps to show what mood they are in. A zebra that flicks its ears back and forth is upset.
Zebras do not have a very good sense of smell. However, they can smell smoke. Smoke might mean the grassland where they live is on fire.
WHAT DO ZEBRAS EAT?
Like other members of the horse family, zebras are grazing animals. They feed on coarse grass. Zebras have chisel-shaped teeth at the front of the mouth to bite off the grass and large molars (back teeth) for grinding up food.
Zebras spend over half their time eating. In a single day,rift gold a herd of zebras may wander more than 12 miles (20 kilometers) in search of food. While some zebras have their heads down munching on grass, others are on the lookout for danger. Some zebras also stand lookout while other zebras lie down and sleep.
FAMILY LIFE OF ZEBRAS
Zebras form small family units. A zebra female, or mare, is pregnant for about 12 months. She usually gives birth to one foal at a time. The newborn foal feeds on its mother’s milk for up to a year.
The family units of the plains and mountain zebra are very stable. An adult male, or stallion, heads the family. A family can have up to six adult females or mares. The mares often remain in the group for life. The stallion helps protect all the mares and foals in the family unit. Sometimes a younger male may drive out the stallion.
When the animals are on the move, the oldest mare is first in line, followed by her foals. The other mares and foals line up behind by age. The stallion brings up the rear.
A family unit of Grévy’s zebras is usually made up of a nursing mare and one or two of her foals. Stallions help look after their own foals. Adults do get together in groups, but each mare comes and goes as she pleases.
All zebras like physical contact. They groom each other by nibbling on each other’s fur. They flick their tails to keep flies away from each other’s faces.
THREATS TO ZEBRAS
The main natural enemies of zebras are lions, hyenas, and other wild animals. However, people are a greater threat to zebras. People hunt zebras. They hunted a kind of zebra called the quagga until the animal died out.
Today, Grévy’s zebra and the mountain zebra are endangered. People still hunt them for meat and hides. People turn the lands where zebras live into farms and ranches. This leaves fewer places for zebras to live.
There are three species (kinds) of zebras: Grévy’s zebra, the mountain zebra, and the plains zebra (also known as Burchell’s zebra). Each kind of zebra has its own pattern of stripes. And you can tell individual zebras apart. No two zebras have exactly the same stripes.
WHY DO ZEBRAS HAVE STRIPES?
Some scientists think zebra stripes act as protection. Zebras like to hang out together in groups. When zebras are feeding together, the stripes can confuse an attacking animal. The stripes make it hard for a lion or hyena to pick out one zebra in the crowd. The stripes also break up the zebra’s outline and make zebras hard to see at a distance.
Other scientists think zebras can tell each other apart by their stripes. The stripes might help zebras find family members and friends.
Each species of zebra has a different pattern of stripes. The Grévy’s zebra has narrow stripes set closely together. The mountain zebra has wider stripes. The plains zebra has the widest stripes of all. The plains zebra also has stripes that wrap around from its back to its belly. The other two kinds of zebras have white bellies. The plains zebra sometimes has faint gray stripes between the black stripes on its sides.
THE BODY OF A ZEBRA
Zebras are usually smaller than horses. The mountain zebra is the smallest zebra. These zebras are about 4 feet (about 1.2 meters) high at the shoulders. Plains zebras are slightly larger. Grévy’s zebra is the largest zebra. It stands about 5 feet (about 1.5 meters) high at the shoulder.
Zebras have manes that stick straight up from their necks. A zebra’s tail is shorter than a horse’s tail.
Zebras can hear very well. They turn their ears and big eyes toward the source of any sound. They are always on the lookout for danger. How zebras hold their ears helps to show what mood they are in. A zebra that flicks its ears back and forth is upset.
Zebras do not have a very good sense of smell. However, they can smell smoke. Smoke might mean the grassland where they live is on fire.
WHAT DO ZEBRAS EAT?
Like other members of the horse family, zebras are grazing animals. They feed on coarse grass. Zebras have chisel-shaped teeth at the front of the mouth to bite off the grass and large molars (back teeth) for grinding up food.
Zebras spend over half their time eating. In a single day,rift gold a herd of zebras may wander more than 12 miles (20 kilometers) in search of food. While some zebras have their heads down munching on grass, others are on the lookout for danger. Some zebras also stand lookout while other zebras lie down and sleep.
FAMILY LIFE OF ZEBRAS
Zebras form small family units. A zebra female, or mare, is pregnant for about 12 months. She usually gives birth to one foal at a time. The newborn foal feeds on its mother’s milk for up to a year.
The family units of the plains and mountain zebra are very stable. An adult male, or stallion, heads the family. A family can have up to six adult females or mares. The mares often remain in the group for life. The stallion helps protect all the mares and foals in the family unit. Sometimes a younger male may drive out the stallion.
When the animals are on the move, the oldest mare is first in line, followed by her foals. The other mares and foals line up behind by age. The stallion brings up the rear.
A family unit of Grévy’s zebras is usually made up of a nursing mare and one or two of her foals. Stallions help look after their own foals. Adults do get together in groups, but each mare comes and goes as she pleases.
All zebras like physical contact. They groom each other by nibbling on each other’s fur. They flick their tails to keep flies away from each other’s faces.
THREATS TO ZEBRAS
The main natural enemies of zebras are lions, hyenas, and other wild animals. However, people are a greater threat to zebras. People hunt zebras. They hunted a kind of zebra called the quagga until the animal died out.
Today, Grévy’s zebra and the mountain zebra are endangered. People still hunt them for meat and hides. People turn the lands where zebras live into farms and ranches. This leaves fewer places for zebras to live.
Jellyfish
They have no brains and no spines. You can often see right through them. But they can cause painful, sometimes deadly stings. Some can even glow in the dark! Scientists know them as medusas, but most people call them jellyfish.
WHAT ARE JELLYFISH?
Jellyfish are not really fish. They are invertebrate animals. This means that unlike fish or people, they have no backbones. In fact,rift gold they have no bones at all.
Jellyfish have stomachs and mouths, but no heads. They have nervous systems for sensing the world around them, but no brains. They are made almost entirely of water, which is why you can look through them.
Most jellyfish live in salt water, apart from a few types that live in fresh water. Jellyfish are found in oceans and seas all over the world. They live in warm, tropical seas and in icy waters near the North and South poles.
BELL-SHAPED BODIES
Adult jellyfish are shaped like an open umbrella or a bell. Tentacles dangle down from the edges of a jellyfish’s body. At the center of a jellyfish’s body, where it is widest, is the mouth.
The ends of the tentacles have stinging cells on them, which jellyfish use to paralyze and catch their prey. The sting from a jellyfish can be very painful. Some jellyfish, such as the sea wasp, have powerful enough stings to kill people.
WHAT DO JELLYFISH EAT?
Most jellyfish eat fish, tiny creatures called plankton, and even other jellyfish. Once a jellyfish stings and paralyzes its prey, it takes the prey to its mouth and swallows it.
MANY SIZES AND COLORS
Some jellyfish are very small, no larger than a marble. Others are quite large. The largest jellyfish can grow to about 7 feet (about 2 meters) across and weigh hundreds of pounds! Jellyfish may be blue, orange, pink, yellow, purple, and other colors.
HOW DO JELLYFISH MOVE?
Jellyfish use their bell-shaped bodies to move themselves through the water. They expand their bodies and then squish their sides together. This pushes water out behind them, propelling them along. Most jellyfish swim very slowly. They do most of their moving by riding on ocean currents.
THE LIFE OF A JELLYFISH
Life for a jellyfish begins as an egg. Adult jellyfish release thousands of eggs into the water. The eggs develop into larvae. These larvae attach to rocks or other objects on the ocean floor and grow into a polyp. Polyps usually grow in colonies, or groups. They look like plants because they attach to the ground and grow upwards.
The polyps grow taller until they look like tall stacks of saucers. The saucers gradually detach themselves from the polyps and swim free. These free-swimming saucers are young jellyfish.
rift gold
The jellyfish then grow into adults, lay eggs, and the life cycle begins anew.
JELLYFISH THAT GLOW
Some jellyfish can glow in darkness by making their own light. The light is made by a chemical reaction inside the jellyfish. Scientists believe jellyfish glow for several reasons. For example, they may glow to attract animals they prey on.
WHAT ARE JELLYFISH?
Jellyfish are not really fish. They are invertebrate animals. This means that unlike fish or people, they have no backbones. In fact,rift gold they have no bones at all.
Jellyfish have stomachs and mouths, but no heads. They have nervous systems for sensing the world around them, but no brains. They are made almost entirely of water, which is why you can look through them.
Most jellyfish live in salt water, apart from a few types that live in fresh water. Jellyfish are found in oceans and seas all over the world. They live in warm, tropical seas and in icy waters near the North and South poles.
BELL-SHAPED BODIES
Adult jellyfish are shaped like an open umbrella or a bell. Tentacles dangle down from the edges of a jellyfish’s body. At the center of a jellyfish’s body, where it is widest, is the mouth.
The ends of the tentacles have stinging cells on them, which jellyfish use to paralyze and catch their prey. The sting from a jellyfish can be very painful. Some jellyfish, such as the sea wasp, have powerful enough stings to kill people.
WHAT DO JELLYFISH EAT?
Most jellyfish eat fish, tiny creatures called plankton, and even other jellyfish. Once a jellyfish stings and paralyzes its prey, it takes the prey to its mouth and swallows it.
MANY SIZES AND COLORS
Some jellyfish are very small, no larger than a marble. Others are quite large. The largest jellyfish can grow to about 7 feet (about 2 meters) across and weigh hundreds of pounds! Jellyfish may be blue, orange, pink, yellow, purple, and other colors.
HOW DO JELLYFISH MOVE?
Jellyfish use their bell-shaped bodies to move themselves through the water. They expand their bodies and then squish their sides together. This pushes water out behind them, propelling them along. Most jellyfish swim very slowly. They do most of their moving by riding on ocean currents.
THE LIFE OF A JELLYFISH
Life for a jellyfish begins as an egg. Adult jellyfish release thousands of eggs into the water. The eggs develop into larvae. These larvae attach to rocks or other objects on the ocean floor and grow into a polyp. Polyps usually grow in colonies, or groups. They look like plants because they attach to the ground and grow upwards.
The polyps grow taller until they look like tall stacks of saucers. The saucers gradually detach themselves from the polyps and swim free. These free-swimming saucers are young jellyfish.
rift gold
The jellyfish then grow into adults, lay eggs, and the life cycle begins anew.
JELLYFISH THAT GLOW
Some jellyfish can glow in darkness by making their own light. The light is made by a chemical reaction inside the jellyfish. Scientists believe jellyfish glow for several reasons. For example, they may glow to attract animals they prey on.
Wolves
WOLF OR DOG?
rift gold
From a distance you might not be able to tell a wolf from a dog. Wolves look very much like some dogs, such as German shepherds. The main difference is size. Wolves are bigger. They can be 6 feet (2 meters) long and weigh 200 pounds (90 kilograms).
Wolves and dogs come from a common ancestor. Dogs were tamed by humans and bred for different purposes, so their appearance changed. Wolves stayed in the wild. They look much like the ancestor they share with dogs.
Today there are two kinds of wolves. One is the timber wolf, also known as the gray wolf. The other is the red wolf.
WHERE DO WOLVES LIVE?
Timber wolves used to roam much of the Northern Hemisphere. Now, you’ll find them only in the lonely forests and plains of the far north. Red wolves live only in Texas and a few other southern states.
Wolves live in all kinds of terrain, from forests to plains. They make their homes in caves or hollows or in deep brush. There, hidden from view, they can raise their pups in safety.
LIFE AMONG THE WOLVES
Female wolves give birth each spring. They can have as many as 11 pups in a litter or as few as 1.
Wolves live in family groups called packs. In the winter, families join up to form larger packs of 30 wolves or more. The wolves in a pack work together to hunt large animals such as moose, elk, and deer. Generally they go after the weakest animals. They chase an old or wounded beast until it gets tired. Once it drops, they move in for the kill. They also hunt very young animals.
In the summer, big packs break up into smaller groups. They hunt smaller prey such as rabbits and mice.
HOW DO WOLVES GET ALONG?
Wolves live peacefully with other wolves. Wolf packs are well organized. Every member of the pack has a rank. The highest-ranking male wolf is the alpha male. The highest-ranking female wolf is the alpha female. When young wolves wrestle and snarl and play, they are actually working out their rank.
Wolves fight, but they don’t hurt each other. When one wolf feels itself losing, it gives up. It lies on its back rift gold and lifts its head to leave its throat unprotected. At this signal, the other wolf immediately stops fighting too. Wolf pups that keep losing fights end up as low-ranking members of the pack. When there is food to eat, higher-ranking wolves eat first. If mates are scarce, only the higher-ranking wolves get to mate.
Each wolf pack has its own territory. They do not fight over territory. Each pack marks the edges of its territory by spraying urine there. When other wolves smell these markers, they stay out.
rift gold
From a distance you might not be able to tell a wolf from a dog. Wolves look very much like some dogs, such as German shepherds. The main difference is size. Wolves are bigger. They can be 6 feet (2 meters) long and weigh 200 pounds (90 kilograms).
Wolves and dogs come from a common ancestor. Dogs were tamed by humans and bred for different purposes, so their appearance changed. Wolves stayed in the wild. They look much like the ancestor they share with dogs.
Today there are two kinds of wolves. One is the timber wolf, also known as the gray wolf. The other is the red wolf.
WHERE DO WOLVES LIVE?
Timber wolves used to roam much of the Northern Hemisphere. Now, you’ll find them only in the lonely forests and plains of the far north. Red wolves live only in Texas and a few other southern states.
Wolves live in all kinds of terrain, from forests to plains. They make their homes in caves or hollows or in deep brush. There, hidden from view, they can raise their pups in safety.
LIFE AMONG THE WOLVES
Female wolves give birth each spring. They can have as many as 11 pups in a litter or as few as 1.
Wolves live in family groups called packs. In the winter, families join up to form larger packs of 30 wolves or more. The wolves in a pack work together to hunt large animals such as moose, elk, and deer. Generally they go after the weakest animals. They chase an old or wounded beast until it gets tired. Once it drops, they move in for the kill. They also hunt very young animals.
In the summer, big packs break up into smaller groups. They hunt smaller prey such as rabbits and mice.
HOW DO WOLVES GET ALONG?
Wolves live peacefully with other wolves. Wolf packs are well organized. Every member of the pack has a rank. The highest-ranking male wolf is the alpha male. The highest-ranking female wolf is the alpha female. When young wolves wrestle and snarl and play, they are actually working out their rank.
Wolves fight, but they don’t hurt each other. When one wolf feels itself losing, it gives up. It lies on its back rift gold and lifts its head to leave its throat unprotected. At this signal, the other wolf immediately stops fighting too. Wolf pups that keep losing fights end up as low-ranking members of the pack. When there is food to eat, higher-ranking wolves eat first. If mates are scarce, only the higher-ranking wolves get to mate.
Each wolf pack has its own territory. They do not fight over territory. Each pack marks the edges of its territory by spraying urine there. When other wolves smell these markers, they stay out.
2011年4月21日星期四
ESPN Study: Brock Lesnar MMA's Top-Paid Star in 2010
Money always fascinates us. "Keeping up with the Joneses" is as American a saying as "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness." Whether you think that's a good or bad thing, we have largely come to intertwine the intangible ambition of success with the more tangible goal of money. And in mixed martial arts, nobody made more money in 2010 than Brock Lesnar.
That's according to a report from ESPN The Magazine, which culled information from 30 different sports to determine the highest paid athlete in each one.
According to the Magazine, Rift Gold Lesnar made $5.3 million for the two fights he participated in during 2010. That number, however, is more than $800,000 off from the final figure estimated by MMA Fighting.
According to the story's methodology, final earnings represented "official base salary and earnings from the most recently completed season or calendar year" while excluding endorsements, sponsorships and other extra income. The chart gives Lesnar's final number as $5.3 million, including his estimated pay-per-view haul.
While individual pay-per-view bonus structures are rarely publicly revealed, in 2007, during a lawsuit between the UFC and Randy Couture, the promotion opened its books to refute some of Couture's claims, detailing its pay-per-view payouts to him in the process. Under the multi-tiered compensation system -- only available to select fighters -- the athlete would make money with each pay-per-view sold, earning a higher percentage of each buy as they reached each tier of buys.
Using the formula the UFC released at the time, Lesnar would have made just less than $2.5 million for UFC 121, and just over $2.8 million for UFC 116 just in pay-per-view bonuses. Add in his $400,000 base salary for each event, as well as a $75,000 Submission of the Night bonus for his win over Carwin, RIFT Platinum and Lesnar pulled in $6,170,000, according to MMA Fighting estimates.
This doesn't include any other sources of income, including discretionary bonuses routinely handed out by the UFC. Also, keep in mind the pay-per-view bonus chart the UFC released was over three years ago, and pay-per-view revenues have exploded since then, so Lesnar may have a better deal than the one Couture once had.
According to ESPN's research the average amount earned per athlete on the top 30 paid list was just over $5.5 million, putting Lesnar near the midpoint. rift gold Boxer Manny Pacquiao and baseball player Alex Rodriguez were the two highest-paid athletes on the list, each making $32,000,000. The lowest-paid athlete was women's bowler Shannon Pluhowsky at $40,300.
Among other notables listed were NBA star Kobe Bryant ($24,800,000), RIFT Platinum soccer icon Cristiano Ronaldo ($19,500,000), and NFL quarterback Peyton Manning ($15,800,000). The highest-paid female athlete was tennis player Kim Clijsters, at $5,035,060.
That's according to a report from ESPN The Magazine, which culled information from 30 different sports to determine the highest paid athlete in each one.
According to the Magazine, Rift Gold Lesnar made $5.3 million for the two fights he participated in during 2010. That number, however, is more than $800,000 off from the final figure estimated by MMA Fighting.
According to the story's methodology, final earnings represented "official base salary and earnings from the most recently completed season or calendar year" while excluding endorsements, sponsorships and other extra income. The chart gives Lesnar's final number as $5.3 million, including his estimated pay-per-view haul.
While individual pay-per-view bonus structures are rarely publicly revealed, in 2007, during a lawsuit between the UFC and Randy Couture, the promotion opened its books to refute some of Couture's claims, detailing its pay-per-view payouts to him in the process. Under the multi-tiered compensation system -- only available to select fighters -- the athlete would make money with each pay-per-view sold, earning a higher percentage of each buy as they reached each tier of buys.
Using the formula the UFC released at the time, Lesnar would have made just less than $2.5 million for UFC 121, and just over $2.8 million for UFC 116 just in pay-per-view bonuses. Add in his $400,000 base salary for each event, as well as a $75,000 Submission of the Night bonus for his win over Carwin, RIFT Platinum and Lesnar pulled in $6,170,000, according to MMA Fighting estimates.
This doesn't include any other sources of income, including discretionary bonuses routinely handed out by the UFC. Also, keep in mind the pay-per-view bonus chart the UFC released was over three years ago, and pay-per-view revenues have exploded since then, so Lesnar may have a better deal than the one Couture once had.
According to ESPN's research the average amount earned per athlete on the top 30 paid list was just over $5.5 million, putting Lesnar near the midpoint. rift gold Boxer Manny Pacquiao and baseball player Alex Rodriguez were the two highest-paid athletes on the list, each making $32,000,000. The lowest-paid athlete was women's bowler Shannon Pluhowsky at $40,300.
Among other notables listed were NBA star Kobe Bryant ($24,800,000), RIFT Platinum soccer icon Cristiano Ronaldo ($19,500,000), and NFL quarterback Peyton Manning ($15,800,000). The highest-paid female athlete was tennis player Kim Clijsters, at $5,035,060.
What A Male Orgasm Feels Like
By Melissa Noble
So what does a male orgasm feel like? Do orgasms differ drastically between the sexes? On our search to find out what exactly goes on in a man's head and body during sex, we first examined what we already know:
For starters, the male orgasm is significantly shorter, more intense and can, usually, only be experienced once during a single sex session. RIFT Platinum Women on the flipside, if properly stimulated, can pop out a series of orgasms with little recovery period. Secondly, the male orgasm unleashes a rush of drowsy hormones—norepinephrine, serotonin, oxytocin, vasopressin, nictric oxide and the hormone prolactin—making it next to impossible for men not to feel sleepy after sex. The Hands-Free Orgasm
But what exactly does a male orgasm feel like, we wonder. To find out, we asked a few bonafide, penis-owning individuals if they could put it into words that coveted five seconds of orgasmic bliss. What we found? The question was downright hard. Asking men to explain the male orgasm was akin to having them describe the color orange. Regardless, we managed to cull a few truths.
1. The brain shuts off, and then a moment of clarity arises.
Andrew, a 30-year-old computer programmer said that during sex he's in a trance-like, robotic state. While he's physically there, his mind wanders into deep horny forests, that if asked about, rift gold are just as ephemeral and hard to explain as the orgasm itself, but after he comes? "Everything makes sense for a split second. Like I'm seeing things clearly for the first time. That to me is the most powerful thing about orgasm, the moments afterward." The Myth Of The Male Orgasm
2. It's feeling of passing "energy."
Adam a 27-year-old set designer says his orgasms are different depending on whether he's masturbating or having sex. Masturbation for him results in an orgasm out of necessity, but when he comes inside a woman he explains it as almost spiritual. RIFT Platinum "I feel like I'm passing the core of my soul to someone," he said. When we thought he couldn't be serious, he concluded, "not to be cheesy, but its like sharing your energy with somebody. Being so close to someone during a very vulnerable period."
3. The intensity varies depending on how long he holds out.
Paul, a 23-year-old actor says his most intense and earth shattering climaxes happen after he's reached the edge and held out a few times. Rift Gold "There's a differences between just letting loose when you first feel the urge and challenging yourself to hold out. I'm a million times more exhausted after I've stopped and kept going."
So what does a male orgasm feel like? Do orgasms differ drastically between the sexes? On our search to find out what exactly goes on in a man's head and body during sex, we first examined what we already know:
For starters, the male orgasm is significantly shorter, more intense and can, usually, only be experienced once during a single sex session. RIFT Platinum Women on the flipside, if properly stimulated, can pop out a series of orgasms with little recovery period. Secondly, the male orgasm unleashes a rush of drowsy hormones—norepinephrine, serotonin, oxytocin, vasopressin, nictric oxide and the hormone prolactin—making it next to impossible for men not to feel sleepy after sex. The Hands-Free Orgasm
But what exactly does a male orgasm feel like, we wonder. To find out, we asked a few bonafide, penis-owning individuals if they could put it into words that coveted five seconds of orgasmic bliss. What we found? The question was downright hard. Asking men to explain the male orgasm was akin to having them describe the color orange. Regardless, we managed to cull a few truths.
1. The brain shuts off, and then a moment of clarity arises.
Andrew, a 30-year-old computer programmer said that during sex he's in a trance-like, robotic state. While he's physically there, his mind wanders into deep horny forests, that if asked about, rift gold are just as ephemeral and hard to explain as the orgasm itself, but after he comes? "Everything makes sense for a split second. Like I'm seeing things clearly for the first time. That to me is the most powerful thing about orgasm, the moments afterward." The Myth Of The Male Orgasm
2. It's feeling of passing "energy."
Adam a 27-year-old set designer says his orgasms are different depending on whether he's masturbating or having sex. Masturbation for him results in an orgasm out of necessity, but when he comes inside a woman he explains it as almost spiritual. RIFT Platinum "I feel like I'm passing the core of my soul to someone," he said. When we thought he couldn't be serious, he concluded, "not to be cheesy, but its like sharing your energy with somebody. Being so close to someone during a very vulnerable period."
3. The intensity varies depending on how long he holds out.
Paul, a 23-year-old actor says his most intense and earth shattering climaxes happen after he's reached the edge and held out a few times. Rift Gold "There's a differences between just letting loose when you first feel the urge and challenging yourself to hold out. I'm a million times more exhausted after I've stopped and kept going."
Bulls 88, Pacers 84: Deng, Korver and A Crunchtime Possession Send Chicago To A 3-0 Series Lead
The headlines will point to Derrick Rose's drive and layup with the game tied at 84 and 30 seconds left in the fourth quarter. They will espouse his leadership, his grittiness, his ability to make the big play with the game on the line.
But save for that hoop, which was ultimately the game-winner, the Bulls likely won Game 3 in Indiana in spite of the presumptive MVP. They were in fact his only two points in the second half.
Rose and Carlos Boozer combined for 6-28 shooting in a grind-it-out battle at Conseco Fieldhouse, which on most nights means the Bulls would walk away with the rare L. Boozer once again came up short when his team needed him most, missing two easy lay-ins in the first quarter before getting two fouls and sitting until late in the second quarter. Indeed it seems that Boozer's reputation for coming up small in the playoffs is well-earned, but it is no less infuriating to see a team play better once its 15 million dollar a year player is seated firmly on the bench.
But team leader Luol Deng and crunchtime sharpshooter Kyle Korver lifted the Bulls when they needed it most. Deng finished with 21 points, six assists and three rebounds, including 14 first-half points when no other Bull cracked double figures. Korver had 12 points on 5-6 shooting in only 19 minutes of floor time, including two huge three-pointers. He is now 7-8 from distance in the playoffs and has lifted his game when his team needs it most.
The series in now 3-0 in Chicago's favor, but it could just as easily by 0-3. The main difference between the two teams is that Indiana lacks a late-game scoring option, as evidenced by Danny Granger's prayer three-pointer on the game's final possession, and the Bulls' combination of Closer Rose and lock-down defense in the game's final minutes.
If the Bulls manage to stay within shouting distance, there is a sense that the late-game combination of Rose and D (D-Rose, get it? Okay I'm ashamed.) will always pull out the victory. For all the team's struggles in this series, and there have been many, when it has gotten to crunchtime Chicago has shown its superiority.
It bears mentioning that against better competition, the Bulls will need to play their best for more than five minutes per contest. However take nothing away from these Pacers, Rift Gold who played their hearts out for the third straight game, only to have it broken for the third straight time. While Granger failed to hit his final shot, he was stellar throughout the contest, finishing with 21 points. The Pacers destroyed the Bulls on the interior, outscoring Chicago 38-16., and received their fair share of home cooking refereeing (which, to be fair, the Bulls benefited from at the United Center).
Joakim Noah keyed the Bulls' defensive effort with a signature double-double of 11 points and 10 rebounds, to go with four blocks. Chicago held the Pacers to 38% shooting and only 11 assists on 84 points. The Bulls did struggle on the glass in the second half, a first for this series, as they were out-rebounded 27-20, but overall coach Thibodeau had to be pleased with the defensive performance.
It has been a new struggle for every game in this series, first with poor defensive rotations in Game 1, then turnovers in Game 2, RIFT Platinum and shockingly tonight, rebounding. And make no mistake, the Bulls offense has a serious case of the hiccups that must be ironed out if they are to advance beyond the second round of the playoffs.
But Chicago has something that the rest of the league fears, that makes the Bulls contenders when similar teams wouldn't be. There isn't a team in the league with a better finishing kick than this one. rift gold When Derrick Rose has the ball in his hands, Deng and Korver on the wings, and Noah working the offensive glass, the Bulls can get points when they need them late. And good luck to the team that tries to break through Thibs' defensive five of Rose, Brewer, Noah, Taj and Deng. The Pacers had a shot to win or take the lead tonight and they barely got the ball to the three-point line.
No matter the manner, the Bulls have a commanding 3-0 lead in their first round series and have a chance to earn some much-needed healing and practice time if they can close out the Pacers on the road Saturday. RIFT Platinum Ugly or not, Chicago is winning games as it is supposed to and growing up along the way. Hard to ask for much more from a young team just beginning to understand what it might take to be a champion.
But save for that hoop, which was ultimately the game-winner, the Bulls likely won Game 3 in Indiana in spite of the presumptive MVP. They were in fact his only two points in the second half.
Rose and Carlos Boozer combined for 6-28 shooting in a grind-it-out battle at Conseco Fieldhouse, which on most nights means the Bulls would walk away with the rare L. Boozer once again came up short when his team needed him most, missing two easy lay-ins in the first quarter before getting two fouls and sitting until late in the second quarter. Indeed it seems that Boozer's reputation for coming up small in the playoffs is well-earned, but it is no less infuriating to see a team play better once its 15 million dollar a year player is seated firmly on the bench.
But team leader Luol Deng and crunchtime sharpshooter Kyle Korver lifted the Bulls when they needed it most. Deng finished with 21 points, six assists and three rebounds, including 14 first-half points when no other Bull cracked double figures. Korver had 12 points on 5-6 shooting in only 19 minutes of floor time, including two huge three-pointers. He is now 7-8 from distance in the playoffs and has lifted his game when his team needs it most.
The series in now 3-0 in Chicago's favor, but it could just as easily by 0-3. The main difference between the two teams is that Indiana lacks a late-game scoring option, as evidenced by Danny Granger's prayer three-pointer on the game's final possession, and the Bulls' combination of Closer Rose and lock-down defense in the game's final minutes.
If the Bulls manage to stay within shouting distance, there is a sense that the late-game combination of Rose and D (D-Rose, get it? Okay I'm ashamed.) will always pull out the victory. For all the team's struggles in this series, and there have been many, when it has gotten to crunchtime Chicago has shown its superiority.
It bears mentioning that against better competition, the Bulls will need to play their best for more than five minutes per contest. However take nothing away from these Pacers, Rift Gold who played their hearts out for the third straight game, only to have it broken for the third straight time. While Granger failed to hit his final shot, he was stellar throughout the contest, finishing with 21 points. The Pacers destroyed the Bulls on the interior, outscoring Chicago 38-16., and received their fair share of home cooking refereeing (which, to be fair, the Bulls benefited from at the United Center).
Joakim Noah keyed the Bulls' defensive effort with a signature double-double of 11 points and 10 rebounds, to go with four blocks. Chicago held the Pacers to 38% shooting and only 11 assists on 84 points. The Bulls did struggle on the glass in the second half, a first for this series, as they were out-rebounded 27-20, but overall coach Thibodeau had to be pleased with the defensive performance.
It has been a new struggle for every game in this series, first with poor defensive rotations in Game 1, then turnovers in Game 2, RIFT Platinum and shockingly tonight, rebounding. And make no mistake, the Bulls offense has a serious case of the hiccups that must be ironed out if they are to advance beyond the second round of the playoffs.
But Chicago has something that the rest of the league fears, that makes the Bulls contenders when similar teams wouldn't be. There isn't a team in the league with a better finishing kick than this one. rift gold When Derrick Rose has the ball in his hands, Deng and Korver on the wings, and Noah working the offensive glass, the Bulls can get points when they need them late. And good luck to the team that tries to break through Thibs' defensive five of Rose, Brewer, Noah, Taj and Deng. The Pacers had a shot to win or take the lead tonight and they barely got the ball to the three-point line.
No matter the manner, the Bulls have a commanding 3-0 lead in their first round series and have a chance to earn some much-needed healing and practice time if they can close out the Pacers on the road Saturday. RIFT Platinum Ugly or not, Chicago is winning games as it is supposed to and growing up along the way. Hard to ask for much more from a young team just beginning to understand what it might take to be a champion.
2011年4月20日星期三
The old adage "sleep tight and don't let the bedbugs bite" is taking on new meaning this summer as bedbug infestations are on the rise, RIFT Platinum from Iowa to Seattle, Minnesota to New York City, CBS Early Morning News reports.
In fact, infestations are becoming so common that exterminators can barely keep up: Calls about bedbugs are up 71 percent, from one or two calls a year to 10 to 50 per week since 2001, says Missy Henriksen, vice president of public affairs for the National Pest Management Association. Health officials in Manchester, N.H., even started a Bedbug Action Committee tasked with bringing the issue under control.
Infestations are on the rise, experts say, because bedbugs hitch a ride on our clothes and hang out in our beds. And they are not only found in homes; more and more bedbugs are showing up in hotels, dormitories and places where people frequently travel. Even retailers are not immune: Victoria's Secret in New York City closed its doors for several hours to exterminate the nasty critters.
Bedbugs are many things, but one thing they are not, is a threat to your health. rift gold They are not disease vectors and are not considered a public health risk, according to entomologists at Purdue University's Public Health and Medical Entomology department. But their bites do tend to leave itchy welts on human skin, and some people experience an allergic reaction. What's more, bedbug sufferers say these persistent creatures wreak havoc on the psyche.
"Besides the 'icky' feeling of knowing bugs have crawled over you in your sleep, even after the infestation has been dealt with, people may still have a fear of falling asleep and feel anxiety about the whole experience," says Henriksen. "In some cases, furniture [and] clothes have had to be thrown away, increasing the costly toll of the problem."
Bedbugs are typically most active at night and tend to bite exposed skin while people are sleeping. The face, neck, hands and arms are the most common sites. RIFT Platinum Typically, the bites produce redness, swelling and itching, but if scratched, they can become infected, which is the most bodily damage they can cause. A particularity of bedbug bites is that they show up as multiples in a row.
Entomologists say the bugs' presence has nothing to do with cleanliness, but the insects do produce small brown or red dots on sheets. And getting rid of them is not easy or cheap.
How do you spot a bedbug? Adult bedbugs are about 1/4-inch long, oval, reddish brown and wingless. Their bodies are very flat, and they possess long, slender legs and antennae, according to the Purdue scientists.
Bedbugs can travel easily -- from beds to sofa cushions, from room to room and even home via suitcases from travel. Once an infestation develops, whether in a home, a hotel or even a movie theater, bedbugs are extremely difficult to remove and require the experience of a pest professional. Bedbugs can live for a year or more without eating and can withstand a wide range of temperatures, from nearly freezing to almost 113 degrees Fahrenheit, says Henriksen.
And since it is the height of travel season (the resurgence of bedbugs is tied largely to international travel), Rift Gold it is important for travelers to know what to look for in hotels. The NPMA offers these tips:
* Pull back the hotel bed sheets and inspect the mattress seams, particularly the corners, for telltale brownish or reddish spots.
* Thoroughly inspect the entire room before unpacking. Do not put your luggage on the bed.
* If you change rooms but choose to stay in the same establishment, be sure your new room is not adjacent to the potentially infested room.
* Use a large plastic bag to store your luggage.
In fact, infestations are becoming so common that exterminators can barely keep up: Calls about bedbugs are up 71 percent, from one or two calls a year to 10 to 50 per week since 2001, says Missy Henriksen, vice president of public affairs for the National Pest Management Association. Health officials in Manchester, N.H., even started a Bedbug Action Committee tasked with bringing the issue under control.
Infestations are on the rise, experts say, because bedbugs hitch a ride on our clothes and hang out in our beds. And they are not only found in homes; more and more bedbugs are showing up in hotels, dormitories and places where people frequently travel. Even retailers are not immune: Victoria's Secret in New York City closed its doors for several hours to exterminate the nasty critters.
Bedbugs are many things, but one thing they are not, is a threat to your health. rift gold They are not disease vectors and are not considered a public health risk, according to entomologists at Purdue University's Public Health and Medical Entomology department. But their bites do tend to leave itchy welts on human skin, and some people experience an allergic reaction. What's more, bedbug sufferers say these persistent creatures wreak havoc on the psyche.
"Besides the 'icky' feeling of knowing bugs have crawled over you in your sleep, even after the infestation has been dealt with, people may still have a fear of falling asleep and feel anxiety about the whole experience," says Henriksen. "In some cases, furniture [and] clothes have had to be thrown away, increasing the costly toll of the problem."
Bedbugs are typically most active at night and tend to bite exposed skin while people are sleeping. The face, neck, hands and arms are the most common sites. RIFT Platinum Typically, the bites produce redness, swelling and itching, but if scratched, they can become infected, which is the most bodily damage they can cause. A particularity of bedbug bites is that they show up as multiples in a row.
Entomologists say the bugs' presence has nothing to do with cleanliness, but the insects do produce small brown or red dots on sheets. And getting rid of them is not easy or cheap.
How do you spot a bedbug? Adult bedbugs are about 1/4-inch long, oval, reddish brown and wingless. Their bodies are very flat, and they possess long, slender legs and antennae, according to the Purdue scientists.
Bedbugs can travel easily -- from beds to sofa cushions, from room to room and even home via suitcases from travel. Once an infestation develops, whether in a home, a hotel or even a movie theater, bedbugs are extremely difficult to remove and require the experience of a pest professional. Bedbugs can live for a year or more without eating and can withstand a wide range of temperatures, from nearly freezing to almost 113 degrees Fahrenheit, says Henriksen.
And since it is the height of travel season (the resurgence of bedbugs is tied largely to international travel), Rift Gold it is important for travelers to know what to look for in hotels. The NPMA offers these tips:
* Pull back the hotel bed sheets and inspect the mattress seams, particularly the corners, for telltale brownish or reddish spots.
* Thoroughly inspect the entire room before unpacking. Do not put your luggage on the bed.
* If you change rooms but choose to stay in the same establishment, be sure your new room is not adjacent to the potentially infested room.
* Use a large plastic bag to store your luggage.
Mark Hominick, a nine-year MMA veteran who will be fighting for his first major title in less than two weeks when he meets Jose Aldo at UFC 129, is finally cashing in.
And fittingly enough for the Ontario-born Hominick, a Canadian organization is backing him for the biggest fight of his career.
The Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League announced on Wednesday that they had "entered a partnership" with the native of Thamesford, Ontario. Rift Gold In other words, the Ticats will be one of Hominick's sponsors for his UFC featherweight title fight.
As part of the partnership, Hominick will also be featured at 'MMA Night' at Hamilton's Ivor Wynne Stadium on July 16 when the Ticats host the Saskatchewan Roughriders.
According to a release by the team, Hominick will wear a Ticats hat as he enters the cage and will bear the team's logo and Web site on his shorts during the fight.
"I am very excited about this partnership with the Tiger-Cats," Hominick said at a press conference on Wednesday. "I can't wait to enter the octagon, in Canada, with millions of CFL and Ticats fans cheering me on. I am grateful for the Ticats support and look forward to representing the black and gold with pride."
Tom Wright, UFC Canada's director of operations, served as CFL commissioner from 2002 to 2007, however, RIFT Platinum he told MMA Fighting on Wednesday that he had nothing to do with the deal.
"A savvy move by a good marketing organization to line up with a great Canadian like Mark – purely coincidental with my years as Commish," Wright said.
The NBA's Sacramento Kings have been a long-time sponsor of UFC welterweight Diego Sanchez.
UFC 129 will mark the first major MMA event in Ontario since the province legalized the sport on Jan. 1, 2011. rift gold It will also shatter the North American MMA record for tickets sold (55,000) and live gate ($11 million).
"The popularity of MMA in Southern Ontario and in particular the Hamilton area is no secret," Ticats president Scott Mitchell said. "We look forward to working with Mark to promote an exciting game on July 16th featuring great MMA fighters and thousands of MMA enthusiasts. RIFT Platinum As an exciting, tough, local Canadian athlete, Mark embodies many of our organization's characteristics. We are glad to be in Mark's corner as he contends for the featherweight title and we know our fans in the TigerTown region will be behind him."
And fittingly enough for the Ontario-born Hominick, a Canadian organization is backing him for the biggest fight of his career.
The Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League announced on Wednesday that they had "entered a partnership" with the native of Thamesford, Ontario. Rift Gold In other words, the Ticats will be one of Hominick's sponsors for his UFC featherweight title fight.
As part of the partnership, Hominick will also be featured at 'MMA Night' at Hamilton's Ivor Wynne Stadium on July 16 when the Ticats host the Saskatchewan Roughriders.
According to a release by the team, Hominick will wear a Ticats hat as he enters the cage and will bear the team's logo and Web site on his shorts during the fight.
"I am very excited about this partnership with the Tiger-Cats," Hominick said at a press conference on Wednesday. "I can't wait to enter the octagon, in Canada, with millions of CFL and Ticats fans cheering me on. I am grateful for the Ticats support and look forward to representing the black and gold with pride."
Tom Wright, UFC Canada's director of operations, served as CFL commissioner from 2002 to 2007, however, RIFT Platinum he told MMA Fighting on Wednesday that he had nothing to do with the deal.
"A savvy move by a good marketing organization to line up with a great Canadian like Mark – purely coincidental with my years as Commish," Wright said.
The NBA's Sacramento Kings have been a long-time sponsor of UFC welterweight Diego Sanchez.
UFC 129 will mark the first major MMA event in Ontario since the province legalized the sport on Jan. 1, 2011. rift gold It will also shatter the North American MMA record for tickets sold (55,000) and live gate ($11 million).
"The popularity of MMA in Southern Ontario and in particular the Hamilton area is no secret," Ticats president Scott Mitchell said. "We look forward to working with Mark to promote an exciting game on July 16th featuring great MMA fighters and thousands of MMA enthusiasts. RIFT Platinum As an exciting, tough, local Canadian athlete, Mark embodies many of our organization's characteristics. We are glad to be in Mark's corner as he contends for the featherweight title and we know our fans in the TigerTown region will be behind him."
Health Psychology
In 1977 George Engel published a seminal article titled ‘‘The Need for a New Medical Model,’’ in which he advocated for a multidisciplinary biopsychosocial model of health that incorporates psychological and social dimensions of well-being. This signaled the emergence of health psychology as a subdiscipline; the following year, the Health Psychology section of the American Psychological Association was established. Like other social and behavioral sciences,rift gold the field of health psychology developed partly in response to the rise of chronic disease and to the role of personal health habits in the etiology and Social Science Contributions to Public Health:
management of conditions such as cancer, heart disease, and diabetes. In addition, new models for understanding the complexity of contextual factors in the illness process enlarged the scope of analysis and intervention. The biopsychosocial model emphasizes the interplay of biological, psychological, and social factors in illness, and gives importance to multiple determinants and macro-level processes (Taylor, 2006). For example, stress and social support have been increasingly recognized as contributing factors in health. This broad view is compatible with the ecological perspective of public health.
rift gold
Important contributions from health psychology include the study of health behaviors such as smoking and exercise; research on stress, social support, and immune function; interventions for addictions; the relationship between mental illness and physical illness; and practical approaches to the management of chronic illness.
Some particular areas of note include studies of Type A behavior, hostility, and heart disease; health promotion strategies such as smoking cessation and weight management; methods for enhancing sexual health such as safer sex practices to reduce sexually transmitted infections; and psychosocial factors in the progression of cancer. As noted previously, social psychological models of health behavior change have dominated the public health field of health promotion and education.
management of conditions such as cancer, heart disease, and diabetes. In addition, new models for understanding the complexity of contextual factors in the illness process enlarged the scope of analysis and intervention. The biopsychosocial model emphasizes the interplay of biological, psychological, and social factors in illness, and gives importance to multiple determinants and macro-level processes (Taylor, 2006). For example, stress and social support have been increasingly recognized as contributing factors in health. This broad view is compatible with the ecological perspective of public health.
rift gold
Important contributions from health psychology include the study of health behaviors such as smoking and exercise; research on stress, social support, and immune function; interventions for addictions; the relationship between mental illness and physical illness; and practical approaches to the management of chronic illness.
Some particular areas of note include studies of Type A behavior, hostility, and heart disease; health promotion strategies such as smoking cessation and weight management; methods for enhancing sexual health such as safer sex practices to reduce sexually transmitted infections; and psychosocial factors in the progression of cancer. As noted previously, social psychological models of health behavior change have dominated the public health field of health promotion and education.
Equity in Health Services
The problem of equity with respect to health services is and remains a serious problem in American society. In a free market system lacking national health insurance, those personswho are economically disadvantaged are also medically disadvantaged when it comes to obtaining quality services. The United States has a two-track system of health-care delivery divided into a private track and a public track. The public track is a system of welfare medicine supported by public health insurance, especially Medicaid (for the poor) but also Medicare (for the elderly).
Public health insurance has provided access to the American health-care delivery system for the poor, but the character of the services rendered – that of welfare medicine – has not changed dramatically. The urban poor have historically been dependent on public hospitals rift gold and clinics rather than private hospitals and practitioners for providing patient care. And that is still the case today for many of the poor and near-poor as physicians, pharmacists, and hospitals have joined banks, supermarkets, and department stores in migrating out of inner-city areas where the poor are concentrated. Vladeck (1983: 9) describes a pattern that has remained unchanged for years: Apart from whatever esthetic differences such a pattern might imply, the fact remains that the poor – and to an even greater extent, the near-poor, who lack even the limited access to private physicians Medicaid provides – have no continuing relationship with individual physicians. This means that access to other services resides in the hands of bureaucratic strangers. The poor and nearpoor are more likely to be admitted to hospitals through emergency rooms than a scheduled admission, and more likely to be sicker when they are admitted. They are more likely to be treated by a foreign medical graduate, or a house staff physician still in training (or both) than a fully trained American graduate. Their drug prescriptions are written by physicians with less personal knowledge and understanding of the patients’ characteristics and problems, and they are likely to be seen on a follow-up visit by a physician other than the one who treated them originally.
The rural poor likewise have problems of access to health care as medical facilities and health practitioners may not be available locally. And the rural poor (as other people living in rural areas) also may be more likely to be treated by foreign medical school graduates. This situation is brought on by the doctor shortage in these areas caused by a reluctance of many American-trained physicians to work in small communities. Another segment of society particularly affected by problems of equity is the large number of Americans – over 16% of the population – who do not have health insurance. The largest proportion of persons (about 70%) without health insurance in 2003 were those whose family income was $50 000 or less. Most individuals and families without health insurance make too much money to qualify for Medicaid but still struggle financially. Many of them work for small businesses that cannot afford to offer health insurance to their employees. Not only does not having health insurance prevent or delay getting care for immediate health problems, but a lack of insurance over time has a strong negative cumulative effect on a person’s health (Quesnel-Valle´e, 2004). Without health insurance or available cash, people can be rift gold and are turned away from hospitals and sent elsewhere. Ultimately, they may be sent to ‘hospitals of last resort,’ which are generally public hospitals under the jurisdiction of city, county, or state governments. These hospitals are the ones that accept patients other hospitals refuse to treat because of an inability to pay for services.
Public health insurance has provided access to the American health-care delivery system for the poor, but the character of the services rendered – that of welfare medicine – has not changed dramatically. The urban poor have historically been dependent on public hospitals rift gold and clinics rather than private hospitals and practitioners for providing patient care. And that is still the case today for many of the poor and near-poor as physicians, pharmacists, and hospitals have joined banks, supermarkets, and department stores in migrating out of inner-city areas where the poor are concentrated. Vladeck (1983: 9) describes a pattern that has remained unchanged for years: Apart from whatever esthetic differences such a pattern might imply, the fact remains that the poor – and to an even greater extent, the near-poor, who lack even the limited access to private physicians Medicaid provides – have no continuing relationship with individual physicians. This means that access to other services resides in the hands of bureaucratic strangers. The poor and nearpoor are more likely to be admitted to hospitals through emergency rooms than a scheduled admission, and more likely to be sicker when they are admitted. They are more likely to be treated by a foreign medical graduate, or a house staff physician still in training (or both) than a fully trained American graduate. Their drug prescriptions are written by physicians with less personal knowledge and understanding of the patients’ characteristics and problems, and they are likely to be seen on a follow-up visit by a physician other than the one who treated them originally.
The rural poor likewise have problems of access to health care as medical facilities and health practitioners may not be available locally. And the rural poor (as other people living in rural areas) also may be more likely to be treated by foreign medical school graduates. This situation is brought on by the doctor shortage in these areas caused by a reluctance of many American-trained physicians to work in small communities. Another segment of society particularly affected by problems of equity is the large number of Americans – over 16% of the population – who do not have health insurance. The largest proportion of persons (about 70%) without health insurance in 2003 were those whose family income was $50 000 or less. Most individuals and families without health insurance make too much money to qualify for Medicaid but still struggle financially. Many of them work for small businesses that cannot afford to offer health insurance to their employees. Not only does not having health insurance prevent or delay getting care for immediate health problems, but a lack of insurance over time has a strong negative cumulative effect on a person’s health (Quesnel-Valle´e, 2004). Without health insurance or available cash, people can be rift gold and are turned away from hospitals and sent elsewhere. Ultimately, they may be sent to ‘hospitals of last resort,’ which are generally public hospitals under the jurisdiction of city, county, or state governments. These hospitals are the ones that accept patients other hospitals refuse to treat because of an inability to pay for services.
Health System of United States
The existing health-care delivery system in the United States is a conglomerate of health practitioners, agencies, and organizations, all of which share the mission of healthcare delivery but operate more or less independently. The greatest portion of all patient services, approximately 80%, is provided in offices and clinics by physicians who sell their services on a fee-for-service basis. About two thirds of all active physicians – some 480 000 practitioners out of a total of 717 500 – are involved in direct patient care in an office- or clinic-based practice,rift gold while the remainder are mostly residents in training, or fulltime staff members of hospitals.
The next most prominent form of health-care delivery consists of services provided by hospitals.With the exception of tax-supported government institutions, hospitals, like physicians, charge patients according to a fee-forservice system. Nonprofit hospitals charge patients for hospital services using the standard of recovering the full cost of services provided and meeting the hospital’s general expenses. Profit-making or proprietary hospitals not only calculate the cost of services rendered but also operate to realize a profit from those services. Nonprofit and profit-making hospitals rely heavily on third-party sources, either private health insurance or government agencies, to pay most or all of a patient’s bill.
Besides office-based medical practices and hospitals, the other types of organizations involved in the delivery of health care to the American public are official agencies, voluntary agencies, health maintenance organizations, preferred provider organizations, allied health enterprises in the business community, and traditional healing services. Official agencies are public organizations supported by tax funds, such as the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. Public Health Service, and the Food and Drug Administration, which are intended to support and conduct research, develop educational materials, and provide services designed to minimize public health problems. Official agencies also have the responsibility for the direct medical care and health services required by special populations like reservation Indians, the military, veterans, the mentally ill, lepers, tuberculosis patients, alcoholics, and drug addicts.
Voluntary agencies are charitable organizations, such as the Multiple Sclerosis Society, the American Cancer Society, the American Heart Association, and the March of Dimes, who solicit funds from the general public and use them to support medical research and provide services for disease victims.
Health maintenance organizations (HMOs) are managed care prepaid group practices in which a person pays amonthly premium for comprehensive health-care services. HMOs are oriented toward preventive and ambulatory services intended to reduce rates of hospitalization. Under this arrangement, HMOs derive greater income from keeping their patients healthy and not having to pay for their hospital expenses than they would if large numbers of their subscribers were hospitalized. There is evidence that HMOs and other managed care organizations reduce hospital use and produce lower overall medical costs than the traditional open-market fee-for-service pattern (Wholey and Burns, 2000). Most of the savings are due to lower rates of hospitalization, but surgical rates and other fees may be lower for HMO populations. Physicians participating in HMOs may be paid according to a fee-for-service schedule, but many are paid a salary or on a capitation (set amount per patient) basis. Membership entitles patients to receive physicians’ services, hospitalization, laboratory tests, X-rays, and perhaps prescription drugs and other health needs at little or no additional cost.
There are some disadvantages to HMOs, namely, that patients (especially at night or on weekends) may be treated by whoever is on duty rather than their personal doctor, and a patient may need a referral from his or her primary care practitioner to consult a specialist. HMOs have attracted considerable attention because of their cost control potential and emphasis on preventive care. The number of HMOs and their enrollment have been rapidly increasing in the last few years. In 1970 there were 37 HMOs serving 3 million people; in 2003 there were 454 HMOs enrolling 71.8 million people. The peak year was 1999, when there were 651 HMOs with 81.3 million enrollees, or 31% of all Americans. The failure to meet expenses or make profits, along with patient dissatisfaction, has caused a decline in the number of both HMOs and patients, leaving HMOs with some 24.6% of the population as their clients. Included in this percentage are patients seen by individual practice associations (IPAs) which are solo practitioners or small groups of physicians who contract independently with HMOs to provide care to patients enrolled in their plans.
Preferred provider organizations (PPOs) are a form of managed care health organization in which employers who purchase group health insurance agree to send their employees to particular hospitals or doctors in return for discounts. PPOs have the advantage of being imposed on existing networks of hospitals and physicians without having to build clinics or convert doctors into employees. Doctors and hospitals associated with a PPO are expected to provide their usual services to PPO members, but lower charges are assessed against the members’ group health insurance. Thus, the health-care providers obtain more patients and in return charge less to the buyer of group insurance.
Allied health enterprises are the manufacturers of pharmaceuticals and medical supplies and equipment
which play a major role in research, development, and distribution of medical goods. Traditional healing services are healing options outside biomedicine that constitute forms of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). CAMrefers to the use of treatments that are not commonly utilized by the medical profession, such as visits to chiropractors, faith healers, folk healers, acupuncturists, homeopaths, naturopaths, and the use of dietary supplements to cure or prevent disease. CAM also includes ayurveda, aromatherapy, shiatsu, crystal healing, biofeedback, and various other nonmedical techniques. The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine was established by the U.S. Congress in 1992 to facilitate research, evaluate, and disseminate information on CAM techniques. The proportion of the population who use CAMis not known, although it is popular among some people (Baer, 2001). However, in relation to other health professionals, CAM practitioners occupy a marginal position in U.S. health-care delivery. The majority of Americans have health insurance benefits provided through their place of employment and paid for by contributions from both the employee and employer. In 1984, some 96% of all insured workers were enrolled in traditional health plans that allowed them to choose their own doctors and have most of their costs for physician and hospital services covered in an unmanaged fee-for-service arrangement. However, this situation changed dramatically because of soaring costs of health care and limitations being placed on the insurance benefits provided. By 1998, only 15% of all insured workers had unmanaged fee-for-service health plans, while the remainder had managed fee-for-service plans in which utilization was monitored and prior approval for some benefits, like hospitalization, was required. The day in which doctors and their patients decided just between themselves what care was needed without considering cost appears over, as financial concerns are increasingly influencing how patients are cared for.
Some features of the health-care delivery system in the United States remain unchanged. The system is pluralist, that is, it has more than one major client. It serves a substantial private sector, the elderly and the poor with government-sponsored health insurance, and a large uninsured population. But there has also been widespread change. As employers, both government and private corporations are the major purchasers of health services and so dominate health policy. Managed care is now the primary form of medical practice. This development means
that more people with private health insurance are limited in their use of health services to a particular managed care network, such as an HMO or PPO. Physician practice has shifted away from its historical roots in self-employment toward group and salaried arrangements that are better positioned to meet the current demands on providers stemming from both the change to managed care and the growth of medical technology (Gold, 1999). Physician incomes are increasing less rapidly than in the past, and professional autonomy is declining as well.
Given the magnitude of these changes – the reorganization of medical practice into managed care, along with constraints on income and autonomy – it is not surprising, as Gold (1999: 14) points out, that the satisfaction of physicians with their work situation has decreased. However, as Warren and her associates (1998: 364) explain,
‘‘Whereas physicians twenty years ago may have been horrified at the prospect of managed care, physicians now accept it as the rules of the game – at least in areas in which high percentages of patients belong to such plans – and recognize that the price of refusing to play by those rules is bankruptcy.’’
Thus, many physicians have had to make the adjustment to managed care, and the revenue, especially capitation fees, from this type of practice now constitutes a growing percentage of physician incomes.
Traditionally, doctors and hospitals have been paid on a fee-for-service basis. This method of payment is consistent with the principle of the open market, in which the consumers of health care, like the consumers of other products, are free to choose which health-care providers offer the best services at prices they can afford. Highquality services and affordable prices are supposed to result from competition among providers. Theoretically, physicians who are incompetent or who charge excessive fees and hospitals with lower-quality services would be driven out of the market by more competent, reasonably priced, and more effective physicians and better hospitals. To eliminate or reduce free choice would supposedly undermine the incentive of physicians and hospitals to satisfy patients.
The fee-for-service system is a highly attractive situation for doctors. It allows physicians to decide how much money they should charge for their services, how many patients they should have, how many hours they should work per week, what branch of medicine they should specialize in, and where they should practice medicine. The market, professional ethics, and sense of duty to their patients are supposed to block any desire to make as much money as possible.
Fee-for-service health-care delivery, however, is not a good example of a competitive marketplace. The fundamental law of the marketplace is supply and demand. When the supply of a product exceeds the demand for it, prices should drop. However, that law does not apply to medicine because physicians define what patients need and provide their services at prices they, their employers, or the federal government set. Therefore, doctors and hospitals create their own demand. Organized medicine has traditionally opposed changing the fee-for-service system because of the advantages it provides the profession. Yet fee-for-service discriminates against those people who are unable to pay the fees,rift gold making them dependent on welfare or charity. It also contributes to increased costs through high fees and the unnecessary duplication of technology and services by various providers and hospitals seeking to gain or maintain income.
Rising costs and lack of universal access to quality care finally forced changes, beginning with Medicare and Medicaid in the 1960s, and continuing today with the dominance of managed care systems charging a set capitation fee to patients each month. However, as noted, managed care constraints have eroded, leading to higher contributions for health insurance benefits on the part of both employers and employees, as well as higher costs for the care itself. Not surprising, the number of people without health insurance continues to increase. Light (2004) depicts the American health-care delivery system as the most costly, inefficient, wasteful, and inequitable system of health care in the industrialized world, while Mechanic (2004) describes it as disorganized and irrational. ‘In the final analysis,’ states Mechanic (2004: 83), ‘fault is in the failure of the United States to introduce a rational system of universal health care.’
The next most prominent form of health-care delivery consists of services provided by hospitals.With the exception of tax-supported government institutions, hospitals, like physicians, charge patients according to a fee-forservice system. Nonprofit hospitals charge patients for hospital services using the standard of recovering the full cost of services provided and meeting the hospital’s general expenses. Profit-making or proprietary hospitals not only calculate the cost of services rendered but also operate to realize a profit from those services. Nonprofit and profit-making hospitals rely heavily on third-party sources, either private health insurance or government agencies, to pay most or all of a patient’s bill.
Besides office-based medical practices and hospitals, the other types of organizations involved in the delivery of health care to the American public are official agencies, voluntary agencies, health maintenance organizations, preferred provider organizations, allied health enterprises in the business community, and traditional healing services. Official agencies are public organizations supported by tax funds, such as the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. Public Health Service, and the Food and Drug Administration, which are intended to support and conduct research, develop educational materials, and provide services designed to minimize public health problems. Official agencies also have the responsibility for the direct medical care and health services required by special populations like reservation Indians, the military, veterans, the mentally ill, lepers, tuberculosis patients, alcoholics, and drug addicts.
Voluntary agencies are charitable organizations, such as the Multiple Sclerosis Society, the American Cancer Society, the American Heart Association, and the March of Dimes, who solicit funds from the general public and use them to support medical research and provide services for disease victims.
Health maintenance organizations (HMOs) are managed care prepaid group practices in which a person pays amonthly premium for comprehensive health-care services. HMOs are oriented toward preventive and ambulatory services intended to reduce rates of hospitalization. Under this arrangement, HMOs derive greater income from keeping their patients healthy and not having to pay for their hospital expenses than they would if large numbers of their subscribers were hospitalized. There is evidence that HMOs and other managed care organizations reduce hospital use and produce lower overall medical costs than the traditional open-market fee-for-service pattern (Wholey and Burns, 2000). Most of the savings are due to lower rates of hospitalization, but surgical rates and other fees may be lower for HMO populations. Physicians participating in HMOs may be paid according to a fee-for-service schedule, but many are paid a salary or on a capitation (set amount per patient) basis. Membership entitles patients to receive physicians’ services, hospitalization, laboratory tests, X-rays, and perhaps prescription drugs and other health needs at little or no additional cost.
There are some disadvantages to HMOs, namely, that patients (especially at night or on weekends) may be treated by whoever is on duty rather than their personal doctor, and a patient may need a referral from his or her primary care practitioner to consult a specialist. HMOs have attracted considerable attention because of their cost control potential and emphasis on preventive care. The number of HMOs and their enrollment have been rapidly increasing in the last few years. In 1970 there were 37 HMOs serving 3 million people; in 2003 there were 454 HMOs enrolling 71.8 million people. The peak year was 1999, when there were 651 HMOs with 81.3 million enrollees, or 31% of all Americans. The failure to meet expenses or make profits, along with patient dissatisfaction, has caused a decline in the number of both HMOs and patients, leaving HMOs with some 24.6% of the population as their clients. Included in this percentage are patients seen by individual practice associations (IPAs) which are solo practitioners or small groups of physicians who contract independently with HMOs to provide care to patients enrolled in their plans.
Preferred provider organizations (PPOs) are a form of managed care health organization in which employers who purchase group health insurance agree to send their employees to particular hospitals or doctors in return for discounts. PPOs have the advantage of being imposed on existing networks of hospitals and physicians without having to build clinics or convert doctors into employees. Doctors and hospitals associated with a PPO are expected to provide their usual services to PPO members, but lower charges are assessed against the members’ group health insurance. Thus, the health-care providers obtain more patients and in return charge less to the buyer of group insurance.
Allied health enterprises are the manufacturers of pharmaceuticals and medical supplies and equipment
which play a major role in research, development, and distribution of medical goods. Traditional healing services are healing options outside biomedicine that constitute forms of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). CAMrefers to the use of treatments that are not commonly utilized by the medical profession, such as visits to chiropractors, faith healers, folk healers, acupuncturists, homeopaths, naturopaths, and the use of dietary supplements to cure or prevent disease. CAM also includes ayurveda, aromatherapy, shiatsu, crystal healing, biofeedback, and various other nonmedical techniques. The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine was established by the U.S. Congress in 1992 to facilitate research, evaluate, and disseminate information on CAM techniques. The proportion of the population who use CAMis not known, although it is popular among some people (Baer, 2001). However, in relation to other health professionals, CAM practitioners occupy a marginal position in U.S. health-care delivery. The majority of Americans have health insurance benefits provided through their place of employment and paid for by contributions from both the employee and employer. In 1984, some 96% of all insured workers were enrolled in traditional health plans that allowed them to choose their own doctors and have most of their costs for physician and hospital services covered in an unmanaged fee-for-service arrangement. However, this situation changed dramatically because of soaring costs of health care and limitations being placed on the insurance benefits provided. By 1998, only 15% of all insured workers had unmanaged fee-for-service health plans, while the remainder had managed fee-for-service plans in which utilization was monitored and prior approval for some benefits, like hospitalization, was required. The day in which doctors and their patients decided just between themselves what care was needed without considering cost appears over, as financial concerns are increasingly influencing how patients are cared for.
Some features of the health-care delivery system in the United States remain unchanged. The system is pluralist, that is, it has more than one major client. It serves a substantial private sector, the elderly and the poor with government-sponsored health insurance, and a large uninsured population. But there has also been widespread change. As employers, both government and private corporations are the major purchasers of health services and so dominate health policy. Managed care is now the primary form of medical practice. This development means
that more people with private health insurance are limited in their use of health services to a particular managed care network, such as an HMO or PPO. Physician practice has shifted away from its historical roots in self-employment toward group and salaried arrangements that are better positioned to meet the current demands on providers stemming from both the change to managed care and the growth of medical technology (Gold, 1999). Physician incomes are increasing less rapidly than in the past, and professional autonomy is declining as well.
Given the magnitude of these changes – the reorganization of medical practice into managed care, along with constraints on income and autonomy – it is not surprising, as Gold (1999: 14) points out, that the satisfaction of physicians with their work situation has decreased. However, as Warren and her associates (1998: 364) explain,
‘‘Whereas physicians twenty years ago may have been horrified at the prospect of managed care, physicians now accept it as the rules of the game – at least in areas in which high percentages of patients belong to such plans – and recognize that the price of refusing to play by those rules is bankruptcy.’’
Thus, many physicians have had to make the adjustment to managed care, and the revenue, especially capitation fees, from this type of practice now constitutes a growing percentage of physician incomes.
Traditionally, doctors and hospitals have been paid on a fee-for-service basis. This method of payment is consistent with the principle of the open market, in which the consumers of health care, like the consumers of other products, are free to choose which health-care providers offer the best services at prices they can afford. Highquality services and affordable prices are supposed to result from competition among providers. Theoretically, physicians who are incompetent or who charge excessive fees and hospitals with lower-quality services would be driven out of the market by more competent, reasonably priced, and more effective physicians and better hospitals. To eliminate or reduce free choice would supposedly undermine the incentive of physicians and hospitals to satisfy patients.
The fee-for-service system is a highly attractive situation for doctors. It allows physicians to decide how much money they should charge for their services, how many patients they should have, how many hours they should work per week, what branch of medicine they should specialize in, and where they should practice medicine. The market, professional ethics, and sense of duty to their patients are supposed to block any desire to make as much money as possible.
Fee-for-service health-care delivery, however, is not a good example of a competitive marketplace. The fundamental law of the marketplace is supply and demand. When the supply of a product exceeds the demand for it, prices should drop. However, that law does not apply to medicine because physicians define what patients need and provide their services at prices they, their employers, or the federal government set. Therefore, doctors and hospitals create their own demand. Organized medicine has traditionally opposed changing the fee-for-service system because of the advantages it provides the profession. Yet fee-for-service discriminates against those people who are unable to pay the fees,rift gold making them dependent on welfare or charity. It also contributes to increased costs through high fees and the unnecessary duplication of technology and services by various providers and hospitals seeking to gain or maintain income.
Rising costs and lack of universal access to quality care finally forced changes, beginning with Medicare and Medicaid in the 1960s, and continuing today with the dominance of managed care systems charging a set capitation fee to patients each month. However, as noted, managed care constraints have eroded, leading to higher contributions for health insurance benefits on the part of both employers and employees, as well as higher costs for the care itself. Not surprising, the number of people without health insurance continues to increase. Light (2004) depicts the American health-care delivery system as the most costly, inefficient, wasteful, and inequitable system of health care in the industrialized world, while Mechanic (2004) describes it as disorganized and irrational. ‘In the final analysis,’ states Mechanic (2004: 83), ‘fault is in the failure of the United States to introduce a rational system of universal health care.’
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