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Pictures

I know this is the third place I've posted these pictures but I think they are the most accessible for the future. 


I love Jack's smile in this first picture because it's his "I have to smile" smile. He actually has one of the cutest natural smiles but it's hard to capture. He saw this picture and asked, "Is that how I really smile?" 


First picture of our 5 sons.

I forgot to put this picture in my last post. Here is Rick with Luke. I still can hardly believe he has 7 children!!




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Christmas 2014 Pictures

Kate - 10, Claire - 8, Henry - 7, Jack - 5, Sims - 3, Miles - almost 2, Luke - 2 months
I couldn't figure out how to turn the self timer on so we didn't get a family picture - maybe next year.

   










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Pictures from the Park - November 2014

We went to the park back in November to enjoy the nice weather and because Rick took the day off of work. This is one of my new favorite pictures of the kids. Little Luke (exactly 1 month old at the time) was in his little car seat. Maybe he can climb on the slide with everyone this summer. :)


Claire - 8, Miles - 22 months, Kate - 9, Sims - 3

Kate and Miles

Jack - 4

Sims, Jack, Henry - 6, Miles, Kate, Luke - 4 weeks, Claire

Claire and Kate




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Charlotte's Pictures From the First Few Days

Here are a few pictures from Charlotte's first week. I'm planning to write up the story of her birth in the next few days so I will not forget anything.



This was about 30 mins before Charlotte was born. Rick was most proud that this was his 2nd "selfie." I was in severe pain at this point. They were monitoring Charlotte and I was waiting on the anesthesiologist to come and talk to me. My contractions were 2 minutes apart with almost no downtime in between. 

Right after Charlotte was born. She was 7 lbs and 15 oz which puts her as the 4th smallest baby. 

Kate and Claire are completely in love with her. 

First picture with her 5 big brothers. Can you even imagine? She is going to be one loved and protected little girl. They all ask to hold her multiple times a day (well, not Luke.) The boys only hold her for about 30 seconds and then they are off to something else.  :)  

 First picture of all 8 children. I cannot believe all of these sweet little ones are ours. 


Kate - 10, Claire - 9, Henry - 7, Jack - 5, Sims - 4, Miles - 2, Luke - 1, Charlotte - 1 week




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Some recent pictures






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Had My ESA Medical Yesterday.

Regular readers will be aware that I have been campaigning against the austerity cuts our government is imposing on the UK and the effect they are having on disabled people. The benefiits system is being changed, and the benefit I currently recieve is called Income Support, this is being phased out and everyone is being put onto the new disability benefit ESA. As this happens many disabled people are having their benefits cut or completely stopped as a result of being unfairly declared fit for work by the flawed capability assessment, at the same time as services for us are also being cut, a huge accident waiting to happen I'm sure you'll agree.

In fact things are already terrible, people are commiting suicide after having their benefits stopped or just from fear of having to go to the medical. Others have died  from the stress of having to appeal whilst genuinely ill. I read only a couple of days about a woman who died as the stress of all these changes was too much, and a week later her mother also died after witnessing her daughters money being stopped and her eventual death at the stress of appealing.

There are many cases like the one I have mentioned above yet the government are still pressing ahead with these cuts to disability benefits, even though almost daily rich people are being exposed as tax evaders and bankers who have actually failed us terribly are still receiveing pay offs and bonuses.

I finally had my medical yesterday, it wasn't as bad as I thought as the asessment has been changed to suit people with mental illness better (previously everyone was given the same assessment regardless of their disability, which is grossly unfair to people with mental illness). So I wasn't asked to do any strange physical tests as others have, they just asked me about my mental health. The woman was really nice but it's not her decision what happens next.  I will either be put into the "support" group where I will be repeated re-assessed but not have to go to the job center or be forced to try and find work.

 Or I could be placed in the "Work related activity group" where I will have to go to work focused interviews and after a year my disability benefits will completely stop and I will have to sign on to the benefit designed for people who are fit to work.

If this happens then it will be the end for me as I am not fit to work, I've chronic anxiety based depression since childhood and as a result of that have social anxiety and insomnia. So I don't sleep, can't get up early and on some days can't even talk to anyone or leave the flat. Unemployment where I live is incredibly high compared to the rest of the country anyway so the chances of a woman who can't be on time for work or even come in some days beating someone who is in goood health are zero, I have no chance of finding work. In fact I don't even meet the criteria to sign on JSA so will probably end up homeless as my rent will not be paid.

I just have to pray it's the support group.




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Atos Are The Number One Provder of Occupatuional Health Services In The UK.


Last night I was furious to discover that giant multinational IT company Atos is not only responsible for administering the government's hellish Work Capability Assessment, they have also been providing occupational health services in this country for years too, in 2010 they even won an award for it.

So they are declaring the sick capable of work, then if you are lucky enough to get a job (if your not one of more than half the people declared fit for work who end up destitute) you will still probably have to put up with them telling you how much time you can have off when your illness returns. As none of these people being declared fit for work have actually got better, they are just expected to work around their disability, so there is no escape from the bastards it seems.

Yesterday I learned that Co-Op uses their occupational health services, so much for ethics eh? They have posted a statement saying they can't just close the contract but will consider not renewing it. So DPAC are encouraging people to boycott them and go and inform them of this on their facebook page, at least until they issue a statement saying they definitely won't renew the contract.

I did some digging last night and found that:
 
And two county councils I found also use them

Since they are apparently the number one provider of Occupational health services in the UK there must be many more companies and councils using them too, and I saw lots of job vacancies for them posted all over the country.

This post informs you of much money they are raking in with double digit growth in the UK this year, as lives are daily ruined and even ended by the software they own the copyright to. And I'm also learning that this huge multinational company owns oil companies (including Shell and Esso), electronics manufacturers and many more highly profitable companies, more on that to come as I collect the evidence.




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"Residential Training Provision", A Nicer Word For Work Camps?

Yesterday morning I was horrified to read that a report had surfaced saying they were planning "Residential Training" for Disabled and long term Unemployed people. After all welfare reform has been crashing disaster so far. Thousands have people have been declared fit for work with no impact assessment, or proper program in place to actually get us back into work after years of unemployment. So far it seems like a cold hearted attempt to get us of benefits at any cost, they don't seem to care if we end up with a job, or whether we end up destitute and dying, just as long as we don't ever get "ESA".

Also the anti-disabled propaganda display has made disabled people even more unattractive to potential employers, why did they do this ridiculous thing we all wonder? I think it's a misinterpretation of something good old Mansel Aylward said in his horrific "Psycho Social Theory Of Disability". He told them they needed to make disabled people working the "social norm". They could have chosen to try and make employers want to employ disabled people, encouraged compassion and patience, offered training and support for disabled people straight away. But instead the idiots opted to just make it a social crime to dare to claim disability benefits, no matter how ill you really are. Now people who walk with sticks or use mobility scooters (even those who aren't on any disability benefits) face abuse in the streets, and are accused of "faking" their disability.

 The thousands of people dying after being told they were "fit to work" (10,600 in the first year) are being covered up and minimised, now not even recorded by the DWP. If you are disabled and don't work you are considered lowest of the low now. The fools have created yet another "barrier to work" for us.

So when I read they were planning work camps, I had no trouble believing IDS and his evil crew had come up with that idea. I broke out in a cold sweat and felt the familiar twist of panic and though "My God what are they going to do to us now?..." But then I actually read the paper.

It doesn't seem as bad as we first thought, its only in the planning stages at the moment but they are now actually doing what they should have done in the first place. Holding consultations about what they can actually do to HELP disabled people get back into work. It is literally residential training, and you will have a choice as to whether you go as residential or not. You can read the full report "Residential Training Provision - Independent Advisory Report" by clicking here.

As I said before they SHOULD have been looking into things like this before they rolled out the new "Work Capability Assessment" and had it in place before they declared thousands of us fit for work, closed lots of Remploy factories, and cut us adrift, making us sign on JSA with advisors who have no training in helping disabled people back to work. This is the sort of thing the report suggests, more advisors who are trained, and more practical courses that actually help you cope with disability and get employed. Not rubbish just designed to make money for the companies that provide them, while we're pushed from pillars to post and called "Lying Thieving Bastards" behind our backs.

All we have to fear is that they won't listen to what has been recommended, which they haven't been great at so far lets face it have they? Or they will start to do it, but like everything they've done in the past that works they will stop it because it costs too much.

We must keep our eyes on how this progresses, but don't be too scared, 75% of people on disability benefits want to work, they are finally going to try and help us. If they listen to the independent advice that is, and Tories generally don't like listening to anyone else's advice do they? But it shows our campaigning is paying off, they are looking into it at least.

Please help keep up the pressure on them to finally get it Right  by signing the War On Welfare Petition if you haven't already.




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Nicolas Sarkozy à un badaud: «Casse-toi!»

Nouvelle polémique autour de mots lâchés par Nicolas Sarkozy, samedi, au salon de l'Agriculture, sous l'oeil des caméras. Dans cette vidéo réalisée par Leparisien.fr, on voit le Président prendre un bain de foule. Jusque-là, rien d’étonnant. Mais lorsqu'il...




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Crédit d'impôt Borloo : Assistance et cours informatique à domicile

Le gouvernement vient d'annoncer un crédit d'impôts sur les services à la personne . Celui ci est ouvert aux ménages non imposable. Il permettra à ceux ci de faire intervenir un prestataire d'aide à domicile comme par exemple, et c'est encore peu connu,...




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Ferrari remplacerait PPDA sur TF1 : "des gages donnés à Nicolas Sarkozy" ?

Canal+ a confirmé le départ de sa journaliste vedette. Cette dernière aurait été contactée par TF1 pour remplacer Patrick Poivre d'Arvor à la présentation du journal de 20h. Des commentateurs voient dans ce changement des "gages donnés" à Nicolas Sarkozy...




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Vijesti :: Potpisan sporazum o suradnji između Akademije za umjetnost i kulturu u Osijeku i Hrvatske komore dentalne medicine

Autor: Redakcija 031 Naslov: Potpisan sporazum o suradnji između Akademije za umjetnost i kulturu u Osijeku i Hrvatske komore den
Postano: 12.11.2024. 11:59 (GMT 1) Dana 11. studenog 2024., točno u 11 sati i 11 minuta, u Svečanoj dvorani Akademije za umjetnost i kulturu u Osijeku potpisan je sporazum o suradnji između Akademije i Hrvatske komore dentalne medicine. Sporazum su uime institucija potpisali dekanica Akademije, akademkinja Helena Sablić Tomić, i dr. sc. Hrvoje Pezo, predsjednik Komore.

Sporazum označava početak suradnje između jedinstvene umjetničko-znanstvene institucije u zemlji i strukovne organizacije koja predstavlja dentalnu medicinu u Hrvatskoj. Cilj je sporazuma objediniti znanje i resurse kako bi se postigli viši standardi u razumijevanju i unaprjeđenju zajedničkih područja djelovanja koji se protežu kroz edukaciju, zdravstvo, kulturu i interdisciplinarne projekte koji se razvijaju na specijalističkom studiju Kreativnih terapija pri Akademiji za umjetnost i kulturu u Osijeku.

Ovim partnerstvom želimo otvoriti nove mogućnosti suradnje u području obrazovanja i profesionalnog razvoja te omogućiti razmjenu iskustava između umjetničko-znanstvene zajednice i medicinske struke“, istaknula je akademkinja Helena Sablić Tomić. „Akademija i Komora mogu se zajedničkim naporima baviti istraživanjem novih pristupa u edukaciji kao i poticanjem šireg društvenog dijaloga o važnosti holističkog pristupa zdravlju.

Predsjednik Komore dr. sc. Hrvoje Pezo naglasio je da sporazum predstavlja jedinstvenu priliku za razvoj novih standarda u edukaciji o zdravstvenoj kulturi i prevenciji. „Spoj umjetničkog i znanstvenog pristupa, uz medicinsku ekspertizu, omogućuje nam da dublje sagledamo utjecaj koji zdravlje ima na svakodnevni život, ali i na kulturu i društvenu dinamiku. Vjerujemo da će se kroz ovu suradnju razvijati inovativni pristupi obrazovanju i informiranju javnosti,“ izjavio je dr. Pezo.


Tekst i foto: Akademija za umjetnost i kulturu u Osijeku




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Događaji - najave i recenzije :: GISKO: Predstavljanje knjige "Ironwoman: moja priča"

Autor: Redakcija 031 Naslov: GISKO: Predstavljanje knjige "Ironwoman: moja priča"
Postano: 13.11.2024. 9:50 (GMT 1) Gradska i sveučilišna knjižnica Osijek organizira predstavljanje knjige pod nazivom “Ironwoman: moja priča!” autorice Đurđice Orepić.

Predstavljanje će se održati u četvrtak, 21. studenog 2024. s početkom u 17.00 sati u prostoru Studijske čitaonice Gradske i sveučilišne knjižnice Osijek. Program će moderirati Saša Drinić i Željko Garmaz.

Ironwoman: moja priča knjiga je o ženi koja je, kako navodi urednica knjige Korana Svilar, “životu u inat i životu za ljubav odlučila da neće više samo ‘hodati’, nego trčati, plivati i pedalirati stotinama kilometara – ona će se natjecati u triatlonu, jer život se živi, a ne preživljava”. Iznenađujući sve koji svjedoče njezinoj odluci da pomiče vlastite granice, trpjet će bol i previranja, plakat će i smijati se, upoznat će vlastito tijelo u najekstremnijim uvjetima, prkosit će sebi i svima koji sumnjaju i natjecati se u Ironmanu, najtežoj utrci na svijetu. Ništa nije nemoguće onome tko ima volju pobijediti samoga sebe, dokazuje Đurđica Orepić, najbolja svjetska Ironwoman u svojoj dobnoj skupini.

U memoarskoj prozi Ironwoman: moja priča Đurđica Orepić nadahnuto ispisuje svoje nevjerojatno iskustvo, ne štedeći ni srce ni smisao za humor. I jedinstvena Đu pobjeđuje još jednom. No, ovoga puta ne osvaja trofeje, već srca čitatelja, kojima svakom stranicom prenosi svoju najveću strast – život sâm. U osvrtu na knjigu, Boris Dežulović je napisao da knjiga Ironwoman: moja priča „nije samo priča o uspješnoj ženi koja nikad u životu nije obula patike, pa u pedesetoj odluči postati svjetska prvakinja u triatlonu, ovo je i priča o uspješnoj ženi iza koje – kao iza svake uspješne i dovršene žene – stoji muškarac“.




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Događaji - najave i recenzije :: GISKO: Pričaonice u studenom [2024.]

Autor: Redakcija 031 Naslov: GISKO: Pričaonice u studenom [2024.]
Postano: 13.11.2024. 10:31 (GMT 1) Gradska i sveučilišna knjižnica Osijek u studenom će organizirati pričaonice i kreativnu radionicu u Središnjoj knjižnici prema sljedećem rasporedu:

Središnja knjižnica (E. avenija 24, br. tel: 031/211-472)
"Prstići pričaju" (za korisnike od rođenja do 3 godine):
- Srijeda, 20. studenog 2024. godine od 11.00 sati
- Srijeda, 27. studenog 2024. godine od 11.00 sati

"Vrijeme za priču” (za korisnike starije od 3 godine):
- Srijeda, 20. studenog 2024. godine od 17.30 do 18.30 sati
- Srijeda, 27. studenog 2024. godine od 17.30 do 18.30 sati

Kreativna radionica (za korisnike starije od 6 godina):
- Utorak, 26. studenoga 2024. godine od 17.30 do 18.30 sati
– "Kućica za ukrašavanje"




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Događaji - najave i recenzije :: Gastro pub Bulart 1887: Vinarija Matošević i Michelin star chef Goran Kočiš

Autor: Redakcija 031 Naslov: Gastro pub Bulart 1887: Vinarija Matošević i Michelin star chef Goran Kočiš
Postano: 13.11.2024. 10:41 (GMT 1) Još jedna senzacionalna Ljekarna u Tvrđi je pred nama. U četvrtak, 21. studenog 2024. u Gastro pub Bulart 1887 s početkom u 19:00 sati stižu Vinarija Matošević i Michelin star chef Goran Kočiš.

Da smo mogli birati idealno vrijeme za dolazak velikog Ivice Matoševića u Ljekarnu u Tvrđi, ne znam postoji li bolji termin od ovoga sada. Jer, nakon skoro 30 odrađenih berbi, Ivica Matošević posljednjih mjeseci ne prestaje nizati panegirike koje mu upućuju najveći svjetski vinski mediji. Vrhunac karijere ovog intelektualca među vinarima, spiritus movensa cijele istarske vinske scene!

Ugledni Wine Enthusiast je prije nekoliko dana čak četiri Matoševićeva vina honorirao s vrlo visoka 94 boda (Superb - A great achievement ), dok je, uvjetno rečeno, „najlošije“ prošla njegova bazna malvazija – 92 boda (Excellent - Highly recommended ). Časopis Decanter ga je prije mjesec dana za malvaziju iz akacije pohvalio sa 93 boda, Saša Špiranec je dvije Grimalde, koje ćemo kušati u Ljekarni u Tvrđi, nagradio sa 95, odnosno 94 boda, dok Ivo Kozarčanin, „Bakhov sin“, za njegova vina tvrdi da su – „čisti eros“.

Povod gostovanju Ivice Matoševića u Ljekarni u Tvrđi je predstavljanje posebne serije najboljih vina iz njegova podruma koju je nazvao Živjelo prijateljstvo, a koju je, kao pravi kolekcionarski biser, posvetio svom, nažalost preminulom, velikom prijatelju Vladi Divljanu. U prodaju je pušteno samo 100 sanduka s vinima iz linije Grimalda i Alba Antiqua, a umjetničke etikete, s podsjećanjem na šest pjesama Vlade Divljana – Radostan dan, Nebeska tema, Vodim te na more, Odnesi me, Ona to zna i Imala je snažnije ruke nego ja, osmislile su umjetnice iz Zagreba, Splita i Beograda - Maja Bosnar, Jana Oršolić, Svetlana Volić, Maja Rožman, Katarina Juričić i Ivana Grimani.

Broj gostiju smo ograničili na 40, tako da će prednost za sudjelovanjem na ovoj uistinu ekskluzivnoj Ljekarni u Tvrđi imati oni koji se prvi jave i spremni su za to izdvojiti 60 eura.

Svoje mjesto rezervirajte putem e-mail: zeljko.garmaz@gmail.com ili pozivom na broj 0916400527.




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Vijesti :: Lovro Nedeljković osmi na Balkanu

Autor: Redakcija 031 Naslov: Lovro Nedeljković osmi na Balkanu
Postano: 13.11.2024. 11:05 (GMT 1) U rumunjskom gradu Campulung Moldovenescu održano je prvenstvo Balkana u krosu.

Konkurencija je bila vrlo jaka, a u sastavu hrvatske reprezentacije našao se i član AK Slavonija-Žito Lovro Nedeljković. U utrci seniora na 10.000 metara naš je dugoprugaš zauzeo vrlo dobro, osmo mjesto s rezultatom 31:59,33.

Zlato je osvojio Albanac David Nikolli s vremenom 30:24,61, srebro je zaslužio Turčin Ayetullah Aslanhan (30:32,31), dok je bronca pripala Ukrajincu Ihoru Porozovu (30:44,86).

Nedeljković je, inače, ostvario najbolji plasman od hrvatskih reprezentativaca koji su nastupili u ovoj konkurenciji.


Tekst i foto: AK Slavonija-Žito




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Događaji - najave i recenzije :: Predstavljanje knjiga "Suvremeni hrvatski haiku - Nova antologija" i "Dosje i druge priče"

Autor: knjizaraNOVA Naslov: Predstavljanje knjiga "Suvremeni hrvatski haiku - Nova antologija" i "Dosje i druge p
Postano: 13.11.2024. 14:09 (GMT 1) Društvo hrvatskih književnika i Klub knjižare Nova pozivaju Vas na predstavljanje knjiga "Suvremeni hrvatski haiku - Nova antologija" i "Dosje i druge priče".

Na predstavljanju sudjeluju: Nikola Đuretić, Tomislav Maretić i Mirko Ćurić.

Predstavljanje će se održati u Klubu knjižare Nova (Trg Ante Starčevića 4, Osijek) u subotu, 16. studenoga u 11 sati.

Radujemo se Vašem dolasku!




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Vijesti :: Grb grada Malog Lošinja dvojici pripadnika Jedinice specijalne i interventne policije Osijek

Autor: Redakcija 031 Naslov: Grb grada Malog Lošinja dvojici pripadnika Jedinice specijalne i interventne policije Osijek
Postano: 13.11.2024. 16:00 (GMT 1) Povodom Dana Grada Malog Lošinja dodijeljen je Grb Grada i dvojici pripadnika Jedinice specijalne i interventne policije Osijek, za izuzetnu hrabrost, stručnost i profesionalnost u realizaciji složene akcije izmještanja mine iz lošinjskog akvatorija 14. ožujka ove godine.

Robert Dorinka i Tomislav Slabinac su ronioci Jedinice specijalne i interventne policije Osijek, koji su sudjelovali u izmještanju mine zaostale iz 2. svjetskog rata, koja se nalazila u lošinjskom akvatoriju.

Da se radilo o opasnom podvigu, potvrđuje činjenica da je zbog bombe teške oko 1000 kilograma, uoči početka akcije zbog mjera sigurnosti u potpunosti evakuirano stanovništvo iz takozvane crvene zone, odnosno područja uvale Čikat. Osim toga je tijekom akcije bila na snazi privremena zabrana cestovnog, pomorskog i zračnog prometa.


Tekst i foto: PU osječko-baranjska




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Vijesti :: Svaki četvrti Hrvat pati od ‘nevidljive’ kronične bolesti, pitali smo liječnika kako prepoznati simptome

Autor: Redakcija 031 Naslov: Svaki četvrti Hrvat pati od ‘nevidljive’ kronične bolesti, pitali smo liječnika kako prepoznati simp
Postano: 13.11.2025. 20:15 (GMT 1) Ne postoji jedna tableta koja će smanjiti probavne tegobe i mogućnost razvoja probavnih bolesti, kaže nam odmah prof. dr. sc. Silvio Mihaljević, specijalist gastroenterologije iz Croatia poliklinike u Osijeku.

Kako navodi, stres, neredovita prehrana, hrana s puno masnoća i koncentriranih ugljikohidrata su sve redom faktori koji mogu dovesti do prolaznih probavnih tegoba, a, ako su pacijenti duže vremena izloženi nepravilnom stilu prehrane, mogu dovesti i do razvoja ozbiljnih bolesti, kao što su GERB, ulkusna bolest želuca i dvanaesnika, NASH, upalne bolesti crijeva, i slično.

Učestalost ovih problema pritom je sve veća. Primjerice, više od pola milijuna ljudi u Ujedinjenom Kraljevstvu ima upalnu bolest crijeva, od kojih su dva glavna oblika Crohnova bolest i ulcerozni kolitis. One nastaju kada imunološki sustav napadne crijeva, uzrokujući niz iscrpljujućih simptoma od bolova u trbuhu i gubitka težine do proljeva i krvi u stolici.

Vrlo često se gore navedene bolesti razvijaju tijekom dužeg vremenskog razdoblja s vrlo nespecifičnim tegobama u samom početku bolesti. Upravo je zato izuzetno važno obratiti pažnju na preventivne preglede, kaže prof. dr. sc. Mihaljević, jer postavljanje dijagnoze u ranoj fazi bolesti značajno doprinosi kraćem trajanju liječenja, manjom mogućnošću za razvojem brojnih komplikacija, a samim time i boljom kvalitetom života i puno kraćim izostankom s posla.

Uzmimo za primjer samo nealkoholnu bolest masne jetre, jednu od najčešćih uzroka kronične bolesti jetre te najbrže rastuće bolesti probavnog sustava. Prema posljednjim podacima, svaki četvrti građanin Hrvatske ima nealkoholnu masnu jetru kao posljedicu nezdrave prehrane, konzumacije alkohola i nekretanja. Prof. dr. sc. Mihaljević navodi stoga da je iznimno bitna redovita kontrola laboratorijskih nalaza koji ukazuju na funkciju jetre jer kronične bolesti nemaju značajnije probavne tegobe, nego samo blage i nespecifične smetnje kao brzo umaranje i opća slabost.

Te nespecifične simptome pacijenti ignoriraju tako da se vrlo često brojne kronične bolesti jetre pronađu u poodmakloj fazi kada je liječenje manje uspješno. Zbog svega navedenog redovite kontrole jetrenih nalaza su najbitnije u ranom otkrivanju kroničnih bolesti jetre”, kaže specijalist gastroenterologije.

Kako bi potaknula građane na preventivnu brigu o zdravlju, Croatia Poliklinika u Osijeku do kraja studenog omogućuje 20 posto popusta na endoskopske zahvate - gastroskopiju bez i s anestezijom i kolonoskopiju bez ili s anestezijom. Naime, osobe koje u anamnezi imaju rak nekog od organa probavnog sustava trebali bi u ranijoj životnoj dobi obavljati preventivne preglede svake dvije godine, a osobe starije životne dobi jednom godišnje. Brojni ljudi pritom odgađaju ranije spomenute endoskopske zahvate zbog neugodnosti ili straha, zbog čega prof. dr. sc. Mihaljević ističe da je važno pacijentima objasniti važnost obje pretrage jer se promjene koje se nađu tim pretragama vrlo često ne mogu dokazati nikakvim drugim laboratorijskim i radiološkim pretragama.

Kada im se objasni važnost navedenih pregleda te mogućnost dokumentiranja određenih promjena puno lakše će se odlučiti za navedene preglede. Prije gastroskopije možemo lokalno dati anestetik koji će u znatnoj mjeri umanjiti neugodnost samog pregleda, a prije kolonoskopije savjetujem uzimanje pola sata prije pregleda spazmolitika kako bi usporili peristaltiku crijeva i na taj način umanjili tegobe. Za one najzahtjevnije i najkompliciranije, oba pregleda možemo raditi u općoj anesteziji”, navodi prof. dr. sc. Mihaljević.


[Sponzorirani članak]




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Le PM chinois met l'accent sur l'am�lioration de la production agricole et la pr�vention des catastrophes

Le Premier ministre chinois Li Qiang a mis l'accent sur l'am�lioration de la capacit� globale de production agricole, ainsi que sur la pr�vention et la r�duction des catastrophes, afin de poser des bases solides pour assurer la s�curit� alimentaire....




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Le vice-Premier ministre chinois appelle au cours de la COP29 � renforcer les syst�mes d'alerte pr�coce pour tous

Le repr�sentant sp�cial du pr�sident chinois Xi Jinping, Ding Xuexiang, qui est �galement vice-Premier ministre de Chine, a appel� mardi � renforcer les syst�mes d'alerte pr�coce pour tous et � am�liorer les capacit�s d'adaptation au changement...




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La Chine et les pays d'Am�rique latine et des Cara�bes b�n�ficieront de perspectives plus prometteuses au cours des dix prochaines ann�es

Guid�e par la diplomatie des chefs d'Etat, la communaut� d'avenir partag� Chine-pays d'Am�rique latine et des Cara�bes b�n�ficiera de perspectives plus prometteuses durant la d�cennie � venir, a d�clar� mardi un porte-parole du minist�re chinois des...




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Chine : la partie continentale encourage les �changes entre les jeunes et appelle � lever les restrictions sur les voyages entre les deux rives du d�troit de Taiwan

La partie continentale de la Chine a r�affirm� son engagement � promouvoir les �changes entre les jeunes � travers le d�troit de Taiwan et a demand� aux autorit�s du Parti d�mocrate progressiste (PDP) de lever les restrictions sur les voyages �...




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Developing Rich EJB ClientsWith GlassFish

GlassFish provides features to make it easy to develop stand alone, Java Swing based EJB clients. In this article we explain how to take advantage of these features.




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It's Official - Blog Bloke has moved

Hi Blokesters. It's official now and InstaBloke has moved over to Blog Bloke dot com, so please make a note of it and update your bookmarks as well as the newsfeed. You should also check out my latest post explaining all of the gory details. It's a doozy.

See you there!




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New Release - Land for Sale in Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire

A well managed block of agricultural land for sale available freehold as a whole or in lots suitable for paddock conversion. The land benefits from extensive road frontage and superb track access.





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Performance Counters in Delphi, sample project and article

Implementing performance monitors in your app is very helpful for profiling, debugging and general satisfaction of the more qualified endusers. It's also a non-trivial excercise, to put it mildly. Microsoft have done their part in making it obscure and hard to use, so naturally, we can't leave it alone, can we? This particular implementation only implements raw and delta counters, but that covers almost anything you'll ever need. The basis is there for other types of counters, though, such as instance based counters and high-precision. Both precompiled and full project source is available.




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Finding gaps with analytic functions

articles: 

Finding gaps is classic problem in PL/SQL. The basic concept is that you have some sort of numbers (like these: 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 15, 20, 21, 22, 23, 25, 26), where there’s supposed to be a fixed interval between the entries, but some entries could be missing. The gaps problem involves identifying the ranges of missing values in the sequence. For these numbers, the solution will be as follows:
START_GAP END_GAP
4 4
7 7
11 14
16 19
24 24

First, run the following code, to create tab1 table:


CREATE TABLE tab1
(
col1 INTEGER
);

Then, insert a few rows:


INSERT INTO tab1 VALUES (1);
INSERT INTO tab1 VALUES (2);
INSERT INTO tab1 VALUES (3);
INSERT INTO tab1 VALUES (5);
INSERT INTO tab1 VALUES (6);
INSERT INTO tab1 VALUES (8);
INSERT INTO tab1 VALUES (9);
INSERT INTO tab1 VALUES (10);
INSERT INTO tab1 VALUES (15);
INSERT INTO tab1 VALUES (20);
INSERT INTO tab1 VALUES (21);
INSERT INTO tab1 VALUES (22);
INSERT INTO tab1 VALUES (23);
INSERT INTO tab1 VALUES (25);
INSERT INTO tab1 VALUES (26);

COMMIT;

With data, you can take care of solving the gaps problem…

One of the most efficient solutions to the gaps problem involves using analytic functions (also known as window functions)


WITH aa AS
(SELECT col1 AS cur_value, LEAD (col1) OVER (ORDER BY col1) AS next_value
FROM tab1)
SELECT cur_value + 1 AS start_gap, next_value - 1 AS end_gap
FROM aa
WHERE next_value - cur_value > 1
ORDER BY start_gap

Using the LEAD function, you can return for each current col1 value (call it cur_value) the next value in the sequence (call it next_value). Then you can filter only pairs where the difference between the two is greater than the one.




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Recursive WITH, part II: Hierarchical queries

articles: 

In my last post, I looked at using recursive WITH to implement simple recursive algorithms in SQL. One very common use of recursion is to traverse hierarchical data. I recently wrote a series of posts on hierarchical data, using Oracle’s CONNECT BY syntax and a fun example. In this post, I’ll be revisiting the same data using recursive WITH.

There are dozens of examples of hierarchical data, from the EMP table to the Windows Registry to binary trees, but I went with something more fun: the skeleton from the old song “Dem Dry Bones”.

Quote:
Toe bone connected to the foot bone
Foot bone connected to the heel bone
Heel bone connected to the ankle bone
Ankle bone connected to the shin bone
Shin bone connected to the knee bone
Knee bone connected to the thigh bone
Thigh bone connected to the hip bone
Hip bone connected to the back bone
Back bone connected to the shoulder bone
Shoulder bone connected to the neck bone
Neck bone connected to the head bone

Since every bone has only one ancestor, and there is a root bone with no ancestor, this is hierarchical data and we can stick it in a table and query it.

SELECT * FROM skeleton;
BONE                                     CONNECTED_TO_THE
---------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------
shoulder                                 neck
back                                     shoulder
hip                                      back
thigh                                    hip
knee                                     thigh
leg                                      knee
foot                                     heel
head
neck                                     head
toe                                      foot
arm                                      shoulder
wrist                                    arm
ankle                                    leg
heel                                     ankle
finger                                   wrist
a rib                                    back
b rib                                    back
c rib                                    back

You can see that I added some ribs and an arm to make the skeleton more complete!

Using Oracle’s CONNECT BY syntax:

SQL> col bone FOR a10
SQL> col connected_to_the FOR a9
SQL> col level FOR 99
SQL> col bone_tree FOR a27
SQL> col path FOR a65
 
SELECT bone, connected_to_the, level, 
lpad(' ',2*level, ' ') || bone AS bone_tree , 
ltrim(sys_connect_by_path(bone,'>'),'>') AS path
FROM skeleton
START WITH connected_to_the IS NULL
CONNECT BY prior bone=connected_to_the 
ORDER siblings BY 1

BONE       CONNECTED LEVEL BONE_TREE                   PATH
---------- --------- ----- --------------------------- -----------------------------------------------------------------
head                     1   head                      head
neck       head          2     neck                    head>neck
shoulder   neck          3       shoulder              head>neck>shoulder
arm        shoulder      4         arm                 head>neck>shoulder>arm
wrist      arm           5           wrist             head>neck>shoulder>arm>wrist
finger     wrist         6             finger          head>neck>shoulder>arm>wrist>finger
back       shoulder      4         back                head>neck>shoulder>back
a rib      back          5           a rib             head>neck>shoulder>back>a rib
b rib      back          5           b rib             head>neck>shoulder>back>b rib
c rib      back          5           c rib             head>neck>shoulder>back>c rib
hip        back          5           hip               head>neck>shoulder>back>hip
thigh      hip           6             thigh           head>neck>shoulder>back>hip>thigh
knee       thigh         7               knee          head>neck>shoulder>back>hip>thigh>knee
leg        knee          8                 leg         head>neck>shoulder>back>hip>thigh>knee>leg
ankle      leg           9                   ankle     head>neck>shoulder>back>hip>thigh>knee>leg>ankle
heel       ankle        10                     heel    head>neck>shoulder>back>hip>thigh>knee>leg>ankle>heel
foot       heel         11                       foot  head>neck>shoulder>back>hip>thigh>knee>leg>ankle>heel>foot
toe        foot         12                         toe head>neck>shoulder>back>hip>thigh>knee>leg>ankle>heel>foot>toe

The above CONNECT BY query uses the LEVEL pseudocolumn and the SYS_CONNECT_BY_PATH function. With recursive WITH, there’s no need for these built-ins because these values fall naturally out of the recursion.

Let’s start with the basic hierarchical query rewritten in recursive WITH.
The hierarchical relationship in our table is:
Parent(row.bone) = row.connected_to_the

WITH skellarchy (bone, parent) AS
 ( SELECT bone, connected_to_the FROM skeleton 
   WHERE bone = 'head'                         -- Start with the root
 UNION ALL
   SELECT s.bone, s.connected_to_the 
   FROM skeleton s, skellarchy r
   WHERE r.bone = s.connected_to_the           -- Parent(row.bone) = row.connected_to_the
 )
SELECT * FROM skellarchy;

BONE       PARENT
---------- ----------------------------------------
head
neck       head
shoulder   neck
back       shoulder
arm        shoulder
hip        back
wrist      arm
a rib      back
b rib      back
c rib      back
thigh      hip
finger     wrist
knee       thigh
leg        knee
ankle      leg
heel       ankle
foot       heel
toe        foot

Because we built up the SKELLARCHY table recursively, it’s easy to make an equivalent to the LEVEL pseudocolumn; it falls right out of the recursion:

WITH skellarchy (bone, parent, the_level) AS
 ( SELECT bone, connected_to_the, 0 FROM skeleton 
   WHERE bone = 'head'                         
 UNION ALL
   SELECT s.bone, s.connected_to_the , r.the_level + 1
   FROM skeleton s, skellarchy r
   WHERE r.bone = s.connected_to_the           
 )
SELECT * FROM skellarchy;

BONE       PARENT      THE_LEVEL
---------- ---------- ----------
head                           0
neck       head                1
shoulder   neck                2
back       shoulder            3
arm        shoulder            3
hip        back                4
wrist      arm                 4
a rib      back                4
b rib      back                4
c rib      back                4
thigh      hip                 5
finger     wrist               5
knee       thigh               6
leg        knee                7
ankle      leg                 8
heel       ankle               9
foot       heel               10
toe        foot               11

and it’s also easy to build up a path from root to the current node like the “SYS_CONNECT_BY_PATH” function does for CONNECT BY queries:

WITH skellarchy (bone, parent, the_level, the_path) AS
 ( SELECT bone, connected_to_the, 0, CAST(bone AS varchar2(4000)) FROM skeleton 
   WHERE bone = 'head'                         
 UNION ALL
   SELECT s.bone, s.connected_to_the , r.the_level + 1, r.the_path || '->' || s.bone
   FROM skeleton s, skellarchy r
   WHERE r.bone = s.connected_to_the           
 )
SELECT * FROM skellarchy;

BONE       PARENT     THE_LEVEL THE_PATH
---------- ---------- --------- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
head                          0 head
neck       head               1 head->neck
shoulder   neck               2 head->neck->shoulder
back       shoulder           3 head->neck->shoulder->back
arm        shoulder           3 head->neck->shoulder->arm
hip        back               4 head->neck->shoulder->back->hip
wrist      arm                4 head->neck->shoulder->arm->wrist
a rib      back               4 head->neck->shoulder->back->a rib
b rib      back               4 head->neck->shoulder->back->b rib
c rib      back               4 head->neck->shoulder->back->c rib
thigh      hip                5 head->neck->shoulder->back->hip->thigh
finger     wrist              5 head->neck->shoulder->arm->wrist->finger
knee       thigh              6 head->neck->shoulder->back->hip->thigh->knee
leg        knee               7 head->neck->shoulder->back->hip->thigh->knee->leg
ankle      leg                8 head->neck->shoulder->back->hip->thigh->knee->leg->ankle
heel       ankle              9 head->neck->shoulder->back->hip->thigh->knee->leg->ankle->heel
foot       heel              10 head->neck->shoulder->back->hip->thigh->knee->leg->ankle->heel->foot
toe        foot              11 head->neck->shoulder->back->hip->thigh->knee->leg->ankle->heel->foot->toe

and we can use our generated the_level column to make a nice display just as we used the level pseudocolumn with CONNECT BY:

WITH skellarchy (bone, parent, the_level) AS
 ( SELECT bone, connected_to_the, 0  FROM skeleton 
   WHERE bone = 'head'                         
 UNION ALL
   SELECT s.bone, s.connected_to_the , r.the_level + 1
   FROM skeleton s, skellarchy r
   WHERE r.bone = s.connected_to_the           
 )
SELECT lpad(' ',2*the_level, ' ') || bone AS bone_tree FROM skellarchy;

BONE_TREE
---------------------------
head
  neck
    shoulder
      back
      arm
        hip
        wrist
        a rib
        b rib
        c rib
          thigh
          finger
            knee
              leg
                ankle
                  heel
                    foot
                      toe

Now, the bones are coming out in a bit of a funny order for a skeleton. Instead of this:

    shoulder
      back
      arm
        hip
        wrist
        a rib
        b rib
        c rib
          thigh
          finger

I want to see this:

    shoulder
      arm
        wrist
          finger
      back
        a rib
        b rib
        c rib
        hip
          thigh

The rows are coming out in BREADTH FIRST ordering – meaning all siblings of ‘shoulder’ are printed before any children of ‘shoulder’. But I want to see them in DEPTH FIRST: going from shoulder to finger before we start on the backbone.

WITH skellarchy (bone, parent, the_level) AS
 ( SELECT bone, connected_to_the, 0  FROM skeleton 
   WHERE bone = 'head'                         
 UNION ALL
   SELECT s.bone, s.connected_to_the , r.the_level + 1
   FROM skeleton s, skellarchy r
   WHERE r.bone = s.connected_to_the           
 )
SEARCH DEPTH FIRST BY bone SET bone_order
SELECT lpad(' ',2*the_level, ' ') || bone AS bone_tree FROM skellarchy
ORDER BY bone_order;

BONE_TREE
---------------------------
head
  neck
    shoulder
      arm
        wrist
          finger
      back
        a rib
        b rib
        c rib
        hip
          thigh
            knee
              leg
                ankle
                  heel
                    foot
                      toe

And now the result looks more like a proper skeleton.

Now on to cycles. A cycle is a loop in the hierarchical data: a row is its own ancestor. To put a cycle in the example data, I made the skeleton bend over and connect the head to the toe:

UPDATE skeleton SET connected_to_the='toe' WHERE bone='head';

And now if we try to run the query:

ERROR at line 2:
ORA-32044: cycle detected while executing recursive WITH query

With the CONNECT BY syntax, we can use CONNECT BY NOCYCLE to run a query even when cycles exist, and the pseudocolumn CONNECT_BY_IS_CYCLE to help detect cycles. For recursive WITH, Oracle provides a CYCLE clause, which is a bit more powerful as it allows us to name the column which is cycling.

WITH skellarchy (bone, parent, the_level) AS
 ( SELECT bone, connected_to_the, 0  FROM skeleton 
   WHERE bone = 'head'                         
 UNION ALL
   SELECT s.bone, s.connected_to_the , r.the_level + 1
   FROM skeleton s, skellarchy r
   WHERE r.bone = s.connected_to_the           
 )
SEARCH DEPTH FIRST BY bone SET bone_order
CYCLE bone SET is_a_cycle TO 'Y' DEFAULT 'N'
SELECT lpad(' ',2*the_level, ' ') || bone AS bone_tree, is_a_cycle FROM skellarchy
--where is_a_cycle='N'
ORDER BY bone_order;

BONE_TREE                                                    I
------------------------------------------------------------ -
head                                                         N
  neck                                                       N
    shoulder                                                 N
      arm                                                    N
        wrist                                                N
          finger                                             N
      back                                                   N
        a rib                                                N
        b rib                                                N
        c rib                                                N
        hip                                                  N
          thigh                                              N
            knee                                             N
              leg                                            N
                ankle                                        N
                  heel                                       N
                    foot                                     N
                      toe                                    N
                        head                                 Y

The query runs until the first cycle is detected, then stops.

The CONNECT BY syntax does provide a nice pseudocolumn, CONNECT_BY_ISLEAF, which is 1 when a row has no further children, 0 otherwise. In my next post, I’ll look at emulating this pseudocolumn with recursive WITH.


Republished with permission. Original URL: http://rdbms-insight.com/wp/?p=103




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Elektrsich verwarmd binnenvest 12 Volt Gerbing

7 VOLT VERWARMDE JAS De meeste mensen zullen in eerste instantie denken dat de verwarmde handschoenen en verwarmde sokken de beste producten zijn! Het is echter zo dat op het moment dat handen en voeten koud worden dat veroorzaakt wordt door een koude romp. Op het moment dat de vitale organen te koud worden zal er extra warmte uit de handen en de voeten gehaald worden met als consequentie dat de handen en voeten als eerste koud worden. Daarom worden er ook veel meer 12 volt verwarmde handschoenen en 7 volt verwarmde handschoenen verkocht. Maar eigenlijk zijn onze verwarmde jassen functioneler. Nadat Gerbing een 12 volt verwarmde jas op de markt heeft gebracht voor de motorrijder zijn wij uiteraard ook begonnen met een verwarmde jas te ontwikkelen voor mensen die last hebben van kou bij willekeurige outdoor activiteiten. Dit heeft geresulteerd in een 7 volt verwarmde jas met afritsbare mouwen. Deze kan dus ook als bodywarmer gedragen worden. Deze jas heeft vier elementen. Twee elementen op de borst, één op rug en één in de kraag. Deze jassen worden geleverd met een 7 volt batterij kitje (B7V-2500 KIT) bestaande uit twee 7 volt batterijen met een ingebouwde temperatuurregelaar en één dubbele lader. Dit zijn dezelfde batterijen die gebruikt worden voor al onze 7 volt verwarmde handschoenen, 7 volt verwarmde sokken en alle overige 7 volt producten. De batterijen zijn eenvoudig te bedienen. Ze zijn voorzien van een powerknop en daarmee worden de batterijen aangezet en men kan tevens met deze knop de temperatuur instellen en de batterijen uitzetten. De verwarmde jas is verkrijgbaar in de maten XXS tot en met XXXL en zijn voor zowel mannen als vrouwen. De kleur is zwart. Deze 7 volt verwarmde jas draag je over één laag kleding en onder de gewone jas.




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Gerbing elektrsich verwamde 7 Volt sokken.

7V SOKKEN Gerbing staat bekend om zijn verwarmde handschoenen. Zowel de 12 volt verwarmde handschoenen als de 7 volt verwarmde handschoenen zijn algemeen bekend. Sinds kort hebben we echter ook 7 volt verwarmde sokken. Nadat we eerder al de 12 volt verwarmde sokken hebben geïntroduceerd is het nu de beurt aan de 7 volt sokken. De 12 volt sokken moeten aangesloten worden op een accu van een voertuig met behulp van een accukabel. Hierdoor konden mensen die ook bij andere activiteiten last hadden van koude voeten geen gebruik maken van deze geweldige uitvinding. Dankzij de kleine en krachtige 7 volt batterijen met ingebouwde temperatuurregelaar (B7V-2500) is het nu ook mogelijk om bij alle activiteiten er warmpjes bij te lopen. Men kan zelf de gewenste temperatuur instellen door middel van het indrukken van één knop. Dit is de power knop warmee de batterijen ook aangezet kunnen worden. De batterijen gaan op de hoogste temperatuur ongeveer twee tot drie uur mee en op de laagste stand ongeveer zes tot acht uur. Het gepatenteerde micro wire (staaldraad) dat verwerkt is in de sokken is niet voelbaar en verwarmt de hele onderkant van de voeten. De 7 volt verwarmde sokken worden geleverd met een 7 volt batterij KIT (B7V-2500 KIT), deze bestaat uit twee batterijen en één dubbele lader. De batterijen kunnen honderden keren opgeladen worden. De batterijen worden aangesloten op de sokken en door middel van een speciaal ontworpen kuitbandje kun je de batterijen mooi wegwerken. Dankzij deze sokken zullen veel mensen weer kunnen genieten van diverse activiteiten in de buitenlucht. De tijd van koude voeten en bevroren tenen zijn voorbij dankzij de 7 volt verwarmde sokken van Gerbing.




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vaste hengel colmic 6002 11.5m brasem/kanaal

hengel colmic 6002 1150minclusief:mini deel dat past om 11.5m en 10m en 8m te vissenmini deel om 6.5m en 5m te vissen2 topsetten 4 delen em-95 van 4.6m1 topset 2 delen super match van 3m1holdall race foudraal om hengels in te bewarentubes voor stok en topsettennieuwprijs rond de 1400 euro!!zeer lichte hengel ideaal voor kanaal en brasemvisserij. is nog in nieuwstaat. inclusief foedraal en beschermtubes.




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Progettare applicazioni mobile

Non si ferma la pubblicazione nel blog Internet della BBC, già tema di un mio precedente intervento, di articoli che spiegano nel dettaglio il processo di progettazione di siti e servizi. Questa volta tocca all’applicazione iPhone del player che permette … Continua a leggere

L'articolo Progettare applicazioni mobile proviene da Fucinaweb.




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Gli articoli più letti nel 2011

Fine anno. Questi sono i 5 articoli più letti e pubblicati nel 2011 su Fucinaweb. La classifica tiene conto sia delle visite del sito, sia delle letture tramite il feed RSS. Guerrilla web project management Le slide con l’audio della … Continua a leggere

L'articolo Gli articoli più letti nel 2011 proviene da Fucinaweb.




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I bozzetti in aiuto alla comunicazione di progetto

Anche quest’anno (dopo il 2009, 2010 e 2011) ho partecipato come speaker a Better Software. Questa volta ho presentato “Carta, penna e calamaio. I bozzetti in aiuto alla comunicazione di progetto”. Molte incomprensioni in fase progettuale derivano dalla mancanza di un … Continua a leggere

L'articolo I bozzetti in aiuto alla comunicazione di progetto proviene da Fucinaweb.




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Golf Rankings for Puerto Rico Open

Our expert picks the top 30 PGA tour golfers for this week's tournament: 1. Scott Brown, 2. Jerry Kelly, 3. Jonathan Byrd, 4. Patrick Rodgers, 5. William McGirt, 6. Freddie Jacobson, 7. Graham Delaet, ...




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PGA DFS: Puerto Rico Open (Premium)

Daily Fantasy Golf Expert Chris Garosi breaks down the top players to target in the Puerto Rico Open on DraftKings this week!:




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PGA DFS: Puerto Rico Open (Free Preview)

Fantasy Golf Expert Chris Garosi will help you cash in on DraftKings. This is a free preview of his PREMIUM PGA DFS Rundown!:




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Kickman's NHL DFS Picks (Tuesday, March 22)

FullTime Fantasy Sports continues to expand its Fantasy coverage and now with a PREMIUM membership, you earn access to Kickman's NHL DFS picks all season long!




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Chicago Bears sign restricted free agent tight end Josh Hill to an offer sheet

The Bears have signed restricted free agent tight end Josh Hill. The New Orleans Saints have five days to match the offer.




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The Fantasy Exec's NBA DFS Advice - March 22

Corey Parson aka The Fantasy Executive delivers two players to build your NBA DFS teams around tonight.




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Kickman's NHL DFS Picks - Thursday, March 24 (Free Preview)

FullTime Fantasy Sports continues to expand its Fantasy coverage and now with a PREMIUM membership, you earn access to Kickman's NHL DFS picks all season long!




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Will new NFL rule alter kickoffs?

The NFL will be spotting touchbacks at the 25-yard line this year, but will that mean more touchbacks or more kicks going high and short of the goal line?




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Kickman's NHL DFS Picks (Saturday, March 26)

FullTime Fantasy Sports continues to expand its Fantasy coverage and now with a PREMIUM membership, you earn access to Kickman's NHL DFS picks all season long!




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NASCAR Picks for STP 500

Top 30 NASCAR Sprint Cup driver rankings for STP 500: 1. Denny Hamlin, 2. Jimmie Johnson, 3. Dale Earnhardt, Jr., 4. Joey Logano, 5. Kevin Harvick, 6. Kyle Busch, 7. Matt Kenseth, ...




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NBA DFS: Dallas Mavericks - March 28

Corey Parson aka The Fantasy Executive discusses a key injury in the Dallas Mavericks backcourt and the affect on the NBA DFS world.




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Is Blogging Just About Getting More Traffic?

I may regret this. My mom always told me to stay out of other people's fights. But I was always too headstrong for my own good so here goes.

Over at Copyblogger Brian tells us:

" Steve used a clever little PR gimmick (that would never work for an unknown blogger today, mind you) to literally propel himself to the enviable point he is now. Nothing wrong with that, unless of course, two years later, you look down from your A-List perch and proclaim that traffic is now bad."
Frankly I'm a little weary of the term "A-List". But I have to agree with that thought. It's easy to mock the tail that wags the blog when you're at the top.

A commentor said:
"Anyone who says traffic doesn't matter, relative to having a web presence, is either disingenuous or has a ton of traffic already. In Steve's case, likely both."
P.S.: It's called HYPOCRISY! Steve Rubel has redefined the art of tagging wrapping all his posts around ever popular keyword themes. "Blog", "Technorati, "Google", "Top Ten", "Best", "Success", "Killer", "Sex", "Porn"... whatever works. Slog that Technorati gravy train Steve and keep those numbers up.

Another commentor also mentioned performancing.com -- that self-absorbed group of omni poobahs forever beating their own drum. Until a couple of months ago nobody had ever heard of them. After spending a little advertising money at Technorati and a few smug posts later they have somehow transformed themselves into self-proclaimed blog experts.

Which only proves that if you toot your own horn loud and long enough you will begin to believe your own press. It also demonstrates how many gullible bloggers there are eager to jump on the blogging gold train.

Taking notes?




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Uber Microsoft Propogandist Scoble Jumps Ship

Slippery Bloggers getting their Palms Greased

Robert Scoble has joined that elite group of A-listers who have successfully exploited their new found fame in the blogosphere. He is reported to be leaving Microsoft for a more lucrative job offer.

Scoble was quoted as saying:
"I wish to thank Bill Gates for giving me an opportunity at Microsoft catapulting me onto the blogger A-list. But above all I wish to thank my loyal suckup fans who have made this all possible. For without you I am nothing".
Amen brother.

Todays Blog Quiz:

So what is the difference between a self-serving politician, and a self-serving blogger?

Absolutely nothing.

Related links: computing, internet, computers and internet, technology, tech, scobleizer, humour, humor, satire, microsoft, bill+gates




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Political FootBall Headlines

SHOULD BE an interesting contest someday. Schwarzenegger and Affleck both vieing for the presidency. Ben Affleck is rumoured to be running for senator in Virginia next year. His spokespeople deny it, but in the next breath also say "he would be a superb candidate for public office in the future"...

IS IT A COINCIDENCE that Brown criticizes everyone else except himself or Bush and is still on the FEMA Payroll...

FEMA REINVENTS the word "charity" and plans to use taxpayer money to reimburse churches and other religious organizations that provided shelter, food and supplies to survivors...

FORMER FEMA DIRECTOR Michael Brown blames others for most of the government failures in responding to Hurricane Katrina, especially Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco and New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin...

RESIDENTS OF the Texas refinery towns hit hardest by Hurricane Rita are blocked from returning to their homes because of danger from debris-choked streets, toppled power lines and a shortage of ice and generators...

DONALD TRUMP'S EMPIRE continues to expand, but his newest addition is on the home front. The 59-year-old real estate mogul and TV reality star's wife Melania, is pregnant...

CHINA DEFENDS its new restrictions on online news content, saying that every country regulates the Internet...

UNIVERSAL, EMI, Warner, Sony BMG and local subsidiaries have entered into mediation with Baidu.com, China's largest Internet search engine, over the recording companies' claims of copyright infringement....

MORE HEADLINE NEWS at News Blog.