Team Captain Bevan Calvert (photo) bevan calvertcalvertkarlssonnajdovskipandzoquierozramadaniturecek ← Previous Story Marta Mangue to Le Havre? Next Story → ASOBAL: More chaos, clubs think of boycotting away games at BM Cangas and Palma del Rio Handball Australia [HA] is pleased to announce that the selection for the men’s national team tocompete in the XXIII World Championship to be held in Spain in January 2013 has beenfinalised.After Australia’s victory at the Oceania Men’s Handball World Championship Qualifier in June,the men’s squad embarked on a series of rigorous training camps for Australian-based players.The European-based players have engaged on high-level training and competition in theirrespective clubs, and reporting to a program set by Head Coach Taip Ramadani.The team comprises of experienced players who have represented Australia in previous worldchampionships and other significant international competitions, as well as new players who arebringing their enthusiasm and experience from high level handball competition from either juniorworld championship or playing in overseas handball clubs.HA welcomes and congratulates especially the following players who are debuting in the men’snational team: Almir Pandzo, Martin Najdovski, Kristofer Karlsson, Jay Abiera andAntonio Queiroz.HA congratulates the following players: The following officials will support the team:TR Taip Ramadani Head CoachZI Zlatan Ivankovic CoachJC John Calvert ManagerMT Melvin Thancanamootoo PhysiotherapistVC Violi Calvert Media & PRHead Coach Taip Ramadani (photo)
Team Captain Bevan Calvert (photo) bevan calvertcalvertkarlssonnajdovskipandzoquierozramadaniturecek ← Previous Story Marta Mangue to Le Havre? Next Story → ASOBAL: More chaos, clubs think of boycotting away games at BM Cangas and Palma del Rio Handball Australia [HA] is pleased to announce that the selection for the men’s national team tocompete in the XXIII World Championship to be held in Spain in January 2013 has beenfinalised.After Australia’s victory at the Oceania Men’s Handball World Championship Qualifier in June,the men’s squad embarked on a series of rigorous training camps for Australian-based players.The European-based players have engaged on high-level training and competition in theirrespective clubs, and reporting to a program set by Head Coach Taip Ramadani.The team comprises of experienced players who have represented Australia in previous worldchampionships and other significant international competitions, as well as new players who arebringing their enthusiasm and experience from high level handball competition from either juniorworld championship or playing in overseas handball clubs.HA welcomes and congratulates especially the following players who are debuting in the men’snational team: Almir Pandzo, Martin Najdovski, Kristofer Karlsson, Jay Abiera andAntonio Queiroz.HA congratulates the following players: The following officials will support the team:TR Taip Ramadani Head CoachZI Zlatan Ivankovic CoachJC John Calvert ManagerMT Melvin Thancanamootoo PhysiotherapistVC Violi Calvert Media & PRHead Coach Taip Ramadani (photo)
IRANIAN AUTHORITIES HAVE restored blocks on Twitter and Facebook after filters on the social networks were lifted for several hours overnight.The brief access was a “technical glitch” that was quickly rectified, according to communications official Abdolsamad Khoramabadi who is from the board overseeing internet in Iran.But it could also point to increasing internal struggles between groups seeking to reopen Facebook and other social networking sites, and hard-liners in the Iranian establishment, who remain firmly in control of internet access.Many Facebook and Twitter followers in the capital, Tehran, and other Iranian cities assumed the surprise internet freedoms late on Monday were the result of policies by newly elected President Hasan Rouhani, who has pledged more outreach to the West and a new openness in Iran.Scores of Facebook users posted notes of “Rouhani, Mochakerim,” which is Farsi for “Thank you, Rouhani.”“God liberated Facebook,” wrote Mohammad Reza on his Facebook, adding that it was his happiest time ever.The postings quickly subdued when reality struck and the sites were no longer available on Tuesday morning, forcing Iranian internet users to again have to go through proxy servers for access.The semi-official Mehr news agency quoted Khoramabadi, the communications official, as saying that board members were unclear as to what had caused the “technical failure regarding some internet service providers.” He warned of unspecified measures if it turns out to have been an international move against Iran.“We will take action if there was a human flaw,” said Khoramabadi. “We are probing it.”(Facebook users posted “Rouhani, Mochakerim,” Farsi for “Thank you, Rouhani.” Pic: AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)Some Internet users raised other suspicions.Amir Reza wrote on his page that the brief access was a trick by Iran’s cyber police to trace Iranian users of Facebook.Iran has blocked Facebook, Twitter and other social networks after they were widely used by opposition supporters during mass street protests following the disputed 2009 re-election of Rouhani’s predecessor, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.Several members of Rouhani’s Cabinet now have their own Facebook pages but there are internal tensions among Iran leadership over whether the Internet is ultimately a force to be expanded or best kept tightly controlled.Disputes have even broken out — on Web-based Iranian news sites — over the authenticity of some of the Facebook pages linked to some ministers.Read: UN envoy arrives in Syria for talks on chemical weapons probe >Read: CIA (finally) admits it masterminded the 1953 coup in Iran >Read: New Iran PM wants “serious” nuclear talks >
ANORAKS UNITE! THIS truly fascinating video by the Irish Political Maps blog shows you how each constituency in Ireland voted in every general election from the first Dáil in 1918 to the present day.The animated map tells you which party got the most first preference votes in each area but also puts them alongside the parties that eventually formed a Government. It starkly shows you the effect of the PR-STV system on Ireland’s political landscape and demonstrates how Government formation is about far more than first preference votes.For example, the first inter-party Government in 1948 between Fine Gael, the Labour Party, Clann na Poblachta, Clann na Talmhan and the National Labour Party was formed despite Fianna Fáil winning the first preference vote in all but one constituency.Speaking of Fianna Fáil, if you were ever in any doubt about their dominance of Irish politics for the last 80 years this video should set you straight. And while were at it, watch to the end to see the map turning blue for Fine Gael for the first time since the 1920s.The vote for 3rd Dáil in 1922 is well worth a look at too. It shows how a country on the verge of civil war voted between the pro- and anti-treaty factions of Sinn Féin.Very interesting stuff, it also has some nice relaxing piano music in the background too if you’re so inclined.(h/t: Twitter/@IrishPolMaps)Read: Complex politics or simple geography: Is Ireland part of the British Isles? >Read: Dublin a three-seater in Ireland’s new-look European constituency map >Read: East-west divide? Referendum map shows how the country split on Seanad > (Youtube/IrishPolMaps)
ROB FORD IS having a tough week.Just days after the Toronto mayor admitted to smoking crack cocaine, a new video was sent to a Canadian newspaper which shows the politician in a frantic rage, talking about wanting to “kill” and “murder” someone.The video, which looks to have been recorded secretly, appears to show Ford saying “I need f**king 10 minutes to make sure that he’s dead” and talking how he wants to “rip [someone’s] f**king throat out”. It is not clear who he is talking about in the clip.After the Toronto Star posted the video online, the newspaper reports that Ford apologised and said he was “extremely, extremely inebriated” when the video was taken”.“All I can say is, again, I’ve made mistakes,” the mayor said. “I hope none of you have ever or will ever be in that state”.(Video: SeaLightNews/YouTube)Despite the increasing controversy about his personal life, Ford’s popularity rating remains high: a poll taken this week found that his approval rating has risen by 5 percentage points to 44 per cent.On Tuesday he publicly admitted that he had smoked crack cocaine “probably in one of my drunken stupors” after police in Toronto said they had a video which allegedly showed him taking the drug.Ford has repeatedly rejected calls for his resignation.Read: ‘Yes, I have smoked crack cocaine. Am I an addict? No.’ – Toronto Mayor >Read: Toronto police say they have video of ‘Mayor with crack pipe’ > Read: Mayor of Toronto beats Hulk Hogan at arm wrestling >
In response to Fianna Fáil’s Private Member’s motion tonight on Eirgrid’s proposals for overhead power lines, the Minister for Communications, Energy and Resources Pat Rabbitte said meaningful engagement is needed with the public.The motion called on the Government to initiate an independent, international assessment of the Eirgrid proposals to erect overhead pylons around the country.Rabbitte said he could not accept the motion but said it raised “important issues”.National interestHowever, he said it was the Government’s policy and “in the national interest, not least in current economic circumstances, that infrastructure investment programmes are delivered in the most “cost efficient and timely way possible”.According to the knowledge available to him from an the International Expert Commission “on the case for, and cost of, undergrounding all or part of the Meath-Tyrone line noted that there is no single right solution”.However, he said the Commission estimated that the cost of a high voltage direct voltage underground cable would be three times the cost of a traditional overhead line. He added:But, on the basis of the information available to me, I cannot say for certain that undergrounding other 400kV lines in Grid25 would automatically be 3 times as costly.Fossil fuelsRabbitte said Grid25 will reduce Ireland’s dependency on imported fossil fuels but said he was “aware that many people are concerned about the impact that new transmission lines and other energy infrastructure can have on the landscape, the environment and on local communities”.He added that EirGrid must address and where possible avoid any human, environmental or landscape impact in delivering the best possible engineering solutions for our small and still isolated electricity system, stating that they must adhere to national and international standards.I am however aware that many people are concerned about the impact that new transmission lines and other energy infrastructure can have on the landscape, the environment and on local communities.He pointed out that national and international health and scientific agencies “have reviewed more than 30 years of research into EMF. None of these agencies has concluded that exposure to EMF from power lines or other electrical source is a cause of any long-term adverse effects on human, plant or animal health”.Contrary to recent headlines, Rabbitte said EirGrid is working closely with Fáilte Ireland on Grid25, to ensure they can outline their objectives of protecting key tourism assets and amenities.Minister Rabbitte’s comments come just hours after chairman designate of Eirgrid, John O’Connor told the Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications that he personally would not like to live beside an electricity pylon.Read: ‘I wouldn’t like to live close to a pylon, but who would?’ – Incoming Eirgrid chair>
FORMER ISRAELI PRIME Ariel Sharon’s ‘vital organs’ are failing according to the hospital where he is being treatedSharon has been in a coma for nearly eight years but his condition worsened yesterday according to Israeli media.“In the last few days, we have seen a gradual decline in the functioning of Ariel Sharon’s vital organs, which are essential for his survival,” Tel Hashomer hospital director Zeev Rotstein told Israeli public radio.The 85-year-old, who is at the hospital in the city of Tel Aviv, was suffering from “serious kidney problems” after undergoing surgery, army radio said.News website Ynet quoted medical sources as saying Sharon was taken into intensive care a month ago. His health then stabilised but suffered a “significant deterioration” in the past few days.The long-time leader of the right-wing nationalist camp in Israeli politics suffered a massive stroke in January 2006 before slipping into a coma from which he has never recovered.Israeli and US specialists said in January 2013 that Sharon had showed “significant brain activity” in an MRI scan, responding to pictures of his family seven years after the stroke.He was first elected prime minister in February 2001, just months after walking through east Jerusalem’s flashpoint Al-Aqsa mosque compound, revered by Jews as the Temple Mount, in an action that sparked the second Palestinian uprising.In November 2005, he left the right-wing Likud to set up a new party, Kadima, frustrated by hardliners opposed to his withdrawal of troops and settlers from Gaza that year and to any further concessions in the occupied West Bank.© – AFP 2014Read: Clinton to travel to Israel and Egypt for peace talks >Explainer: What do the Israeli-Palestinian peace talks mean?
INDEPENDENT TD MATTIE McGrath has slammed members of the Dáil Technical Group after he was removed from two Oireachtas committees of which he was a member, claiming it’s because of his pro-life views.The Dáil today agreed to a decision by the grouping of independent and smaller party TDs to remove the Tipperary South deputy from both the Health and Transport committees, replacing him with Clare Daly and Mick Wallace respectively.McGrath described it as an “undemocratic and despicable action” which “reflects extremely poorly on the willingness of some members of the Technical Group to listen to any kind of view which deviates from their own”. He said: “I am now being penalised for essentially falling out of favour due to the political stance I took at the time of the so called Protection of Life During Pregnancy Act.”However, the Technical Group whip, Kildare North TD Catherine Murphy, said that McGrath has not attended the weekly meetings of the group since July 2013.McGrath has also refused to pay monthly dues for the employment of two people as coordinators for the group since July.“Members of the group were seeking committee places,” Murphy said in a brief statement to TheJournal.ie.‘Apartheid’However, McGrath told this website that he is “getting no service, so I am not paying” and claimed that the €230 a month he had been paying towards employing staff for the group had gone up to €258 a month.He said there is “no transparency” in the Technical Group, saying “they have an apartheid of their own operating there. I don’t fit. Liberals in there don’t like my thinking.”During the debate on the matter in the Dáil earlier, independent TD and Technical Group member Stephen Donnelly asked the Ceann Comhairle to confirm that no member of the group was allowed to speak which Seán Barrett duly confirmed.This was an attempt to point out that the group could not outline its reasons for removing McGrath from the two committees.McGrath said his removal and replacement with Daly and Wallace, both of whom supported the abortion bill, was an attempt to tip the balance in favour of pro-choice views.“How can I see this as anything but an attempt to tip the ideological balance away to a position more suited to the proposers of the motion?” he said.Separately, the Dáil also voted through a measure preventing opposition TDs from tabling duplicate bills to increase the chances of them being debated.This followed a recent dispute over Luke Ming Flanagan’s tabling of a bill banning the construction of wind turbines which was identical to that previously tabled by Labour backbencher Willie Penrose.Read: Can expelled TDs join the Dáil Technical Group? Here’s why it’s ‘as clear as mud’Read: ‘Mick has a serious credibility problem’: TDs split on who does Leaders’ Questions
Pigeons in the Cabra area of Dublin, Tuesday February 19, 2013. (Niall Carson/PA Wire)HERE ARE THE things we learned, loved and shared today.THINGS WE LEARNED: #MAGDALENES: Enda Kenny broke into tears as he concluded a historic State apology to the victims of the Magdalene Laundries in the Dáil this evening. The apology came two weeks after an inter-departmental committee formally outlined a significant State involvement in the committal of over 10,000 women to the Laundries between the 1920s and 1990s.#MURDER: A man has been charged with the murder of Olivia Dunlea, 36, who died in “violent circumstances” before a fire at her home in Passage West, Cork, on Sunday. Darren Murphy, 36, appeared before Cork City Court today.#IRISH LIFE: The Government has reached a deal to sell Irish Life to the Canadian company Great-West Lifeco for €1.3 billion. The Irish Life name will be retained as part of the deal and the life and pensions operations of Great-West Lifeco’s Irish subsidiary, Canada Life, will be combined with those of Irish Life.#IBRC: The Taoiseach has said it is not yet clear whether credit unions will lose “millions” of euros in the liquidation of IBRC, in response to a rumour circulating that claims credit unions could lose up to €17 million worth of investments with the former State-owned bank. Enda Kenny said the liquidator will have to analyse the situation.#OSCAR PISTORIUS: Athlete Oscar Pistorius has today told a South African court that he did not intend to kill his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, who died from gunshot wounds sustained at his house several days ago. Pistorius testified that he had inadvertently shot Steenkamp after mistaking her for an intruder.#SEPTIC TANKS: The national inspection plan for septic tanks has been published by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in a move welcomed by Environment Minister. Phil Hogan the plan it will “underpin the risk-based inspection of septic tanks and other on-site treatment systems” and thanked all of the householders who have registered their domestic waste water treatment systems – describing those who supported the legislation as the “silent majority”Awww… two-year-old Eva Bray looks at a blooming Magnolia campbellii flower in the Trebah Gardens in Cornwall, as spring arrives in the south-west peninsula before the rest of the country. (Simon Burt/PA Wire)THINGS WE LOVED:Today, we mostly loved making anagrams of our names using nifty website Anyagrams (via @nadineoregan). Someone in Journal HQ will now forever be known by the – frankly excellent -appellation Vanilla Grey.Last week, US TV host Jimmy Kimmel asked his male viewers to give their wives and girlfriends the most unromantic present they could think of…. and they didn’t disappoint.(But don’t let that kill your faith in the less-than-fair sex… check out what one man did for his girlfriend after her 10-year-old beagle passed away.)Uploaded by 30poundman via BuzzfeedTHINGS WE SHARED: Twenty-five writers talk about the importance of libraries – and why they aren’t the “sentimental” institutions they are currently being painted as in some quarters.You might think you can rely on your memory but false eyewitness reports are a leading cause of wrongful convictions… The Atlantic looks at the problem with police line-ups.Facebook says there is not place on the network for hate speech, violent images or other inappropriate content – so why does content that seems to glorify rape and domestic abuse keep appearing, asks Laura Bates on the Guardian. An Indian labourer sun dries red chillies at Shertha village, outskirts of Ahmadabad, India, Tuesday, Feb. 19, 2013. Millions of Indians earn their livelihood from agriculture.(AP Photo/Ajit Solanki)
He said that the strategy of those that carried out the attack is to strike fear into employees and to “discourage any genuine prospective acquirers of our businesses”.GovernmentO’Brien said that the group are planning to meet the Governments, north and south of the border, to “agree on measures to stop these attacks and to bring the perpetrators and, more importantly, their sponsors, to justice”.He added that “the international investment world an impression of lawlessness is being created by these attacks which has the potential to have serious negative impact for the island as a whole and the border region in particular”.He concluded by stating that the attack last night was on the employees – “on their lives and livelihoods – and on the local community”.Gardaí are investigating the attack and are appealing for the public to come forward with any information.No arrests have yet been made.This is the latest attack on premises previously owned by Seán Quinn.Additional reporting Christina Finn. Originally published 8.45am.Read: Petrol bombs thrown outside former Quinn property in Fermanagh>Read: Bus set on fire outside Quinn Group property> Updated 19.05pmA 4×4 WAS driven into the Quinn packaging plant in Cavan last night.At around 9 pm the 4×4 went through the security fence and was set on fire.The two men who were in the vehicle also set fire to the foyer of the building causing extensive damage.The pair then fled the scene of the Ballyconnell plant in a black estate type car.Emergency services were called to deal with the fire. Nobody was injured but there was extensive smoke damage.‘Reckless’The CEO of the packaging plant at Ballyconnell, Paul O’Brien, said that the attack was “reckless in the extreme”.In a statement this evening, he claimed the “fire bomb vehicle” was driven into an area that is used by employees throughout the night. “It was only by good fortune that no one was injured,” he said.He added:I want to make it very clear to all involved that my resolve and that of my management team, the Board of our Group and our owners and investors, is only strengthened by these attacks the most recent of which are designed to prevent the sale of any of the Group’s assets.We have a clear objective to protect, maximise and, over time, realise the value in the businesses for our owners; we will not be deterred from this objective.
Can’t see the photo? Try reloading this post (Imgur/Reddit)THIS IS WHY using a grapefruit segment instead of a letter isn’t always a good idea.The headline appeared in Tuesday’s Mankato Free Press, a newspaper in south-central Minnesota, over an article about grapefruit recipes.The paper has since issued an embarrassed admission, noting: “The headline was intended to read “Grapefruit” […] Instead, many readers interpreted the headline as “Rapefruit.”Free Press publisher Jim Santori said: “Obviously, in hindsight, we would have done this differently.”VIDEO: WHAT did this newsreader just mime on air?>VIDEO: Is this the worst New Year’s Eve live broadcast of all time?>
IRELAND COACH Declan Kidney hopes today’s match with France will not be Brian O’Driscoll’s last in the Six Nations at Lansdowne Road.The 34-year-old centre is his country’s second-most capped player, but like Kidney, there is conjecture over his future.O’Driscoll could retire after thmoe Six Nations while few expect the coach’s contract to be renewed after a disappointing campaign that has only yielded one win from three games. Amid the speculation, Kidney has made it clear he wants O’Driscoll to continue.“I hope it won’t be,” Kidney said. “I think that’s up to Brian to decide. I thought he had a smashing game against Wales. To turn out the day of the England match (after the birth of his daughter) just shows his passion for the whole thing.“Who knows? Just like Jamie (Heaslip) said we can’t know the future. Please God it won’t be. This will be just another game to add to his tally.”Kidney fears another veteran, Frederic Michalak, could have an impact on the game in Dublin, saying the French out-half is a player who sees opportunities others don’t.“He can open up defences, he finds openings where other people don’t see them,” Kidney said. “He has that sort of vision really to be able to do that and in games like this.“They’ve been tight over the last couple of years and it’s probably what they’ve gone after. I think there are a lot of combinations in their backline, who can play off each other pretty well.”Meanwhile, Ireland captain Jamie Heaslip says he is still learning his role as skipper ahead of the showdown with France. Heaslip’s selection as captain, ahead of long-serving skipper O’Driscoll, was seen by many as a nod to the future.However, both his and the team’s underwhelming performances have led to scrutiny of the appointment.“On Tuesday at the media day (I was asked) have you learned everything you need to learn regards to captaincy? I said ‘no, you never stop learning’,” said Heaslip. So I’m always trying to pick up stuff, we’ve got so much experience in the team in all different ways.“I’m really enjoying it. From a team point of view it’s a massive challenge, as captain I have to lead by example I suppose.”6 Nations: 3 key battles Ireland must win to beat FranceThe Tank needs to be at his unstoppable best to top Picamoles
I’M A 30(ish) year old, happily-married mam of two, living in a small town in Connemara. I have two crazy dogs, wonderful friends and a loving, supportive family. I also have clinical depression. So, I’ve started writing a blog by way of helping me on my journey with this illness, and in the hope that my experience may help someone else.But what prompted me to do this? Why say anything at all? Depression is shameful, something to hide, something we should just be able to snap out of, right? Certainly not something to share with the world. Wrong. So very, very wrong.I’ve been struggling with depression for years. With hindsight I think it began as far back as college, possibly even school, although it wasn’t until after the birth of my first child that it raised it’s head in a way that began to cause serious problems. At the time, we called it post-natal depression. I took anti depressants for six months, felt somewhat better, and put it behind me, assuming that was it and I’d never look back. Unfortunately, that hasn’t been the case and I’m currently off work recovering from the most severe episode yet, one which saw me take a five week holiday in the psychiatric unit of UHG.Why was I being so secretive about my illness?It was while I was in hospital that I began to question why I was being so secretive about my illness. I suppose part of the reason is that for the longest time, I couldn’t accept that depression actually was an illness. I mentioned this to my psychiatrist once – she challenged me to go and say that to all the people in the waiting room. That was me firmly put in my place! So, I had to accept (something I still struggle with) that depression is part of me. It’s happened more times now than I care to mention, and each episode has been worse than the last.It is a truly horrendous way to feel, and I wouldn’t wish it on anyone. But now isn’t the time to discuss the horrors of a bad depressive low. What’s important is that at the very bottom of this low, when I was at my worst, I realised that by hiding it I was actually making things even harder on myself. It occurred to me that if I was in hospital for any other reason, I would expect, nay, demand, sympathy, visits, flowers, chocolates. Did I mention sympathy? Yet here I was, the lowest I’ve ever been, afraid to talk to even my closest friends.The first step to breaking the silenceSo, I decided to do something about it. Smartphones are a wonderful invention. My first foray into letting people know was a text to a select few. Then, when I was feeling braver, a post on Facebook. For me, I express myself far more articulately through the written word and it’s not quite as scary as a face-to-face conversation. The response I got quite literally blew me away. I was overwhelmed by the amount of support and positivity that came my way – calls, messages, visits – I was amply supplied with chocolate and reading material, as well as the occasional shoulder and kleenex. I’d done it. Everyone knew. And the best part? The world didn’t come crashing to an end!!That’s not to say it wasn’t hard the first time I actually spoke to someone once they knew. It was. I was nervous – not helped by the fact that I wasn’t, and still am not, feeling great. I wasn’t sure how they’d be, if they’d look at me differently, treat me differently. But for the most part, I’ve found that people are taking their lead from me. They ask how I’m doing. On a good day, I might feel like expanding on things, and they listen. On a bad day, I’ll more than likely change the subject as I do still find it hard to admit to feeling low, and they go with that.Listening is so simple, yet so powerful. There’s no need to offer a solution – more often than not there isn’t one anyway. Platitudes certainly don’t help. But just listening, or even just asking how someone is doing, and genuinely meaning it; don’t ever overestimate the difference that can make. Humour also helps. It really, really helps. My stay in the hospital is affectionately known in my house as my ‘loola holiday’. I have friends who also have depression. They’re my fellow crazy ladies. We have to find ways to laugh about it, because otherwise it would be overwhelming.Depression thrives on secrecy and isolationDepression is a difficult illness, there’s no doubt about that, but it’s made so much worse when it’s kept hidden. It thrives on secrecy and isolation. When it’s out in the open, acknowledged, talked about, it loses some of its power. It was a difficult decision to take a chance and tell people, but it’s one that I don’t regret for a second. What’s been most interesting about this for me is that the more open I’ve been, the more open others have been in return. People have told me how they themselves have struggled, and still struggle, with depression. These are people I would always have assumed were absolutely fine and getting on with their lives with no bother at all. We’re able to support each other now in a way that wasn’t possible before, and that’s wonderful.I know that there will be days when I will struggle again. I’ve been warned to expect further episodes and that’s something I really don’t like to think about. But I’m hopeful that it won’t be as hard as it has been up to now, because I won’t be struggling on my own any more. I would urge anyone who is having difficulty with depression to find someone they trust to talk to.Professional help is so important, I’m lucky to have a GP who knows me well and a counsellor I trust completely, as well as a very supportive husband, family and friends. For now, I also have to take medication to control my depression. But as I’ve been told many, many times, that’s only half the battle. The rest is up to me. And for me at least, talking about it, allowing people to know what’s really going on, that’s the other half of the battle. Depression is a terrible burden to carry alone, no one should have to do that. Start small. Start with someone close. You might just be pleasantly surprised at their reaction.About the Green Ribbon Campaign:See Change, the National Stigma Reduction Partnership, and its 80 partner organisations have rolled out a major month-long national campaign to get people talking openly about mental health problems in May 2013The Green Ribbon campaign is simply about raising awareness and sparking conversation of mental health problems; 150,000 Green ribbons have been distributed nationwide free of charge and will not be associated with any fundraising activityPeople are asked to wear the green ribbon and support a movement to spark a national conversation about mental health in Ireland’s boardrooms, break-rooms, chat rooms, clubhouses, arts venues, college campuses and around kitchen tablesIn first week of the campaign alone, by wearing the green ribbon, attending nationwide local events and pledging online support, over 100,000 people got on board with the message of the campaign to change minds about mental health, one conversation at a timeKey message: you don’t need to be an expert to start talking about mental health or have all the answers; sometimes the most helpful thing you can do is to let someone know that you are there for them and simply listen
The Jabra Stone, one of the few elegant and attractive Bluetooth headsets on the market, has just been upgraded to version 2. The Stone2 improves on the original with hands-free features like the ability to call by voice, to answer by saying “answer,” and to reject a call by saying “ignore.”The Stone2 will even talk back to you. Users will hear the name of incoming callers through the headset, read exactly as the name is programmed into their phone. If the caller’s number isn’t saved, the headset will read out the phone number. The Stone2 also gives audio alerts when it’s paired with a device or when the battery is low. It even talks users through the setup process. You can pick one up at AT&T stores starting November 21 for $129. AdChoices广告
A couple days ago, Chris Walsh, one of the hackers behind the fantastic ChevronWP7 jailbreak hack for Windows Phone 7, hinted that he had it on good authority that the upcoming update to WP7 would be “massive” and “do what Apple did in 3 years” in just three months, and that they “could have called it Windows Phone 7.”Looks like Walsh might have been a tad optimistic, because Microsoft themselves have now released a statement saying not to expect anything so aggressive from them in the next update, which will be limited to cut-and-paste support.AdChoices广告“Microsoft is committed to delivering regular updates to the Windows Phone experience. Our first update will make copy & paste available in early 2011. In addition to this first update, all Windows Phone 7 users should expect to see additional updates delivered in the future as part of Microsoft’s ongoing update process.” It’s pretty clear from the wording here that more updates are coming to WP7 soon, but any statement that Microsoft is already on the verge of outpacing iOS are premature, to say the least. Copy-and-paste is the first baby step to a more robust mobile operating system, and they need to get that 100 percent right first.Read more at WP Central
How much would you pay for an animal that sort of resembles another animal? It’s no unicorn cow, sure, but you can get your hands on a panda cow for the low price of $30,000. There are only 24 of the animals in existence–the latest of which, Ben, was born at 8:00 AM on New Year’s Day.The cow’s panda-like markings are the result of almost 50 years of genetic tricky at the hands of a Washington-based farmer. The animals are in high demand in China, according to their developer, Richard Gradwohl.AdChoices广告Ben’s owner, Chris Jessen, said that he would likely be selling the unique cow, though he hasn’t yet set a price. Here’s some video of Ben’s Good Morning America debut, in which he may or may not be peeing on his owner’s lap.
In incredibly creepy fashion, Tupac Shakur returned from the dead as a hologram last night to perform “Hail Mary” and “Amerikaz Most Wanted” with Snoop Dogg and Dr.Dre. Now fans of Tupac will know that he never performed Hail Mary live in his lifetime. The incredible footage was created by splicing together existing performances to create an entirely new sequence. The company behind the hologram technology are Musion who have adapted a 19th century theater illusion technique, named Pepper’s Ghost, after its creator John Henry Pepper.The technique involves the use of a sheet of semi reflective glass, the “ghost” is situated in a darkened room that is hidden to the viewer but can be seen by the glass. When the ghost is illuminated it is seen to be reflected in the sheet of glass but the viewer can still see the objects behind the glass meaning the it can be seen to interact with objects or even actors in the main room.The main component of Musion’s product, named Musion Eyeliner, is their patented foil which objects are projected onto and replaces the glass in the original Pepper’s Ghost illusions. The foil has many advantages over glass, one such advantage is the clarity of the image. The foil is incredibly thin so no drop shadow is produced when objects are projected onto it, it also allows a greater amount of light through giving clearer crisper images than any other medium making the representation incredibly realistic. No 3D glasses are needed to perceive the projection in 3D even though the footage used for the projection only needs to be 2D, the 3D is simply created by the minds of the audience.Although this technology has been used plenty of times before, at Gorillaz concerts for example, it has never been used in such a controversial way. Some people were ecstatic over the return of Tupac, others were disgusted and some even had their conspiracy beliefs strengthened, believing Tupac is indeed still alive.No matter your viewpoint, after the success and media attention this stunt has garnered I can see the technology being used in very similar ways to put on live concerts of long dead icons all over the world, possibly even at the same time. Some examples that I think would be amazing are the Michael Jackson “This Is It” concert finally performed live using all the footage from rehearsals, or bringing back Freddie Mercury for a Queen tour. Shows such as these are guaranteed to be huge sellers but is it morally dubious to exploit and make money off of the dead?via Slate
Last week, Microsoft accidentally sold their first DLC map pack for Halo 4 for absolutely nothing. This may not seem like a big deal, but those who bought the Limited Edition version of Halo 4, and therefore paid $25 extra for the map packs, were slightly annoyed. After all, the Crimson Map Pack was supposed to be available free only to those who had purchased a season pass or the Limited Edition of the game.Microsoft then tried to cover up this mistake by releasing a statement saying it was part of their “14 Day, Buy and Play” program, and that they purposefully made the Crimson Map Pack available for free for a limited time only. This PR campaign didn’t seem to exist before Microsoft accidentally made the DLC free on the store, which is why many suspected it was a cover up.To make matters even worse, gamers who have been playing the Crimson Map Pack are now suffering the wrath of the banhammer. Some gamers who downloaded the Crimson DLC have been getting a message saying they’ve been permanently banned from Halo 4’s online modes. This seems to mainly be affecting players who’ve been playing split-screen games on the new maps. These bans are automatic, but clearly incorrect. 343 Industries say they are not permanently banning those who use or preview the DLC and are currently investigating the issue. An update on the situation is expected tomorrow.It seems to have been one mistake after another with Microsoft and Halo 4, but hopefully everyone who’s been affected by the ban will have it lifted soon. For now, you might want to avoid playing the new DLC maps until the glitch in the system has been resolved.More at the Halo forums, via thesixthaxis
Short URL Tuesday 21 Feb 2017, 6:57 PM Share510 Tweet Email WARNING. Some viewers may find the below clip distressing. Source: TheJournal.ie/YouTubeA MOTHER HAS released harrowing images of her young daughter suffering from seizures to put pressure on health officials to speed up her access to potentially life-changing medication.Vera Twomey released a video to Tv3 News of her daughter Ava suffering from a severe seizure.Ava suffers from Dravet Syndrome, a debilitating condition which can see her suffer as many as 20 seizures every day.Dravet Syndrome is a rare form of epilepsy that is resistant to drugs. However, Vera says that a form of medicinal marijuana can help her daughter.Ava was on a medication called Charlotte’s Web – a cannabis extract – to help reduce the frequency of her seizures – which it did.Charlotte’s Web contains very little THC – which causes the psychoactive “high” associated with cannabis use.From the time Ava began taking Charlotte’s Web on 2 October until the end of that month, she only had seven seizures. This compared to several hundred over the course of other months.But as medicinal cannabis is not legal in Ireland, Ava cannot use the drug, despite it reducing her symptoms on such a dramatic scale.Vera has been campaigning for the past year to have medicinal marijuana legalised in Ireland.A bill that would regulate the use of cannabis for medical purposes was passed to committee stage by the Dáil in December of last year.As well as this, Health Minister Simon Harris announced earlier this month that he would establish a compassionate access programme for cannabis-based treatments for certain conditions.However, Vera has said that she still hasn’t heard from anyone to approve them for the treatment.Speaking to TV3 News, Vera called for the HSE to look at Ava’s case and speed up her access to the treatment.“We have to get help for her now,” Vera said.The HSE said they would look towards Ava’s application for medicinal cannabis as a priority, they’d look at it urgently. But their sense of urgency and our sense of it are not meeting up at all.Vera has met with minister Simon Harris in the past and is due to meet him again on Thursday. She pleaded with officials to speed up Ava’s access to the life-changing medication, saying that time is running out for her daughter.“When she goes into a seizure you don’t know what way she’s going to be when she comes out,” she said.Her life is on the line. It really, really is. Every time.Read: “If we don’t get the legislation, we mightn’t have Ava for much longer”: A mother’s 150-mile protestRead: ‘It’s like getting to know a new part of our daughter’: Cannabis bill passes first stage Mother releases harrowing video of daughter suffering seizures in bid to access medication Vera Twomey is calling for her daughter to be given access to potentially life-changing medication. 46 Comments http://jrnl.ie/3251456 By Cormac Fitzgerald 23,744 Views Feb 21st 2017, 6:57 PM Tweet thisShare on FacebookEmail this article