The chatter of a foreign language zipped around the table. Tall beers, mexican food, and a flurry of waiters busboys, and latin hostesses filled the room. L’il Otis slept through it all as I sat with Mrs. Otis and two smiling people.
Amazing, I thought.
***
About 18 years ago, my dad taught me to play poker slot hoki with plastic chips and an old deck of cards. Over the years, he’d sit in on games with my high school friends, schooling us on when to draw and when not to draw.
Years later, he’d take me on my first trip to Vegas. I was too young to play at the time, occasionally slipping next to a slot machine for a few pulls or up to a roulette table for a few spins of the wheel. My dad would be sitting in a poker room, raking chips, hitting bad beat jackpots, and staying up much later than he ever did in life around the house.
At the time, I remember longing to be sitting there with him, slinging chips, playing the old father and son games that we did in the years before.
***
In April of 2003, I won an award for a project I completed in my day job. It was fairly prestigious and was presented to me in Atlantic City in front of my wife and parents. Afterwards, Dad and I headed to a poker room and sat up until 4am coffeehousing with the locals and fufilling my dream of playing as father and son.
As we got ready to part the next morning, Dad cornered me by the elevators and slipped a roll of cash into my hand. He knew I was pretty poor and didn’t have much of a bankroll to play. “I didn’t lose as much as thought I would on this trip. Take it and do whatever you want with it,” he said.
The summer passed and I had done little with the money. I’d played in a few home games with it and built it up a little. I took it to Vegas and played with it there, raking pots and thanking Dad for it all along. It’s good to have a backer, I thought.
***
By October of 2003 I was playing better and winning more. I’d gone on a weekend trip to a semi-annual music festival I use to get my head straight. That October trip had been fun, but busted in the waning moments when the social dynamic of a long-time group of friends was ripped apart by the indiscretions of one of my buddies. The thoughts were weighing on my mind as I drove home from the mountains.
I picked up my dog from the kennel and was five minutes from home when my brother called on my cell phone.
“Dad is in the hospital,” he said.
My brother, the doctor, went on to explain as best he could in layperson’s terms what had happened. An aneurysm had ruptured behind my dad’s left eye, forming a huge clot in his brain. The chances of him living were slim. If he managed to pull through, the chances of him living any normal sort of life were almost none. The best-case scenarios in discussion were life in a wheelchair that would probably have to be attended to my a fulltime nurse.
Barely showered from my camping trip, I hopped on a plane with my wife and flew home. Eight hours later I was looking at my dad, the gregarious, chip-slinging hero. He was full of tubes, unconcious, and looking worse than I’d ever seen him.
I tried to play the tough guy, the rock for the family. But as a card player I knew the odds were slim. The man had so few outs that if he’d been in a game he would’ve been walking away from the table before the river hit.
The doctors said they’d try to fix what was broken, but in trying to fix it, there was a better than 50% chance they would kill or paralyze him. If they didn’t fix it, he would die pretty soon anyway.
We waited for three days before the first surgery before watching him get wheeled into the OR. Three hours later, the doctors emerged. “We didn’t get it,” they said.
Apparntly, the surgery was all about “getting it” (fixing the rupture).
The surgery was a wash. We were back to square one.
Three days later, they tried again, but were largely unsuccessful. The dynamics of the surgery were changing. They’d removed the clot, but were unable to fix the rupture.
By this point, I’d done what my dad always told me to do if something were to happen to him. I’d gotten his attorney on the phone and started making arrangements to make sure my mom was set up.
I had lost my cool by that point, wandering the hospital grounds, breaking into racking crying fits that my wife tried desperately to control. I was lost.
It finally came down to a late-night discission in the Emergency Room parking lot with the chief neurosurgeon. We could leave things as they are. If we did, Dad had a 50/50 chance of living for another six months. After that, all bets were off. And even then, he likely would be wheelchair-bound and living no sort of real life.
Or, they could try one last, ultimately risky surgery.
I didn’t have to think. Dad would want the surgery. He didn’t want to cash. He wanted to win.
That afternoon, I stood at the OR bay doors and watched him get wheeled for a third time to what would almost certainly be the last gamble he’d ever take. It was the worst feeling I’d ever had.
An hour ticked by, then another. The waiting room phone rang and rang, but each time it was for another grieving family. About a dozen of my dad’s family and friends sat thumbing through magazines, lying to themselves and each other about how they were sure everything was going to be okay.…
Category: Blog
LITERALLY THE EASIEST WAY TO MAKE MONEY ONLINE
Are you sick of being confused about how to make money online? Sick and tired with all this information overload?
You’re about to LITERALLY get HANDHELD and guided in a step-by-step process that I personally used to make anywhere between 15$ to 36$ an hour. This is a method that I’ve used for the past year to generate quick cash whenever I felt like it.
This is a method that I’ve taught to:
Friends who needed summer jobs
Bros who needed money for bills and beer
A close friend who had a hard time finding employment due to his disability
My mom
The problem with making money online nowadays is that it’s too DAMN complicated and expensive. Websites that top the rankings in Google are backed by professional SEO marketers and funds. It is nearly impossible for someone who is new to internet marketing to break into this circle without some sort of income or years of experience.
With what I’m about to teach you, there is no setup. There is no making a website and waiting 3 months before you see the income coming in. There is no placing ads and crossing your fingers hoping people click on it. There is no “I don’t know for sure if I’ll have money for the bills next week”. THERE IS NO UNCERTAINTY
The method you’re about to learn is available to anyone who has a computer and a mouse. It is a BULLETPROOF way to make money online. It is 100% guaranteed that if you follow these steps you will make money. To translate this content in other language, contact Translation Companies UK
There is no “Oh if you try and put in time, you’ll reap the rewards”
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And it’s dead simple. Most people just don’t know about it.
Here Is A Preview Of What You’ll Learn…
What Click Worker Is
How To Set Up An Account With Them Step-By-Step
How To Pass All Of Their Tricky Qualifications And Tests
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Which Tasks To Avoid
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How I Personally Made 36$ Per Hour
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Tags: make money online, make money online fast, make money online now, how to make money online, make money online for beginners, make money online 2015, make money online for dummies, make money online books…
Hair Loss Part 2: Alopecia Areata
Hair loss or “alopecia” can be scarring or not. “Alopecia Areata” is a form of non-scarring alopecia. This means that there is hair loss but the hair follicles are still intact and visible on inspection. It is an autoimmune disease that affects the bulb region of the hair follicle. For some unknown reason, immune cells attack this region of the hair follicle, normally a sight out of bounds for the body’s immune surveillance. This attack causes the hair to fall out without causing permanent damage to the hair follicle. It is possible for the hair to regrow in time.
Alopecia areata is relatively common in North America with a prevalence of 0.1-0.2%. 1 in 5 patients has a relative with the disease.
In the normal scalp, 90-95% of hair follicles are in the anagen phase (growing) and the remainder (5-10%) are in the telogen (shedding) phase. Each follicle cycles through the various stages independently. What signals cause a hair follicle to stop growing and enter the telogen phase are currently unknown.
CAUSES OF NON-SCARRING HAIR LOSS: You can also learn about “where can fillers be used on face“, click here
severe illness
childbirth
hormones (i.e. hypothyroidism, androgens)
toxins (i.e. anticoagulants, chemotherapy, heavy metals, vitamin A)
micronutrient deficiencies (i.e. iron or zinc deficiencies)
physical damage to the hair follicle (i.e. ‘corn-row’ braiding, trichotillomania- obsession with pulling out hair)
autoimmune (i.e. alopecia areata),
In alopecia areata, telogen hair loss is mainly localized to the scalp, eyebrows, eyelashes, and beard (although all body hair areas can be affected). Round or oval patches of non-scarring hair loss are typically seen. The hair loss is usually asymptomatic.
There are various patterns of alopecia areata. These include localized alopecia areata, alopecia totalis (loss of all scalp hair), alopecia universalis (loss of all scalp and body hair) and ophiasis pattern alopecia areata (bandlike pattern of hair loss along periphery of temporal and occipital scalp).
OTHER FINDINGS IN ALOPECIA AREATA:
nail changes (10-20% of patients): pitting, rough longitudinal ridging, brittleness, dystrophy, onycholysis (nail becomes separated from the nail bed)
can be associated with other immunologic diseases: Atopy (i.e. allergic rhinitis, asthma, and atopic dermatitis), thyroid diseases, vitiligo, pernicious anemia, Addison’s disease, inflammatory bowel disease
The clinical course of alopecia areata is variable. Hair may regrow within months of the first attack. 30% of patients may have regrowth after 6 months, 50% after a year, and 75% after 5 years. Recurrences have been linked to emotional distress. Treating alopecia areata is difficult because of the unpredictability of the disease. The agents used in treatment are designed to suppress the out-of-control immune response that is causing the hair loss.
Localized patchy alopecia areata can be treated with topical or intralesional corticosteroids, topical minoxidil (2 or 5%), anthralin, and combination therapy. Injections of corticosteroids are usually given every 4-6 weeks. One risk of corticosteroid injections includes atrophy (thinning of the skin), but this often resolves with time. The majority of patients will see signs of hair regrowth within 6 weeks.
Treating more extensive alopecia areata may involve the use of topical immunotherapy (i.e. topical diphencyprone applied weekly to induce a contact allergic reaction on the affected area), psoralen plus ultraviolet A light (PUVA), or systemic prednisone.
Results of a scalp biopsy can also influence treatment. When there is little inflammation, 5% topical minoxidil may be the most appropriate therapy, and when there is significant inflammation, the use of corticosteroids in addition to minoxidil may be beneficial. In extensive cases, wigs may be an option while treatment is attempted. Alopecia Areata Support Groups are found in most communities and on the internet. To learn about other skin conditions, click on patients portal .
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Bola88 Embarrassment
Daniel Negreanu recently told me, “Phil, I was absolutely embarrassed for you as I watched you play no-limit hold’em last week in the PPT (Professional Poker Tour) tournament. I think you’re too focused on all of the great business opportunities you have right now.” Um … OK, Daniel. It was a bit harsh, but I took it in the spirit it was intended. (“Phil — pull your head out and start playing no-limit hold’em the way you know how to play.”)
Speaking of playing some great poker, Daniel had a year for the record books. I will tell you a lot more about that when I finally get around to writing my “Champion of the Year” award column, in which I’ll announce that Daniel won the award and absolutely dominated poker’s biggest events in 2004. By the way, he also started 2005 very well with third-place finishes in the World Poker Tour event at the Jack Binion World Poker Open and the Professional Bola88 Poker Tour (PPT) event at the L.A. Poker Classic.
In any case, let’s take a closer look at my “embarrassing” play in the PPT event at the L.A. Poker Classic. The first hand I played, I raised to $1,400 to go with the Ahearts Qhearts from late position and was called by an amateur. After a flop of Aspades Jspades 4hearts, I checked, my opponent bet out $1,500, and I raised, making it $6,000 to go. My opponent called me fairly quickly.
The turn card was the 5spades. I checked again. On the flop, I felt that my opponent had a flush draw. Now, after I checked, he checked as quickly as I’ve ever seen anyone check. He nearly checked out of turn, before I had checked. What a tell! Now, I knew he had made a flush, right? I wish …
The river was the 8clubs, and I decided to bet out $4,000. Of course, if my opponent raised me here, I would have a very easy laydown. And he did just that, moving all in for another $8,100. It was bad enough that I had bet $4,000, so there was no way that I would “call off” another $8,100, an amount that would really hurt my chip standing and nearly cripple me. But suddenly, I called (my opponent had the Kspades Qspades — the nut flush). I guess I’m beginning to see what Daniel was talking about!
Next up, about 20 minutes later, I made it $1,400 to go with the Adiamonds Qdiamonds. I was called by Phi Nyguen, who is an excellent no-limit hold’em player. He and I have made it far together in many no-limit hold’em events over the last few years. The flop came down K-Q-9, I checked, and Phi checked.
Now, a 3 came off, and I bet out $2,100. Phi called, but I sensed that he had hit a set of threes — as he looked like he wanted to raise. A deuce came off on the river and I bet out a “defensive” $2,100. There was no way I could call any raise from Phi in this situation, right? (Sound familiar?) I had sensed he was strong on the previous round of betting, and I bet out to make sure I showed him I had something; my betting pattern had shown some strength.
Phi raised me $4,000, and for some strange reason I disregarded everything I had sensed and called him. He showed me the Jdiamonds 10diamonds; he had flopped a straight. At this point, I began to berate myself out loud; I don’t berate just my opponents! I said, “Phil, what are you thinking? You called off at least $16,000 in chips. You never would have called in these situations in the past. Stop playing like someone else, and start playing your game!”
Next up, while I was complaining about Phi calling my raise with the Jdiamonds 10diamonds, I raised to $1,400 with the Kdiamonds Jdiamonds. This time, Tom McEvoy called me with the 9spades 8spades, and the flop came down Khearts 8diamonds 6diamonds. I checked my top pair and flush draw to Tom, who sized me up and decided to bet my last $4,100. I called him instantly, and the 10diamonds came off on the turn to end that pot.
The very next hand, I picked up K-K and just called $400. Tom made it $1,600 to go, everyone else folded, and I moved all in. Tom beat me into the pot with his A-A, but at least he had only $4,000 or so. After all of the boardcards were dealt faceup and Tom was reaching to collect the pot, he said, “Now, that’s justice.” I thought to myself, “What? A-A over K-K is as unlucky as it gets; how is that justice? Was it justice because his 9-8 didn’t outdraw me in the last hand when I was a huge favorite all the way?”
In any case, I really do love Tom McEvoy, and for this reason his comment didn’t bother me too much; I know that he didn’t mean anything by it. However, if someone else had said that, I would have told the other pros to watch out for the guy and his bad etiquette. Tom is absolutely a first-class guy all the way (even if he did bust me out about an hour later).
How did Tom bust me? I moved all in for $6,000 with the Khearts 7hearts, and he called me with the Kspades Qspades. Daniel was right, as I’m embarrassed just writing this column about my PPT play!
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WORX ECO WG780 19-Inch 24-Volt Cordless Electric Lawn Mower Review
Apart from being its very own brand name and also supplier, it’s additionally a prominent resource of elements for well-known brand names like Milwaukee, Craftsman, AEG, Hoover United States, Vax, Homelite as well as Dirt Devil – a testimony to the top quality of the brand name’s equipment. It hasn’t been completely evaluated as well as established like their variety of hover lawnmowers. At just 30cm, it’s little, which seems like trouble, yet in fact, the smaller sized cut provides much more power to supply an excellent cut. A variety of individuals discussed the detachable battery claiming that it was simple to eliminate which offers you the alternative to bill the battery inside or out, where ever before is hassle-free. I’m mosting likely to begin instantly by claiming this Flymo cordless yard mower has its defects. If you’re searching for excellent worth for cash, you’re in the incorrect location and also must be checking out the Flymo Turbo Lite 250 Electric Hover Lawnmower, which is a remarkable deal.
Working with a lawnmower every single time you desire to reduce yard can be pricey as contrasted to possessing one. You can conserve cash by getting just one maker to do the job of 3. It is most definitely a job in a progression that deserves acquiring currently. Nevertheless, if you have a little yard, as well as you, reduced the turf often, you’re not anticipating to have excessively lengthy turf commonly, and also you desire an ecologically pleasant service that does not entail fuel, after that the Flymo Mighty-Mo 300 Li cordless battery mower deserves offering some idea without a doubt. Suppose I need to select a pair of mistakes after that one is the battery launch button, which will periodically jam on you. If your yard is average-ish sized after that, you’ll require to bill the battery to obtain all the means round; all of it depends upon you regarding exactly how you feel regarding that. I’ve likewise observed that you’ll require to strim the sides after. Click here for more Akkurasenmähertest.de.
A little yard will certainly be great from one battery fee, though, as well as I’ve discovered that you’ll obtain a strong 15 to 20 mins from one battery. You can purchase an added battery and also change them out in a situation you have way too much yard to trim for one cost. You might most likely state that battery mower innovation, to match that of a corded electrical corded mower, is mosting likely to establish you back a minimum of 8 times the cost. This suggests you’re not going back and also forth over the very same spot. They have the very same blades that reduce the lawn and spin, yet they additionally have wheels that are sustained by the power to progress. Battery innovation does not permit us to develop the same power and also efficiency as a corded variation. Could they enhance the Flymo Mighty-Mo 300 Li Cordless Battery Lawn Mower? To start with, you will certainly never please every person, particularly those that are utilized to well valued, high doing Flymo float lawnmowers.
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BBC Science- Healthy Dose of Hope for One-Use Syringes
David Shukman, Science Editor
http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-31537847
including David Shukman video (Shukman visit Roka)
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The WHO announce their 3rd ever Global Policy
A Global Injection Safety campaign was announced in Geneva on the 23rd and 24th February 2015, by DG – Dr Margaret Chan. This policy will aim to reduce unnecessary injections worldwide and ensure that only AD (Auto Disable)/RUP (Reuse Prevention) syringes are used for the therapeutic (curative) sector.
The policy highlights the need for global donors, manufacturers and MOH to work together and confirms data from a cost effectiveness analysis will make enormous savings:
For every dollar invested an average of $14.57 could be saved from reduced costs in treatment of HIV, HBV and HCV.
L: Marc Koska, OBE & WHO DG Dr. Margaret Chan, R: Geneva Convention delegates…