Datasets:

emozilla

/

dolma-v1_7-cc_en_head

like 0

J-Global is a fast-growing learning and development solutions provider based in Tokyo, Japan. We help companies unlock their potential to operate effectively in a mixed Japanese/Global business environment by introducing a new and better way of doing business that combines the most successful elements of both working styles. Join our forward-looking, fast-moving, multi-cultural team and help both Japan and the world learn to grow and prosper.

https://hkslash.com/zh/companies/Jglobal_internships

On-site course in San Jose, Costa Rica. The course will provide an overview and critique of the case law and practice of the Inter-American human rights system. The system, comprised of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (based in Washington) and the Inter-American Court (based in San Jose, Costa Rica), is part of the Organization of American States and plays a central role in the protection of fundamental rights in Latin America and the Caribbean. Over the past two decades, the organs of the system have developed important jurisprudence in the area of human rights and have served to stimulate debate and to prompt progressive change in domestic legislation and state practice in the Americas. The course will examine the principal decisions of the Commission and the Court, as well as their impact in-country. We will also study approaches to litigation in the system and a range of critiques of the system and its constituent bodies. To do so most effectively, the course will be taught in San Jose, Costa Rica, the seat of the Court. This location will facilitate the participation of guest speakers who are likely to include one or more practitioners before the Court, attorneys, and justices of the Court. All classes will be taught in English or translated. Harvard Law School will provide funding to students admitted to the course for travel to and from and lodging in San Jose, Costa Rica during the period of the course. The course will be taught on Monday-Thursday mornings during January term. Admission is BY PERMISSION OF INSTRUCTORS. Interested students should send a CV and a brief (300 words or less) statement of background and interest to Yennifer Pedraza ([email protected]). Deadline for applicants is September 24, 2012. Students should expect to receive decisions within three weeks of the deadline date.

https://hls.harvard.edu/academics/curriculum/catalog/index.html?o=64360

Need a new water heater? To start your search, you need to decide between the two main water heater types: traditional water heaters and tankless water heaters. Well, that’s for you to decide. Like most purchases, there are trade-offs. To make an educated decision, we’ve created this buyer’s guide to help you understand the differences between tankless and traditional water heaters and learn the pros and cons of each. What’s the Difference between a Traditional and Tankless Water Heater? A traditional water heater stores and preheats 30–50 gallons of water in a tank. That preheated water is used whenever someone showers, does the laundry, or washes dishes. The tank then refills to be reheated once again. A tankless water heater uses a heat source (electric or gas) to warm up cool water on-demand whenever you need it rather than storing hot water in a tank. Lower initial cost. A traditional water heater installation can be half as much as a tankless water heater. Easy and inexpensive to replace. Less installation complications means that there’s less that can go wrong. Higher utility bill. They heat and reheat water at a pre-set temperature regardless of your water needs. This increases your utility bill—especially during the winter. Bigger and harder to place. They occupy more room and can’t be placed outside. Can run out of hot water. Ever been the last in your family to get the shower? It’s a chilling experience. This problem can be avoided by purchasing a larger tank (although that will be more in energy costs, as well). Shorter life (lasts 10–15 years). This means there’s more turnover and, therefore, you have to buy them twice as often as a tankless water heater. Doesn’t take up much space. They are small and can be installed in more places—even outside on a wall. Lives longer (lasts 20+ years). Almost double a traditional water heater’s life. Delivers hot water on demand. Provides two to three gallons of hot water per minute on demand. Higher initial cost. Costs $2800 to $4500 to get installed (depends on the model and who you get it from). Retrofitting adds to upfront cost. Replacing a traditional water heater with a tankless system is more complicated, so that increases the installation cost even further. Which Water Heater Should I Choose? According to Energy.gov, an Energy Star tankless water heater can save you about $100 annually. Please feel free to contact us should you have any questions regarding the operation or maintenance of your home. Give us a call today at |||PHONE_NUMBER||| . Thanks for visiting!

https://homeinspectionhouston.com/traditional-vs-tankless-water-heaters/

Sharon Flanery is a member of Steptoe & Johnson PLLC in its Charleston, West Virginia office, where she chairs the Energy and Natural Resources Department and is a member of the Executive Committee. She concentrates her practice in energy and mineral law and has represented major oil and gas, coal, pipeline and hydroelectric companies. As a petroleum engineer with both an operating and legal background in the energy industry, Flanery brings real-world experience to her law practice. Recognized by "The Best Lawyers in America" in the fields of energy, energy regulatory, mining, natural resources and oil and gas law, Flanery is also recognized by “Chambers USA ” as a leading lawyer in the natural resources field. She is a recipient of the Energy & Mineral Law Foundation’s John L. McClaugherty Award for Dedication and Service and is a Past President of the Foundation. Flanery is a member of the Advisory Committees for both the Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources and the College’s Department of Petroleum Engineering. She is a past Statler College Outstanding Alumni of the Year and was selected as a guest lecturer by Dean Gene Cilento for the College’s Distinguished Lecture Series. Prior to joining Steptoe & Johnson, Flanery served as Vice President of Exploration for Columbia Natural Resources Inc., where she was responsible for the Geoscience, Reservoir Engineering, Marketing and Land Departments. Before obtaining her law degree, she worked as a reservoir engineer in Appalachia and at Aramco in Saudi Arabia. Flanery earned her Bachelor of Science in Petroleum Engineering from WVU in 1978 and Juris Doctor degree from Duquesne University, where she was a member of the Law Review. She is a member of the West Virginia, Pennsylvania and Ohio bars and holds a US Patent and Trademark License.

https://honorarydegrees.wvu.edu/past-recipients/2000s/2019/sharon-flanery

Living until 80 or even 90 years old has stopped being anecdotal thanks to advances in medicine. And when we are lucky enough to get there, everyone’s desire is to live in a house that we can call “home.” As time goes by, the rooms of our house must adapt to our vital moment: when we live alone, as a couple, when we become parents and even when we are older. Precisely at that moment when our movements begin to become imprecise, we need to wake up in a house where the arrangement of the elements and the design of the spaces is designed to give us peace of mind and security, providing us with the same quality of life that we have always enjoyed. And in that adaptation we must pay special attention to the bathroom because it is where there is more risk of falling, slipping or the occasional scratch. So that the bathroom becomes that safe and reliable room that we want when we get older, the solution involves eliminating elements that can be critical such as the bathtub or bidet, since they take up space, hinder movement and increase the risk of falls. And it is that the bathtub can become a real architectural barrier, which turns personal hygiene into a risk activity, instead of a relaxing and pleasant activity. The solution, therefore, is to change the bathtub for a shower. If, in addition, we install it at ground level, we will make the entrance easier and safer, thus allowing a continuous design that, in addition to avoiding falls and trips, provides a huge sense of spaciousness and facilitates a quick drain and cleaning. Taking advantage of the useful space of our bathroom, facilitating movement and accessibility, is also the objective of other elements such as built-in cisterns and toilets and suspended furniture. Also recommended are sinks with ample support surfaces, siphons built under the sink or racks for built-in cisterns that allow secure grab bars to be installed on the sides of the toilet. In this way, the elderly will have effective solutions, adapted to their needs and that, in addition, are installed in a very simple and reliable way. The idea is to gain quality of life and make the bathroom a pleasant and safe place for them in which, more than obstacles, they only find facilities.

https://hormicasa.es/en/37181/bathrooms-that-adapt-to-the-needs-of-elderly/

Lisbon, 11th May 2016 – At the 10th edition of its annual Interact conference today, IAB Europe announced that online advertising grew 13.1% to a market value of €36.4bn in 2015 surpassing the €33.3bn European TV market. The AdEx Benchmark research – the definitive guide to the state of the European online advertising market – revealed a €30bn net addition to the online ad market in the last 10 years. All markets participating in the study recorded positive growth, a total of twenty markets grew double-digit for the second year running (three markets recording 30%+ growth, a further nine showing 20%+ growth and a further eight 10%+ growth). Mobile and video formats continue to show strong growth. The IAB Europe AdEx Benchmark study splits the online ad market into three broad segments: Display, Search and Classifieds and Directories. Growth in these online advertising formats has been underpinned by shifting uses in devices and changing consumption patterns. Display advertising outperformed other categories with a growth rate of 17.4% and the pace of Display growth further accelerated versus 2014. In 2015, the total value of the Display ad market was €13.9bn. Search showed growth of 12.6% – and a market value of €16.9 billion. It continues to be the largest online advertising format in terms of revenue, and has increased its growth in 2015 after a slight decrease in 2014. Mobile and video continue to be the key growth drivers of the European online ad market and this becomes increasingly apparent when looking at the more advanced mobile economies (like the UK and Ireland) where nearly 50% of online advertising is now generated on mobile. Mobile display now accounts for €3.5bn or 25.4% of the display market, with a growth rate of 60.5% compared with 2014. Online video advertising also showed strong growth, now representing 16.7% of the display market. The AdEx Benchmark is available for download here. The data has been compiled by IAB Europe based on information provided by the national IAB offices around Europe. It is then processed and analyzed by IHS Technology. The report includes market size and value information for 2015 for the following markets: Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Slovenia, Romania, Russia, Spain, Slovakia, Serbia, Turkey, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK. The data represents the calendar year 2015 January- December. This is the tenth AdEx Benchmark which began in the calendar year 2006. IHS Advertising Media Intelligence Service provides its clients with a holistic and global view of a rapidly evolving advertising and marketing landscape. Developed and maintained by a team of expert analysts, it offers accurate, continuously updated market data, forecasts and reports that give our clients deep perspective on a dynamic advertising market. As the only global product that offers the same detail and scope for both established and emerging media we provide a unique, independent and objective view. Where local data is collected in a currency other than Euros, the average exchange rate in 2015
has been used to convert this to Euros. To provide data for prior year growth rates, the prior year figures have also been re-calculated using a constant exchange rate in order eliminate currency effects. AdEx Benchmark focuses on four normalised segments: ‘Display’ (including mobile Display, rich media and video), ‘classifieds and directories’, ‘paid search’ and ‘other’ (including email but excluding email marketing).

https://iabeurope.eu/research-thought-leadership/press-release-european-online-advertising-surpasses-tv-to-record-annual-spend-of-e36-2bn/

The SDLC or Software Development Life Cycle is a term describing development steps required to build applications. These steps take place between ideation and software delivery stage. We’ve broken down essential notions to help you understand what the SDLC is and its benefits. A software developer as a profession has appeared since the first computers. But it has undergone lots of changes and improvements. Practices, as well as methods for developing software, have evolved over the decades. However, they are still evolving at a smoking hot pace. Those methods were adapted to modern computer hardware, development tools, and team management methodologies. With the technological breakthrough, new methods, as well as practices, have grown our of software development efforts all over the world. It just so happens technologies are advancing as well. More and more features, as well as hardware possibilities, are entering the software development scene. Blockchain, cloud, progressive apps, VR, and AR – these are only a few examples of recent technologies. And software engineers are working days and nights to find how to implement those technologies in mobile app development. Not only new tech and hardware advancements are the main drivers of new software development methods but also the optimization of app development processes. And the SDLC makes app development processes more nimble and at the same time, organized. Software development is a multi-stage process involving several stages. As a rule, applications are delivered through a series of steps. But there is one thing that most of the development methods have in common – software like any other product or service starts as an idea. Then this idea becomes a document or a prototype depending what method is used. It doesn’t really matter if it’s a document, a prototype, or a diagram, the artifacts you create during the one step become the inputs for the next step. In the end, the software is delivered to the customer. Software development life cycle or SDLC is a sequence of steps used by various methodologies for delivering software to customers. Read Also: What ERP stands for? How Does the SDLC Work? The software development process seems to have no end. Based on our experience, the first release of an app is never finished. There are always some features to add as well as some bugs to fix. Reports on usability and bugs give spurs to development of new features and improvements to the existing features. And the SDLC is the most general term used to describe software development methods. It’s hardly possible to develop an app without planning. Each software development methodology has its own method for planning. There are lots of debate on which method is better – Waterfall or Agile? Extreme Programming or Dynamic Systems? At IDAP, we’ve developed our own development strategy that helps us develop and deliver top-notch software solutions of any size. See “How We Work” to learn about how we work. The following phases are roughly the same for all development methodologies. They tend to appear in one and the same order, but sometimes they’re mixed together. Agile tends to mix up all the steps into a tight and repeating cycle. And Waterfall tends to take all these stages in turn. Planning focuses on the scope of the project. The outputs of planning include schedules, project plans, roadmaps, cost estimations, and procurement requirements. The development team or a project manager gathers requirements from business owners and business analysts. The output of this stage is a document listing all requirements. Once requirements are gathered, it’s time for UX/ UI design and prototyping. Outputs include design documents, patterns, and components, etc. This phase produces the software under development. The development process can be in sprints (Agile) or in a single block effort (Waterfall). The output of this phase is a fully-functioning app. It’s one of the most important stages while developing apps. Testing ensures that the app is bug-free. The output of testing is software ready for deployment. Deployment is an automated phase. It’s almost invisible for customers. The output includes the deployment of software to a production environment. This is the final stage of software development lifecycle. But it doesn’t mean that the SDLC ends here. The maintenance outputs include adding new features, improving the existing, and bug fixing. Agile and Waterfall are two best-known development methodologies within the SDLC. Below you can find their brief explanation and how they are related to the SDLC. Waterfall is known for its rigid, predetermined paths for software development. This method was developed based on traditional engineering. It’s a common and fairly standard method for developing software all over the world. Waterfall methodology is all about long planning and design phases. Once the app is built with the Waterfall method, it goes through phases of testing, and then it’s deployed for use. The method is considered too rigid to adapt to changing requirements. Within the Waterfall methodology, no one collects feedback while the development process is ongoing. Such a rigid process leads to an inability to change requirements during the development effort. Since Waterfall can’t provide the developers with the flexibility they need, this led to the development of more flexible development methodologies, such as Agile. In 2001, a group of software developers signed the Manifesto for Agile Software Development. Reading the manifesto, you can see the contrast between Agile and Waterfall. Agile is a newer approach for software development than Waterfall. The Agile Manifesto addresses key problems that have burdened the software development within Waterfall. Agile is a more flexible development framework than Waterfall. It allows changing the development direction whenever needed. Agile emphasizes teamwork, prototyping, and collecting feedback. Since the signing of Manifesto, several variants of Agile have appeared. Kanban is a simple and flexible Agile’s variant with fewer prescriptions. Scrum defines particular roles and events called ceremonies as a part of its practice. However, Agile teams often combine these two methods to adjust the development process that fits them best. Waterfall is the most widespread development methodology all over the world. Despite its highly standardized approach to app development, lots of software development companies are still using it. Agile is gaining the ground because of its unmatched flexibility and enhanced team collaboration practices. Regardless of the methodology used to streamline the development processes, there are some practices that can minimize the risks and increase the chances of success. Today we’re going to discuss two of them – Source Control and Continuous Integration. A central source control repository is extremely important. When development teams don’t use source control, they take risks associated with their code as well as the development process. Source code can minimize the risks gathering the code in a single place. Even if a file server fails or developers’ computers go dead, the central repository saves everything. State-of-the-art source control systems also support Continuous Integration. The key purpose of Continuous Integration (CI) is to keep the code in a functional state. Before CI appeared, developers used to write thousands of code lines, and then integrate them. The process of integration was prone to errors, tedious, and challenging. CI makes all the integration things look differently. CI automated the process of integration by building the software every time the code is changed. If there is any problem, the CI system will notify the developers. All software starts as an idea and goes through a series of development phases until it becomes a fully-functioning app ready to release and deployment. The SDLC of an app or a system continues with maintenance and updates. It takes place until the app is decommissioned or replaced. At IDAP, we take care of every development phase from ideation to deployment. Taking advantage of Agile methodologies, our developers are good at building apps of any size and for any industry from square one. Have you got an idea for your app but don’t have developers? Contact us today and let’s build apps for your business together!

https://idapgroup.com/blog/sdlc-phrases-popular-models-benefits-and-more/

Double-storey apartment blocks ideal for long or short-term placement students. This is a standard size room accessed from inside either a ground level or first-floor apartment building and fitted with a king single bed. You have access to the building’s communal bathrooms, kitchen, dining room, laundry and lounge facilities including television. Communal areas are cleaned and maintained by staff. Available for long or short-term residents. Single occupancy only.

https://ihd.cdu.edu.au/rooms/single-standard-apartment

Looking your best does wonders for your attitude and self-confidence. Men and women of all ages have taken steps to look and feel better about themselves – and so can you! The Institute offers Botox Cosmetic injections in their Doylestown, PA treatment center of Bucks County. Dr. Glenn DeBias is ranked in the top 1% of cosmetic injectors in the country based on status and experience. The Institute has administered over 25,000 cosmetic injections to date. The Institute for Laser and Aesthetic Medicine is recognized as one of the region’s most experienced and trusted aesthetic medical practices, founded in 1998 by Dr. Glenn A. DeBias. Six days a week, The Institute performs state-of-the-art laser and aesthetic procedures, provides high quality medical-grade skin care products, and offers unmatched personalized service to help you look younger and feel better about yourself. A million people have been treated with FDA-approved BOTOX® Cosmetic. There’s only one BOTOX® Cosmetic. BOTOX® Cosmetic is a non-surgical treatment that can temporarily soften moderate to severe frown lines between the brows, crows feet, and forehead creases. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is one of the many administrations that have approved Botox injections for the temporary treatment of moderate to severe frown lines between the brows in people ages 18 to 65. One 10-minute treatment- a few tiny Botox injections – and within days there’s a noticeable improvement in those persistent lines. A few days after the injection you will see progressive softening of skin animation lines with maximum benefit after 2 weeks. Results may vary. Most patients experience 3 to 4 months of optimal outcomes after their treatment.

https://ilamed.com/botox-cosmetic-injections/

From 2007 to 2011, Manfred Honeck was Music Director of the Staatsoper Stuttgart where he conducted premieres including Berlioz’s Les Troyens, Mozart’s Idomeneo, Verdi’s Aida, Richard Strauss’s Rosenkavalier, Poulenc’s Dialogues des Carmélitesand Wagner’s Lohengrin and Parsifal, as well as numerous symphonic concerts. His operatic guest appearances include Semperoper Dresden, Komische Oper Berlin, Théâtre de la Monnaie in Brussels, Royal Opera of Copenhagen, the White Nights Festival in St. Petersburg and the Salzburg Festival. Moreover, he has been Artistic Director of the International Concerts Wolfegg in Germany for more than twenty years. IMG Artists congratulates it's winners at the 2018 Grammy® Awards. Conductor Manfred Honeck won awards for his recording of Shostakovich: Symphony No. 5; Barber: Adagio with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra for both Best Orchestral Performance and Best Engineered...

https://imgartists.com/roster/manfred-honeck/

Helianthous, Vipin, Nitish, Utkarsh, Princy, Akshita, Nirjara, Himani, Chandni, Shekhar and Monika, research scholars at Rup Lal’s laboratory, University of Delhi equally contributed to this article. University of Delhi and Ramjas College, along with Indian National Science Academy (INSA) and the Association of Microbiologists of India (AMI) came together for an innovation camp termed BaSIC II (Bani School Innovation Camp II) from 6th to 8th March, 2018 at the Government Senior Secondary School (GSSS), Bani in the Hamirpur district of Himachal Pradesh. The first BaSIC camp was held in December 2016 and was conceptualized by Rup Lal (Professor, Department of Zoology, University of Delhi), a globally renowned scientist and the 1969 alumnus of GSSS. This year the camp was organized with an aim of including rural areas through the cultivation of scientific thoughts in young minds, promotion of student-teacher interactions, and the development of students’ communication skills. The central theme of BaSIC II was ​“The World as You See”. The sessions and modules were designed to interest school students in the field of science, technology and mathematics (STEM). GSSS Bani was established as a primary school in 1905. In 1951, it was upgraded to a High School, and subsequently in 1990, it became a Senior Secondary School (co-educational), educating students from the villages located in and around Bani. Over the years many students who passed out from this school have done very well for themselves. The camp started with welcome address by the GSSS school principal, Mr. Sudershan Kumar. Rup Lal, in his talk emphasised on the need of more such programs to tap the potential of the country’s young minds. The talk was followed by an interactive session with the students of classes VI-VIII. The interaction was centred around their career aspirations; the responses were interesting, and varied- army men, doctor, chef, national kabaddi player. The STEM sessions included the working principle of a periscope, staining of cheek cells, and chromatographic separation of chlorophyll pigments. The idea was to excite them about science and the fun of doing it. The sessions were very successful as gauged by the students’ excitement and involvement. An interactive session for teachers entitled ​“emerging trends in teaching methodology” was conducted by Charu Dogra Rawat (Departmental Coordinator, DBT-Star College Project, Ramjas College) and Rup Lal. The session involved teachers sharing their teaching techniques; mostly it constituted of stating the topic from the syllabus — the ​“chalk and talk” method. The session introduced them to inquiry-based/research-based learning in which a role reversal is envisaged, and students own the responsibility of their learning. Topics are introduced by giving real-world examples: students with the help of teachers devise a problem, perform activities and analyse the output. The session ended with a discussion on the challenges in adopting such a strategy in a rural scenario. The consensus was to start small i.e. teaching one topic at a time in an inquiry-based manner. A session on ​“Major Discoveries in Science and their Impact on Daily Life” was also conducted. Rup Lal talked about the journey of a few renowned personalities (APJ Abul Kalam, Sachin Tendulkar, Bill Gates, Steve Jobs) and the challenges they overcame to achieve pinnacles of success in their respective fields. The session was followed by talks on ​“Career Opportunities for Young Students” by Pratyoosh Shukla (General Secretary, AMI), Yogendra Singh, Mallikarjun N. Shakarad (both from Department of Zoology, University of Delhi) and Sukanya Lal (Project Coordinator, DBT-Star College Project, Ramjas College). As a reward of excellent academic record and for motivation, students participants (of classes VI-VIII) were then presented with certificates and mementoes. The principal and school teachers were also felicitated. BaSIC II was an attempt of its kind to include rural areas by inspiring and motivating the younger generation and sensitizing the teachers. Research scholars and undergraduate students too gathered memorable experiences; Samikshya Samantaray, a student of Zoology at Ramjas College states – ​“We had the opportunity to take responsibilities, collate the material and deliver the whole lecture in a simplified format which is not only free of distortions but also understandable”. The camp ended with a high-energy kabaddi match with the students of GSSS.

https://indiabioscience.org/news/2018/igniting-young-minds-basic-ii-2018-news

Book HOWARD HEWETT for your next show Today!

https://infinitywestinc.com/howard-hewett

Obtaining a divorce in New York is not free. However, the state legislature has recognized that a lack of financial resources should not prevent spouses from terminating a marriage. Individuals who cannot pay the necessary filing and other court fees may request a fee waiver from the court by filing the appropriate paperwork. If the judge approves the application, some or all of your court costs may be avoided. However, copying fees and other trial preparation costs, including expert witnesses, may still be your responsibility. The process for obtaining a fee waiver for a divorce in New York starts with submitting a request to the court. This is usually done prior to filing any divorce paperwork; the request must include an Affidavit and proposed Poor Person Order. The affidavit is a sworn statement listing your income, property owned and persons you support. You must also attest to the court in the document that you do not currently have the necessary resources to pay the filing fee. The affidavit will be reviewed by the judge and used to approve or deny the proposed order. If you submit your fee waiver request before the divorce action is filed, there are no other parties to notify and service of process is not required at that time. However, if your fee waiver request is submitted after the initial divorce filing, you are required to serve your spouse and New York City Corporation Counsel’s office with the proposed order and affidavit. Once the affidavit and proposed order have been received by the court, a judge will consider all of the information your provided and determine whether you qualify for poor person status. The judge will then either approve or deny the proposed order, sign it, and indicate which fees you are not required to pay. This may include the costs of starting the action, known as a filing fee, costs associated with a jury demand, as well as the costs of appealing an unfavorable court ruling. It is important to note that while poor person status can exempt you from the payment of certain court costs and filing fees, you may be responsible for other expenses associated with finalizing a divorce. If you and your spouse disagree about one or more aspects of the divorce, a trial will be necessary and may lead to additional costs related to preparing for the hearing, such as costs associated with copying documents. Further, if expert witnesses are necessary, such as testimony from a therapist in a custody matter, you may be responsible for his or her travel costs and participation fee. New York State Unified Court System: How to Serve Legal Papers, p. 4. If you have some great food ideas and want the exclusive right to manufacture or sell them in the United States, obtaining a patent on each idea is a smart thing to do. To obtain patent protection, you must file an application with the United States Patent and Trademark Office, or USPTO. A separate patent application must be filed for each food product or recipe idea, and your application must reflect a tested process or product rather than just a vague idea. How Much Does it Cost to File Divorce Papers? Fees and other costs are inevitably part of divorce. The fees vary by each state and county court; in addition, legal fees charged by attorneys for assistance with the filing vary widely. If the divorce is contested, or if you have to negotiate terms, the time and money it takes to complete the process will increase. If you don't have the money to file for divorce in Arizona, the court may be able to waive your filing fees. As an ... To legally change your name, you must file a petition in the court of the county where you reside. The clerk will ...

https://info.legalzoom.com/guidelines-reduced-divorce-fees-new-york-25283.html

Paramagnetic paint is electroluminescent paint with different layers (colors) combined. Paramagnetic paint is paint with the ability to simply change color when it receives electric charge. LitCoat has introduced a paramagnetic electroluminescent paint, able to be used on cars, bicycles, and a vast array of other surfaces, and this is paint that can change color by simply bringing it into contact with an electric charge. The change which occurs when the paint is in contact with electricity and turns a different color is called electroluminescence, and electroluminescence also provides the surface with the ability to give off its own light. A paramagnetic electroluminescent surface can change between many different colors depending on the charge it is receiving, and it all starts with a base coat of a material called ELfarbe. ELfarbe is completely environmentally friendly, and it can be thought of as a nanocomposite polymer binder system. ELfarbe is a tough film that makes for the perfect layering base, and this layering is a necessity when creating a paramagnetic electroluminescent surface area. This base can be painted on with a brush, and it works on a myriad of surfaces, including a simple piece of paper. As the material goes through a drying process, it bonds together to create a tough film through shrinkage, and this bonding process is what creates an ideal condition for electroluminescence. The ELfarbe material is used in all painting layers when creating a paramagnetic electroluminescent effect using LitCoat, and this goes from the dielectric layer all the way to the electroluminescent layer. For the dielectric layer, ELfarbe is combined with barium titanate powder, the conductive layer is created by combining ELfarbe with the grapheme oxide or antimony-doped tin oxide, and the electroluminescent layer can be created using ELfarbe and a phosphoric pigment representing the color of a user’s choice. ELfarbe is considered to be the ideal material in carrying electroluminescent paint layers, most easily allowing a user to create a desired paramagnetic effect. Because ELfarbe has no current or additional ingredients deemed to be hazardous to a user’s health or the environment, it is also considered to be a perfectly safe layering material. By following this layering process, a person will be able to paint their particular surface to show multiple colors of electroluminescent paint when it comes into contact with different charges. Once the different paramagnetic layers are applied to a surface, a person can then charge the layers simultaneously or alone to achieve their desired color effect. The LitCoat formulated EL pigment is what provides the ability to create a multi-layered and multi-colored surface structure, and forming a particular paint layering combination will often take some trial and error on the behalf of the user. Because this is a highly skilled process that can become time consuming, the brand LitCoat recommends it is tried by painting professionals with an understanding of LitCoat and paramagnetic painting. Colour-changing Chameleon nano paint can change to the weather or whatever shade you desire using a smartphone. Your decorating decisions may be about to get a lot easier thanks to a colour-changing wall paint that can transform according to the weather or at the touch of a smartphone. The Chameleon paint has been developed by scientists at the Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology in China and could be the best thing in interior design since Willy Wonka’s lickable wallpaper. The bright idea uses controllable nano cells, or crystalline micro beads, that can be inflated or deflated to deflect natural light at different wavelengths to produce an array of different colours picked up by the human eye. Each cell contains a metal core, which will shrink the size of the cell, pulling its shell inward, when an electric current is passed through it or in reaction to temperature. On cold, dreary days you could be cheered up as the lower room temperature will cause the cells to react with rapid, psychedelic shifts in hue. Alternatively, on warmer days they could produce cooler tones in response to the heat. The photonic diffraction that occurred as the team experimented on the cells produced shifts from magenta to green and dramatic blues. The nano cells transform shape to produce different colours according to Dr Xuemin of Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology. Besides reacting to the weather you could control the colour of your walls to your heart’s content using a smartphone. If you’re bored of looking at magnolia or worried that lime is a little bit too luminous, you could simply change it in seconds by manipulating the electric current passing through the paint. The team explained the hardest challenge they faced when trying to make the paint was manufacturing the tiny nano cells, which are several hundredths the diameter of a human hair. However, after working with chemical companies they are now able to produce several litres of paint per day.

https://innovationessence.com/changing-paint-control/

Desirability, Viability, Feasibility; the core tenets of Design Thinking, and oh, how the order matters! Every day, I work with engineers who are itching to build solutions to solve the problems they see. They love to create; in fact, you may say they were put on this earth for that very purpose. And then I come along, asking if they are sure they are solving the right thing? How dare I! It is not that I’m an expert, but I have worked out in my four decades on this earth that I am not always right. It very much pains me to admit this, but sometimes, just rarely, I am wrong. There I said it. I can be wrong. And guess what, you can be wrong too. Innovation is about solving problems, but we need to make sure we are solving a problem that is shared, commonly experienced and causing a lot of pain. As a result, we need each other to get the best answer to the problem, because, we may not always have the best answer. So back to Desirability, Viability, Feasibility. The order really does matter. Too often, we ask if our solution is possible. Can we build it? Do we have the skills? Do we have the budget and resource? If we do, let’s get on with it. But how do we know we’re building the right thing? Back to that chance of being fallible, we may be wrong. Shouldn’t we find out if we are making the right decision before we spend a lot of time and effort building a solution that may not be right? No one likes to waste their time. Does this sound familiar at all? We built this great solution, we worked out how much profit we would make and who the target audience was. We then told the end user, but they didn’t seem to be quite so excited as we were. We hadn’t hit the bullseye, and we needed to make changes to our solution. Actually, they were a really disappointed that we hadn’t solved a much bigger problem that really, really bugged them. Sound familiar at all? Why does this happen? It’s all to do with the order; Desirability, Viability, Feasibility. Before we ever build anything, the most important question is not “can we build it?”, but “should we build it?” We have to make sure the that we are either solving enough pain or creating enough pleasure for the end user. We must make sure the end user desires the problem to be solved before we do anything else. The only way find this out is to talk to the end user. Eek, scary – talking to real people! Not showing them a solution, that’s leading the witness, but spending time with them discovering and understand what their biggest problems are, and only then go and solve the problem. So, back to Desirability, Viability, Feasibility. Please, please make sure that you know that the end customer really cares about the problem you are seeking to solve. Then work out if it’s worth you solving it, i.e., you are going to make profit, or at least break even; this is Viability. And then and only then, consider if you can actually feasibly build the solution. Trust me on this, I’ve got too much experience of how badly it goes when the order is changed, and expect you have too. The frustration, the waste of time and money, it’s just not good, and really not fun. Remember, don’t start with “can we”, but “should we” build it. For the last time; Desirability, Viability, and only then Feasibility. First – great article. Desirability, Viability, and only then Feasibility. A great mantra for a focused start. Being one of those engineers alluded to in the article, it amazed and frustrated me that our engineering team could deliver the benefit that was asked but then the cost and investment limits were posed and the trade-offs began. Of course with compromises to benefit, desirability was diminished which began the chase of negotiating the balance point between Desirability, Viability, and Feasibility. Thus, we certainly need to understand what the end customer really cares about but also to what degree. Thank you Steven, your perspective is great and we’ve all suffered from it. Loving the problem and checking back to make sure you’re still solving that is key to remaining on track.

https://innovativethoughts.net/2018/02/10/always-ask-should-we-not-could-we/

Global lingerie brand Victoria’s Secret, known as much for its “Angel” supermodels and its “Bombshell” branded products, has brought its iconic fashion show to Shanghai. Alibaba Group’s Tmall and Taobao marketplaces and video-streaming site Youku were used as broadcast channels to reach the world’s most sought-after consumers, the Chinese. In addition to locating the event in the world’s second-largest economy – the first time it has been held outside of the US or Europe – the company is leveraging the “See Now, Buy Now” format made popular in China by Alibaba. All items seen on the runway, aside from those not yet released in the market, are available for immediate purchase as Chinese shoppers watch the show. As in past years, Alibaba’s See Now Buy Now fashion show kicked off the 11.11 Global Shopping Festival season last month, this year mixing the latest clothes and accessories from international names such as Ralph Lauren and Mac with performances by Chinese female rap star VaVa and pop icon Chris Lee to create a retail-as-entertainment experience for viewers. Beyond the sheer spectacle of the event, Alibaba also allowed viewers to buy the products featured during the show in real time, whether through the Tmall or Taobao mobile apps or even dedicated links to products that were included on the Youku viewing page. Victoria’s Secret used this same technology for its fashion show. Filmed last week at the Mercedes-Benz Arena in Shanghai, the show aired in the US on November 28; yesterday in Beijing time. That on-air date coincided with Victoria’s Secret’s “Super Brand Day” marketing campaign on Tmall, the lingerie brand’s sole e-commerce channel in China. The 24-hour promotion gave the company premier placement on all of Alibaba’s e-commerce sites and drove traffic to Victoria’s Secret’s Tmall flagship store. Alibaba also leveraged consumer analytics to better reach the lingerie giant’s target audience, helping to grow its customer base and enable deeper engagement with consumers. New visitors to the brand’s flagship store, for example, saw a selection of products tailored to their interests. The fashion show in Shanghai and the Super Brand Day are part of Victoria’s Secret’s latest push in China. The company bought 26 stores in China from franchisees last year, transforming its China business from a franchise model to a company-owned model. But these stores, spread across first- and second-tier cities, only offer beauty products and accessories. Things started to change this year, as Victoria’s Secret debuted its lingerie in its first flagship stores in China, including in Shanghai, Chengdu and Chongqing. Beijing is next on the list, with the brand planning to open six more flagships by the end of this year. Victoria’s Secret officially launched its Tmall flagship store in July, while introducing faster delivery services and branded packaging to its customers. It has since been embracing Alibaba’s digital-marketing tools to better reach the 500 million-plus mobile-active users on Alibaba’s e-commerce platforms. The women’s lingerie market in China is forecasted to reach US$25 billion this year, double than that of the US, according to Euromonitor, and is set to grow to $33 billion by 2020. Christine Chou writes for Alizila.com, the independent, but Alibaba-funded, online news portal about Alibaba Group.

https://insideretail.asia/2017/11/30/how-victorias-secret-is-using-alibaba-to-drive-china-sales/

Ten parents are arrested every week on suspicion of leaving one or more of their children at home alone, new figures suggest. More than 500 mothers and fathers in England and Wales faced criminal investigations for leaving their offspring unsupervised in 2015, figures obtained by the BBC suggest. Cases involved children aged from six weeks to 15 years old. The law does not specify an age at which parents can leave children alone, but those who do can be arrested and prosecuted for cruelty and neglect if it places them at risk. High-profile cases range from parents arrested after leaving children for a few minutes to a mother who was given a suspended sentence after she left her children at home while she flew to Australia for several weeks. So how should parents interpret the law to work out what is legal and what might land them with a fine or a prison sentence? The government refers parents to NSPCC guidance, which says deciding when to leave children home alone is a “tricky decision” with no “hard and fast rules” because every child is different. It interprets the law as saying parents “shouldn’t leave a child alone if they’ll be at risk”, and advises parents to use their judgement. “It’s safe to say babies, toddlers and young children should never be left alone, even if it’s just while you pop down the road,” the guidance says. It also suggests children under 12 are “rarely mature enough to cope in an emergency and should not be left at home alone for a long period of time”, while under 16s should not be left alone overnight. Former Liberal Democrat MP John Hemming, who has called on the Government to provide clarity over the issue, said that parents find the current guidelines confusing. “The government claims that the judgment as to whether it is right to leave a child home alone is made by the parents. However, in fact the judgment is made by the police and local council workers. “Potentially, someone who leaves a baby in a car seat in a petrol station could face prosecution. Similarly, whereas an eight-year old can be sent to go swimming or to the park on their own, they are not allowed to stay at home (alone). There does need to be more clarity on this. A father who left his two-year-old daughter alone for a few minutes while he went into a shop found himself being arrested and prosecuted. Tim Haines left Iset in his car while he went into a chemist to buy Calpol in Evesham, Worcestershire. He said he was in the store no longer than five minutes but when he returned to the car, two police officers were waiting. He was not allowed to drive home because of a problem with his tyres, so had to carry his daughter home. He was bailed and then charged but refused to accept he was guilty of any crime over the incident in 2004. He denied the allegations against him but was found guilty at a magistrates’ court and handed an absolute discharge. Mr Haines, 51, was adamant he could not accept having the offence on his record and lodged an appeal, which was successful. “The judge said ‘Is that supposed to be a crime?”‘ he said. It was more than a year before the original ruling was overturned.

https://instituteofmums.com/2018/05/31/at-what-age-can-children-be-left-alone-2/

InterAct’s Emergency Shelter provides a safe and supportive environment in which a victim and their family can rebuild their lives. Through providing emergency shelter and comprehensive case management services, the Emergency Shelter is designed to ensure that domestic violence victims have the resources and support to meet their basic needs and to establish safe and stable home environments free from abuse and violence. Within the 24-hour counselor-staffed Emergency Shelter, individuals and families stay up to 8 weeks and receive support for their basic needs, individual and group counseling, and case management services. Through the many collaborations and programs spear-headed by InterAct, clients have access to job readiness and skill/interest assessments, job counseling, job training, education services, health and wellness education, financial education/counseling, case management and referrals for services such as housing, transportation and childcare. For children staying in our emergency shelter program, InterAct’s specialized children’s counselors work with them to share their feelings of fear, anger and confusion, and to learn how to identify abuse and stay safe. Counseling throughout InterAct’s Emergency Shelter program plays an especially important role for children as it ultimately helps to decrease the damaging effects of witnessing violence in the home.

https://interactofwake.org/whatwedo/emergency-shelter/

So you're finishing up high school and thinking about living and studying abroad, or you're an expat looking to experience academic life, then take a look at the list of the best general engineering schools. To help candidates find the best general engineering schools around the world, here’s a list of the top 10 universities that offer college degrees in general engineering courses. Please note that the list is not ordered by global ranking. The purpose is to show candidates, in different parts of the world, the possible schools where they can study one of the best engineering degrees. Massachusetts Institute of Technology – an institute based in the USA that has topped the list for years according to Top Universities. Massachusetts Institute of Technology or MIT is one of the best engineering schools any candidate would love to spend their college years in. Their culture is vibrant and their students enjoy their college life there. Stanford University – another university based in the USA. There are approximately 16,135 students on record this year. Stanford University is a private school with an average school fee of $46,000 to $48,000 per year. University of Oxford, United Kingdom – some of the general engineering courses offered at this university are Engineering Science, Biomedical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Information Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering. National University of Singapore – candidates who wanted to study in Singapore may enjoy their stay at the National University of Singapore. It is one of the best engineering schools in the world for a reason. The university heavily promotes leadership and innovation. ETH Zurich (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology) – this institute is located in Switzerland. It is a public school with school fees averaging less than $2,000. They are known for their top standard research and their innovation. Tsinghua University – this is a public university located in China with approximately 36,403 students and 5,716 academic faculty staff. Candidates looking for programs in computer science and engineering can be assured of the quality of education Tsinghua University offers. That’s why they’ve been one of the best engineering schools in the world since 2015. Delft University of Technology – another top university in the world that’s located in the Netherlands. They offer bachelors, minor, masters, Ph.D., post-academic & professionals, online, honors, and exchange programs. Hong Kong University of Science and Technology – located in Hong Kong, this university offers various options for students in Science and Engineering among other academics. They also offer postgraduate study programs and scholarships. Technical University of Munich – a university located in Germany. The Technical University of Munich is known as one of Europe’s most innovative universities, making its rank as one of the best engineering schools around the world worthwhile. University of Toronto – Canada. It has been the leading university for intensive research, innovation, and knowledge creation in Canada and around the world for years. They offer a multidisciplinary network for students to learn, invent, and research. Of course, these are not the only general engineering schools that have been recognized worldwide. There are general engineering schools in the Czech Republic as well as in Japan, among other countries not mentioned in this list. So, which type of engineering would pay the best? Engineering has been evolving and the salaries of those who have successfully acquired the title of professional engineers have grown through the years. It is hard to say how much salaries would increase or decrease in five years or so, but for an overview of how much engineers are paid, here are some of the best engineering degrees to consider. Petroleum Engineering has always topped the list with an entry-level base pay of $94,000 and experienced level base pay of $175,500 per year. Nuclear Engineering promises an entry-level pay of $69,500 and experienced level base pay of $127,500 per year. Chemical Engineering also comes top of the list with an entry-level base pay of $70,300 and experienced level base pay of $124,500. So for every university ranked at the top of the list, this means they offer more or better based on those criteria mentioned. Which Ivy League has the best engineering program? The University of California-Berkeley – a university in the USA that has grown from only 10 faculty members to 1,600 and from only 40 students to 35,000. It has started with only three degrees and now offers more than 350 bachelor degree programs. Fudan University – located in Shanghai China. It is a public school and the first to offer higher education. It is also the first university started by a Chinese founder. KU Leuven – a university located in Belgium. It is a center for research with an international reach. It is one of Europe’s best universities. The University of Tokyo – located in Japan. This is the first university established in Japan. It offers various academic courses and activities in all types of disciplines. Sometimes the outcome in a student’s life is not dependent on whether he/she studied at an Ivy League school. Most of the time, it is his/her personality and choices. All these schools listed here and the projected income for each profession or field in the future are contributory factors to a student’s success after college. Before starting out in college, each student must assess their skills, passions, interests, and what they’d like to be doing for the rest of their lives after college. Of course, engineering is always a good choice, in case anyone wants to know.

https://interestingengineering.com/best-general-engineering-schools-worldwide

The article revolves around the issue of native speaker bias that most members of the debating community experience during their debating career. The piece begins by outlining the perks that native-English-speaking debaters receive and the challenges they face. Building up from that, it introduces the theory that the native speaker bias transforms itself from a positive to a negative bias with the non-native-English-speaking judges’ growing awareness of the existence of said bias. Finally, the article proposes potential solutions for this problem and reaches the conclusion that a combination of several mechanisms may be able to mitigate the effects of the native speaker bias. I doubt that a significant number of debating enthusiasts would contest the notion that being a native speaker of English equips debaters with at least an initial advantage over non-native-English-speaking debaters. They can start learning Style, Content and Strategy earlier because they do not have to first pass a rather high threshold of language competency to be able to begin their learning journey, enabling them to reach a level of professionalism that a significant number of non-native-English-speaking debaters may either never achieve, or need a further career in university debating to acquire. It can also generally be said, with exceptions, that the institutional framework for debating in English-speaking countries is different from that in non-English-speaking countries as debating communities are often bigger, better financed and offer stronger support structures. Due to the high prestige that debating enjoys in English-speaking countries, governments or companies there are relatively more keen to fund English-language debating. Through this additional funding, governments hope to encourage more students to apply for spots on the national team and companies hope to reap the reputational benefits of being associated with such a high-prestige activity. However, native-English-speaking debaters also encounter problems that are specific to their status as native speakers of English. In debate tournaments pitched at beginner to intermediate-level debaters, I have witnessed numerous debaters debating under the assumption that their native tongue is going to win them the debate. This assumption, while not always unfounded, acts as an inhibitor to their personal growth. Furthermore, an important subgroup of native-English-speaking debaters who debate for countries where English is not a native language struggle with the use of scientific jargon and terminology. Native-English-speaking debaters are often accustomed to using informal slang or colloquial expressions. In contrast, those who speak English only as a second or foreign language are more likely to have learnt only formal expressions since most of their encounters with English take place in an academic context. . Thus, while native-English-speaking debaters are theoretically able to express ideas and issues that are extremely complex due to their language proficiency; some, especially beginners, show an unwillingness or inability to use complex language to convey their thoughts on the debate floor due to their long-standing habit of using informal expressions. Despite being aware of the privileges that native-English-speaking debaters enjoy, some adjudicators may allow the fluency of native-English-speaking debaters to influence them, such that it often translates into the tangible benefit of native-English-speaking debaters being awarded higher points. The impact of this privilege is seen very strongly in the judging category of Style since Style is arguably the most subjective of the three judging areas. The metric of Delivery hence becomes critically susceptible to subconscious influences such as accent, sentence structure or range of vocabulary, which leads to adjudicators confusing these variables with the holistic rhetorical persuasiveness that they supposedly assess. While the phenomenon described above appears intuitive, I came to the conclusion that the inverse might be true as well, assuming that the two are not mutually exclusive. Briefings before the start of tournaments frequently sensitise judges to the problem of native-speaker biases. In a scenario in which a member of a judging panel evaluates a debate and is keen on avoiding giving undue favour to the team with native-English-speaking debaters, the adjudicator could potentially refuse to award points for Style beyond a certain threshold. That reaction may be traced back to a self-developed system of checks and balances due to a perceived or an actual lack of proficiency on the part of the adjudicator. Therefore, a desire to avoid unduly favouring native-English-speaking debaters, coupled with inexperience on the part of adjudicators, may result in a situation where native-English-speaking debaters are unfairly disadvantaged. Instances of unfair disadvantaging of native-English-speaking debaters, henceforth referred to as negative native-speaker bias, increase in proportion to the awareness of the positive native-speaker bias, with inexperienced adjudicators having a disproportionate impact in increasing instances of negative native-speaker bias. Minimizing education about the positive native-speaker bias harms the quality of judging, thus, striving towards adjudicator proficiency is the only suitable option to reduce instances of the negative native-speaker bias. First of all, both the positive and the negative native-speaker bias can already be greatly limited when comprehensive judging takes place. This means creating an obligation for adjudicators to substantiate every reason they provide as explanation for their decision. Ideally, adjudicators should substantiate the reasons behind their judgement to a level of detail comparable to the detail in debaters’ speeches. Thus, judges increase the chances for speakers or coaches to point out inconsistencies in the judging as well as allow the judges themselves to realise that they may need to work on their judging and potentially seek help to improve their judging. The above suggestion still seems problematic in some cases because it again assumes a certain level of experience and proficiency in adjudicators that cannot be taken for granted. As a consequence, during briefings, adjudicators should be made aware of both the positive and the negative native-speaker biases, instead of being told repeatedly about only positive native-speaker bias, which is what I frequently observe. An effective way to do so that maintains the self-learning mechanism of the comprehensive judging proposal is through the adjudication of debate videos featuring native speakers. The most realistic adjudicator trainings should include non-native-English-speaking debaters as well, ideally debaters whose overall performance is either on par with or slightly better than that of the average native-English-speaking debater in the video. This is important as it does not only show inflated or deflated scores in absolute terms, but also points out the relative difference between the native-English-speaking debater’s and the non-native-English-speaking debater’s set of points. Last, diversity of panels still has to be discussed. While factors such as the level of experience of an adjudicator or their regional origin matter immensely, it is equally if not more important to take native, ESL and EFL status into account when choosing adjudicators. This opinion piece will not discuss the impact native-English-speaking-debaters have on the judgement of native-English-speaking adjudicators, but I strongly believe that the linguistic backgrounds of native-English-speaking and non-native-English-speaking judges differ enough to explain group-specific divergences in debate assessment. This difference, at least when talking about what is commonly called the Western world, often weighs more heavily than differences in core values or specific knowledge that regionally diverse panels face. When one constructs a panel for a debate involving native-English-speaking debaters, it’s worth considering filling the panel with three European judges, out of whom one is a native-speaker, one an ESL speaker and one an EFL speaker, over filling the spots with purely native-English-speaking adjudicators, regardless of whether the purely native-English-speaking panel has sufficient regional diversity. A sustainable strategy to mitigate the effects of both the positive and the negative native-speaker bias necessarily consists of more than one component and my attempt at creating that strategy should by no means be seen as exhaustive. Most fundamentally, wide-ranging dialogue within the debating community about the well-discussed issue of the positive native-speaker bias has to be maintained while at the same time the notion of its negative counterpart needs to be dealt with more thoroughly, empirically verified or finally falsified. Laura Alviž (19) is a student of Politics, Administration and International Relations at Zeppelin University in Friedrichshafen, Germany. She has been involved in competitive schools debating through the Debating Society Germany since 2013. She participated in 20 (at the time of the publication probably 21) international debating tournaments, including the World Schools Debating Championships (WSDC) 2015 in Singapore as a debater and WSDC 2016 in Stuttgart, Germany as coach, adjudicator and member of the organising team. She currently coaches the German National World Schools Debating team and runs the debating branch of her university’s rhetoric club The Soapbox.

https://international-debate.com/2017/10/19/fall-2017-the-native-crux/

This enormous collection of more than 40 songs highlights the biggest hits from the start of the new millennium. Piano accompaniment, vocal melodies, lyrics, and guitar chord diagrams are included. Titles include: “All About That Bass,” Meghan Trainor; “Billionaire,” Travie McCoy; “Cool Kids,” Echosmith; “Country Song,” Seether; “Forget You,” Cee Lo Green; “Grenade,” Bruno Mars; “I Still Can See Your Face,” Barbra Streisand and Andrea Bocelli; “Jesus, Take the Wheel,” Carrie Underwood; “Let It Go,” (from Frozen); “Make You Feel My Love,” Adele; “My City of Ruins,” Bruce Springsteen; “The Prayer,” Celine Dion and Andrea Bocelli; and “Teardrops on My Guitar,” Taylor Swift.

https://internationalmusician.org/greatest-hits-2000s-piano-40-modern-pop-favorites/

Register your interest in attending. How can we use the Inventor Prize to support some of the great products created by Britain’s lone inventors and small companies? What support would a modern day Percy Shaw – a Yorkshireman who repaired roads in the 1930s and whose light bulb moment was the invention of the ‘cat’s eye’ that helps prevent car accidents at night – need today to help get their idea on its way to market? Those are some of the key questions we’ll be tackling during the Inventor Prize design workshop and we want you to join us. This workshop is part of a wider consultation process – including an online survey and interviews – to capture feedback from a range of stakeholders. Feedback that will help to shape the design of the Inventor Prize. The Inventor Prize, due to launch summer 2017, is a pilot prize that aims to inspire and harness the potential of the UK’s home-grown inventors. Helping lone inventors and small companies to overcome the barriers preventing them from getting their products to market. The prize, originally announced as part of the Government’s Industrial Strategy, will be run by Nesta’s Challenge Prize Centre with funding from the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS). Nesta’s Challenge Prize Centre was established in 2012 to increase practical evidence and understanding about challenge prizes so they can be used effectively by governments, charities and businesses to have a tangible positive impact on society. This workshop will focus on the needs and challenges faced by inventors in the UK. The stakeholders will range from inventors, people from accelerators and incubators, investors, and those with knowledge on the inventor community and inventor support throughout the UK. Breakfast and tea and coffee breaks are included. Further details available upon confirmation of attendance by Nesta. Can’t attend the workshop? We’d still love to hear from you, visit our website to register for updates, complete a short survey or register your interest in being interviewed. Please note that we will only be holding one design workshop, however, future prize events will be held in different locations across the UK. This blog was originally published on Nesta website.

https://inventor.challenges.org/join-us-inventor-prize-design-workshop/

How would growing up in an age of the minority-elected President influence our children? If you’re a parent, you might be thinking about this question too often. If you’re a child in a public school, a person of color, a recent immigrant, an LGBT, a Muslim or a Jewish person, a female, a person who believes in civil rights, a free press, or a democrat—the list of who might be threatened is almost endless. How do you teach? Just a few years ago, teachers started noticing a clear increase in anxiety in the children they taught. Now, it’s even worse. Even back before Mr. T. was sworn in or elected, a negative effect was noticed in school children by the SPLC and NEA. Teachers recently have talked about how his election has led to children acting out more, being more argumentative, angry, anxious and less willing to listen to others, as if they were bringing into the classroom the emotions and arguments from home or the media. There’s been an increase in bullying, use of verbal slurs, harassment. So, what do you do? What children will primarily learn from today’s political situation is more dependent on the understanding, creativity, and empathy shown by your response as a teacher, by all of our responses, than by the situation itself. Your response educates the child in what is possible, in what it means to be a human being. A person becomes a bully, not a clown or a desperate person, not only by his or her actions but by controlling how you perceive them. Your response is your freedom. Schools can begin with programs against bullying and increasing the understanding and practice of empathy; teach social-emotional skills. Ask students: How can you feel more comfortable and less anxious here, in the classroom? Work together with students to make explicit what you and the students need in order to create a supportive, caring atmosphere—that is within your power. Ask the children open-ended questions followed with more explicit ones. For example, What does caring look like to you? Is being kind important to you? What is kindness? What do you feel when someone is kind to you? What about being heard? What about feeling the discussion is relevant to your life? If you can, lead the students in imaginative inquiry practices using questions based on student responses. For example, if they pick out kindness as one characteristic of a supportive classroom, go with it. Start with a short mindfulness practice. Can you feel your breath? Feel yourself take a gentle breath in. Then feel it go out. Do that again; focus on your breathing in—and then breathing out. No hurry. Then notice what happens as you breathe out. Do the same with your shoulders. Notice how your shoulders respond, expand as you breathe in. Notice how your shoulders let go, relax as you breathe out. Now let come to mind the word kindness. Did you ever see someone being kind? Or meet someone you considered kind? What did he or she do that was kind? Just notice it in your mind and body. Who was the person who was kind? Who was she or he kind to? What makes an action kind? What words come to mind along with kindness? What do you imagine the person felt when he or she was treated with kindness? Just imagine that feeling. What do you think the person felt who was kind? Just sit for a moment with the feeling of kindness, or being kind. Once you share what you and the students think about kindness or caring, and what is necessary to create the supportive community children say they need, pledge to each other that you will do all you can to act accordingly. Also, if possible, add to the curriculum other social-emotional forms of learning to help children be more aware of how their actions affect others, affect their own emotions and the atmosphere in the classroom and their own sense of empowerment. The next lesson is on facing adversity. How do you face what is difficult? We often turn away from what is uncomfortable and treat it as abnormal, or wrong. If you respond to feelings of discomfort, stress, being challenged as if no normal life would be touched by them, you greet such sensations with fear and anxiety. G. K. Chesterton said, “An adventure is only an inconvenience rightly considered.” Only if you know that discomfort can be helpful and is not abnormal can you allow yourself to be aware of it. If you notice the sensations of fear and anxiety before they get too strong, and recognize them for what they are, you can act in ways that utilize their energy without them dominating you. You learn from them and let them go. You can’t always control what arises in your life, or mind, but you can determine your response. The more aware you are of your own mental and emotional processes, the more freedom you have in your actions and the more readily you learn. How do you teach this? Start as you did with the mindfulness practice you used with kindness. Then ask students to: notice any sensations that arise. Do it as you would if you were on the shore of a stream and were seeing and hearing the sounds of the water, noticing any stones in the bed of the stream. Notice where the sensations are, how they begin and end. They are like the water flowing and bends in the course of the stream. Then go to other places in the body. Notice also any thoughts. They are like whirlpools in the water. Just keep your attention on noticing what arises and dissipates, and, after you notice something, return your awareness to the breath. If your mind drifts away and you notice it, or you lose focus on the breath and realize it, the realization means you are now found. Right now, you are aware. Take joy in that, emphasize that. This is just the beginning. I would also recommend intense physical exercise and the study of martial arts, for example, to develop inner discipline, gratitude, patience, and confidence. Physical strength and conditioning can aid mental clarity and focus. I would study history and social justice movements and go deeply into the question of “Who are we humans?” I’d discuss “What does it mean to be a citizen in a democracy?” I’d add media literacy to the curriculum so students learn to spot bias, and possibly even how to detect lies as part of the study of emotion. And compassion: we need to dig deeply into what compassion is, for ourselves and for others. But these topics are for another day. What are you doing, if you’re a teacher, to help your students? If you’re a parent, to help your children? If you’re in a relationship, to help your partner? If you’re feeling anxious yourself—what are you doing to help you face adversity with as clear a mind as you can bring to the task? We are living through a time that challenges us to learn how to think compassionately, clearly and critically—to think in a manner that facilitates awareness of our own emotions and thought processes while elucidating what is happening to those around us. This workshop will explore how to use practices of inquiry and imagination, as well as mindful and compassionate questioning, to better understand and teach course material and critical thinking. The approach is described in my book, Compassionate Critical Thinking: How Mindfulness, Creativity, Empathy, and Socratic Questioning Can Transform Teaching, published in October, 2016, by Rowman & Littlefield. It was developed over 30 years of teaching. All the techniques help students improve focus, find more meaning in classroom studies, and so are more engaged in their education. Many take only a few minutes and all were used in actual classes. The workshop is part of Ithaca Loves Teachers Week. It will include experiential exercises and discussion. It is open to teachers, administrators and others interested in developing and teaching empathy and critical thinking. For more background, go to my website: irarabois.com. The workshop will be Thursday, February 23, 2:00 – 3:15 pm, at the Tompkins County Public Library, Cornell Reading Room. I was recently meditating, at home, in the early afternoon. Outside, intense snow squalls alternated with a few minutes of sunshine. Schools started two hours late that morning because of the weather, and before meditating I had wondered if the after-school class that I was supposed to teach would be cancelled. I concentrated on my breath and soon became calm and focused and lost all sense of school and snow. Then the phone rang. My wife picked it up somewhere in the house. I couldn’t hear the conversation but knew it was the school calling about the class and I began to wonder, again, if it would be cancelled. I tried to return my focus to the breath, but couldn’t do it by increasing my concentration. So, I tried another strategy. I made my response and interest in the call the object of awareness. I simply noticed what was there, in me, without judging it. That did it. My mind calmed. By shifting attention to what was there in my own mind and body, and being open to it, my mind became the state of openness. The result was both calm and insight. Why do I have this drive to have an answer? To know is to hold information in mind and be able to use that information, to comprehend and own in myself. Even more, it is a drive for a concept to fit reality into, or this is one way to understand it. In the past, I thought that the drive for answers was a common and primal human drive. It was part of learning and growing up; humans were naturally driven to better understand the world and themselves—unless it was educated out of them. And putting what you knew into words to form a worldview was part of developing an identity. You create explanations and stories to order your life. Having an explanation of any sort is often more important than its accuracy. Thus, you feel uncomfortable when you don’t-know. You take it as something missing, a lack, a hole in your universe. You then hate not-knowing, as it leads you to worry or feel anxious. Part of the joy of solving puzzles or watching a mystery movie is that, for a moment, you feel the anxiety of not-knowing, but in a controlled way. You prove to yourself that this situation can be faced and overcome. It is like an inoculation against fear. The puzzle creates just enough anxiety that by solving the puzzle you demonstrate your control over not-knowing. But this day, I realized this explanation was not enough. I dislike not-knowing only to the degree that I am wedded to an outcome or idea, only to the degree that I cling to one answer, fear another, or think I am only capable of handling certain types of situations. It is easy to cling to ideas, and think knowing is only about putting experiences into words. You value the memory over the “thing” or experience itself, the story about your trip to Africa in the past over the experience of a moment of your life right now. And by focusing so much on the words and explanations, you easily lose perspective on the important role not-knowing plays in your life. There is a second type of not-knowing, an experience of your world being fully there, alive, not lacking. Every moment begins with this not-knowing. If the present moment were known and put into words, it would already be past. Daniel Siegel and other neuroscientists describe stages in the formation of emotion. The first is an “orienting response.” Brain and body systems become alerted and energized. You begin to feel. Only later is memory activated, energy directed, liking and disliking begun, emotion and meaning created. In this sense, not-knowing is a step you need to go through to learn and understand anything. It is your original contact with the world. It is a non-verbal or incommunicable sort of knowing, the taste, the touch, the joy and agony of a body twisting in space, the rush of concentrated attention. In Buddhism, not-knowing is to perceive without preconceived ideas. It is to hold what you know lightly, and to put observation and experience before concept. It is a silence of concept mind so you can hear the world more clearly. In the first sense of knowing, where you emphasize knowing as conceptualizing, you can miss, not fully engage in, the only moment you ever live in, the present. Your life becomes a memory, a story or explanation, and is lived almost secondhand. It is something you read about in your own mind or listen for in the words of others, not what you live each moment. When you understand yourself in this almost secondhand manner, you cling to ideas and it is easier to get into energetic disagreements about points of view. When you think you know and have the explanation of an event, you feel in control. And when people in power and in the headlines manipulate information, say one thing and mean something entirely different, and lie repeatedly, even obviously, they are attempting to take away your power by undermining your sense that there is a clear reality out there. They can create psychological and social chaos. The lie is not just a lie. It is an attempt to undermine your sense of control over your life. It is an attempt to get you to live as if your life were a memory. With a truth, you can have a two-way conversation; a lie is an attempt to make it one-way. To not-know in the second way, you can’t be manipulated so easily because you welcome and are fully present in your immediate experience. Thus, to be open to whatever arises in your mind, body and the world around you, and to be able to utilize both forms of knowing and not-knowing, is a revolutionary act. To face your fear and anxiety is a form of resistance to the powerful. It is to return to where all action begins and all thought is born. And that is a very powerful state. Yesterday, Mr. T spoke to members of the National Sheriffs Association and said: “the murder rate in our country is the highest it’s been in 47 years.” According to the Washington Post, he blamed the news media for not publicizing this development, and then added, “But the murder rate is the highest it’s been in, I guess, 45 to 47 years.” But according to the Post, Politifact, and the FBI, this claim by him is clearly false. In 1980, the murder rate was 10.2 per 100,000 residents. In 2014 it was 4.4. In 2015, it did go up to 4.9, less than half of the 1980 rate. Violent crime in America in general has gone down. But not in the America Mr. T sees. He sees, or tries to get us to feel, that the rate is going up. Why? To create fear. To create a sense of society falling apart so he can ride in and save us. Likewise, on 2/6 Politifact reported on Mr. T’s comment that the US news media, regarding terrorist attacks, are “dishonest” and it has “gotten to the point where it’s [terrorist attacks are] not even being reported.” He tells us that there is so much more extremist violence happening and we are not safe. But, of course, the violence committed by Muslims from other nations is being constantly reported, maybe even too much. And, as Democracy Now, CNN, and other respected media report, if there isn’t any violence, Mr. T and his associates will lie or manufacture “fake news” to make us think there is. For example, Kellyanne Conway talking about a “Bowling Green Massacre” that never took place. Why? To create a sense of distrust in the media and a fear of the other, of other people, of our society falling apart so he, or HE, can ride in to save us. But he has no plans to save anyone. In fact, this is the same strategy started in the Reagan administration to undermine public schools. Diane Ravitch argued in her book Reign of Error that different corporations, working with political institutions and individual politicians, are leading an effort to undermine public schools by undermining teachers, teacher unions, and the very concept that a public institution working for the general good, instead of a for-profit corporation, can successfully manage and direct an educational system. The strategy calls for publicizing deceptive and often inaccurate information to create a sense of a crisis in education so corporations can step in and save the day. For example, A Nation At Risk, a report issued by the Reagan administration in 1983, claimed public education and teachers were responsible for everything from a declining college graduation rate to the loss of manufacturing jobs. It said, “If an unfriendly foreign power had attempted to impose on America the mediocre educational performance that exists today, we might well have viewed it as an act of war.” It said graduation rates, SAT scores, etc. were decreasing—all later proved untrue. According to Edutopia and government statistics, Academic achievement from 1975 to 1988 was actually improving, and not only for middle class white Americans. The divide in academic achievement between rich and poor, white and African-American, Latino, Native-American, was diminishing. But the A Nation At Risk report was just the beginning. Betsy DeVos and the destruction she might wreak is the end result. In 2007, Naomi Klein wrote The Shock Doctrine. Klein’s book argued that when people feel they are in a crisis, they support doctrines, policies, laws that they never would have supported otherwise. Crises can be of all kinds; economic, public health, national security, education. Mr. T. is shocking. He is creating a crisis so he, with the help of some large corporations and his billionaire buddies, can step in and sell the solution. As I said in an earlier blog, we live in relationship with others and our world. This relationship, and our very lives, is more fragile than we like to recognize. If society falls apart, it is not so easy to piece it back together. Mr. T is not a populist working for the common good, but someone working to undermine the sense of relationship that underlies a society and then reconfigure it to fit his interests. By favoring the very few over the whole, his policies undermine the public good and he weakens and isolates himself and his cohorts ever further from everyone else. His delusion and hunger for power threatens every person, maybe every living being on this planet. Only by understanding even those you oppose can you fight them. Only by working to create a society that prioritizes relationships that are mutual, inclusive, caring, and honest can we, as a species, live well, and possibly, live at all. *For information on a foiled white supremacist terrorist plan to massacre African-Americans and Jewish people in Bowling Green, Ohio, see ProPublica post.

https://irarabois.com/2017/02/

Few people probably associate Australia and New Zealand with the Balfour Declaration. But here is a look at a little-known miracle that helped to shape that segment of history. Before we arrived in the spring of 2000, I asked the 16 members of our Friends of Israel Youth Adventure team (now called ORIGINS) to describe what they thought a settlement would look like. Sounds of gunfire, soldiers singing “Jerusalem of Gold,” and the faint sound of a shofar were heard over the army wireless. It was June 7, 1967, and the Israel Defense Forces paratroopers had just liberated the Temple Mount and Western Wall. The Six-Day War begot the hackneyed catchphrase Israeli-occupied West Bank. Mindless talk of the “occupation” generally goes hand-in-hand with unvarnished ignorance or a willful disregard of the area’s strategic value. Mount Moriah or the City of David? An unusual—and unanticipated—thought came to mind recently when I was asked to describe what I miss the most about spending time in Israel, now that I no longer travel there. So prolific is Muslim propaganda that many Westerners today question the Temple’s historicity. So it’s time to review the evidence.

https://israelmyglory.org/article-tags/land-of-israel/

Situated 15 minutes from Hobart’s CBD, this Tasmanian business is owned by Jack Sikkema, an avid car enthusiast. Jack has been passionately restoring, cleaning and detailing cars for more than two decades. With a fanatical eye for detail and perfection, every vehicle is treated as if it was owned by us, which allows us to offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee with confidence. All work is carried out in a secure under cover environment (not outside in the open were vehicles are exposed to the elements) which allows for a better end result. We also provide secure overnight garaging if required. Pick-up and delivery, plus a loan car also available.

https://jackscardetailing.com.au/about-us/

Having two young children, my gig-going tends to be confined to their sleeping hours – outwith festival season, at least. So it was a real treat to be able to sneak through to Edinburgh for an afternoon of jazz that stretched well into the evening. The reason for my Sunday leave? A barely-publicised concert in the basement of Ryan’s (across from the Caledonian Hotel) by the ace American guitarist Howard Alden, whose seven-string wizardry is very familiar to Edinburgh jazz fans, and singer Jeanne Gies – a new name to Scottish audiences. I’ll be the first to admit: I’m always wary of new singers, especially singers who are performing with much better established instrumentalists. Let’s face it, we’ve all been at gigs where we’ve wished someone would lock the singer in the ladies’ so we can hear the rest of the band better. However, all fears were allayed when Gies revealed a cool, airy and lovely voice which was at its most appealing on ballads. Stand-outs were I’m Going to Laugh You Right Out of My Life, which set out Gies’ stall as an eloquent storyteller, a bossa nova version of My Foolish Heart, and probably the only live versions of More Than You Know and How Long Has This Been Going On I’ve ever heard performed with their exquisite verses. On faster numbers and songs in which Gies jumped about a bit musically, her animated body language – flailing elbows and busy hands – was a little distracting. But that was the only negative in a couple of sets which also showcased Alden’s lyricism and dexterity, notably on the well-titled Tricky Little Devil and a faster-than-the-speed-of-light I Got Rhythm. And as if that wasn’t enough, it transpired that the Sunday early evening slot (5.30pm-8.30pm) at Ryan’s is usually occupied by none other than the brilliant Brian Kellock who plays the grand piano there for three hours every week, accompanied by Phil O’Malley (trombone) and Ed Kelly (bass). Kellock, who was recently nominated for the award of Best Jazz Musician of the year in the Parliamentary Jazz Awards, was in great form – notably on a rollicking Tea for Two, an intense and hard-swinging Whisper Not and the Antonio Carlos Jobim classic Wave which was distinguished by a particularly densely layered Kellock solo (as well as by O’Malley’s lyrical trombone work). CDs of Annie Ross’s original albums have been difficult to get hold of in recent years so this two-disc set – which comprises four complete, classic 1950s LPs (Annie By Candlelight, Gypsy, A Gasser! and Sings a Song With Mulligan!) plus an EP (Nocturne for Vocalist) and six other tracks from the same era – is an absolute gem. Her cool yet sultry vocals are particularly beautifully showcased on the intimate British recording Annie By Candlelight, but she more than holds her own alongside jazz legends Gerry Mulligan, Zoot Sims and Stan Getz on the bigger band albums. British multi-instrumentalist Alan Barnes doesn’t seem to do bad choices – in terms of repertoire, line-up or performance. And this new CD, a follow-up to last year’s terrific Doodle-oodle, finds him reunited with fellow clarinettist and saxophonist Ken Peplowski – this time within a larger band. The two headliners’ rapport shines through, and both play at the top of their game on a selection of tracks from the back catalogues of Ellington, Strayhorn and the great altoist Johnny Hodges whose music is a particular delight to hear. This duo’s 2005 album, When Lights Are Low, revealed Sir Richard Rodney Bennett (piano and vocals) and Claire Martin (vocals) to be the Fred and Ginger of the jazz world: while he gives her class, she gives him sex appeal. The same applies to this new collection of songs by composer Cy Coleman – though the distinctions are a bit more blurred. Coleman’s music isn’t the most memorable, but the witty, sophisticated lyrics of his collaborators – especially the Dorothy Parker-like Carolyn Leigh – are a joy to hear, and Bennett and Martin deliver them with relish and style. This Edinburgh quartet is only two years old but its classy, uplifting sound suggests that its members have been playing together for much longer. This is their third album and it’s a wee gem of upmarket traditional jazz. The burnished tone of Mike Daly’s cornet complements the spikier, Pee Wee Russell-esque clarinet played by John Burgess when he’s not on sax duty. Only possible complaint is that it would have been nice to hear more lesser-played numbers and fewer trad staples.

https://jazzmatters.wordpress.com/2011/04/

Jennifer instructs young pianists, university level students and adults who play for the joy of having music in their busy lives. She gives workshops, is an in-demand adjudicator at many festivals throughout the Maritimes and has been a judge for competitions and examinations. Jennifer also works as a coach for singers and instrumentalists. Her teaching career started at a young age under the guidance of her piano teaching mother. Jennifer grew up with piano lessons as a backdrop for home life. While living in England she taught at Abingdon Boys School as an instructor and upon moving back to Canada she worked at Acadia University’s School of Music as the staff accompanist, a part-time piano instructor and faculty member from 2003-2016. While at Acadia Jennifer developed an Accompaniment Course and an interdisciplinary performance class, Graduation Recital Class, for fourth year performance majors. She taught at the Maritime Conservatory of Music and Performing Arts in Halifax, NS from 2017-2019. Jennifer was also the master class pianist the Young Artist Program at the Scotia Festival of Music for seven years. She currently works as a private piano instructor and coach from her home studio in Halifax, Nova Scotia. In July 2019 Jennifer and colleague Sibylle Marquardt, flute ran Maritime Ensemble Week or MEW for adult musicians looking to gain experience performing with fellow music lovers. Jennifer is a strong believer in community, and reaches out to the next generation of artists, and educators. She was one of the founders of the Prince Edward Island Registered Music Teachers’ Association when she was 22 years old. She is on Provincial Council for NSRMTA where she has also been the Vice President, Registrar, Second Delegate and ran the NSRMTA Provincial Scholarship Competition for 2016 and 2017. She served on the NSYO board and is a member of Canadian Federation of Adjudicators Association and Atlantic Federation of Musicians. Currently Jennifer is on the board for the Atlantic Canadian Music Centre.

https://jenniferkingpiano.com/instruction/

Up next in our graduate series is Kourtney Collins. Let’s congratulate her and be inspired by her story. Graduate: I am 26 years old and I live in Houston, TX. I was born in Louisiana and moved to Houston when I was 8 years old, and for the most part, I have lived here since. I was raised by a single mom and I don’t have any siblings. I’m also single with no children. And I love karaoke, reading, and discussing current events and pop culture. Graduate: I must have been about 9 years old when I first uttered the words, “I want to be a lawyer” to my mom. My mom was and still is obsessed with legal television series and that is how I was first exposed to this profession. I was inspired by the ability to advocate for people who didn’t have the power or the language to advocate for themselves in court. Graduate: I plan to pursue a career in civil litigation and I have a particular interest in Labor & Employment Law. At the end of this month, I will begin preparing for the July 2018 Texas Bar Exam. After the exam, I will begin a Public Service fellowship at a federal government agency while awaiting bar results. I will be working in their Labor & Employment division. Graduate: In addition to struggling with depression and anxiety, maintaining my self-confidence was the most challenging part about law school. For me it was one of those things that always wavered—which, in hindsight, I think is generally normal for most people. We all have days when we feel that we can conquer the world and days when we don’t really want to get out of bed. But I think the added pressure of the competitive nature of law school and dealing with mental illness made it even more of a challenge. Along with therapy and prayer, coming to terms with the fact that though I wasn’t the best at everything, I was great at a lot of things and had a true passion for this profession, are what ultimately sustained me. Graduate: I would say to research and have an open mind about the different paths that are available. Although “Big law” and criminal law are probably the most widely known paths for lawyers, they are not the only paths and certainly not a great fit for everyone. Try different things and find out what you really want to do. Also, if this is your passion, know that there will be days when you absolutely hate law school, but there will also be days when you love it and are reminded of why you couldn’t see yourself doing anything else. Graduate: 1) Know that for, at least, the first year and during bar prep studying will the #1 priority for your loved one (unless you are a dependent). 2) Know that there will be many times when your loved one just needs to vent and there will be nothing you can say or do to fix it. 3) Know that your loved one cannot give legal advice until they are a licensed attorney so try not to put them in that awkward position where they want to help, but can’t. And 4) Know that, in the end you will be there to witness such a great accomplishment. Graduate: Definitely my mother. She has sacrificed everything for me. Even when I was contemplating forgoing this path, she always reminded me why this was my dream in the first place. I wouldn’t be here if not for her continued moral (and financial) support. Next Post MEET GRADUATE AJIA RICHARDSON!

https://jenthejd.com/2018/05/21/1257/

Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance-This is my first memoir of the year, and one with local ties. Mr. Vance chronicles his life in Middletown, Ohio where he was raised mostly by his Kentucky native grandparents. The book covers alcoholism, drug abuse, poverty and much more. It is a rag to riches kind of story, with the “riches” being his ability to graduate from both The Ohio State University AND Yale Law School. I devoured this book in a matter of hours, and highly recommend it. Coming Clean by Kimberly Rae Miller-Continuing with the memoir theme, I stumbled upon this book on a Google search. Ms. Miller is an only child raised by her hoarder father and shopping addicted mother, who has hoarding issues of her own. Her home definitely qualifies for an episode of Hoarders with its endless stacks of paper, trash, rat infestation and more. This was another easy read and one that held my attention as the depths of her parents issues became worse with time. Difficult Women by Roxane Gay-This a book of fiction, though one that reads like a memoir or an anthology on the trying and traumatic lives of women. This book is not for the faint of heart as it contains graphic depictions of sexual violence, adultery and more. When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi-This memoir was recommended to me from two separate sources. The book is the story of a 36-year old Neuro surgery resident who learns that he has a terminal form of lung cancer. He chronicles the details of his diagnosis and treatment as a physician who has now become the patient. The book reminded me of Tuesdays With Morrie by Mitch Album and The Last Lecture, by Randy Pausch. Read all three if you are so inclined, but be sure to have a box of Kleenex nearby. Memory Man by David Baldacci-This is my second book of fiction this year and a murder mystery. While not my typical read these days, it is a page turner. The story revolves around a former detective whose life becomes unraveled with the murder of his family. A school shooting sucks him back into police work as he and his former colleagues work to solve two mysteries in their small town. In addition to books, I also gobble up my monthly issue of The Sun, a magazine overflowing with great stories-both true and fiction-poetry, and photography. It contains zero advertising. I have subscribed to this little gem for many years and highly recommend it. However, reader beware. The magazine leans to the left, so may not be suitable for those who lean to the right. I also flip through the monthly issues of the Costco magazine and the AARP Bulletin. The latter is addressed to Mr. Joan. AARP tracked him down as he turned 50, but I remain off of their radar. Perhaps that is due to the fact that I was granted a do-over of my 40’s and therefore am a mere 46 years of age. A big thank you to Mr. F., my former high school English teacher, who shared a must-read book list with me. I intend to seek out several of the titles for my future reading pleasure. Also, a thank you to family members who loaned me a few books from their own collections. My neighborhood public library has been a great source of reading material as well. If you know of any good reads, especially memoirs, shoot me a text, email or a message on Facebook with your suggestions.

https://jfh48.blog/2017/03/

Distinguished keynote speakers and panels of working journalists will discuss the increasing links between South and East Asia, the future of the U.S. rebalance to Asia and the Pacific, and the latest information on the global news industry. The conference at the India Habitat Centre will also include on-the-ground updates on news and media issues in the region; opportunities to learn about the complexity and diversity of India, the largest democracy in the world; a wide range of practical skill-building workshops; and unique opportunities to network with hundreds of international media professionals. India’s Act East policy has accelerated under Prime Minister Modi’s administration, promoting new connections and areas of cooperation among East Asia, Southeast Asia and South Asia. Mr. Mahfuz Anam, Editor and Publisher of The Daily Star in Dhaka, Bangladesh, who faces scores of defamation lawsuits, will speak on silencing media and threats to free speech. Mr. C. Raja Mohan, Director of Carnegie India, on political-security links across Asia. Ms. Karuna Nundy, Supreme Court Advocate, New Delhi, who works on women’s rights and empowerment, including the Womanifesto bill of rights for Delhi women. Mr. Nikhil Pahwa, Founder of MediaNama and Co-founder of SaveTheInternet grassroots campaign for Net Neutrality in India. Ms. Ritu Sarin, Executive Editor (News and Investigation) at The Indian Express, who will discuss cross-border investigative journalism and her work on The Panama Papers. She will be joined by other international journalists who reported on this worldwide project. A senior U.S. State Department official will discuss updates on the U.S. rebalance to the region. A keynote panel will feature journalists who have displayed extraordinary courage in their work.

https://jharkhandstatenews.com/article/top-stories/1057/journos-to-gather-at-east-west-centre-s-2016-media-conference

When the moat of the château of Le Chatelier was drained recently advantage was taken to do some running repairs to the entrance bridge. Since the moat was re-filled the water level has been rather lower than it was; this allows visitors to truly appreciate the defensive nature of the moat, rock face and wall. It has also exposed an entrance portal below the working drawbridge (I don’t remember it being there before the moat was recently drained). Built in 11th and 12th centuries the château was one of the most fortified buildings in the South Touraine region. It was in the border war zone of the territories of Aquitaine, belonging to the Plantagenet Kings of England, and the Kingdom of France. The fort had a double wall, flanked by towers and defended by a deep ditch that was filled with water on demand by means of canals, of which two remain today. The stone for the walls came from the moat surrounding the château . Around 1770, one of the château’s original two drawbridges was dismantled and this entrance, recently repaired, now allows vehicle access. This entry was posted in architecture, Le Brignon, Le Chatelier and tagged Aquitaine, Château, French architecture, Le Chatelier, Loire Valley, Loire Valley History, Moat, Touraine, Touraine History. Bookmark the permalink.

https://jimmcneill.wordpress.com/2012/08/10/the-chateau-of-le-chatelier-views-from-a-lower-moat/

As a Senior Manager, you will be responsible for a varied portfolio of clients from a range of sectors. You will need to develop and maintain working relationships with these clients as well as accounts prep, year-end prep and consultative advise when necessary. You will also be responsible for the training of a small team of juniors, ensuring all work is completed accurately and in a timely manner. In addition to a competitive salary of £40,000, you will have the opportunity to progress, a range of benefits and close, working relationships with senior members of the firm.

https://jobs.icaew.com/job/senior-manager-10/

Be not afraid... In January 2017, the Board of Directors, along with the administration, teachers, staff, and a group of parents updated the strategic plan for St. John Paul II Catholic School. While many ideas came to light and were implemented, one item in particular stood out – the need for a school motto to clearly proclaim to the world precisely what our school believes, teaches, and is at the heart of our community. The school motto had to be foundational; it would not only inspire our students and families but motivate them. Our community would know exactly where we stand, as we knew where our patron stood. The motto had to guide our students as they enter the world from this foundation with prayer, confident in the knowledge that Jesus had come to save them and, through them, the world. Be not afraid … Open wide the doors for Christ … Engage the world as confident Catholics. What does this mean for our students and for our families? As children begin their journey at our school, everything is new and sometimes uncertain. We can point to the motto and share our patron’s message, encouraging newcomers to leave fear at the door because here is a safe space for them to learn, grow, and transform. Throughout elementary school, a child grows in knowledge and discipline but is also discovering who he or she is and will become. We will point to the motto and share the message to be confident in their faith and education, that they could be better than they can ever imagine. As these children transition to young adulthood, they face new challenges, both mental and physical, in modern culture and at school. Exams, friendships, and new responsibilities all present obstacles. We will point to the motto and share our patron’s message – to students and their parents – that there is no need to fear. Christ will be their strength. Our teachers and staff will help children, all unique individuals with diverse needs, and in those hours when we wonder how to make the difference, we will read the motto and be energized to implement our patron’s message. Our motto is “Be not afraid…” rather than simply “Be not afraid.” We add the ellipsis intentionally because Christ’s message, revealed through all of Sacred Scripture, remains the same as challenges change throughout our lives. Be not afraid…to live your faith. Be not afraid…to be kind to all your classmates. Be not afraid…to say “I don’t know” and ask for help. Be not afraid…of challenges, embrace them. Be not afraid…to be confident Catholics. Be not afraid…to have a giving heart. Be not afraid…because Christ is with you forever. He was a man utterly without fear. … It is an unmistakably Christian fearlessness. In Christian faith, fear is not eliminated but transformed, through a profound personal encounter with Christ and his Cross – the place where all human fear was offered by the Son to the Father, setting us all free from fear. Let our motto, which is not only our patron’s message but Christ’s, be the guiding light by which our community fearlessly pursues education, fearlessly pursues faith, and fearlessly pursues its full potential in Christ.

https://jp2.org/motto

The Nutcrackers circled the track as the emcee introduced them. When he called Badonkey Kong’s name, a woman behind me screamed, “That’s my sistah!” I snuck a look and saw that most of the people in the row behind us were wearing Nutcracker t-shirts. I hoped that wasn’t going to be a problem; I’d come to cheer for the Cosmonaughties. I didn’t even know that roller derby existed outside of Hollywood until a friend invited me to come see her co-worker skate, but I didn’t hesitate to say yes. The novelty of the adventure was enough to convince me to abandon my husband on a Saturday night, at least until the hour of our dinner reservation. Local roller derby teams belong to the Boston Derby Dames, “Boston’s first and only all-female, DIY, skater-owned-and-operated flat track roller derby league and proud members of the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA).” But this is not the big time by any definition. These women skate for love, not money, and they compete at the Shriners auditorium, which has seen better days (as have the Shriners we saw there). I was curious to see what a roller derby audience looked like. It turns out there’s nothing particularly remarkable about them. It was the kind of crowd you might see at the circus. Yes, there were some heavily tattooed and pierced folks that looked a tad intimidating to my aging suburban eye, but they were far outnumbered by under-stated, middle-aged lesbians and their children. Even the skaters looked, for the most part, like regular folk, albeit dressed in spandex and sporting knee-pads, elbow-pads, helmets and, I hope, mouth guards. Their names, however, were anything but normal. In roller derby, everyone has a nom de skate. We were cheering for Tiny Dancer, one of the tamer sobriquets. The other team had my favorite name, Maya Mangleyou. I liked the literary touch. Being brand new to the sport, it took us a while to understand what was going on, but after some coaching from our neighbors we were able to follow the action as Hayley Contagious and Crown Joules battled it out for the lead. It’s not a gentle game, there was plenty of pushing and shoving and skaters sometimes went down, but not for more than the few seconds it took to scramble back up. The Cosmonaughties took an early lead, but trailed the Nutcrackers midway through the second half. I can’t tell you who won because we left early to make our dinner reservation. I was sorry to miss the second half of the evening, a match between another Boston team and a team from Maine. The schedule shows that this season Boston will meet teams from all over, including Cincinnati, New York and Montreal. I may not have known anything about roller derby, but apparently lots of other people do. And although you can’t find the names the skaters were born with online, you can discover that many of them are smart, college-educated, athletic women with impressive day jobs. Now that I’ve experienced it live, I want to see what Hollywood has to say. I’m adding Whip It to my Netflix queue. Then I’m going to put the next roller derby match on my calendar; Nutcrackers vs. Wicked Pissahs! Should be good. Anyone want to go? A generation of women of a certain age is mourning the passing of one of our earliest and most enduring crushes, Davy Jones of The Monkees. Daydream Believer was the first single I ever bought. My older sister and I had a little record player, just big enough for 45s, and we played that song over and over and over. We may both have been swooning over Davy, but I don’t remember having to compete with her for the right to his attention, should the opportunity ever present itself. Perhaps she preferred a different Monkee (hard though that is to believe), because if not, I never would have been able to think of him as my own. My sister played the older-sister-card when The Beatles arrived; that’s how come Paul was her Beatle. John was already married when they got to America, and therefore out of the running, so she instantly laid claim to Paul. It didn’t matter that I was nine and she was eleven at the time, marrying a Beatle seemed plausible to us. I didn’t mind that she snagged Paul; I would have chosen George anyway. That left Ringo for my little sister. These assignments were immutable and to this day I think of George as my Beatle. My older sister and I shared a brief fascination with Leonard Whiting, the handsome young man who played Romeo in Zefferelli’s Romeo and Juliet. We tore pictures of him out of teen magazines and taped them to our shared bedroom walls, but we didn’t fight over who he belonged to. He was more of a passing fancy. I don’t think I ever saw him in another movie, and I don’t remember anything else about him, but my conviction that he is the perfect Romeo has never wavered. There are those who are quick to point out that The Monkees didn’t know how to play their instruments when they were hired, much less write their own music, and were therefore, not worthy of admiration, but disdain. To those people I say ─ who asked you? When I was little, I loved their music. Pleasant Valley Sunday remains one of my favorite songs of all time, and did you know that that was written by Carole King and Gerry Goffin? Songwriters don’t come much more talented than that. After I heard the news, I spent some time on the Internet poking around into all things Davy Jones and discovered something wonderful. It seems that Davy Jones was not only a pop star, he was a nice man. This article in the UK’s Daily Mail, written several years ago, is worth a few minutes of your time if you are one of those women of a certain age.

https://judymintz.com/2012/03/

Of the more than 9,000 pilots in the United States in 1929, only 117 of them were women. That November, the 117 U.S. women pilots were invited to assemble at Curtiss Field in Valley Stream, Long Island, New York to provide “mutual support, advance aviation, and maintain historical records on women in aviation.” Louise Thaden, the winner of the first woman’s Air Derby, was elected Secretary and worked to keep the group together. In 1931 Amelia Earhart was elected the first President, and the organization was named The Ninety-Nines to represent its ninety-nine charter members. November 2, 2019 marks the 90th anniversary of that first meeting at Curtiss Field. Now, more than 6,000 members strong, The Ninety-Nines has spread its wings around the globe, with 156 chapters in North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Australia, Africa, New Zealand, and the Middle East. Every Ninety-Nine is a pilot or student pilot, and members represent all facets of aviation – commercial pilots, flight instructors, military pilots, helicopter pilots, balloon pilots, acrobatic pilots, astronauts, and for the fun-of-it pilots. In fulfillment of its mission to honor the history of women in aviation, The Ninety-Nines owns two museums – the Amelia Earhart Birthplace Museum in Atchison, Kansas and the Museum of Women Pilots located in The Ninety-Nines Headquarters Building at Will Rogers Airport in Oklahoma City. Each year, the Amelia Earhart Memorial Scholarship Fund awards thousands of dollars in scholarships to members who are pursuing advanced ratings, completing their initial training, or conducting academic research in an aviation field. All female pilots, student pilots, and aspiring pilots are welcome to attend a local Chapter meeting, a regional Section meeting, or any Ninety-Nines event. The Ninety-Nines website, http://www.ninety-nines.org, is a great resource for information, including how to find a local chapter.

https://jwadirect.com/2019/10/24/the-ninety-nines-are-90/

Calculate and interpret the average rate of change of a function (presented symbolically or as a table) over a specified interval. Estimate the rate of change from a graph. Include problem-solving opportunities utilizing real-world context. Focus on linear, absolute value, quadratic, and exponential functions, all with integer exponents. A1.F-IF.B Interpret functions that arise in applications in terms of the context.

https://k12standards.az.gov/content/a1f-ifb6

I’ve been going to Dr. Randy Kalkstein for a few years now. I have lower back issues and sciatic pain on both sides of my legs, every time I see him I feel so relieved and pain free. The people and atmosphere are amazing and so friendly… my wife and I won’t go to anyone else! I have been going to see Dr. Randy since I was 18 years old. I wouldn’t go anywhere else. He is such a nice guy and his staff is wonderful! They always have an opening for you. Anytime I have a headache I just pop right in and Dr. Randy gets my fixed up right away! I love coming and getting adjusted. Best chiropractor around!

https://kalksteinfamilychiropractic.com/testimonials/

The authorities reiterate all preparations for the regional sporting extravaganza will be complete before December 1 kick-off. As the South Asian Games organising committee officially marked the 15-day countdown of the sub-continental sports festival on Saturday, some of the major infrastructures including the main venue for the opening and closing ceremonies are still under construction even as the authorities expressed their confidence that everything will be ready before the Games kick off on December 1. Dashrath Stadium, the principal venue of the 10-day sporting extravaganza, is yet to get the final shape. The heating system installed new swimming facilities at the Satdobato Sports Complex is not complete. At Pokhara Stadium, the grass turf is patchy and the beautification incomplete. In Kathmandu, tonnes of garbage needs to be removed from Dashrath stadium premises. Name registration of players and coaches is yet to complete. Yet, Ramesh Kumar Silwal, the member secretary of the National Sports Council and the coordinator of the Work Execution Committee, was confident of fixing all the remaining works by November 26. “Regarding the infrastructure, most of the works are in the last phase. The swimming pool at Satdobato will be in operation within a week. The work of installing the truss and other stands at the VIP parapet will complete by Sunday and the installation of the roof will begin on Monday. Technicians to install the roof have already arrived in Nepal,” Silwal told the press conference. He added that getting Pokhara Stadium ready was the only major challenge ahead of the Games. Another major concern is parched playing field at Pokhara Stadium but Silwal dismissed the matter as “not a big deal”. Though he said that beautification of the Dashrath Stadium premises would be completed in two days, he added that the derbies will be removed by three days. Silwal also said that Nepal as the hosts have targeted to net at least 50 gold medals at the Games. The previous best haul of Nepal was 31 gold medals during the 1999 Games in Kathmandu. “Considering out preparations and 27 events in comparison to 12 events in the 1999 events, we have set the target of winning at least 50 gold medals,” he said. The opening ceremony will last for 3 hours 14 minutes, Silwal informed the press, assuring that the organisers will leave no stone unturned to make the event a grand success. “The opening ceremony will feature cultural shows representing all seven provinces of the country,” he said. The Games will bring together more than 6,000 participants, including 3,252 athletes, from seven South Asian countries. Of the 27 events in the Games, 21 will be held in Kathmandu, nine in Pokhara and one in Janakpur. Janakpur will play host to wrestling while football, cricket and volleyball are set for both Pokhara and Kathmandu. Players of 21 games are sent abroad for specialised training while those for nine games are training in the country under the supervision of foreign coaches. The government has allocated around Rs 4.5 billion for the event, of which Rs 1.62 billion has been spent on infrastructure and the rest on the event hosting.

https://kathmandupost.com/sports/2019/11/17/major-works-for-south-asian-games-yet-to-complete

While investor and regulator demand for transparency from alternative investment firms is not a new concept, at least one survey reports that the response from some firms has not satisfied potential clients—and it may be costing them money. An astonishing 89% of investors polled by Intralinks and Opalesque have declined to put money with at least one hedge fund due to transparency concerns. For private-equity and real-estate funds, the number is 71%. Intralinks and Opalesque polled more than 100 institutional investors, family offices and ultra high net worth individuals. According to the survey, investors do believe that hedge funds and private equity firms are getting better on transparency. Two-thirds have noted improvements among hedge funds, and 45% among private equity fund managers. But 47% of hedge-fund investors say that managers still are not offering enough information, along with 52% of private equity fund investors. According to the article “Hedge Fund Investors Rejecting Firms Over Transparency” published by FINalternatives, investors are also pushing for data with more frequency than in the past, when quarterly reporting was the norm. Now, 25% of hedge fund investors want reports on a daily or weekly basis, and half of private equity fund investors ask for monthly updates. These investors are also looking for more than simple calculations of returns and performance. Hedge-fund investors say that exposure and leverage information is almost as important; as 96% of investors that took part in the survey responded that this information is either “very important” or “important”. Chris serves as the leader of the Firm’s Financial Services Industry Team, and in that role oversees services to the Firm’s broker dealer, hedge fund, private equity fund, real estate fund, and other financial service clients. Chris has over 20 years of experience in public accounting providing audit and consulting services to clients in various industries. He is also the Practice Leader of the Business Assurance and Advisory Services Group.

https://keitercpa.com/blog/survey-reports-continued-need-for-transparency-for-investors/

Write an entry for Keywords for Children’s Literature. Your entry cannot be a word that is already in the book. It needs to be a keyword that the book has failed to include. Choose a word that is crucial to the discussion of children’s literature, but also that is contested or conflicted. As Raymond Williams wrote in his Keywords (1976, 1983), keywords “involve ideas and values,” get used in “interesting or difficult ways” — and in different ways by different people. So, if you find that, in critical conversations, a particular word is getting used in different ways by different people, then that’s a candidate for your keyword. If you’re stuck, take a second look at the introduction to Keywords for Children’s Literature. Your definition should offer a scholarly account of the word’s origins, but should focus on a particular interpretation of the word’s significance for the study of children’s literature and culture. Please look at the relevant entry or entries from the Oxford English Dictionary (OED), [i]and (when possible) other relevant material — such as entries from Williams’ Keywords, New Keywords, Keywords for American Cultural Studies, and/or other related critical works. You can access the Oxford English Dictionaryon-line via the databases at the library. In your very first paragraph, begin with a history of the keyword itself. From there, move into the critical controversies in which this keyword is enmeshed. To quote New Keywords’ editors, your entry “should offer concrete examples of usage.” Those examples should come from children’s literature (primarily) but can certainly include children’s culture. Your mandate is to focus on traditions in English, but we invite you to include non-English traditions if or when you can. [i] Please note that OED is used as the abbreviation for the Oxford English Dictionary (2017). Oxford: Oxford UP, throughout the special issue.

https://keywords.nyupress.org/childrens-literature/in-the-classroom/syllabi-assignments/sampleassignment1/

Mark Twain Boyhood Home and Museum officials announce selection of a new CEO and Executive Director. James Lundgren comes from the Steele County Historical Society in Owatonna Minnesota. He has served as their executive director overseeing operations that include 19 historic structures and a history center. Lundgren has also served as director of operations for the National Museum of the Great Lakes in Toledo Ohio and as Executive Director of the History Center of Olmsted County in Rochester Minnesota. Lundgren is a graduate of the University of Minnesota with a double major in history and American Indian Studies. He also has a master’s degree in non profit administration. His full time duties begin on January 2nd.

https://khmoradio.com/new-ceo-and-executive-director-named-for-the-mark-twain-museum/

Shuangyashan City is in the northeast of Heilongjiang Province, located in the north of Wanda Mountain, in the hinterland of Sanjiang Plain. There are two mountains in the shape of lying ducks the northeastern part of the city, so it got the name ¡°Shuangyashan¡± . Mines were built in 1947, and the city was built in 1956. The city has an administrative area of 22,500 kilometers, with a population of 1.51 million. It administrates four districts and four counties, with 42 towns and 415 villages. The four districts are Jianshan, Lingdong, Sifangtai and Baoshan, and the four counties are Jixian, Youyi, Baoqing and Raohe. Shuangyashan has rich mineral resources. The city has five coal mines¡ª Shuangyashan, Jixian, Baoqing, Qixinghe and Shuanghua. It has coal reserves of 11.7 billion tons, which accounts for 47% of total reserves of Heilongjiang Province, ranking first in the province. The city also has the province's largest magnetite mine, with the reserves of 120 million tons. It has abundant mineral resources with high value for development like white tungsten, graphite, sillimanite, marble, basalt and etc. There are 9 state-owned coal mines, 2 power plants and one steel corporation, and a comprehensive capacity of 24 million tons of coal, 2.49 million kilowatts of electricity and 2 million tons of steel has formed. It is an important production base of coal, electricity and steel of Heilongjiang Province. A number of large modern mines and coal chemical projects are speeding up including coal to aromatics, coal to olefins, indirect coal liquefaction, Fischer Tropsch synthesis oil, coal and natural gas, underground coal gasification and etc. And it is making great progress towards the realization of building the national innovative coal chemical base. The ecological environment is good. There are 43 state-owned forest farms in Shuangyashan, and the city's forest coverage rate reaches 40%. It has the No 1. Peak in Sanjiang Plain¡ªThe Qixing Peak, Wandashan National Forest Park, Qingshan National Forest Park, and the National Black Bee Nature Reserve of Northeast China. There is the largest marsh wetland group in China¡ªhe Sanjiang Plain wetland group, and wetlands like Qixing River Wetland, Yanwo Island Wetland, Naoli River Wetland and etc. are the best preserved and most primitive and typical marsh wetland in Sanjiang Plain. There is Qixing River National Wetland Nature Reserve, Naoli River National Wetland Nature Reserve, Wusuli River National Wetland Park, Qianniao Lake National Wetland Park, Anbang River National Wetland Park, 4A Yanwo Island Wetland National Tourism Scenic Spot, Qianniao Lake Wetland National Tourism Scenic Spot, Anbang River Wetland National Tourism Scenic Spot, 3A Qixing River Wetland National Tourism Scenic Spot and etc. There is one big river and 55 rivers of different sizes in Shuangyashan, with the water area of 946 square kilometers. The Sino-Russian border river¡ªthe Wusuli River is a non-polluted river. Shuangyashan has a solid agriculture foundation. Shuangyashan City is located in one of the three famous big black soil regions in the world. Black soil in the cold region is fertile. There are 12 state-owned farms in the city, and the city's arable land area is 13.33 million acres, 14.7 acres of arable land per capita, which is 2.4 times of the arable land per capita of the province and 5.1 times of the arable land per capita of China. The city's agricultural mechanization rate reaches 93.5%, with an average annual yield of over 14 billion pounds. It produces soybean, rice, corn, white melon seeds, red bean and other high-quality green special crops. It is an important commodity grain base in Heilongjiang Province and organic food base certified by EU. It is close to Russia. Shuangyashan City is close to Russia which is across the Wusuli River. On the other side of the river, Far East of Russia is rich in resources like coal, iron, manganese, gold and other mineral and forest and aquatic products. These resources are within the distance of eight hours, and is beneficial for ¡°processing the imported products locally¡±. Shuangyashan has a national first-class port ¡ªRaohe Port, and the Russia Bikin Port is only 760 meters away. It is the nearest port to Russia in Heilongjiang Province except Heihe. Within 300 kilometers in the surrounding, there are five national Sino-Russia ports ¡ªMingshan, Tongjiang, Fuyuan, Hulin, Mishan. Those five ports form a fan-shaped area, having exchanges and communication with the Far East of Russia. There are five international trade channels of land, river and sea including Shuang, Tong, Rao, Fu (to Tongjiang, Raohe, Fuyuan) and air international trade channel. It is an important gateway of interconnection between mainland China and Russian Far East. A number of large Sino-Russia economic and trade projects including the International Cultural Trade Logistics Industrial Park, Sida China International Trade Center, and Sino-Russian Trade Zones and a number of Sino-Russia import and export production and processing base of fruits, vegetables, mushrooms, meat, aquatic products are speeding up the construction process. It has opened international passenger and freight transport routes including the Shuangyashan¡ªKhabarovsk route, the Shuangyashan¡ªBirobidzhan route and etc. The foundation of opening is getting more solid. Shuangyashan has a long history and rich culture. Shuangyashan City was the political, economic, cultural and military center of Heilongjiang area 1700 years ago in the Han and Wei dynasties. It is the birthplace of Manchu ancestors Sushen and Yilou people, and there are more than 780 cultural sites from the Warring States period to the period of the Three Kingdoms. The Fenglin Old City and Ruins of the Ancient City Paotaishan are the largest and highest and most representative of this period. There is ¡°the best farm in the world¡±¡ªYouyi Farm and the relic of the Northeast Anti Japanese united forces led by Cui Yongjian and Chen Lei. The city has a long history, with Yilou culture, culture of the anti-Japaneses united forces, culture of coal city, culture of reclamation, culture of educated youth and etc. Shuangyashan is accelerating the pace of transformation. In recent years, Shuangyashan City has seized the historic opportunity of the country¡¯s vigorously supporting the revitalization of Northeast Old Industrial Base, the opportunity of constructing the economic corridor of China, Mongolia and Russia, the opportunity of implementing the ¡°Five Plan¡± of Heilongjiang Province and the opportunity of constructing the ¡°Longjiang Silk Belt¡±. With the transformation development as the main line, it is accelerating a number of city construction projects including coal-electricity-chemical, green food, iron and steel metallurgy, trade with Russia and etc., and preliminarily achieved the transformation from a ¡°coal dominant city¡± to a ¡°multi-industry city¡±. At present, as motivation, the people of the city are studying and implementing the spirit of the important speech delivered by General Secretary Xi Jinping when attending the deliberations of Heilongjiang delegation, and comprehensively promote the implementation of the ¡°13th Five-Year¡± city planning in accordance with the arrangement of Heilongjiang Provincial Party Committee. The people of the city establish the ¡°Five Development Ideas¡±, and grasp the situation of the city scientifically. They make best use of the advantages and bypass the disadvantages, focusing on the economic construction. They make every effort to speed up the development of the coal-electricity-chemical industry, metallurgical circulation industry, high quality and efficient modern agriculture, green food processing industry, the black soil wetland tourism industry in the Great Northern Wilderness, export-oriented industry and modern service industry chain, striving to build the modern coal electricity chemical and steel industry demonstration zone, the organic food industry gathering area, black soil wetland tourism core area and the foreign trade service area. They reform and upgrade the traditional energy, foster and develop new energy, and struggle to create a new path of a comprehensive revitalization and achieve the transformation and development of the the original resource-based city. Shuangyashan City is located in the northeast of Heilongjiang Province, between 130¡ã54¡ä to 134¡ã46¡äeast longitude, 46¡ã20¡äto 48¡ã52¡änorth latitude. It is located in the northern low hilly area of Wanda Mountains, north to the vast hinterland of the Sanjiang Plain, and the south is the continuous mountains. The terrain is high in southwest and low in the northeast, and it is 460 kilometers from the provincial capital¡ªHarbin City. In the east, it is close to Bikin City of the Khabarovsk of Russia which is across the Wusuli River. In the South it is next to the to Hulin, Mishan, and Hua¡¯nan County; in the west it is next to Jiamusi City and Qitaihe city and in the north is next to Fujin City, Tongjiang City, Fuyuan County, Huachuan county. The city is located in the Wanda foothills, lying on the Anbang River. Shuangyashan City administrates four districts and four counties, with 57 towns in total. The four districts are Jianshan, Lingdong, Sifangtai and Baoshan, and the four counties are Jixian, Baoqing, Youyi and Raohe. There are 12 state-owned farms and 40 state-owned forest farms in the administrative area. The total area of Shuangyashan City is 22483 square kilometers, of which 1767 square kilometers are urban area, and 81.5 square kilometers are built -up area. It has a population of 1.51 million, with 670,000 people in the urban area, and 350,000 in the built-up area. Shuangyashan City is one of the ten big coal mines, coal reserves ranking first in Heilongjiang Province. It is a resource-based city, emerging mainly on coal, electricity, grain, iron and steel. It is known as the ¡°the kingdom of Yilou, the capital of wetland, the base of coal, and the granary of the north.¡± It is the only city with the integration of big coal, big granary, big forests, big wetlands and big farms in Heilongjiang Province. The big coal field of Shuangyashan is rich. Shuangyashan City is one of the most important coal production bases in China. The proven coal reserves are 11.7 billion tons, ranking first in Heilongjiang Province, accounting for 50% of Heilongjiang Province's coal reserves. There is iron, gold, white tungsten and other rich mineral resources in the region. The granaries are vast. Shuangyashan City is an important grain producing area in China. The city's arable land area is over 13 million acres, with an annual output of 4 billion jin of grain, and the green planting area is about 1.4 million acres. The vast forests are boundless. The forest is dense and the total forest area is 860,000 hectares, and the forest coverage rate reached 38.7%. Nature reserve area is 729,000 hectares. The expanse of wetlands is vast. The wetland area is 153,000 hectares, accounting for 6.8% of the city's area. There are three wetland protection areas, with a total area of 480,000 hectares. The big boundary river offers an magnificent scenery. Shuangyashan is close to Russia which is across the Wusuli River. The border line is 128 kilometers long. Raohe Port is an important gateway from the mainland to the Russian Far East, with port capacity more than one million tons. The nearly non-polluted Wusuli River offers an exquisite and magic scenery on both sides. Shuangyashan is located in the hinterland of the Sanjiang Plain, which was called ¡°the Great Northern Wilderness¡± in the past. But archaeologists has confirmed that ¡°the Great Northern Wilderness¡± was not real wilderness. Human beings inhabited and bred here dating from the late Paleolithic period 3,0000 years ago. Shuangyashan area was the activity area for the ancient Sushen people in the Shang and Zhou dynasties.¡¶The Classic of Mountains and Rivers,the Classic of Dahuangbei,¡·records: ¡°In the wilderness, there was a mountain called Buxian Mountain, and the Sushen State was there.¡±Buxian Mountain is now called the Changbai Mountain. According to research, the Sushen tribe lived in the area from Heilongjiang basin to the coastal region (including the Shuangyashan area).¡¶Records of Jin Dynasty,Biography of Four Minor Ethnic Groups¡·recorded that the territory of Sushen People was in the north mountain of the Buxian Mountains (Heilongjiang), and the land was vast and covered thousands of miles. The names of the Sushen tribe changed with the change of dynasties, and the subordination of the Shuangyashan area changed with the change of time. In the middle of the Western Han Dynasty, Sushen was renamed Yilou. In the South and North Dynasties and the North Wei Dynasty, Yilou was renamed Wuji, Shuangyashan district was part of Wujifuniebu. In the Sui Dynasty, Wuji in the east of Heilongjiang basin was renamed Mohe. In the Tang Dynasty, Shuangyashan belonged to the Huaiyuanfu of Bohai State. In the Liao Dynasty, Shuangyashan region belonged to the Wuguobu of the Jurchen. In the Jin Dynasty, Shuangyashan area was under the jurisdiction of Huligailu administered by Shangjinglu.At the beginning of the Yuan Dynasty, Shuangyashan area was under the jurisdiction of Kaiyuanlu of Liaoyang Province.In the medium-term it was under the jurisdiction of Shuidadalu of Helanfu.In the Ming Dynasty, Shuangyashan was under the jurisdiction of Futiwei of Nuergandusi. At the beginning of the Qing Dynasty, Shuangyashan area was under the jurisdiction of Angbangzhangjing of Shengjing. In the 10th year of Shunzhi¡¯s reign (1653), Angbangzhangjing of Ningguta was established and Shuangyashan area was under the jurisdiction of Angbangzhangjing of Ningguta. In the first year of Kangxi¡¯s reign (1662) Angbangzhangjing of Ningguta was changed to the Ninguta General,and the Shuangyashan area was under the jurisdiction of Ningguta General.In the 15th year of Kangxi¡¯s reign (1676) , Ningguta General transferred to station Jilinwula (now Jilin city), and vice president of Ninguta was established.The Shuangyashan area was directly under the jurisdiction of the vice president of Ningguta. In November of the ninth year of Yongzheng¡¯s reign (1731), Sanxing deputy lieutenant-general was established,and the Shuangyashan area were under the jurisdiction of Sanxing deputy lieutenant-general.In the 22nd year of Qianlong¡¯s reign (1757) ,General of Ningguta was changed to Jilin General, and Sanxing deputy lieutenant-general was led by the Jinlin General. On 22nd of the first lunar month of 32 years of Guangxu¡¯s reign(1906), Yilanfu was established in the area of the Sanxing deputy lieutenant-general, and Linjiangzhou was established in Halasusu (now Tongjiang County).Shuangyashan area was under the jurisdiction of Linjiangzhou.In the 33rd year of Guangxu¡¯ reign (1907), Jilin General was dismissed and Jinlin Province was established. On April 15th of the first year of Xuantong¡¯s reign (1909), Sanxing deputy lieutenant-general was dismissed;at the same time Linjiangzhou was promoted to Linjiangfu, and Fujin County was established in Fukejin.The Shuangyashan area was in the jurisdiction of Manchukuo Fujin county. In the first year of the Republic of China (1912), system of the Qing Dynasty was followed. On January 23rd of the second year of the Republic of China (1913), the government decided to eliminate the system of Dao,Fu,Ting and Zhou ,and set up the state system of province, Dao and county. Shuangyashan area was under the jurisdiction of Wuqu of Fujin County, Yilan Dao, Jilin province. In 1931,the ¡°September 18th Incident¡± occurred, and the Japanese imperialists occupied the northeast of China. On the following year, Fujin county was occupied by the enemy. In 1934, the Shuangyashan area was under the jurisdiction of Fujin County of Manchukuo Sanjiang Province. On August 15th, 1945, Japan surrendered and the Northeast of China recovered. On November 21st, the Communist Party established the government of Hejiang Province in Jiamusi. On June 10th, 1946, the government of Hejiang Province set up Jixian County in the southwest of Fujin County (the fourth area and fifth area), and Shuangyashan area was under the jurisdiction of the Jixian County. On June 5th, 1947, the government of Hejiang Province established the province-owned enterprises Shuangyashan Mining Bureau in Lingdong (Fu'an coal)of Shuangyashan. In 1949 the Bureau of Mines of Shuangyashan moved to Jianshan from Lingdong. On April 21st, 1949, Hejiang Province merged into Songjiang Province, and Shuangyashan Mining Bureau shifted to the leadership of Songjiang Province Industry Office. In March 1951, the Shuangyashan Bureau of Mines changed into ¡°state-owned enterprise¡± from ¡°province-owned enterprise¡±, in the leadership of the Coal Mine Management Bureau of Northeast People's Government Industrial Office. In December 1953, the Northeast Administrative Committee approved that Shuangyashan mine area set up a county-level people's government( formally established in July 1954), with the Shuangyashan area in Jixian county as its administrative region, in the direct leadership of Songjiang Province. In the August of the following year, Songjiang Province merged into Heilongjiang Province, so Shuangyashan mining area was under the jurisdiction of Heilongjiang Province. On May 25th, 1956, the State Council decided to withdraw the Shuangyashan Mining Area,and establish Shuangyashan City, with the administrative region of Shuangyashan mining area as the administrative region of Shuangyashan City, which was directly under the jurisdiction of Heilongjiang Province.On August 16th, 1958, the State Council decided to put Shuangyashan City directly under the jurisdiction of Hejiang instead of directly under the jurisdiction of the province. In February 8th, 1966, the CPC Heilongjiang Provincial Committee and Provincial People's Committee decided to put Shuangyashan directly under the jurisdiction of the province instead of the jurisdiction of Hejiang. On March 29th, 1967, the Revolutionary Committee of Shuangyashan City was established and it replaced the Shuangyashan People's Committee, led by the Revolutionary Committee of Heilongjiang Province. On September 22nd, 1980, the Revolutionary Committee of Shuangyashan was changed into the Shuangyashan People's Government, led by the People's Government of Heilongjiang Province. Since the December 1953 when the northeast Administrative Committee approved the establishment of Shuangyashan Mining People's Government, the administrative division of Shuangyashan City has formed and developed gradually from small to large with the development of the coal resources and the needs of the situation. In 1954, every district was called the District Public Office, under the jurisdiction of the Shuangyashan Mining District Government; In 1956, every district was renamed the Office of the Street, under the jurisdiction of the Shuangyashan People's Committee; in 1959,the urban district merged with the coal mine, every district was called the Economic Zone; in 1961 the urban district and the coal mine separated, and every district was called a branch; in 1970, the urban district merged with the coal mine,and every district was called the Revolutionary Committee; in 1971,the urban district merged with the coal mine and every district was called the Mining Revolutionary Committee; in 1980,every district was called District People's Government. On April 15th,1980, approved by the Provincial People's Government, Shuangyashan City established five districts¡ªJianshan, Lingdong, Lingxi, Sifangtai,and Baoshan; on November 6th,1987, approved by the State Council, Jixian County which belonged to the Jiamusi city changed to the jurisdiction of Shuangyashan City,and Lingxi merged into Lingdong district.On December 4th of the same year, the provincial government decided to put Qixing town of Youyi county under the jurisdiction of Shuangyashan City. On February 2, 1991, approved by the State Council, ,Baoqing County and Youyi County of Jiamusi city was put under the jurisdiction of Shuangyashan City. On August 1st, 1993, approved by the State Council, Raohe county which was under the jurisdiction of the city Jiamusi was put under the jurisdiction of Shuangyashan City. At present, Shuangyashan City administrates four districts and four counties. The four districts are Jianshan District, Lingdong District, Sifangtai District,and Baoshan District, and the four counties are Jixian County, Baoqing County, Youyi County and Raohe County. There are 8 state-owned coal mines, 12 state-owned farms and 75 state-owned forest farms in the administrative area. The total area of the city is 22,000 square kilometers, with a total population of 1.47 million people.

https://khr51.com/html/indexhtmlwaiyuEnglishindex.html

A page from a book produced in France about 1479–80 is a brilliant example of illuminated bookwork of the Middle Ages. Scribes and artists executed the text, illustrations, and decorations entirely by hand. The amount of work that went into the making of such a book is staggering. Even when the work was divided among many scribes and artists, deluxe books like this took months or years to complete. They were very costly, and none but the extremely wealthy could afford to own them.

https://kids.britannica.com/students/assembly/view/233477

The music group Chicago will be heading back to El Paso to perform in February at the Plaza Theatre. The legendary rock band who was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame back in 2016 will be heading back on the road in 2019 and El Paso is slated as one of their tour stops. I was lucky enough to have seen Chicago live at the Plaza Theatre earlier this year back in March and they are truly impressive live. The crowd couldn’t get enough – they were singing along to practically every song and even dancing in their seats or along the theatre aisles. Chicago recently announced their return to Las Vegas with a limited engagement run at The Venetian Resort from February 8 through February 23, 2019. Don’t miss Chicago when they return to the Sun City February 26, 2019 to the Plaza Theatre. Tickets officially will go on sale to the general public on Friday, November 16, 2018 beginning at 10 a.m. via LiveNation.com, the Plaza Theatre Box Office, or charge by phone at 1-800-745-3000. Tickets on sale: Friday – November 16, 2018 at 10 a.m.

https://kisselpaso.com/chicago-back-on-tour-and-returning-to-el-paso-in-february/

On a February day in 2018, federal Innovation Minister Navdeep Bains made a pitch: A made-in-Canada Silicon Valley that would create thousands of jobs and usher in an unprecedented era of innovation and progress. Five groups would be part of the nearly $1-billion supercluster program, aimed at growing the economy by $50 billion and creating 50,000 jobs over a decade.

https://krakenrobotics.com/ocean-imaging-first-priority-for-canadas-ocean-supercluster/

Preface to Second Edition In the second edition, while keeping much of the material from the first edition, there are some significant changes and add... Preface to Second Edition In the second edition, while keeping much of the material from the first edition, there are some significant changes and additions. Due to the popularity of R and its free availability, we have incorporated R-codes throughout the book. This will make it easier for students to do the data analysis. We have also added a chapter on goodness of fit tests and illustrated their applicability with several examples. In addition we have introduced more probability distribution functions with real world data driven applications in global warming, brain and prostate cancer, national unemployment, and total rain fall. In this edition, we have shortened the point estimation chapter and merged it with interval estimation. In addition, many corrections and additions are made to reflect the continuous feedback we have obtained. We have created a student companion website, http://booksite.elsevier.com/ |||PHONE_NUMBER||| 138, with solutions to selected problems and data on Global warming, brain and prostate cancer, national unemployment, and total rain fall. We have also posted solutions to most of the problems in the instructor site, http://textbooks. elsevier.com/web/Manuals.aspx?isbn¼9780124171138. in industry and in education as a reference book on introductory statistics for a good theoretical foundation with clear indication of how to use statistical methods. Traditionally, one of the main prerequisites for this course is a semester of the introduction to probability theory. A working knowledge of elementary (descriptive) statistics is also a must. In schools where there is no statistics major, imposing such a background, in addition to calculus sequence, is very difficult. Most of the present books available on this subject contains full one-semester material for probability and then, based on those results, continue on to the topics in statistics. Also, some of these books include in their subject matter only the theory of statistics, whereas others take the cookbook approach of covering the mechanics. Thus, even with two full semesters of work, many basic and important concepts in statistics are never covered. This book has been written to remedy this problem. We fuse together both concepts in order for the student to gain knowledge of the theory and at the same time develop the expertise to use their knowledge in real-world situations. Although statistics is a very applied subject, there is no denying that it is also a very abstract subject. The purpose of this book is to present the subject matter in such a way that anyone with exposure to basic calculus can study statistics without spending two semesters of background preparation. To prepare students, we present an optional review of the elementary (descriptive) statistics in Chapter 1. All the probability material required to learn statistics is covered in two chapters. Students with a probability background can either review or skip the first three chapters. It is also our belief that any statistics course is not complete without exposure to computational techniques. At the end of each chapter, we give some examples of how to use Minitab, SPSS, and SAS to statistically analyze data. Also, at the end of each chapter, there are projects that will enhance the knowledge and understanding of the materials covered in that chapter. In the chapter on the empirical methods, we present some of the modern computational and simulation techniques, such as bootstrap, jackknife, and Markov chain Monte Carlo methods. The last chapter summarizes some of the steps necessary to apply the material covered in the book to real-world problems. The first eight chapters have been class tested as a one-semester course for more than 3 years with five different professors teaching. The audience was junior- and senior-level undergraduate students from many disciplines who had two semesters of calculus, most of them with no probability or statistics background. The feedback from the students and instructors was very positive. Recommendations from the instructors and students were very useful in improving the style and content of the book. one semester of probability and then continuing with one or two semesters of statistics. This creates a particular problem for nonstatistics majors from various disciplines who want to obtain a sound background in mathematical statistics and applications. It is our aim to introduce basic concepts of statistics with sound theoretical explanations. Because statistics is basically an interdisciplinary applied subject, we offer many applied examples and relevant exercises from different areas. Knowledge of using computers for data analysis is desirable. We present examples of solving statistical problems using Minitab, SPSS, and SAS. During years of teaching, we observed that many students who do well in mathematics courses find it difficult to understand the concept of statistics. To remedy this, we present most of the material covered in the textbook with well-defined step-by-step procedures to solve real problems. This clearly helps the students to approach problem solving in statistics more logically. The usefulness of each statistical method introduced is illustrated by several relevant examples. At the end of each section, we provide ample exercises that are a good mix of theory and applications. In each chapter, we give various projects for students to work on. These projects are designed in such a way that students will start thinking about how to apply the results they learned in the chapter as well as other issues they will need to know for practical situations. At the end of the chapters, we include an optional section on computer methods with Minitab, SPSS, and SAS examples with clear and simple commands that the student can use to analyze data. This will help the student to learn how to utilize the standard methods they have learned in the chapter to study real data. We introduce many of the modern statistical computational and simulation concepts, such as the jackknife and bootstrap methods, the EM algorithms, and the Markov chain Monte Carlo methods such as the Metropolis algorithm, the Metropolis-Hastings algorithm, and the Gibbs sampler. The Metropolis algorithm was mentioned in Computing in Science and Engineering as being among the top 10 algorithms having the “greatest influence on the development and practice of science and engineering in the 20th century.” We have introduced the increasingly popular concept of Bayesian statistics and decision theory with applications. A separate chapter on design of experiments, including a discussion on the Taguchi approach, is included. The coverage of the book spans most of the important concepts in statistics. Learning the material along with computational examples will prepare students to understand and utilize software procedures to perform statistical analysis. Every chapter contains discussion on how to apply the concepts and what are the issues related to applying the theory. A student’s solution manual, instructor’s manual, and data disk are provided. In the last chapter, we discuss some issues in applications to clearly demonstrate in a unified way how to check for many assumptions in data analysis and what steps one needs to follow to avoid possible pitfalls in applying the methods explained in the rest of this textbook. Report "Preface to Second Edition"

https://kundoc.com/pdf-preface-to-second-edition-cee9af3767a1fe7f11c0997f6f243dce13066.html

This dissertation focuses on the history, diffusion, and cultural significance of the karez, a form of traditional irrigation system, based on a case study of Maywand District in Kandahar Province, Afghanistan. Remote sensing and Geographic Information System (GIS) technology, offers methods for studying and protecting cultural heritage remains in regions subject to conflict in wartime. A long history of invasions and occupations has both produced and destroyed cultural heritage in Afghanistan that includes landscapes with small- and large-scale features such as mounds, architecture, and traditional gravity-driven water systems that serve areas of extreme aridity. Remote sensing technologies such as satellite imagery, aerial photography, and Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) have been successful for identifying and analyzing archaeological remains, especially when ground verification is not feasible as is the case in southern Afghanistan. Ethnographic and archaeological data, as well as concepts developed from landscape archaeology, are used to interpret karezes and related features identified in remotely sensed imagery. This research identifies karezes as cultural heritage that should be protected, revitalized, and promoted as well as a form of appropriate technology that provides renewable and sustainable sources of water. Karezes promote community cohesion over time by promoting and perpetuating indigenous knowledge based on long-term experience. They provide local stakeholders with the tools necessary for success before and after foreign occupation in southern Afghanistan.

https://kuscholarworks.ku.edu/handle/1808/14496

Forward-thinking is leading to an incentive program for South Dakota youth apprentice programs. Through a program from the Department of Labor and Regulation (DLR), there will be four contracts up to $50,000 each for the Pathway Partnership Initiative. The goal is to build high-quality youth apprenticeship programs. Improve understanding and awareness of youth apprenticeship to lay a foundation for sustainable expansion. Awardees will receive technical assistance from DLR and the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Apprenticeship.

https://kxrb.com/50k-apprentice-awards-pathway-partnership-initiative/

Essential oils that can help treat herpes include clove oil, tea tree oil and myrrh oil. Tea tree oil is one of the most common oils used on the skin for its natural antiviral, antibacterial properties. (3) Simply apply these essential oils three times daily to areas where cold sores are present, being careful to use a very small amount (only one to three drops). If you have sensitive skin, try mixing the essential oils with a carrier oil to dilute their strength a bit, including jojoba or coconut oil.

https://labialisherpes.com/plano/cold-sore-vs-herpes-mouth-plano-find-out-more-info-here.html

We've published our favorite dark jokes before and now here's another collection of funny but morbid jokes just for you. See how we spoil you... Enjoy! A man walks into a library and asks to borrow a book on how to commit suicide. What's black and white and can't go through a revolving door? A nun with a spear through her head. A man goes to the doctor to get some test results back. The doctor says to him, "Well sir, I have good news and bad news. Which do you want first?" The man asks for the good news first so the doctor frowns and says, "The good news is we're naming it after you." What's black and screams? Stevie Wonder answering the iron. Are orphans allowed to eat at a family restaurant? A man is talking to his doctor after undergoing a whole range of tests to try and find out what's wrong with him. The doctor sits him down and says, "I'm so sorry to have to tell you this. But the results are back, and I'm afraid it's fatal." "Oh no!" exclaims the man, "How long do I have?" "Ten," says the doctor. "What, years? Months?!" "First body: Frenchman, 60, died of heart failure while making love to his mistress. Hence the enormous smile, Inspector", says the coroner. "Second body: Scotsman, 25, won a thousand pounds on the lottery, spent it all on whisky. Died of alcohol poisoning, hence the smile." The inspector then asks, "What about the third body?" "Ah," says the coroner, "This is the most unusual one. Billy-Bob the redneck from Oklahoma, 30, struck by lightning." "Why is he smiling then?" asks the inspector. "He thought he was having his picture taken." After watching him not eating for a while, the first man asks him, "Are you going to eat that?" The second man replies, "No, you can have it if you want." About halfway through the bowl, he's chewing when he feels a crunch. He looks down only to see half a dead rat sitting in the chili. The second man looks at him and says, "Yeah, that's about as far as I got too." My girlfriend wanted me to treat her like a princess for her birthday. So I took her out, got her drunk, and crashed the car. A slip of the hand. A woman visits the doctor because she's been suffering from some abdominal pains and suspects she may be pregnant. After he finishes examining her, the doctor comes out to see her and says, "Well, I hope you like changing diapers." The woman replies, "Oh my God! Am I pregnant, am I pregnant!?" The doctor says, "No, you've got bowel cancer." Today was a terrible day. My ex got hit by a bus, and I lost my job as a bus driver. Why did the little girl fall off the swing? Because she had no arms. Not the little girl. "I'm sorry" and "I apologize" mean the same thing. A woman decides to take a well-earned vacation and she asks her brother to watch her cat while she's away. On the second day, when she calls her brother to see how things are going he tells her bluntly that the cat is dead. The woman is really upset and goes into hysterics, before saying, "You can't tell a person bad news so bluntly. You should break the news gently. The first day, you should have said that Fluffy was stuck on the roof and couldn't get down. The second day, you could have said that she had fallen, but the vet said she would be okay. Then on the third day you could have said that she died from complications." The next day, the woman calls her brother again and asks how things are. He says, "Well, Grandma is stuck on the roof and can't get down ..." Where do suicide bombers go after they die? Did you know that Helen Keller had a dollhouse in her back yard? A man walks into a rooftop bar and takes a seat next to another guy. "What are you drinking?" he asks the guy. "Magic beer," the guy replies. "Oh, yeah? What's so magical about it?" asks the man. So the guy shows him: he takes a drink of beer, dives off the roof, flies around the building, then finally returns to his seat with a triumphant smile. "That's amazing!" the man says. "Let me try some of that!" So he grabs the beer, downs it all, leaps off the roof... And plummets 20 stories to the ground. Why was the leper hockey game cancelled? There was a face off in the corner. What did Kermit the frog say at Jim Henson's funeral? What has two legs, but can't walk? Half a dog. A guy is due to meet his friends for drink at a bar but arrives late. When he does eventually turn up his friends ask why he is late. The guy says, "Well, you won't believe what just happened. I was walking my usual route via the rail tracks when suddenly I saw a young, naked woman tied up next to the tracks. Of course I untied her and we had sex because I freed her." The friends are cheering and one friend asks, "So... did you get any head?" The guy replies, "No, I couldn't find it." The cop walks over and taps the window. The first guy rolls it down. The cop says, "Good evening gentlemen, we're looking for two paedophiles." The first guy quickly closes the window. A few seconds later, he lowers it again and says, "Okay, we'll do it." Why do orphans like playing tennis? Because it’s the only love they get. Stephen Hawking walks into a bar... What do teen mothers and their unborn babies have in common? What has four legs and one arm? A Dobermann in a playground. What's brown and lives in the attic? The diarrhea of Anne Frank. You said you'd never forget. I bought my blind friend a cheese grater for his birthday. A week later he told me it was the most violent book he'd ever read. I bet my friend $5 that he'd drown if he tried to swim across the lake. That was a bittersweet victory. What did the cannibal do after dumping his girlfriend? He wiped his butt. Right where you left it.

https://laffgaff.com/more-morbid-jokes/

Manhattan’s “New West Side,” comprising the neighborhoods of Chelsea, Hell’s Kitchen, and Midtown, has been booming for years, a cultural hub of fashion, design, communications, and art. With the move-in of Google in 2006, the area’s status as a nexus of worldwide culture and commerce began, and now cementing that status is the newest and largest development in Manhattan since Rockefeller Center: Hudson Yards. Hudson Yards, located between 10th and 12th Avenues from West 30th to West 34th Streets, has so many more talking points besides its gargantuan, architecturally-refined skyscrapers, containing over 18 million square feet of commercial and residential space. From the extraordinary culinary experiences to the 14-acres of open air green space to a stunning observation deck, the Hudson Yards has been carefully crafted by teams of internationally renowned architects and designers to impress all who enter its golden gates. At the center of this city-within-the-city are 10 and 30 Hudson Yards, the shingled-glass, triangular-roofed skyscrapers flanking the Yards’ main shopping mall. Designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox, with interiors by Elkus Manfredi, these exclusive office buildings taper as they ascend, providing the most efficient floor plates, column-free office space, and floor-to-ceiling windows. 10 Hudson Yards, the first completed building at Hudson Yards, opened in May 2016. Ascending 52 stories and almost 900 feet in the air, the building is entirely leased to world-renowned companies including Coach, L’Oréal, Boston Consulting Group, VaynerMedia, Intersection, and Sidewalk Labs. With direct access to the High Line, 10 Hudson Yards includes a bridge crossing over the park below, creating a public passageway through the building nearly as dramatic in the skyline as it is walking across it. 30 Hudson Yards, with expected completion sometime this year, will rise a monumental 1,296 feet in the air, making it the second tallest office building in New York. Although exclusively leased to companies including HBO, CNN, Turner Broadcasting, Time Warner, and Wells Fargo Securities, 30 Hudson Yards will provide access to premier restaurants and retailers, as well as a direct underground connection to the new No. 7 Subway station. But 30 Hudson Yards offers something much more colossal than height and exclusive office space. Towering 1000 feet in the air is the tallest outdoor observation deck in the Western Hemisphere. Dubbed “The Deck,” this extraordinary feature is a partial glass floor cut in a triangular shape which extends 65 feet out from the building. It’s an astonishing feature, where one can look down from the 100th floor and actually take in the neighborhood 1000 feet below. The Deck is surrounded by a nine-foot wall of boldly angled glass, which the truly brave can lean out onto for adventurous gazing at Manhattan below. Ascending one floor higher takes you to top-of-the-world dining. The 101th floor will offer 10,000 square feet of drinking, dining, and event space, managed by the internationally recognized hospitality group, rhubarb. Integrating all of the best parts of a city – beautiful parks, exclusive dining and shopping, art and culture, residential and office buildings, and easy subway access – Hudson Yards seeks to be its own “city within a city,” at the same time that it strives to offer experiences of awe and wonder to all who enter. Boasted as the “largest private real estate development in the history of the United States,” Hudson Yards is considered by many to be the new center for international retail, commerce, and culture.

https://lancenguyen.com/10-30-hudson-yards-and-the-observatory/

As used in this Chapter: (1) The term "substandard unit" means a housing unit which, by reason of dilapidation, deterioration, age or obsolescence, inadequate... (a) There is established a North Carolina Housing Trust Fund, separate and distinct from the General Fund. (b) The Fund shall consist of monies... (a) Definitions. - The following definitions apply in this section: (1) Catchment area. - As defined in G.S. 122C-3. (2) Targeted units. - Units... (a) The North Carolina Housing Partnership is hereby created within the North Carolina Housing Finance Agency to establish policy, promulgate rules and regulations, and... (a) The North Carolina Housing Finance Agency shall administer the Fund in accordance with the policies, rules and regulations promulgated by the Partnership. (b)... Funds from the Fund shall be used to increase the supply of decent, affordable and energy-efficient housing for low, very low, and moderate income... Eligible applicants shall include units of State and local governments including municipal corporations, for profit and nonprofit housing developers. Provided, however, that the Partnership's... (a) Monies within the Fund shall be allocated to eligible applicants under this Chapter by the Agency, in accordance with funding cycles established at... In establishing criteria for G.S. 122E-8(a), the Agency shall give special attention to designing protections to provide that any lawful occupants who live in...

https://law.onecle.com/north-carolina/122e-north-carolina-housing-trust-and-oil-overcharge-act/index.html

Madonna and her ex-husband, Guy Ritchie, are set to appear in front of a New York judge on Wednesday in their custody battle over their 15-year-old son, Rocco. After touring with his mother for several months on her Rebel Heart tour, Rocco fled to London to spend the holidays with his father, and his new wife, Jacqui Ainsley. Just before Christmas, Madonna appeared before Manhattan Supreme Court Judge Deborah Kaplan, after Rocco made it clear he did not want to return to New York to live with his mom. Kaplan ordered Rocco to return to New York City in time for the start of school in order to sort out his living situation. It’s been more than a month since Kaplan’s court order. Yet, Rocco has remained in London with his father, in defiance of the order. On February 3rd, Kaplan will decide whether Rocco must return to New York, and his mother, or whether he can stay in London with his father. Under the terms of their 2008 divorce, it was decided the couple’s children would live with their mother in New York, which is why New York has jurisdiction over the custody case. However, under New York law, a custody decision may be modified if there is clear and convincing evidence that a change is in the best interests of the child. The “best interests of the child” is the standard judges use in deciding child custody battles. However, it is a rather ambiguous standard, and leaves much of the decision up to the judge’s subjective beliefs; especially in New York, where judges aren’t limited by a list of specific factors, but instead have broad discretion to consider all of the relevant circumstances of the case. Age – Rocco is fifteen years old, just three years shy of making his own decision of where he wants to live. Some judges believe that the younger the child, the better it is that they live with their mother, or the primary caregiver. So this factor could count in Rocco’s favor since he is already a teenager. Each parents living situation – one of the most important considerations is ensuring the child has stability and continuity in their daily lives. This could be a wash for both Madonna and Guy, since their careers don’t exactly lend themselves to continuity and stability. Madonna performs concert tours around the world. Meanwhile, Guy could be off directing a movie shoot for months on end. Rocco spent the months before his move to London touring with his mother, and reportedly hated it. Judge Kaplan could interpret this as a plea by the teenager for some stability and continuity in his life. When he’s not off shooting films, Guy and Jacqui live with their three young children in London. And if Rocco, himself, views that as a more stable living situation, the Judge will be inclined to listen. The child’s preferences – if a child is old enough to voice his own thoughts and feelings, which Rocco is, then the Judge will listen. Here, Judge Kaplan has given Rocco a court-appointed attorney, who will likely be asked on Wednesday about Rocco’s preferences. It is unlikely Rocco himself will be in court, since Rocco is not a party, it is not necessary that he appear. His parents are the two parties in the case. Rocco has his own attorney because of the conflicts of interest in this case between him and his parents, and, more importantly, to give him a voice. That attorney is there to express Rocco’s wishes of where he wants to live, and why. Whether the judge will agree with Rocco depends on what Rocco’s reasons are for wanting to live with his father in London. If he says, through his court-appointed advocate, for example, that he wants to live with his dad because he is more fun and carefree, whereas his mom is too regimented and always makes him go to school and do his homework, then it is unlikely the Judge will be inclined to side with Rocco and his father. Yet, if Rocco expresses, for example, that his mother’s life is too chaotic, and he enjoys the stability and comfort of living with his father, then the judge may be inclined to go against Madonna. Each parent’s actions – Judge Kaplan will likely review how Madonna and Guy have co-parented their children since their 2008 divorce. If one parent has not shown a willingness to cooperate with the other, and support the other’s relationship with the child, the Judge will not look favorably on that parent. In other words, the judge will not look kindly on a parent who is trying to alienate their child from the other parent. Here, Judge Kaplan ordered Guy Ritchie to return Rocco to his mother after the holidays. Yet, he never did that. In addition, it seems as though Rocco has missed school due to his his extended stay in London. As a result, Guy’s interference in Rocco’s relationship with his mother may hurt his chances at winning custody. In fact, the judge specifically asked Mr. Ritchie’s attorney in court last month, “has he prevented the child from returning to the U.S.,” to which the attorney responded, “effectively, yes.” If Guy Ritchie does not appear to be cooperating with Madonna in finding a solution for their child, then Madonna may have an edge in the custody dispute. Judge Kaplan also ordered both parents not to discuss the legal proceedings with their son. If she finds out that Guy has violated that order, too, and has been bad-mouthing Madonna, then that also gives Madonna an advantage. In the end, money and fame cannot help Madonna get her son back, nor can it help Guy Ritchie. It does not matter that the two parties battling it out are a pop superstar and a Hollywood director, what matters most is what is in the best interests of this fifteen-year-old boy.

https://lawandcrime.com/celebrity/what-may-happen-when-madonna-guy-ritchie-face-off-in-court-over-son/

Let’s not allow others to control us, our work or our self-esteem. I graduated from the University of Washington without a clear vision of what I wanted to do. I decided a change in geography would be a good start, so I moved to California to see if the myth of endless sunshine truly existed. I have always enjoyed working with and helping people, so when a position working as a Hearing Specialist for a non-profit became available, I jumped at the opportunity. Within a year, I was licensed and working. Our office expanded to Beverly Hills, where we opened a local hearing clinic. I teamed up with another woman to get our office functioning, and soon added receptionist, accountant and patient advocate to my duties. I felt good about what I was accomplishing, but I wanted more. Yet every time I thought about offering my opinion or sharing an idea, a voice inside me said, "That’s enough, you can’t do more, just stay where you are." I felt increasingly frustrated until I worked up the nerve to share a few ideas with our new executive director, who had just joined the office to head the company’s new foundation. He was impressed with my ideas, and to my great surprise, asked me to run communications—the perfect marriage between my love of helping others and my desire to use my educational background. Everything started out perfectly, but I didn’t feel proud of my accomplishments or myself. I was supposed to be a woman in a position of power, but I felt like I wasn’t being taken seriously. In meetings, I became a young reticent blonde girl sitting beside her assertive male boss. My ideas soon became his, and he happily took the credit. I became insecure and started to believe I wasn’t smart, capable or deserving of my position. It wasn’t until eight months ago that my eyes were finally opened. Traveling in Ethiopia I met a group of women who were breaking social norms to become leaders in their communities. They were starting their own businesses, supporting their families and kicking butt doing it. They didn’t apologize to anyone. Inspired, I returned home early so that I could attend the launch of one of my campaigns. As I looked out into the crowd, I thought of those women and, for the first time in five years, felt proud of what I’d accomplished. I’ve since moved on from my role as Director of Communications for the foundation into an entirely different arena: filmmaking. In my new position, I work with a team to find and share stories about innovative people who are working to build a better world. I’ve since discovered that for me, my true talent is in storytelling. I never would have come to that realization had I not taken the risk and leaned in.

https://leanin.org/stories/leah-jackson

For years I have been hearing the mantra from agencies like the International Olympic Committee and the rest that the need for integrity in sport is paramount, and that this is the reason performance-enhancing drugs were banned. I’ve always felt that the IOC said this with a nudge and a wink, because they’ve tolerated any number of other advantages for specific athletes, including improvements in equipment design (such as bobsleighs), better clothing (especially for swimmers), and the rest. But it didn’t bother me that much, because using performance-enhancing drugs did feel like cheating, and worse, the use of these drugs could be harmful to the athlete. And I am not supportive of the idea that athletes should deliberately harm themselves in the pursuit of gold. However, the news that sprinter and Olympic gold medallist Caster Semenya will be required to take drugs to reduce her testosterone levels makes me question all that. Where is the integrity of drug-free sport if athletes are now required to take certain drugs that impact on their performance? What’s the difference between one athlete taking testosterone to increase her levels as opposed to another athlete taking testosterone to reduce hers? Whether a person is ‘male’ or ‘female’ is not defined by testosterone levels, and there are no non-arbitrary definitions of testosterone levels that would make a person one of the other. Being a woman isn’t about being ‘weak’ in certain specific ways. If a non-drug-taking woman can best her field for whatever reason, then good for her. If, on the other hand, you feel that athletes are just slabs of meat to be displayed for entertainment purposes and commercial gain, then the requirement that she must take drugs won’t bother you at all.

https://leftish.media/2019/05/09/integrity-in-sport/

Kitsilano real estate is regarded as one of the most popular neighbourhoods in the Vancouver West Side. Referred to by locals as “Kits,” this neighbourhood is synonymous with the famous Kits Beach. It is named one of the “top 10 best city beaches in the world” by international travel magazines, and perfect for outdoor fitness. The neighbourhood of Kitsilano consists of Alma Street to the west, Burrard Street to the east, 16th Avenue to the south, and the waterfront looking out to English Bay to the north. One of the major draws to investing in Kitsilano houses and condos for sale is the close proximity to the stunning Kitsilano beach and pool. Kitsilano real estate is perfect for families as there are plenty of family-friendly activities to do here! There are 3 museums in the northeastern part of the neighbourhood including the Museum of Vancouver, the H.R. MacMillan Space Centre and the Vancouver Maritime Museum. In the summer season, the Bard On The Beach Shakespeare festival is also held here. During this time, Kitsilano also hosts several community festivals such as Greek Days on West Broadway and Khatsahlano Festival on West 4th featuring local vendors, eateries, and live music. Kitsilano is considered as one of the city’s premier shopping and dining destinations. It is known as one of the city’s organic-food hubs. Along West Broadway and West 4th you can find some of the city’s best Greek and Mediterranean food as well as Vancouver’s oldest vegetarian restaurant, The Naam. In regards to shopping, West 4th is the place you’ll want to visit. Here you can find a variety of shops including fashion boutiques, outdoor apparel, footwear, and activewear to name a few. West 4th is also the birthplace of internationally-recognized activewear lifestyle brand Lululemon. If you are looking for Kitsilano real estate, you have come to the right place! Browse Kitsilano homes for sale using the interactive map search provided below. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to reach out to Leslie Cannon!

https://lesliecannon.com/kitsilano-real-estate/

It is very thoughtful of a US Congressional commission to save the Cambodian government and National Assembly the effort of investigating and improving the human rights situation here (“Mu Sochua, Cambodia Activists To Speak at US Rights Hearing”, Cambodia Daily, August 31). Some might say that the proposed testimony of Cambodians is hardly necessary, since the Congressional commission’s statement, as quoted in your story, makes it clear that it has already reached its conclusions. the deaths of at least 108 people in US custody in Iraq and Afghanistan. One obstacle to National Assembly hearings on these matters is that most of the people whose human rights may have been violated are not available to testify. Perhaps, while they are in Washington, the Cambodian human rights activists can lobby the US government to release those concerned (those of them who are still alive) long enough to appear before the NA commission.

https://letters2pppapers.wordpress.com/archives/2009-11/human-rights-hearings-needed/

down on the lake, so that the boat was being swamped, and they were in great danger. The disciples went and woke him, saying, ‘Master, Master, we’re going to drown! the storm subsided and all was calm. ‘Where is your faith?’ he asked his disciples. Who is this? He is the King of Glory, the Creator and Lord of the universe. I love that you praise God through your artwork. Yes, Karen, it makes my work more meaningful to me. Thank you.

https://lettersfromadele.com/2015/01/19/galveston-island/

August 27, 2019 20:17 / 1 Comment on October 31, 2019 is 66-Days Away: Will Boris Johnson Keep His Brexit Promise? New-ish Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Boris Johnson, has promised dozens of times that he will deliver Brexit on October 31, 2019 and let’s hope he keeps his promise to the British people. The UK people voted in a democratic referendum on June 23, 2016 to Leave the EU and won the poll with a 4 per cent margin of victory, and in the subsequent UK General Election held on June 8, 2017 — an election where all parties stood on a platform to take the UK out of the European Union — Conservative Prime Minister Theresa May won the General Election with a 2.4 per cent margin of victory. Neither of those margins of victory are notable as UK governments have been elected into power with smaller margins of victory than those two examples. In the UK electoral system, if you win by 5 per cent or you win by .005 per cent, you win. That’s all there is to the so-called, first past the post system employed by many Western democracies. Therefore, all that’s required of UK Members of Parliament now in regards to Brexit is for MP’s to fulfil the mandate they were given by the British people on June 23, 2016 which was further bolstered by the 2017 General Election win by a party that ran on a platform of delivering Brexit. Further, MP’s voted overwhelmingly (498-114) to approve the the House of Commons bill authorizing Brexit, called the European Union Bill. From that perspective, anything less than delivering a successful Brexit in a reasonable timeframe would display either incompetence or laziness by British MP’s. And I don’t know which is worse. (Is it better that your government is incompetent, or is it better that it’s lazy?) Hard to choose. Of course, that explanation leaves out the possibility that UK MP’s would actually betray their own country and actively work for the agenda of another country (the European Union) rather than work for their own country and the constituents who voted for them and their pro-Brexit platform as promised in the last General Election. What Price Should British MP’s Pay Who Refuse to Honour the (Twice) Expressed Will of The People? What should the punishment be for UK MP’s who choose to work against the 2016 referendum result, against the 2017 UK General Election result (where all parties ran on a platform of delivering Brexit) against the House of Commons bill approving Brexit, and their own constituents wishes? Voter recall by constituents of their local MP, forcing that MP to resign his/her seat, thereby triggering a byelection to replace that MP. Being held in Contempt of Parliament for ignoring a House of Commons resolution authorizing Brexit (where no preconditions had been placed on the type of exit) forcing the MP to resign their seat, thereby triggering a byelection to replace that MP. Being arrested by the police/New Scotland Yard/the security service for treason, forcing the MP to resign their seat, thereby triggering a byelection to replace that MP. Being arrested by the police/New Scotland Yard/the security service for insurrection, on account of promoting or leading public protests against the clearly and twice-expressed will of a majority of UK voters and being charged with treason, forcing the MP to resign their seat, thereby triggering a byelection to replace that MP. One thing is for certain; The present mood in the United Kingdom is becoming more anti-government and more pro-people power every day. It’s also becoming more patriotic and less pro-EU than at any time in recent memory. And it’s becoming more pro-Brexit — even among former Remainers — who like everyone else just want the people in government to do their jobs, which in itself would end the present economic uncertainty. That’s 3-years of uncertainty and counting! The People, it seems, have had enough of UK politicians gassing-off about how great they are, and about how they’re going to accomplish this and that, without it ever coming to fruition. Some 1160-days have passed since the June 23, 2016 referendum where The People instructed the UK government to take the United Kingdom out of the European Union. I’ll remind you that it took 2041-days to defeat Hitler in World War II. At the rate we’re moving on the Brexit file, it looks like the day will arrive when we can say it took longer to leave the European Union political apparatus during peacetime than it took to defeat the Nazis in WWII. Whenever any dissension appears within the UK government it plays directly into the hands of the EU negotiators tasked with outmanoeuvring UK negotiators. One wonders why some British politicians are so determined to make the UK appear weak, inept and disorganized. Whatever! If Conservatives fail to deliver Brexit by November 1, 2019 I expect they’ll be booted from power by The People and that the UK Conservative Party will cease to exist for a generation, perhaps longer. That’s what happens when you don’t fulfil your promise to The People. With a clear conscience have I warned the UK Conservative Party about the looming implosion of their party (that I and others foresee) should they be too weak to deliver Brexit by October 31, 2019. Let’s hope they’re ‘in-touch’ with the overall mood of the public… or they’re as good as gone.

https://lettertobritain.com/2019/08/

Turn Back the Clocks is a series of games that I have developed for the 0h (Zero Hour) game jam. The objective of the game jam is to develop a game during the autumn time change, so development starts at 2am and ends at the same time, 2am. For the last two games, I have improved upon the game after the competition is over. This was a simple game where you press each of the clocks to set the time from 2 o’clock to 1 o’clock. The color of the clock changes from red to green as you press them. The clock reverts back to its original state after a period of time. This game was developed for 0hgame jam 2014.

https://levidsmith.com/games/turn-back-clocks-2/

Political parties make a point of vetting candidates for their suitability. The reason for this is obvious: candidates act as ambassadors for the party as a whole. Anything that candidates do can reflect positively, or negatively, on the party at large. Each Applicant shall provide full details of his or her background, education, achievements, previous political activities, and other relevant personal information in a form determined by the Board from time to time. Each Applicant shall be under a duty to disclose in writing to any two of the President, Vice President, Leader or Deputy Leader, without specific request, immediately it becomes known to the Applicant, any information which is adverse to him or her which would embarrass the Party upon public disclosure, or which may render him or her unfit to be a Candidate. As an Act member of parliament, John Banks remains on the Candidates Register. Banks is the party leader. This means he would have needed to advise two of John Boscawen (deputy leader), Chris Simmons (party president) or Barbara Astill (vice president) if he had “any information which is adverse to him...which would embarrass the Party”. The threshold at which information becomes “adverse” is of course debateable. But even if Banks believes the donations from Dotcom to his 2010 Auckland mayoral campaign were anonymous, it could be argued that Banks should have disclosed at least his apparent close friendship with Kim Dotcom to the Act Party board after Dotcom was arrested in an enormously high profile police raid in January 2012. The duty to volunteer disclosure under Rule 20.2 extends throughout any period in which a Member is a Potential Candidate or a Candidate or a Member of Parliament. Any Candidate or Potential Candidate who fails to disclose under Rule 20.2 or this Rule, or otherwise provides misleading or incorrect information shall be liable to have his or her name removed from the Candidates Register at any time thereafter and shall be liable to expulsion from the Party. There was a meeting attended by Roger Douglas, Heather Roy, John Boscawen, and a board member at which I was asked if I had skeletons in my closet. I said `yes a big f------ rattling one'. As a result of my own actions, my political career is almost certainly over, but that is not my greatest concern. My second major regret is the damage I have caused to the ACT Party, which has a very important role to play in parliament. What did and does the Act Party board know about John Banks? The communications between Banks and the party’s board remain private. What is clear, however, is that the Act Party’s own constitution and rules make it clear that a candidate’s and MP’s past may very well have a lot to do with the Act Party itself. What has John Banks told, and what is John Banks telling his party’s own board?

https://liberation.typepad.com/liberation/2012/05/geoffrey-miller-has-john-banks-breached-the-act-party-constitution-and-rules.html

For the past 3 days, many households of all races have sat in front of their televisions, with eyes glued to Lifetime intently watching Surviving R. Kelly. In shock and awe at the information that poured out over the last 3 days, of information that we knew of and didn’t know of R. Kelly. This post is not condoning or condemning R. Kelly. This post is expressing my thoughts and feelings. Whatever they are, they may not align with your thinking and that’s perfectly okay. So over 20+ years ago we learned that R. Kelly may have married the then 15 year old, Aaliyah Houghton secretly. On the first tonight of the docuseries, it was definitely confirmed for all who didn’t really know if the marriage took place. Back then I remembered all the talks and the how wrongs it was but nothing was really done about it. Everyone went on playing his music, going to his concert, etc. Over the years, more allegations have come out about his habits of hooking up with young girls between the ages of 12-19 years of age. Nothing was really done about it. The infamous sex tape with the 14 year old girl in which he was urinating on her. He went to trial for it and was found not guilty. Although the evidence was there of him doing the acts and the knowledge of his appetite for young girls, we STILL continued to support him by going to concerts and buying his music. Now present day 2019, after the docuseries has ended. I’m seeing all the outrage of people who now want to #muteRKelly. In particular, celebrities like Jada Pinkett Smith, was baffled that downloads and streaming shares has skyrocketed. I can share my thoughts why? Because of everyone’s outraged, disgruntled people are going to threaten to boycott these streaming and downloading site if they don’t pull his music. So, people are downloading and streaming his music so that they will have it. Also, people are listening to the music to focus on the words of his music, many want to know what exactly was he singing about now that all this information has been ousted. But here’s where I’m baffled……. where was that same outrage when you KNEW he peed on that 14 year old? Where was the outrage when you KNEW he married 15 year old Aaliyah? Why should we stop listening to his music now because of what you now know when you KNEW something about his actions years ago? This question is not just for Jada but for all the other people who now want to boycott his music. No one care about the lyrics when they didn’t know but you had the ability to listen to the words you was singing. Yes, he needs to be jailed for the rest of his life for what he did to and with those underage girls. To me his music is separate from what he did behind closed door. Yes, I hear everyone stating “well his music is talking about what he did behind those close doors”. Lets be honest, many of us when we hear a song that we like after about 3 or 4 listens, we already know the words. So, many of you knew what he was singing about and yet you still danced and sung along with it. My question to you now is…..are you going to stop listening to that artist that was in a domestic abuse situation? No, you still turning up the tempo and singing along to the lyrics. Are you going to stop listening to all the rap artists, who rap about drugs and called women bitches and hoes? No, but why not? Drugs are killing our family members and friends, but is it not illegal and wrong? You want to be respected, but you still listening as they call us women out of our names. Many of our grandfathers (great-grand fathers) married our (great) grandmothers when they when they were just babies themselves, but we don’t hate or not listen to them (Okay that is a little different, but its still…you get what I’m saying). We can’t get mad at others for still wanting to support someone’s career by listening to their music. R. Kelly, no matter what he did behind closed doors, was a musical legend, you don’t have to agree. He made a lot of hits, that you can’t deny that you listened and danced too. I know for myself, I’ve never been to a concert of his and if he is ever lucky to have another one. I will not be spending any money to support him. I won’t be wearing any t-shirts with his face on it BUT if a song comes up in my rotation, I will shake my head at the craziness of his life but I will more than likely sing along with the lyrics. That doesn’t mean, I’m supporting him, it just means I like the music he made. Whether you support him or not, that’s sole up for you to decide but don’t condemn someone else for choosing to support or not support the man; especially if you supporting any artist, person, or whatever and they are doing anything that is illegal and should be in jail for.

https://lifesperfectlyimperfectmoments.com/2019/01/06/surviving-r-kelly-to-support-or-not-support/

When we’re younger, jumping is an organic way of coming to understand our limits as a grounded species. Inevitably, we’re hurt on these little excursions into the sky once we learn that we can’t really fly. The people below never really learned this lesson, but rather than hindering their development, their decision not to accept reality actually led to some of the most awe-inspiring jumps of all time. The biggest jumps include a couple appearances from Travis Pastrana, two of Robbie Maddison’s motorcycle jumps, Felix Baumgarten, who is attempting to set the skydiving record this October 8, and the man he’s hoping to supplant for the highest skydive of all time, Joseph Kittinger. The next time you’re dreaming of flight, remember some men have made those dreams a reality. Simon Dumont is a professional skier from Dumont, Maine. His world record quarter-pipe jump was a corked 900 tail grab 35.5 feet in the air. The really nice thing, for Dumont and his fans is that he achieved the feat in his hometown of Bethel at Sunday River Mountain. After his jump, he was even invited on the Ellen show. We’re familiar with Travis already, but if you aren’t, he’s a motor sports competitor (as you’ll see further down) and a stunt performer. One of those stunts was jumping out of an airplane without a parachute. Yep, you heard that correctly. He eventually found a cohort mid-flight and they latched together in time to pull the cord and avoid splattering on the ground. For a man that’s made a lot of jumps, this was one he won’t forget. Robbie Maddison is a continuation of the Evel Knievel aesthetic. If you build it, he will jump it. His most famous jumps include an entire football field (seriously, from one goalpost to the other) and a New Year’s Eve jump to the top of the Paris Las Vegas hotel, as you can see above. After jumping on to the top of the Paris, he then decided to jump down, proving that danger simply breeds even more danger. Maybe you’ve heard of this guy, Felix Baumgartner. He’s been in the news quite a bit this year. He set the highest and longest recorded skydive and has performed a supersonic free fall without the comfortable confines of a cockpit. Felix, however, isn’t limited to just jumping from a balloon (not that attempting to jump from space is anything to scoff at). He made our Craziest BASE Jumps article by making the decision to jump from the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The statue is only 95 feet in the air and, for BASE jumpers, lower is more dangerous. He followed that up by jumping into the 623-foot Marmet Cave in Croatia’s Velebit National Park. I wouldn’t bet against him breaking the speed of sound on October 8. Parkour’s Erik Mukhametshin is no stranger to world record feats of jumping brillianace. He holds the record for the furthest backflip off a wall. The Uzbekistan native isn’t limited to just backflips though. He shows absolutely no fear by jumping from the top of one 8-story building to the top of a 5-story building. Oh yeah, the buildings in question are also separated by a road. Jim Rippey is a world reknowned snowboarder that’s won World and American championships and is a three-time Vans Triple-Crown winner. He also did the first backflip on a snowmobile, which lead to an ESPN “Feat of the Year” award. With all those distinctions, what could have possibly led him to climb this television antenna in California and jump off? Oh right, he’s an Adrenalist. Travis is the only athlete included twice in this list, but you’d be hard-pressed to find a more deserving athlete and daredevil. You already watched him jump out of a plane sans chute, but that’s only a part of his narrative. He’s been atop the X-Games medal stand since 1999, winning ten golds, and in 2000 he was the first motocross competitor to attempt a back flip in competition. Fast-forward to 2006 and he lands the first double back flip in the best trick competition. He’s also got a couple AMA Motocross titles for 125cc bikes and these days he’s racing cars. There’s nothing Travis Pastrana can’t do. Dana Kunze is a world record-setting, champion high-diver. He started competing professionally in 1973 when he was just 13 and won his first world championship just four years later. He continued winning world championships for the next seven years. This jump from 172 feet was the world record until Randy Dickison jumped from 174 feet, 8 inches and fractured his foot in the process. In 1987, Olivia Favre set the current world record of 177 feet. Regardless of the current record, Dana Kunze knows how to jump and stay healthy. Adrenalist readers might be familiar with this one. We’ve got a whole section on wingsuiting and the the high risks involved in the sport (it’s now banned in Chamonix, France) are very apparent. So what the Norwegian Espen Fadnes does in this clip isn’t particularly new, especially when you watch humans flying all the time. The real “whoa” moment happens when you realize how close he comes to hitting a road on his trek down. Wingsuiting is crazy no matter who does it or where it’s done, but when your flight line brings you as close to slamming into the ground at 100 mph, you’re pushing an already extreme sport even closer to death’s door. On August 16, 1960, Joseph Kittiner left the Excelsior III balloon as part of the U.S. Air Force’s experimental flight testing. He jumped from the balloon at a height of 102,800 feet, or around 20 miles up. It was high enough in the stratosphere as to be almost entirely devoid of air and right on the precipice of outer space. He said about the initial moment of descent, ”I had no ripple to the suit; it was a very weird sensation. I had no visual reference of things, and I really thought I was suspended in space.” That wasn’t a figure of speech, either; he was so high up when he made his jump that he very well could have been suspended in space. Once he hit the troposphere, the crackling sound of the wind whipping by was a welcome relief from the abyss he’d initially jumped into. The jump set records for highest parachute jump, highest balloon ascent and the fastest speed achieved by a human. Felix Baumgartner Jumps From SPACE! That is jumping the Adventurer way.

https://liftoffadventure.com/most-insane-jumps-ever/

New York is known for its bustling activity and aggressive citizens. The city seems like the world’s largest anthill (made of people that is). The basic things to see in the city that everyone knows about like Times Square or the Statue of Liberty can not only feel bland but are full of people. If you’re one to take the less beaten path then I’d advise taking a look at these 5 things that are still fun but less known about. Brooklyn is my favorite neighborhood in Long Island. It has a can do attitude and toughness that can only be found there. The area is becoming more and more gentrified but don’t let that discourage you from making the trek down. With all the new businesses and energy coming to the area there are more and more opportunities for great food and culture. My friends and I decided to find a place with bottomless mimosas and discovered that Brooklyn is the king of brunch. If you just walk down the street you’ll find something. I recommend performing a little research before randomly walking into restaurants but regardless Brooklyn is the place to look. Don’t let the strange name fool you, Smorgasburg is one of the best low key things to do while in New York. It’s held every Saturday from April through October in Williamburg and is an amazing open-air food market. The idea of having great food outside of the confines of a restaurant was always so intriguing to me and I’m so glad that I experienced it. I hope you do the same! The Highline is a little south of Hell’s Kitchen and is one of the most natural parts of New York City. With sprawling views of the city skyline and being on the water looking at New Jersey, the Highline is a great place to just…walk. It sounds simple enough but the Highline offers an opportunity like nowhere else in New York. What I think I liked most about the Highline was its simplicity. It’s really just an elevated walkway with some foliage along the perimeter. However, the experience is like no other and provides for a slower paced take on views in the city. I’d really recommend it as a place to go on a date even! I know the basis of this article was to talk about more low key things to do in New York and partying might not seem like one of them, but the meatpacking district is one of my favorite places to do just that! It has plenty of places to dress up and have an amazing night on the town that aren’t too crowded. There’s even a beer garden in the area that has massive benches and a wide open area perfect to bring friends and have your own spot. No more competing at nightclubs to get behind a velvet rope. Everyone knows about Central Park, but Union Square is a favorite of mine. Yes, it is much smaller than Central Park but it has a different appeal. It’s somewhat nestled within the city and provides for a sort of break. In a way I feel it’s similar to the Highline in that it’s an urban area with plants but Union Square is an actual park. You can still play chess against some bohemian players, listen to some music events that are often held there, or even just relax on a bench and share a moment with yourself. It’s not the most action-packed place in the city but you can still have a great time. One of my favorite things about New York City is the number of opportunities there are to have fun. There are things to do for everyone, everywhere. And whether your cup of tea is to visit Times Square, grab a cup of coffee, or go for a run along the water, you’ll be able to find something that suits your fancy. I hope you explore the items on this list and that they help you find other things to do that become your favorite when you visit the city. What To Expect In Your Deep Sea Fishing Adventure? What To Expect In Your Deep Sea Fishing Adventure? In the event that you’ve never been out “deep sea... Add MediaVisualText People from the hinterland of Australia, as well as the visitors to the country, may want to engage...

https://likeitgirl.com/5-low-key-things-to-do-in-new-york-city/

Helen: Found your message when we got home. Glad to see you back on the computer. Colorado Springs next summer sounds interesting. Maybe this would be good time to get cracking on a Lapsley/Armstrong controversy worthy of resolving. And the key to the resolution might just be in your back yard. For reasons I don't now recall, we long ago concluded that Elizabeth Armstrong (1758 - pre-1794), youngest daughter of James and Mary Bird Armstrong and little sister of Captain William Armstrong married James Lapsley, a brother of Captain William's wife Jane. Clyde Lapsley, David Froelich and Jessie Hooper (whom we visited in Florida) believe that Elizabeth married Thomas Lapsley Jr. another brother of James and Jane. James and Thomas Lapsley Jr. and their nephew, Thomas Armstrong - eldest son of Captain William and Jane Lapsley Armstrong - were living in Orange County, NC, when they acquired land in Georgia. This might have been in connection with one of the Land Lotteries conducted by the state in 1803, 1806, or 1819 to encourage occupation of former Indian lands in the Georgia interior. When James Lapsley died in Orange County in 1821, he bequeathed his half interest in Georgia land which he owned jointly with nephew Thomas Armstrong to four of Thomases children: Anderson, Aseneth, Thomas Lapslie and Mitchell Armstrong. The land was said to be located in Montgomery County, GA, and the four heirs were all then living in Orange Co., NC. When Thomas Lapsley Jr. died c1828, he was living on his Georgia farm and was prosperous enough to own several slaves. According to a Williamson County, TN, court record, his only heirs were nephews Thomas, James and William Lapsley Armstrong and their sister, Mary Armstrong Tinnin. James, who by then had moved from Orange County, NC to Tennessee, was named administrator of Uncle Tom's estate. The location of Thomas Lapsley's Georgia property was not mentioned in the Tennessee court record. When Thomas Armstrong died in Orange County in 1835, he left his Montgomery County, GA, property to his son, Thomas Lapsley Armstrong, who was then at the U of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. To my knowledge, no one has ever searched Georgia records for Thomas Lapsley's activities there or for further information about his land and that of brother James, nephew Thomas Armstrong and their various heirs. We don't know where Thomas Lapsley's land was, but since brother and nephew had a tract in Montgomery County, the obvious first place to search is the records of that county and those of Washington County out of which Montgomery as created. The things we need to look for are Thomas Lapsley's Will and associated Probate Court records , deeds pertaining to Lapsley/Armstrong lands, and mentions on tax lists, in Common Court minutes, State and Federal census returns, homesteads, land warrants and indentures between 1800 and 1840. Some of this could be in the Montgomery and Washington County seats of Mt. Vernon and Sandersville, respectively, but the best bet would be the State Dept. of History and Archives in Atlanta. I know they have lists of Georgia Land Lottery participants, for example, and the originals of many early county records. How about taking this project on Helen?

https://lists.rootsweb.com/hyperkitty/list/lapsley.rootsweb.com/2000/11/

Security In-a-box is a guide to digital security for activists and human rights defenders. The toolkit ranges from the basic principles of digital security, including advice on how to use social media and mobile phones more safely, to more specific regional advice for activists working in higher risk environments. Although the toolkit was designed primarily to address the growing needs of advocates in the global South - particularly human rights defenders - the software guides and security strategies in this toolkit are relevant to everyone; specifically people working with sensitive information. This may include vulnerable minorities, independent journalists or whistleblowers, as well as advocates working on a range of issues, from environmental justice to anti-corruption. It was first created in 2009 alongside Front Line Defenders. Since then, the website has been updated and expanded to keep up to date with a rapidly-changing digital environment.

https://lite.tacticaltech.org/projects/security-in-a-box/

Are you a born leader or is it something anyone can become? Why does the “boss” title attract so many people? And why are there so many “bad” leaders out there? The big debate on good and bad leaders has floated around for quite a while now but there is a specific focus on good vs bad leadership now within employee retention. Statistics show that a high percentage of employees quit their job due to their managers with other words, “employees don’t leave companies – they leave bosses,” (Denise Brandenberg). However, how could this be prevented? In order to get some answers, we asked an expert. Sharon Green has been a culture, coach and leadership consultant for over 6 years and she is the founder of The Humans Workplace Manifesto. Sharon is a strong believer in setting employees free. Let them test and try their idéas and help them overcome their own limitations. Engagement and good leadership go hand in hand. In order to begin digging a little bit deeper into this topic, we asked Sharon 3 questions. How would you describe a good leader? – A good leader is someone who is a great motivator and communicator. I work with personality and communication profiling. It really helps leaders to understand firstly who they are and secondly how they can communicate with others. People respond to the same message in very different ways depending on their view of the world so it’s important to understand these differences when you’re a leader. Good leaders are open and transparent with a sense of humility and kindness. They are very secure in themselves and are adept at bringing out the best in the people they work with. To be a leader you don’t have to be in a management role, it’s an accolade your peers award you based on your attitude, energy, and intention. Why do you think “bad bosses” is such a hot potato today? – Bad Boss, hmmm, it’s a hard one that. Here’s the thing, many bosses are in the “Boss” role because it appeals to their driven, competitive nature. It’s part of their profile and communication style. I would suggest companies need to redefine the attributes required to be a “Boss” as there needs to be a shift in management style to suit the new workplace. We need more diversity in Management across the board actually. What is your three advice on coaching techniques? Listen, truly listen without intention to respond. Suspend judgment, this is about them not you. Be honest with feedback. Let them find their own answers. We would like to thank Sharon for this interview, and if you would like to participate in such an interview, feel free to contact us for more information.

https://localglimpse.com/good-and-bad-leaders-with-sharon-green/

“In 1713, Larkin Chew patented 4020 acres that lay on both sides of Mine Run in present day Orange County, Virginia.” Fractional interests were quickly sold and Chew himself was left with only a fractional interest. (One of those to whom an interest was sold was Alexander Spotswood.) The sales were in Essex County, Virginia, one of the parent counties of Spotsylvania County. Apparently, this mine was not successful. The above might lead us to see if early Essex County, Virginia, records have anything to offer us on William Logan. Might he have been associated with Larkin Chew at this early date either as an indentured servant or workman? Also, it’s interesting to note that Essex County was created out of old Rappahannock County. Rappahannock County is where we find one of our earliest potential — unproven — Logan connections: Margaret Logan. This is pure speculation at this point, but is intriguing for further study. William Logan is referenced several times in Spotsylvania County, Virginia, court documents in conjunction with Larkin Chew. We have assumed that either William Logan was an indentured servant of Larkin Chew, or a former indentured servant of Chew’s, or perhaps he simply worked for Chew. We know they lived in close proximity from the interactions cited in court documents. The excerpts which follow concerning Larkin Chew give us a bit more to go on in terms of Chew’s possible relationship with William Logan. More pieces of the puzzle. The source is “Larkin Chew of Spotsylvania County and His Family” by Rudolf Loeser, The Virginia Genealogist, Vol. 47, No. 1, January-March 2003 and Vol. 47, No. 2, April-June, 2003. The editor of The Virginia Genealogist is John Frederick Dorman. Larkin Chew was a carpenter and surveyor. Again, because he “worked with his hands,” he would not initially have been a member of the gentleman class in Virginia at that time. Class was highly important in the colony of Virginia at that time. Chew’s skills led to wealth which led to county offices which led, in turn, to gentleman status. Chew was a member of the Essex County, Virginia, militia. Essex County was one of the counties from which Spotsylvania County was created. John Roy was an Essex County planter.

https://loganconnections.wordpress.com/2017/01/

“The Philippines needs to effectively reduce disaster risk as its effects have become more complex. The approval of the USD10 million-grant by the Green Climate Fund is very timely, not only as we commemorate this month the onslaught of Typhoon Yolanda 6 years ago, but also because of the increasing frequency and uncertainty of extreme hazard events that we have faced these past months and years,” Deputy Speaker Loren Legarda said today. The Green Climate Fund (GCF), which convened for the 24th Board Meeting in Songdo, South Korea, approved the USD10 million grant to the Philippines’ proposed project for the establishment of multi-hazard impact-based forecasting and early warning systems and services (MH-IBF-EWS) that aims to strengthen and ensure the delivery of actionable and timely early warning to communities at risk of impending natural hazards. “The GCF’s approval of this project is crucial in enabling the government and our communities to become more resilient as we look back at the lessons learned in the past and translate these lessons into action,” said Legarda. In 2013, Typhoon Yolanda brought massive devastation to the country and to the lives of thousands of Filipinos. Six years after, the disaster continuously reminds everyone about the importance of disaster preparedness and risk reduction. Based on an assessment released by the German Aid Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), 94% of the casualties during the onslaught of the typhoon in Tacloban, Palo and Tanauan were caused by the unexpected storm surge. In November 2014, a book titled “Y It Happened”, a narrative of the experiences of people affected and lessons learned in the community was launched spearheaded by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC). The timeline illustrated in the book by the NDRRMC-OCD showed that Yolanda was already being monitored a week before it entered the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) and weather advisories through PAGASA and NDRRMC were already facilitated and relayed to provincial and municipal DRRM offices. However, according to the book, statement accounts from survivors of Yolanda said that although they were warned about a possible storm surge, they did not know what it could bring and did not imagine the severity of its impact several kilometers inland. “We need to continuously conduct massive education and information campaign on disaster preparedness in a way that risk and hazard information are relayed to majority of our people into understandable and actionable early warnings so that communities do not remain complacent,” said Legarda. “Knowing local risks for hazards and having an established early-warning system will not only help ensure early action at the household and community, but will also mitigate the effects of disasters to poor people and the working middle class; businesses, schools, government offices, trade industry and stock market; farmers; and fisherfolks,” said Legarda. Legarda, an alternate member of the GCF board who is also a UNISDR Global Champion for Resilience, explained that multi-hazard early warning systems inform the people of the potential impacts of impending natural hazards, the risks on their lives and livelihoods, and the action they should take. The project’s lead executing entity PAGASA said that the MH-IBF-EWS will catalyze a paradigm shift from the traditional weather forecasts to multi-hazard impact-based forecasting and early warning and will enable timely impact- based early warning and actionable information to deliver the right interventions to the right people at the right time. The agency believes that by improving people’s understanding of the potential impacts of extreme weather events, communities can take early mitigating actions and reduce adverse impacts on lives, livelihoods, property and economy. “PAGASA has done a lot with limited funding and with the additional grant that we have to establish this MH-IBF-EWS, it could do much better. I encourage the agency to fully utilize the funds in providing vital information that can be useful in formulating development plans as well as in crafting mechanisms for disaster mitigation as the detrimental effects of climate crisis continue to progress,” Legarda the principal author of Republic Act No. 10692 or the PAGASA Modernization Act stressed.

https://lorenlegarda.com.ph/legarda-first-gcf-grant-crucial-in-improving-ph-resilience-to-disasters/

What do you do when the search for truth only leads to more questions? Detective Jarrod Harmon has a lot of dead bodies and very few leads that make any kind of sense. Finding out who is using the city's homeless population to test a deadly drug becomes even more complicated when the evidence fails to add up and his feelings for the assistant director of the local homeless shelter begin to get in the way. Carrie Hastings knows she has her work cut out for her if she’s going to keep her shelter’s new clinic open. With the police looking at one of her physicians as the prime suspect in the deaths of several homeless people, she’ll need to keep her wits about her if she’s going to save the clinic. Sadly, her wits seem to fly out the window when a certain detective comes asking tough questions. In a case where there are more questions than answers, Jarrod and Carrie will have to race against the clock to find out who’s behind such a ruthless crime. All the heart-stopping suspense and heartwarming romance readers of Lori Ryan have come to expect! Cut and Run is the second of three new Sutton Capital Intrigue novels from NY Times Bestselling Author, Lori Ryan. Romantic suspense at its best.

https://loriryanromance.com/book/cut-and-run/

Shortly before the stock markets closed yesterday afternoon, the US Supreme Court announced a ruling on the so-called “Affordable Care Act” (also known as ACA.) Health care stocks generally rose on the news of the ruling, in some cases sharply, while shares in health insurers showed a mixed reaction. Today, the trend has been slightly downward across the board. A majority of the US Supreme Court held that the US government does have the power to compel citizens and other residents of the USA to buy health insurance. While the court rejected the Obama administration’s argument that this power, the core of the law, was within the scope of the authority the Constitution grants the federal government to regulate interstate commerce, it concluded that, because the law is to be enforced by the Internal Revenue Service in the process of collecting taxes, it is supported by the government’s authority to levy taxes. In effect, the law establishes a tax that will be paid directly to health insurance companies. US residents who refuse to pay this tax will be assessed an alternative tax, one paid to the treasury. As written, the statute did not include the word “tax,” speaking instead of “premiums” and “penalties.” These words are euphemisms. This is clear not only from the Supreme Court’s legal reasoning, but also from the most basic economic logic. A law which directs people to dispose of their wealth in a particular way to advance a particular set of policy objectives is a tax, whatever label marketing-minded politicians may choose to give it. Many supporters of the ACA object to the term “Obamacare.” The law was crafted on the model of a regime of health insurance regulations and subsidies enacted in Massachusetts in 2006. That regime is widely known as “Romneycare,” in honor of Willard M. Romney (alias “Mitt,”) who, as Massachusetts’ governor at the time, had been its chief advocate. So calling the federal version “Obamacare” is simply a matter of continuing to follow the Massachusetts model. Now, of course, Mr Romney is the Republican Party’s choice to oppose Mr Obama in this year’s presidential election. Therefore Mr Romney and his surrogates are creating much merriment for political observers by trying to attack the president’s most widely-known legislative achievement, which as it so happens is identical to Mr Romney’s most widely-known legislative achievement. It seems to me very clear what Dr Newhall means to evoke in these sentences is the spectre of fascism. During the 1930’s, fascists in Italy, Britain, Belgium, and several other countries used the words “fascism” and “corporatism” interchangeably, and economic historians still cite Mussolini’s Italy, and to a lesser extent Hitler’s Germany, as examples of corporatist economics in practice. The American diplomat-turned-economist-turned-journalist-turned-pariah Lawrence Dennis argued in a series of books in the 1930’s that laissez-faire capitalism was doomed, that state ownership of industry was a dead end, and that the economic future of the developed world belonged to a system in which the state coordinated and subsidized the operations of privately-owned corporations. The most famous of the books in which Dennis endorsed this system was titled The Coming American Fascism. Why does Corporatism favor Obamacare? Because Obamacare is nothing more than a huge bailout for another failing industry — the health insurance industry. No health insurer could continue to raise premiums at the rate of two to three times inflation, as they have done for at least a decade. No health insurer could continue to pay 200 million dollar plus bonuses to top executives, as they have done repeatedly. No health insurer could continue to restrict Americans’ access to decent health care, in effect creating slow and silent ‘death panels.’ No health insurer could do those things and survive. But with the Obamacare act now firmly in place, health insurers will see a HUGE multibillion dollar windfall in the form of 40 million or more new health insurance customers whose premiums are paid largely by government subsidies. That is the explanation for the numerous expansions and mergers you have seen in the health care industry in the past couple of years. You will see more of the same, and if you are a stock bettor, you would do well to buy stock in smaller health insurers, because they will be snapped up in a wave of consolidation that dwarfs anything yet seen in this country. Certainly the health insurance industry was in trouble in 2009, and the ACA is an attempt to enable that industry to continue business more or less as usual. In that sense, it is a bailout. Indeed, the health insurance companies are extremely influential in both the Democratic and Republican parties, and there can be little doubt that whichever of those parties won the 2008 elections would have enacted similar legislation. Had Mr Romney been successful in his 2008 presidential campaign, doubtless he would have signed the same bill that Mr Obama in fact signed. The loyal Democrats who today defend the ACA as a great boon to working-class Americans would then be denouncing it in terms like those Dr Newhall employs, while the loyal Republicans who today denounce the ACA as a threat to the “free-enterprise system” that they fondly imagine to characterize American economic life would then defend it on some equally fanciful basis. In a deeper sense, however, I disagree with Dr Newhall’s assessment quite thoroughly. A moment ago, I defined taxation as any law that requires people to dispose of their wealth in particular ways to advance particular policy objectives. If we think about that definition for a moment, we can see that the United States’ entire health insurance industry exists to receive taxes. In the USA, wages paid to employees are subject to a rather heavy tax called FICA. Premiums that are paid for employees’ health insurance policies are not subject to FICA, and so employers have an incentive to put a significant fraction of their employees’ compensation packages into health insurance premiums. Since the health insurers have been collecting taxes all along, it is quite misleading to call the ACA a bailout. It is, rather, a tax increase. Now, as to the question of fascism, certainly fascist regimes did blur the line between the public and private sectors. The most extreme case of this was of course the assignment of concentration camp inmates as slave labor for I. G. Farben and other cartels organized under the supervision of the Nazi state. So it would not have been much of a stretch for fascists to grant corporations the power to collect taxes. Even if they had done so, however, fascists could hardly claim to have made an innovation. Tax farming, the collection of taxes by private-sector groups in pursuit of profit, was the norm in Persia by the sixth century BC, and spread rapidly throughout the ancient world. In ancient Rome under the later Republic, tax farming proved itself to be a highly efficient means of organizing tax collection. So the fact that tax farming is one of the principal aspects of the US economy is not evidence that the USA is a fascist or a proto-fascist regime. Indeed, the fact that the Supreme Court seriously considered a case that would have challenged the legitimacy of tax farming is an encouraging sign, however unedifying the opinions that the court issued as a result of that consideration might be. Of course, in the ancient world tax farmers bid competitively for the right to collect taxes, and the winners put their bids into the public treasury. In the USA, there is no such bidding, and no such payment. Instead, wealthy individuals and interest groups buy politicians by financing their campaigns and their retirements. Perhaps we would be better off to adopt the ancient system. At any rate, “fascism” seems a misnomer for our economic system, almost as misleading as “free enterprise” or as anachronistic as “capitalism.” A more accurate term, at least as regards the components that are dominated by tax farming, would be neo-feudalist. The US political class is increasingly an hereditary class; Mr Obama defeated the wife of a former president to win his party’s nomination to succeed the son of a former president, and now faces the son of a former presidential candidate in his campaign for a second term. This hereditary nobility will now sit atop a system in which the non-rich are legally obligated to pay tribute or provide service to those in power in the land, who will in turn honor certain obligations to them. *Fascism being what it was, “not markedly successful in intra-party politics” often meant “shot several times in the head and dismembered,” as happened to Gregor Strasser. Lawrence Dennis and his foster mother circa 1908, when he toured England as "the boy evangelist" I never quite finished my notes on the December 2010 issue of far-right Chronicles magazine, but it includes several notable pieces. So I’ll mention them now, months late though I may be. Justin Raimondo brings up one of his favorite writers, Lawrence Dennis. Dennis is also one of my favorites, though I think it is rather stretching matters for Raimondo to call Dennis an “African-American intellectual.” Certainly Dennis’ background was African-American; when the 12 year old Dennis toured England as “the boy evangelist” in 1908, his ethnicity gave him an exotic appeal. And he was undoubtedly an intellectual. When he was on trial for sedition in 1944, government witness Hermann Rauschning startled the prosecutor by testifying that Dennis was not a tool of the Nazis, but was a thinker fit to be compared with Oswald Spengler. Dennis was conducting his own defense; when time came for him to cross-examine Rauschning, he rose and thanked him. Yet Dennis was hardly the spokesman for the African American experience that we’ve come to expect when we hear the phrase “African American intellectual.” He said little about the African American experience, and never presented himself as a representative of African Americans. Indeed, the only book-length study of Dennis is titled The Color of Fascism: Lawrence Dennis, Racial Passing, and the Rise of Right Wing Extremism in the United States, and interprets Dennis’ writings and political behavior as symptoms of a life spent passing for white. As Robert Nedelkoff put it in a sympathetic piece about Dennis that he contributed to issue #13 of The Baffler (published in October 1999,) “when he spoke of race relations he made no reference to his being of a particular race” (page 99.) Nedelkoff’s piece, covering pages 93-100 in that issue of The Baffler, was the second place I’d read of Dennis; the first was the chapter on Dennis in Ronald Radosh’s 1975 book Prophets on the Right. Between them, these pieces convinced me that Dennis was more interesting than his onetime embrace of the label “fascist” would indicate. In a series of books published between 1933 and 1941, Dennis predicted that the USA would eventually adopt an economic system similar to those prevailing in Italy and Germany at that time; that this new system would be promoted as a triumph of America’s traditional system; and that he himself would be prosecuted for sedition for saying that free speech was obsolete. Looking back in his final book, Operational Thinking for Survival (1969,) Dennis concluded that all of his predictions had been vindicated. George McCartney reviews the movie The Social Network, by Aaron Sorkin. Sorkin’s grand project seems to be showing groups of aggressive, self-indulgent people clashing with each other in the course of work that creates a benign product. The difficulty with such works as The Social Network and The West Wing is that the real-life counterparts of Sorkin’s characters seem to be far more quietly efficient and their products far more problematic than he allows. So Mark Zuckerberg is rumored to be rather a pleasant sort of chap; Facebook has unnerving features that lead me to call its administrators “the Zuckforce.” Actual staffers in the White House probably spend less time dashing about the corridors and snarling at each other than they do showing friendliness and good manners; but the US presidency, as they help to constitute it, may well be the single most destructive institution in the world today. Someone like Lawrence Dennis, were he to see a society with a surveillance network like Facebook and a political leader who starts a war every year or two, would likely show little interest in whether the people administering that network and staffing that leader observed the social graces. In the popularity of Facebook, he might see a people who had become so thoroughly inured to surveillance that they can enjoy themselves only in an environment structured to record their every move; in The West Wing, a people so inured to war that they expect to enjoy a cozy relationship with the chief warlord.

https://losthunderlads.com/tag/fascism-politics/

Brilliant article in “Rolling Stone” by Matt Taibbi. Finally, someone truly both gets and can articulate the Occupy Wall Street movement. Here is a very brief excerpt and a link to the full article. I strongly encourage you to click the link and read the entire article. It’s not very long, so don’t be afraid…. …Occupy Wall Street was always about something much bigger than a movement against big banks and modern finance. It’s about providing a forum for people to show how tired they are not just of Wall Street, but everything. This is a visceral, impassioned, deep-seated rejection of the entire direction of our society, a refusal to take even one more step forward into the shallow commercial abyss of phoniness, short-term calculation, withered idealism and intellectual bankruptcy that American mass society has become. If there is such a thing as going on strike from one’s own culture, this is it. And by being so broad in scope and so elemental in its motivation, it’s flown over the heads of many on both the right and the left. via How I Stopped Worrying and Learned to Love the OWS Protests | Politics News | Rolling Stone. I’ve seen snippets and read enough to know it exceeds my limits for blatant sorriness….. Poor New Jersey already had enough bad PR. This show single-handedly wiped out all the positive image gains from Bruce Springsteen. However, in New Jersey’s defense, I wanted to post this…I like this singer, John Gorka, a lot and have a couple of his CD’s. I also recommend you check out more of John Gorka’s music…. The LGBT community likes to believe it is a tolerant community that is open to a wide spectrum of alternative relationships. However, with the recent marriage of Kim Kardashian that lasted for only 72 days we might have reached our limit. After a ten million dollar wedding, entirely sponsored by commercial interests, we are treated to a scam of a divorce. If only this was an exception in the straight community but alas it is just the latest in scam marriages that have placed heavy burdens on the institution of marriage. What kind of message does this send our children? What kind of role models does this provide our little ones? These high profile short term marriages are just the ones visible. Can you imagine how many straights have practiced this violation of their marriage vows across the country? The time has come for a Constitutional Amendment to ban straight marriages . The haphazard way that straights have approached marriage hurts LGBT marriages. The LGBT community has worked hard to win marriage equality. The LGBT community has had its patience tested with these quick divorces and it is time we take action. Look at the record of the celebrities who have scarred the institution of marriage. Gwaker reports that these marriages have lasted less than six months. It is shocking, I tell you, it is shocking! More: DavidMixner.com – Live From Hell’s Kitchen. Well, there is some comfort here…. Occupy Wall Street is a serious, grass-roots uprising of normal citizens try to force society into recognizing and dealing with income inequality and the Corporate ownership of our government. Besides, I’m still not convinced Justin Bieber isn’t really a 24 year-old Lesbian being marketed by the Corporations as a teenage boy. The Occupy Wall Street movement topped Justin Bieber as the most popular story on Twitter, according to the New Media Index from the Pew Research Center’s Project for Excellence in Journalism. Despite the teen heart-throb’s over 14 million Twitter followers, Occupy Wall Street was the top story on Twitter between October 24 and 28, followed by Bieber, who has made the New Media Index charts three times in the last five weeks. Steve Job’s death, the news of which broke October 6, came in third and the 2012 presidential elections ranked fourth. “On Twitter, the tone was markedly pro-protestor, with Twitter users sharing images and videos of police using tear gasduring protests in Oakland,” wrote the New Media Index in its report. Recent analysis by Google found that search interest in Occupy Wall Street had waned slightly from its peak on October 15. An NMIncite study released October 19 concluded that social media “buzz” about Occupy Wall Street “reached its peak on October 6th with 13,133 messages being posted in one day,” though the New Media Index’s findings suggest conversations about the movement are up again on Twitter. Bieber enjoys such high popularity on Twitter that employees at the social media company have joked that the star has his own servers. “At any moment, Justin Bieber uses 3% of our infrastructure. Racks of servers are dedicated to him. – A guy who works at Twitter,” tweeted Dustin Curtis last year. via Justin Bieber Less Popular Than Occupy Wall Street On Twitter.

https://lostinthe21stcentury.com/tag/media/

“I see a small cloud coming this way. The opening verse is referring to the faith of Elijah, the prophet, and has always been one of my favorite verses due to its principle that I love to embrace. As a matter of fact, it is one of the reasons that Erin began posting praise reports on the RMI site, how she said, sharing praise reports got started. Back when these started, she announced that she wanted them to teach the ministry members to look for their “very small cloud” that would announce, in faith, that their miracle was on its way. Hearing this, I began submitting praise reports regularly, announcing each time the Lord would do something in my life so that other women could get excited, no matter how small the cloud. “And Jesus answered and said to them, ‘Truly I say to you, if you have faith, and do not doubt, you shall not only do what was done . . . but even if you say to this mountain, “Be taken up and cast into the sea,” it shall happen’” (Matthew 21:21). No matter how impossible. “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the Word of Christ” (Romans 10:17). Again building each other’s faith by hearing about that impossibility He’s doing in your life, no matter how small. Lastly, probably my two absolute favorites being: “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1). “And without faith it is impossible to please God . . .” (Hebrews 11:6). Yet, in lieu of the principle for this chapter, it is this next verse that probably is the most important regarding our faith: “In this you greatly rejoice, even though for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold (which is perishable) even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise, glory and honor” (1 Peter 1:6–7). The proof of Elijah’s faith was more precious than gold to God since its result was praise, glory, and honor to Him. God doesn’t need our money, since all the gold and silver (and everything in and on the earth) are His anyway. God only asks for us to tithe it, and then also bless others with it as an offering, in order to open up the windows of heaven over us. Even in our giving, He is peeking into our very souls to see our faith. Do we trust Him or not? Funny that finances just happened to be the first example that came to mind when speaking about faith, because this is really what I want to share with you. This week, I received a small cloud in the mail, money that was no bigger than a man’s fist. So just as Elijah was totally and completely confident that just seeing that tiny cloud meant that the rain was about to pour over his life, so too, am I totally confident that my showers (a torrential rain) is about to hit in my finances. Confident is actually defined as “certain of having the ability, judgment, and resources needed to succeed.” Yes, Lord. So, Wow—this pretty much sums up exactly what I want to say; I have the confidence in God that He has the ability, judgment, and of course, the resources needed to help me succeed. My confidence is not in myself—by no means! As a matter of fact, I know that I do not have the ability, judgment, nor the resources needed to succeed in my new position as a single mother of so many children, and I also don’t have the ability, judgment, or resources to provide for them myself—which is why I watch for the cloud indicating the downpour is coming. “Now Elijah said to Ahab, ‘Go up, eat and drink; for there is the sound of the roar of a heavy shower.’ So Ahab went up to eat and drink. But Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and he crouched down on the earth and put his face between his knees. He said to his servant, “Go up now, look toward the sea.” So he went up and looked and said, “There is nothing.” And he said, “Go back” seven times. It came about at the seventh time, that he said, “Behold, a cloud as small as a man’s hand is coming up from the sea.” And he said, ‘Go up, say to Ahab, ‘Prepare your chariot and go down, so that the heavy shower does not stop you.’’ In a little while the sky grew black with clouds and wind, and there was a heavy shower” (1 Kings 18:41-45). This story of Elijah began with God causing a drought that was over Samaria where he lived. And this drought was brought about by God in order to put Elijah in the position of bringing Him glory (and to destroy evil in their land). It is one of my absolute favorite stories in the Bible for many reasons. First it reminds me that each situation we find ourselves in, God sets us up, putting us in the position to show His power and to elevate us. And what makes me want to shout and dance is in witnessing the faith a man who saw only a tiny little cloud, when he really needed and was anticipating a torrential downpour, who, just by seeing the tiny cloud caused him to move into action. How awesome!! Notice even before it could be heard, Elijah said there IS a sound of a heavy shower. This reminds me of this next verse I memorized early on in my journey that I said was one of my favorites, “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” What he heard was God’s word saying that we could trust Him to this extent. Though Elijah sent his servant to eat and drink, he instead remained in communion with God. In the Message bible it says he, “bowed deeply in prayer” that I too imagine him doing or maybe he bowed down to simply listen. Of course, the best part is how Elijah continued, a full 7 times, to tell his servant to go look— KNOWING the clouds would come! And again, it wasn’t that his servant came running back shouting that he saw a storm on the horizon or blowing their way. All he said he saw was a tiny cloud no bigger than the size of a man’s fist! So this means that it’s not when you receive that big check you were hoping for, but something so small and insignificant that it may not even pay one of your overdue bills. Or, in the case of being healed, it’s not that you can get up and walk, it’s that you can feel just the slightest sensation in one of your feet. Additional proof of his faith is that Elijah didn’t wait to send his servant until more rainclouds formed, but with just this tiny cloud he urges him to go right away, warning him not to wait, lest he be caught in the downpour so it wouldn’t prevent him from letting everyone know the rains were coming!! How’s that for exciting? And, if you really want to get excited, just read 1 Kings 18 in its entirety. No, better yet, start back with 1 Kings 17, because it shows us something else about God—He builds our faith to the point that we, too, will see just the small cloud for us to also act with total belief. Knowing how Elijah’s faith blesses me, I can only imagine how it blessed God when there are only a small few of all humanity who’ve trusted Him to that level—and I want to be one of them. How about you? What’s your level of faith these days? Funny how we Christians are. We claim we want a powerful testimony, but we don’t want to go through the horribly difficult situations and crises that produce those kinds of testimonies—the ones that change lives as they witness our faith and peace in the midst of them. Never relying on ourselves or others to help, but simply waiting, listening and trusting that He will do what He promised. Yet, as with all things, it takes the Lord and His love to change us to the degree we can exercise this kind of faith—and often, it means He’ll be the One Who carries us—carries us through those crises that rock our world. I know. Honestly, it’s during the “carrying me” crises that we are really changed the most dramatically. My guess is that when He carries us, we are resting so very close to His heart. This alone should help us never to fear what terrible catastrophes might be up ahead for us to walk through. And if we’re in His loving arms, even burying our faces deeply into His chest, we know He can bring us through or over anything, right? Just mentioning this to you has brought me great peace and joy in the midst of my current situation. I hope it has done the same for you too! So before we move to the next chapter, let’s end this one by reading another of my favorite verses and one that I recently used when it appeared that there was no hope. “Though the fig tree should not blossom and there be no fruit on the vines, Though the yield of the olive should fail and the fields produce no food, Though the flock should be cut off from the fold and there be no cattle in the stalls, YET I will exult in the Lord, I will rejoice in the God of my salvation. The Lord God is my strength, and He has made my feet like hinds’ feet, and makes me walk on my high places” (Habakkuk 3:17-19). Than was needed to make it pure.

https://loveatlast.org/fellowship-courses/living-the-abundant-life/chapter-5-small-as-a-mans-fist/

Luca Leonelli has a wide-running oeuvre, encompassing countless drawings, hundreds of watercolours and engravings in various techniques, dozens of oils, and a single linocut print. Beyond the series of engravings collected in various art editions, there are also dozens of one-off, handmade books. Choose one of the six categories below to explore.... I am happy to announce that 9 October 2018, the Prints and Drawings department of the British Museum (London) presented its acquisitions of 2018. Amongst those exhibited was the watercolour ‘Green Vortex’ (2003), a study for the drypoint ‘Great Flight’ (2014) which was also acquired, along with the drypoint ‘False prophet’ (2012).

https://lucaleonelli.org/en/

SOLD: The Byron at Byron is a luxury resort set on 45 acres of subtropical rainforest has changed hands. BILLIONAIRE Gerry Harvey has reportedly sold Byron at Byron, his $45 million Byron Bay resort, to Dubai-based Syrian billionaire Ghassan Aboud. Mr Aboud is chairman of the Ghassan Aboud Group (GAG), an international conglomerate engaged in several key business sectors including automotive, logistics, media, hospitality, real estate, retail, and catering. In 2018 Mr Aboud was ranked number 18 in the 50 most influential expats in the United Arab Emirates. This is the first time the Byron Bay property has changed hands since it was opened in 2005 and settlement of the sale is expected by September 2019. The 92-suite owner-operated resort and spa was listed for sale in May with selling agent Wayne Bunz saying at the time, "Acquiring a land parcel and gaining the necessary approvals to build this type of asset in Byron Bay is notoriously difficult, and approvals of this nature may never again be repeated in the area." Mr Aboud has acquired a string of east coast tourism enterprises through his UAE-based GA Group over the past three years. His company Crystalbrook Collection aims to amass a $1 billion portfolio of hospitality and real estate assets in Australia. So far Crystalbrook's portfolio includes the Hotel Riley in Cairns, the Little Albion in Sydney and the soon-to-open Bailey in Cairns.

https://m.tweeddailynews.com.au/news/landmark-byron-eco-resort-sells-for-reported-45mil/3804439/

Indian food relies heavily on spices, which can present a frantic search for little-known spices. Which spices do you really need to stock up on? Where can you find them? And what other dishes can you make with traditional Indian spices? In Indian cooking, the fragrant flavor of cardamom is used, most often in the form of a green or black pod. From flavoring basmati rice to curries and stews, cardamom pods are an essential ingredient in the Indian pantry. They are commonly crushed to release flavor, then stirred into the dish during the cooking process to infuse their signature aroma into recipes like in this basic tikka masala recipe. If you have to swap in ground cardamom, remember that 10 pods is about equal to 1.5 teaspoons of the powdered stuff. If you end up having a hard time sourcing the pods (though they’re pretty widely available), you can also use your ground cardamom in this Swedish specialty, cardamom buns called Kardemummabullar. Pro Tip: Cardamom is the perfect spice for fall. If you’ve ever tried your hand at Indian food, you’ll probably recognize the ingredient Garam Masala, which is actually a phrase meaning “hot spice blend.” It’s typically made from a combination of ingredients including cinnamon, bay leaf, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, cardamom, peppercorns, cloves, dried chile, nutmeg, and mace. The spices are warmed in a heat to release their fragrance, then ground and used in myriad classic recipes from lamb rogan josh to stewed chickpeas called channa masala. It is, of course, available in many premade iterations, and can be found in many stores and online. Though it has a distinctly Indian flavor (and thus, will infuse most other dishes with it), it’s an absolute must, and you’ll get a lot of use out of it, plus, it makes a great popcorn seasoning! Unsurprisingly, given the name, mustard seeds are where your everyday Dijon and yellow are derived from (hello popular condiments!). But, there are many different varieties of mustard seeds, all of which are used in Indian cooking. They have a smoky flavor, and require crushing or “blooming” (heating in another substance, usually a hot liquid) in oil before using. Use them in recipes like these peas inspired by the Southern Indian flavors, and save the extras for use in at-home pickling. This bright yellow spice actually comes from a root (which you can find in some grocery stores). It’s got an aromatic, and slightly bitter flavor, and provides the vibrant hue you see in lots of Indian food. Called haldi in India, it’s also an excellent anti-inflammatory ingredient and used widely in Indian food to flavor lentils (dal), rice, and curries. If you’ve got extra hanging around, combine it with some hot water and lemon for a morning tincture that’ll soothe and detoxify or use it in this Middle Eastern–inspired cauliflower recipe. Chances are, you probably already have cumin in your arsenal of spices, as it’s a popular ingredient in all sorts of cuisines, most commonly Mediterranean and Middle-Eastern. Called jeera in Hindi, cumin is a warm, somewhat pungent spice that can be procured ground or in seed form. If you stick to Indian flavors, use it in this spiced potato recipe or with red split lentils. Cumin also makes a great seasoning for simple chicken breasts and even gives a kick to homemade guacamole. Article by Leah Bhabha, guest contributor.

https://madeincookware.com/blogs/beyond-the-burner/5-essential-indian-spices

Why not come and visit Killarney, one of Ireland’s most beautiful heritage and tourist spots, famed in song and story ? Local poets described the place as ‘Heaven’s reflex’. Killarney means ‘Church of the Blackthorn’ and nobody is quite sure why. Immaculately kept it was voted Ireland’s tidiest town in 2011. It was first made popular by Queen Victoria who visited Killarney in 1861 staying at Muckross House. Killarney is included in many popular songs, most famously ‘Too Ra Loo Ra Loo Ra’ which Bing Crosby sang in ‘Going My Way’ in 1944. ‘Christmas in Killarney’ is another perennial favorite from the music hall era. With the exception of Dublin, there are more hotel beds in Killarney than in any other town or city in Ireland. Actor Micheal Fassbender is the most famous local resident. Though born in Germany he moved there as a young child with his parents who took up work there running a restaurant. There was a major dispute recently over jaunting car drivers refusing to have their horses wear diapers to stop dung on the streets. Eventually, the jarveys gave in after ongoing protests. Ireland’s highest mountain Carrauntoohil 3,400 feet is nearby ringing the majestic lakes of Killarney. Some say it would be even higher if it wasn’t set in a depression One of Ireland’s greatest Gaelic footballer, today is Colm ‘Gooch’ Cooper a native of the town and former captain of the Kerry football team. Ireland’s first talking film “The Dawn,” was filmed, scripted and acted out in Killarney and based on a War of Independence story. They recently reshown it on the 75th anniversary and had to turn hundreds away. Killarney is in County Kerry, the southwestern of Ireland on the shore of Lough Leane part of Killarney National Park, and is home to St Mary’s Cathedral, Ross Castle, Muckross House and Abbey, the Lakes of Killarney, MacGillycuddy’s Reeks, Purple Mountain, Mangerton Mountain, the Gap of Dunloe. Its natural heritage, history and location on the Ring of Kerry make Killarney a popular tourist destination. Whether you need accommodation, a car or a cheap airline flight for a business trip or just want to escape from your daily commitments and experience something new, let your choice be the killarneyhotels.com group. Killarney Hotels Group is more than just hotels. Discover pure comfort with a different range of homes & apartments in the County Killarney, Ireland. The Killarneyhotels.com is a travel booking adviser by comparing thousends of cheap flights, hotels, car hire, and taxi around the County of Killarney, Ireland. We don’t sell any booking tickets, we just show you the available prices and let you choose the best prices. Killarney Riverside Hotel- overlooking the Flesk River, The 4-star Riverside Hotel is located on the Muckross Road (near the INEC), a 10-minute walk from Killarney town centre. Free parking is available on site. There is a Rejuvenation Suite, with an array of holistic and beauty treatments and the popular River Bistro. Muckross Park Hotel & Spa- the luxurious 5-star Muckross Park Hotel and Spa is located in Killarney‘s National Park. It offers elegant air-conditioned rooms, the AA Rosette winner Yew Tree Restaurant, and Major Colgan’s Gastropub.The Spa is available to all residents in the hotel. The award-winning spa includes The Vitality Pool and Thermal Area, which guests over 18 can access complimentary. Brook Lodge Boutique Hotel-is a four-star hotel located in Killarney town centre within its own private gardens in Killarney. It has large rooms with satellite TVs and free Wi-Fi. The individually designed and non-smoking rooms at the Brook are decorated in warm shades and have bespoke furniture. Each suite also has a king-size bed, air-conditioning, a fridge and a safe. The Fairview Boutique Hotel- is located in the heart of Killarney’s town centre. This 4-star, boutique hotel features spacious rooms with free WiFi, private bathrooms and hearty, Irish breakfasts.With lavish soft furnishings, each room is individually designed and executive rooms and suites also boast a luxurious spa bath. All feature a TV, an iron, and free tea and coffee. Eviston House Hotel-located in Killarney town centre, the family-run Eviston House offers a hot tub, a sauna, rooms with satellite TV and nightly Irish music in the Danny Mann Pub. It is just 5 minutes’ walk from Killarney National Park. Free WiFi and limited free on-site parking are available. Rooms at the Hotel have large bathrooms with power showers, and some have king-size beds and whirlpool baths. Killarney Court Hotel- is 500 m from the Fitzgerald Stadium and a 10-minute walk from Killarney town centre. It boasts a beauty centre and free parking. The stylish rooms are elegantly furnished and feature satellite TVs. There is a 24-hour room service menu and tea/coffee-making facilities are also provided. McGillicuddy’s is a traditional Irish pub set in the hotel and offers a daily cavery and bar menu. The day when you become husband and wife is one of those days in your life that will create an unforgettable experience. This is the day when all details have to be perfect, and you should indulge in it with all your heart and get drunk on love. The killarneyhotels.com is a travel booking adviser by comparing thousands of cheap flights, hotels, car hire and taxi around Killarney. We don’t sell any booking tickets, we just show you the available prices and let you choose the best prices.

https://magicandbeauty.blog/2019/12/12/explore-a-picturesque-and-beautiful-county-killarney-on-the-southwestern-of-ireland/

Foreign nurses applying to work in the UK will be able to demonstrate their ability to speak English using an additional test, the nursing regulator has announced. The move may boost the number of nurses who come to work in Britain. The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) said it will accept the Occupational English Test (OET) as proof of a nurse or midwife's competence in English. The OET assessment is an English language test designed for the healthcare sector. Countries including Australia, New Zealand and Singapore currently accept the test as a measure of English proficiency. At present, nurses must demonstrate their English skills using the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). The test is used for study, migration or work and there are two versions - the academic test which is for people applying for higher education or professional registration and general training for those migrating to Australia, Canada and the UK, or applying for secondary education, training programmes and work experience in an English-speaking environment. In June, the Observer reported that some native English-speaking nurses, including from Australia, could not pass the IELTS test. It has been reported that some English-speaking nurses struggle with the written part of the test. During the consultation process, the NMC heard feedback that the OET has merit for its applicability to the healthcare context. Some told the regulator it was a more appropriate measure that IELTS, which uses more generic or popular science scenarios. Meanwhile, the regulator has also announced other options available for nurses and midwives who trained outside the UK to demonstrate their English language capability. Nurses and midwives who have qualified outside Europe will also be able to demonstrate their language skills if they have a recent qualification taught and examined in English. They will also qualify if they have registered and practised for a minimum of one year in a country where English is the first and native language, and a successful pass in an English language test was required for registration. The NMC said these alternative methods would align the language assessments for international nurses with the ones required of nurses trained in Europe. NMC chief executive and registrar Jackie Smith said: "Nurses and midwives trained outside the UK make up around 15% of our register. They are vital to the delivery of health and care services across the UK. "By accepting alternative forms of evidence we are increasing the options available for nurses and midwives to demonstrate they have the necessary command of English to practise safely and effectively, without compromising patient safety." A spokesman for the Royal College of Nursing said: "The NHS is struggling to recruit overseas nurses but we would firmly oppose any change just to plug workforce gaps. It must be robust and command the confidence of the public. "This move maintains high standards by using a comparable test but the NMC must review the decision every two years. Performance data must be collected and released too, including for the current test." In July, figures from the NMC showed that for the first time in recent history more midwives and nurses are leaving the register than are joining, with homegrown UK nurses leaving in the largest numbers. Copyright (c) Press Association Ltd. 2017, All Rights Reserved. Picture (c) Rui Vieira / PA Wire.

https://mail.careappointments.co.uk/care-news/england/item/42679-english-language-test-change-for-foreign-nurses-hoping-to-work-in-uk

Tulsa Marketing Agency | Why Are Most Marketing Firms Bad? Tulsa marketing agency is that whenever you are starting trying to get business one of which is obviously make sure that having a strong online. If you don’t have a brand name, an easily accessible website, or have any kind of presence on Google, then you are probably going to succeed in this business. This is not to be cynical, but more of the fact of life. Nowadays if you are not at the front page of Google, then your business is not going to be seen by anybody. If you have an absolutely presence on Google, the website, or even get people into your front door? Our goal is the delivery with award-winning marketing 80% less and with two times faster results anyone else in our competition. Tulsa marketing agency is absent deserve the result that is absolutely all we care about is getting to the level of success you want. As Steve Jobs said it best, people think focused maid saying yes to the thing you’ve got a focus on. But that’s not what it means at all. It means saying no to the hundred other good ideas that there are. If pick carefully. I’m actually is proud of the things that we haven’t done is the things that I have done. Innovation is saying no to 1000 things. Our mission is going to be taking pride ourselves to get things done. We obsess over making you more money and everything else is secondary. We understand that most companies have a general idea of the industry that they are in, when it comes to running a business they feel like they’re starting from scratch. Tulsa marketing agency does not allow you to start from scratch. Nobody lives long enough to learn absolutely everything they need to learn from starting from scratch. In order to be successful, we absolutely have to find the people who’ve already paid the price to learn the things we need to learn in order to achieve the goals that we actually want. We understand that most the time people have a general idea of what they need to execute, but they are so obsessed about being a perfectionist, that is often used as an excuse for procrastination. You’ll need more time to make a decision, you just need to decide. Our system is going to be one of the most unique and effective systems that you will ever use. If you’re tired of the “get-rich-quick” schemes and are ready to get to work and grow your business, give us a call. We are incredibly excited to hear from you we don’t turn anyone away. Our owner really didn’t care much for most marketing firms, so he decided to build his own. While he was building his first multimillion-dollar business, he wasted hundreds of thousands of dollars and years of time paying for this kind of disorganized, slow-moving kind of marketing gurus. And realize that whenever you got to a place in his life where he could build his own, he was going to. And that’s what we have here today. If any this is promising you would like to learn more about the amazing opportunities that we are able to provide you here at www.makeyourlifeepic.com, then please feel free to reach out to us and gives you contact from information by posting on our website. Tulsa marketing agency understands that whenever you’re dealing with most marketing firms, they are going to make sure that they’re doing the minimal amount of work so that they are able to get paid while making it seem like they are actually providing you with enough work. However we understand the entire process of actually running the business, and we of help hundreds of other businesses go from bankruptcy to multimillion-dollar companies. We understand the actual processes of getting a company from the ground floor and turning it into an amazing company that you would come to know and love. Tulsa marketing agency does not just provide you with some marketing tips and how to actually run your business, but we are going to be like your business coach. We’re going to show you not only how to increase sales, but we are going to give you sales training, profit and loss tracking, advertising, website creation, no-brainer creation, leadership training, employee handbook enhancements, voicemail based marketing, HR training, retargeting advertisements, and your dream 100 WishList, and so much more. When I say so much more, this is literally just scratching the surface of what we have helped a couple of businesses with. We are able to provide you with so much more than just is that we are so confident in our abilities that will beat any other competitor’s price by 50%. Tulsa marketing agency is going to be so much cheaper than every other competitor because we are so confident in our abilities to help you. Even if you are unable to pay the beginning, we will be able to make sure that something can workouts that we are able to help you get to the level that you need. We want to help you create a brand that is not only going to improve your likelihood, but you’re going to be a little creative business that is going to feel that enhanced the society around you. This is our overall goal. If we create businesses that are able to thrive gain money, then we are going to provide other people with jobs, which overall will help boost the economy. We want to make sure that people are well educated enough to feel the start their own business so that whenever the time comes, it will eventually help out the rest of the city. Some examples of companies that we have helped turn around, include Barbee’s Cookies. We help turn their business model completely 180°. We were able to triple their business and sales as well as expand them to two locations within only three years of time. We help them with retargeting advertisements, HR training, public relations, the group interview process, voicemail based marketing, interior signage creation, call scripting, and created their dream 100 lists. Entry 100 list is a list of 100 clients that would complete the way that your business ran if you could collect one of them as a client. We are going to make sure that you are going to be reaching out to these 100 people so that we can get the chance to at least collect one client out of it. If any of this sounds promising you would like to learn more about our amazing products and services that we provide, please feel free to reach out to us at our website www.makeyourlifeepic.com.

https://makeyourlifeepic.com/articles/tulsa-marketing-agency-why-are-most-marketing-firms-bad/

Mara offered her room for Lucinda to stay in as often as needed during her friend’s trying time. The Countess was grateful and ready to take up the offer, but her acceptance was moot. The King and Queen did not grant permission for this, stressing that the castle was not a home for wayward women, and that the Countess’ place was with her husband, regardless of the state of their marriage. The latter admonition came from an unwritten law: society’s law. Kelvin, for his part, offered support for her intention but ultimately agreed with his parents.

https://marastorytimetheatre.wordpress.com/2013/09/

Well, so much for giving up research for a few days. But last night Sherlock sent me a new “Blood” study that perked my interest. You can read the abstract here: http://tinyurl.com/264753 And, as usual, I would be happy to forward the full study to anybody upon request. 2. The study considers only myeloma patients undergoing conventional treatments. That said, the study contains some interesting information. As follows. The International Myeloma Working Group analysed 10,549 myeloma patients for this project. 17 institutions and study groups from North America, Japan and Europe participated in the study, which covers the period 1981-2002. Most of the patients were from Europe. “Median age of all 10,549 patients combined was 60 years.” 1,689, or 16%, were younger than 50 years of age. Most of these were between 40 and 50. Only 312 were younger than 40, and 27 younger than 30. Interesting bit of information about the <40 group: most of the patients, 67%, were male. The authors speculate further on that it could be due to “increased androgenic sex hormone levels in young males.” No difference, however, between male and female patients. Sorry about all these long quotes, but it’s difficult to summarize numbers! And now we get to the final part of the study (I skipped a lot of the numbers, eh!), and, you guessed it, here is another long quote: “The most important finding in this study on 10,549 patients with multiple myeloma was the significant differences in the presenting features between young and older patients. Young patients presented with significantly lower ISS stage and consequently had less frequently elevation of ß2-microglobulin and reduction of low serum albumin levels. In addition, significantly fewer younger patients presented with poor performance status, anemia, renal impairment, or increased CRP levels. Older patients, in contrast had a greater prevalence of less favorable prognostic factors. Hence, both a lower ISS stage at diagnosis and overall better prognostic factors seem to account for the superior survival in young patients treated with high-dose therapy after correction for differences in life expectancies, with age remaining an independent risk factor for patients treated with conventional therapy.” Another finding was the low number of young patients: only 0,26% were younger than 30 years of age. Young age was associated with longer survival. Even though, as stated above, I am wary of statistics and take them with a grain of salt, I admit that I would really like to read a similar statistical analysis concerning those of us following alternative treatments. Perhaps some day…who knows? I don’t know exactly what has been happening to me lately. In the past few days, perhaps even in the past week, I have had a hard time focusing on my usual, almost daily online research. I start looking things up but am easily distracted and, again easily!, get a case of the fidgets. I recently “unearthed” a new plant extract that has anti-myeloma effects in vitro (eh, what else is new?)…discoveries like that usually make me spend hours online doing research. So why am I not able to concentrate on this new substance or anything else that has to do with research? This morning I finally erased about a dozen unopened Science Daily updates without even glancing quickly at them. Ehhh? What’s wrong? Well, I may have reached the point of…research overload. That’s my conclusion. The huge amount of information, web links, e-mails and whatnot that I receive every day may finally have…saturated my brain. As you may have noticed from my shorter posts these days, I have pulled back a bit from my daily blogging routine. This doesn’t mean that I am abandoning my blog, eh. That will never happen. I love my blog. I check in at least twice a day to see if I have any comments (or, horror, spam messages that need to be erased). If I find a neat link, I add it to my blogroll. I never thought I would become so attached to a project like this, but well, I am hooked for good. I love reading readers’ comments. I love corresponding with you all. I (usually) enjoy doing my research. And without my blog, I never would have met Sherlock (in real life, I mean). Ah, I would indeed have missed out on A LOT. On a brighter note: Stefano and I are in the midst of planning a late spring or early summer trip to see the puffins. Very exciting. You may recall my I-adore-puffins! post. Well, the long-awaited puffin trip is really going to happen (for those who have no idea what I am talking about: puffins are funny-looking seabirds, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puffin for more info and photos; there are also many websites, such as Scotland’s "SOS Puffin" or Maine’s "Project Puffin," that allow you to adopt a puffin: a little money goes a long way!). I confess, I can’t wait! If we could leave tomorrow…but of course right now the puffins are still way out in the Atlantic Ocean. We won’t be able to see them until April-May, when they come ashore to breed. Yes, this is Puffin Year. My wish is about to be granted! I took bits and pieces of the following from Beth’s blog. MMSupport.net and the Institute for Myeloma and Bone Cancer Research are proud to announce the creation of “Ask the Expert,” a free online web-forum where myeloma and bone cancer specialist, Dr. James R. Berenson, offers medical answers to questions surrounding quality of life and longevity issues for patients living with this rare form of cancer. MMSupport.net is the creation of myeloma advocate Beth Morgan and provides an online forum where patients and caregivers can learn more about multiple myeloma (or bone marrow cancer), which occurs when plasma cells, the white blood cells that normally produce infection-fighting antibodies, undergo cancerous changes and begin to proliferate in the bone marrow. Thousands of people visit MMSupport.net every day, myeloma and bone cancer patients, caregivers and other medical professionals who actively participate in online discussions about treatment options and personal experiences. But let me get to the real reason I mentioned raisins today. I have already posted about two of these phytochemicals: betulinic acid and oleanolic acid. In vitro, both have apoptotic effects on myeloma cells. No kidding. Please see my oleanolic acid post, written back on June 18 2007, and the one on betulinic acid, July 12 2007 post; you can also see my permanent pages on both compounds. Besides, as far as I am concerned, another good reason to add a handful of raisins to my daily intake (which I do, now and again…) is that they also contain iron, and I am right at the low end of the normal serum iron range. So now, please excuse me, I am off to eat a handful of raisins! Rob Scheider, best (?) known for his role as police chief in “Jaws,” died of complications from a staph infection on Sunday. He had multiple myeloma. You can read the NY Times story here: http://tinyurl.com/3ayolx. I heard about his death on the one o’clock Italian news yesterday. The story provided no details, except that he had died after a “long illness.” To be exact, the translation from Italian would be “he disappeared after a long illness” (è scomparso dopo una lunga malattia). Disappeared. Long illness. I admit, euphemisms bother me now. I hope I don’t sound morbid (!), but now, if I am told or hear that someone has cancer, I want to know what type of cancer it is. Etc. I am no longer scared of discussing cancer and death. Before my diagnosis, though, I most certainly avoided the subject. If you ignore it, it won’t touch you, right? Wrong. Funny how things change. After. We spent the morning in the front and back gardens (we live in a row house) preparing for spring: pruning, weeding, cutting, raking leaves…we are sooooo exhausted right now. It’s on days like these that I wish we didn’t have a garden at all. Ouch, my back hurts! But then I look fondly at my pruned raspberry patch, my pomegranate tree, my herbs and all the flowers, mainly daffodils and crocuses, that are popping up everywhere, and change my mind. It really is pretty. Anyway, I thought I would post these photos I took of Peekaboo last night at the dinner table. Or rather, on the dinner table! And wouldn’t this have made a great beer ad? (P.S. In case you were wondering, I don’t drink beer, but Stefano likes a glass with dinner, sometimes). Needless to say, I was alarmed by the mention of an incredibly high amount of lead found in a “popular” curcumin brand and by the news that some brands did not provide the amount of curcuminoids stated on the label. Yikes! In order to view the report, I subscribed to Consumer Lab for an entire year. Interesting website. I am now glad I subscribed. I will be checking out other supplements as well. Another brand that was found to contain an excess amount of lead was Solgar. Surprise. But my biggest surprise was to see that Ageless Cures Curcumin C3 Complex contained only 49,3% of “claimed curcuminoids.” I have never bought or used this brand, but I know that other curcumin-takers take it. Another brand that did not pass the Consumer Lab test was Physician Formulas, which had a very low content of curcuminoids. And Vibrant Health did not specify the “plant part” used in its product, so it failed the test as well. Never heard of either of these. I am as busy as a buzzing bee today, correcting tests and preparing classes for tomorrow (etc.), so I don’t have time to post about much of anything. But I read something yesterday that made me realize that even seemingly harmless stuff like over-the-counter creams may be not so…harmless, after all. Thanks to Healthblogs’ new updated Health News Section, I was able to read the following article: http://tinyurl.com/25obv2 Scary! My recommendation: when buying anything, follow Puzzola’s example (I took this photo a couple of years ago) and keep at least one eye wide open. And use that wide open eye to read the list of ingredients. Oops, forgot something! As my family doctor pointed out to me this afternoon, my IgG has decreased compared to my pre-curcumin tests. And it has remained stable since then. I have been stable, therefore, for two years. That’s a rather important point! IL-17 and medical day: stability! Well, the answer to yesterday’s question is as follows: yes, we can. Curcumin inhibits IL-17. Figures, huh? There are three (possibly more) studies that mention the IL-17-inhibiting role of curcumin. The abstracts can be viewed here: http://tinyurl.com/2rn3jy (a 2003 study), http://tinyurl.com/ynvkdj (a 2005 study). Thanks to Sherlock, I read the full study of the third abstract, a 2004 study published in “Cellular Signaling” and titled, get this: “Interleukin-17 signal transduction pathways implicated in inducing matrix metalloproteinase-3, -13 and aggrecanase-1 genes in articular chondrocytes” (see abstract: http://tinyurl.com/2lfy7t). All these studies tell us that curcumin inhibits IL-17. Simple as that. Haematologist appointment. Stefano and I went to see my haematologist at noon today. I asked her outright to classify me. She said that I am definitely not MGUS, no way. My IgGs are too high, and let’s not forget the 40% bone marrow biopsy result (from last year). So it’s official: I’m "smouldering," which means, among other things: "to exist in a state of suppressed activity." Heh. She examined my tests more in detail and pronounced me stable. Stable as a rock. So, all good news. I asked her what the half-life of a myeloma cell is. She replied that it depends on a variety of factors, such as the type of myeloma and its proliferation rate. It can be calculated using cells from a BMB. She told me that a myeloma cell can live up to several months. MONTHS? Drat, now I am almost sorry I asked! She confirmed that I am taking the correct amount of vitamin D. She also told me NOT to stop taking curcumin when I get a cold or an infection of any sort. Even though it inhibits NF-kB, she said that stopping cold turkey (odd expression, that one, when you think of it) is not a good thing. Good to know. Let’s see. I am going down my list of questions and scribbles right now, not necessarily in order of importance. Oh, speaking of importance, this is exciting: I gave her the myeloma stem cell study (she had read the abstract, not the full study) and the DMAPT study, and she is going to find out about the DMAPT trial that should be starting soon in the UK to see if I qualify for it. She is going to contact the researchers that she knows personally. I am at a loss for words. Can’t wait to hear back from her. Gulp! She is going to push the lab technicians to get more details on my “old” bone marrow samples, which would be fantastic. And, last but not least, she is going to try to attend the upcoming presentation in Calenzano, where I will be giving a brief speech. She is leaving for a conference in Turkey that evening, so it’s iffy. Even if she isn’t able to make it, however, she is sending five people from her lab to the presentation. Five? Fabulous. As we stood up to leave at the end of the visit, she asked me to explain why there are cases of myeloma in India, if curcumin is so effective. I answered that there are only a handful of cases compared to the Western world, and besides, I managed to add with a straight face, those folks undoubtedly didn’t use turmeric in their diet. My husband let out a snort, and she gave me a big smile and shooed us out of her office. Hehe. I love my haematologist. Good sense of humour. Yes, today was a good day.

https://margaret.healthblogs.org/2008/02/page/2/

Fischer’s mental provocation points to challenges posed by the material, physical geography of the Wadden Sea to the modern, supposedly mutually exclusive categories of land and sea and the related understanding of coasts as linear, boundary features demarcating the edge of the land. The modern narrative of controlling and subduing nature, implicit in contemporary coastal engineering practices displaced historical narratives of passive acceptance which were found to be reflected in the mindsets of Hallig-islanders[i] into the twentieth century. Indeed, the spatial concept of a singular and continuous coastline and the associated perception of a sharp division of cultural and natural landscapes, dominant along the German Wadden Sea coast may be traced to culturally-embedded material spatial practices of dyke-building and coastal protection (Fischer 2011, 33-36). For social anthropologist Norbert Fischer (2007) dykes at the North Sea coast have constituted highly complex landscape boundaries, “symbolically representing patterns of spatial, cultural and social organisation of coastal communities at the North Sea” (ibid.). From the early modern period, the dykes separated the cultivated and highly fertile lands behind the dyke from the inferior, marginalised lands beyond the dykes and thus produced a spatial separation of ‘civilisation’ and ‘wilderness’ at the coast. Ludwig Fischer (2011) relates that the maxim that ‘one does not build beyond the dyke’ continues to hold sway today even at locations which are, in fact, protected from coastal flooding. This illustrates the extent to which specific socio-spatial meanings have become internalised and are constructed as ‘social certainties’ among the coastal communities at the Wadden Sea coast (2011, 31-32). … the water, besides all other factors has an unrelenting influence on our landscape. One thinks of the storm-floods, the powerful forces in the transition zone between land and sea. Man … often stands quite helpless against these forces… Nature tirelessly creates changes. Man constantly seeks to gain control… That what has been accomplished and continues to be accomplished here by dyke and drainage associations is an achievement which the East Frisians can, without hubris, be proud of (Ohling, 1963, 11). Detailed chronicles produced by the Krummhörn and Mömmerland dyke associations (both Eastern Friesland), for example, trace the lineage of dyke and drainage association structures and the names of the local dyke judges from the 1500s to the present day, testimony to a proud tradition of collective struggle against the sea (e.g. Wilken 2003). These chronicles frame the contemporary work of the dyke associations as a material practice embedded in the cultural history of the landscape and formative in the identity of the region. Although in the contemporary context, the state takes responsibility for financing coastal defence infrastructures, the role and independent status of the dyke associations in Lower Saxony in the care and maintenance of the dykes is guaranteed by law, ensuring a strong degree of continuity into the present era. The role of the dykes in protecting lives, land and livelihoods, is encapsulated today in the following motif, common to many dyke associations: ‘No dyke, no land, no life’, and attributed to the 18th Century dyke judge Albert Brahms, stressing the essential role of the dykes to life at the coast, but also reflecting the original primary purpose of the dykes in a desire to protect agricultural land from storm-floods so as to ensure greater productivity (Kramer, 1989). The Wadden Sea dykes are arguably integral to the structuring of socio-spatial relations at the coast with distinct cultural meanings attached to the lands and sea areas behind and beyond and the dykes. The dykes constitute both a material and symbolic boundary separating the natural landscape of the Wadden Sea from the cultural landscape behind the dykes. In this sense, the practice of dyke-building may be understood as a boundary-drawing process whereby the discursive categories of civilization /wilderness and cultural / natural landscape are relationally constructed as binary dualisms through the socio-material construction of spatial boundaries. The dykes represent elements of durability, fixity and stability in the socio-material construction of place and landscape at the coast, while at the same time providing a powerful reminder of the capacity for coastal landowners, and in more recent times, regional or state agencies, to dramatically alter, control and subdue the landscape. Today this binary categorization is reflected in practices of nature conservation at the German Wadden Sea coast, where a sharp distinction has been drawn between the natural landscape worthy of protection beyond the dykes and the cultural landscape behind the dykes. This reading of the landscape continues, however, to be contested from within the local coastal communities on the mainland and islands. At the height of the local opposition to the Schleswig-Holstein Wadden Sea National Park in the 1990s, protestors claimed that ‘God created the sea, the Frisians the coast’. For many, the Wadden Sea continues to represent a ‘manmade land’ that is presented or construed as ‘pure nature’ and designated as a National Park and World Heritage site. Eco-dictatorship: No Thanks! “God created the Sea, the Frisians the Coast”, protest sign in Northern Friesland. (c) Jürgen Thesing. Dr. Cormac Walsh’s current research concerns situated practices of coastal management and nature conservation at the Wadden Sea coast and is funded by the German Research Foundation (2016-2020). Allemeyer, M. L. (2006) Kein Land ohne Deich …! Lebenswelten einer Küstengesellschaft in der Frühen Neuzeit, Göttingen. Fischer, L. (2011) Küste – Von der Realität eines mentalen Konzepts, in Fischer, L. & Reise, K. (eds) Küstenmentalität und Klimawandel: Küstenwandel als kulturelle und soziale Herausforderung, München: Oekom Verlag, 31-54. Fischer, N. (2007) Zwischen Land und Meer: Der Deich als strukturierendes Element der Kulturlandschaft Nordseeküste, Landschaften – Kulturelles Erbe in Europa, Bochum, 9th June 2007. Kramer, J. (1989) Kein Deich, kein Land, kein Leben – Geschichte des Küstenschutzes an der Nordsee, Leer: Gerhard Rautenberg. Krauss, W. (2005) The natural and cultural landscape heritage of Northern Friesland, International Journal of Heritage Studies, 11:1, 39-52. Ohling, G. D. (1963) Kulturgeschichte des Krummhörn, in Ohling, G. D. (ed.) Die Acht und ihre sieben Siele: Kulturelle, wasser- und landwirtschaftliche Entwicklung einer ostfriesischen Landschaft, Pewsum, 42-50. Quedens, G. (2010) Nordsee – Mordsee, Hamburg: Ellert & Richter Verlag. Walsh, C. (2017) Metageographies of coastal management: negotiating spaces of nature and culture at the Wadden Sea, Area, DOI: 10.1111/area.12404. Wilken, M. (2003) Die alten Deichachten in der Krummhörn, in Wilken, M., Hangen, U. & Deeters, W. Ostfriesland um Schutze des Deiches, Leer: Schuster, 1-128. [i] Halligs (also known as holms) are small low-lying, often inhabited islands within the Wadden Sea, subject to seasonal flooding.

https://marinecoastalcultures.com/2018/04/11/a-man-made-land-cultural-meanings-and-material-practices-of-coastal-protection-at-the-wadden-sea/

We’ve created this guide to help you get closer to your Japanese customers. A web presence that is in tune with Japan’s culture will make your customers feel well disposed to you, and give them the confidence to do business with you. By understanding these little yet important details, you'll be in a good position right from the start in your new market. Japanese is the main spoken and written language in Japan. Should you be formal or informal when addressing your Japanese customers? When communicating with your customers, you should be formal. The customer in Japan is always treated with respect and formality. The old saying “the customer is always right” should be kept in mind when dealing with your Japanese customers. Use the term “sama” to address your customers. It is the equivalent of “sir” or “madam". Even though Japan is at the centre of many technological innovations, always remember that it is an ancient, formal, traditional culture. If you have a financial product, a legal service or are talking about money, you should always adopt a formal tone and style. The World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business 2019 report ranked Japan as 39th out of 190 countries. The Arabic 1, 2, 3 numbering system is mainly used in Japan. The traditional Kanji characters may occasionally be used. – e.g. (+81) 1234-5678 or 12-3456-7890. Numbers are nine digits long including the area code, but not including the first 0. Freephone numbers have the prefix 0121. e.g. 123,456円 or ¥123,456. Its trading three letter code is JPY. The yen note denominations are ¥10,000 ¥5,000 ¥1,000. The yen coin denominations are ¥500 ¥100 ¥50 ¥10 ¥5 ¥1. e.g. year month day. e.g. 2008年12月31日 (水) for "Wednesday, December 31, 2008." The 24-hour clock is used in Japan. e.g. 8:42 would be "8時42分. It is also perfectly acceptable to write 8:42 with the hour separated by the minutes by a colon. e.g. 午前11時 for 11 a.m. The standard working days are Monday to Friday. The Japanese consider the number 4 to be unlucky because when spoken it makes the sound “shi” which sounds the same as the Japanese word for death. Never write a customer’s name using a red typeface because this can have negative associations. Provide as much context as possible for your translators. Give them visuals where your text should appear, tell them the purpose of the communication and who the intended audience is. Avoid stringing together a dictionary translation of individual words because this can sound stiff and unnatural. Instead write Japanese from scratch to convey the meaning. It’s always a good idea to make your translator feel comfortable in asking you questions, and get your translation just right. Be cautious about literal translations, and avoid putting a Japanese sentence into an English sentence structure, as this will sound unnatural. Use a native speaker to write your communications where possible, and make sure that it is double-checked by a native speaker.

https://marketfinder.thinkwithgoogle.com/intl/en_us/guide/japan-localisation-guide/

Marquette University has admitted 3% more students for the Class of 2024 than it had at this time last year, Brian Troyer, dean of undergraduate admissions, said. The university also received 2% more applications for the Class of 2024, making for a total of nearly 15,000, Troyer said. The university’s goal for the number of enrolled students for the Class of 2024 is 2,014. Enrollment for the Class of 2023 was 1,975, 225 less than the Class of 2022. The university has been anticipating a decrease in enrollment beginning in 2026 due to demographic changes, an emailed August letter from Marquette University President Michael Lovell said. The university has taken measures to combat the upcoming financial challenges, including laying off 2.5% of Marquette employees in September and considering a potential merge for the College of Education. Marquette went test optional in June, allowing applicants to decide whether to include standardized test scores in their applications. Troyer said the university expected about 15-25% of students to apply test optional. So far 18% have chosen to apply with that option. He also said the university has seen a half point increase in the average ACT scores of admitted students, while SAT scores have remained the same. The university has also admitted 1% more students from Illinois than last year. Illinois remains the largest state with applicants to Marquette, with about 6,700 applications for the Class of 2024 are from Illinois, Troyer said. Last year, the university saw lower numbers of enrollment from Illinois. Troyer previously told the Marquette Wire that Illinois’s higher education marketplace has become more competitive. Wisconsin has also seen an increase, with 6% more applicants. There are about 3,200 applicants from Wisconsin, Troyer said. In terms of individual colleges, Troyer said some colleges have received more interest than others. The College of Arts & Sciences remains the most popular and has currently admitted 244 more students than last year. The College of Nursing has also admitted its goal for students this year. Troyer said the university has been surprised at the growing interest in the College of Health Sciences and also mentioned the strength in the college’s recruitment. Between 2014 and 2018, the college added 300 additional students to their first-year classes, William Cullinan, dean of the College of Health Sciences, said. Cullinan said the college’s research laboratories and gross anatomy facilities are draws to the university. During April, more than 4,000 high school Advanced Placement biology students visit the college’s anatomy lab, Cullinan said. Troyer also said the College of Communication has admitted more students than last year. The College of Communication was the only college to experience growth for the Class of 2023, with 11% more enrolled students than in the Class of 2022. The College of Education is ahead of pace, as well, he said. There has also been a 23% increase in black and African American students and a 12% increase in Hispanic students over last year. First-generation students make up more than 20% of applicants to Marquette for this year. Troyer said although numbers for admitted students are higher, it does not necessarily mean higher numbers of students will come to the university. He said during the spring it is important for admissions to engage with potential students for next year. “Just because we have admitted more and feel really good about the overall quality of the class, we don’t know that these students are going to come,” Troyer said. He said this distinction is increasingly important, as the number of applications to multiple colleges has increased in recent years. Strategies include events such as Admitted Students Day in April, which has a high yield rate in terms of students committing to Marquette. The event is a day for admitted students to meet with colleges they are interested in and to interact with other admitted students, according to Marquette’s website. There are also admitted student receptions across the country for Marquette. Troyer said Admissions offers individualized visits, such as tours, department visits, in which students visit a specific college, and shadow visits, in which admitted students follow a current Marquette student through their classes. Troyer also said the university has a very active social media in terms of admissions, engaging students through the admitted student Facebook page, along with other avenues such as Twitter.

https://marquettewire.org/4024070/news/university-ahead-of-pace-for-enrollment-goal-for-class-of-2024/

Is Al Franken Gay ? Comedian, producer, writer, author, and politician Alan Stuart Franken is the holder of prestigious awards including the Grammy Award, Primetime Emmy Award and WGA Award presented for his wonderful performance as a comedy expert. The witty politician has much to show for in the political front too, contributing immeasurably in the field of healthcare. He was conferred with the USO's-Metro Merit Award for his decade-long involvement. Al Franken was born on 21st May 1951 to printing salesman Joseph Franken and real estate agent Phoebe Franken, both Jews. He graduated from The Blake School in 1969. He then attended Harvard College majoring in political science, graduating cum laude with a Bachelors of Arts in 1973. He has an older brother Owen, who is a photojournalist. Franken began doing comedy in high school where he and his partner Tom Davis specialized in political satire. Franken and his partner Tom Davis worked as original writers and occasional performers on Saturday Night Live (1975-1980, 1985-1995). He has received seven Emmy nominations and three awards working as a television writer and producer, producing characters such as self-help guru Stuart Smalley. In 1986, the duo wrote the script for comedy movie One More Saturday Night where both appeared as rock singers in a band called Bad Mouth. In 1980, Franken left the show after he had mocked controversial president Fred Silverman by showing poor ratings of NBC programs, but rejoined in 1985 and worked as one of the show’s producers until 1995. He is most famous for his appearance as a commentator on the Weekend Update sketch as self-help guru Stuart Smalley. The character of Stuart Smalley was revived in Franken’s book I’m Good Enough, I’m Smart Enough, and Doggone It, People Like Me, and film Stuart Saves His Family that was commercially a disaster. He contributed to the writing and producing of the film When a Man Loves a Woman (1994), featuring Meg Ryan. Franken started his political career in 2007. He announced he would run for the Minnesota Senate on 14th February of 2007, and won the Democratic primary for Senate seat. In 2009, Franken won the election after a Minnesota court had announced in favor of Franken. In July of 2009, Franken formally got the seat. In the second election, Franken again was victorious after his opponent Mike McFadden was outvoted. Since then, he has made many lucrative propositions especially in the sector of health care. Franken authored an amendment called the Medical Loss Ratio, to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, according to which insurance companies paid 80% of the premium on health care costs and 85% in case of a large group plan. It was his proposed amendment in the healthcare sector that saved $3.4 billion consumer money on premiums and resulted in nationwide rebates of $1.1 billion in 2012 and $500 million in 2013. Franken’s wife Franni Bryson studied in Harvard with him. They decided to be with each other in the very first year. They moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota in 2005. They have a son and a daughter together. His daughter Thomasin is the director of extended learning at DC Prep, and his son Joseph is an employee at finance industry. When Franken met Bryson in Harvard in 1969 the pair immediately fell in love, as described by Bryson. They got married in 1975, while Franken had just started working for Saturday Night Live. Despite having a healthy marriage of many years, Bryson did have some complaints with her spouse. She talked about Franken’s alcoholism publically in a Senate campaign ad for Franken. Franken often gives credit to this ad as one of the major reasons he came out victorious in his Senate bid. He claims many decided to vote for him after meeting his wife. In Bryson’s official bio which presents her as “Al’s life partner and political soul mate”, it says she traveled around Minnesota trying to please everyone, “bringing pies and winning hearts” to them, with an intent to support his husband running for elections. Franken was a subject to a number of sexual harassment allegations. He was first accused of the misconduct after a radio news anchor named Leeann had said he forcibly kissed her during a USO tour in 2006. At the Minnesota State Fair in 2010, Lindsay Menz accused him of grabbing her rear while posing for a photo. Franken told he didn’t remember taking a photo with the abused. Two anonymous women have told HuffPost that Franken grabbed their buttocks at two separate events. One of the women complained the Senator attempted to bring her to the bathroom with him. Franken denied the accusation saying he didn’t remember doing such thing. A formerly elected official in New England also told the media Franken had attempted sexual misconduct on her. Altogether eight women have reported sexual misconduct against Senator Al Franken. As a result, he had to forfeit his seat. He says it would be hard for him to continue working as Senator after multiple accusations had ruined his reputation. He wasn’t left with much choice as many Senate Democrats have urged him to resign. Al Franken has a net worth of 8 million USD and used to have an annual income of $174,000 per year as the Senator which is ten times more than a typical member of Congress or Senate. From Franken’s days as comedian/writer/producer, he is speculated to have made up to $50,000 in interest in 2012 from Broadway Video Inc. He earned royalty money from scriptwriting, songwriting, performing, and producing in late night Saturday comedy show as well as in Saturday Night Live merchandising. After resigning from as the Minnesota Senator, Franken bought a home in Greenville, Alabama. He owns a condo in Minneapolis. The average cost of a condo in that area is $150,000.

https://marriedwiki.com/wiki/al-franken

Diamondhead Ventures is an early-stage technology venture capital firm investing in start-ups with disruptive innovations. Diamondhead focuses primarily on early stage opportunities and leverages close relationships with leading research universities to discover the most promising ideas. The firm believes that spin-out opportunities offer significant capital efficiency benefits by leveraging prior research and development efforts, thereby enabling Diamondhead to fund emerging technologies at lower risk and lower cost than typical early stage opportunities. Diamondhead makes initial seed and Series A investments ranging from $500,000 to $5 million. Diamondhead's sphere of technology focus includes information security, enterprise 2.0, and cross-discipline areas, such as computational biology. Unlike many venture capital firms, they will invest in a company prior to the full development of the technology and/or management team. Diamondhead was founded in 2000 and the firm's $140 million inaugural fund is currently showing returns in the top quartile for performance of vintage 2000 funds.

https://massinvestordatabase.com/publicfirm.php?name=Diamondhead+Ventures

Silverlock has a reputation as a fantasy masterpiece, but while it is quite a unique piece of work I wouldn’t call it a masterpiece. It’s also not exactly fantasy. Not really. Published in 1948, this is a story about, well, stories. Myers draws characters and situations from dozens…probably hundreds…of famous public domain stories and legends. If you enjoy spotting references, this is probably worth it on those grounds alone. People who enjoy that are the ones who label this book a masterpiece. I however don’t really find reference hunting to be all that entertaining. Consequently I was more interested in the story itself. It’s in a mode I’m not too fond of, the picaresque. The main character starts out as a thoroughly unlikable jerk but his strange journeys cause him to change. It’s all well executed, but cribbing as it does from so many sources it didn’t feel all that original until the last fourth of the book, when the story unexpectedly turns from episodic hijinks into a meditation on the meaning of life. If you’ve read many of my reviews you know this was more up my alley, and indeed I found it quite interesting. Ultimately I’m not sure many modern readers will enjoy Silverlock, but if you are widely read in pre-1900s literature you probably will find much to like, and for the rest of us ultimately there are some interesting ideas as well. If you asked me I’d say I wasn’t really a Bujold fan, but a glance at my web page reveals I’ve read almost all of her books. So maybe I’m a fan, but compared to her extremely vocal Internet cheering section I’m quite indifferent. She’s become a wonderful character writer, but she never lets her characters endure anything very bad or participate in a story where there’s any real uncertainty over the outcome. All my complaints about Curse of Chalion, the book to which Paladin of Souls is a sequel, are valid for Paladin, only more so in most cases. The main character is never particularly tested and the events of the novel are extremely predictable. This time, the scope of the novel is smaller (and thus there’s not a lot of import to the proceedings) and the protagonist changes only a little bit and this change isn’t handled very well at all. Meanwhile, the principal action of the book is rather unsatisfying, since like most magical systems in fantasy, the relgious magic Bujold has created does not benefit from close inspection, and the mechanics of it prove central to the story. If you haven’t read Curse of Chalion, you should read it before reading this. If you didn’t love Curse than give this one a pass in any case, because it is just more of the same, but watered down further. In the world of comics and “graphic novels” there are a few titles consistently mentioned as being superlative. One is Watchmen, and I was extremely impressed with it when I read it three years ago. I thought it would therefore be a good idea to read Frank Miller’s Dark Knight Returns on the grounds that anything mentioned in the same breath as Watchmen is worth my time, even if it is Batman. Unfortunately, compared to Watchmen, there’s not a lot going on in Dark Knight Returns. Much of it is just procedural. In the second half there are indeed some interesting ideas, but Miller doesn’t have the space (and possibly not the ability) to really make his case. It’s nifty to say that Batman actually inspires the “supervillains” who oppose him, and furthermore that as a vigilante he is an anarchic force, but ultimately this stuff needs more time than Miller is able to give it. Much of the Batman psychology is relegated to a few stray shots of TV talking heads debating the “Batman issue”, for example. Meanwhile, much of Batman’s world remains as difficult as ever to take seriously. Even apart from the sort of silliness that is perhaps inevitable in superhero comics, Batman only makes sense in Gotham, a film noir city of boundless crime and corruption. Maybe this was a compelling setting when Dark Knight Returns was published in 1986 and suburbanites were convinced the “inner cities” were going to soon become completely lawless, but after two decades of violent crime holding steady or declining, it all seems kind of irrelevant. Meanwhile, the action storyline is reasonably engaging and probably fun for fans of comics, but as an outsider I didn’t get much out of it. I’d recommend it to people who really like comics in general or Batman in particular, but unlike Watchmen there’s no need for the rest of us to take note. Let’s get this right out there. It’s well known that there are a lot of fantasy books that are basically Tolkien with the serial numbers filed off. Well, this is one of said works. Now, in fairness to Williams, the coming-of-age arc with the protagonist and the romance element are really ripped from Eddings (or Eddings’ influences), not Tolkien. But really I was surprised just how many elements from Lord of the Rings are reshuffled and put back on the table. Even minor details, like the Elves (never referred to with that word, but come on) sailing to the hidden West when getting sick of the world, or the big bad guy sending a sun-blocking storm out from his volcanic stronghold, show up. Oh, there’s a few elements taken from Arthurian legend and, oh yes, for some reason the Catholic Church (again sans serial numbers) makes an appearance as well, kind of like in Guy Gavriel Kay’s later work. All these well-worn elements mean that, for me at least, the trilogy could never be much more than a pleasant diversion. It’s like listening to a decent remix of a song you loved: it’s still good, but it is hardly as exciting as listening to a good new song. The good news is that if you are going to copy, you might as well copy from the best, and further Williams is a pretty good writer. As a first published effort Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn is far better executed than Guy Gavriel Kay’s similarly Tolkien inspired debut, the Finovar Tapestry trilogy. Williams does some good work both with the characters as well as the story’s intricate plot. He falls down a little bit at the ending, but all in all it is pretty well done. One more important note. This trilogy is very long, even by modern standards. Williams (in almost all his work) moves things along at a very slow pace. He’s a good enough writer to pull this off if you are willing to stay with him, but if the idea of someone spending 150 pages doing backstory on his protagonist before actually beginning the story frightens you, this isn’t for you. At least Williams finishes his series, unlike certain other long-winded fantasy authors. Note: Family Trade is actually part one of a two book series (i.e. it was really one big novel but the publisher split it into two). This review is for both. Not that there aren’t any spoilers for either, but I just want to make clear if you get one you will have to get the other to actually finish the story. There is another sequel, Clan Corporate, and my impression (haven’t read it) is that this is part one of a similar duology. Stross has acquired a reputation as a white-hot SF futurist author. I can see why, though personally he has yet to really impress me. To me he’s sort of like a poor man’s Neal Stephenson in that he brings a lot of cool ideas to the table, but unlike Stephenson doesn’t make you laugh out loud and fails to really have any meaningful character work. On the plus side, he actually writes decent endings to his books and hasn’t entered the business of disguising history textbooks as historical fiction. The Family Trade series is billed as his entry into fantasy, but don’t be fooled. This may have a magic item, but otherwise there’s no magic, and in any case the “outlook” of the story is a forward-looking, future seen as superior, science fictional view. There are also some facile comparisons to Zelazny, but while I admit Stross clearly has read the Amber books, ultimately this is nothing like Amber. No, here Stross is evoking a variation of the scientist-as-hero theme from the classic Asimov/Clarke days that is so rarely seen now, although in fact it is economics, not hard science, in this case. Many sections are reminiscent of Twain’s Connecticut Yankee in King Author’s Court, showing the modern and progressive protagonist running circles around those who are comparitively primitives. In between all this we have an action story involving guns, mines, swords, and a conspiracy. To Stross’ credit, the fact his protagonist is (like the author) an IT industry journalist and not a cigar chomping action hero only occasionally leads to some incredulous moments. No, the action mostly works. Unfortunately, in the second book Stross can’t keep all the balls in the air at once and the plot comes undone. The climax is both predictable and unsatisfying. The first book (i.e. the first half of the story) is pretty strong but with the plot coming apart, the characters are too two-dimensional for there to be anything compelling. As usual Stross does fun things with his concept, but a really satisfying story still eludes him. I feel a little bad giving this book only three stars. Vinge has become a much better writer since he became famous (within the genre, at least) for Fire Upon the Deep. Unfortunately, where his previous two books were hugely fun space opera romps, Rainbows End is a decent but occasionally plodding story with an overcomplicated plot and undercomplicated characters. Vinge has never been a master of characterization, but in his Zones of Thought books that wasn’t a big problem since the plot and world were so engaging. In Rainbows End, Vinge is more interested in touring his ideas about the future than making sure the story functions properly, so the plot never really adds up to anything half as impressive as Vinge is capable of. Meanwhile, the tour itself seems woefully incomplete. For someone who has always thought big in his fiction, Vinge is strangely parochial here, confining almost all the narrative to San Diego State University and the nearby community. Those familiar with Vinge’s biography will know that he taught there for many years, and indeed this is the only real reason for its extremely prominent presence in the book. Nevertheless, there are surprisingly few near-future science fiction novels these days so Rainbows End will likely be fairly influential, and in truth it does have a few moments of real poetry (the aside about the title, for example) and humor (the PDF). If you are interested in what life will look like with ubiquitous computing, you could do a lot worse. It’s just a shame that it wasn’t more.

https://matthilliard.wordpress.com/2006/06/

This week’s short story club story was “The Cage” by A.M. Dellamonica published on Tor.com. I guess you could call this an alternate history story, since it turns out that humanity discovered “monsterkind” in 2002 and has been struggling to deal with this right up to the present. Just what sort of monsters are out there isn’t specified beyond the werewolves around whom the story is centered, and while the story is told in a very down to earth, realistic tone the rules governing werewolf behavior are never spelled out. Does the werewolf remain a free moral agent while changed? Does their intelligence remain that of a human or does it regress toward that of a wolf? In fact, I spent the entire story struggling with the worldbuilding. Not the picture it paints of Vancouver, which seemed readily believable (and probably based to a large degree on the author’s experience there), but of everything having to do with the werewolves. It seems that werewolves successfully hid the fact they even existed right up to 2002, but now are helpless in the face of anti-werewolf vigilantes. Most of the action of the story revolves around the struggle to deal with a baby werewolf, and while that was an interesting spin on the werewolf concept, one I hadn’t seen before, it again doesn’t make sense given the story’s invented history. The werewolf’s surrogate mother comes from a long line of werewolves, and yet she seems to be inventing procedures for raising a werewolf baby from first principles. She knows a werewolf society that will take the child in but for reasons never articulated they will only do so at age five, even though it’s clearly in their best interest to keep poorly constrained baby werewolves from bringing disrepute and thus further persecution on werewolves as a whole. Also, I don’t know anything about Canadian law, but the villain apparently traveled to Canada, found a werewolf’s associate, tortured this person to get the werewolf’s location, went there and killed her, and now is in danger of escaping conviction because he said it was self defense. How is that even remotely believable? What about the whole torture thing? Was that self defense too? Since I never got over my strong sense of disbelief in the story’s world, it’s not surprising I didn’t end up caring too much about the characters and their struggles. I did find it amusing that the author managed to find a way for her progressive characters to fight The Man, complete with a climactic stare down of police officers…while at the same time pinning all their hopes for the future in the Canadian court system. In general the story seemed a little confused as to the proper role of the government and rule of law in all this. On one hand, the government was the only thing restraining the vigilantes, but on the other, half the police department were themselves vigilantes and substantial swaths of the populace (the people who will be voting for the people writing the laws in the future) seemed sympathetic to the whole killing werewolves thing. Meanwhile, one of the characters mentions that having werewolves around can be considered a benefit because they “keep the rest of monsterkind away”, implying perhaps that werewolves are themselves anti-other-monster vigilantes, or else that, well, werewolves are basically like us, but these other monsters, they don’t deserve to be integrated into society and the rule of law. And how, one wonders, do werewolves keep the bad monsters away on those days (most of them, I believe) when the moon isn’t full? I will note in passing that, in contrast to some of the other stories in this series, this one had a beginning, a middle, and an end. You wouldn’t think this would be unusual enough to be worthy of note, but, well, apparently it is. This week’s short story club story is “The Red Bride” by Samantha Henderson, published in Strange Horizons. This is a very short story. Not quite flash fiction, I suppose, but it’s well under two thousand words. The shorter a story is, the harder it becomes to tell a satisfying story. Henderson makes this even harder, in my opinion, by essentially telling two linked stories instead of one. The story is ostensibly about the titular Red Bride, related in casual second person by an unnamed alien narrator to a human child. The second story, embedded in the first, is about how this alien servant has become fond of its master’s child and wants to save him from a sort of slave uprising. The first is less a story than a concept and the latter is so simple it would be about four sentences long if presented unadorned. The narrator spends a lot of time (relative to the story’s overall length, at least) talking about the differences between Var and human ways of thinking, but never seems at all different in its own thinking and, indeed, eventually endorses the idea that humans and Var have identical psychologies. If the two species are “one under the skin”, why does the story open with several paragraphs complaining about the listener’s (and readers’) human preconceptions? As far as I can tell the Red Bride is an allegory for revolutionary rage, which is interesting, but allegory is hardly an alien mode. I spent most of the story preoccupied by what the story implies about humans in the story. The position of the servants seems mostly analogous to manor house slavery, and the narrator (who is apparently an optimist among Var when it comes to humans) takes it for granted that if humans discover they can get shiny rocks from Var corpses they will harvest them as if the Var were animals. While there’s plenty of historical examples of this sort of thing, I have a hard time believing future humans would act this way. It’s not that it couldn’t happen again…humans are gifted at rationalization…but I feel like such a regression in ethics needs to be explained. I can imagine all sorts of reasons, but none are provided. It occurs to me that while I read this story as science fiction, it might actually be fantasy. Glancing back over the story, the only thing I can point to is the “seeded race” concept, which is a trope from the science fiction tradition. But even if these are alternate humans instead of future humans, the story comes off to me as preachy, but the message (underestimating and oppressing people who look different is bad) is so widely held by the story’s likely audience I feel like this couldn’t have been the author’s intention. One of the comments on Strange Horizons calls the story “an interesting echo…of such real-life events as the Haitian uprising and the Sepoy mutiny”. At the risk of sounding like a mainstream reviewer writing off a genre story, I don’t see what purpose the genre element serves if that’s the goal. If this same story was translated into historical fiction in one of those settings, even leaving it the same length, I feel like it would be much more effective. It’s interesting to compare this week’s story to the first one, Peter Watts’ “The Things”. Both feature alien narrators meditating on the differences between themselves and humans and both revolve around conflict and misunderstandings between humans and aliens. I preferred the way “The Red Bride” positions its text in time and space versus the other narration’s lack of context, but otherwise I think “The Things” is a better story on all fronts. Part of this can be put down to length, but the hive narrator was both more interesting and far better realized.

https://matthilliard.wordpress.com/2010/10/

BERGEN, Norway - Standing NATO Maritime Group One (SNMG1) has changed its command from the United States to Norway. Rear Admiral Cashman assumed command in January 2019, with the U.S. guided-missile destroyer Gravely (DDG 107) serving as flagship for the first half of the year followed by the guided-missile destroyer Gridley (DDG 101) serving as flagship for the second half of the year. “It’s been an honor and a privilege to work together with the Allies over this past year to deter conflict, maintain the peace, and contribute to the security of all of the Alliance nations. We operated on both sides of the North Atlantic which gives the Alliance its name. NATO’s founders recognized the North Atlantic is not a barrier, it is a strategic bridge that connects the Allies, as they are connected by shared history and common values.” said the former Commander of SNMG1. Commander Skoglund will command the group from the Royal Norwegian navy Fridtjof Nansen-class frigate Otto Sverdrup (F-312). “It is with a deep respect of the splendid leadership and professionalism of the US Navy that the Norwegian Navy now takes over SNMG1,” said the new Commander of SNMG1. “NATO's maritime forces will remain available tools for our nations, and display the willingness and strength of the Alliance. I look forward to working together with the highly trained and skilled sailors of our navies and show the relevance and importance of NATO in 2020." Under Rear Admiral Cashman’s command, SNMG1 successfully completed eight major exercises, displaying Alliance’s capabilities across all warfare areas. These exercises enabled participants to quickly integrate with national air and maritime forces, strengthening NATO’s overall capabilities, flexibility and agility. SNMG1 is one of four NATO’s Standing Forces on active duty that contribute to the Alliance’s collective defence on a permanent basis. NATO’s maritime strength lies in the ability of the Standing Forces and National Response Force elements to rapidly join with high readiness, high capability national forces and task groups to deliver strategic effect. Regular training between these groups is a force multiplier and provides a collectively trained and interoperable capability that NATO can confidently deploy if necessary.

https://mc.nato.int/media-centre/news/2019/change-of-command-for-standing-nato-maritime-group-one

July 23, 2014; King Dollar is 70! Is it Now Out With the Old? Home » July 23, 2014; King Dollar is 70! Is it Now Out With the Old? Kevin: David, there’s something about 70 years. The Bible even talks about that being the length of time of a lifetime. We’re coming into a 70th anniversary of another lifetime of its own, and I think it’s worth noting this week. David: Yes, although the Bretton Woods monetary system has changed, and frankly, it has devolved from its inception to the present time, the institutions that it created are alive and well. At the same time the dollar was launched as the world’s reserve currency in 1944, you also had the creation of the IMF, and the creation of the World Bank. Kevin: I think people forget that. We hear about Bretton Woods and the dollar standard being the reserve currency of the world, but we hear about the IMF and the World Bank all the time, especially the IMF. David: And they were both spawns of the Bretton Woods monetary conference. This week marks the 70th anniversary of the conference. The monetary architecture of the modern world, as we said, was set in motion in 1944 at that conference. The conference began July 1st; I think it ended on the 22nd. Kevin: And there was a baton passed at that time. You had the empire that the sun never set on, sort of at that time passing the baton to the American generation. David: The posturing that took place between John Maynard Keynes and Harry Dexter White. The passing of the baton was one of leadership. It wasn’t just of monetary and financial importance, but there was what was obvious British acquiescence in 1956 in the Suez, when it was obvious to the world that the Brits were not really in control of their own destiny. They couldn’t do what they wanted to do. Kevin: They were not controlling their empire from afar like they had been before. David: That’s exactly right. But it was really symbolic of the power lost and transferred. Quite frankly, the transfer began a lot earlier than that. It began, and you could say, that the decline of Great Britain started in 1919-1920. Kevin: Right after World War I. David: Sure, after World War I. And that’s where Wall Street began its more or less dizzying assent, following on the heels of London and Lombard Street, Wall Street was becoming important. They were starting to lend more, they were starting to issue more in terms of stocks, and after the crash in 1921 on Wall Street, we had about an 8-9 year period where they ramped up considerably, and again, followed in the footsteps of Lombard Street. Kevin: And Lombard Street in London is the equivalent of Wall Street to us today. David: Correct, in London. Not the Lombard Street that twists and turns in San Francisco. King Edward I in the 13th century gave land to Italian goldsmiths who had come over from Lombardy, a part of Italy, and this became the center of London’s financial district, with insurance and banking emerging from the gold trade. Kevin: It sounds to me like that is something that is near and dear to your heart, the gold trade. David: Gold has always been the precursor for interesting and compelling things of a financial nature. It has served as the backdrop, and frankly, as the substructure for anything of lasting value in the world of finance. Kevin: Let’s go into that, because actually, we’ve moved somewhat from a gold standard to a gold exchange standard, and then to this Bretton Woods system. There really was a new world of finance that was born in 1944. David: That’s right. The new world of money and finance was catalyzed by World War I and World War II. It was codified in the Bretton Woods agreement and the U.S. was put, really, in the cat bird seat, in part, by the circumstances of war, and in part because of the smooth operations of Harry Dexter White, as we recently discussed. Kevin: Right. The Benn Stiel interview was fascinating – to talk, actually, to someone higher up in the CFR about the Bretton Woods system. He is an amazing historian as well, reading his book. David: Last week the BRICs, that is, Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa officially launched their own development bank. This is interesting because it happened basically a week before the 70th anniversary of the IMF and the World Bank, and it competes directly with them. It is worth looking at the timeline for sterling, that is, the UK’s currency, and its decay, and the importance of key events which ultimately led to its demise as a global reserve currency, and frankly, the marginalization of London as the primary financial capital for Europe and the world. I think, to some degree, what you have, with the launching of the BRICS’ own development bank, is a foreshadowing of things to come. Kevin: I think was should probably talk, just briefly, about what the IMF actually has done for countries, or what they claim to do. The basic idea is that if you start getting into financial trouble, you go to the IMF because that stabilizes things. What that also does is that it creates a dependence that can be used politically, and if you think about it, if you now have competition for the IMF you probably are losing a little bit of that political power that you would normally have, financially. David: Absolutely, because it is basically gifts with strings attached. It is not exactly gifts, because there is a loan that is set up by either of these institutions, and you have to commit yourself to certain reforms in order to be able to get that money. But it keeps you solvent, it keeps you whole, and it keeps whoever is in power, in power, and not facing the music, so to say, by accessing that capital from the IMF or the World Bank. Kevin: And that has been the post-World War II paradigm. Would you say that there is a paradigm shift that is occurring at this point? David: Right. We’ve discussed a book written in the 1960s by Thomas Kuhn. The title of the book is The Structure of Scientific Revolutions. He wrote about abrupt change in the world of ideas, where one view of the world is discarded, literally, in a day, and a new one is adopted overnight as its replacement. Kuhn was arguing that the old way of thinking, a paradigm, as he would call it, can quit functioning as a coherent model for a community, and he was, of course, talking about the scientific community, even as it remained a working model for that community. It is no longer coherent, but it is still the working, or operating, model for that community for some time. Why is that the case? He explores how ego and intellectual pre-commitment keep the experts entrenched, what he calls a textbook bias, where, literally, you write the textbook, all your students read the textbook, and you have another generation who believes just as you want them to, and they have a hard time stretching outside the box, so to say, in their thinking. Kevin: It is amazing how the norm does stick. He talks about this in his book, The Copernican Revolution. It was very complicated, going back to the old days of Ptolemy, where all the bodies in our solar system rotated around the earth. You could still figure it out, the math still worked. You could have retrograde motion, work that all out, but it took the equivalent of a Ph.D. to just figure out where the planets and the stars would be. Copernicus, just by changing the focus changed the paradigm. Let’s pretend the dollar has been this old Ptolemaic system. How do we start transitioning now to maybe a model that is going to be in effect in ten years? David: I think that is one of the reasons why, looking back at London, looking back at the British system, looking at the British currency, it’s only as a viable alternative, as Kuhn would say, to the old model. As that emerges, and you have new champions, people who are all for it, it is only then that the old model can be displaced by the new. So it’s not as if a failed system is recognized as a failed system, you have to have a replacement in the wings. I think that is, in essence, when you are looking at the BRICS commitment, that is, Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, these developing nations – it may be a long time in coming before they actually do replace the current dollar system as we know it today, but they are creating the alternative. And yes we have problems with the current dollar system, but until there is a viable and working model, the old will remain, and the new will be just something that is just casting a shadow into the future. David: Yes, the New Development Bank is one stepping stone in the direction of a new monetary system. We don’t think that the changes are imminent. There are practical limitations to change. If you look at the incumbent power, if you will, that the United States has, not wanting to relinquish control, and frankly, having sufficient coercive power to maintain its position. Kevin: We still have the largest navy, military, etc. David: Yes. Even with a diminishing military, we remain the world’s largest and most sophisticated, by many multiples. So the road to a new order is being paved by the developing world, with their intentions being clear. Why is there no immediate threat? Again, let’s consider the details. For all the discussion on creating a new monetary and financial design, you have a 50-billion dollar capital commitment coming into this new bank. And guess what? It’s entirely in U.S. dollars. Kevin: Isn’t that ironic then? You have a new bank that is going to compete against the dollar, yet it is dollars that are going into it. David: So breaking out of the dollar dominion, if you will, is easier said than done. When the World Bank was started in 1944, 90% of the capital contributed was in foreign currencies, and 10% was in dollars. Benn Stiel points out a number of these issues, again, his work at the CFR, and in our conversation, these just being some of the details he has put out publicly. Then consider this. Three of these countries in the BRICS, that is, Brazil, India, and China, are the largest borrowers from the existing bank, that is, the World Bank – 66 billion dollars in loans, to China, India, and Brazil. What it suggests is that the new bank is more in the idea stage and not likely to supplant or replace the Bretton Woods institutions yet. So, will you see change? Yes, it’s definite, but it’s on the horizon. Kevin: So we’re talking now about the banking system, the IMF. That was established 70 years ago this week. But we are also talking about a currency, Dave. We’re not just talking about banking systems, and those alliances. How about the dollar? Let’s look at the shift from the sterling to the dollar, because that was also accompanying that shift. David: We’ve mentioned in the past that currencies are destabilized by war, and any country that had been on a gold standard prior to military conflict usually drops the commitment to the gold standard for that period of time because they have to print like mad. So wartime inflation is a very common thing. Wartime inflation is the same thing, if want to look on the other side of the coin, as saying, the currency, itself, was devalued in order to finance the war. Well, England was financially destroyed by back-to-back wars that it found itself caught up in, and certainly, the dollar has its own pressures, we have gross financial imbalances in the U.S. today, but they are nothing like the devastating effects of war. Just one caveat. Time and the tide of events can, of course, change that. We have found ourselves embroiled in conflict very quickly, and of course, there are sometimes precipitating events, whether it is the Lusitania, or what have you, where all of a sudden we find ourselves committed to conflict, where just days before it wasn’t really on the mind, certainly of the general public – perhaps of the powers that be, that’s a different story, but at least with the general public there was no collective commitment to conflict. Kevin: Dave, sometimes we take peace for granted. We talked about the IMF. There are some ties. When you borrow from the IMF you have strings attached, and a lot of times those strings can actually guide countries away from war with us, or with our dependents, financially. But we’re making foreign policy errors right now. It seems like, even though we’re hearing from Washington that we’ve never had it so peaceably good, we’re actually seeing the fires of war seem to stream up. Foreign policy errors could change that, couldn’t they? David: Absolutely, and put us outside of the circles of influence which we have enjoyed since the end of World War II. As influence diminishes, our foreign policy is more likely to be aggressive, and less like what some academics have called soft power. Joseph Nye popularized that idea a few years back, where you gain influence and it is less coercive, when in fact, we are losing that influence, and I think it is going to swing toward a more belligerent and demanding and coercive posture in terms of our foreign policy. And you may see that in direct conflict, whether it is the Chinese, or the Russians, or what have you, where the posture is that we are defending freedom, we are trying to maintain democracy around the world, trying to defend Taiwan, whether it is the Spratly Islands and keeping the shipping lanes open in the South China Sea, or freeing Ukraine from outside tyranny, there are a number of things that may catalyze a change in foreign policy, but I don’t think it is going to be the soft power of the last several decades. Conflict is what appears to be more and more on the horizon, which may be one of those catalysts for the dollar diminishing in terms of its importance, but also its actual value. And why would we say that? Because war has always had that effect on currency. Kevin: So our M.O. as a country up to this point has been to buy influence because we’ve had money to loan out to countries that needed it. David: But we’re not the only ones in the field anymore. We have the Chinese who are financing infrastructure projects in South America. We have them going into Africa and building water dams, setting up electricity, systems related to those dams. Kevin: Russia is doing the same thing. Look at what they did with Cuba last week. David: Just here in the last few days, 90% of the 35 billion dollars owed to the Russians from Cuba was just forgiven. So whether you are investing in capital projects or you are forgiving debt, which is the albatross around the neck of a particular country, these are folks who are intent, and I think the New Development Bank, as it grows and extends its reach, once it is more mature, competes directly with this notion of influence in the world of ideas, and influence in terms of public policy and international foreign policy. They are vying for influence, not just from the U.N. Security Council, but now with direct financial strings attached. In our opinion, these are just a few of the necessary steps for the dollar-dominated financial system to be thrown out and replaced. Again, it is as if behind the scenes a new paradigm is being created. And that new paradigm is not particularly relevant today, because it is not going to be used today, but as and when the old system is, through circumstance and the tide of events, shown to be a broken system, and everyone believes that popularly, you will already have new pipes set in place to carry the liquidity, if you will, from one central bank to another. Kevin: And sometimes it can be subtle, can’t it? There are other ways of getting around the dollar-denominated system. You can slowly change the amount of reserves that banks are holding of your currency. We’ve said before, the dollar was over 70% of the reserve currency just about ten years ago, and now it has dropped down to the low 60s. David: You’re right, in terms of the importance of other currencies, or the diminishment of importance for the U.S. dollar, we still are the dominant reserve asset held by central banks. But we have begun to see a shift. It is no longer the accumulation of dollars. There is the liquidation and distribution, the flow the wrong direction out of dollars. That is one of the key variables that does still support the U.S. dollar. We have a captive audience from the world’s central banks. The second area where we are beginning to see change is in the flow of trade invoicing and settlement, again, in those alternative currencies, which makes them more important in terms of global trade and transactions in terms of imports and exports. This week is very worthy of note, with yet another swap line agreement being signed between the Swiss and the Chinese. Earlier this year we had similar agreements signed between the Bundesbank in Frankfurt and China, and then also this year we had signed between London, the Bank of England, and China. Really, what you are talking about is a shifting of the emphasis away from New York and Washington, D.C., in the direction of China’s other significant trade partners. So as a part of the agreement, the Swiss National Bank now has a quota for buying Chinese bonds. Again, when you are talking about the swap lines, this is the 25th such agreement signed by the Chinese. How many of those swap lines are being used today? Very few of them. Why go to the trouble of setting them up if they are not going to ultimately be used? And I guess we can all speculate as to what the circumstances would be under which they would use those swap lines, but I think we know full well, in the context of crisis, this is where you begin to see change, which might take a long period of time, it can occur on a much quicker time frame. Kevin: Something that Thomas Kuhn pointed out as far as scientific revolutions is that there was never a paradigm shift unless there was something else in place to replace it, right? David: Right. Our view would be that changes that repudiate the dollar and the current existing financial system won’t occur except over a 5-10, or even a 20-25 year period. But then, hold that thought in mind. We reflect on the late Frank Biancheri, who, unfortunately died this last year, and his idea that crisis compresses time. And there are undoubtedly unforeseeable events which can take years and shrink them into months. So on a normal devolutionary process, the dollar stays the reserve currency of the world for another 25 years, and it loses, at the margins, in terms of its influence, and we become more frustrated, and financing costs do go up, but only marginally. Crisis is what catalyzes, or compresses, time. Kevin: Dave, I’d like to play a thought experiment here. Let’s pretend like we are 100 years back right now. It is early in the year 1914, and we are sitting here talking about a change that we think may occur in the future, where countries move away from this grand gold standard that we have used since 1870. Early in 1914 we would maybe be saying that the way politics are adding up, we could see in the next 5-10 or 15-20 years, a move away from the gold standard. And then, the archduke and his wife were assassinated, and sure enough, almost instantly, that paradigm shifted. Now, I want to move to World War II. We could be sitting, let’s say, in 1940, 1941 even, the early part of 1941, you and I, here in America, saying, “You know, the way Hitler is moving in Africa, the way Hitler is moving in Europe at this point, we probably are going to see an intervention at some point.” And then, of course, December 7th happened. So talk about a compression of time, paradigms can shift very quickly, can’t they? David: Oh, absolutely, and again, that is a process that might ordinarily take 20-25 years – could that timeframe be compressed into just a few years or even months? I suppose it depends on the crisis, itself. Not that we have anything brewing today. Kevin: (laughter) Right, nothing’s going on. David: Just consider the calm in the markets, with geopolitics being anything but calm, frankly, at present. We have Ukraine, we have Russia, we have a coup in Thailand, we have Iraq and Syria, we have Egyptian unrest, we have Gaza and Israel, and questions that linger on each of these. But, for instance, Gaza and Israel, are they testing their ground troops, that is, Israel, in preparation for an Iranian incursion? They are looking at, perhaps, a November drop-dead date in terms of actually having an operable nuclear weapon. Kevin: Then let’s look at it from the opposite direction. What if Iran is actually testing the iron dome. David: (laughter) Sure. Kevin: Any time you are about to go to war with somebody you prod their defenses. David: We have volatility in the stock market which is near seven-year lows, which indicates that there are no concerns, whatsoever. The stock market is saying that the Federal Reserve and the central banks have the ability to smooth over any crisis. That, today, is a belief which is unquestionable. Kevin: We talked about certainty last week. It seems that the markets are just programmed right now for pure certainty, as far as the Fed just covering over anything. David: It was interesting, this morning in a Financial Times article, it started with these words: “It’s quiet – too quiet.” And we agree. It’s too quiet. Volatility this low, with this many things happening in the world, and the markets are basically saying, no, no, no, actually all is well. Our sense is, actually, that you could see things catalyze and speed up in a hurry, whether you are talking about market machinations, or geopolitical issues, which again, create conflagration that brings us into conflict with those in Europe – Eastern Europe, Russia, China, etc. Kevin: And don’t you think our ability to buy power, the soft hand versus the hard violence, is going away? We were a country that grew for other reasons than we are today. We seem to be needing money, not making money. David: What is interesting is that our credit grew at such a rapid pace through the 1980s and 1990s, and with that, we had a major growth rate. Productivity was growing, GDP was growing, and we are not seeing the growth rates of the 1980s and 1990s. Productivity benefits that we gained from the IT revolution have already been captured, and in large part, this week’s Economist points out some excellent numbers on this. In large part, those were already captured by 2005. The average productivity growth from 1947 to 2007 was 2.3%. Now, it is about 1%, according to this week’s Economist. Our growth, and what has driven growth in our economy, has shifted from demographic and income growth to credit growth. Kevin: And I think it is important to point out, there are only three ways we can grow. It’s like an equation. You either grow demographically, or you grow your income, or you borrow money – that’s credit growth. Are there any other sources of growth? David: Not really. When you look at the amount of credit growth from the early 1990s, household debt was, let’s say, 4 trillion dollars total, and it grew, to about 2007 just prior to the crackup in real estate and in the markets, to about 14 trillion, and it has actually been contracting since then. Household debt from 4-14, now at 13 trillion. Government-sponsored entities, that is, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, in that same timeframe, early 1990s, you had about 2 trillion dollars in debt, and it grew, up until the crisis in 2007, to 8 trillion – massive expansion. The asset-backed securities market was almost nonexistent in the early 1990s and was about 4 trillion. So we have seen in just those categories, growth from 6 to 26 trillion, and now we’re not seeing growth in credit. You may say, well that’s fine, we don’t need any more debt. That’s all well and good, and philosophically I would agree with you, but on a practical basis, we don’t have income growth, we don’t have demographic growth, and we have an economy that has become addicted to cheap money and an expansion of debt. And we are on track for about 2.1% currently. That is this year. That means we’re not going into recession this year, but we’re not humming along, in terms of a healthy, robust recovery, either. 3.4% GDP growth was the average GDP growth through the 1980s and 1990s, and that was with credit growth of somewhere between 6% and 8%. Now we can’t even hardly move the needle in terms of credit growth. Where do we go from here?! Kevin: If we factor in inflation, we’re actually shrinking, even now, even with the credit growth that we have. We have a population that is not increasing at the rate that it probably needed to, to sustain what it was we promised. David: In addition, we have a population that is aging. 2008 was the launching point in retirement for an entire generation, the baby boomer generation, starting in 2008. You are seeing a massive amount of people who are leaving the work force on the basis of – “It’s time. The golden years are here.” You have the largest population subset in America, and you have this implicit in the equation, with a diminished number of workers to replace that generation in the work force, let alone supply the cash flow needs for their safety net. Kevin: Now we’re talking about Social Security, right? And Medicare. So now we have immigration as a concern, as an issue, but again, we’re lacking 30-40 million people who should be in the workforce, generating an income, helping to offset the costs of a retiring class. This is where Larry Kotlikoff, the economist at Boston University, pencils out the difference between our future income as a country over the next 15-20 years, and our future expenses, all the promises we have already made, and there is a minor gap – the gap between what we are going to bring in, and the gap between what we’ve already promised. It is about a 200 trillion dollar gap. Kevin: I think you should say that again – 200 trillion dollars. I remember when you talked to Larry Kotlikoff. David: 220 is his number, to be precise, but once you get above 100, 100 versus 200, 200 versus 220, this is insanity. Kevin: What difference does it make? It is a little like standing somebody up against a 50-foot wall, or a 100-foot wall, and saying, “Jump over.” It doesn’t make any difference. Once you hit a certain number, you’re not going to do it. David: Right. Well, that’s a challenge that won’t be a real-time threat for 20 years. I guess the question is, why do we worry about today, what we can ponder tomorrow? This is really the attitude that we have adopted. Listen, Kotlikoff’s funding gap – this is future income and future expenses, and it deals with the future. Listen, we have received a legacy. This country is a rich one. But somehow the great spoiler of all legacies has come into the public square. Any guesses what that spoiler is? In this case, it’s a collective selfishness which prioritizes present benefits over and above future liabilities. Kevin: And I think I should point out to the listeners, Dave, this has been on your mind for a long time. The word legacy is probably one of the most used words in this office and with your family. I don’t know if I can give this tip right now or not, but I think that’s what you are writing a book about. David: Yes. Well, what we received was opportunity and wealth, and what we are giving to our children and grandchildren is limited opportunity, unlimited obligation and expectation – basically, the burden of our debts. How can we expect future generations to think as free agents, to create, to innovate, when they are born in, if you want to roll the clock back to Victorian England, a workhouse environment – saddled with debts, born as slaves to an earlier generation’s largesse. I don’t think that this is the legacy that we should be leaving, but it is the legacy that we are in the process of leaving. And honestly, when I ponder what politicians of both parties have allowed to develop over the last 60-70 years, coinciding with Bretton Woods, coinciding with a longer stretch of time, the existence of the Fed, because we have been able to, basically, get by on a spoonful of sugar, and never take any hard medicine. I’m not frustrated – I’m angry. In our home we often wonder why God made blood-sucking creatures. We wonder about the utility of mosquitoes, the ultimate purpose of leeches. We don’t fully understand the beauty of a tick. And then we’ve got this whole mass of poli-ticks – politicians, as it were, blood-sucking creatures back in Washington, who basically do the same thing. We have sucked the future life, in terms of the debts and obligations we have created, out of America, and it is going to take a lot of work to bring it back in. Kevin: It is interesting, people who are used to printing money, and taking other people’s money, they find different pots to reach their hand into. We talked about Social Security, and the hand has been reached into that pot. We also look at the Federal Reserve right now, who has been buying virtually all of our mortgages, all of our debts. They have been the customer that has kept the interest rates low. But Dave, I read something that really disturbs me, because if a person was worried about their bank account, they could always go into a money market fund, and that fund had a guarantee, $1 per share, and even though in the fine print they didn’t necessarily guarantee it, it was a standard that they kept to. But at this point the government is changing the rules, and it sounds to me like they are finding another forced customer for treasury bills. David: It very well could be. There are hearings this week which will determine the fate of many money market funds in terms of how they operate. Will they be treated differently? Following the discussions this week we will know. The $1 constant value of a money market fund share is going the way of the dodo bird. That is what appears to be occurring. As much as 900 billion in the money market funds assets is expected to float and fluctuate in value. That is about 35% of the total, and again, it just means that it is not the same old cash investment of yesteryear. Now, here is the exemption. There is an exemption for funds that are exclusively funded with treasury paper. Those will continue to operate on a $1 per share basis. We suspect that there might be two birds as the target, with policy stones being thrown. The policy is likely to increase treasury holdings in these money market mutual funds over corporate paper. Otherwise, money market fund companies are likely to see a mass migration of funds leaving them and going into banks. So treasuries may be the beneficiary from the increased purchases by money market mutual funds that want to maintain that status of $1 per share. Of course, with low rates, we suspect that leverage would have to be utilized to keep those money market funds operationally in the black. Because keep in mind, a money market mutual fund is supposed to pay you some degree of interest, but they also have to pay the expenses of operating the fund. In a zero interest rate environment, that means they are under pressure, which means leverage is one way that they can make up the difference, borrowing and creating a loan structure inside the fund to allow for profitability. Kevin: Let’s just stop for a second and look at this. If you are a money market fund and you are told, “Look, you can go out and buy corporate bonds and earn interest that way, but your shares will fluctuate, which means the customers who need that stability are going to not even buy that money market. Or, your other choice is to do what the Federal Reserve has been doing over the last few years. It is a new form of quantitative easing, granted, in a way, because quantitative easing was printing money and buying our own debt. Now what they are saying is, “We’re going to make one rule for corporate bonds, one rule for U.S. treasuries, and we want you to start buying what the Federal Reserve has been buying. This sounds like such a scam to me, Dave. I can see, on the surface, where a money market fund fluctuating might be, actually, a good thing. Leave those things to the free market. That would force the kind of investing that would be safe. But they are changing the rules again. The government is giving one rule for their own paper, and the corporations are going to have to compete with that. David: I couldn’t agree more. This is echoing the conversation we had with Russell Napier a number of months ago where we talked about credit rationing and the fact that the government may ultimately choose winners and losers and if corporations are at a disadvantage here, and the treasury is at an advantage, so be it. There is also something here that I think is sort of intriguing. We have looked at the Fed balance sheet. It has grown to close to 4.5 trillion dollars and the exit out of those positions is going to be very tricky. How do they do that without creating a collapse in the bond market, rising interest rates, major inflationary impact, and probably four weeks ago we were talking about reverse repurchase agreements where the Fed takes the treasury bills that they have and they basically loan them out with a guarantee to buy them back at a set price. It may be that by going through the SEC and having them change these rules, they are creating the perfect pocket for these reverse repo agreements, where there is a need for paper in the money markets, which can be met with the paper that is coming out of the Fed balance sheet, and if it goes straight from the treasury balance sheet, the Fed balance sheet could then shrink while not creating a mass inflation because the paper goes to a pocket; it basically goes around the marketplace and doesn’t cause a re-pricing of assets. Kevin: That was termed sterilization by one of our past guests. You just sterilize the money, you’ve got 4 trillion new? Well, that’s fine, we’re going to sterilize it. For the person who doesn’t understand all the mechanisms of that, let’s just put it this way. It’s basically the U.S. government holding a gun to the heads of the money market fund managers, saying, you will buy these bonds. David: Right. Conscription of capital, so to say. And this is a possibility. This is the other bird which may be taken with this particular policy stone. You may have the SEC saying, listen, we anticipate fluctuations in the value of money market funds because we anticipate fluctuations in the value of fixed income assets that are the stock and trade, the stuff that is owned by the money market mutual funds. And if we see volatility in those funds, we may find insolvency with those funds. Let’s go ahead and change the rules now so that if there is volatility in the share price, it is not going to compromise the solvency of those industry players. It may be that the SEC is acting in their own best interests, and in the industry’s best interests, with anticipated volatility on the horizon. Kevin: David, each year you have a number of our investors in the money management side of things come out and do an annual review. It is interesting because our clients fly to Durango. It’s a beautiful place to come and stay, but they come, actually, to spend time with you, and ask you key questions about their portfolios, the economy, anything that they need to do from an eye-to-eye basis. You had one of those meetings last Thursday and Friday, and I always love to hear what the questions were, because the best questions are actually asked by people who have money in the game. David: It was a real pleasure to see our clients here in our neck of the woods. We always enjoy seeing them when we are out and about traveling here and there around the world, but to have them in our own home space and be able to entertain them, be able to be hosts for them, is a real privilege for us; have them in the office, meet one-on-one with them, to bring them up to speed, but also in a larger setting, be able to present and ask questions. We went several hours and would share different insights into the marketplace and immediately have questions. It was very lively in terms of the conversation back and forth, and we did cover a lot of minutiae. Things to me that are of particular relevance today: Look at the S&P today. The S&P over the last 14 years, starting in the year 2000, in terms of nominal returns, has done pretty well. It is up about 69% from the year 2000. In real terms, if you factor in just the CPI inflation, and again, it is not necessarily the best gauge of inflation, but if you want to assume that that is what everyone is using, just impute that. It is not 69% returns, it is about 21% returns. So what your average return would have been on an inflated adjusted basis being in the S&P 500, about 1.5% per year, not compounded, just annualized. 1.5% per year for this period of time, and in the same period of time, just for an apples-to-apples comparison, we started March 24, 2000, that’s when we started our data points for the S&P nominal in real returns. Gold was at $285. $1000 would have bought you 3.5 ounces, and $1000 in the S&P, yes, now it is almost $1700, but your $1000 invested in gold is still $4620, even with a decline in the metals price. A 1/3 decline off of the peak at $1920 an ounce, and you still, with no dividends paid, with no dividends paid, but keep in mind Wall Street loves to trash gold on the basis of it not having any dividends or income, without dividends or income, your $1000 is still worth $4620. Silver is in a similar parallel track. One of the things that we like to look at is the macro trends, and what we have here is a long-term structural bull market in gold. It is not done yet. We’ve had a cyclical bear, the price has pulled back. In the same timeframe we’ve had a structural bear market in equities, and a cyclical bull, where we have a short-term uptick in price, but the long-term picture is not particularly positive. If you want to take the nominal yield on your S&P, that is, the 500 companies that are factored into the S&P, some industrials, some transports, some technologies, some financials, all of them in one big basket, 4.8% is your average nominal return, 1.5 if you are talking about an adjustment for inflation. Kevin: And if you think about the risk that a person is taking, you’ve got to love risk, and you’ve got to love volatility, and still just be happy with a 2% real return. David: What has us very concerned, particularly when we look at the last cyclical move higher in the S&P and the Dow, in the utilities, if you wanted to say all of the major U.S. equity indexes, what we don’t like is that we’ve seen roughly a 60-67% drop in volume as the price has continued to rise. And that is an anomaly. It really is an anomaly, because generally, a sustainable rise in any asset class is built on additional interest, not diminishing interest. So you’ve had diminishing interest in the U.S. stock market, even as prices have been going up. That’s not healthy. Kevin: Even with the diminishing interest, Dave, you’ve pointed out, the margin debt, the few people who are participating are mainly participating with a huge degree of margin debt. David: Right. Six months of all-time record highs, back-to-back, ending in February, from March to the present, we’ve seen a decline in margin debt, and to us, that precipitates on a 6- to 12-month basis, a major crash in the stock market. Why do we say that? Well, again, maybe this is just too backward-looking and what not to be relevant, but we hit a previous peak in the year 200 with a crash in 2001. We hit a previous peak in margin debt in 2007 with a crash in 2008. We hit a new peak in 2014, and I would suggest to you that sometime in the year 2014, or by mid-year 2015, we have a crash in the stock market. Why? You’re pulling the plug on short-term speculative funds that are in the market. Volume has been atrocious already. Again, the S&P 500, a 67% decline in volumes from what used to be the better part of 100-110 billion shares traded quarterly, and now it is about 36 billion shares on a quarterly basis. So the dynamics, the internals of the market are deteriorating even as the price goes up. That is why we are not real impressed with the price, because we don’t think that this is built on a rock, we think it’s built on sand. Kevin: I know the clientele that come out don’t have to be told this, but I’m wondering, what did you say about gold, because each person who came out has gold, obviously, that is part of the triangle, but what was your thought when asked about gold? David: In a nutshell, we like it. We look at the comparative returns over the last 14 years between gold and silver and the equities markets, and gold and silver have been the place to be. We think that the timeout which has occurred over the last 2-1/2 to 3 years is a fairly normal one. And we think it is a counter-trend move. The long-term trend is still up. We still see the stock market in a long-term downtrend. You might say, “Well, gosh, we went to new highs, how is that even possible?” We had the same kind of market behavior between 1968 and 1982. The stock market was in a bear market, even though it wasn’t in a 1929, 1931 style precipitous decline. We had a grind sideways with a gradual increase in inflation which took your real returns in the Dow and the S&P at that time deeply, deeply negative, and made it very painful. That’s not common, and most people don’t like doing that. It is certainly not popular, and it can be painful for a time, but I didn’t think that the laws of financial physics had changed, and somehow everyone else did. They bet with the central bank on the idea of something new, different, and innovative. You know what? Druckenmiller made a great deal of money working with George Soros with the Quantum fund, as one of the chief traders for the Quantum Fund, but they were willing to take outsized bets against central bank policy, and I think, frankly, if you look at central bank policy today, you’d have to say this isn’t particular sustainable. The guys and gals at the Fed who are saying, “There is a problem with the policies we have in place, we’d better fix them before it’s too late,” guess where they are from. They’re from the mid states, they are from the states that have a greater sensitivity to inflation. They’re from the states that have a better in-touch relationship with business-owners, fabricators of products, and not just those who are engineering financial products on the coasts. San Francisco and New York come to mind. Kevin: Dave, up to this point, betting against the Fed, at least over the last couple of years, would have been a bad idea. The Fed, for whatever reason, has programmed this certainty in, which makes me wonder if in this paradigm shift from the dollar, paradigm shift, ultimately, in the reserve currency, but really, maybe we’re going to have a paradigm shift much sooner than that right here in this country in our own stock market. When you have certainty, we’ve talked about this before, you have panic when it changes, when people realize, “Wait a second, I was planning wrong.” You’ve got everyone running to the exit at the same time. That’s why I asked you about gold, because really, no one ever goes broke owning an ounce of gold. It goes up, it goes down, but no one in history has gone broke owning an ounce of gold. David: I think one of the things that people often neglect is the patience to be successful as an investor. What do I mean by that? Fed policy was wrong in 2003 and 2004. They were doing the wrong thing at the wrong time, and the consequences didn’t show up until 2007 or 2008. They triggered a bubble in 2005 and 2006 and 2007, but the ultimate price to be paid for bad policy wasn’t until 3-4 years after, so if you are looking for a world of cause and effect that is instantaneous, be aware that the world doesn’t work on your timeframe, it works on its own timeframe, and so to be right on the trend is absolutely critical. Timing very tricky, admittedly, admittedly. So the policies that we have in place today, we think are going to reap the whirlwind. Is that 2016, is that 2015, is that late 2014? What is the time delay between bubbles created, burst bubbles, and the ramifications of those bubbles as you are in mop-up operations. We already know that the Fed policy is skewed and dangerous today, just as it was in 2003 and 2004. Do we know how all the pieces are going to be scattered? No, we don’t. We don’t. But we do think that gold makes a lot of sense as a means of protecting value in the context of market volatility, in the context of what we were talking about earlier – a change in the world monetary system. These are structural changes, which, if you are not anticipating, by the time you are dealing with the ramifications of them, it’s simply too late. We talked about a lot of things at the meeting when folks came to Durango. Income growth, contracting civilian work force, debt growth now is inadequate to support an economy in contraction. No passive income without outsized risk, looking at the 400 billion dollars which has been siphoned off from savers and households via repressed interest rates and redistributed banks. There are reasons why people are under pressure financially, and no, it is not fully indicated by the S&P 500 and the Dow trading at all-time highs. You have net worth as a percentage of disposable income. It is at levels reflective of any of the market peaks in the last 100 years. You may say, well that’s good. It’s only good if it is sustainable, and unfortunately, what we have found in history is that markets tend to mean-revert. They tend to go back to the other extreme. If they reach the extreme on the upside they tend to then go to the extreme on the downside. So where do you want to be? We continue to think that a position in cash, a position in gold, a position in silver, a position in very short-term U.S. treasuries – these are things that do make sense, as you sort out a comeuppance in the financial markets.

https://mcalvanyweeklycommentary.com/july-23-2014-king-dollar-is-70-is-it-now-out-with-the-old/

Physical activity has long been associated with better mental health. What's not well understood, however, is whether too much activity can negatively impact psychological well-being. As a researcher on physical activity and mental health, I often hear people say, "The more active I am, the better I feel." That suggests more physical activity is always needed to increase psychological well-being. However, you may know people who have a very physically demanding job or who train a lot and are not necessarily their better selves. Similarly, others who spend several hours sitting down report they do not feel very well at the end of the day because they have moved very little. Our group of researchers and students considered whether there is a linear link between physical activity levels and mental health and whether sedentary habits, such as sitting all day, influenced this relationship. Previous studies identified linear or inverted U-shaped relationships between physical activity and mental health. But the biggest problem with them was that the amount of physical activity was measured using a questionnaire. There is generally a significant difference between how people report their physical activity and what is measured when they use a bracelet with an accelerometer. Association between moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and mental health in a nationally representative sample of adults. We analyzed data from the Canadian Survey of Health Measures, collected between 2007 and 2012 (a sample that is representative of more than 95 percent of Canadians). That data profiled 8,000 adults who had their mental health assessed the previous week and wore a bracelet, called an accelerometer, for four to seven days. Using this material, we were able to conduct statistical analyses by taking into account variables such as gender, weight or tobacco use, which can influence the relationship between daily physical activity and mental health. Moderate to intense physical activity such as playing soccer or running for one to 50 minutes per day was gradually associated with better mental health but after that period, people reported increasingly poor mental health. When it came to physical activity such as gardening or cleaning, it took more than six hours for positive effects to appear. These effects were more pronounced when combined with moderate to high intensity physical efforts. An inverted U-shape relationship was identified between the number of steps taken per day and mental health. It showed that every step up to 5,000 could be counted toward contributing to good mental health. However, this relationship stagnates as the number of steps climbs to 16,000 and then it reverses. Association between number of steps and mental health in a nationally representative sample of adults. We also examined how the relationship between physical activity and mental health evolved with physical inactivity. A person can be very active —for example, walking 30 minutes per day, training weekly and playing hockey —and very sedentary if he or she works in an office. A sedentary lifestyle is one where we are awake, sitting or standing and doing things that don't expend much energy. It seems the benefits of physical activity are reduced the longer people are inactive. Therefore, the relationships between physical activity and mental health among Canadian adults are not necessarily linear, as studies have shown to date. Adults could likely benefit from the first few minutes of moderate to intense activity or from the first steps. The links between physical activity and good mental health seem more pronounced when people are more active and less inactive. Our results show that a key message from Darren Warburton of the University of British Columbia —"move more and sit less for better health" —could also apply to mental health. Physical activities of different intensities are all related to better mental health but too much physical activity seems to have the opposite effect. It is important to note that the study is cross-sectional so no temporal link can be identified. In other words, we cannot know if it is because Canadians are physically active that they report better mental health or if it is their good mental health that makes it easier to be active on a daily basis.

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2019-06-good-mind-body.html

On behalf of social security institutions, psychiatrists assess to what extent people with mental health problems are still able to work. However, the work capability assessments tend to be far too dissimilar. A new training ... (HealthDay)—Broadband penetration rates are considerably lower in the most rural counties, especially where access to primary care physicians and psychiatrists is inadequate, according to a study published online May 21 ... A new research report shows that a high ranking in the Human Development Index is connected with the availability of mental health services. In a comparison between 17 European and Asian countries, Norway, Switzerland and ... The rationale for the Goldwater Rule—which prohibits psychiatrists from publicly commenting on the mental health of public figures they have not examined in person—does not hold up to current scientific scrutiny, a new ... With more than 100,000 flights taking off per day, the safety of air travel is a far-reaching issue. Cuts to addiction services in England are a false economy and are instead increasing pressure elsewhere in the NHS, warns an expert in The BMJ today. Increasing the supply of psychiatrists in Ontario, Canada has not significantly improved access to psychiatric care, according to a new study from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) and the Institute for Clinical ...

https://medicalxpress.com/tags/psychiatrist/

Talking to distraught family members about the possibility of their loved one donating organs is not an easy task. As the primary care physician, begin the conversation well in advance while the patient is in good health. Medicomp, the ambulatory cardiac monitor company, has several suggestions on how to gently guide your patients through the process of first thinking about, then acting on the idea of donating their organs to those in need. Organ donation is a critical factor linked to saving the lives of countless individuals. From corneal implants to heart transplants, the preservation of life through the act of organ donation has the potential to positively impact dozens of individuals. Transplant lists are long, and waits can drag on for decades as patients succumb to poorer and poorer health. When an otherwise healthy individual passes away because of an accident, for instance, that person’s organs can help someone see, breathe more easily, or filter blood without the use of dialysis. Many patients believe organ donation will disfigure their body when they want an open casket funeral, while others have religious beliefs that the body must be whole upon death. Other individuals are simply suffering from lack of information. Your role is to fill that gap to help these patients understand their role in saving the lives of others if their lives end prematurely. First, assure the patient that his or her organs will be donated through organ procurement organizations (OPOs), not through the hospital or any network of doctors. No money is exchanged for the organs donated, and only healthy organs are transplanted. The OPOs have the final decision on which organs can be utilized and will be the point of contact for family members when the patient passes. Help the patient understand that the term “organ donation” includes tissues and corneas as well as the body’s main organs. Donated organs may include muscles and bones as well as skin. Alleviate the patient’s fears by telling him or her all recipients are tested thoroughly to ensure the transplanted organs will not be rejected and donated organs have a very good chance of successful transplantation. If a patient is not receptive to organ donation, do not press the issue. Mention it in follow-up visits as a simple, “Have you changed your mind about organ donation since the last time we met?” Time may be the decisive factor on whether a patient chooses organ donation. While discussing organ donation is never an easy task, it can be simpler. The ability to talk to a patient’s family and tell them their loved one wishes to be an organ donor is much easier than asking if that person would like to donate organs. Help yourself and the grieving family by discussing organ donation with each patient at their primary appointment or as soon as possible for established patients. Learn more about patient care and the latest in ambulatory cardiac monitors by contacting Medicomp online or at 800-23-HEART.

https://medicompinc.com/discussing-organ-donation/

Ciprofloxacin and other quinolones have been shown to cause arthropathy in immature animals of most species tested [see Warnings and Precautions ( 5.13)]. Damage of weight bearing joints was observed in juvenile dogs and rats. In young beagles, 100 mg/kg ciprofloxacin, given daily for 4 weeks, caused degenerative articular changes of the knee joint. At 30 mg/kg, the effect on the joint was minimal. In a subsequent study in young beagle dogs, oral ciprofloxacin doses of 30 mg/kg and 90 mg/kg ciprofloxacin (approximately 1.3-times and 3.5-times the pediatric dose based upon comparative plasma AUCs) given daily for 2 weeks caused articular changes which were still observed by histopathology after a treatment-free period of 5 months. At 10 mg/kg (approximately 0.6-times the pediatric dose based upon comparative plasma AUCs), no effects on joints were observed. This dose was also not associated with arthrotoxicity after an additional treatment-free period of 5 months. In another study, removal of weight bearing from the joint reduced the lesions but did not totally prevent them.

https://medlibrary.org/lib/rx/meds/ciprofloxacin-92/page/13/

Full-service global architecture firm, SB Architects, has been breaking ground in hotel, residential and mixed-use design for almost 60 years, and is delighted to announce seven new hospitality projects that are opening, in progress or breaking ground this year: Sofitel SO Los Cabos; The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Sarasota; Pendry Residences Park City; Conrad Playa Mita; Saltaire Bayfront Towers; Omni PGA Golf Resort and Spa; and Park Hyatt Los Cabos Resort. With nearly 60 years of continuous practice, SB Architects has established a world-wide reputation for excellence in the planning and design of large-scale hotels, resorts, destination resort communities, and all associated resort amenities, as well as large-scale multi-family residential and urban mixed-use projects. The dedicated staff in the firm’s San Francisco, Miami, Hong Kong and Ho Chi Minh offices successfully merges five decades of experience with the energy, drive and dedication of a second generation of partners. For more information about SB Architects, visit www.sb-architects.com.

https://meetings.travel/2019/06/04/sb-architects-unveils-seven-new-hospitality-projects-in-north-america-and-mexico/

Eric H. Nicoll (ed.), A Pictish Panorama: the story of the Picts and a Pictish bibliography, Balgavies, 1995. J.J. Aillagon, U. Roberto & Y. Rivière (ed.), Rome and the Barbarians: The Birth of a New World, Milaan, 2008. A.O. Anderson & M.O. Anderson, Adomnán’s Life of Columba, Oxford, 1991. M. Carver, Portmahomack: Monastery of the Picts, , Edinburgh, 2008. W.A. Cummins, The Age of the Picts, Stroud, 1995. W.A. Cummins, The Picts and their Symbols, Stroud, 1999. W.A. Cummins, The Lost language of the Picts, Balgavies, 2001. W.A. Cummins, Decoding the Pictish symbols, Stroud, 2009. S.T. Driscoll, Jane Geddes & Mark A. Hall (ed.), Pictish progress: new studies on northern Britain in the Middle Ages, Leiden, 2011. J.E. Ericson, O. Dersch & F. Rauch, ‘Quartz hydration dating’, in: Journal of Archaeological Science, 31 (2004), 883-902. I. Fraser (ed.), The Pictish symbol stones of Scotland, Edinburgh, 2008. I. Forsyth, ‘Language in Pictland: spoken and written’ in: E. H. Nicoll & K. Forsyth (ed.), Pictish Panorama: the story of the Picts, Balgavies, 1995. I. Forsyth, ‘Some thoughts on Pictish symbols as a formal Writing System’, in: D. Henry (ed.) The worm, the germ and the thorn: Pictish and related studies presented to Isabel Henderson, Balgavies, 1997, 85-98. I. Forsyth, Language in Pictland: the case against ‘non-Indo-European Pictish’, Utrecht, 1997. http://eprints.gla.ac.uk/2081/1/languagepictland.pdf. P. Fouracle (ed.), The New Cambridge Medieval History, vol. 1 (c.500 – c.700), Oxford, 2007. I. Fraser, The Pictish Symbol Stones of Scotland, Edinburgh, 2008. J.E. Fraser, From Caledonia to Pictland, Scotland to 795, Edinburgh, 2009. J.E. Fraser, ‘From ancient Scythia to The Problem of the Picts: thoughts on the quest for Pictish origins’ in: S. T. Driscoll, J. Geddes and M. A. Hall (ed.), Pictish Progress: New studies on northern Britain in the early middle ages, Leiden, 2011, 15-44. W. Ferguson, ‘George Buchanan and the Picts’, in: Scottish Tradition, 16 (1990-1991), 18-32. I. Gilbert, The Symbolism of the Pictish Stones in Scotland: a study of Origins, Dorchester, 1995. J.A. Giles, The Works of Gildas and Nennius, London, 1923. I. Henderson, The Picts, London, 1967. I. Henderson, ‘Pictish art and the Book of Kells’, in: R. McKitterick & D. N. Dumville (ed.), Ireland in early medieval Europe: studies in memory of Kathleen Hughes, Cambridge, 1982, 79-105. I. Henderson, ‘The implications of the Staffordshire hoard of the understanding of the origins and development of the Insular art as it appears in manuscripts and sculpture’, in: H. Geake (ed.), Papers from the Staffordshire Hoard Symposium, London, 2010. I. Henderson, The Ogham inscription of Scotland: an edited corpus, Cambridge, 1996. G. Henderson & I. Henderson, The art of the Picts: sculpture and metalwork in early medieval Scotland, London, 2004. J. Higgitt, ‘The Pictish Latin inscription at Tarbat in Ross-shire’, in: Proceedings of the Society of antiquaries of Scotland, 112 (1982), 300-321. J. Higgitt, K. Forsyth & D. Parsons (ed.), Roman, Runes and Ogham: medieval inscriptions in the insular world and on the continent, Donington, 2001. J. Higgitt & R. Spearman, The Age of Migrating Ideas: Early Medieval Art in Northern Britain and Ireland: Proceedings of the Second International Conference of Insular Art History, Edinburgh, 1991. R. Hutton, Pagan Britain, New Haven, 2013. A. Jackson, Na-Khi Religion: An Analytical Appraisel of the Na-Khi Ritual Texts, The Hague, 1979. A. Jackson, The Symbol Stones of Scotland: a social anthropological resolution of the problem of the Picts, Stromness,1984. A. Jackson, The Pictish Trail: A travellers guide to the old Pictish kingdoms, Kirkwall, 1989. A. Jackson, The Faroes: Faraway Islands, London, 1991. K. Jackson, ‘The Pictish Language’, in: F.T. Wainwright (ed.), The problem of the Picts, London, 1955, 129-166. M. Lapidge & D. Dumville (ed.), Gildas: New Approaches, Woodbridge, 1984. C.E.V Nixon & B.S. Rodgers, In praise of later Roman emperors: the Panegyrici Latini: introduction, translation and historical commentary with the Latin text of R.A.B. Mynors, Berkeley, 1994. E. Peterson, The Message of Scotland’s Symbol Stones, Aberuthven, 1996. William Reeves, Life of Saint Columba, Founder of Hy, Written by Adamnan, Ninth Abbot of that Monastery, Edinburgh, 1874. G. Rhys, Approaching the Pictish language: historiography, early evidence and the question of Pritenic, Glasgow, 2015. http://theses.gla.ac.uk/6285/7/2015RhysPhD.pdf. A. Ritchie, Perceptions of the Picts: from Eumenius to Joh Buchan, Rosemarkie, 1994. http://www.groamhouse.org.uk/index.asp?pageid=642061. J. Romilly Allen & J. Anderson, The early Christian monument of Scotland, 2 vols., Balgavies (reprint of the Edition Edinburgh 1903), 1993. R. Samson (ed.), Social approaches to Viking studies, Glasgow, 1991. R. Samson, ‘The reinterpretation of the Pictish Symbols’, in: Journal of the British Archaeological Association, 145 (1991), 29-65. J. Stuart, The sculptured stones of Scotland, 2 vols., Aberdeen, 1856-1857. https://archive.org/details/sculpturedstones01stua/page/n5. C. Thomas, ‘Animal Art in the Scottish Iron Age’, in: Archaeological Journal, 118 (1961), 14-64. C. Thomas, ‘The interpretation of the Pictish Symbols’,in: Archaeological Journal, 120 (1963), 31-64. T. Wainwright (ed.), The problem of the Picts, London, 1955. A. Woolf, From Pictland to Alba, 789-1070, Edinburgh, 2007. A. Woolf, ‘On the nature of the Picts’, in: The Scottish Historical Review, 96 (2017), 214-217. Wyatt North Publishing, History of the English People, Boston, 2014. National Library of Scotland: www.nls.uk.

https://meetthepicts.com/bibliography/

WAGS Open Day - Thursday 6th June 2013 - 10:00 to 15:00 - Units 4/5/6 48 May St, Bayswater. Previously known as Foundation Day, Western Australia Day gives us a chance to pause and reflect on the founding of our state. According to an item in The Emigrant's Friend published in London in 1848, the Swan River Colony was not a resounding success. ... "History - The first Colonists arrived at Swan River in 1829 - they found the country dreary and barren, for many miles inland, and the waters brackish. It was, however, too late to recede; they penentrated to a more fertile spot, and there established themselves on their own resources, without a house to receive them or a crop to support them."... An article in the The West Australian - Tuesday, 25 July 1905, pp3., quoted below, gives us further insight to the founding of Western Australia. The first practical step towards the founding of Western Australia was taken on March 1, 1826. On that date Lord Bathurst wrote from Downing street to Lieut. General Darling, at Port Jackson, apprising him that the sailing of two French ships on a voyage of discovery had led to the consideration of how far British possessions in the Australian seas might be prejudiced by any designs which the French might entertain of establishing them selves in that quarter. Partly in consequence of this, the despatch continued, it had been resolved to form an establishment at either Sharks Bay or King George's Sound, for it was necessary that the British projects in this direction should not be anticipated. "I am very apprehensive that King George's Sound will be found totally unfit for the purpose even of a penal settlement. I have not been able to obtain any precise information respecting it, but the communication must, I understand, be at all times tedious and difficult, and during a part of the year will be hardly practicable. I shall, however, make arrangements as soon as possible for having it examined, and for taking possession of it. The communication with Sharks Bay would be still more difficult, and would be attended with a very serious expense. "I am informed that the country around both Sharks Bay and King George's Sound is perfectly barren and destitute of vegetation. The French would, therefore, find it difficult to maintain themselves at either of these places, and I understand that the part of the coast about Sharks Bay is frequently under water." "Besides the troops, the convicts and supplies intended for this service are embarked on board the Amity, which vessel will leave the port in company with His Majesty's ship Fly, under the command of Captain Wetherall, as soon as the necessary arrangements are completed. After arriving off Western Port, Captain Wetherall will either proceed with you to King George's Sound or send Lieut. Festing, of the Fly, with you, and you will lose no time in selecting, in conjunction with Captain Wetherall or, in his absence, with Lieut, Festing such a site as may be most eligible for a penal settlement, having due regard to a safe anchorage and a good supply of fresh water, with fertile soil in the neighbourhood, and such other conveniences as can be obtained. "When the site is determined upon you will display the colours with which you are furnished for this purpose, cause the troops to fire a 'feu de joie," and observe all other formalities which are usual on such an occasion. "The soldiers and convicts are then to be employed in putting up huts for their accommodation, and for the reception of the stores, with all convenient expedition. "When this is done, and the people and stores landed, you will despatch the Amity to this port, with a detail of your proceedings, an account of the place, with a sketch of the proposed settlement and neighbouring country, and a full report on all other matters worthy of attention, particularly such observations as you may consider useful in enabling the Government to decide upon the steps which it may be proper to take with respect to a more permanent establishment. To this end, you will keep a regular journal of your proceedings from the time of your embarkation, and transmit the original, or a copy, to me for His Excellency's information. You will also keep a register of the weather, with the state of the barometer and thermometer, which are supplied for this purpose. "You will use every exertion to conciliate the natives, and with this view a supply or tomahawks and blankets Is sent as presents for them. "Copies of the indents of the convicts selected for this service are enclosed with lists of the provisions and stores. The strictest attention must be paid to the issue and care of the latter, and they must be duly accounted for. "The convicts are to be allowed a proportion of tea and argar daily, in addition to the common ration, according to the accompanying scale; but as Government has a right to their labour, no extra provisions will be allowed as a means of stimulating their exertions. It is, therefore, to be clearly under stood that the allowance of tea, sugar, and tobacco will be considered only in the light of 'indulgences', and is not to be issued in the event of misconduct. A note of the period and the fault for which prisoners may be deprived of these articles must he made by the storekeeper opposite the names of the individuals, and reported from time to time." "As soon as every necessary provision has been made for the comfort of the men and the security of the stores, you will proceed to explore the neighbouring country, so as to ascertain whether there are any rivers or other objects of importance; to examine the nature and quality of the soil, its fertility, and the purposes to which it may appear more immediately applicable with reference to the views of settlers. "In the course of two months a vessel will be despatched from hence with additional supplies and by that opportunity you will return, provided you have established the settlement and made the necessary observations on the country in the neighbourhood. You will then leave the charge of the settlement with Captain Wakefield. "Lieut. Governor Arthur, of Van Diemen's Land, has been apprised of the steps now being taken, and it is the wish of His Excellency that you inform the Lieut. Governor, by the first opportunity which may offer of the settlement having been established. Should you, from any unforeseen event, be in need of supplies which can more conveniently be furnished from Port Dalrymple than from this place, you will also, in that case, address yourself to the Commandant at that station, who will be instruct ed to communicate with you. "It is very desirable that no time should be lost in ascertaining, as far as practicable, the natural productions of the country, in order that their utility for supplying the immediate wants of the settlement, or for the purposes of commerce, may be known. With this view a gardener is to embark on board of the Amity for the purpose of collecting and bringing by the return of that vessel a collection of the vegetable productions of King George's Sound, and His Excellency expects that you will cause every facility in your power to be afforded to him in the performance of this service. "A collection of garden seeds and plants, of which a list is enclosed, is shipped under his care; and the Governor trusts that no time will be lost in preparing some ground for gardens, as well as for planting maise, of which you will observe that an ample supply is provided. "His Excellency considers it almost unnecessary to call your particular attention to the care of the livestock, as you must be fully aware of the importance of such stock to a new settlement. A supply of horned cattle will be sent to you by the first opportunity, and on this subject I have only further to add that until, the stock of the settlement be fully established, particular orders should be given to prohibit the killing of any breeding animals. "The medical duties of the expedition and settlement are entrusted by His Excellency to Mr. Isaac Scott Nind, who has been furnished with the proper instructions by the Principal Surgeon, and who is to receive 7s. 6d. per diem and rations for himself and one servant from the date of his embarkation on board of the Amity. (1) Return of deaths that have occurred, with the dates, and of the numbers actually on the spot distinguishing the healthy and the sick at the time of writing. (2) Return of stock of various kinds, showing the increase and diminution. (3) Return of land cleared, the quantity cultivated. etc. (4) Return of all the buildings erected, or erecting, giving a plan and description of each, with as correct an estimate of their actual expense or the time they will require as circumstances will admit. (5) Account of the provisions of all kinds on hand at the date of each despatch, with a note of the time to which each kind is calculated to be sufficient for the consumption of the settlement. (6) Requisition for all kinds of stores required or likely to be wanted for the use of the settlement for six months. "And I beg to suggest that the exactness of your correspondence will be much more easily preserved by numbering your letters in regular order. I purpose to observe the same rule in my communications to you, and accordingly this is marked No. 1, as being the commencement of the series. "On leaving the settlement you will be pleased to deliver these instructions to your successor, together with all other papers relating to the service." See the article in Trove here - The West Australian - Tuesday, 25 July 1905, pp3.

https://membership.wags.org.au/wa-history/329-the-founding-of-western-australia

Yesterday, Mike attended Together for Gender Equality: A Celebration of Canadian Contributions to Development, an event recognizing the great work Canadian organizations are doing around the world. The event is part of International Development Week and allowed Mike to meet with stakeholders to discuss how Canada can help improve the lives of the most vulnerable people around the world.

https://mikelake.ca/international-development-week-reception/

Mike’s acoustic solo performances have been highly praised by music stars and fans alike in the US. and the world. A gifted singer and guitarist/piano player and arranger, he will brings an unforgettable feeling to your event. His repertoire of songs ranges from the 50s to 2000s. Explore Mike’s song list. In addition to solo music, he offers duo, full band, and combined entertainment options.

https://mikemasse.com/solo

Welcome! I’m Marcia O’Malley, Visual Storyteller and owner of MMS. I’ve worked in the video industry since my college days, so I’ve seen many changes in technology. What doesn’t change is a great story. Every successful video starts with one! The tools don’t matter as much as the message. I help nonprofits, entrepreneurs and small business owners create authentic, compelling stories on video. I provide a full array of video production services from concept development, script-writing, shooting and editing to distribution. I also train folks to create their own video. Being an entrepreneur and someone who has worked and volunteered in the nonprofit sector most of my life, I know firsthand how vital technology is to increase visibility and promote growth. I also know how technology, when not used properly, can actually do more harm than good! Not sure where to start? I believe it all begins with a conversation. Let’s chat and see how video can fit into your marketing strategy. Schedule your call right now! Marcia is a video specialist & disability advocate. She lives on a hilltop in Reno, Nevada with her husband and 19 year-old son who has Down syndrome.

https://mindfulmediaservices.com/our-story/