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ArrayProcessing enhances an in-the-round performance.
This was the fifth time PUR, Germany’s biggest band, has performed at the 55,000 seat Veltins Arena, a covered football stadium for Bundesliga club Schalke of Gelsenkirchen. Each time PUR performs in-the-round, and each time with a different PA system. “This is a highly reverberant space,” explains system technician Frank Müller, “and we have tried many different PA systems and configurations to overcome this. This time, with the d&b V-Series, and using the new ArrayProcessing feature in ArrayCalc, we achieved absolutely the best result ever.”
Müller has two solid reasons for making such a statement; one entirely experiential and deductive, based on the band’s preceding tour. “We, that’s Patrick Eckerlin, the band’s front of house engineer and I, came to this idea last year. We toured arenas with V-Series and even then people thought we were a little crazy.” Why crazy? Because the d&b V-Series system, supplied by touring specialists 8days a week GmbH & Co. KG, is ostensibly a medium sized line array; even for arenas that might be considered a bit under sized. “But one by one my fellow sound engineers and system tech’s turned up at various shows and agreed it worked perfectly,” said Müller. “What determined us to extend the idea into such a big venue as Schalke was a restriction of rigging at a previous venue. For the bigger arenas, those with over a 10,000 capacity, we regularly hung delays. So usually we’d have sixteen V-TOPs a side for mains, and eight a side down the room for delays. One venue had no rigging capacity for delays. What shall we do, we asked ourselves? Well the V-Series is very lightweight and the permitted load for the flying frame is twenty four cabinets (just 838kgs inc frame), so let’s try that.” Eckerlin confirmed the decision, “It worked so well we did it for the rest of the tour; we never hung delays again.”
The second reason behind Müller’s declaration is more technically driven but no less rational, a willingness to engage with experimentation. Müller’s comment, “Hey, if you don’t take risks you’re not going to have any fun,” belied his serious intent when he first encountered the new ArrayProcessing feature. d&b Product Manager, Werner ‘Vier’ Bayer, explains how ArrayProcessing had been first presented to Eckerlin and Müller. “Tonal balance is one of the things we are examining here,” Bayer begins. “To work a room this size with throw distances up to 105m without a delay system, and to do it well, you need to address the typical shortcomings of any line array system, whatever the brand. For example the low/mids of any system tend to be concentrated in the first twenty metres and muddy the overall tonal balance. Similarly, the spectral balance and intelligibility reduces over distance. Firstly, for d&b, the Schalke concert was a great opportunity to experience such a 360° in-the-round setup in a really large scale venue.
Using the d&b ArrayCalc simulation software, the spectral and level performance targets can be defined, with the option to apply specific level drops of offsets to certain areas to create reduced level zones. To achieve the desired performance, ArrayProcessing applies a combination of FIR and IIR filters to each cabinet, which must be driven individually. This is all with an additional latency of only 5.9 ms. ArrayProcessing also applies frequency response targets for all d&b line arrays, ensuring that all systems share a common tonality, regardless of Series, column length or splay settings. ArrayProcessing enables us to control the entire behaviour of the array onto the listening areas within its mechanical given aiming zone. In other words, it’s not an excuse for designing a poorly rigged system, it’s important to optimize your arrays as you normally would in any room. The benefit of ArrayProcessing is that it allows us to refine uniform spectral (frequency response) and defined spatial (SPL over distance) as well as reinforcement parameters, resulting in a higher total directivity precisely matching the audience areas as well as continuous and seamless HFC compensation. All this without losing either d&b’s sonic signature, or compromising the system’s headroom.”
Patrick Eckerlin has long experience with PUR. “I’ve been with the band since ‘95 when I started as a PA tech. Since 2001 I took over FoH and I’ve also been Production Manager since 2010. The moment we turned the system on my first feeling was, this is the best we’ve ever done in here and ArrayProcessing made it even better. We have also had great support from d&b; they have been absolutely great assisting Frank. They do nothing without involving us directly in what they do, and we see and hear the benefits as clearly as our audiences.”
Products employed
V8 loudspeaker
V12 loudspeaker
V subwoofer
D80 amplifier
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Milan Showroom
Gres 14 mm
The values of ceramic
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Document date: 16/10/2018
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A Slice Of Home
Farm Country Cheese House is appropriately named for the striking farm country it is surrounded by in Lakeview, Mich. The cheese company is bordered by the beautiful Amish countryside that produces the milk for its cheeses. First beginning production in 1984, Farm Country Cheese House has been crafting artisanal cheeses from local Amish dairy farmers for nearly 35 years. Now producing as many as 30 varieties of cheese, the Michigan-based cheese company distributes its farm fresh products locally and across the country.
Owner Andrew Arens in the shop.
Last year, long-time husband and wife dairy farmers Andrew and Nicki Arens purchased Farm Country Cheese House, continuing the company’s legacy as a family-owned business. Andrew Arens is an alumnus of the Michigan State University Dairy Science Program, has a background in animal nutrition, and owns a 500-cow dairy farm, also on HomeWorks lines, in addition to Farm Country Cheese House. His lifelong interest in the industry and entrepreneurial spirit led to his purchase of Farm Country Cheese House, which has become a newfound passion for Arens.
Milk for the cheese is purchased locally from nearly 100 Amish farmers.
Often going from milk to cheese in the same day, Farm Country Cheese House yields between 4,000 and 8,000 pounds of cheese daily, depending on the season. “From a process standpoint, we work to keep our cheese production as simple as possible,” said Arens. “By minimizing the amount of exchanges and machines involved, the bacteria essential to cheesemaking is more intact and results in a more natural overall process and a purer product.”
While the process may be kept simple, the care put into each batch of cheese is anything but. Farm Country Cheese House’s cheesemaking process is unique, starting directly where the product comes from—the milk. “We work with the farms, sharing techniques for managing the cows’ nutrition, best milking processes, and the trucking of the milk,” said Arens. “Once the milk gets to our production facility, we take care in every step of the process.”
A large part of that care can be attributed to the cheesemakers themselves. Artisanal cheese is named for the art of the cheesemaking process. “Our cheesemakers are vital to the quality of our product,” said Arens. “It’s an art—the consistency, flavor, and overall outcome of the final product is heavily influenced by the cheesemaker’s ability to read the cheese.”
Throughout the cheesemaking process, Farm Country Cheese House works to waste as little as possible, whether that be in the energy they use or the byproducts resulting from their process, which are recycled for use as a fertilizer on the farms providing them milk. “Part of our whole process is being conscientious of all the products we handle,” said Arens.
“The environment is very important to us. That’s where it all starts—the feed and the cows.”
As a member of HomeWorks Tri-County Electric Cooperative, Arens and Farm Country Cheese House benefit from the Co-op’s commitment to preserving Michigan’s natural resources. HomeWorks Tri-County Electric and power supplier Wolverine Power Cooperative provide members with energy that is more than 60 percent carbon-free. “The co-ops’ environmental stewardship fits right in with our philosophy and goes even further towards our own efforts,” said Arens. “I appreciate that as a co-op member.”
With great care every step of the way, Farm Country Cheese House has seen tremendous growth in the past year and looks forward to expanding their variety of cheeses.
Their nearly 30 cheese varieties, including flavors like Farm Country Cheese House’s trademarked Michigan Jack, sun-dried tomato basil, bacon, truffle, and more, can be found at grocery stores across the state—all “homegrown” in Lakeview.
To learn more about Farm Country Cheese House, visit farmcountrycheese.com, and to learn about other HomeWorks members using their “homegrown” power for homegrown products in their communities, visit bit.ly/HWHomegrown.
Authored By: Brittany Kielbasa
Brittany is the communications specialist at Wolverine Power Cooperative. Brittany and her husband, Carl, live in Cadillac where they enjoy spending time outdoors and enjoying all that Northern Michigan has to offer.
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Back to Journals » Patient Preference and Adherence » Volume 9
Adherence to oral anticoagulant therapy in secondary stroke prevention – impact of the novel oral anticoagulants
Authors Luger S, Hohmann C, Niemann D, Kraft P, Gunreben I, Neumann-Haefelin T, Kleinschnitz C, Steinmetz H, Foerch C, Pfeilschifter W
Received 21 May 2015
Accepted for publication 2 September 2015
Published 23 November 2015 Volume 2015:9 Pages 1695—1705
DOI https://doi.org/10.2147/PPA.S88994
Editor who approved publication: Dr Johnny Chen
Sebastian Luger,1 Carina Hohmann,2 Daniela Niemann,1 Peter Kraft,3 Ignaz Gunreben,3 Tobias Neumann-Haefelin,2 Christoph Kleinschnitz,3 Helmuth Steinmetz,1 Christian Foerch,1 Waltraud Pfeilschifter1
1Department of Neurology, University Hospital Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, 2Department of Neurology, Klinikum Fulda gAG, Fulda, 3Department of Neurology, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
Background: Oral anticoagulant therapy (OAT) potently prevents strokes in patients with atrial fibrillation. Vitamin K antagonists (VKA) have been the standard of care for long-term OAT for decades, but non-VKA oral anticoagulants (NOAC) have recently been approved for this indication, and raised many questions, among them their influence on medication adherence. We assessed adherence to VKA and NOAC in secondary stroke prevention.
Methods: All patients treated from October 2011 to September 2012 for ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack with a subsequent indication for OAT, at three academic hospitals were entered into a prospective registry, and baseline data and antithrombotic treatment at discharge were recorded. At the 1-year follow-up, we assessed the adherence to different OAT strategies and patients’ adherence to their respective OAT. We noted OAT changes, reasons to change treatment, and factors that influence persistence to the prescribed OAT.
Results: In patients discharged on OAT, we achieved a fatality corrected response rate of 73.3% (n=209). A total of 92% of these patients received OAT at the 1-year follow-up. We observed good adherence to both VKA and NOAC (VKA, 80.9%; NOAC, 74.8%; P=0.243) with a statistically nonsignificant tendency toward a weaker adherence to dabigatran. Disability at 1-year follow-up was an independent predictor of lower adherence to any OAT after multivariate analysis, whereas the choice of OAT did not have a relevant influence.
Conclusion: One-year adherence to OAT after stroke is strong (>90%) and patients who switch therapy most commonly switch toward another OAT. The 1-year adherence rates to VKA and NOAC in secondary stroke prevention do not differ significantly between both therapeutic strategies.
Keywords: stroke, prevention, vitamin K antagonists, non-VKA oral anticoagulants, adherence
Oral anticoagulant therapy (OAT) is an effective treatment to prevent strokes in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF).1,2 As for any long-term therapy, an important prerequisite for its efficacy is the patient’s faithfulness to regular medication intake. Especially in chronic conditions, adherence is often astonishingly low, with adherence rates around 50% after 1 year.3
For decades, vitamin K antagonists (VKA) were the only option for long-term OAT. Adherence to OAT for the prevention of stroke in AF patients seems to be somewhat stronger but is still problematic considering that stroke prevention is a vital indication. A recent report from a large insurance-based US cohort in 2010 showed that more than 25% of patients prescribed warfarin for stroke prevention discontinued this treatment within the 1st year despite a low rate of hemorrhagic complications.4 Medication adherence is supported by factors such as higher levels of education, a stable social background, feeling well-informed about the therapy and a trustful patient–physician relationship, but also the severity of the illness positively influences medication adherence.5 Therefore, a stroke as a dramatic experience could reinforce adherence to OAT as a secondary prevention strategy. On the other hand, neuropsychiatric issues such as post-stroke depression and dementia could impair adherence and the delegation of medication adherence to a caregiver due to physical impairment has to be taken into consideration.
In the last few years, alternatives to warfarin and other VKAs have become available. The novel non-VKA oral anticoagulants (NOAC) targeting single coagulation factors (dabigatran – factor II, rivaroxaban, apixaban, edoxaban – factor Xa) have shown at least non-inferior risk-to-benefit profiles in randomized controlled clinical trials.6–9 Especially intracranial hemorrhage, the most feared complication of long-term anticoagulation, occurred less frequently in the NOAC arms of all aforementioned randomized controlled clinical trials.10 The advent of the novel NOAC has triggered many controversial debates. Especially the question whether NOAC may facilitate or endanger patients’ long-term medication adherence is yet unanswered.
The need for regular coagulation checks, which provide a constant feedback on medication intake, is often cited as a factor that might strengthen adherence to VKA.5 But it has also been reported that medication-associated anxiety is common among VKA-treated patients11 and the stress of regular blood tests may weigh on their medication adherence. Along this line, the superior risk-to-benefit ratio of the novel NOAC might reduce fears linked to OAT and enhance medication adherence.
We prospectively assessed and compared 1-year adherence to OAT for VKA and NOAC in the secondary prevention of stroke in a reasonably large cohort of consecutive patients from three large academic stroke centers.
We prospectively collected data on 1-year medication adherence to OAT and self-reported medication adherence for secondary stroke prevention in a registry that was run by three large academic stroke centers in Germany: Frankfurt University Hospital, Würzburg University Hospital, and Marburg University Hospital (Klinikum Fulda) (inclusion of patients from October 2011 to September 2012, end of follow-up October 2013). Dabigatran was marketed in Europe for stroke prevention in AF in September 2011. Rivaroxaban obtained approval for this indication on the EU market in December 2011. The registry was approved by the ethics committees of the Frankfurt University Hospital, Würzburg University Hospital, and Marburg University Hospital (Klinikum Fulda). Written informed consent was obtained from all patients/next-of-kin who returned the questionnaire. Verbal informed consent was obtained from patients/next-of-kin participating in the telephone interview. We noted that in these cases, there often were obstacles to mailing the written consent form and questionnaire, such as impaired mobility. Therefore, we abstained from written consent and the interviewer documented the verbal consent in written form. This consent procedure was approved by the ethics committees.
We identified all patients with the discharge diagnoses of ischemic stroke (ICD-10 code I63) or transient ischemic attack (G45) in combination with either AF detected during the hospital stay or a documented history of AF (I48), who were discharged from our stroke services from October 2011 to September 2012 (n=596). Stroke did not have to be of cardioembolic origin. With a CHA2DS2-VASc score ≥2, all these patients had an indication for OAT.12 We recorded age, sex, presence of hypertension and diabetes, National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score at admission, modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score, and antithrombotic treatment at discharge. As a noninterventional study, this registry did not interfere with physicians’ choices of OAT for secondary stroke prevention. Patient- and physician-related factors that influenced the choice of OAT have been published in a previous analysis from this registry.13
At follow-up after 1 year, all patients were sent a follow-up letter including a questionnaire addressing their current antithrombotic treatment, potential changes of therapy, and negative side effects/adverse events in the outpatient setting. We opted for a patient-centered view of adherence. Patients were accounted as adherent to the OAT installed at discharge if they reported to be taking this drug and as adherent to any OAT if they reported taking any OAT at 1-year follow-up. Additionally, the eight-point Morisky Medication Adherence Scale (MMAS-8),14,15 a self-report measure of medication adherence within the last 2 weeks, which has been reported to correlate well with pharmacy fill rates,16 was used to assess adherence to the current OAT regimen. Adherence was graded on a three-item scale of high adherence (8 points on the MMAS), medium adherence (6–7 points), and low adherence (0–5 points). Functional neurological status at 1-year follow-up was recorded by means of the self-reported mRS. If patients did not return the questionnaire, we contacted them or their next-of-kin, who had been recorded during the hospital stay, by telephone.
We recorded the choice of OAT installed at discharge and the OAT reported by the patient at 1-year follow-up and noted the respective shares of VKA and NOAC. The present analysis is focused on adherence to OAT as a secondary prevention strategy after stroke. Therefore, we selected all patients who had an OAT installed at discharge from our stroke units (n=324) for all further analyses. Our main outcome parameters were 1-year adherence to the specific choice of OAT that was installed at discharge from our stroke units. We also noted adherence to any OAT. We assessed self-reported medication adherence, factors influencing adherence, OAT switches, patient-reported reasons for changes of OAT regimens, and negative side effects and adverse events as conveyed by the patients.
We used IBM SPSS, Version 20 (IBM Corporation, Armonk, NY, USA) for data analysis and graph presentation. By means of a binominal test statistics, we compared the prescription rate between VKA and NOAC, both at hospital discharge and at 1-year follow-up. Statistical significance of between group differences of: 1) patients discharged on VKA as compared to patients discharged on NOAC and 2) patients adherent to any OAT as compared to patients who reported non-adherence or who were lost to follow-up were tested with Student’s t-test for parametric data following a normal distribution, and with chi-square test for nonparametric data. Bonferroni correction was used to adjust for multiple testing. We used a binary logistic regression model with multivariate adjustment to define factors that independently influence adherence to OAT after stroke, adjusting for age, sex, mRS at discharge, and at 1-year follow-up and choice of OAT at discharge and indicated odds ratio, 95% confidence interval, and P-values.
Response rate and survival
Of the 596 patients entered into the registry, 324 (54.4%) had an OAT installed at discharge from our stroke units. The median length of stay was 7 days, 25%–75% interquartile range 5–11 days. These patients were followed up as a secondary prevention cohort (Figure 1). At 1-year follow-up, 159 of these patients or their next-of-kin (49.1%) returned the questionnaire by mail. In 11 cases (3.4%), we received the written information from patients’ next-of-kin that the patient had died and in an additional 21 cases (6.5%), the letter was returned with the postal annotation “recipient reported deceased”. In all other cases, we attempted to contact the patient and/or next-of-kin for a telephone interview. We conducted telephone interviews with 61 patients or next-of-kin (18.8%) and were informed orally by the patients’ next-of-kin that the patient had died during the follow-up period in seven cases (2.2%), leading to a cumulative 1-year mortality rate of 12.0%. Seventy-six patients (23.5%) were lost to follow-up, which amounts to a fatality corrected response rate of 73.3% (absolute response rate 64.5%). The mRS score distribution at 1-year follow-up showed that although we received information from patients with varying degrees of disability, the majority of patients who participated in the survey were fairly independent with only 20.5% reporting an mRS ≥3 (Figure 2) and 32.7% reporting to receive nursing care of any kind at home or in an institution. There was a significant difference in the proportion of patients depending on help in the activities of daily living (mRS >2) between patients spontaneously returning the written questionnaire and patients/families participating in the telephone interview (15.8% vs 34.4%, P=0.01).
Figure 1 Flow chart illustrating the participation of patients who had an OAT installed at discharge from the stroke unit after stroke or transient ischemic attack.
Notes: aBy patient or next-of-kin. The rates indicated as % refer to the initial secondary prevention cohort of n=324 patients. To obtain the fatality corrected response rate, we calculated the ratio between completed questionnaires and the number of the entire secondary prevention cohort (n=324) minus the patients that were reported as deceased at 1 year (n=39).
Abbreviation: OAT, oral anticoagulant therapy.
Figure 2 Global neurological function of the patients at 1-year follow-up.
Note: Graded on the modified Rankin Scale score (mRS) according to the written or oral answers of patients and/or their next-of-kin. (A) All participating patients, (B) by mode of participation.
Anticoagulation rates at discharge
At discharge from our stroke units, the prescription rate was balanced between VKA and NOAC (48.5% vs 51.5% of all anticoagulated patients, binominal test statistics P=0.579). The overall OAT rates at discharge from stroke centers were balanced between the three participating hospitals (Frankfurt, 55.6%; Würzburg, 54.9%; and Fulda, 53.5%). However, we found significant heterogeneity of the percentage of NOAC among OAT prescriptions between the two university hospitals Frankfurt (60.0%) and Würzburg (67.3%) on the one side and the non university tertiary stroke center Fulda on the other side (33.8%, P<0.001 for comparisons with Frankfurt and Würzburg).
No relevant demographic differences between patient groups discharged on VKA or NOAC
There were no significant differences in age, sex distribution, prevalence of the cardiovascular risk factors hypertension and diabetes mellitus, rate of prior independence, stroke severity, and disability at discharge between the group prescribed VKA and the group that received NOAC (Table 1). Consistent with a previous analysis from our group,13 younger age was a strong but yet nonsignificant factor to prompt stroke neurologists to prescribe NOAC instead of VKA. The demographic characteristics by specific choice of OAT are detailed in Table S1.
Table 1 Demographic characterization of patients’ anticoagulated with VKA or NOAC at discharge from our stroke units
Abbreviations: mRS, modified Ranking Scale score; NIHSS, National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale; NOAC, non-VKA oral anticoagulants; VKA, vitamin K antagonists.
Anticoagulation rates at 1-year follow-up
Information on adherence to OAT in the outpatient setting at 1-year follow-up is given in Table 2 according to the specific choice of OAT that was installed at discharge from our stroke units (VKA, dabigatran, rivaroxaban). The percentage of patients lost to follow-up did not differ significantly between groups (patient group discharged on VKA, 25.5%; dabigatran, 25.9%; and rivaroxaban, 23.2%).
Table 2 Persistence to OAT at 1 year by specific choice of OAT at discharge
Notes: Bold fields mark the adherence to the OAT installed at discharge and the adherence to any OAT, both at 1-year follow-up. *Percentage of patients available at 1-year follow-up.
Abbreviations: OAT, oral anticoagulant therapy; VKA, vitamin K antagonists.
Adherence to the OAT regimen that was installed at discharge was generally acceptable for all three therapies at 1-year follow-up (VKA, 80.9%; dabigatran, 70.9%; and rivaroxaban, 83.3%) with a relevant but nonsignificant tendency toward a lower adherence to dabigatran. Comparing VKA with both NOAC grouped together, adherence did not differ significantly between both OAT strategies (VKA, 80.9%; NOAC, 74.8%; P=0.243). By contrast, adherence to the general principle of any OAT (independent of the specific drug) was very good with 92.8% of all patients available for follow-up.
Of all three groups, the patients discharged on dabigatran showed the highest switching rate to other antithrombotic therapies (28.9%) as compared to patients receiving VKA (16.4%) and rivaroxaban (11.4%). Most patients who switched therapy were prescribed another OAT, and only 5%–10% of patients in each group discontinued OAT in general during the 1-year follow-up. Patients’ self-reported day-to-day medication adherence during the last 2 weeks as expressed on the MMAS-8 correlated well with the report to be on treatment with the specific OAT that had been prescribed at discharge. A total of 81.0% of patients taking VKA reported high adherence as compared to 84.8% of patients discharged on rivaroxaban and 70.3% of patients discharged on dabigatran (Figure 3, differences not significant). Comparing VKA with both NOAC grouped together, medication adherence did not differ significantly between both OAT strategies (VKA, 83.5%; NOAC, 75.8%; P=0.153).
Figure 3 Patients’ self-reported adherence assessed with the MMAS-8.
Notes: Only the patients who had returned the written questionnaire and had filled out the Morisky score at the end of the 1-year follow-up period (n=142) were included in the analysis, excluding patients or next-of-kin who provided their information via telephone interview.
Abbreviations: MMAS-8, eight-point Morisky Medication Adherence Scale; VKA, vitamin K antagonists.
Mortality at 1-year follow-up was significantly lower in the group of patients discharged on dabigatran (3.6%) in comparison with the other two OAT groups (VKA, 17.2%; P<0.001 and rivaroxaban, 14.3%; P=0.020, significant after Bonferroni adjustment). Characterizing the patient cohort by specific choice of OAT, we noted that the patient cohort prescribed dabigatran was on average younger, had less comorbidities and a higher rate of prior independence, but these differences did not reach statistical significance in our patient sample (Table S1). Patients on dabigatran had a statistically significant lower rate of prior VKA use compared to patients prescribed rivaroxaban (11.7% vs 30.4%, P=0.022) and patients prescribed VKA (64.3%, P<0.001, both significant after Bonferroni adjustment).
Reasons to switch OAT
Among the three OAT regimens, dabigatran showed a considerably higher switching rate (28.9%) as compared to VKA (16.4%) and rivaroxaban (11.4%, Table S2). According to patient-reported reasons for treatment change, this was most often due to gastrointestinal side effects, a worsening of renal function during the follow-up period and a presumed easier use of a once daily (od) dosing regimen. Among patients who were started on VKA at discharge from our stroke units, labile international normalized ratio (INR) values were the most common reason to switch from VKA to a NOAC. Interestingly, neither patients’ concerns about VKA or NOAC nor the costs of therapy seemed to play a very important role in the decision to switch OAT during the observation period.
Factors influencing adherence to OAT after stroke
To identify factors that impede patients’ adherence to OAT after stroke, we compared the group of adherent patients (n=194) to the group of patients who reported to be non-adherent at follow-up (n=15). In a univariate analysis, the adherent group showed tendencies to be younger, with a lower disability score (mRS) and a higher degree of independence at 1-year follow-up (Table 3). The prescription frequencies of VKA and NOAC did not differ between the adherent and the non-adherent group. Multivariate analysis confirmed the degree of disability (mRS) at 1-year follow-up as an independent predictor of lower adherence (Figure 4).
Table 3 Univariate comparison of patient characteristics between persistent and nonpersistent patients
Note: §At discharge from the stroke units.
Abbreviations: mRS, modified Ranking Scale score; NOAC, non-VKA oral anticoagulants; VKA, vitamin K antagonists.
Figure 4 Multivariate analysis of factors influencing adherence to OAT in stroke patients.
Notes: We analyzed all patients with available written or oral questionnaire (n=209) and adjusted for age, sex, mRS at discharge, and at 1-year follow-up and choice of OAT at discharge. *P<0.05.
Abbreviations: CI, confidence interval; DOAC, direct oral anticoagulants; mRS, modified Ranking Scale score; OAT, oral anticoagulant therapy; OR, odds ratio; VKA, vitamin K antagonists.
In this prospective registry assessing 1-year adherence with OAT in the secondary prevention of stroke with a special focus on the impact of the novel NOAC, we found acceptable adherence rates for all three substances (VKA, 81%; dabigatran, 71%; and rivaroxaban, 83%) at 1-year follow-up but excellent adherence to the general principle of OAT for any of the three substances (92%). Patients who switched treatment most commonly switched to another OAT. The reasons for switching OAT during the 1-year observation period reflect the known disadvantages of each drug. Thus, our findings underline the assumption that the new diversity of drugs for long-term OAT will lead to the often called-for broader use of OAT in patients with AF by enabling physicians to tailor the treatment to the needs of the individual patient. In contrast, our study does not support the widespread hypothesis that the lack of regular “adherence checks” via mandatory coagulation monitoring might lead to lower adherence to NOAC.
We identified disability at 1-year follow-up, expressed on the mRS and by self-reported need of nursing care 1 year after stroke, as an independent predictor of non-adherence. This is an interesting finding and at this point, our data do not allow to answer the question whether this is mainly rooted in disability (patient only has limited cognitive and physical resources to hold up adherence or OAT is deemed dangerous in case of frequent falls) or futility (patient’s and physician’s attitude that secondary prevention is no longer worth the effort of daily medication intake due to a low quality of life).
We therefore used two alternative strategies in parallel to assess medication adherence. The questionnaire at 1-year follow-up evaluated the current treatment at that time point (persistence) as detailed by the patient. In parallel, patients completed the MMAS-8, a self-report instrument to measure day-to-day adherence. We found a very high correlation between the results of both assessment strategies. The MMAS-8 in turn has been validated to correlate well with prescription refill rates.16 Beyond that, in patients taking warfarin, high adherence scores on the MMAS-8 corresponded to a longer time in the therapeutic INR range.17
Stroke survivors are a challenging population for follow-up evaluations because of their advanced age (mean age >75 years in this registry) and disability, factors that often impair communication and mobility. The relatively small sample size of 209 patients available for 1-year follow-up clearly is a limitation of our study. It is noteworthy that patients spontaneously returning the written questionnaire were significantly less often affected by disabilities than patients who did not return the questionnaire but were available for a telephone interview. Even in comparison to age-matched populations, stroke patients show a higher mortality. This may explain the relatively low absolute response rate of 64.5%. Corrected for fatalities reported at 1-year follow-up, the response rate reached 73.3%. Since stroke recurrence and death rates are higher in AF patients not receiving OAT, it can be speculated that a relevant proportion of the patients who died during the observation period had not been adherent to OAT. However, it should be considered that the patients who died were significantly older at discharge than those available for 1-year follow-up (mean age 80.0±10.9 vs 75.6±8.2 years, P<0.05). Therefore, a proportion of deaths might have been unrelated to the use or nonuse of OAT. Most importantly, our main aim was to evaluate the impact of the novel NOAC on medication adherence in stroke survivors requiring OAT. Therefore, it is important to note that the proportion of patients lost to follow-up did not differ significantly between groups. Interestingly, mortality was significantly lower in the group of patients discharged on dabigatran in comparison to those discharged on warfarin and rivaroxaban. However, we noted that the patient cohort prescribed dabigatran at discharge was on average younger, had less comorbidities, and a higher rate of prior independence. Hence, we interpret this difference in mortality as a selection effect with the patient cohort prescribed dabigatran being considerably younger and healthier.
Patients on dabigatran showed a noticeably weaker adherence, albeit this finding did not reach statistical significance. There are several possible reasons for the relatively high switching rate of ~30%. One reason, which is often cited as a factor impeding medication adherence, is the twice daily (bid) dosing regimen. A meta-analysis of clinical trials with electrical dose-taking monitoring revealed that dose-taking compliance declined as the number of daily doses increased. In the referred meta-analysis, the compliance for od regimens was 80% and 70% for bid regimens.18 Since apixaban, another NOAC requiring bid dosing, was not yet available during the recruitment period of our registry, we cannot prove a substance-independent negative effect of bid dosing on OAT adherence. The other two reasons given by patients who switched from dabigatran (impairment of renal function and gastrointestinal adverse events) lie within the known profile of this drug. From our point of view, this should not dissuade stroke neurologists from prescribing dabigatran, especially in view of the recently published US Food and Drug Administration drug safety analysis of dabigatran in daily practice. This analysis confirmed the superior risk-to-benefit profile in comparison to VKA based on a study on more than 134,000 Medicare beneficiaries and 37,500 person-years of follow-up, now even in terms of survival.19 It may, however, be worthwhile to put special emphasis on the significance of adherence in dabigatran-treated patients.
VKA and rivaroxaban both showed good adherence rates of over 80%, with the limitation that rivaroxaban was only entering the European market during the enrollment period (EU approval of dabigatran September 2011, rivaroxaban December 2011, and apixaban November 2012) and only 35 patients discharged on rivaroxaban were available for follow-up. Among these, only four had switched treatment and none of the patients indicated a specific reason. Approximately 15% of warfarin-anticoagulated patients switched treatment, mostly to novel NOAC, and the most common reasons to switch (labile INRs and the NOACs greater ease of use) were also expected from the profile of this drug class.
The high adherence to the general principle of any OAT observed in our cohort supports the assumption that the importance of OAT in the secondary prevention of cardioembolic stroke is well-recognized among patients and physicians alike. This fits well with the assumption that prior stroke, which represents a dramatic live event, is a factor independently associated with better adherence to long-term OAT after multivariate analysis for other influencing factors.4 One limitation in this context is the fact that we do not have a control group with a less severe condition requiring OAT. Our data were collected from patients treated for stroke at three high-volume academic hospitals in Germany, so questions could be raised as to their generalizability to other medical systems. While an anticoagulation rate at discharge of 55% appears astonishingly low, it is similar but still somewhat higher than that of a study from the Get With The Guidelines-Stroke program of the American Heart Association published in 201120 (45%). So far, guidelines do not provide substantiated recommendations on when to safely resume OAT after a stroke. In the acute phase, an increased risk of intracranial hemorrhage fostered by the recent ischemic brain injury has to be weighed against the risk of a recurrent embolic stroke. However, the fact that only 64% of our registry’s patients discharged without an OAT were put on any OAT at 1-year follow-up (data not shown) should prompt stroke neurologists to reconsider the time point to resume OAT after a stroke. Rather, strong suggestions should be made to install an OAT during the rehabilitation phase or stroke patients should be even scheduled for an outpatient visit to resume OAT. A very recent single center study21 describes a patient cohort with stroke and AF of whom a substantially higher percentage (70%) were discharged on OAT. Even though the authors did not provide data on the length of stay (stroke to OAT interval) and did not systematically screen for complications associated with early installment of OAT, their data imply that it may be safe and effective to install OAT earlier than currently practised20 and that stroke centers have an important impact of the implementation of OAT for secondary stroke prevention. As supported by experimental findings,22 NOAC may be the safer alternative to VKA for early initiation of VKA. Our data and the aforementioned single center study also show a slightly better 1-year adherence to VKA than a study from the US based on insurance data.4 But we would attribute these differences rather to a growing attention toward oral anticoagulation for secondary stroke prevention than toward regional differences.
Our data, with the limitation of a relatively small but well-selected sample of patients with oral anticoagulation installed for secondary stroke prevention, show that overall adherence to OAT is strong (>90%). In our cohort of 324 patients with AF followed-up for 12 months after the initiation of OAT in the course of an ischemic stroke, we did not find a significant positive or negative effect of the specific choice of OAT (VKA or NOAC) on medication adherence. There were relevant – but in our sample not statistically significant – differences in the switching rates of the od-dosed VKA and rivaroxaban on the one hand and the bid-dosed dabigatran on the other hand, but reassuringly, patients who switched treatment mostly switched to another OAT. We conclude that NOAC, even if they do not warrant regular “adherence checks” via mandatory coagulation monitoring, do not have a negative impact on medication adherence but rather enhance OAT use by providing treatment alternatives according to individual tolerability and resources. We therefore speculate that the possibility to exchange one OAT against another might lead to a better overall anticoagulation rate in patients with an indication for OAT as secondary stroke prevention.
The MMAS-8 questionnaire was obtained from Prof Donald E Morisky. Use of the ©MMAS is protected by US copyright laws. Permission for use is required. A license agreement is available from: Donald E Morisky, ScD, ScM, MSPH, Professor, Department of Community Health Sciences, UCLA School of Public Health, 650 Charles E Young Drive South, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1772, USA. The authors received no specific funding for this work.
Dr Kraft has received a travel grant from Bayer Healthcare. Professor Neumann-Haefelin has received speaker’s honoraria from Boehringer Ingelheim and Bayer Healthcare. Professor Kleinschnitz has received personal compensation from Bayer Healthcare, Boehringer Ingelheim and BMS/Pfizer. Professor Steinmetz has received personal compensation from Bayer Healthcare and Boehringer Ingelheim. Dr Foerch received a research grant from Boehringer Ingelheim for investigating dabigatran in an experimental model of traumatic brain injury. The other authors report no conflicts of interest in this work.
No authors listed. Secondary prevention in non-rheumatic atrial fibrillation after transient ischaemic attack or minor stroke. EAFT (European Atrial Fibrillation Trial) Study Group. Lancet. 1993;342(8882):1255–1262.
No authors listed. Warfarin versus aspirin for prevention of thromboembolism in atrial fibrillation: Stroke Prevention in Atrial Fibrillation II Study. Lancet. 1994;343(8899):687–691.
Haynes RB, Yao X, Degani A, Kripalani S, Garg A, McDonald HP. Interventions to enhance medication adherence. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2005;4:CD000011.
Fang MC, Go AS, Chang Y, et al. Warfarin discontinuation after starting warfarin for atrial fibrillation. Circ Cardiovasc Qual Outcomes. 2010;3(6):624–631.
Ewen S, Rettig-Ewen V, Mahfoud F, Böhm M, Laufs U. Drug adherence in patients taking oral anticoagulation therapy. Clin Res Cardiol. 2014;103(3):173–182.
Connolly SJ, Ezekowitz MD, Yusuf S, Eikelboom J, Oldgren J, Parekh A, et al. Dabigatran versus warfarin in patients with atrial fibrillation. N Engl J Med. 2009;361(19):1139–1151.
Patel MR, Mahaffey KW, Garg J, et al. Rivaroxaban versus warfarin in nonvalvular atrial fibrillation. N Engl J Med. 2011;365(10): 883–891.
Granger CB, Alexander JH, McMurray JJ, et al. Apixaban versus warfarin in patients with atrial fibrillation. N Engl J Med. 2011;365(11): 981–992.
Giugliano RP, Ruff CT, Braunwald E, et al. Edoxaban versus warfarin in patients with atrial fibrillation. N Engl J Med. 2013;369(22): 2093–2104.
Liew A, Eikelboom JW, O’Donnell M. Randomized controlled trials of new oral anticoagulants for stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation. Curr Opin Cardiol. 2012;27(4):331–339.
Dantas GC, Thrompson BV, Manson JA, Tracy CS, Upshur RE. Patients’ perspectives on taking warfarin: qualitative study in family practice. BMC Fam Pract. 2004;5:15.
Kernan WN, Ovbiagele B, Black HR, et al. Guidelines for the prevention of stroke in patients with stroke and transient ischemic attack: a guideline for healthcare professionals from the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association. Stroke. 2014;45(7):2160–2236.
Luger S, Hohmann C, Kraft P, et al. Prescription frequency and predictors for the use of novel direct oral anticoagulants for secondary stroke prevention in the first year after their marketing in Europe – a multicentric evaluation. Int J Stroke. 2014;9(5):569–575.
Morisky DE, Ang A, Krousel-Wood M, Ward H. Predictive validity of a medication adherence measure for hypertension control. J Clin Hypertens. 2008;10(5):348–354.
Morisky DE, DiMatteo MR. Improving the measurement of self-reported medication nonadherence: final response. J Clin Epidemiol. 2011;64(3):262–263.
Krousel-Wood M, Islam T, Webber LS, Re RN, Morisky DE, Muntner P. New medication adherence scale versus pharmacy fill rates in seniors with hypertension. Am J Manag Care. 2009;15(1):59–66.
Wang Y, Kong MC, Ko Y. Psychometric properties of the 8-item Morisky Medication Adherence Scale in patients taking warfarin. Thromb Haemost. 2012;108(4):789–795.
Claxton AJ, Cramer J, Pierce C. A systematic review of the association between dose regimens and medication compliance. Clin Ther. 2001;23(8):1296–1310.
US Food and Drug Administration. FDA drug safety communication 05/13/2014 on Pradaxa (dabigatran). Silver Spring, MD: US Food and Drug Administration. Available from: http://www.fda.gov/safety/medwatch/safetyinformation/safetyalertsforhumanmedicalproducts/ucm397179.htm. Accessed April 10, 2015.
Lewis WR, Fonarow GC, Grau-Sepulveda MV, et al. Improvement in use of anticoagulation therapy in patients with ischemic stroke: results from Get With The Guidelines-Stroke. Am Heart J. 2011;162(4):692–699.
Sauer R, Sauer EM, Bobinger T, et al. Adherence to oral anticoagulation in secondary stroke prevention – the first year of direct oral anticoagulants. J Stroke Cerebrovasc Dis. 2015;24(1):78–82.
Gliem M, Hermsen D, van Rooijen N, Hartung HP, Jander S. Secondary intracerebral hemorrhage due to early initiation of oral anticoagulation after ischemic stroke: an experimental study in mice. Stroke. 2012;43(12):3352–3357.
Supplementary materials
Table S1 Demographic characterization by specific choice of OAT
Notes: Patient characteristics at discharge. #In comparison to VKA; $in comparison to rivaroxaban. *P<0.05; ***P<0.001 after Bonferroni correction.
Abbreviations: OAT, oral anticoagulant therapy; SD, standard deviation; VKA, vitamin K antagonists.
Table S2 Reasons to switch therapy during the 1-year follow-up period
Notes: *Patients available at 1-year follow-up. Patients could provide more than one reason in the questionnaire.
Abbreviations: DOAC, direct oral anticoagulants; INR, international normalized ratio; VKA, vitamin K antagonists.
Download Article [PDF]
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When does labour start?
How do you know if it's started? There's a sure sign; regular contractions. When the contractions get as frequent as three in ten minutes, it could be time to go.
It’s week 38 From now on, all pains and contractions – in fact, anything happening around the middle of your body – needs to be carefully monitored, especially by the person with the big tummy Because now might be the time!
Never mind that your estimated due date is in two weeks Babies sometimes arrive two weeks early By this stage, all mothers are hoping for this, with no exceptions Of course, the baby might equally be two weeks late… But you’d rather forget this possibility when your belly feels like a lead weight, it’s impossible to find a comfortable sleeping position and you hardly remember what your feet look like
Practice contractions
But how do you know it’s really started? After all, minor pains are to be expected around this time Your tummy contracts and becomes as hard as rock at regular intervals But that’s probably only Braxton Hicks contractions
In movies, labour always starts with the waters breaking It looks dramatic, but in real life it’s usually a more gradual affair The waters dribble rather than gush But labour can also start before the waters break
Regular contractions
There’s only one sure sign that labour has started: contractions Regular contractions that become progressively more intense and frequent Sometimes they may subside, but they’ll start up again
Now you know you’re in labour!
(The labour actually started a few weeks ago, when a hormone began to soften the cervix Most women don't feel this happening, but some say that it feels like mild period pains or a slight aching in the back)
Stay home as long as you feel comfortable
This is the real thing and it's starting to hurt Now your cervix is ripening and it’s time to call your LMC
But you can stay home as long as you feel comfortable Many mums-to-be prefer staying at home, sitting in their own bath, lying on their own bed and drinking from their own mug Others feel safer going into hospital as soon as they can
Contractions every three minutes
When the contractions are happening regularly at the rate of about three every 10 minutes and you no longer want to sit around at home, your LMC will probably advice you to head to the hospital
You're anxious you may not get there in time… But don’t worry – this very rarely happens
Time to go to the hospital How does the baby experience the delivery Rupturing of the waters
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Lafayette council blasts lawmaker’s letter on…
Lafayette council blasts lawmaker’s letter on big housing project
Councilman wants state Sen. Skinner investigated
State Sen. Nancy Skinner comes under criticism from the Lafayette City Council on Jan. 13 for her letter warning the city that it “likely” violated new housing laws over the big Terraces apartment project. (Kristopher Skinner/Bay Area News Group)
By Jon Kawamoto | jkawamoto@bayareanewsgroup.com | Bay Area News Group
LAFAYETTE — Lafayette council members expressed indignation Monday and objected to a state lawmaker warning the city that it “likely” violated new housing laws having to do with a big apartment proposal.
“I’ve actually never been more outraged than in my three years on the City Council,” said Councilman Cameron Burks. “Period. Never.”
Burks was responding to a Dec. 11 letter by state Sen. Nancy Skinner, D-Oakland, who said that Senate Bill 330 and Senate Bill 167, which she wrote, “may impact a project that is currently before you: the Terraces of Lafayette project.”
“I believe the senator has represented in her letter a clear will of corruption and unethical public policy practice that should be formally investigated,” Burks said at Monday’s council meeting. “It is a matter of integrity, and I believe strongly that any reasonable person who reads this letter … would identify her implied motivation and reason for sending this to the (Lafayette) mayor as to influence our decision on the project referenced — and that ain’t going to happen.”
However, the council decided to postpone its response to Skinner until its Jan. 27 meeting, citing two main reasons. Councilman Steve Bliss was absent at Monday’s meeting, and other council members would like to hear what he has to say. The council members also want to consult with the city attorney, who also was not at the meeting, about the impact of the letter on the Terraces project.
In her letter, Skinner said that SB 330 “is intended to help California communities quickly build housing without altering local zoning rules.” She said the bill limits a local government’s authority to downzone or enact policies that reduce the number of housing units allowed, retroactive to January 2018.
Skinner also wrote that SB 167 “increases the burden of proof that a local agency has to meet to deny a project that meets local zoning rules.”
“During the multiyear period this application has been before the city, the city downzoned the affected property in July 2018,” Skinner wrote in her letter. “This downzoning is likely to be in conflict with the provisions of SB 330,” which became law on Jan. 1.
“The provisions of both SB 167 and SB 330 likely impact not only the Terraces project but any project consistent with local zoning rules,” the letter continued.
Skinner’s letter focused on a July 23, 2018, decision by the Lafayette City Council. At that time, the council rezoned the Deer Hill property from administrative professional space, which permits multiple-family buildings with up to 35 dwelling units per acre, to low density single-family residential, which allows a maximum of two dwelling units per acre.
Burks asked for an investigation on “how this letter came to be — who compelled her to write this?”
“I mean, she’s not reading the newspapers,” Burks said. “Somebody had to go in there and or a group had to go in there and ask her to do this, lobby her to do this, and she did it.”
Burks also criticized Lafayette’s state representatives — state Sen. Steve Glazer, D-Orinda, and Assemblywoman Rebecca Bauer-Kahan, D-Orinda. Burks said both failed to object to Skinner’s action.
Vice Mayor Susan Candell agreed with Burks.
“When I read that letter, the absolute first thought was, ‘Who wrote this?’ There is no way she knew this, and I don’t know how to get at that — if we have to take legal action against her or if they’re just public records requests we can make to find out who was visiting her,” Candell said.
Councilwoman Teresa Gerringer said she was “surprised” by the letter and said it was not the usual protocol for a state lawmaker to weigh in on issues in a district she does not represent.
Mayor Mike Anderson opposed an attack on Skinner and expressed reservations about filing a lawsuit or an ethics complaint. But he said he “felt that (the letter) was inappropriate and unnecessary.”
Skinner did not respond Tuesday to repeated requests for a response to the council members’ comments.
Ever since it was proposed in March 2011, the Terraces plan on Deer Hill Road by the O’Brien Land Company has been marked by controversy.
The plan has been the subject of 20 public hearings, a lawsuit, a state court ruling and a failed referendum in June 2018 called Measure L that sought voter approval of 44 houses instead of apartments. The property covers 22 acres off Deer Hill and Pleasant Valley roads near Highway 24.
east bay regional
Jon Kawamoto
is a reporter covering the Lamorinda area, Danville and San Ramon. He was the Hills weeklies editor, in charge of the Alameda Journal, Berkeley Voice, El Cerrito Journal, The Montclarion and The Piedmonter. He previously worked as an editor with the Los Angeles Times, the Contra Costa Times and the Oakland Tribune. Kawamoto is a central California native and a graduate of Fresno State University.
Follow Jon Kawamoto @jonkawamoto
Google protesters disrupt ‘Future of Downtown San Jose’ event
The event, attended by nearly 400 influential city leaders, developers and stakeholders, cost $115 to attend.
Gov. Newsom cheers Kaiser $25 million pledge to California housing fund
Calling California's homeless crisis a public health issue, hospital giant Kaiser Permanente on Friday pledged $25 million to a new state fund aimed at getting people off the streets.
An orphaned California teen is being forced out of his grandparents’ senior community because he’s too young
A 15-year-old orphan is being forced from the Arizona senior community where he lives with his grandparents after the homeowner's association said it could face legal issues if he stayed.
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Home > Horoscopes > Gemini 2020 Horoscope
Mars in Sagittarius will have a negative impact on your relationships. Disagreements with your partner, friends, family or colleagues will be on the menu. You will regularly be criticized for making mistakes, which is never nice. Don't bury your head in the sand, admit that you're not perfect instead!
Venus in Aries will put your friendships under the spotlight. You will be surrounded with people you love and enjoy making exciting plans with. You will have as much fun as possible with your best buddies this month. Just because you're getting older doesn't mean life has to start getting boring!
Mercury retrograde will cause you to be pretty distracted in the workplace. This isn't the right time to start resting on your laurels, my Gemini friend! Your colleagues are desperate to pounce on you next mistake... Work as hard as you can to adapt to the changes currently taking place on the professional front.
Venus in your sign has beautiful surprises in store for you. You could fall in love or find new ways to enjoy yourself in the bedroom with your partner. You will be in a playful, outgoing and optimistic mood! An exciting encounter will spice up your everyday life... You will feel so close to that person in very little time!
Venus retrograde in your sign will force you to analyze your feelings this May. It's time for you to figure out whether you're ready to commit to your latest partner or not! Do you like that person enough to settle down with them? Being in a long-term relationship is a pretty big deal for a Gemini!
The Sun and Venus in your sign will help you feel great from both a physical and mental point of view. You're always so happy when you're in love! In a creative mood, you will enjoy redecorating your home or looking for original ways to move your career forward. Taking each day as it comes will do you a world of good!
Mars moving in Aries will encourage you to move your projects forward. You will be obsessed with bringing one of your ideas to life this July, but you could struggle to find the funds and allies needed to do so because of Mercury retrograde. Don't be afraid to ask as many people as possible for help!
The Sun and Mars will help you expand your network and make a name for yourself on the professional front. You will know how to sell yourself, and people you've worked with in the past will recommend your services to new clients or potential employers. Useful, especially for those of you who are unemployed!
Mars retrograde will delay the launch of a project, probably because it isn't viable in its current form. Mercury and Libra will encourage you to make the necessary changes to this idea of yours, while Venus in Leo will introduce you to people likely to help you bring it to life: keep on smiling!
The sun in Libra will help you feel dynamic and good about yourself this month. Creative by nature, you will enjoy trying out innovative ideas in the workplace. But Mercury retrograde will urge you not to spread yourself too thin: bring a project to completion before thinking about launching the next one!
Venus in Libra will have a romantic and sensual month in store for you. You will be in the mood to enjoy yourself in the bedroom! Those of you who are still single could finally feel ready to settle down in a serious relationship. You will be likely to get intimate with an existing friend of yours!
Jupiter and Saturn moving to Aquarius should mark the start of a new era, especially on the professional front. Getting out of your comfort zone has been your priority for a while. Look for a job that would allow you to travel the world! Experiencing different cultures will teach you a variety of new skills. You can be so proud of yourself!
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Welcome to Ein Hod
A Nature Reserve
Rural Lodging
What would you like to do in Ein Hod?
See Art
Take a Workshop or a Tour
See a Live Show
Have fun with the kids
Go on Vacation
Up on Mt. Carmel, in the heart of a splendid nature reserve overlooking the Mediterranean Sea, stands the Artists Village of Ein Hod – a unique home of a thriving community of painters, sculptors, musicians, actors, and metal, glass, and stone artists – who live and work in one of Israel’s finest spots, between the mountain and the sea.
Ein Hod is a true gem between the mountains and the sea.
Find out what awaits you in Ein Hod
Introducing: the Janco Dada Museum
Want to find out how the Artists Village of Ein Hod was established? Visit its artistic origin at the Janco Dada Museum, where you will learn all about the revolutionary and rebellious spirit that motivated the founders – Dadaists one and all.
Want to know what Dada is?
More about the museum
The Ein Hod Amphitheater
Picture this: The day has been rather warm and humid, but now you sit under starry summer skies and the rising sea breeze makes it cool and pleasant. You are in a small amphitheater styled in ancient Roman stonemasonry, surrounded by woods. It is almost full, the seats have all been taken, and excitement rises. Soon your favorite artist will come on stage and appear before you, within reach!
More about the Amphi
The Ein Hod Artists Gallery
If you wish to feel the artistic pulse of Ein Hod, the Central Artists Gallery is the place to see. Surprisingly, this is one of Israel’s largest galleries, with five exhibition halls and alternating shows by local and visiting artists. It is a mythological institution whose story is woven into the village’s life.
More about the Artists Gallery
About Ein Hod
The Artists Village of Ein Hod sits on a hill overlooking the beaches of Atlit and a Crusaders’ fortress, off the old Tel Aviv-Haifa Highway. It was established in 1953, based on a concept devised by a group of artists led by Marcel Janco – building the first Israeli artists’ village to provide its residents with a supportive and creative framework. Though the first decades were hard, the founders persisted thanks to their ideals and vision, which promoted the only artists village in Israel.
More about Ein Hod
Arrival Map
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The Royal Mews - The Gold State Coach
The most spectacular coach at the Royal Mews is the Gold State Coach, built in 1762.
Jayne Pedigo Wilson
The Royal Mews is the permanent home of the Gold State Coach. It is kept on display inside, complete with a team of model horses in harness. The walls surrounding the coach are adorned with paintings of the Coach throughout history.
Royal State Coach. Photo Jayne Pedigo
Built in 1762, the Gold State Coach has been used at every Coronation since George IV. It was most recently used for the Queen's Silver Jubilee in June 1977.
The Gold State Coach weighs four tons and is 24 feet long and 12 feet high. The coach is gilded and features painted panels by Giovanni Cipriani and rich gilded sculpture including three cherubs on the roof and four tritons, one at each corner.
The body of the coach is slung by braces covered with morocco leather and decorated with gilt buckles.
The State Coach is pulled by a team of eight horses wearing the Red Morocco harness. Originally driven by a coachman, now the horses are ridden by postillion riders.
TravelAll About HorsesGet Involved
The Royal Mews - The Royal Carriages
The Royal Mews is home to the many carriages that are used in the ceremonial and everyday life of the Royal Household.
The Royal Mews - The Stables
For horse-loving visitors to the Royal Mews like myself, the highlight of the trip is a visit to the stables.
Great Riding Destinations
In honor of Queen Elizabeth's Diamond Jubilee, read Jayne Pedigo Wilson's six-part story on the Royal Mews, home to the Queen's horses and carriages.
The Royal Mews -- The Royal Messenger
Twice each day, the Royal Messenger leaves the Mews to deliver dispatches from Buckingham Palace to St. James Palace. Even though Buckingham Palace and St. James Palace are in constant communication via email and fax, the traditional of the royal messenger goes on.
The Royal Mews - Riding School
The horses of the Royal Mews are ridden and trained in the Riding School, built in 1765.
Video: Equitrekking in Jordan: The Royal Stables
Visit the Royal Stables with Equitrekking host Darley Newman and HRH Princess Alia on this special insiders' tour. Viewers learn about the history and characteristics of the Arabian breed in Darley's interview with HRH Princess Alia, as award winning Arabian horses are showcased.
Video: Equitrekking in Jordan: Petra, the Royal Stables, the Dead Sea
Part of the Emmy winning Equitrekking TV show on PBS, "Equitrekking Jordan: Petra, Royal Stables & Dead Sea" highlights some of the best of classic Jordan, including Petra, the Dead Sea, Amman, Jordan's Royal Stables, Mt. Nebo and Madaba.
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(-) Remove Corporate Disclosure filter Corporate Disclosure
Prospectus X Brexit X CESR Archive X IFRS Supervisory Convergence X Corporate Disclosure X
15/03/2000 00-FESCO-A Implementation of Article 11 of the ISD: Categorisation of investors for the purpose of Conduct of Business Rules CESR Archive CESR Document PDF
15/03/2000 00-040 Press release- FESCO agrees on an European definition of "Professional investors" CESR Archive, Press Releases Press Release PDF
A common categorisation of investors for the application of Rules on Investor Protection is a major contribution to a common regulation of the European Single Market for financial services.
10/05/2000 00-055b Press release- FESCO proposes to create a passport for European issuers CESR Archive, Press Releases Press Release PDF
In order to facilitate European Companies to make EU-wide based offers or listing in Europe, FESCO proposes to create a passport for European issuers. The paper proposes a cross-border use of the Shelf Registration system in the EU and explores other possibilities to facilitate the mutual recognition of prospectuses. The paper is open for public consultation for a period of 3 months.
10/05/2000 99-098e FESCO Proposes the creation of a European passport for issuers CESR Archive Final Report PDF
In order to facilitate European Companies to make EU-wide based offers or listing in Europe, FESCO proposes to create a passport for European issuers. The paper proposes a cross-border use of the Shelf Registration system in the EU and explores other possibilities to facilitate the mutual recognition of prospectuses
29/06/2000 00-096l A European Regime Against Market Abuse CESR Archive Final Report PDF
01/09/2000 00-099b Stabilisation and Allotment: «A European Supervisory approach» CESR Archive Speech PDF
68.35 KB With this paper, FESCO proposes : (1) a harmonised regulatory treatment of stabilisation practices by way of defining a
25/09/2000 Compilation-offering Status of implementation of the standards for participants in an offering CESR Archive Final Report PDF
25/09/2000 00-094b Press release- FESCO proposes new common regulatory responses for the European Simple Market for Financial Services CESR Archive Press Release PDF
21.63 KB The members of FESCO have decided to publish two key papers contributing to the EU Action Plan for Financial Services :
15/11/2000 Fesco/99-127 1999-2000 Report on the activities of FESCO CESR Archive Annual Report PDF
20/12/2000 00-138b A European Passport for Issuers- Report to the European Commission CESR Archive Final Report PDF
17/01/2001 01-002 Press release- A European Passport for Issuers, A Report for the EU Commission CESR Archive Press Release PDF
35.63 KB In the frame of the Financial Services Action Plan, FESCO has issued a report for the EU Commission containing proposals to improve cross border offering. The proposals in this paper would deliver the objective of home State control of the prospectus for cross-border offerings while, at the same time, maintaining appropriate protection for investors.
01/02/2001 00-124b Consultative Paper on "the Harmonisation of Core Conduct of Business Rules for Investor Protection" CESR Archive Consultation Paper PDF
951.84 KB FESCO has adopted in March 2000 a paper on the "Implementation of article 11 of the ISD: Categorisation of investors for the purpose of conduct of business rules" (00-FESCO-A) and agreed to start a consultation on a new paper on "The harmonisation of core conduct of business rules for investor protection" (ref. FESCO/00-124b). These two documents are intended to be complementary and part of the same exercise, aimed at providing a harmonised framework for the provision of investment services throughout EEA. First, intermediaries have to categorise their clients on the basis of the criteria laid down in the FESCO document, then, depending on the outcome, either the retail or the professional regime will apply. The elaboration of these documents is a significant contribution to the EU Action Plan for Financial Services developed by the European Commission and will contribute to enhancing investor confidence and, therefore, to the implementation of efficient and transparent financial Markets in Euope. The document is open to public consultation for a period of 3 months.
07/02/2001 01-007 Press release- FESCO consultative paper on the "Harmonisation of Core Conduct of Business Rules for Investors Protection" CESR Archive, Press Releases Press Release PDF
FESCO agrees to start a consultation on a new paper on "the Harmonisation of Core Conduct of Business Rules for Investors Protection" (ref. FESCO/00-124b). This paper complements the paper adopted in March 2000 on the categorisation of investors for the purpose of conduct of business rules. The elaboration of these documents is a significant contribution to the EU Action Plan for Financial Services. The document is open to public consultation for a period of 3 months.
15/02/2001 Lamfalussy Report Lamfalussy Report CESR Archive Reference PDF
398.94 KB The final report by the Committee of Wise Men establishing CESR
23/03/2001 ResolutionStockholm Stockholm Resolution CESR Archive Reference PDF
18.53 KB Resolution of the European Council on more effective securities market regulation in the European Union Stockholm, 23 March 2001
01/06/2001 01-037b Second Consultation Paper "Stabilisation and Allotment- an European supervisory Approach" CESR Archive Consultation Paper PDF
75.56 KB Fesco consults on a revised version of the earlier consulation paper published in September 2000. The purpose of the paper is to offer substantial harmonisation of key elements of the offering process. The paper has been prepared by an expert group chaired by Kaarlo J
11/06/2001 01-035b Consultative Paper on Proposed Standards for Alternative Trading Systems CESR Archive Consultation Paper PDF
104.9 KB Fesco consults on a proposal for common European standards for Alternative Trading Sytems (ATS's) with the view to providing appropriate regulation under the Instrument Services Directive (ISD) of instruments firms operating ATS\'s. These proposals have been prepared by an expert group chaired by Howard Davies, Chairman of the UK FSA. Responses to the questions posed in the paper, as well as any general comment, are welcomed by end of August 2001.
11/06/2001 01-103 Press release- FESCO consults on the regulation of Primary market practices- Stabilisation and Allotment CESR Archive Press Release PDF
16.25 KB Fesco consults on a revised version of the earlier consultation paper published in September 2000. The purpose of the paper is to offer substancial harmonisation of key elements of the offering process.
11/06/2001 01-097 Press release- FESCO consults on the regulation of Alternative Trading Systems (ATS) CESR Archive Press Release PDF
17.18 KB Fesco consults on a proposal for common European standards for Alternative Trading Systems (ATS) with the view to providing appropriate regulation under the Instrument Service Directive (ISD) of instrument firms operating ATSs.
19/06/2001 01-095 Press release- Agreement on the Charter of the Committee of European Securities Regulators CESR Archive Press Release PDF
33.92 KB Following the conclusions of the Lamffalussy report, the Resolutions of the European Parliament, and the recent Decision of the European Commission, the members of FESCO have agreed on a draft charter defining the operational arrangements of the Committee Securities Regulators. The Charter is attached to the Press Release.
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Παρασκευή, Μαρτίου 20, 2015
Greece to present new reform plan (20/3/15)
Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras has agreed to accelerate a list of economic reforms in order to avoid running out of money within weeks following a three-hour meeting with the leaders of France and Germany, the president of the ECB and the head of the eurogroup of eurozone finance ministers.
Following the meeting, Mr Tsipras said Greece was not obliged to implement any measures that would deepen the country's recession.
However, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said that the joint statement issued had not changed any elements of the 20 February agreement which required Greece to complete a full list of reforms before any funds were released from its outgoing bailout.
The dangers of a Greek exit from the euro have increased in recent weeks amid recrimination between Greece and Germany over the speed and nature of reforms Greece must complete before accessing badly needed cash.
Last night's short statement, issued just before 3am, spoke of a "spirit of mutual trust" and a commitment to speeding up the process.
Greece could run out of money within weeks, with deposits already starting to leave Greek banks.
The statement said Greece would have "ownership" of the reforms - clearly some cover for the Greek prime minister who has raged against troika officials appearing to dictate what legislation Greece introduces.
The statement also stressed more than once that the terms of the agreement reached in February had to be adhered to, and these are the very reforms that have so far been lacking, according to eurozone officials.
The agreement has however, held out the prospect that Greece could receive fresh funding ahead of the end of April deadline enshrined in the February agreement - but only if it completes a full list of reforms in the coming days, and one which will have to be signed off by eurozone officials.
[rte.ie]
EU to tell Greece time, patience running out..
Greece to draft new reform plan within days - EU leaders...
Αναρτήθηκε από xronos στις Παρασκευή, Μαρτίου 20, 2015
Related el Etos: Alexis Tsipras, deposits, ECB, eurozone, Germany, Greece, loans, reforms, summit, troika
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Library Science (General)
Economic Theory, Econometrics, and Mathematical Economics
Game Theory and Applications
Editors: Tatsuro Ichiishi Abraham Neyman Yair Tauman
Series Editors: Karl Shell
View all volumes in this series: Economic Theory, Econometrics, and Mathematical Economics
Contributed Papers:
E. Kohlberg, Refinement of Nash Equilibrium: The Main Ideas.
S. Sorin, Supergames.
F. Forges, Infinitely Repeated Games with Incomplete Information.
J.-F. Mertens, Repeated Games.
E. Kalai, Bounded Rationality and Strategic Complexity in Repeated Games.
R. Aumann, The Shapley Value.
S. Hart, Advances in Value Theory.
B. Peleg, Axiomatizations of the Core, the Nucleolus, and the Prekernel.
M. Maschler, Consistency.
W. Thompson, The Consistency Principle.
J. Rosenmüller, Discrete Concepts in n-Person Game Theory: Nondegeneracy and Homogeneity.
A.E. Roth, Two-Sided Matching Markets: An Overview of Some Theory and Empirical Evidence.
M. Shubik, Strategic Market Game Models of Exchange Economies.
M.I. Kamien, Y. Tauman, and S. Zamir, Information Transmission.
H. Moulin, Monotonic Surplus Sharing and the Utilization of Common Property Resources.
W.F. Lucas, Developments in Stable Set Theory.
R.D. McKelvey, Game Theoretic Models of Voting in Multidimensional Issue Spaces.
S. Mishal, D. Schmeidler, and I. Sened, Israel and the PLO: A Game with Differential Information.
K. Fan, A Survey of Some Results Closely Related to the Knaster-Kuratowski-Mazurkiewicz Theorem.
Selected Abstracts:
M.L. Balinski and D. Gale, On the Core of the Assignment Game.
B. Cornet, The Second Welfare Theorem in Nonconvex Economies.
S. Ellner and A. Shmida, An Evolutionary Game Theory Model for Risk-Taking.
S. Hart and A. Neyman, Values of Nonatomic Vector Measure Games: Are They Linear Combinations of the Measures?
M. Hellwig and W. Leininger, Subgame-Perfect Equilibria in Discrete and Continuous Games-Does Discretization Matter?
R. Holzman, To Vote or Not to Vote: What is the Quota?
R. Holzman, E. Lehrer, and N. Linial, Some Bounds for the Banzhaf Index and Other Semivalues.
T. Ichiishi, Comparative Cooperative Games Theory.
W. Leininger, Escalation and Cooperation in International Conflicts--The Dollar-Auction Revisited.
A. Levy and R.P. McLean, An Axiomatization of the Nonsymmetric Nontransferable Utility Value.
D. Monderer, A Milnor Condition for Nonatomic Lipschitz Games and Its Applications.
A.S. Nowak, Zero-Sum Nonstationary Stochastic Games with General State Space.
A. Okada, Perfect Equilibrium Points and Lexicographic Domination.
A. Okada, A Two-Person Repeated Bargaining Game with Long-Term Contracts.
H. Peters and P. Wakker, Independence of Irrelevant Alternative and Revealed Group Preferences.
R. Radner and A. Schotter, The Sealed-Bid Mechanism: An Experimental Study.
M.A. Satterthwaite and S.R. Williams, Rate of Convergence to Full Efficiency in the Buyers' Bid Double Auction as the Market Becomes Large.
R. Telgarsky, Stationary Strategies in Deterministic Games.
S. Tijs, "Big Boss Games, Clan Games, and Information Market Games.
M.H. Wooders, Large Games and Economics with Near-Exhaustion of Gains to Coalition Formation.
M.H. Wooders and W.R. Zame, Values of Large Finite Games. Index.
Game Theory and Applications outlines game theory and proves its validity by examining it alongside the neoclassical paradigm. This book contends that the neoclassical theory is the exceptional case, and that game theory may indeed be the rule. The papers and abstracts collected here explore its recent development and suggest new research directions.
@introbul:Key Features @bul:* Explains many of the recent central developments in game theory
Highlights new research directions in economic theory which surpass the neoclassical paradigm
Includes game-theoretical analyses in economics, political science, and biology
Written by leading game theorists, economists, political scientists, and biologists
Professionals and graduate students in econometrics and game theory.
Tatsuro Ichiishi Editor
The Ohio State University, Columbus, U.S.A.
Abraham Neyman Editor
Institute for Decision Sciences, State University of New York at Stony Brook, and The Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel
Yair Tauman Editor
The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, U.S.A. and Tel Aviv University, Israel
About the Series Editors
Karl Shell Series Editor
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Email EV News Daily
29 July 2018 | U.S. Buyers Can Get Their Audi e-tron In 49 Days, Mercedes EQC Debut In September and Fiat Chrysler Reveal EV Plans
July 28, 2018 Be first to comment Martyn
Read today’s show notes on https://www.evnewsdaily.com
Well good morning, good afternoon and good evening, wherever you are in the world, hello and welcome to the Sunday 29th July edition of EV News Daily. It’s Martyn Lee here with the news you need to know about electric cars and the move towards sustainable transport.
US RESERVATIONS FOR THE AUDI E-TRON OPEN SEPTEMBER 2018
S. customers will be able to configure and reserve their 2019 Audi e-tron, the first all-electric vehicle from Audi, on Sept. 17. The e-tron will make its global debut on the same day at an event in San Francisco.
T-minus 1 month 18 days. I’m excited for this one now!
On Sept. 17, full e-tron specifications, including pricing, will be available at www.audiusa.com, giving customers the details needed to configure their e-tron and reserve their vehicle with a refundable $1,000 reservation fee.
This new Audi reservation system is part of how Audi of America will create a digital ecosystem for Audi owners to confidently go electric. After customers place a reservation, they will be able to track it online and with their local dealer. Audi will share more details on this ecosystem and offerings for U.S. customers at the San Francisco event.
As an electric SUV that includes integrated digital tools, in-home charging solutions and the support of Audi of America’s 303 dealer partners?e-tron owners can confidently choose electric performance knowing they have Audi support of a full ecosystem.
“The 2019 E-Tron is a battery-powered, two-row crossover featuring dual electric motors and Audi’s brand new electric Quattro all-wheel drive system. Along with a range of about 245 miles from a 95kWh battery and, presumably, the automaker’s impressive driving dynamics, the SUV includes a number of integrated digital tools, in-home charging options, and what Audi describes as “ample cargo room and towing capacity.” reports Dan at New York Daily News.
The E-Tron marks the first of three purely electric vehicles Audi plans to release by 2020. The company predicts that by 2025, up to 30 percent of its U.S. customers will have gone electric.
Audi also touts a dedicated cooling system to help keep the battery operating at an optimal temperature, and to ensure repeatable performance. On top of that, Audi has put the e-tron Quattro’s battery through extensive crash testing. According to Audi, the battery’s “solid casing” is designed to withstand a collision.
You can rapid charge at 150kW.
https://www.audiusa.com/models/e-tron-preview
MERCEDES EQC TO DEBUT IN STOCKHOLM
Mercedes-Benz today confirmed the official premiere of the EQC production model on September 4, 2018 in Stockholm
The EQC’s two electric motors – front and rear – each with about 150 kW, should mean 0-60 in less than five seconds.
However the battery on the EQC is smaller than the Audi, at 70kWh, and they’re promising 400+kms. CCS DC Fast Charging will be possible up to 115kW.
I’ve said before those numbers confuse me, either somewhere along the way the specs are wrong and the battery will be larger, or the range won’t be that far. How can a 2.5tonne SUV get 18Kwh/100kms? That’s up there amongst very efficient cars. The Jaguar I-PACE certainly doesn’t do 18kWh / 100km, if anyone listening now knows of a road test which has measured it, i’d love to know.
AUTO TRADER REVEALS THE BEST ELECTRIC CARS OF 2018
Auto Trader has published a list of the best electric and hybrid cars according to affordability, luxury and range. The Renault Zoe has been named the best budget option, while the Tesla Model S has been named as the best for long ranges.
The best budget option – Renault Zoe
The Renault Zoe has been ranked as the best budget option. It’s one of the cheaper options on offer, and it can also be bought on a deal where you lease the battery from Renault, making the purchase price even more affordable. What’s more, the Zoe is smart-looking with a hi-tech interior, and also has a five-star Euro NCAP crash test rating.
The best for long ranges – Tesla Model S
A single charge of the Tesla Model S can get you almost 400 miles, making it a more viable option for consumers wanting to do more than pop into town. It boasts serious performance and some clever interior technology including a 17-inch touch-screen up front.
The most aspirational – BMW i3
BMW has delivered a truly aspirational electric car, thanks not only to its badge, but also to its sharp, innovative design. It gives you plenty of speed and fun handling, too. The i3 car comes with a premium price tag, but you certainly get a premium product for your money.
The most understated – Volkswagen e-Golf
The e-Golf looks a lot like its non-electric counterpart, except with blue-tinted headlights and a different front grille. And, like any other Golf, it boasts all the same attributes – meaning high quality, family car practicality and a sophisticated driving experience – but with the added bonus of zero exhaust pollutants.
The best British-built option – Nissan Leaf
The British-built Leaf was the first vehicle to convince people in large numbers that an electric car was something to consider, and now there’s a new one. Built in Sunderland, with an improved battery, more power, bigger range and better affordability, it is the perfect option for the middleweight buyer.
TESLA PRODUCTION RISING TOWARD 7,000 VEHICLES A WEEK
Zach at Clean Technica has been tracking Tesla production numbers and quoting a Twitter user who claims to have an insider who supplies daily Tesla production numbers. Of course there’s no proof! “If you look at the broad trend, you see slow production growth over the past month, with some dips and with some days over 1,000/vehicles a day. The last update put yesterday’s daily production total at 1,100, with 780 of those being Model 3s. Of course, 1,100/day = 7,700/week if you extrapolate.
But if you want the source of Tesla news, not a random Twitter account, from Elon himself is a good place to start: “He indicated a few days ago that Tesla has risen to ~6,000 Model S, X, and 3 per week, but many people have taken that ~6,000 to mean just the US because of what prefaced it, which could mean ~7,000 globally. Either way, we’re getting up there.”
LAND ROVER’S LEAST PRICEY MODEL DUE FOR MAKEOVER, PLUG-IN VARIANT
“The Discovery Sport serves as an entry point to the Land Rover lineup, retailing in the U.S. for $37,795 before delivery and offering a similarly sized, cheaper alternative to its Range Rover Evoque platform mate.” according to The Truth About Cars: “the Discovery Sport undergoes a significant revamp for 2020, and should make its public debut early next year. A hybrid version of the model will appear (though whether it will be available at launch isn’t known), combining a new three-cylinder engine with an electric motor. A plug-in hybrid variant is also on the horizon, as are mild hybrid models.”
FCA REVEALS THEIR PLANS FOR HYBRIDS AND ELECTRIC VEHICLES
FCA has finally released the details about their introduction to the two new auto markets.
The Plan?Over the next five years, FCA released these specifics about their plans:
Invest $10 billion into electric vehicle development between 2018 ? 2022
Place a larger focus on the breadwinners of the FCA Group: Jeep, Ram, Maserati, and Alfa Romeo
Move away from diesels and methane-powered engines
Produce 14 electric vehicles and four battery-electric vehicles for Jeep by 2021
Mixing up SRT and electric vehicles by making performance-oriented electric vehicles
Compete with Tesla by making electric versions of popular Maserati models
Expand the Fiat 500e with a wagon model
BIG AUTOMAKERS ARE BREAKING THEMSELVES APART TO COMPETE WITH SILICON VALLEY
“Daimler AG, the parent company of Mercedes-Benz, is splitting itself up into three companies in order to make itself “fit for the future,” the automaker announced today. Mercedes-Benz, Daimler’s truck division, and Daimler’s mobility division will all become independent entities as a result of the effort ” according to Sean O’Kane at The Verge: “By splitting these different pursuits into more discrete companies, Daimler says it hopes to give each one more “entrepreneurial freedom,” stronger “market and customer focus,” and the ability to strike up “faster and more flexible partnerships” in order to better compete in the constantly evolving auto industry. On Monday, Ford spun out a new entity called Ford Autonomous Vehicles LLC. The American automaker also announced on Wednesday that it is planning a restructuring of its global business model “to enhance competitiveness.”
You can listen to all previous 194 episodes of this podcast on iTunes, Google Play, Spotify, YouTube, TuneIn, Stitcher, and the blog https://www.evnewsdaily.com/ ? remember to subscribe, which means you don’t have to think about downloading the show each day, plus you get it first and free and automatically.
It would mean a lot if you could take 2mins to leave a quick review on whichever platform you download the podcast.
And if you have an Amazon Echo, download our Alexa Skill, search for EV News Daily and add it as a flash briefing.
Come and say hi on Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter just search EV News Daily, have a wonderful day, and I’ll catch you tomorrow.
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28 July 2018 | Interview: AVID Technology Electrified Powertrain Components
30 July 2018 | Top…
30 July 2018 | Top 10 Cities For EV Infrastructure, China’s Pilot EV Battery Recycling Scheme and How Tesla Redefines Luxury
Today’s Podcast – Listen Now
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Porsche Carrera GT to star at Silverstone Auctions’ Race Retro sale
With other supercars rising in value at a staggering rate, one Porsche Carrera GT offered at auction currently looks great value
by: Antony Ingram
The Porsche Carrera GT is one of the all-time great supercars - so great, we chose to include it in one of our most popular tests ever, in our Analogue Supercars issue and video.
You could also make an argument for it being one of the best value, given that a 2004 example is expected to make between £400,000-£450,000 at the upcoming Silverstone Auctions Race Retro sale.
That’s still a lot of money of course, but when the Carrera GT cost £330,000 new, that estimate indicates a far slower rate of appreciation than many of its contemporaries. Ferrari’s F50 - also included in our test - easily hits seven-figure sums at auction, while the distinctly less exotic 911 GT3 RS 4.0 is already reaching prices not far short of the GT’s estimate.
Only 1270 Carrera GTs were made, and this example is in one of the more familiar colours - Silver Metallic. It was delivered new on April 15, 2004 at Champion Porsche of Pompano Beach, Florida, with most of the option boxes ticked - including a leather luggage set.
It also includes that magnificent 5.7-litre V10, which howls its way to a 604bhp power peak at 8000rpm, with a relatively modest 1380kg to push along. That’s 445bhp/ton, enough for a 3.8-second 0-62mph sprint and obligatory 200mph-plus speeds - 206mph, to be precise.
The example being auctioned later made its way to the UK in 2009, and has been owned by the current vendor since 2013. In the owner’s tenure, it’s enjoyed two full services and an RUF suspension-raising system, at a cost of 11,900 euros.
Other supercars will also make an appearance at the auction, including a 1994 Jaguar XJ220 - expected to reach between £255,000 and £295,000 - and a 2010 Lamborghini Murcielago 670-SV, with a £300,000-£340,000 estimate.
A few other cars from the lot list catch our eye too - including a 1990 Lister Jaguar XJS (£38,000-£42,000), a gorgeous 1971 Citroen SM (£40,000-£45,000) and a crazy 1997 Mitsubishi Pajero Evolution - a dakar homologation special offered with no reserve. You can view a selection of these cars in the gallery above.
The Silverstone Auctions Race Retro sale will take place at Stoneleigh Park in Warwickshire, on the 27-28 February.
Visit/used-cars/19675/used-car-deals-of-the-week
Best used cars for sale this week
Visit/honda/202108/honda-prelude-review-history-prices-and-specs
Honda Prelude - review, history, prices and specs
Visit/auctions/202106/rm-sothebys-paris-auction-highlights-lamborghini-veneno-roadster-porsche-904-gts
RM Sotheby’s Paris auction highlights
Visit/used-cars/202088/lancia-hyena-zagato-and-bmw-z1-catch-the-eye-at-2020-race-retro-sale
Lancia Hyena Zagato and BMW Z1 catch the eye at 2020 Race Retro sale
Visit/toyota/gt-86/202104/toyota-gt86-vs-mazda-mx-5-vs-abarth-124-spider-lightweight-sports-car-shootout
Toyota GT86 vs Mazda MX-5 vs Abarth 124 Spider – lightweight sports car shootout
Three affordable sports cars from Japan and, er, Japan battle it out on the Yorkshire Dales
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Huddersfield Town Women
Huddersfield Town Ladies to hold open training sessions in new talent search
The FA WNL side will hold three open sessions in June
Steven Chicken
Katie Nutter celebrates after scoring the opener for Town Ladies in their 2-0 win over Sheffield FC Ladies Contact David Mallin at dkmallin@sky.com
Huddersfield Town Ladies will hold three open training sessions as they hunt for new talent to join the side ahead of the 2019/20 season.
The sessions will take place as follows:
Wednesday 19th June, 6pm-8pm - PPG Canalside
Wednesday 26th June, 6:30pm-9pm - PPG Canalside
Thursday 27th June, 7pm-9pm - Leeds Road Sports Complex
Anyone interested should contact first team manager Ashley Vickers by emailing ashley.vickers@htlfc.co.uk or on 07931 226014.
Town finished fourth in the FA Women's National League Northern Premier Division - the third tier of English Women's football - just one point behind runners-up Sunderland and third-placed Derby County.
They also finished as runners-up to Barnsley in the Sheffield FA County Cup, losing only on penalties in the final, which was held at Rotherham United's New York Stadium just last week.
Canalside
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Rugby League News
Giants' prop Oliver’s planning a Knight to remember
Jermaine McGillvary has been named in Wayne Bennett’s Elite Performance Squad.
Huddersfield's Matty English is in the England Knights Performance Squad along with Oliver Russell, Kruise Leeming and Darnell McIntosh
Huddersfield Giants’ Oliver Wilson has been named in the England Knights Performance Squad to prepare for this autumn’s historic match against Jamaica at the Emerald Headingley Stadium.
The prop made his Betfred Super League debut for the Claret and Gold earlier this month after making the short move from Bradford Bulls, where he had come through the Academy.
Wilson is joined in the Knights squad by Giants team-mates Matty English, Kruise Leeming and Darnell McIntosh.
The 37-man squad includes 19 players who experienced last autumn’s trip to Papua New Guinea.
They will meet in Leeds in August and September before the Knights head coach Paul Anderson trims the squad to prepare to face Jamaica on Sunday, October 20.
“It’s important that we revise the Knights squad on the basis of 2019 form, and it’s good that the guys now have the focus of the Jamaica game,” said Anderson, who has combined his role this year with a position as Warrington’s Academy head coach, and will again be assisted by Paul Sculthorpe in his role as the RFL’s England Pathways Coach.
How tragedy on field prompted Giants' youngster Matty to open up
“All five new faces have earned their call-ups with their club performances in 2019 – Jordan Abdull and Rob Butler for London Broncos, Josh Bowden for Hull FC, Harry Newman for Leeds and Oliver Wilson for Bradford and Huddersfield.
“Harry and Oliver have moved quickly from the Academy squad to the Knights set-up, and that’s exactly how we want our Pathways to work. There’s so much exciting young talent in the domestic game, and I’m looking forward to working with this group for the rest of the 2019.”
Giants’ Jermaine McGillvary has been named in Wayne Bennett’s Elite Performance Squad.
Warrington’s Sydney-born stand-off Blake Austin is also included. The 28-year-old, who qualifies for England through his Middlesex-born grandmother, is the only new face in a revised 27-strong squad that will be pushing for selection for the World Cup Nines in Sydney on the weekend of October 18-19.
Austin, who is leading the race to be crowned Steve Prescott Man of Steel after taking his first season in Super League by storm, is also in contention for a place on the Great Britain tour of New Zealand and Papua New Guinea which follows the World Cup Nines.
Jermaine McGillvary
RFL rugby director Kevin Sinfield said: “Blake is a quality player but just as important is his commitment to joining our England squad.
“Unlike a few other guys who would qualify to play for Great Britain through their ancestry from other Home Nations, he would make himself unavailable to play any representative rugby in Australia as soon as he plays for England because England are a tier one nation.
Fightback too late for the Huddersfield Giants
“That is a good indication of his commitment to joining our group and we believe he will be a very positive addition.
“It is different this year with a Great Britain squad to be selected at the end of the season for the Lions tour but there is still a focus on England with the Nines.
After the progress we’ve made after the last World Cup in 2017, it was important that we maintained that continuity through 2019 as we continue to work towards hosting RLWC 2021.”
Darnell McIntosh
Kruise Leeming
Huddersfield Giants RLFC
Simon Woolford
Matty English
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Cutting-Edge Fitness for Organizations & Health Centers
What is Exergaming
Rehab & Physical Therapy
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At YMCAs
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The #1 Source for Interactive
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Interactive Fitness Equipment
blog, Exergaming Report, Exergaming Research, Health Club Industry, School Exergaming, Success Stories
exergame, fitness technology, interactive fitness, virtual fitness
The word “Interactive” in the fitness industry has become so common that it could mean something as simple as walking on a treadmill and watching ESPN or a movie. True Interactive Fitness Equipment is much more. It is computer game technology to motivate, engage participation, and measure results, so that fitness training becomes a fun and entertaining experience.
What are the Benefits of Interactive Fitness Equipment?
Whether you are a school, park district / recreation center, YMCA, a private health club, or sports performance center, interactive fitness has a place sitting alongside conventional equipment.
The reason for this is simple – interactive fitness adds fun back into exercise and for many people this is the element that has been sadly lacking for a long time. Kids relish the opportunity to put their skills to the test on a larger scale and compete with their friends on a level playing field. Adults enjoy the challenge of keeping up with the kids, going back to their childhood of playing games, while doing functional movements.
Twall Interactive Touch Wall
For schools it helps to re-engage children with fitness where traditional forms of physical education have sidelined them.
For recreation facilities it can offer a new revenue stream to sit alongside traditional gyms.
For professional sports teams, interactive fitness systems can help with a variety of training methods including improving mental agility and reaction times.
Why Kids Fitness?
Exergame Fitness has been known for years as one of the world’s leading kids’ and teens’ active lifestyle brands.
By integrating cool technology, and entertainment, Exergame’s products are an effective solution to the growing epidemic of childhood obesity and lack of fitness. With an addressable market of $6 Billion and potential impact on the 74 million kids in the U.S. alone, it is the perfect place to start to make a difference in developing lifelong habits of health and fitness.
According to American healthcare experts 1 out of 3 children between ages 5-19 are considered overweight or obese, and according to research cited in the 2012 spring edition of the American Journal of Play, Exergame’s technology is one of the fundamentally new and innovative approaches that is critically required to encourage children to be physically active on a daily basis.
The severity of the crisis was highlighted at the Let’s Move! Launch where First Lady Michelle Obama stated that “The physical and emotional health of an entire nation is at stake“.
Health-care costs tied to obesity are estimated at $150 billion per year, and expected to go up if the obesity rates for the younger generations don’t significantly decrease.
3 Kick with Brute Force Sandbags Interactive Fitness
Why Adult Fitness?
The adults today were just kids and teens 10 years ago when the use of Technology started to explode. This generation expectations have changed.
Our philosophy is to create fun, exciting environments where the worlds of technology and fitness intersect. We call this Fitness 2.0™, the next generation of fitness.
Twall Interactive Boxing
In our vast experience, we’ve found that combining certain products, activities and movements with proven fitness principles, training protocols, programming and energetic and fun atmospheres, we’re able to create members for life, from the youngest child to the active older adults in your facility. It’s this unique blend of technology, fun and fitness that make an investment in interactive fitness equipment a smart choice.
To that end, recent industry publications have named Exergaming and the youth fitness market as one of the fastest growing and most profitable groups of people and trends in the health and fitness world.
Take the next step. See our Exergame Solutions and Contact us for a no obligation consultation.
Our philosophy is to create fun, exciting environments where the worlds of technology and fitness intersect.
St Joseph CCSD #169 Adds Interactive tWall for Sensory Needs
Just down south of us in Central Illinois, just a few miles from the Indiana border resides the St Joseph CCSD #169. This school is a K-8 district located in St. Joseph, Illinois. The district consists of two main buildings that house a total of nearly 900 students. The K-4 building is a …Continued
Ochsner Health System Uses Laddermill to Help Client Rehab
Ochsner Health System has been providing high-quality clinical and hospital patient care to Louisiana residents since 1942. As Louisiana’s largest non-profit, academic, healthcare system, Ochsner provides coordinated clinical and hospital patient care, all connected electronically to prov…Continued
Lifestyles of the Disabled Uses Interactive tWall for Special Needs
Lifestyles for the Disabled began operating in 1994 through the collaboration of parents, community organizations, local business people and a group of developmentally disabled adults (program participants). Each group recognized the need to develop programs that provide participants with rea…Continued
Gold River Sports Club Adds Interactive Dance System to Youth Program
Gold River Sports Club is not your typical gym... it's a difference you will feel when you're at the club! The Gold Rivers Sports Club is a welcoming, comfortable atmosphere that lacks the "intimidation" of a traditional gym. Quality fitness programs that are innovative, challenging and…Continued
Exergame Fitness Solutions
Exergame Fitness is leading a new movement incorporating technology into fitness. We provide a new way to engage people in fitness, through gamification and technology. By doing this, we create socially engaging, supportive, and inviting fitness communities worldwide.
Exergame Playground
A fun interactive room for kids 1-10 years old
Youth X Room
Exergamer’s paradise for kids 7-14 years old
Performance X Room
A high energy room for teens & adults
Benefits of Exergaming
Engagement, Fairness & Equality, Team Building, and Accoutability
Agility, Strength, and Coordination
Learning, Behavior, Memory, and Cell Growth
Rewards, Goal Setting, and Benchmarking
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The Evolution of Health and Fitness
Learn How Your Facility Can:
Redefine Fitness ♦ Reduce Youth Obesity ♦ Increase Membership ♦ Redefine Fitness Culture ♦ Gamify Fitness ♦ Utilize Data For Improvement ♦ Increase Member Involvement ♦ Add To Bottom Line Revenue ♦ Make Fitness Fun For Everyone
INTERACTIVE FITNESS & GAME SOLUTIONS
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A cop’s night escalated from police party to strip club shootout. Records paint a cloudy picture of how it happened.
Caleb Downs Feb. 20, 2019 Updated: Feb. 20, 2019 6:33 p.m.
A cop’s night escalated from police party to strip club...
1of10Demontae Walker, 25, with his daughter, Samiyah.Photo: Photo courtesy of Desmond Walker
2of10Road rage ended in a shootout between off-duty SAPD Ofc. Dezi Rios and Demontae Walker, 26, on May 29, 2018.Photo: Jacob Beltran, Staff
3of10Sgt. Tina Baron, from left, Sgt. Gabriel Trevino, Officer Dezi Rios and Officer Aisha Jackson assess physical training test scores as cadet David Terrell, far left, runs during a physical training test at the San Antonio Police Training Academy track on June 26, 2017.Photo: Lisa Krantz / SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS
4of10The Bexar County District Attorney's office released graphic crime scene photos, surveillance footage and body worn camera recordings of a road rage shootout between off-duty SAPD Ofc. Dezi Rios and Demontae Walker, 26, on May 29, 2018.Photo: Bexar County District Attorney
7of10Ofc. Dezi Rios's pantsPhoto: Bexar County District Attorney
10of10Photo: File/Bexar County District Attorney/Courtesy
Dezi Rios was having a good time the evening of May 29, 2018.
The San Antonio Police Officers Association was hosting a dinner for graduating cadets at Ajuáa!, a Mexican restaurant on the Northwest Side. Rios, an instructor at the police academy, was there with his wife and two sons. He joked with colleagues and cadets and by his own estimate downed five mixed drinks in a 2½-hour period. .
Rios left the party around 9 p.m. separately from his family, he subsequently told investigators.
Fifteen minutes later, he staggered to the front door of an adult entertainment club and collapsed, blood gushing from six gunshot wounds to his lower body. His tan cargo pants and combat boots were stained crimson, witnesses said.
He had gotten into a shoot-out with a 26-year-old barber named Demontae Walker, who suffered gunshot wounds that left him paralyzed from the waist down.
Rios told investigators Walker had been the aggressor in a case of road rage.
Walker told authorities a different story. He said a belligerent Rios instigated the confrontation, and that he fired at Rios because the off-duty officer appeared to be reaching for a gun, documents show.
Walker was initially charged with two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, but a grand jury declined to indict him.
The Bexar County District Attorney’s office said this week that its review of the case was complete, and that no charges would be filed against Rios.
The San Antonio Police Department suspended Rios for 15 days for engaging in a dispute with Walker and for being intoxicated.
San Antonio Police Chief William McManus said Rios is currently on “light duty” in an administrative capacity. Once he fully recovers from his injuries, “he will be assigned to full duty patrol,” the chief said.
The Bexar County District Attorney's Office has released graphic crime scene photos and videos depicting the aftermath of a road rage shootout last year involving an intoxicated off-duty police officer in the parking lot of a San Antonio strip club.
Video: San Antonio Express-News
Sworn Statement
The San Antonio Express-News examined records from the D.A.’s office and police internal affairs, including interviews with Rios and Walker, a passenger in Walker’s car and a number of witnesses.
According to Rios’ sworn statement to a detective, his wife and children left the cadet dinner shortly after 9 p.m. and headed home, and he left in a different car a few minutes later.
Rios said that on his way home, he remembered that he had promised his wife he’d call to let her know when he had left the dinner. He said he couldn’t find his phone and was looking for a place to stop when another driver forced him off Interstate 10 at Wurzbach Parkway. The driver refused to let him out of the exit lane, Rios said.
Rios said he was going to pull into a nearby Denny’s restaurant, but it “was coming up too fast,” so he turned into the parking lot at AllStars Gentlemen’s Sports Club.
But investigators learned that during the cadet dinner, Rios had repeatedly asked a fellow police academy instructor, Robert Moreno, to accompany him to AllStars.
The internal affairs investigation determined that Rios “was not truthful in his statement to the Homicide detective when he stated he pulled into the AllStars parking lot to call (his wife) while on the way home.”
McManus did not act on that allegation. He declined to comment on why.
Rios’ statement goes on to describe an unprovoked attack by Walker. He said he was parked at AllStars, searching for his phone in the car, when Walker pulled up next to him, rolled down the window and started yelling.
“I just didn’t know why he was angry,” Rios told the detective.
Rios said Walker got out of his car and accused him of almost hitting him on the highway. Rios said he got out of his car and yelled obscenities at Walker.
Rios told detectives he noticed a woman, later identified as Walker’s cousin, Destiny Rhodes, sitting in Walker’s car. He said he expected the argument to escalate because he had embarrassed Walker in front of a woman.
He said Walker approached him, so he “widened his stance” and put his hands up in a fighting position.
Rios said Walker then pulled out a pistol and shot him.
Rios and Walker gave similar accounts of what happened next.
Walker ran back to his car, while Rios crawled to the driver’s side door of his car, retrieved his pistol and shot through his window at Walker. He struck Walker several times. One bullet grazed Rhodes’ head.
Rios then stumbled to the entrance of the club and collapsed. First responders performed lifesaving measures.
Body camera footage worn by an officer captured Rios saying over and over that Walker had fired first.
“I shot him back,” he said. “I had to.”
Police investigators met with Walker while he lay in his bed at University Hospital. He had recently had a breathing tube removed, according to his attorney Charles Adams, and was still recovering from his wounds.
Walker was facing two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. One charge related to Rios’ injuries, the other to Rhodes’ injuries, because police believed his actions had placed her in “imminent danger of death or serious bodily injury.”
Walker contradicted Rios’ version of events, telling detectives that the off-duty officer had been flying down the highway “super fast” and had cut in front of him to make the Wurzbach Road exit off Interstate 10.
Walker was on his way to AllStars that night to take Rhodes to the club to dance for the first time since she gave birth to her son, he said.
“It was just a coincidence that we went to the same parking lot,” Walker told a detective from his hospital bed. “So, I’m guessing he thought like, I wanted to fight or something.”
Rhodes told police that Walker put a pistol in his pocket and got out of the car just as Rios was exiting his own vehicle.
Walker told investigators he asked Rios if he was all right, because he had been driving erratically. Rios became confrontational, Walker said.
“He looked amped,” Walker said, adding that Rios used a racial slur while yelling at him and never identified himself as a police officer.
Walker said he backed away from Rios until he saw the off-duty officer reach for something near his waist.
Walker thought Rios was going for a gun, according to his sworn statement, so he opened fire first. Walker owns numerous weapons and frequents gun ranges. He told investigators he could have killed Rios, but he aimed for his legs and pelvis to immobilize him without killing him.
He then rushed to his car and called 911. According to 911 call logs, Walker’s phone number was the first to call from the scene. Before Walker could explain what happened, Rios opened fire.
“After the 2nd gunshot he felt like he was falling and his head was spinning,” Detective Rachel Barnes wrote in her summary of Walker’s statement. “Walker said he knew he was paralyzed or dead. He waited for the shooting to stop and the police to arrive.”
Christine Del Prado, chief of the special crimes division of the district attorney’s office, said that in investigating officer-involved shootings, prosecutors try to determine whether the officer’s actions were “justified and reasonable, or unjustified and unreasonable, thereby warranting criminal prosecution against the peace officer.”
In this case, she said, it is undisputed that Walker shot an unarmed Rios six times.
“Gravely wounded, Officer Rios retrieved his own weapon and shot back at Mr. Walker, who was also gravely wounded in the incident,” Del Prado said by email. “Considering the totality of the circumstances of that night, there is insufficient evidence that Officer Rios was unjustified or unreasonable, when he shot back at Mr. Walker.”
It was not the first time Rios had been involved in a road rage incident.
Almost a year before the AllStars’ shootout, Rios was traveling southbound on U.S. 281 during rush hour on Aug. 2, 2017.
He told police he was coming up on the Jones Maltsberger entrance ramp, so he tried to merge into the far left lane, but Nathan Pezina, then 20, “sped up from behind” him and blocked the path, according to a police report on the incident.
Rios, who was off-duty, told police he raised up his hands as if to say “Sorry,” and then, inexplicably, Pezina pointed a handgun at him.
Rios said he called police and tailed Pezina until officers caught up with them near Interstate 37 and Interstate 10. Police arrested Pezina on charges of deadly conduct and unlawful carrying.
During interviews with investigators, Pezina admitted to flashing a gun, “but only after (Rios) made several attempts to run him off the road.” He said he was scared for his life.
Records show he called police while Rios tailed him to report the incident.
Because there was no damage to his car, police said “it was apparent that the suspect was not in danger and not justified to produce a firearm.”
Pezina received deferred adjudication on the charges and was sentenced to a year of probation.
No billed
After the shooting outside AllStars, Walker was facing two first-degree felonies punishable by up to 99 years in prison
In December, a grand jury declined to indict him. But his injuries remain.
“There’s a lot of emotional and physical damage,” Adams, Walker’s lawyer, told the Express-News. “He can’t support himself. He’s a full paraplegic now.”
cdowns@mysa.com | @calebjdowns
Caleb Downs
Follow Caleb on:
calebjdowns
Caleb Downs is a breaking news reporter for the San Antonio Express-News. His job is to hunt down crime and chaos in San Antonio and Bexar County. He is a graduate of the University of North Texas and has previously worked for The Dallas Morning News as a breaking news reporter.
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Earth Berm House Off-Grid Living
by Jackie | Dec 13, 2018 | Green Building
Allan Shope has sent us images of his incredible carbon neutral, solar-powered earth-bermed house in upstate New York. First featured on Bob Vila‘s TV show, the house is cradled by the earth to ensure comfortable indoor temperatures come rain or snow, and it boasts an exciting selection of all-recycled building materials. But that’s not all. Pushing the limits of his own former practice, Shope installed a rooftop photovoltaic array…. no moving parts, and years of energy production with no future expense or harm to our planet.
Shope explains that earth-bermed houses are the most energetically efficient since they maintain the ambient temperature of the earth regardless of air temperature, so that it requires less energy to heat and cool them. They don’t receive a lot of light or ventilation, however, but Shope has compensated for these constraints with tall glazed windows and a air exchanger on the roof.
Allan & Julie Shope Residence
Here’s what is so exciting about this house: everything is recycled. The roof is made from melted down copper plumbing, the facade is made from recycled metal sheets from a nearby factory and the timber framing and interior slabs are comprised of black cherry trees harvested, treated, and sawn onsite. Naturally not everybody can afford to build a home quite like this, but they should. It will last longer, produce its’ own power, is extremely efficient and requires little heating or cooling, and if homes were priced based on cost per year of use, a home like this could factor among the lowest cost options over time.
Article Provide by Off-Grid Quest
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How to Steep Tea Like an Expert
Can Turmeric Help Fight Eczema?
7 Healthy Foods That Are High in Vitamin D
Roman Larin / EyeEm / iStock
By Anne Danahy, MS, RDN
A delicious cup of tea can chase away the winter chill, recharge you during the day, or relax you at night.
<p>Not all tea is the same, and steeping techniques vary depending on the type you're brewing.</p><p>True teas come from the <em>Camellia sinensis</em> plant and include <a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/black-tea-benefits" target="_blank">black</a>, green, oolong, and white tea. Their flavors, colors, and antioxidant contents differ depending on how the leaves are oxidized before they're dried.<a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B978012404738900012X" target="_blank"></a></p><p>True teas are available dried, both as loose leaves or in tea bags.</p><p><a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/10-herbal-teas" target="_blank">Herbal teas</a>, also called tisanes, are not true teas. Instead, they're infusions or decoctions made from the roots, leaves, stems, or flowers of herbs and plants, such as hibiscus, peppermint, rooibos, chamomile, turmeric, or ginger.</p><p>Often you use dried ingredients, but you can also make herbal teas from fresh ingredients.</p><p>The basic steeping technique is the same for both types, but the amounts needed to brew a cup vary between dried and fresh ingredients. The steeping time and water temperature needed to extract the best flavors can also differ.</p><p><strong>Summary</strong></p><p><strong></strong>True teas come from the <em>Camellia sinensis</em> plant, while herbal teas come from various parts of other plants. How to best steep each type differs.</p>
Start With Fresh Ingredients
<p>If you're making an herbal tea from fresh ingredients, such as herbs or ginger or <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/turmeric-tea-benefits" target="_blank">turmeric root</a>, it's best to use them shortly after they're cut or purchased.</p><p>Dried tea leaves have a long shelf life when kept dry in an airtight container and out of direct light. However, extended storage times may negatively affect the quality, flavor, and aroma.<a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B978012404738900012X" target="_blank"></a></p><p>True teas contain polyphenol antioxidant compounds called catechins, theaflavins, and thearubigins. They're responsible for many of tea's health benefits but degrade over time.</p><p>Researchers who monitored the <a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/antioxidants-explained" target="_blank">antioxidants</a> in green tea stored at 68°F (20°C) found that catechin levels were reduced by 32% after 6 months.</p><p>The quality of your water also affects the flavor of your tea. Tap water high in minerals or treated with chlorine will impart an off-flavor, so ideally, you should use fresh, cold, and <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/home/water-filter-pitcher" target="_blank">filtered</a> water when brewing.</p><p><strong>Summary</strong></p><p><strong></strong>The tastiest and healthiest cup of tea starts with quality ingredients and fresh, cold, and filtered water. Dried tea has a long shelf life, but over time, it loses some of its flavor, aroma, and health-promoting antioxidants.</p>
Time and Temperature
<p>To steep tea, pour hot water over your ingredients and let them rest for a few minutes. It isn't an exact science, and you should experiment to find what tastes right to you. That said, here are some general guidelines.</p><p>A hotter temperature or longer steeping time isn't necessarily better. For example, in studies, green tea brewed this way scored lower on color, flavor, aroma, and overall acceptability.</p><p>On the other hand, if the steep time is too short, you won't extract enough flavors and antioxidants.</p><p>Researchers analyzed the total amount of polyphenol antioxidants extracted over time from black tea and found it took 6–8 minutes to extract the maximum amount.</p><p>It's also worth keeping in mind that caffeine content increases with a longer steep time. True teas have varying amounts of caffeine. A 6-ounce (178-ml) cup of black tea contains 35 mg of caffeine, while the same serving of <a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/caffeine-in-green-tea" target="_blank">green tea</a> has 21 mg.</p><p>Steeping tea for an extra minute increases the caffeine content by up to 29%, and using boiling-temperature water increases it by up to 66%.<a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00706-018-2204-0" target="_blank"></a></p><p><strong>Hot Steeping</strong></p><p>Steeping your tea with hot water is the quickest way to brew a delicious cup. Here are some guidelines for the best steep time and temperature for various popular teas:</p><img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMjUwMDY1OC9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTU4MTc1NTUzMH0.6JzAGf2-CH51wdZ_cuA-H9vY74AeZI9yumG4QNR-INI/img.png?width=980" id="8f098" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="62D5TG1579313761" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
<p>In general, green tea is the most delicate, while black and herbal teas are more forgiving when it comes to temperature and steeping time.</p><p><strong>Cold Steeping</strong></p><p>If you plan to drink your tea iced, cold steeping might be the way to go. Steeping tea in cold to room-temperature water results in a less bitter and more aromatic tea with a higher antioxidant content.</p><p>However, the lower the steeping temperature, the longer the brewing takes — in most cases, as long as 12 hours.</p><p>One study found that steeping at 40°F (4°C) for 12 hours extracts and retains more <a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/polyphenols" target="_blank">polyphenols</a> than steeping for 3–4 minutes in hot water.</p><p>The study also found that steeping for 3–5 minutes at 175°F (80°C) followed by adding ice led to similar taste and antioxidant contents as the 12-hour cold steeping method, making this a quick alternative.</p><p><strong>Summary</strong></p><p><strong></strong>Steeping extracts antioxidants, caffeine, flavors, and aromas from tea. With hot water, it takes up to 5 minutes to brew a good cup, whereas cold steeping takes up to 12 hours and produces a smoother tasting tea that's higher in antioxidants.</p>
Tools, Techniques, and Tips
<p>While there are special tools to help you steep tea, you can also keep it simple and still steep like an expert.</p><p>At a minimum, you need a teacup, tea bag, and kettle. Place the tea bag in your teacup. Fill the kettle with fresh, cold, and filtered water and bring it to a boil, or a near boil if brewing green or white tea.</p><p>Then, pour the water over your tea bag in the teacup. Covering the teacup with a saucer is optional, but doing so will help retain more of the aromatic compounds. Steep for about 5 minutes, or to your taste.</p><p>For loose leaf tea, you'll also need a metal tea ball or infuser to hold the leaves. Measure out 1 teaspoon of dried tea leaves or 1 tablespoon of fresh ingredients per 6–8-ounce (177–237-ml) cup.</p><p>Place the leaves in the tea ball or infuser and submerge it in a cup of hot water for the proper amount of time.</p><p>Using loose leaves requires a few more tools for steeping, but in return, you have a larger selection of varieties compared with bagged tea, allowing for more combinations of flavor and health benefits.</p><p>What's more, loose leaves can be re-infused, making this option more budget-friendly in the long run. In fact, researchers found that while bagged tea was best for a single brew, the majority of loose-leave versions still showed antioxidant activity after the sixth brew.</p><p>For cold-brewed tea, it's a good idea to make multiple servings in a large mason jar at once because of the long steep time. Fill a jar with fresh, cold water and add 1 tea bag or 1 teaspoon of dried tea in an infuser for every 6 ounces (177 ml) of water.<br></p><p><strong>Summary</strong></p><p><strong></strong>A tea bag, cup, and kettle of hot water can produce a perfectly steeped cup of tea. Brewing loose leaf tea requires a few more tools, but in return, it offers variety and oftentimes the ability to re-infuse the leaves.</p>
<p>Steeping tea in hot or cold water allows the unique flavors, aromas, and health-promoting compounds to be extracted from dried leaves or other dried or fresh ingredients.</p><p>While there are recommendations for ideal steeping times and temperatures for different types of tea, experimenting with your own steeping methods allows you to discover what tastes best to you.</p><p>If you enjoy tea and want to expand your palate, loose leaf teas can add interesting flavors and health benefits while being more budget- and environmentally friendly.</p>
<p> <em>Reposted with permission from </em><a href="https://www.healthline.com/" target="_blank"><em>Healthline</em></a><em>. For detailed source information, please view the original article on </em><em><a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/how-to-steep-tea" target="_blank">Healthline</a></em><em>.</em></p>
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nutrition diet food health wellness
kazmulka / iStock / Getty Images
By Katey Davidson, MScFN, RD
Turmeric, also known as Curcuma longa, is a yellow spice native to India. It's also a popular herb in traditional Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine.
<p>Also known as atopic dermatitis, eczema is one of the most common skin conditions, affecting 2–10% of adults and 15–30% of children.</p><p>Eczema presents as dry, itchy, and inflamed skin, resulting from a dysfunctional skin barrier that leads to excess water loss. There are <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/types-of-eczema" target="_blank">many types of eczema</a>, but all are characterized by undesirable patches on the skin</p><p>The underlying cause of eczema is unknown, but a person's genetics and environment appear to be linked to its development.</p><p><a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/atopic-dermatitis/severe-eczema-treatments" target="_blank">Common treatments</a> include special moisturizers and topical anti-inflammatory creams during flare-ups to minimize itching and restore the skin's moisture barrier.</p><p>However, given the increased popularity of natural remedies, many people are turning to herbal medicine for relief.</p><p><strong>Summary</strong></p><p><strong></strong>Eczema is one of the most common inflammatory skin conditions in children and adults. Common symptoms include dry, itchy, and inflamed skin.</p>
Turmeric and Eczema
<p>Due to turmeric's anti-inflammatory properties, many wonder whether it can alleviate eczema symptoms.</p><p>Although the spice has been used for centuries as a natural <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/turmeric-for-skin" target="_blank">treatment for skin disorders</a>, there is little research specifically on turmeric and eczema.</p><p>In a company-sponsored study in 150 people with eczema, using a turmeric-containing cream for 4 weeks resulted in nearly a 30% and 32% decrease in skin scaling and itchiness, respectively.<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19480603" target="_blank"></a></p><p>However, the cream also contained other anti-inflammatory herbs, which could have contributed to the improvements. Therefore, the study could not conclude that turmeric alone relieved eczema symptoms.</p><p>Moreover, a 2016 review of 18 studies found early evidence to support curcumin use, both topically and orally, for treating skin conditions, including eczema and <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/psoriasis" target="_blank">psoriasis</a>.<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27213821" target="_blank"></a></p><p>Still, the researchers called for more studies to determine the dosage, efficacy, and mechanism of action.</p><p>Apart from these studies, there is little additional research on the oral, topical, or intravenous use of turmeric or curcumin for the treatment of eczema.</p><p><strong>Summary</strong></p><p><strong></strong>Research on turmeric and eczema is limited. Still, at least one study found significant improvements in eczema symptoms after using a topical cream containing the spice and other herbs. Additional studies suggest it may aid other skin conditions as well.</p>
<p>Although there is limited research on turmeric and eczema, some people may still choose to use it.</p><p>Turmeric is generally recognized as safe to consume by the Food and Drug Administration. However, it may also be used topically and intravenously.<a href="https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfcfr/CFRSearch.cfm?fr=182.20" target="_blank"></a></p><p><strong>Food and Supplements</strong></p><p>There is extensive research on the health effects of consuming turmeric.</p><p>It's generally recognized as safe, and curcumin has been shown to have no adverse health effects in healthy people when taken in doses of <a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/turmeric-dosage" target="_blank">up to 12,000 mg per day</a>.<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31509968" target="_blank"></a></p><p>Still, keep in mind that the curcumin in turmeric has low bioavailability. Therefore, consuming ground turmeric may not provide a therapeutic dose.</p><p>While some studies report finding little to no curcumin in the bloodstream after ingestion, especially in doses below 4,000 mg, curcumin may still provide beneficial effects.</p><p>Another study detected curcumin in the blood more easily by using an alternate testing method.</p><p><a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/turmeric-and-black-pepper" target="_blank">Adding black pepper</a> to turmeric dishes and supplements may help as well, as this spice contains a compound known as piperine, which can increase the absorption of curcumin. Still, it's unknown how much curcumin might reach your skin.</p><p>Dietary fats, water-soluble carriers, volatile oils, and antioxidants may also enhance the absorption of curcumin, according to some research.</p><p>Finally, the side effects of excessive turmeric intake may include skin rash, headache, nausea, diarrhea, upset stomach, and yellow stools.</p><p><strong>Topical Application</strong></p><p>Due to turmeric's popularity, many cosmetic companies use it as an ingredient in their products.</p><p>In studies on other skin conditions, topically applying turmeric-containing products allows for adequate absorption of curcumin.<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27213821" target="_blank"></a></p><p>However, these products are specifically formulated for enhanced absorption, and applying pure turmeric to your skin will not have the same effects.</p><p>Moreover, the spice contains a strong yellow pigment shown to stain the skin, which most people likely find undesirable.</p><p>Although more research is needed, topical products containing the spice's active ingredients appear to be safe for use. Speak to a healthcare professional if you have any concerns.</p><p><strong>Intravenous</strong></p><p>Due to turmeric's low bioavailability, there is an increasingly popular trend among natural healthcare professionals to provide it <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/intravenous-medication-administration-what-to-know" target="_blank">intravenously</a>.</p><p>By bypassing digestion, the curcumin from the turmeric spice enters the blood supply more easily, providing a substantially higher dosage.</p><p>However, there is little research in this area, and major complications have been observed. In fact, a 2018 report found that intravenous turmeric for the treatment of eczema caused the death of a 31-year-old woman.</p><p>Even with small doses, this type of intravenous treatment may cause unwanted side effects, such as headache, nausea, upset stomach, constipation, and <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/diarrhea" target="_blank">diarrhea</a>.</p><p><strong>Safety in Children</strong></p><p>Given eczema's prevalence among children, many adults are looking for safe, natural remedies for their children.</p><p>The use of ground turmeric in food is generally recognized as safe for both adults and children.<a href="https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfcfr/CFRSearch.cfm?fr=182.20" target="_blank"></a></p><p>However, there have been reports of <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/lead-poisoning" target="_blank">lead poisoning</a> from ground turmeric and supplements due to lead chromate, which is added to enhance the yellow color. This is most commonly associated with turmeric sourced from India and Bangladesh.<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5415259/" target="_blank"></a></p><p>Furthermore, supplementing with this spice is usually studied in adults, so it's unknown whether it's safe for children.</p><p>Finally, it's best to speak with a dermatologist or other healthcare professional before trying turmeric products for the treatment of eczema.</p><p><strong>Summary</strong></p><p><strong></strong>Ground, supplemental, and topical turmeric are generally recognized as safe. However, intravenous treatment with the spice has been associated with serious side effects and death and should be avoided.</p>
<p>Despite its potential health benefits, there is only early research supporting the use of <a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/top-10-evidence-based-health-benefits-of-turmeric" target="_blank">turmeric</a> or its active ingredient curcumin to treat eczema.</p><p>If you're looking to try turmeric for eczema, avoid intravenous treatment due to serious safety concerns.</p><p>That said, ground turmeric has been used for centuries as part of herbal medicine and is safe for use. Try adding this spice or curry powder to your dishes for a kick of flavor.</p><p>Topical products containing turmeric are usually formulated to be safe for use, although you should avoid directly applying the spice to your skin to prevent staining.</p><p>Oral supplements may also be beneficial, though research has not yet determined effective doses specifically for eczema.</p><p>Always speak to a healthcare professional before taking turmeric supplements, especially if you're pregnant, breastfeeding, have a chronic condition, or intend to give it to your child.</p><p>You may also want to talk to your medical provider about other treatment options for eczema.</p><p>If your healthcare provider suggests giving turmeric a try, you can purchase supplements locally or online. Be sure to follow their dosage recommendation.</p>
<p> <em>Reposted with permission from </em><a href="https://www.healthline.com/" target="_blank"><em>Healthline</em></a><em>. For detailed source information, please view the original article on </em><em><a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/turmeric-for-eczema" target="_blank">Healthline</a></em><em>.</em></p>
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By Taylor Jones, RD
Vitamin D is the only nutrient your body produces when exposed to sunlight.
<p><a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/11-benefits-of-salmon" target="_blank">Salmon</a> is a popular fatty fish and great source of vitamin D.</p><p>According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food Composition Database, one 3.5-ounce (100-gram) serving of farmed Atlantic salmon contains 526 IU of vitamin D, or 66% of the DV.<a href="https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/175168/nutrients" target="_blank"></a></p><p>Whether the salmon is <a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/wild-vs-farmed-salmon" target="_blank">wild or farmed</a> can make a big difference.</p><p>On average, wild-caught salmon packs 988 IU of vitamin D per 3.5-ounce (100-gram) serving, or 124% of the DV. Some studies have found even higher levels in wild salmon — up to 1,300 IU per serving.</p><p>However, farmed salmon contains only 25% of that amount. Still, one serving of farmed salmon provides about 250 IU of vitamin D, or 32% of the DV.</p><p><strong>Summary</strong></p><p><strong></strong>Wild salmon contains about 988 IU of vitamin D per serving, while farmed salmon contains 250 IU, on average. That's 124% and 32% of the DV, respectively.</p>
2. Herring and Sardines
<p>Herring is a fish eaten around the world. It can be served raw, canned, smoked, or pickled.</p><p>This small fish is also one of the best sources of vitamin D.</p><p>Fresh Atlantic herring provides 216 IU per 3.5-ounce (100-gram) serving, which is 27% of the DV.<a href="https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/175117/nutrients" target="_blank"></a></p><p>If fresh fish isn't your thing, pickled herring is also a good source of vitamin D, providing 112 IU per 3.5-ounce (100-gram) serving, or 14% of the DV.</p><p>However, pickled herring also contains a high amount of <a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/how-much-sodium-per-day" target="_blank">sodium</a>, which some people consume too much of.<a href="https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/337675/nutrients" target="_blank"></a></p><p>Canned <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/food-nutrition/are-sardines-good-for-you" target="_blank">sardines</a> are a good source of vitamin D as well — one can (3.8 ounces) contains 177 IU, or 22% of the DV.<a href="https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/337774/nutrients" target="_blank"></a></p><p>Other types of <a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/11-health-benefits-of-fish" target="_blank">fatty fish</a> are also good vitamin D sources. Halibut and mackerel provide 384 IU and 360 IU per half a fillet, respectively.<a href="https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/175119/nutrients" target="_blank"></a></p><p><strong>Summary</strong></p><p><strong></strong>Herring contains 216 IU of vitamin D per 3.5-ounce (100-gram) serving. Pickled herring, sardines, and other fatty fish, such as halibut and mackerel, are also good sources.</p>
3. Cod Liver Oil
<p>Cod liver oil is a popular supplement. If you don't like fish, taking <a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/9-benefits-of-cod-liver-oil" target="_blank">cod liver oil</a> can be key to obtaining certain nutrients that are unavailable in other sources.</p><p>It's an excellent source of vitamin D — at about 448 IU per teaspoon (4.9 ml), it clocks in at a massive 56% of the DV. It has been used for many years to prevent and treat <a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/vitamin-d-deficiency-symptoms" target="_blank">deficiency</a> in children.</p><p>Cod liver oil is likewise a fantastic source of vitamin A, with 150% of the DV in just one teaspoon (4.9 ml). However, vitamin A can be toxic in high amounts.</p><p>Therefore, be cautious with cod liver oil, making sure to not take too much.</p><p>In addition, cod liver oil is high in <a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/17-health-benefits-of-omega-3" target="_blank">omega-3 fatty acids</a>, which many people are deficient in.</p><p><strong>Summary</strong></p><p><strong></strong>Cod liver oil contains 448 IU of vitamin D per teaspoon (4.9 ml), or 56% of the DV. It is also high in other nutrients, such as vitamin A and omega-3 fatty acids.</p>
4. Canned Tuna
<p>Many people enjoy <a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/canned-food-good-or-bad" target="_blank">canned</a> tuna because of its flavor and easy storage methods.</p><p>It's also usually cheaper than buying fresh fish.</p><p>Canned light tuna packs up to 268 IU of vitamin D in a 3.5-ounce (100-gram) serving, which is 34% of the DV.</p><p>It's also a good source of niacin and <a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/foods-high-in-vitamin-k" target="_blank">vitamin K</a>.<a href="https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/173708/nutrients" target="_blank"></a></p><p>Unfortunately, canned tuna contains <a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/mercury-content-of-fish" target="_blank">methylmercury</a>, a toxin found in many types of fish. If it builds up in your body, it can cause serious health problems.</p><p>However, some types of fish pose less risk than others. For instance, light tuna is typically a better choice than white tuna — it's considered safe to eat up to 6 ounces (170 grams) per week.</p><p><strong>Summary</strong></p><p><strong></strong>Canned tuna contains 268 IU of vitamin D per serving. Choose light tuna and eat 6 ounces (170 grams) or less per week to prevent methylmercury buildup.</p>
5. Egg Yolks
<p>People who don't eat fish should know that seafood is not the only source of vitamin D. <a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/10-proven-health-benefits-of-eggs" target="_blank">Whole eggs</a> are another good source, as well as a wonderfully nutritious food.</p><p>While most of the protein in an egg is found in the white, the fat, vitamins, and minerals are found mostly in the yolk.</p><p>One typical egg yolk contains 37 IU of vitamin D, or 5% of the DV.</p><p>Vitamin D levels in egg yolk depend on sun exposure and the vitamin D content of chicken feed. When given the same feed, <a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/pastured-vs-omega-3-vs-conventional-eggs" target="_blank">pasture-raised</a> chickens that roam outside in the sunlight produce eggs with levels 3–4 times higher.</p><p>Additionally, eggs from chickens given vitamin-D-enriched feed may have up to 6,000 IU of vitamin D per yolk. That's a whopping 7 times the DV.<span></span></p><p>Choosing eggs either from chickens raised outside or marketed as high in vitamin D can be a great way to meet your daily requirements.</p><p><strong>Summary</strong></p><p><strong></strong>Eggs from commercially raised hens contain only about 37 IU of vitamin D per yolk. However, eggs from hens raised outside or fed vitamin-D-enriched feed contain much higher levels.</p>
6. Mushrooms
<p>Excluding fortified foods, <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/food-nutrition/are-mushrooms-good-for-you" target="_blank">mushrooms</a> are the only good plant source of vitamin D.</p><p>Like humans, mushrooms can synthesize this vitamin when exposed to UV light.</p><p>However, mushrooms produce vitamin D2, whereas animals produce vitamin D3.</p><p>Though vitamin D2 helps raise blood levels of vitamin D, it may not be as effective as <a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/vitamin-d2-vs-d3" target="_blank">vitamin D3</a>.</p><p>Nonetheless, <a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/edible-mushrooms" target="_blank">wild mushrooms</a> are excellent sources of vitamin D2. In fact, some varieties pack up to 2,300 IU per 3.5-ounce (100-gram) serving — nearly three times the DV.<a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S027869151300118X" target="_blank"></a></p><p>On the other hand, commercially grown mushrooms are often grown in the dark and contain very little D2.</p><p>However, certain brands are treated with ultraviolet (UV light). These mushrooms can provide 130–450 IU of vitamin D2 per 3.5 ounces (100 grams).<a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S027869151300118X" target="_blank"></a></p><p><strong>Summary</strong></p><p><strong></strong>Mushrooms can synthesize vitamin D2 when exposed to UV light. Only wild mushrooms or mushrooms treated with UV light are good sources of vitamin D.</p>
7. Fortified Foods
<p>Natural sources of vitamin D are limited, especially if you're vegetarian or don't like fish.</p><p>Fortunately, some food products that don't naturally contain vitamin D are fortified with this nutrient.</p><p><strong>Cow's Milk</strong></p><p>Cow's milk, the most commonly consumed type of <a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/whole-vs-skim-milk" target="_blank">milk</a>, is naturally a good source of many nutrients, including calcium, phosphorous, and riboflavin.<a href="https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/173432/nutrients" target="_blank"></a></p><p>In several countries, cow's milk is fortified with vitamin D. It usually contains about 115–130 IU per cup (237 ml), or about 15–22% of the DV.</p><p><strong>Soy Milk</strong></p><p>Because vitamin D is found almost exclusively in animal products, vegetarians and vegans are at a particularly high risk of <a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/7-nutrients-you-cant-get-from-plants" target="_blank">not getting enough</a>.</p><p>For this reason, plant-based <a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/best-milk-substitutes" target="_blank">milk substitutes</a> like soy milk are often fortified with this nutrient and other vitamins and minerals usually found in cow's milk.</p><p>One cup (237 ml) typically contains 107–117 IU of vitamin D, or 13–15% of the DV.</p><p><strong>Orange Juice</strong></p><p>Around 75% of people worldwide are <a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/lactose-intolerance-101" target="_blank">lactose intolerant</a>, and another 2–3% have a milk allergy.</p><p>For this reason, some countries fortify orange juice with vitamin D and other nutrients, such as calcium.</p><p>One cup (237 ml) of fortified orange juice with breakfast can start your day off with up to 100 IU of vitamin D, or 12% of the DV.<a href="https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/169101/nutrients" target="_blank"></a></p><p><strong>Cereal and Oatmeal</strong></p><p>Certain cereals and instant <a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/9-benefits-oats-oatmeal" target="_blank">oatmeal</a> are also fortified with vitamin D.</p><p>Half a cup (78 grams) of these foods can provide 54–136 IU, or up to 17% of the DV.<a href="https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/340558/nutrients" target="_blank"></a></p><p>Though fortified cereals and oatmeal provide less vitamin D than many natural sources, they can still be a good way to boost your intake.</p><p><strong>Summary</strong></p><p><strong></strong>Foods such as cow's milk, soy milk, orange juice, cereals, and oatmeal are sometimes fortified with vitamin D. These contain 54–136 IU per serving.</p>
Vitamin D and Calcium
<p>Vitamin D is necessary for the absorption of calcium, which plays a key role in maintaining bone strength and skeletal integrity.<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17913228" target="_blank"></a></p><p>Getting enough of both vitamin D and <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/8-fast-facts-about-calcium" target="_blank">calcium</a> is crucial to maintaining bone health and protecting against disorders like osteoporosis, a condition that is characterized by weak, brittle bones.<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5335887/" target="_blank"><span></span></a></p><p>Children and adults aged 1–70 need approximately 600 IU of vitamin D per day, and it can come from a combination of food sources and <a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/vitamin-d-from-sun" target="_blank">sunlight</a>. Meanwhile, adults over 70 should aim for at least 800 IU (20 mcg) of vitamin D per day.<a href="https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminD-HealthProfessional/" target="_blank"></a></p><p>The daily value (DV), a rating system used on the labels of packaged food, is 800 IU per day.</p><p>Calcium needs also vary by age. Children aged 1–8 require about 2,500 mg of calcium daily, and those ages 9–18 need approximately 3,000 mg daily.</p><p>Adults ages 19–50 generally require about 2,500 mg daily, which decreases to 2,000 mg daily for those over age 50.<a href="https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Calcium-HealthProfessional/" target="_blank"></a></p><p><strong>Summary</strong></p><p><strong></strong>Your body needs vitamin D to absorb calcium. This makes getting enough of both vitamin D and calcium crucial to maintaining bone health and preventing osteoporosis. </p>
<p>Spending time in the sun is a good way to get your daily dose of vitamin D. However, sufficient sun exposure is difficult for many people to achieve.</p><p>Getting enough from your diet alone may be difficult, but not impossible.</p><p>The foods listed in this article are some of the top sources of <a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/9-reasons-to-optimize-vitamin-d-levels" target="_blank">vitamin D</a> available.</p><p>Eating plenty of these vitamin-D-rich foods is a great way to make sure you <a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/how-much-vitamin-d-to-take" target="_blank">get enough</a> of this important nutrient.</p>
<p> <em>Reposted with permission from </em><a href="https://www.healthline.com/" target="_blank"><em>Healthline</em></a><em>. For detailed source information, please view the original article on </em><em><a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/9-foods-high-in-vitamin-d" target="_blank">Healthline</a></em><em>.</em></p>
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health food diet nutrition wellness
7 Best Vitamins and Supplements to Combat Stress
Rhodiola rosea. Tero Laakso / Flickr / CC BY-SA 2.0
By Gavin Van De Walle, MS, RD
While everyone has specific life stressors, factors related to job pressure, money, health, and relationships tend to be the most common.
Stress can be acute or chronic and lead to fatigue, headaches, upset stomach, nervousness, and irritability or anger.
<p>Rhodiola (<em>Rhodiola rosea</em>), is an herb that grows in the cold, mountainous regions of Russia and Asia.</p><p>It has long been known as an adaptogen, a natural, non-toxic herb that stimulates your body's stress response system to increase stress resistance.</p><p>The adaptogenic properties of <a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/rhodiola-rosea" target="_blank">rhodiola</a> are linked to two of the herb's potent active ingredients — rosavin and salidroside.</p><p>An 8-week study in 100 people with chronic fatigue symptoms, such as poor sleep quality and impairments in short-term memory and concentration, found that supplementing with 400 mg of rhodiola extract daily improved symptoms after just 1 week.</p><p>The symptoms continued to decline throughout the study.</p><p>In another study in 118 people with <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/tips-for-identifying-and-preventing-burnout" target="_blank">stress-related burnout</a>, taking 400 mg of rhodiola extract daily for 12 weeks improved associated symptoms, including anxiety, exhaustion, and irritability.</p><p>Rhodiola is well tolerated and has a strong safety profile.</p><p><strong>Summary</strong></p><p><strong></strong>Rhodiola is an adaptogenic herb that has been shown to improve symptoms associated with chronic fatigue and stress-related burnout.</p>
2. Melatonin
<p>Getting adequate amounts of quality sleep is important for relieving stress.</p><p>Stress is strongly linked to insomnia, a sleep disorder characterized by difficulties falling asleep or staying asleep — or both.</p><p>That said, achieving adequate quality sleep may not be the easiest if you're under stress, which in turn could worsen its severity.</p><p><a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/melatonin-and-sleep" target="_blank">Melatonin</a> is a natural hormone that regulates your body's circadian rhythm, or sleep-wake cycle. Levels of the hormone increase in the evening when it's dark to promote sleep and decrease in the morning when it's light to promote wakefulness.</p><p>In a review of 19 studies in 1,683 people with primary sleep disorders — those not caused by another condition — melatonin decreased the time it took people to fall asleep, increased total sleep time, and improved overall sleep quality, compared with a placebo.</p><p>Another review of 7 studies involving 205 people investigated the effectiveness of melatonin for managing secondary <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/sleep/disorders" target="_blank">sleep disorders</a>, which are those caused by another condition, such as stress or depression.</p><p>The review demonstrated that melatonin decreased the time it took people to fall asleep and increased total sleep time but did not significantly affect sleep quality, compared with a placebo.</p><p>Though melatonin is a natural hormone, supplementing with it does not affect your body's production of it. Melatonin is also non-habit-forming.</p><p>Melatonin supplements range in dosage from 0.3–10 mg. It's best to start with the lowest dose possible and work up to a higher dose if necessary.</p><p>While melatonin supplements can be purchased over the counter in the United States, they require a prescription in many other countries.</p><p><strong>Summary</strong></p><p><strong></strong>Supplementing with melatonin may help you fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer if you have difficulties falling asleep related to stress.</p>
3. Glycine
<p>Glycine is an amino acid that your body uses to create proteins.</p><p>Studies suggest that <a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/glycine" target="_blank">glycine</a> may increase your body's resistance to stress by encouraging a good night's rest through its calming effect on the brain and ability to lower your core body temperature.</p><p>A lower body temperature promotes sleep and helps you stay asleep during the night.</p><p>In one study, 15 people who had complaints about the quality of their sleep and took 3 grams of glycine before bed experienced less fatigue and increased alertness the following day, compared with a placebo.<a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1111/j.1479-8425.2006.00193.x" target="_blank"></a></p><p>These effects occurred despite no difference in the time it took to fall asleep or time slept, compared with a placebo, suggesting glycine improved sleep quality.</p><p>In a similar study, taking 3 grams of glycine before bedtime was shown to improve measures of <a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/17-tips-to-sleep-better" target="_blank">sleep quality</a> and performance on memory recognition tasks.<a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1111/j.1479-8425.2007.00262.x" target="_blank"></a></p><p>What's more, another small study found that supplementing with 3 grams of glycine before bed reduced daytime sleepiness and fatigue following 3 days of sleep deprivation.</p><p>Glycine is well tolerated, but taking 9 grams on an empty stomach before bed has been associated with minor stomach upset. That said, taking 3 grams is unlikely to cause any side effects.<a href="https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/seikatsueisei/50/1/50_1_27/_article" target="_blank"></a></p><p><strong>Summary</strong></p><p><strong></strong>The calming effects of glycine have been shown to improve sleep quality and feelings of alertness and focus.</p>
4. Ashwagandha
<p>Ashwagandha (<em>Withania somnifera) </em>is an adaptogenic herb native to India, where it has been used in Indian Ayurveda, one of the world's oldest medicinal systems.<span></span></p><p>Similarly to rhodiola, <a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/12-proven-ashwagandha-benefits" target="_blank">ashwagandha</a> is thought to enhance your body's resilience to physical and mental stress.</p><p>In one study on the stress-relieving effects of ashwagandha, researchers randomized 60 individuals with mild stress to receive 240 mg of a standardized ashwagandha extract or a placebo daily for 60 days.</p><p>Compared with the placebo, supplementing with ashwagandha was strongly associated with greater reductions in stress, anxiety, and depression. Ashwagandha was also linked to a 23% reduction in morning levels of cortisol, a stress hormone.</p><p>What's more, a review of five studies examining the effects of ashwagandha on anxiety and stress observed that those who supplemented with ashwagandha extract scored better on tests measuring levels of stress, anxiety, and <a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/10-reasons-you-are-tired" target="_blank">fatigue</a>.</p><p>A study investigating the safety and efficacy of supplementing with ashwagandha in people with chronic stress noted that taking 600 mg of ashwagandha for 60 days was safe and well tolerated.</p><p><strong>Summary</strong></p><p><strong></strong>The adaptogenic properties of ashwagandha have been shown to reduce stress, anxiety, and depression, as well as lower morning cortisol levels.</p>
5. L-theanine
<p>L-theanine is an amino acid most commonly found in tea leaves.</p><p>It has been studied for its ability to promote relaxation and reduce stress without exerting sedative effects.</p><p>A review of 21 studies involving nearly 68,000 people found that drinking <a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/top-10-evidence-based-health-benefits-of-green-tea" target="_blank">green tea</a> was associated with reduced anxiety and improvements in memory and attention.</p><p>These effects were attributed to the synergistic effects of the caffeine and l-theanine in the tea, as each ingredient on its own was found to have a lesser impact.</p><p>However, studies suggest that l-theanine by itself may still help relieve stress.</p><p>One study showed that supplementing with 200 mg of l-theanine reduced measures of stress, such as heart rate, in response to performing a mentally stressful task.</p><p>In another study in 34 people, drinking a beverage containing 200 mg of <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/l-theanine" target="_blank">l-theanine</a> and other nutrients lowered levels of the stress hormone cortisol in response to a stressful task that involved multitasking.</p><p>L-theanine is well tolerated and safe when supplemented with at its effective dose for relaxation, which ranges from 200–600 mg per day in capsule form.</p><p>For comparison, l-theanine comprises 1–2% of the dry weight of leaves, corresponding to 10–20 mg of l-theanine per commercially available tea bag.</p><p>That said, drinking tea is unlikely to have any noticeable effect on stress. Nonetheless, many people find the act of drinking tea to be relaxing.</p><p><strong>Summary</strong></p><p><strong></strong>L-theanine is a natural component of tea leaves that has been shown to reduce stress and promote relaxation.</p>
6. B Complex Vitamins
<p><a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/vitamin-b-complex" target="_blank">B complex vitamins</a> usually contain all eight B vitamins.</p><p>These vitamins play an important role in metabolism by transforming the food you eat into usable energy. B vitamins are also essential for heart and brain health.</p><p>Food sources of B vitamins include grains, meats, legumes, eggs, dairy products, and leafy greens.</p><p>Interestingly, high doses of B vitamins have been suggested to improve symptoms of stress, such as mood and energy levels, by lowering blood levels of the amino acid homocysteine.</p><p><a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/homocysteine-levels" target="_blank">High levels of homocysteine</a> are associated with stress and an increased risk of several conditions, including heart disease, dementia, and colorectal cancer.</p><p>In one 12-week study in 60 people with work-related stress, those taking one of two forms of a vitamin B complex supplement experienced less work-related stress symptoms, including depression, anger, and fatigue, compared with those in the placebo group.</p><p>What's more, a review of 8 studies involving 1,292 people found that taking a multi-vitamin and mineral supplement improved several aspects of mood, including stress, anxiety, and energy.</p><p>Though the supplement contained several other vitamins and minerals, the study's authors suggested that supplements containing high doses of B vitamins may be more effective at improving aspects of mood.</p><p>Another study observed similar results, suggesting that supplementing with B vitamins as part of a multi-vitamin and mineral supplement may improve mood and stress by lowering homocysteine levels.</p><p>However, it's unclear whether people who already have low homocysteine levels will experience these same effects.</p><p>Vitamin B complex supplements are generally safe when taken within the recommended dosage ranges. However, they may cause harmful side effects like nerve pain when taken in large amounts. Plus, they're water-soluble, so your body excretes any excess through urine.</p><p><strong>Summary</strong></p><p><strong></strong>The eight B vitamins, collectively known as B complex vitamins, may improve mood and reduce stress by either lowering homocysteine levels or maintaining healthy levels of this amino acid.</p>
7. Kava
<p>Kava (<em>Piper methysticum</em>) is a tropical evergreen shrub native to the South Pacific islands.</p><p>Its roots have traditionally been used by Pacific Islanders to prepare a ceremonial beverage called kava, or <a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/kava-kava" target="_blank">kava kava</a>.</p><p>Kava contains active compounds called kavalactones, which have been studied for their stress-reducing properties.</p><p>Kavalactones are thought to inhibit the breakdown of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), a neurotransmitter that decreases the activity of your nervous system, producing a calming effect. This can help relieve feelings of anxiety and stress.</p><p>A review of 11 studies in 645 people found that kava extract relieved anxiety, a common reaction to stress.</p><p>However, another review concluded that there is insufficient evidence to confirm that kava <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/anxiety/kava-cure" target="_blank">relieves anxiety</a>.</p><p>Kava can be taken in tea, capsule, powder, or liquid form. Its use appears to be safe when taken for 4–8 weeks at a daily dosage of 120–280 mg of kavalactones.</p><p>Serious side effects like liver damage have been linked to kava supplements, likely due to supplement adulteration or the use of less expensive parts of the kava plant, such as the leaves or stems, instead of the roots.<a href="https://livertox.nih.gov/KavaKava.htm" target="_blank"></a></p><p>Therefore, if you choose to supplement with kava, choose a reputable brand that has its products independently tested by organizations like NSF International or Underwriters Laboratories (UL).</p><p>Kava is not a controlled substance in the United States, but several European countries have regulatory measures in place to limit its sale.<a href="https://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/drug_chem_info/kava.pdf" target="_blank"></a></p><p><strong>Summary</strong></p><p><strong></strong>Kava has traditionally been consumed as a ceremonial beverage. Studies suggest that it may alleviate anxiety via its calming effects, but more research is needed.</p>
<p>Stress can be caused by many things, such as job, money, health, or relationship factors.</p><p>Several vitamins and other supplements have been linked to <a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/16-ways-relieve-stress-anxiety" target="_blank">reduced stress</a> symptoms, including <em>Rhodiola rosea</em>, melatonin, glycine, and ashwagandha.</p><p>L-theanine, B complex vitamins, and kava may also help increase your body's resistance to life's stressors.</p><p>Always check with your healthcare provider before trying a new supplement, especially if you're taking other medications, pregnant, or planning to become pregnant.</p><p>If stress continues to be a problem in your life, consider speaking with a medical professional or therapist about possible solutions.</p>
<p> <em>Reposted with permission from </em><a href="https://www.healthline.com/" target="_blank"><em>Healthline</em></a><em>. For detailed source information, please view the original article on </em><em><a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/vitamins-for-stress" target="_blank">Healthline</a></em><em>.</em></p>
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food health nutrition wellness diet
How Cooking Affects the Nutrient Content of Foods
10'000 Hours / DigitalVision / Getty Images
By Franziska Spritzler, RD, CDE
Eating nutritious foods can improve your health and energy levels.
<p>Cooking food improves digestion and increases the absorption of many nutrients.</p><p>For example, the protein in cooked <a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/10-proven-health-benefits-of-eggs" target="_blank">eggs</a> is 180% more digestible than that of raw eggs.</p><p>However, some cooking methods reduce several key nutrients.</p><p>The following nutrients are often reduced during cooking:</p><ul><li><strong>water-soluble vitamins:</strong> vitamin C and the B vitamins — thiamine (B1), riboflavin (B2), niacin (B3), pantothenic acid (B5), pyridoxine (B6), folic acid (B9), and cobalamin (B12)</li><li><strong>fat-soluble vitamins:</strong> vitamins A, D, E, and K</li><li><strong>minerals:</strong> primarily potassium, magnesium, sodium, and calcium</li></ul><p><strong>Summary</strong></p><p><strong></strong>Although cooking improves digestion and the absorption of many nutrients, it may reduce levels of some vitamins and minerals.</p>
Boiling, Simmering, and Poaching
<p>Boiling, simmering, and poaching are similar methods of water-based cooking.</p><p>These techniques differ by water temperature:</p><ul><li><strong>poaching:</strong> less than 180°F (82°C)</li><li><strong>simmering:</strong> 185–200°F (85–93°C)</li><li><strong>boiling:</strong> 212°F (100°C)</li></ul><p>Vegetables are generally a great source of vitamin C, but a large amount of it is lost when they're cooked in water.</p><p>In fact, boiling reduces vitamin C content more than any other cooking method. <a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/foods/broccoli" target="_blank">Broccoli</a>, spinach, and lettuce may lose up to 50% or more of their vitamin C when boiled.</p><p>Because vitamin C is <a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/water-soluble-vitamins" target="_blank">water-soluble</a> and sensitive to heat, it can leach out of vegetables when they're immersed in hot water.</p><p>B vitamins are similarly heat sensitive. Up to 60% of thiamine, niacin, and other B vitamins may be lost when meat is simmered and its juices run off.</p><p>However, when the liquid containing these juices is consumed, 100% of the minerals and 70–90% of B vitamins are retained.<a href="http://www.ars.usda.gov/SP2UserFiles/Place/80400525/Data/retn/retn06.pdf" target="_blank"></a></p><p>On the other hand, boiling fish was shown to preserve <a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/17-health-benefits-of-omega-3" target="_blank">omega-3 fatty acid</a> content significantly more than frying or microwaving.</p><p><strong>Summary</strong></p><p><strong></strong>While water-based cooking methods cause the greatest losses of water-soluble vitamins, they have very little effect on omega-3 fats.</p>
Grilling and Broiling
<p>Grilling and <a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/broil-vs-bake" target="_blank">broiling</a> are similar methods of cooking with dry heat.</p><p>When grilling, the heat source comes from below, but when broiling, it comes from above.</p><p>Grilling is one of the most popular cooking methods because of the great flavor it gives food.</p><p>However, up to 40% of B vitamins and minerals may be lost during grilling or broiling when the nutrient-rich juice drips from the meat.<a href="http://www.ars.usda.gov/SP2UserFiles/Place/80400525/Data/retn/retn06.pdf" target="_blank"></a></p><p>There are also concerns about polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which are potentially cancer-causing substances that form when meat is grilled and fat drips onto a hot surface.</p><p>However, researchers have found that PAHs can be decreased by 41–89% if drippings are removed and smoke is minimized.</p><p><strong>Summary</strong></p><p><strong></strong>Grilling and broiling provide great flavor but also reduce levels of B vitamins. Also, grilling generates potentially cancer-causing substances.</p>
Microwaving
<p>Microwaving is an easy, convenient, and <a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/microwave-ovens-and-health" target="_blank">safe</a> method of cooking.</p><p>Short cooking times and reduced exposure to heat preserve the nutrients in microwaved food.</p><p>In fact, studies have found that microwaving is the best method for retaining the antioxidant activity of <a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/11-proven-health-benefits-of-garlic" target="_blank">garlic</a> and mushrooms.</p><p>Meanwhile, about 20–30% of the vitamin C in green vegetables is lost during microwaving, which is less than most cooking methods.<a href="http://www.emeraldinsight.com/doi/abs/10.1108/NFS-11-2012-0123" target="_blank"></a></p><p><strong>Summary</strong></p><p><strong></strong>Microwaving is a safe cooking method that preserves most nutrients due to short cooking times.</p>
Roasting and Baking
<p>Roasting and baking refer to cooking food in an oven with dry heat.</p><p>Although these terms are somewhat interchangeable, roasting is typically used for meat while baking is used for bread, muffins, cake, and similar foods.</p><p>Most vitamin losses are minimal with this cooking method, including vitamin C.</p><p>However, due to long cooking times at high temperatures, the B vitamins in roasted meat may decline by as much as 40%.<a href="http://www.ars.usda.gov/SP2UserFiles/Place/80400525/Data/retn/retn06.pdf" target="_blank"></a></p><p><strong>Summary</strong></p><p><strong></strong>Roasting or baking does not have a significant effect on most vitamins and minerals, except for B vitamins.</p>
Sautéing and Stir-Frying
<p>With sautéing and stir-frying, food is cooked in a saucepan over medium to high heat in a small amount of <a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/healthy-cooking-oils" target="_blank">oil</a> or butter.</p><p>These techniques are very similar, but with stir-frying, the food is stirred often, the temperature is higher, and the cooking time is shorter.</p><p>In general, this is a healthy way to prepare food.</p><p>Cooking for a short time without water prevents the loss of B vitamins, and the addition of fat improves the absorption of plant compounds and antioxidants.</p><p>One study found that the absorption of <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/beta-carotene-benefits" target="_blank">beta carotene</a> was 6.5 times greater in stir-fried carrots than in raw ones.</p><p>In another study, blood lycopene levels increased 80% more when people consumed tomatoes sautéed in olive oil rather than without it.</p><p>On the other hand, stir-frying has been shown to significantly reduce the amount of vitamin C in broccoli and red cabbage.</p><p><strong>Summary</strong></p><p><strong></strong>Sautéing and stir-frying improve the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins and some plant compounds, but they decrease the amount of vitamin C in vegetables.</p>
<p>Frying involves cooking food in a large amount of fat — usually oil — at a high temperature. The food is often coated with batter or bread crumbs.</p><p>It's a popular way of preparing food because the skin or coating maintains a seal, which ensures that the inside remains moist and cooks evenly.</p><p>The fat used for frying also makes the food taste very good.</p><p>However, not all foods are appropriate for frying.</p><p>Fatty fish are the <a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/12-omega-3-rich-foods" target="_blank">best sources</a> of omega-3 fatty acids, which have many health benefits. However, these fats are very delicate and prone to damage at high temperatures.</p><p>For example, frying tuna has been shown to degrade its omega-3 content by up to 70–85%, while baking causes only minimal losses.</p><p>In contrast, frying preserves vitamin C and B vitamins, and it may also increase the amount of fiber in potatoes by converting their starch into resistant starch.</p><p>When oil is heated to a high temperature for a long period of time, toxic substances called aldehydes are formed. Aldehydes have been linked to an increased risk of cancer and other diseases.</p><p>The type of oil, temperature, and length of cooking time affect the amount of aldehydes produced. Reheating oil also increases aldehyde formation.</p><p>If you're going to fry food, don't overcook it, and use one of the <a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/healthiest-oil-for-deep-frying" target="_blank">healthiest oils for frying</a>.</p><p><strong>Summary</strong></p><p><strong></strong>Frying makes food taste delicious, and it can provide some benefits when healthy oils are used. It's best to avoid frying fatty fish and minimize the frying time of other foods.</p>
<p>Steaming is one of the best cooking methods for preserving nutrients, including water-soluble vitamins, which are sensitive to heat and water.<span></span></p><p>Researchers have found that steaming broccoli, spinach, and lettuce reduces their vitamin C content by only 9–15%.</p><p>The downside is that steamed vegetables may taste bland. However, this is easy to remedy by adding some seasoning and oil or butter after cooking.</p><p><strong>Summary</strong></p><p><strong></strong>Steaming is one of the best cooking methods for preserving nutrients, including water-soluble vitamins.</p>
Tips to Maximize Nutrient Retention During Cooking
<p>Here are 10 tips to reduce nutrient loss while cooking:</p><ol><li>Use as little water as possible when poaching or boiling.</li><li>Consume the liquid left in the pan after cooking vegetables.</li><li>Add back juices from meat that drip into the pan.</li><li>Don't peel vegetables until after cooking them. Better yet, <a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/peeling-fruits-veggies" target="_blank">don't peel at all</a> to maximize their fiber and nutrient density.</li><li>Cook vegetables in smaller amounts of water to reduce the loss of vitamin C and B vitamins.</li><li>Try to eat any cooked vegetables within a day or two, as their vitamin C content may continue to decline when the cooked food is exposed to air.</li><li>Cut food after — rather than before — cooking, if possible. When food is cooked whole, less of it is exposed to heat and water.</li><li>Cook vegetables for only a few minutes whenever possible.</li><li>When cooking meat, poultry, and <a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/11-health-benefits-of-fish" target="_blank">fish</a>, use the shortest cooking time needed for safe consumption.</li><li>Don't use baking soda when cooking vegetables. Although it helps maintain color, vitamin C will be lost in the alkaline environment produced by baking soda.</li></ol><p><strong>Summary</strong></p><p><strong></strong>There are many ways to preserve the nutrient content of foods without sacrificing taste or other qualities.</p>
<p>It's important to select the right cooking method to maximize the nutritional quality of your meal.</p><p>However, there is no perfect cooking method that retains all nutrients.</p><p>In general, cooking for shorter periods at lower temperatures with minimal water will produce the best results.</p><p>Don't let the nutrients in your food go down the drain.</p>
<p> <em>Reposted with permission from </em><a href="https://www.healthline.com/" target="_blank"><em>Healthline</em></a><em>. For detailed source information, please view the original article on </em><em><a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/cooking-nutrient-content" target="_blank">Healthline</a></em><em>.</em></p>
Ask Well: Does Boiling or Baking Vegetables Destroy Their Vitamins ... ›
8 Healthy Swaps for Everyday Food and Drinks
Kale chips. Jarvna / iStock / Getty Images
By Jillian Kubala, MS, RD
Sugary cereals, white bread, soda, granola bars, and energy drinks are examples of foods and beverages that many people consume daily.
<p>Creamer gives coffee a smooth, sweet taste and comes in a variety of scrumptious flavors, such as pumpkin spice and peppermint mocha.</p><p>Yet, it's typically packed with added sugar, often in the form of <a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/why-high-fructose-corn-syrup-is-bad" target="_blank">high-fructose corn syrup</a> — a sweetener linked to several negative health effects like an increased risk of weight gain.</p><p>Plus, many coffee creamers contain artificial colors, preservatives, and thickeners like carrageenan.</p><p>Substitutes are surprisingly easy to make.</p><p>For a dairy-free, limited-ingredient creamer alternative that's low in added sugar, use this simple but delicious recipe:</p><ul><li>One 13.5-ounce (400-ml) can of whole or reduced fat coconut milk</li><li>1 tablespoon (15 ml) of <a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/maple-syrup" target="_blank">maple syrup</a> (or more to taste)</li><li>1 teaspoon (5 ml) of vanilla extract</li></ul><p>Simply place the ingredients in a bottle or glass mason jar and shake well. Keep it in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or freeze in ice cube trays for long-term storage.</p><p>If you want to experiment with other flavors, try adding a dash of cinnamon or coconut extract. For a seasonal twist, add a spoonful of pumpkin purée and a pinch of pumpkin pie spice.</p><p>Shake your creamer well before using it.</p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/13-ways-sugary-soda-is-bad-for-you" target="_blank">negative health effects of soda</a> and other sugary beverages have been confirmed through years of scientific research.</p><p>For example, soda is associated with an increased risk of diabetes, obesity, fatty liver, and metabolic syndrome — a cluster of symptoms that include high blood pressure and elevated blood sugar.</p><p>Although many people think that switching to diet soda is the best option, it may also increase your risk of conditions like metabolic syndrome and stroke.</p><p>If you drink soda regularly, consider trying these other fizzy drinks instead:</p><ul><li><strong>Infused sparkling water.</strong> Toss slices of your favorite fruits into a bottle of sparkling water for a flavorful, healthy soda substitute.</li><li><strong>Sparkling green tea.</strong> If you're craving a caffeine fix, sparkling green tea brands like <a href="https://www.amazon.com/SOUND-Sparkling-Organic-Green-Grapefruit/dp/B01LY2HWYW/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&linkCode=ll1&tag=nutrition-healthy-swaps-20&linkId=420c7226aeb43735e3c7eb42d6e64891&language=en_US" target="_blank">SOUND</a> or <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Minna-Sparkling-Tropical-Unsweetened-Friendly/dp/B07NQQNSCQ/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&linkCode=ll1&tag=nutrition-healthy-swaps-20&linkId=d0b43802f4225df61f36911cfb60d982&language=en_US" target="_blank">Minna</a> contain far less sugar than soda. You can also make your own using <a href="https://www.theleangreenbean.com/sparkling-green-tea/" target="_blank">this recipe</a>.</li><li><strong>Kombucha.</strong> For a kick of subtle sweetness with the added health benefits of probiotics, grab a low sugar kombucha. Brew Dr.'s <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Brew-Dr-Kombucha-Clear-Ounce/dp/B075MHT2CT/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&linkCode=ll1&tag=nutrition-healthy-swaps-20&linkId=ff60c1242e2fc5074cfdb4a279111aac&language=en_US" target="_blank">Clear Mind</a> and <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Brew-Turmeric-Organic-Kombucha-bottles/dp/B072KG1TPC/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&linkCode=ll1&tag=nutrition-healthy-swaps-20&linkId=eed84840e3001cf636d12376e2b25a3c&language=en_US" target="_blank">Ginger Turmeric</a> flavors contain only 10 grams of sugar per 14-ounce (415-ml) serving.</li></ul><p>Keep in mind that plain water is your best bet for staying hydrated throughout the day.</p>
3. Sugary Cereal
<p>A bowl of cereal is a staple breakfast for many people. While some options are better than others, most cereals tend to be high in sugar and low in filling macronutrients like protein and fiber.</p><p>What's more, <a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/are-breakfast-cereals-healthy" target="_blank">sugary cereals</a> marketed to children are often packed with high-fructose corn syrup and artificial food dyes like Red 40 — which may be associated with behavioral issues in sensitive children.</p><p>For a healthier alternative, choose one of the following high protein, high fiber breakfasts:</p><ul><li><strong>Oatmeal.</strong> Oatmeal is a natural cereal alternative that's high in fiber and protein. Try to use plain, rolled, or steel-cut oats and nutritious toppings like berries, nuts, unsweetened coconut, and nut butter.<a href="https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/519411/nutrients" target="_blank"></a></li><li><strong>Chia pudding.</strong> For a slightly sweet but fiber-packed meal that's kid-friendly, try this delicious, high protein <a href="https://www.eatingbirdfood.com/peanut-butter-chia-pudding/" target="_blank">chia pudding recipe</a>.</li><li><strong>Yogurt parfait.</strong> Layer whole or 2% plain Greek yogurt with fresh berries, unsweetened coconut, and crushed almonds for a filling breakfast option.</li></ul><p>What's more, homemade <a href="https://www.theseasonedmom.com/clean-eating-breakfast-snack-muesli/" target="_blank">muesli</a> or <a href="https://cookieandkate.com/healthy-granola-recipe/" target="_blank">granola</a> recipes are easy to find online.</p>
4. Granola Bars
<p>Granola bars are a go-to snack choice for many people. Yet, most popular granola bars are filled with added sugars and other sweet ingredients, such as chocolate chips or candy coatings.</p><p>All the same, several brands manufacture healthy choices. <a href="https://act.healthline.com/confirm_linkout_redirect.aspx?o=588&lp=328&g=4&link=1&tc=120288&subid=nutrition-healthy-swaps-20&subid2=%2Fnutrition%2Fhealthy-swaps&passthrough_k=thunderbird%20bars&passthrough_crid=3MNGCQONIDVWC&passthrough_sprefix=thunderbird%2Caps%2C239&passthrough_ref=nb_sb_ss_i_1_11&passthrough_linkCode=ll2&passthrough_tag=nutrition-healthy-swaps-20&passthrough_linkId=a0d1717339dc047b4bd59785e2a4e78a&passthrough_language=en_US" target="_blank">Thunderbird</a>, <a href="https://act.healthline.com/confirm_linkout_redirect.aspx?o=588&lp=328&g=4&link=1&tc=120288&subid=nutrition-healthy-swaps-20&subid2=%2Fnutrition%2Fhealthy-swaps&passthrough_k=rx%20bars&passthrough_ref=nb_sb_noss_1&passthrough_linkCode=ll2&passthrough_tag=nutrition-healthy-swaps-20&passthrough_linkId=a63b7ffe07dce6399cc2aa859842511f&passthrough_language=en_US" target="_blank">RX</a>, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/purely-elizabeth-Grain-Superfood-Chocolate/dp/B07BMYSB9Y/ref=as_li_ss_tl?keywords=purely+elizabeth+granola+bar&qid=1574175471&sr=8-4&linkCode=ll1&tag=nutrition-healthy-swaps-20&linkId=6a006fbe583e593e9b5e699a80a17c42&language=en_US" target="_blank">Purely Elizabeth</a>, and <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Autumnss-Gold-Grain-Cinnamon-Almond/dp/B07G7JPNCC/ref=as_li_ss_tl?keywords=autumn%27s+gold+granola+bar&qid=1574175638&sr=8-1&linkCode=ll1&tag=nutrition-healthy-swaps-20&linkId=21a03defa2c62035e27eaf40e44f9f3c&language=en_US" target="_blank">Autumn's Gold</a> granola bars are a few examples that use whole foods and pack plenty of protein and fiber.</p><p>Additionally, you can try out a homemade granola bar recipe, such as <a href="https://sweetphi.com/almond-butter-date-pepita-granola-bars-recipe/" target="_blank">this one</a>. It's low in added sugar and uses healthy ingredients like nuts, oats, seeds, coconut, and dried fruit.</p>
5. Energy Drinks
<p>People seeking a quick boost to power them through their day often turn to energy drinks.</p><p>While these drinks can increase concentration and focus, most harbor massive amounts of added sugar and stimulants. If consumed in excess, these beverages may cause several health issues, such as rapid heartbeat and kidney damage.</p><p>Many unsweetened, caffeinated beverages make excellent stand-ins for <a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/energy-drinks" target="_blank">energy drinks</a>, perking you up without unwanted side effects.</p><p>These include green tea, black tea, oolong tea, yerba mate, and coffee.</p><p>In fact, they may offer other benefits as well. For example, green tea is packed with antioxidants that may boost heart health and help lower blood sugar levels.</p><p>To stay alert and focused, you can also make other lifestyle changes, such as getting more sleep, eating a healthy diet, and <a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/16-ways-relieve-stress-anxiety" target="_blank">reducing stress</a>. This way, you won't have to rely on stimulants.</p>
6. Chips
<p>With their salty taste and crunchy texture, chips are a highly satisfying snack.</p><p>However, fresh, sliced <a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/14-healthiest-vegetables-on-earth" target="_blank">vegetables</a> like cucumber, carrots, celery, radishes, and daikon also provide a satisfying crunch. What's more, they're loaded with fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.</p><p>Pair your veggies with a nutrient-dense dip like guacamole, hummus, or black bean dip for a filling, flavorful snack.</p><p>Here are a few more healthy chip substitutes:</p><ul><li><strong>Kale chips.</strong> Low in calories but packed with nutrients, kale chips come in various flavors. You can also make your own cheesy kale chips by following <a href="https://minimalistbaker.com/30-minute-cheesy-kale-chips/" target="_blank">this recipe</a>.</li><li><strong>Beet chips.</strong> Beets are brightly colored vegetables that offer several benefits, such as reducing inflammation and boosting heart health. They're delicious when made into nutrient-dense, <a href="https://www.foodiecrush.com/how-to-make-baked-beet-chips/" target="_blank">crunchy chips</a>.</li><li><strong>Roasted chickpeas. </strong>Chickpeas are loaded with fiber and magnesium — a mineral that's important for blood sugar control and nerve function. Follow <a href="https://www.loveandlemons.com/roasted-chickpeas/" target="_blank">this recipe</a> to make crispy chickpeas for a perfect chip alternative.</li></ul><p>You can also make plantains, zucchinis, parsnips, eggplant, carrots, and radishes into nutritious chips in the oven.</p><p>Additionally, by roasting thin slices of potato or sweet potato, you can craft a healthier alternative to store-bought potato chips, which are often high in calories, oils, and salt.</p>
7. White Bread
<p>Lots of people prefer the soft, pillowy texture of white bread over heartier breads like whole wheat or rye. Yet, like all refined grain products, white bread offers little nutritional value, as it's low in fiber, protein, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.<span></span></p><p>As such, swapping it with more nutritious options can improve your health.</p><p>If you're looking for a healthier bread, choose a whole grain, sprouted type, such as <a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/ezekiel-bread" target="_blank">Ezekiel bread</a>. It's high in protein and fiber, and the sprouting process may increase the availability of certain nutrients and reduce the bread's effect on your blood sugar levels.</p><p>Plus, you can choose from many delicious, grain-free alternatives, including:</p><ul><li><strong>Sweet potato toast.</strong> Thin, toasted slices of <a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/sweet-potato-benefits" target="_blank">sweet potato</a> make an excellent substitute for white bread. Sweet potato toast is not only highly nutritious but also versatile, as it can be topped with almost any ingredient.<a href="https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/170134/nutrients" target="_blank"></a></li><li><strong>Swiss chard or lettuce wraps.</strong> Wrapping sandwich ingredients in a leaf of Swiss chard or romaine lettuce can significantly reduce your calorie intake. Plus, these leafy greens are packed with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.</li><li><strong>Portobello mushroom caps. </strong>Portobello mushrooms are packed with nutrients like B vitamins, fiber, and selenium. Furthermore, they're low in calories.</li></ul><p>Butternut squash toast, cauliflower bread, flax bread, and 100% rye bread are other healthy options that you can use in place of white bread.</p>
8. Candy
<p>Enjoying an occasional sweet treat is perfectly healthy. Nonetheless, eating sugary foods like candy too often can increase your risk of conditions like obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.</p><p>Still, it's easy to buy or make numerous <a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/healthy-candy-alternatives" target="_blank">naturally sweet candy alternatives</a>. These include:</p><ul><li><strong>Dried fruit.</strong> Dried fruits are a concentrated source of sweetness that deliver more nutritional value than candy. Try swapping candy with small amounts of unsweetened dried strawberries, mango, or apples.</li><li><strong>Energy balls.</strong> Homemade energy balls pack a wealth of nutrients. Try <a href="https://beamingbaker.com/3-ingredient-healthy-no-sugar-added-paleo-energy-balls-fruit-sweetened-protein-packed-vegan-gluten-free-dairy-free/" target="_blank">this recipe</a>, which balances sweet ingredients with protein-rich ones.</li><li><strong>Dark-chocolate-covered fruit. </strong>Dunking naturally sweet foods like banana slices or strawberries into antioxidant-rich <a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/7-health-benefits-dark-chocolate" target="_blank">dark chocolate</a> is another healthy way to satisfy your candy cravings.</li></ul><p>Smoothies, yogurt parfaits, and fresh fruit with nut butter are some other healthy options if you're looking to cut back on candy.</p>
<p>As you can see, making healthy swaps for everyday foods and beverages can be simple and delicious.</p><p>Plus, reducing your intake of calorie rich, nutrient poor items by choosing more <a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/21-reasons-to-eat-real-food" target="_blank">whole foods</a> can significantly improve your overall health.</p><p>Try out some of the tasty alternatives listed above when you're craving a <a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/snacking-good-or-bad" target="_blank">snack</a> or prepping your next meal.</p>
<p> <em>Reposted with permission from </em><a href="https://www.healthline.com/" target="_blank"><em>Healthline</em></a><em>. For detailed source information, please view the original article on </em><em><a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/healthy-swaps" target="_blank">Healthline</a></em><em>.</em></p>
15 food swaps that make your diet instantly healthier ›
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food health nutrition diet wellness
5 Ways to Beat Holiday Blues
SolStock / E+ / Getty Images
By Heather Cruickshank
Signs of holiday cheer can have a flip side for many dealing with loss, anxiety, or depression.
Disruptions to your diet, exercise habits, and sleep schedule can also take a toll and lead to holiday blues.
Experts say there are clear ways to cope including connecting with others, managing expectations, and practicing self-care.
The holiday season is a joyful time for many people — but it can also be a harbinger of stress.
<p>If you struggle with feelings of isolation, loneliness, or sadness around the holidays, reaching out to family members and friends may help.</p><p>"For those persons who experience loneliness or depression during the holiday season, it's especially important to reach out to family and friends," <a href="https://nursing.jhu.edu/faculty_research/faculty/faculty-directory/mona-shattell" target="_blank">Mona Shattell</a>, PhD, RN, FAAN, a mental health specialist and professor of nursing at Johns Hopkins School of Nursing, told Healthline.</p><p>"These individuals should strive to connect in real life with one person per day," she continued. "Call a friend on the phone, make a plan to meet someone for a walk or for coffee — anything that connects the person to another person."</p><p>If you don't have a lot of people to call or visit, volunteering for a local organization may give you the chance to meet new people and strengthen your connections with your community.</p><p>"Doing something meaningful for others can help mediate loneliness, depression, and stress during the holidays," Shattell said.</p><p>"Taking part in a service project or volunteering for your favorite organization can help one feel less alone, less stressed, and more alive," she added.</p>
2. Acknowledge Feelings of Loss
<p>For people who are grieving the loss of a loved one, certain holiday traditions or memories may serve as a reminder of their absence.</p><p>Rather than try to suppress feelings of sadness, it may help to acknowledge them and take time to commemorate the person you've lost.</p><p>"For people who are experiencing grief over the death of loved ones, especially those who have died since the last holiday season, it is helpful to acknowledge the loss and celebrate the life as it was lived, the memories that remain," Shattell said.</p><p>You might find it comforting to establish a new holiday tradition in their honor. On the other hand, you might decide to skip other traditions or activities that are too painful to participate in without them.</p><p>Give yourself freedom to choose how you'll mark the holiday and your loved one's memory, recommends the <a href="https://hospicefoundation.org/End-of-Life-Support-and-Resources/Grief-Support/Journeys-with-Grief-Articles/Three-C-s-for-Holiday-Grief" target="_blank">Hospice Foundation of America</a>.</p>
3. Manage Expectations
<p>Setting realistic expectations is essential for limiting stress.</p><p>If you're feeling overwhelmed, it's okay to scale back on your holiday decorations, baking goals, or social calendar. Rather than taking on everything, the American Psychological Association (APA) <a href="https://www.apa.org/helpcenter/holiday-stress-gift-giving" target="_blank">recommends</a> prioritizing the tasks and activities that are most important to you.</p><p>Sticking to a holiday budget may also help limit stress by reducing financial strain. Don't spend more money on gifts or activities than you can afford.</p><p>If you find yourself struggling to meet the expectations of other people, it's important to recognize and communicate your needs and limits, <a href="https://behavioralassociatesla.com/about-us/brett-marroquin-associate/" target="_blank">Brett Marroquín</a>, PhD, a clinical psychologist and assistant professor of psychology at Loyola Marymount University, told Healthline.</p><p>"I tend to talk to patients about interpersonal effectiveness skills, ways to communicate with partners, with adult parents, and with families that have to do with clearly asserting your needs, being really clear about what your needs and your emotions are, and having boundaries," Marroquín said.</p><p>"What can I fulfill? What do I need to do to take care of myself? Communicating all those things," he continued.</p>
4. Practice Self-Care
<p>Although it might not be your number one priority during the holiday season, practicing healthy habits is important for maintaining good mental health.</p><p>"Basic stuff like keeping a healthy diet, keeping up your exercise, keeping up the activities you typically do, including the positive activities that you just enjoy doing, and not letting the stressful stuff sort of overwhelm all that and supersede all of that — it creates the foundation for healthy coping," Marroquín said.</p><p>Try to get enough sleep, get some exercise, and moderate your intake of holiday treats.</p><p>It's also best to avoid consuming alcohol when you're feeling stressed or blue, advises <a href="https://www.nami.org/blogs/nami-blog/november-2015/tips-for-managing-the-holiday-blues" target="_blank">Dr. Ken Duckworth</a>, MD, medical director of the National Alliance on Mental Illness.</p>
<p>Whatever <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health-news/cope-with-top-holiday-stressors" target="_blank">holiday stressors</a> you expect to encounter, planning ahead may help you cope.</p><p>For some people, that might mean blocking time off in their calendars to shop when they expect grocery stores or malls to be less busy.</p><p>For others, it might mean planning a special activity or gathering with friends on a day when they anticipate feeling lonely or sad.</p><p>"If you know that Christmas Day or New Year's Eve is a particularly stressful time for you, maybe because of a loss that happened around that period or because you've always spent time with your grandpa and he's gone now," Marroquín said, "is there something you can do on that day, is there something you can plan with other family members for that day?"</p><p>"A lot of the research is really clear," he continued, "that when you're active in planning coping in advance for challenges you know are coming, the better off you're going to be."</p>
<p><em>Reposted with permission from </em><a href="https://www.healthline.com/" target="_blank"><em>Healthline</em></a><em>. For detailed source information, please view the original article on </em><em><a href="https://www.healthline.com/health-news/5-ways-to-beat-holiday-blues" target="_blank">Healthline</a></em><em>.</em></p>
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5 Emerging Benefits and Uses of Yarrow Tea
By Cheri Bantilan MS, RD, CD
Yarrow tea is brewed from a popular medicinal herb.
Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) has been used for thousands of years for its potential health benefits. In fact, its genus name, Achillea, refers to the warrior Achilles in Greek mythology, as he used yarrow to treat his soldiers' wounds.
<p>Since the times of Ancient Greece, yarrow has been used in poultices and ointments to treat wounds.</p><p>One animal study found that yarrow leaf extracts exhibited anti-inflammatory and <a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/antioxidants-explained" target="_blank">antioxidant</a> properties, both of which aid wound healing.</p><p>Furthermore, this study noted that yarrow leaf extract may increase fibroblasts, which are the cells responsible for regenerating connective tissue and helping your body recover from injury.</p><p>Meanwhile, a 2-week study in 140 women observed that an ointment made from this herb and St. John's wort helped heal episiotomy sites, which are surgical incisions on the vaginal wall made during childbirth.<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28027682" target="_blank"></a></p><p>While these results are promising, it's unclear whether yarrow tea has the same effects. Thus, more studies are needed.</p><p><strong>Summary</strong></p><p><strong></strong>Studies suggest that yarrow leaf extract and ointment may boost wound healing. However, additional studies are needed on yarrow tea itself.</p>
2. May Alleviate Digestive Issues
<p>Yarrow has long been used to treat digestive issues like ulcers and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), symptoms of which include stomach pain, diarrhea, bloating, and constipation.</p><p>In fact, this herb contains several flavonoids and alkaloids, which are plant compounds known to relieve digestive complaints.</p><p>In a study in rats, a yarrow extract tonic protected against stomach acid damage and demonstrated <a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/stomach-ulcer-remedies" target="_blank">anti-ulcer properties</a>.</p><p>Another animal study found that the flavonoid antioxidants in yarrow tea may fight digestive spasms, inflammation, and other <a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/9-signs-and-symptoms-of-ibs" target="_blank">IBS symptoms</a>.<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17009839/" target="_blank"></a></p><p>All the same, more research is needed.</p><p><strong>Summary</strong></p><p><strong></strong>Animal studies show that yarrow tea may provide several digestive benefits, such as combatting ulcers and IBS symptoms.</p>
3. May Help Reduce Symptoms of Depression and Anxiety
<p>The flavonoids and alkaloids in yarrow tea may alleviate symptoms of depression and anxiety.<span></span></p><p>Studies demonstrate that plant-based alkaloids like those in yarrow tea reduce the secretion of corticosterone, a hormone that's high during chronic stress.</p><p>One study found that yarrow essential oils administered orally to rats <a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/16-ways-relieve-stress-anxiety" target="_blank">reduced anxiety</a> and encouraged daily mental and physical activity.</p><p>However, these results are preliminary and don't necessarily apply to anxiety in humans. Furthermore, you should not ingest <a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/what-are-essential-oils" target="_blank">essential oils</a>.</p><p>Thus, human research on yarrow tea is needed.</p><p><strong>Summary</strong></p><p><strong></strong>Yarrow tea contains flavonoids and alkaloids that may relieve symptoms of depression and anxiety. All the same, human studies are necessary.</p>
4. May Aid Brain Health
<p>Yarrow has been shown to <a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/11-brain-foods" target="_blank">aid certain brain disorders</a>, such as multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and encephalomyelitis — inflammation of the brain and spinal cord caused by a viral infection.</p><p>A recent animal study noted that yarrow extract reduced the severity of encephalomyelitis, as well as the brain inflammation and spinal cord and brain damage it caused.<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4071708/" target="_blank"></a></p><p>Plus, a rat study found that yarrow's antioxidants have anti-seizure effects, making this herb a promising treatment for people with epilepsy.</p><p>Additional rat studies indicate that this plant may prevent symptoms of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases, such as <a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/ways-to-improve-memory" target="_blank">memory loss</a> and impairments in physical movement and muscle tone.</p><p>However, these studies are preliminary and limited to animals.</p><p><strong>Summary</strong></p><p><strong></strong>Research suggests that yarrow may reduce symptoms of certain brain disorders, such as epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer's, and Parkinson's.</p>
5. May Fight Inflammation
<p>While inflammation is a natural bodily response, chronic inflammation can lead to cell, tissue, and organ damage.</p><p>Yarrow may reduce skin and liver inflammation, which could help treat skin infections, signs of skin aging, and <a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/fatty-liver" target="_blank">non-alcoholic fatty liver disease</a>.</p><p>A test-tube study determined that yarrow extract not only <a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/13-anti-inflammatory-foods" target="_blank">decreased inflammation</a> but also increased skin moisture.</p><p>Other test-tube studies reveal that this extract may reduce liver inflammation — as well as fight fevers.</p><p>Although these results are promising, human research is needed.</p><p><strong>Summary</strong></p><p><strong></strong>Yarrow tea may reduce both liver and skin inflammation, but research is currently limited.</p>
Precautions and Potential Concerns
<p>While yarrow is likely safe for most individuals, some people should practice caution.</p><p>Women who are <a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/supplements-during-pregnancy" target="_blank">pregnant</a> or breastfeeding should not ingest yarrow, as it can trigger miscarriages and affect the menstrual cycle.</p><p>Furthermore, people with bleeding disorders or who take blood thinners should avoid yarrow because it may increase the risk of bleeding.</p><p>On that same note, this herb should not be consumed for 2 weeks before and after surgery due to a higher risk of bleeding.</p><p>What's more, yarrow may cause an allergic reaction in people allergic to <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/allergies/ragweed" target="_blank">ragweed</a> and other related plants.</p><p><strong>Summary</strong></p><p><strong></strong>Yarrow is safe for most individuals. However, you should avoid it if you have a bleeding disorder or are pregnant, breastfeeding, undergoing surgery, or allergic to ragweed.</p>
How to Add It to Your Diet
<p>Yarrow comes in several forms, including powders, ointments, tinctures, extracts, and dried leaves and <a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/edible-flowers" target="_blank">flowers</a>.</p><p>The leaves and flowers can be made into tea by steeping 1–2 teaspoons (5–10 grams) in boiling water for 5–10 minutes. You can purchase the dried herb, as well as premade tea bags, from various health stores or online.</p><p>You can also add yarrow powder to smoothies, water, and juice — and use its essential oils in baths, lotions, or diffusers.</p><p>Keep in mind that insufficient evidence exists to establish dosage guidelines for yarrow tea or other products. As such, you should always refer to product labels and consult a healthcare practitioner before using this herb.</p><p><strong>Summary</strong></p><p><strong></strong>You can buy dried yarrow or premade tea bags online or in various health stores. This herb also comes in other forms, such as tinctures, ointments, extracts, and powders.</p>
<p>Yarrow has been used medicinally since ancient times, including as an <a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/10-herbal-teas" target="_blank">herbal tea</a>.</p><p>Research shows that its plant compounds may benefit wound healing, <a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/ways-to-improve-digestion" target="_blank">digestive issues</a>, brain ailments, and other conditions. However, further studies in humans are necessary.</p><p>If you're interested in drinking yarrow tea, consult a medical professional to make sure it's right for you.</p>
<p> <em>Reposted with permission from </em><a href="https://www.healthline.com/" target="_blank"><em>Healthline</em></a><em>. For detailed source information, please view the original article on </em><em><a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/yarrow-tea" target="_blank">Healthline</a></em><em>.</em></p>
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The 5 Best Ways to Rehydrate Quickly
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It's important to rehydrate after any activity that causes heavy sweating, such as an intense workout, sauna session, or hot yoga class.
<p>Every cell, tissue, and organ in your body <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/food-nutrition/why-is-water-important" target="_blank">requires water</a> to function.</p><p>Water helps regulate body temperature, lubricate joints, transport nutrients, remove waste, and circulate blood. That means your body can't properly perform these functions if you're <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/dehydration" target="_blank">dehydrated</a>, which happens when you lose more fluids than you take in.</p><p>For example, you can become dehydrated from sweating, vomiting, experiencing diarrhea, or taking diuretic medications that increase fluid loss.</p><p>Certain populations are more prone to dehydration than others, including <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/parenting/signs-of-dehydration-in-toddlers" target="_blank">children</a>, older adults, and people with certain medical conditions like diabetes and kidney disease.</p><p>The signs and symptoms of dehydration include:</p><ul><li>increased thirst</li><li>dry mouth</li><li>infrequent urination</li><li>dry skin</li><li>tiredness</li><li>dizziness</li><li>headache</li></ul><p><a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/hydration-chart" target="_blank">Urine color</a> is also a common indicator of hydration status. Generally, the paler the color, the better hydrated you are. That said, the color can change for reasons other than your hydration status, including diet, the use of certain medications, and some medical conditions.</p><p>Studies have shown that urine color is a valid indicator of hydration in children and young adults but not in older adults.</p><p>If you're worried about your or someone else's hydration status, here are the 5 best ways to rehydrate quickly.</p>
<p>While it likely comes as no surprise, <a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/how-much-water-should-you-drink-per-day" target="_blank">drinking water</a> is most often the best and cheapest way to stay hydrated and rehydrate.</p><p>Unlike many other beverages, water contains <a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/water-calories" target="_blank">no added sugars or calories</a>, making it ideal to drink throughout the day or specifically when you need to rehydrate, such as after a workout.</p><p>It's worth noting that a variety of factors, including genetics, cause some people lose more sodium via their sweat than others. You might be a "<a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/why-is-sweat-salty" target="_blank">salty sweater</a>" if you get frequent muscle cramps with exercise or if your sweat stings your eyes.</p><p>If either of these apply to you, make sure to replace not just the fluid you lose through sweat but also the sodium, particularly after intense or long bouts of exercise in hot environments.</p><p>That said, unless you're participating in a long, intense activity like an ultra-endurance event in a hot environment, the sodium you lose through sweat can easily be replaced through a balanced diet.</p><p><strong>Summary</strong></p><p><strong></strong>For most people, drinking water is sufficient to rehydrate. If you're a salty sweater, be sure to replace both the sodium and fluid you lose through sweat, preferably through a balanced diet.</p>
2. Coffee and Tea
<p>Coffee and tea contain the stimulant caffeine, which can be transiently dehydrating in excess amounts, as it acts like a <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/natural-diuretics" target="_blank">diuretic</a>.<span></span></p><p>However, drinking coffee and tea in moderate amounts can be as hydrating as drinking water and serve as an energizing alternative.</p><p><a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/what-is-caffeine" target="_blank">Caffeine</a> becomes dehydrating only in doses around 250–300 mg, the equivalent of two to three 8-ounce (240-ml) cups of coffee, or five to eight 8-ounce (240-ml) cups of tea.</p><p>In a study, 50 regular coffee drinkers drank 4 cups (800 ml) of coffee containing 1.8 mg of caffeine per pound (4 mg per kg) of body weight daily. It observed no significant differences between coffee and water in regards to hydrating ability.</p><p>If you don't like these beverages plain, try adding unsweetened <a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/almond-milk-health-benefits" target="_blank">almond milk</a> to your coffee, or herbs and spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, or lemongrass to your tea.</p><p><strong>Summary</strong></p><p><strong></strong>Drinking moderate amounts of coffee and tea have similar hydrating properties as water. Plus, their caffeine content may give you an energy boost.<br></p>
3. Skim and Low Fat Milk
<p>In addition to supplying a host of nutrients, <a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/foods/milk" target="_blank">milk</a> has excellent hydrating properties.</p><p>Milk naturally contains high concentrations of <a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/electrolytes" target="_blank">electrolytes</a>, which help balance the amount of water in your body.</p><p>Research has shown that skim and low fat milk rehydrate you as well as popular sports drinks after intense exercise, all while providing protein and other important nutrients.</p><p>The <a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/casein-vs-whey" target="_blank">high quality protein in milk</a> also makes it an ideal post-exercise beverage for kick-starting muscle repair and the rebuilding process.</p><p>Just keep in mind that consuming milk after exercise may cause stomach discomfort like bloating. Plus, it's not an appropriate option for people who are intolerant to lactose or certain milk proteins.</p><p>Milk — namely <a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/whole-vs-skim-milk" target="_blank">full fat milk</a> — might also not be a good option if you're experiencing diarrhea or vomiting, as it could worsen these conditions.</p><p><strong>Summary</strong></p><p><strong></strong>Skim and low fat milk can be used as an effective post-workout or general rehydration beverage if you don't have lactose intolerance or a milk protein allergy.</p>
4. Fruits and Vegetables
<p>Comprising 80–99% water, fruits and vegetables make for a perfect <a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/19-hydrating-foods" target="_blank">hydrating snack</a>.</p><p>For comparison, highly processed foods like cookies, crackers, cereals, and chips contain only 1–9% water.</p><p>Fruits and vegetables with the highest water content include:</p><ul><li>berries</li><li>melons</li><li>oranges</li><li>grapes</li><li>carrots</li><li>lettuce</li><li>cabbage</li><li>spinach</li></ul><p>Stock up on a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables and keep cubed watermelon in your fridge for easy and convenient access.</p><p>Frozen fruits and vegetables are <a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/fresh-vs-frozen-fruit-and-vegetables" target="_blank">just as nutritious</a> as their fresh counterparts, and in some cases, they're more nutritious.</p><p>It often takes days or even weeks before fresh fruits and vegetables make it to your plate. During that time, oxidation can cause nutrient loss. On the other hand, frozen fruits and vegetables are frozen shortly after harvesting, which retains most of their nutrients.</p><p>For example, one study showed that frozen green beans and blueberries contained more vitamin C than their fresh counterparts.</p><p>Try making a hydrating, nutrient-packed <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/healthy-smoothie-recipes" target="_blank">smoothie</a> by combining your favorite fresh or frozen fruits and vegetables in a blender along with milk or Greek yogurt.</p><p><strong>Summary</strong><strong></strong></p><p><strong></strong>Due to their high water content, both fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables make a perfect hydrating snack.</p>
5. Oral Hydration Solutions
<p>Oral hydration solutions are specialized formulas used to prevent and treat dehydration caused by diarrhea or vomiting.</p><p>They have also been promoted to bolster <a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/sports-drinks" target="_blank">exercise recovery</a> and prevent or treat hangovers.</p><p>These solutions are water-based and commonly contain electrolytes like sodium, chloride, and potassium, as well as sugar, typically in the form of <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/dextrose" target="_blank">dextrose</a>. Some commercial solutions also contain other ingredients like prebiotics and zinc.</p><p>While these rehydration drinks help replace lost fluids and electrolytes, they can be expensive.</p><p>Fortunately, you can make your own using these common kitchen ingredients:</p><ul><li>34 ounces (1 liter) of water</li><li>6 teaspoons of sugar</li><li>1/2 teaspoon of salt</li></ul><p>Combine them in a large bowl or pot and stir until the sugar and salt dissolve. You can use flavor enhancers to improve the taste if desired — just keep in mind that they may contain artificial or natural sweeteners and flavors.</p><p><strong>Summary</strong></p><p><strong></strong>Oral hydration solutions contain water, electrolytes, and sugar. You can make your own simple rehydration solution at home using water, salt, and sugar.</p>
<p>Dehydration occurs when your body loses more fluids than it takes in.</p><p>For most people, drinking water is the best way to stay hydrated and rehydrate.</p><p>Other options include coffee, tea, milk, fruits, vegetables, and oral hydration solutions.</p><p>Don't hesitate to speak with your healthcare provider if you're concerned about your or someone else's hydration status.</p>
<p> <em>Reposted with permission from </em><a href="https://www.healthline.com/" target="_blank"><em>Healthline</em></a><em>. For detailed source information, please view the original article on </em><em><a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/how-to-rehydrate" target="_blank">Healthline</a></em><em>.</em></p>
Best way to hydrate: 6 options you need to try | Well+Good ›
Here’s How You Can Be Nudged to Eat Healthier, Recycle and Make Better Decisions Every Day
Paul Bradbury / Caiaimage / Getty Images
By José Antonio Rosa
Every day, you make important choices — about whether to feast on fries or take a brisk walk, whether to spend or save your paycheck, whether to buy the sustainable option or the disposable plastic one.
Life is made up of countless decisions. The idea of nudging people in the right direction, instead of relying on their internal motivation, has gained traction over the last decade.
<p>Neuroscientists, starting with pioneers like Antonio Damasio, have shown that <a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/297609/descartes-error-by-antonio-damasio/9780143036227" target="_blank">the brain is not like a computer</a> where complex programs deliver optimal solutions. In fact, the mind seems to involve <a href="https://wwnorton.com/books/9780393334777" target="_blank">many relatively simple systems</a>, some inside the head and some <a href="https://mitpress.mit.edu/books/embodied-mind-revised-edition" target="_blank">distributed throughout the body</a>.</p><p>These systems are not always in agreement. Some systems are selfish and shortsighted, some care about relationships with others and some prioritize transcendent things such as God and the future of humanity. In addition, people aren't equally conscious of each mechanism, so that <a href="https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780374533557" target="_blank">sometimes you make decisions carefully and thoughtfully</a> and other times you make them fast and intuitively.</p><p>When your systems are in contention, which one informs your next decision <a href="https://wwnorton.com/books/9780393334777" target="_blank">depends on what else is happening</a> in that moment. A diabetic, for example, may thoughtfully consider his long-term health and family responsibilities — and even God's will — when deciding to eat the salad and not the breadsticks at Olive Garden one day. But on his next visit, he might respond to the smell of fresh-baked bread by devouring every breadstick in the basket. Different situations, different mechanisms, different decisions.</p>
Appeals to Your Internal Norms
<p>Nudging can work via many mechanisms, some conscious and some not. Typically you don't recognize you're being nudged.</p><p><span></span>One nudge method relies on <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2006.09.004" target="_blank">highlighting the decisions of others</a> you may consider influential. After reading that "Most other guests staying at this hotel reuse towels," many people envision others like them or maybe of higher status reusing towels. They feel compelled to align their behavior with that of the majority in order to fit in. The decision is theirs, but they've been nudged.</p><p>Another nudge technique focuses on how one should act in a particular situation. These are sometimes called "<a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2006.09.004" target="_blank">injunctive norms</a>," and they can vary by culture. Imagine the towel appeal had instead read, "By reusing towels, you join millions who care about the environment." In this case the guest's subconscious concern about earning the disapproval of those "millions" of others triggers him to hang up his towels.</p><p>And if the towel message is instead phrased that "reusing towels meets a high standard for environmental responsibility," it highlights self-imposed standards or norms, if they exist in the decision maker. Such personal norms are termed injunctive because they involve beliefs about right and wrong that consider transcendent and abstract concepts, such as devotion and obedience to God.</p><p>Interestingly, such prompting — whether by subjective social or personal norms — does not work on everyone. <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/us/academic/subjects/philosophy/political-philosophy/grammar-society-nature-and-dynamics-social-norms?format=PB" target="_blank">Some may work better</a> in some cultures (for instance, in Asian societies) and with some age groups (such as in younger people) than others.</p>
Setting the Scene for a Desired Choice
<p>Another way to nudge people is to change the decision environment. This technique is sometimes called "<a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/bdm.1897" target="_blank">choice architecture</a>."</p><p>Let's assume that a grocery store is trying to encourage consumers to purchase ecologically responsible products, such as recycled paper notebooks. If all eco-friendly products are displayed together in an end-of-aisle display, people notice and their internalized norms are activated. But it may not translate into multiple purchases, because buying just one product suffices to meet the norm. If the products are displayed throughout the store, though, so multiple in-store displays can re-trigger the internalized norm, it's likely that more ecologically responsible purchases will be made in the same shopping trip.</p><p>Nudging people is not deception. In most cases, nudging works by raising a particular decision or behavior's prominence. If you're already predisposed toward something — like eating healthy — a nudge helps tip your mental mechanisms in that direction. Nudges are reinforcement, especially in cases when your decision-making mechanisms are in contention with each other — like when the aroma of fresh bread is wafting through the air.</p>
<p>At the same time, that wafting aroma is in itself a nudge. It may be deliberately enhanced to promote pleasurable consumption that improves mood and may lead to more spending or more generous tipping. Nudging can work to enhance or suppress virtuous behaviors, and it is the responsibility of companies and organizations to use nudging judiciously and responsibly.</p><p>Nudging cannot make people do something they don't want to do, although sometimes the desire is nonconscious and lurking in the background. It only encourages them to follow through on a decision or behavior that may be currently overshadowed by other factors. It's when individuals believe consciously that the decision or behavior — be it healthy eating, buying environmentally responsible products, or saving for retirement — is beneficial that <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/15534510500181459" target="_blank">nudging works best</a>.</p>
<p> <em>Reposted with permission from </em><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/heres-how-you-can-be-nudged-to-eat-healthier-recycle-and-make-better-decisions-every-day-122254" target="_blank">The Conversation</a></em><em>.</em> </p><script async="async" data-counter="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/122254/count?distributor=republish-lightbox-advanced" id="theconversation_tracker_hook" src="https://theconversation.com/javascripts/lib/content_tracker_hook.js" type="text/javascript"></script>
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Why Drinking Can Make You Feel Extra Anxious Over the Holidays
By Julia Ries
Alcohol activates the GABA system causing us to feel less anxious and relaxed. If you stop drinking, your GABA system is still overcompensating and gets mixed up, leading to a spike in anxiety.
Drinking can also impact your ability to get REM sleep, which can affect mood.
Alcohol can help trigger a chemical that impacts the "flight or flight" response leading to anxiety
For many people, drinking and the holidays go hand in hand.
<p>The mood fluctuations we feel after a couple of days or even a night of excessive drinking can be traced back to <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/gamma-aminobutyric-acid" target="_blank">gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA)</a>, an inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain.</p><p>Alcohol activates the GABA system (which, remember, is inhibitory), causing us to feel less anxious and relaxed (if you drink, you know the feeling).</p><p>"By activating an inhibitory neuron, [alcohol] makes you uncoordinated, it makes you disinhibited — so you're a little more talkative — and that happens immediately," said <a href="http://www.yalemedicine.org/doctors/stephen_holt/" target="_blank">Dr. Stephen Holt</a>, a Yale Medicine addiction medicine doctor.</p><p>However, if you drink multiple days in a row, and therefore activate the GABA system for an extended period of time, the GABA system starts to cool itself down.</p><p>"Your brain starts to say, 'Oh! There's this whole new thing in our brain now, we should make some changes,'" Holt said.</p><p>When you eventually stop drinking, your GABA system is still overcompensating and gets mixed up, leading to a spike in anxiety.</p><p>"When you take alcohol out of the system — it's four days of binge drinking and now you're not drinking alcohol — that [GABA] system is now revved up in such a way that you start to feel anxious if you don't have alcohol in your system," Holt said.</p><p>On top of that, alcohol releases a surge of endorphins — our bodies' natural opiate — which gives us a feel-good buzz.</p><p>When we drink for days in a row, our brain starts to expect this pleasurable substance all the time. And, without it, we can start to feel a bit blue.</p><p>"We use the term dysphoria, which is kind of the opposite of euphoria," said Holt. "It's just this feeling of emptiness and feeling a little hollow — there's just something missing — because that alcohol was providing this pleasurable, reinforcing effect."</p>
Alcohol Can Also Be Stimulating
<p>Alcohol can also be stimulating, according to <a href="https://www.yalemedicine.org/doctors/john_krystal/" target="_blank">Dr. John Krystal</a>, the chair of the department of psychiatry at Yale Medicine.</p><p>Some people may find that a glass of wine or beer will cause them to feel more stimulated. Krystal says this may be due to alcohol's ability to increase norepinephrine levels in the body, which is a chemical involved in our body's "fight or flight" response to fear or stress.</p><p>This rush of norepinephrine can play out in a couple of ways.</p><p>"While some people may find the effects of norepinephrine to be pleasurable, others — particularly people with symptoms associated with panic disorder or PTSD — may be very sensitive to the ability of norepinephrine to trigger anxiety," Krystal said.</p>
It Interferes With Our Sleep
<p>Alcohol also disrupts the quality of our sleep and can completely deregulate our sleep-wake cycle.</p><p>"People may find that drinking alcohol helps them to relax and to fall asleep. However, alcohol reduces the restful quality of sleep and when their blood alcohol levels drop, they may experience more difficulty getting back to sleep or maintaining sleep," Krystal said.</p><p>And when we don't get the sleep we need, our mood can take a hit.</p><p>When we drink alcohol, our rapid eye movement, or REM sleep, is reduced. This matters because it's the most important, restorative part of our sleep.</p><p><a href="https://www.pnas.org/content/113/9/2538" target="_blank">Research</a> shows that poor REM sleep has been linked to a higher risk of depression and anxiety. On the flip side, <a href="https://news.berkeley.edu/2018/11/06/chronically-anxious/" target="_blank">a deep, restorative sleep</a> may actually calm an overactive brain and mitigate feelings of anxiety.</p><p>"Sleep is important in mood regulation and being thrown off suddenly can increase feelings of anxiety," said <a href="https://www.northwell.edu/find-care/find-a-doctor/psychiatry/dr-jessy-warner-cohen-phd-11362380" target="_blank">Jessy Warner-Cohen</a>, PhD, a senior psychologist at Northwell Health.</p>
Here’s How Long It’ll Last and What to Do About It
<p>According to Holt, whereas a hangover will usually stick with you for a few hours, that post-drinking anxiety may linger for a couple of days.</p><p>However, if you struggle with anxiety or have an anxiety disorder, that anxiety may last longer and end up being more severe than it was before drinking alcohol.</p><p>If you start to feel more anxious after drinking, it's probably worth taking a break from it. Give your GABA system a rest and find a healthier way to soak up those endorphins.</p><p>"There are natural ways of reducing anxious feelings. Exercise is a great one. Even if you're feeling sluggish, going for a brisk walk can naturally uplift your mood," Warner-Cohen said.</p><p>Sleep is another big one: Take a nap if you can or aim for an earlier bedtime.</p><p>"Getting an actual full night's sleep that includes REM sleep is very important to help people feel restored the next day, less anxious, less depressed, and more capable of getting done what needs to be done," Holt said.</p><p><a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/breathing-exercise" target="_blank">Deep breathing exercises</a> can also help soothe your nerves. There's plenty of <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6137615/" target="_blank">evidence</a> pointing to deep breathing's ability to boost feelings of comfort and downplay symptoms of anxiety, arousal, and confusion.</p><p>Many health experts recommend the <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/4-7-8-breathing" target="_blank">4-7-8 method</a>, in which you slowly inhale for 4 seconds, hold your breath for 7 seconds, and gradually exhale for 8 seconds.</p><p>Listen to your body — you know it better than anyone else.</p><p>If you feel the anxiety building, or strong, persistent urges to drink, reach out for help. There are a lot of treatments available for both anxiety and alcohol use disorders that are worth looking into if you sense an issue unfolding.</p>
<p>With the holidays upon us, you may notice that all that spiked eggnog and champagne toasts may not only give you a painful hangover, but severe symptoms of anxiety as well.</p><p>This is because alcohol can have a very powerful effect on the systems that regulate our mood and mental health.</p><p>Though the anxiety may linger for a few days, sleep, exercise, and deep breathing exercises can help you overcome the anxious aftershock that follows a few days of heavy drinking.</p>
<p> <em>Reposted with permission from </em><a href="https://www.healthline.com/" target="_blank"><em>Healthline</em></a><em>. For detailed source information, please view the original article on </em><em><a href="https://www.healthline.com/health-news/does-drinking-make-you-more-anxious-over-the-holidays" target="_blank">Healthline</a></em><em>.</em></p>
So the Kids Want a Dog for Christmas. Is Adopting One a Good Idea ... ›
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Switzerland and Hungary
Living in Hungary
Grand Tour of Switzerland in Hungary 2016
Entdecken Sie die Schweiz in Ungarn
Embassy of Switzerland in Hungary
All consular services and visa issues are provided by the Regional Consular Centre in Vienna/Austria.
Travel advice for Hungary
Swiss institutions in the country
Companies and businesses that have operations in the country
Bilateral relations Switzerland–Hungary
Carl Lutz
Carl Lutz rescued tens of thousands of Hungarian Jews from death during World War II.
Projects in Hungary
Switzerland supports 39 projects in Hungary with its EU enlargement contribution
Bilateral Framework Agreement with Hungary
Switzerland has concluded a bilateral framework agreement with Hungary. Switzerland decides in consultation with Hungary and independently of the EU which projects it will support
Results in Hungary
Switzerland uses its enlargement contribution to create jobs by taking part in a venture capital fund, extend the drinking-water supply and improve flood protection
Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships for Foreign Scholars and Artists
Through the Federal Commission for Scholarships for Foreign Students (FCS), the Swiss Confederation awards various post-graduate scholarships to foreign scholars of all disciplines and to some foreign artists:
University research fellowships for scholars, doctorates and post-doctorates at Swiss universities, federal institutes of technology and universities of applied sciences (no scholarships for bachelor or masters studies)
Arts scholarships for advanced-level artists at Swiss conservatories and universities of the arts (only for a limited number of countries)
Eligibility criteria, information on the application procedure, contact addresses and further information can be found listed under each country on the website of the Federal Commission for Scholarships for Foreign Students (FCS).
Scholarships for Swiss students
The scholarship office of the Rectors’ Conference of the Swiss Universities swissuniversities administers the foreign governmental scholarships of about 40 countries on behalf of the Swiss Confederation. The scholarships are offered to Swiss students, researchers and artists to study for a period of time abroad. For more details:
Rectors’ Conference of Swiss Universities swissuniversities
Further information on scholarships as well as study and research opportunities at different Swiss institutions is available on the following websites:
State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation SERI
Swiss university professors
Beware fake scholarship offers in the name of the Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships (phishing)
The Swiss authorities are issuing this warning about fake scholarships advertised by email. The Federal Commission for Scholarships for Foreign Students (FCS) does not advertise scholarships by email; as a rule, scholarships are directly managed by the Swiss representation in the country concerned. The Swiss authorities recommend not responding to such emails and, above all, not transferring any money.
Regionales Konsularcenter Wien c/o Schweizerische Botschaft Prinz Eugen-Strasse 9a 1030 Wien Österreich
Headquarters +43 1 795 05
Headquarters wien.cc@eda.admin.ch
Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Czechia, Hungary and Liechtenstein
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November 5th Nintendo Direct Recap
"Majora's Mask 3D! Xenoblade Chronicles X news! Splatoon campaign!"
By: Edward Oliveira | Wii-U Features | November 5, 2014
Today marked the first new Nintendo Direct in a while, actually around E3. The Directs since were based on an individual game like Bayonetta 2, but it looks like it’s business as usual with Mr. Iwata back from surgery.
The Direct didn’t even hesitate to drop a bomb. At the first second, we see a remake of The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask for the Nintendo 3DS just like they did Ocarina of Time’s back in 2011. This was one of the most requested games Nintendo received, and I hope you are all happy to see it happening. In traditional fashion, there seems to be a European-exclusive limited edition with a steelbook case, double-sided poster and Majora’s Mask pin.
After Iwata briefly discussed how Majora’s Mask works, Bill Trinen comes in to detail a few upcoming games.
First up was Intelligent System’s Codename S.T.E.A.M.. In this obviously parallel 19th-century, you control an American team led by Abraham Lincoln tasked to get rid of aliens in London (watch the trailer below if you don't believe me). Though in the Direct, we learn that we can actually use Abe Lincoln alongside Fleming, Lion, Tiger Lily and Tom Sawyer. Fleming can use an “All-America” Eagle gunas well as a real bald eagle. Lion, the one from the Wizard of Oz, has a Lion Launcher that allows him to pounce across the battlefield and can roar to take out enemies. The Native American Tiger Lily is quicker than the rest and has a healing mortar as well as other healing moves like Healing Wind. Tom Sawyer from Huckleberry Finn can hit foes with a punch gun, plant landmines and scout traps. If you haven’t seen it in action, it plays like Valkyria Chronicles.
Ultimate NES Remix for the 3DS contains most of what the 2 NES Remixes on Wii U have (which are also hitting Wii U on a disk), but the 3DS compilation will have online leaderboards, Speed Mario Bros. (a port of Super Mario Bros. with double the speed) and Famicom Remix, a collection of Famicom games only released the Japanese version.
Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker was next and while nothing new was unveiled, the game looks awesome, especially with the addition of Toadette. Trinen used Toad as an opportunity to discuss their new initiative to allow you to pre-order eShop versions of games now and have the game preload on the Wii U.
The amiibo figures are a big push for Nintendo to revitalize the Wii U and allow a new platform to expand from it. With Super Smash Bros. coming out we know how they’re used in that, but we finally see what they can do in other games. In Mario Kart 8, using the Mario, Luigi, Peach, Yoshi, Donkey Kong, Link, Samus, Captain Falcon, Kirby and Fox figures will allow you to unlock an outfit of them for your Mii. In Hyrule Warriors, Link’s figure will have you unlock the Spinner from Twilight Princess. These functions seem a little lame and limited (I mean they’re used once in these and that’s it) but hopefully we’ll see a more Skylanders-like game out of them.
Speaking of Mario Kart 8, we now know that we’ll see the first DLC pack launch on November 13th and will contain the Excitebike Arena, Hyrule, and Mute City from F-Zero alongside five other tracks (three of them remade from other Mario Karts). You’ll also get Tanooki Mario, Cat Peach and Link as playable characters and new karts like the Blue Falcon.
Kirby and the Rainbow Curse seems to be Nintendo’s Q1 Wii U game and will play just like Kirby Canvas Curse, but now with 4-player co-op, which honestly completely breaks the game.
There was also the trailer for Super Smash Bros. for Wii U that introduces the character Duck Hunt:
In a bigger surprise, Duck Hunt will hit the Wii U Virtual Console soon, and according to the warnings underneath, will require Wii Remotes. It is a light gun game after all.
Next Nintendo’s Senior Licensing Marketing Manager, Damon Baker, wanted to discuss Nindies (Indie devs on Nintendo systems), Sonic Boom’s demo for 3DS that launches tonight, Persona Q’s 3DS XL and the creepy Mario & Luigi Feline outfits for Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate. There’s also a Commander Video trophy for Smash Bros. Wii U that encompasses the success Nindies have with Nintendo. Many Nindies were interviewed by Baker and are all on Nintendo's YouTube channel. Here's his interview for the Wii U-exclusive Swords and Soldiers II by Ronimo:
Next was Shigeru Miyamoto and his announcement of the Pikmin 3 Short Movies. These three episodes were storyboarded from Flipnote Studio and released today for both Wii U (in HD) and 3DS (in 3D) for $4.99 each. He also announced a demo for Pikmin 3 released today, perfect timing for the game’s launch 15 months ago, with the ability to transfer the saves to the full version.
Iwata then discussed Xenoblade Chronicles X, and that the game will use the GamePad for navigation purposes. The game will have a much more vaster world to explore than the first Xenoblade (which was already big in its own right) and that towns like New Los Angeles will have gigantic towns to explore. The game is still slated for 2015.
Last on the Direct was Splatoon, the online multiplayer shooter made from younger devs within Nintendo, and behold the game actually has a single-player campaign! It seems to be very platformer-like (Super Mario Galaxy to be precise) but with shooter controls, so this will be very interesting when the final product launches this Spring.
And that’s it for today's Nintendo Direct! Anyone shocked that the New 3DS wasn’t mentioned, because I wasn’t with the holiday season coming up. But Majora’s Mask was a nice shocker for the beginning for all of us to enjoy, and any news Xenoblade X-related is appreciated.
Edward Oliveira
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XBL: ShiftyShaymin
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An Exciting Re-Reading of Cosmology
The Sense of the Universe: Philosophical Explication of Theological Commitment in Modern Cosmology
by Alexei V. Nesteruk, Fortress Press, 545pp, £38.99.
Reviewed by Brendan Purcell
What are physicists and astronomers doing when they’re doing cosmology? Alexei Nesteruk thoroughly explores how this question moves way beyond the purely physical measurement of the cosmos to its philosophical and theological dimensions.
He draws on phenomenology, Kantian theory of knowledge, the Greek fathers of the first millennium of Christianity and a range of 20th century Russian and French thinkers, to fashion a unique critical examination of how and what we know in contemporary
cosmology.
Nesteruk summarises the objective of this book as “the unfolding of theological motives in humanity’s perception of existence in the universe” (p.22). But ‘we do not analyse cosmology from the perspective of an explicitly theistic stance based on some dogmatic propositions of God’s existence; rather we proceed cautiously from what we call theological commitment as an existential, experiential mode of communion with God’ (p.24). His justification of this approach is that the natural
sciences normally don’t question their own existence and cognitive operations, nor does knowledge of the universe occur anywhere except within the persons who know it: ‘science is not capable of dealing with the question of its own facticity … In
this sense the universe as articulated reality has existence and sense only in a mode of personhood, which is a divine gift’ (p.25).
Cosmology and human subjectivity
He argues that both the knowing subject and the cosmos as known object mustbe articulated at far deeper levels than is normally the case even in philosophical discussion. He notes that cosmology is developed by a ‘human subjectivity [which] affirms itself through its non-egocentric attitude toward the external world’ (p.113). Thus neither the cosmos nor its human knower can be explained in terms of the natural sciences: as human personhood escapes complete definitions by manifesting itself through “presence in absence”, the universe, being a mirror of the human reason through which humanity constitutes itself also escapes complete definitions, thus acquiring a mode of “presence in absence”, that is, a mode of personal “opposite” of dynamic ecstatic reference… The universe can then be understood as a kind of otherness of personhood that is present in the event of a person’s self-affirmation (p.158).
He explains this otherness of the universe: Cosmology, in contradistinction to astronomy and astrophysics, is rather a “universology” that deals with a single, unique totality of all, which not only cannot be treated as an object and hence subjected to experimentation, but also cannot be made devoid of the delimiters of human insight (p.182).
Nesteruk could perhaps have made things easier for himself if he had drawn on Aquinas’ philosophical understanding of being, especially as his chapter ‘Constituting the Universe: Transcendental Delimiters and Apophaticism in Cosmology’ may run the danger of conflating the notion of created being with the uncreated Being of God. I’m not denying the richness of his rethinking of our relation with the universe as analogous to a relation with a person. Still, the notion of created being of course includes both personal and non-personal existence. A fine expression of that richness can be seen in this characteristic reference to St Athanasius:
[The] intrinsic rationality in the world, according to Athanasius of Alexandria, is maintained by the creative Logos of God, which is not an immanent principle of the world, but the transcendent artificer of order and harmony in created existence, which is thus contingent upon the transcendent rationality of God (p.219).
The standard cosmological model
In his discussion of the rationality of our notion of the universe, he writes that ‘the existential belief in the unity of reality corresponding to the unity of conscious experience permeates the whole standard cosmological model, including all its constructs’ (p.280) and asks why the standard cosmological model is so convincing. He refers to philosopher of science Ernan McMullin who notes that its coherence is due ‘not just to the particular historical reconstruction of a long-past geological or biological episode but in the ways in which one reconstruction supports another, and the scope of the concepts and explanatory concepts on which the reconstruction is based gradually widens’ (p.280).
Nesteruk continues on this topic, contrasting the testable standard cosmological model with the untestable multiverse hypothesis:
Unlike peninsular constructs such as multiverse, which by themselves cannot have any direct relation to the life-world, the construct of the visible universe possesses a heuristic quality of predicting some new properties of the universe that are subject to empirical testing (p.289).
There follows a finely weighted discussion of the kind of truth involved in cosmological theory, including the Kuhnian requirement of acceptance by the scientific community on the basis of its verifiability. He speaks of ‘a weak objectivity that includes the transcendental conditions of establishing truth’ (p.299), which is very close to Bernard Lonergan’s discussion in Insight of the contingency of judgments about the material world. Such judgments, in Lonergan’s terminology, are ‘virtually unconditioned’, that is contingent with regard to their object, not contingent in terms of the cognitive operations grounding the judgment.
Cosmology and the explication of the human condition
He argues that the universe’s origin is just as inexplicable as the origin of each unique human being: ‘In other words, how to interpret the Big Bang idea in the perspective of the interior life of a human person’ (p.306). He has been dealing throughout with what Heidegger called the forgetfulness of being—that cosmology can never explain the facticity of the universe, its existence, its suitability for life, life itself, and of course, the unique existence of each person. He’s aware of how some cosmologists like Stephen Hawking try to dispose of this question ‘by suggesting sophisticated theories of how to avoid temporal origin in cosmology at all’ (p.316). Cosmology itself is rooted in that even greater mystery of the human person: ‘the purpose of explanation in cosmology is related to the explication of the human condition. Correspondingly, the purposiveness of cosmological research acts as a certain delimiter in the explicability of the universe related to the human condition’ (p.350). His questioning of the physicists’ acceptance of the sheer givenness of the underlying laws of astrophysics reminded me of Hawkings’ dogmatic statement that ‘Because there is a law like gravity, the universe can and will create itself from nothing…’ (The Grand Design, p. 180).
Strongly theological dimension
One of the threads in the complex weave of this book is its strongly theological dimension. For example Nesteruk writes that ‘It is implied here that a glance at nature and the universe as created by God is accessible to humanity only through the Holy Spirit’ (p.433, n.36). However, I think Nesteruk is merely trying to get beyond the forgetfulness of the mystery of existence that he catches so frequently with remarks like ‘The origin of the universe shows to humanity precisely that its origin cannot be shown’ (p.453, his emphasis). He sees the universe not just as contingent existence but in the richer sense of being pure gift, a cosmic giftedness that requires a response from us.
Theology and cosmology are correlative
Nesteruk sums up: theology and cosmology are correlative, since theology needs human persons embodied in the physical universe, whose nature is explored by cosmology. This anthropological basis for cosmology ‘cannot be explained through reductions to the physical, and forms the foundational mystery whose elucidation and interpretation can only be provided by theology of the Divine image’ (p.475). The book concludes within a specifically Christian vision:
… cosmology can be treated as a theological work, as a spiritual and para-eucharistic activity, bringing the universe back to its creator through exploration and articulation. By so doing, human cosmologists endeavor a task of the moral mediation between the universe and God, contributing to the stages of deification through which the universe will be transfigured and seen through the eyes of the Logos-creator himself (p.479).
Orthodox Christian
So, while being utterly faithful to his own vocation as an Orthodox Christian, Nesteruk has offered one of the most exciting re-readings of cosmology that has ever been carried out, all the more useful to the Western Christian reader since it includes a great many Russian and Patristic sources more or less unknown to the West. The book is immense and will richly reward whoever explores its various natural scientific, cosmological, anthropological and indeed theological summits.
Fr. Brendan Purcell is Adjunct Professor, University of Notre Dame, Australia, and the author of From Big Bang to Big Mystery: Human Origins in the Light of Creation and Evolution.
To God Through Beauty
Theological Aesthetics: God in Imagination, Beauty and Art , by Richard Viladesau, OUP, 312pp, £25.00.
Reviewed by Guy Nicholls
Art attempts to ‘represent the unimaginable’ in images which speak to us and move us. But in the making of images there is the danger of fomenting idolatry, and inviting the confusion of the reality with the image, when the original is, like God, unimaginable. Richard Viladesau tries to break away from this philosophical impasse by proposing a fundamental theology of the human imagination based on the Logos, the Son of God as Creator. This draws on the teaching that man is by nature ‘capax Dei’, and that the Creator never ceases to draw us to Himself. The ability to know Him, the unimaginable and uncreated One, therefore, even through the medium of created images, is inbuilt and cannot be satisfied except by coming to know Him. Therefore we should expect that this desire for God is made to be fulfilled in Him alone. Human cognition is capable of reaching the truth, even through images of various kinds, which can therefore lead us towards an authentic theology of art and aesthetics, enabling us truly, albeit partially, to ‘image’ the godhead.
Not by the intellect alone
Viladesau therefore asks how beauty can indeed be understood as a way to know God. Undoubtedly, one of the major problems that has beset theological aesthetics is, on the one hand, the modern and post-modern loss of faith in the image and likeness of God in created human nature; and on the other, the loss of conviction that truth is objectively real and attainable by the human person, intellectually and by feeling (aesthesis). Of course, where knowledge of God is concerned, the nature of what we can claim to know of Him has always been difficult to encompass in human language. But that is precisely where the intellectual conception of God alone, unaided or unbalanced by aesthesis, shows its limits. Pascal famously commented that ‘the heart has its reasons which reason knows nothing of’, suggesting that feelings are an indispensable part of the human heuristic process. The ‘heart’ stands for the apprehension of that which is instinctively and powerfully perceived as desirable. This is characteristic of beauty as it is experienced by the human heart, not as a force opposed to that of reason, but as admitting more than the intellect alone can grasp.
As the anonymous mediaeval English author of The Cloud of Unknowing expressed this truth so neatly: ‘by love may [God] be gotten and holden, but by thought never.’ Viladesau adapts to aesthetics an argument from Kant and concludes that ‘God is … self-subsistent joy in God’s own being and in all that participates in it, and the supreme goal and mover of human desire.’
The foundation of art and beauty
This ‘categorical’ revelation of God in the joyful apprehension of Himself is what Viladesau seeks to establish as constituting the foundation of art and beauty. The experience of beauty is a delight, a joy in the experience of ‘form’, the organising principle that gives ‘shape’ to things and to our knowledge of them. The recognition of form is itself a sign of intelligibility and is accompanied by a sense of joy and satisfaction in the discovery of meaning and purpose. Yet how is it that we often experience beauty as something sad or tragic? Or that we can even sometimes experience what is tragic as beautiful, as desirable, especially when we encounter it in art and music? Viladesau accounts for this puzzling fact by placing God himself at the ‘horizon’ of every experience of beauty. Finite beauty powerfully points towards the infinite but unreachable beauty of God, arousing in us who experience it both joy in possession, and pain in the perceived absence, of the one to whom we may be drawn and directed by a particular aesthetic event. Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant attitudes
Viladesau does not shirk the important differences between various schools of Christian theology in understanding of the place and function of art and beauty in relation to God. The sacramental principle, in which created matter and form can be apprehended in some authentic way as images of God, and as ways towards union with Him, is fundamental to the Catholic and Orthodox attitude to art, whereas the Protestant theological system relies on the priority of the word over the image as the medium through which God communicates Himself to us, and by means of which we apprehend Him. It is significant, for instance, that the Protestant theologian Bonhoeffer described ‘art, culture and religion’ as ‘the three great powers by which humanity contradicts the grace of God.’ Nevertheless, it would be wrong, as Viladesau recognizes, to make this dichotomy too absolute. After all, on the Catholic side, St Bernard strongly disputed the place of sensible (especially visual) beauty. On the Protestant side, Luther himself had a profound appreciation of the power of music especially to convey God’s truth and presence, as is particularly exemplified in the religious works of his great follower, Bach. Viladesau quotes Karl Rahner’s pertinent observation that ‘when listening to a Bach Oratorio ... we have the impression that, not only through its text, but also through its music, we are in a special way brought into a relationship with divine revelation about humanity.’
The cross – divine love made incarnate
The hermeneutical key to the proper understanding of beauty in art, Viladesau states, is the cross of Christ. From an aesthetic point of view, the cross is not itself a beautiful thing, but it is the symbol of a beautiful act, that of the self-giving of the Son of God incarnate out of love for the Father and for fallen creation, in order to restore the beauty of what He had made but sin had marred. So ‘if the image and presence of God are found in the poverty, ugliness and suffering of the world, it is precisely as the hope and promise of transcending these conditions.’
Viladesau therefore asks whether Christian spirituality has been too exclusively preoccupied with renunciation and has taken too little account of ‘the fact that Jesus, in contrast to the ascetical John the Baptist, came in a spirit of celebrating the arrival of God’s kingdom.’ Theological aesthetics must eschew any hint of dualism, and fully accept that ‘body and soul were both equally created by God, equally attacked by corruption, and equally saved by Christ.’ Hence we may therefore speak of an ‘aesthetic conversion’ that takes place when we recognise beauty not merely as that which produces feelings of pleasure, but as ‘form’, understood as ‘perceivable order, intelligibility and value’. Yet this conversion must take place in the light of the cross, understood specifically as the historical sign and fulfilment of divine love made incarnate.
The problem of idolatry
The resolution of the problem of idolatry, in both its intellectual and its asceticaldimensions, is to be found in intellectual, moral, aesthetic and religious conversion, rather than in the renunciation of any intrinsic dimension of human being. Viladesau
warns us that ‘a lack of experience of the beauty of what is truly good, a lack of taste for the holy – turns people ... towards the pursuit of material pleasure.’ The human thirst for aesthetic fulfilment is insatiable. The question is whether what fulfils that
thirst is good and true, and convincing. The conclusion of this book is that the only authentic beauty capable of bringing us to the end for which we have been created and redeemed is the splendour of truth and goodness in the everlasting glorious vision of God, mediated to us by the Crucified incarnate Logos.
Fr Guy Nicholls of the Birmingham Oratory has just completed a doctoral study of
Newman’s aesthetics.
Complicity and How To Avoid It
The Servant and the Ladder: Cooperation with Evil in the Twenty-First Century by Andrew McLean Cummings, Gracewing, 443 pp, £20.
Reviewed by Helen Watt
This is a lively and thought-provoking book on the topic of cooperation and complicity in others’ wrongdoing. The ‘Servant’ of the title is an imaginary character attracting centuries of debate and even a papal condemnation: the employee of a would-be rapist who is asked to hold a ladder while his master climbs in a window. May he hold the ladder, many have asked, and if so, in what circumstances?
Those who regard the Servant example as perhaps a little strained and antiquarian may prefer to think about other cases mentioned in the book: the shipping clerk who dispatches land mines, or the nurse who hands instruments to a doctor who plans to use them for an abortion. How should we make sense of these cases, and what if the Servant, the nurse or the clerk were ‘going through the motions’ at the point of a gun, rather than merely (as in the condemned Servant view) in fear of their jobs or an ‘angry look’?
Formal and material cooperation
Twenty-first century readers benefit from the distinction now drawn between ‘formal’ and ‘material’ cooperation – where material cooperation in others’ wrongful choices is unintentional, while formal cooperation is intentional. Formal cooperation with the main wrongdoer’s act, however reluctant and however disapproving, is always itself morally wrong. Material cooperation, in contrast, may or may not be morally wrong – and despite clarificatory remarks in Veritatis Splendor – the identification of formal and material, and permissible and impermissible material cooperation, is still a matter of much dispute.
Cummings leads us through the history of discussion of this and allied areas, taking in some entertaining if horrifying views requiring censure: proof, if proof were needed, that laxism did not begin with our current age. He also sets out his own views on cooperation, which are not only quite restrictive but not entirely convincing to this reviewer in the particular shape they take. While rightly willing to assert the duty to refuse illicit choices ‘even if it hurts’, Cummings is perhaps too quick to identify some choices as ‘formal’ that might be better seen as ‘material’ cooperation, however unjustified these choices may remain.
The role of intention
Cummings not unnaturally fears that “if negative consequences are held to be in no way intended, they will be permitted for a sufficient reason; if there is some intentionality, they may fall under absolute norms and be forbidden in all cases” (p.94). So willing is Cummings, at least sometimes, to impute intention from foreknowledge that he even says at one point (p.244) that someone who draws the curtains to keep out the sun intends that they fade! However, intention, as we normally use the term, is about our actual goals – our choice of ends and means – rather than about states of the external world, however important these are in providing choiceworthy options.
Rather than sometimes stretch the definition of intention to breaking point, it might be better simply to admit that intention should not be ‘made to do all the work’ when identifying what is absolutely morally excluded. For example, to condemn lethal organ harvesting, or pre-viability removal of an unborn child from its mother, it is not necessary to claim that the surgeon ‘must’ have intended the foreseen death for the unborn child or the organ donor – as a result of what he did intend for the object of his assault.
As I see it, Cummings, like many others who support morally restrictive conclusions on these issues, overstates the role of intention as required to reach such conclusions. That said, there are also welcome signs in the book that Cumming recognises that certain wrong intentions cannot be so readily imputed in some cases where the moral verdict is, however, clear. For example, as Cummings rightly notes (pp.134- 5) you do not have to intend to give scandal to give it, and Cummings refers at one point (p.336) to “an exaggeration of the role of the intention of the acting subject in determining the moral value of the act”.
Much-needed distinctions
In his entirely reasonable desire to argue that certain cases of collaboration are justified material cooperation, Cummings can be unconvincing: for example, he presents as a mere omission to remove from his mailbag the delivery of morally offensive mail by a postman – which merely raises further questions about mail for that address consisting solely of offensive material, not to mention the blameless actions of colleagues in filling the mailbag in the first place. Again, though rightly showing some desire at least to exculpate the bank clerk who in effect helps the bank robbers steal, and certainly intentionally helps them move the money, Cummings is on shaky ground given the general points he makes. The clerk’s collaboration is necessary to the theft, something much stressed by Cummings, and is not something the clerk was ‘doing anyway’ or necessarily part of his duties (or recognised duties) as a bank clerk – two other factors stressed by Cummings.
Elsewhere, however, Cummings makes some much-needed distinctions – for example, correctly pointing out in a discussion of an example of Germain Grisez that a temporary contractor who wrongly cooperates in arranging escort services as required by another firm may not be intending that any such services actually take place once the contract has been signed (p.237). It would have been good here to focus more on the co-operator’s illicit intending of the business partner’s plans to offer such services to clients, as such plans are of course morally wrong at every stage. The business partner is intending at least that his clients be attracted to the business by the availability of such services, and the co-operator is intending at least the immediate pursuit on the business partner’s part of that immoral intention, as a condition of the contract being signed.
Concentration on deliberately assisting wrongful plans can help us negotiate many complicity problems: for example, whether or not a morally conflicted nurse intends that a doctor succeed in performing an abortion, she may be wrongly intending that he try when she passes him an instrument, on his orders, that will help him do so. (Of course, it goes without saying that she should not be passing the instrument anyway, even without this formal intention, especially if no-one is training a gun on her, even if her job is on the line.)
Heroism and self-sacrifice
While good at showing us problems, The Servant and the Ladder is perhaps less good at finding solutions; it remains, however, a valuable exploration of a very perplexing area of ethics. It is engagingly written, attractively produced (barring mysterious asterisks at some points where page numbers should be) and generally well worth exploring. There is much to inform and indeed inspire in the book, not least the spirit in which it is written. One can only admire the author’s willingness to accept the sometimes radical demands of conscience: to acknowledge these demands is ever more important in a world where pressures on people of conscience multiply by the day. Doctors, nurses and pharmacists, soldiers and business people, are all too often asked to do what either they should never do (in the case of some choices) or only under unjust pressure (in the case of other choices).
Looking back to the last century, the author quotes the words of Franz Jägerstätter, martyred for his refusal to serve in the Nazi army, on its being too late to save the world, but never too late to save your own soul, and bring some other souls to Christ
4 as well. We may not all be called to be Jägerstätters and it can feel uncomfortable making moral judgements on such cases from the safety of our armchairs. We must distinguish between genuine duties, however demanding, on the one hand, and on the other, ‘supererogation’ i.e. ‘going above and beyond the call of duty’. That said, as Cummings notes (p.386), in words that should resonate with all of us, “There are many degrees of heroism and self-sacrifice, and many if not most Christians are called to some degree of it.”
Dr Helen Watt is Senior Research Fellow of the Anscombe Bioethics Centre; her books include The Ethics of Pregnancy, Abortion and Childbirth and the edited collection Cooperation, Complicity and Conscience.
Contemplating Where The Magi Bought Their Gifts
Advent Joy - Journeying Towards the Nativity by Julien Chilcott-Monk, Gracewing, 104pp, £6.99.
Reviewed by Ella Preece
Advent Joy – Journeying Towards the Nativity is a book designed to help the reader to contemplate the Stations of the Cross. It has 24 stations beginning on the 1st December rather than the first Sunday of Advent, which varies. The stations themselves cover salvation history from creation to the adoration of the Magi. They each begin with a quote from Scripture which sets the theme of the station, the Sign of the Cross, the Our Father, a contemplation, a short prayer taken, for example, from the Divine Office or a sequence from the Mass, a Hail Mary and a Glory Be.
Each contemplation is only about a page long, allowing the length of each station to be very comfortable. The language used is easy-going which makes it suitable for use with young children. There are, however, a few points that should be noted. Each contemplation has been inserted into the middle of the Our Father, which is a bit clunky, to give an example... “Our Father who are in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven. When you told that group of questioners...”; and similarly at the end the contemplation concludes, for example, “Help me heavenly Father to do my part. Give us this day our daily bread...”. Because the contemplation is a completely different writing style the sudden entry back into the formal prayer does break the flow of the meditation.
Random things, not deeper mysteries
The writing style itself can be hard to follow at times as the author uses many double negatives, “Did not you..., was it not..., were they not...”. The contemplations of the author can be a bit rambling at times and sometimes seem to focus on random things like what Mary thought of Joseph’s home and workshop, and what the house was like, did the workshop look out onto a busy road, was Joseph well known for his carpentry skills etc. There is less focus on the deeper mysteries of God’s actions and messages in relation to our lives, which might be of more interest to readers of this magazine.
There were also a few statements which made me personally feel a little uncomfortable. For example, “It is likely that Abraham did not apprehend you as the only one and only God but caught glimpses of you in a great morass of distractions […] doubtless he believed that you shared the heavenly stage with strange and terrifying divinities.” This is hard to believe when Abraham (the father of the monotheistic faiths) says “I have sworn to the LORD God Most High, maker of heaven and earth.” Elsewhere we hear that shepherds lived apart from the rest of the community “almost leper like”. Again, this comment fails to put forth any of the relevance and importance of the shepherd but places a somewhat negative label on them in the contemplation.
This only happens occasionally in the book but prevents the reader sharing in the deeper revelation and love of God that is occurring at that point in salvation history, especially in light of the New Testament, and raises the question that if the person in Scripture who is experiencing this unique relationship with God didn’t really understand God, then how can we?
Undermining the traditional reading
The book is designed to spend the Advent period focusing our thoughts on the mystery of the Incarnation, deepening our understanding through the revelations of salvation history, and our relationship with God. However, when reading it, on several of the days it seems that instead of “reading them in light of the Resurrection of our Lord” the author is undermining a traditional reading of Scripture. He takes faithful characters who humbly place their trust in God and portrays them in a negative light of ignorance and doubt, often with his personal opinions which tend to be mundane and superficial in nature.
There seems to be little to gain by speculating what Joseph thought about why he had to travel to Bethlehem for the census or if the Magi picked up their gifts in the market on the way over to the stable, in comparison to the great mystery of the Creator of the cosmos taking on human form in order to save us from the fires of Hell and restore us to how we were created to be, let alone “considering afresh the Holy Incarnation”. In short, it does not leave you feeling like you have done a mini-retreat.
To conclude I would say that the book is not terrible, but I am not sure it would appeal to the readers of this magazine. The idea and layout are great, but sadly the spiritual and meditative content leave something to be desired.
Ella Preece is a home-educating mother whose hobbies include archery, juggling and general adventuring.
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Contact us online or call (904) 447-1937 to discuss your questions or concerns today.
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The Law Office of Joanne M. Fakhre appreciates the service of our men and women in uniform. We deeply appreciate the sacrifices and dedication made by servicemen and women and their families in keeping our country safe, and we are proud to offer a free consultation and cost-effective and compassionate legal help to all military personnel who entrust us with their immigration needs.
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Susanna +46 721 681 058
Fredrik +46 723 280 144
hello@falsterbopoloclub.com
© Falsterbo Polo Club
Polo umpire | Polodomare
RULES OF ATTRACTION
Polo rules are complex and spectators often get confused. We guide you through the basics and explain the logics of the game.
Polo is a sport with a simple logic but also one with a complex set of rules. Let us start with the basics.
Polo is played on a large rectangular grass field. Each team has four players. Number one is the forward, the prime goal scorer, number two is the wingman who makes way and collects any missed passes, number three is the midfielder who directs the game in both directions and number four is the defensive force. Each player cover a player from the opponents in the defensive plays. A game is normally played over six chukkas (periods) of 7 minutes 30 seconds and horses are changed in the intervalls. One horse can play two chukkas, but in high goal games the pros actually change horses during chukkas. That is how intense the game is.
On each side you will find two goal posts. Each team shall get the ball across the goal line and between the posts to score. So far so good. Now, in order to have a safe play as horses can travel at 50 km/h, sticks swing and players tackle, or ride-off, as it is called in polo there has to be rules for the safety of horses and players.
The easy rules: A player with the ball has the right of way if he travels in the exact direction of the ball. No-one may cross his path forcing him to slow down. However, opposing players can disturb him by riding him of his path, shoulder by shoulder, or by blocking his shots with their sticks. That is why the play tends to look like a train as all rides fall in behind the ballkeeper to distract or to pick up any missed balls.
There is a handicap system. Players start at -2 and can reach +10 handicap. Summing the teams handicap makes for a one less experienced team to get a few goals advantage from the start of the game.
Penalties is also a vital part of the game. If any player breach the rules of safety, crossing the imaginary line of the ball, i.e. the direction the ball is moving in, thus preventing the ball keeping player from free path or forcing the player to slow down a penalty is given. Penalties comes in the way of a free-kick which may be guarded or shot towards an unguarded goal, depending on the severity of the foul.
The rules of polo are governed by Hurlingham Polo Association, HPA, in England. The first polo match was played on Hounslow Heath in 1869 and in 1875 the Hurlingham Polo Committee drew up the first English rules. Today most countries follow the HPA rules.
Download the HPA rules and regulations here >
Alla videoklipp
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Hackneyed as it may be to mention, the Montreal duo Solids did an excellent job choosing a name. While listening to Blame Confusion (Fat Possum / Dine Alone Records), it’s hard to imagine that an album this densely packed with sound is the handiwork of just two people, but guitarist Xavier Germain-Poitras and drummer Louis Guillemette fill every possible nook and cranny on their debut album with heavy yet melodic music. Like plenty of other indie rock bands in the 2010s, Solids take inspiration from alt-rock’s early-’90s heyday, and it’s easy to hear bits of Sonic Youth, Superchunk, and Dinosaur Jr. in their revved-up songs. At times they also resemble a lo-fi …And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead, especially on “Off White,” which shifts from raging to reflective in its epic sweep. However, Germain-Poitras and Guillemette’s time in hardcore bands is just as important to Solids’ approach; the duo sounds much more passionate than the like-minded bands that borrow too much from the slacker ethos of the ’90s. They wear this anthemic spirit well: even on the poppiest songs, like the title track and “Haze Away,” Blame Confusion vibrates with barely contained energy. On furious tracks such as “Traces” and “Cold Hands,” the tension between Guillemette and Germain-Poitras’ big sound and Adrian Popovich’s stripped-down production generates sparks. The duo also pulls off an honest-to-goodness ballad with the brawny yet melancholy closing track “Terminal,” which, in its own way, shows how far Solids have come from 2010’s debut EP Generic Dogs as much as the louder songs here. It’s too easy to call Blame Confusion a solid first album; nevertheless, it’s still a consistently entertaining and impressive debut.
Whether playing on stages of majors events such as SXSW, Osheaga, Pop Montreal, The Great Escape and Sled Island or in some packed and humid decrepit basements, Xavier and Louis sweat blood because they don’t know any other way of making music. Solids is somehow a gift for all those who never feel as alive as when they’re submerged in decibels!
Blame Confusion
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FBM Architects
Integrated Teaching & Laboratory Building / University of East Anglia
University of East Anglia / Integrated Teaching & Laboratory Building
Work has been completed on this new £30m integrated teaching and laboratory building for the University of East Anglia.
Rather than providing home to just one department or faculty, the building contains high quality, flexible teaching rooms and laboratories for use by multiple departments or faculties, creating an environment in which cross-fertilisation of ideas and innovation can flourish, fostering a spirit of discovery enabled by connections between students, researchers and academics in the finest traditions of the founding ethos of the university.
When developing our design for the new building, we sought to remain faithful to the ambitions of the original masterplan for the campus, designed by Denys Lasdun; that each building should contribute to the wellbeing of students, how they live, work and interact – and that the buildings should respect the geology and attractive landscape of the site.
Located at the western edge of the campus and surrounded to the north and west by trees, access to the new building is across a new courtyard. This landscaped space links it to the adjoining Julian Study Centre and provides a venue to pause, gather, sit and talk.
The sequence of spaces through which staff, students and visitors enter the building reinforce its sense of place and Denys Lasdun’s vision for the masterplan, creating an identity that reflects the ethos and aspirations of the university. Following the contours of the landscape, the courtyard slopes down towards the entrance, which is set under a double height colonnade, leading on to a new atrium. This provides the focus for circulation through the building and, at ground floor level, an exhibition space which also serves as a social learning environment, with soft seating and ‘touch down’ space. The atrium was designed to act as a pop-up library space for students to revise together or individually, during the normal working day as well as at evenings and weekends during the exam season. Further seating and niches for informal interaction are carved out from the central spine corridor that provides access to the teaching rooms and laboratories. A raked seating area at first floor level of the atrium facilitates open-day presentations and informal lectures.
The changing quality of natural light and the material treatment of surfaces are pivotal in generating the character of the journey through the building. From beneath the shade of the colonnade, visitors enter through a glazed entrance, giving glimpses of the atrium. Exposed concrete, timber cladding and metal railings; recognizable features from elsewhere on the campus, characterize this space. Once behind the mass of the exterior, attention is drawn to the atrium lightwell; with natural light to the galleries surrounding the atrium flooding in through windows created by pulling away the external envelope from the main body of the building, framing views of the courtyard.
On the ground floor, the new building provides flexible general teaching space for over 580 students across nine rooms of various sizes, several of which can be joined together to form large exam halls. Available for use by all faculties and departments, this is an intensively used space for lectures, seminars, workshops and tutorials as well as for out-of-term conferences and events.
The upper floors provides laboratories for a variety of subjects. These spaces offer state-of-the-art teaching and research environments and help to consolidate existing provision formerly dispersed across the campus. The most specialist, highly serviced spaces are on the upper floors, with the lightly serviced labs (for environmental sciences and computing) located on the lower floors, to aid servicing and maintenance. Service access is from the north of the building, set away from the main entrance. Fume cupboard flues are expressed as a single tall, zinc clad chimney, which creates a focal point at the western entrance to the campus.
Externally, materials consist of white render, zinc cladding, porcelain tiles and corten arranged in a simple and rational way; the multi-layered southern façade assists in minimizing solar gain. Zinc and corten are the principal materials to the north and west; tough and durable materials to resist algae growth in this woodland setting.
The project aims to radically reduce energy use in a building type that is renowned for high consumption. The building incorporates the following sustainable features:
Fabric & structure: the concrete frame has been left exposed wherever possible to provide accessible thermal mass. This provides ‘peak-lopping’ of low winter and high summer temperatures.
Envelope: U-values to walls, floor, roof and glazing all exceed U-value minimum standards. A stringent air-permeability target has also been set that is 70% better than the requirement of building regulations.
Services: heating is provided via the University’s district heating network – a low-carbon heat source, and the building includes a 145m2 PV array on the roof. The main ventilation systems all include heat recovery provision and the lighting is 100% LED with intelligent control systems.
Fit-out: there are over 50 fume cupboards in this building and they are a notorious source of wasted energy. We have worked closely with specialists to develop more efficient cupboards that have smaller sashes and these are also sub-divided to further minimise opening apertures. The atrium is lined with a variety of locally grown timber species and toilet panels are formed from recycled plastic sheets.
The project obtained planning permission in November 2017, work began on site in January 2018 and the project was completed on programme and in time for the opening in autumn 2019.
Form of Contract: Design & Build
Completion Date: Due September 2019
Project Cost: £30m
Client: University of East Anglia
Architect: Fraser Brown Mackenna Architects
Contractor: RG Carter
Project Manager: Real Consulting
Principal Designer: Lend Lease
Quantity Surveyor: Aecom
Landscape Architect: Wynne-Williams Associates
Heritage Consultant: Cambridge Architectural Research Unit
Ecology Consultant: Wild Frontier Ecology
Services Engineer: Johns Slater & Hayward
Structural Engineer: MLM Consulting
Planning Consultant: Ingleton Wood
Acoustic Consultant: Ramboll
Fire Engineer: Aecom
Briefing Consultants: CPB Projects
Cockcroft Building / University of Brighton
Institute of Productivity / University of East Anglia
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Communicable Diseases Home
Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE)
ULifeline
Michigan has recently experienced an increase in reports of an arbovirus* called Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) with 8 human cases in 6 counties (Kalamazoo, Berrien, Barry, Cass, Calhoun and Van Buren). Three of those 8 human cases resulted in death. Eastern Equine Encephalitis has also been confirmed in 27 animals in 13 counties (Barry, Berrien, Calhoun, Cass, Genesee, Jackson, Kalamazoo, Kent, Lapeer, Montcalm, Newaygo, St. Joseph and Van Buren).
*Arbovirus is a virus transmitted by mosquitos and other insects
Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) is carried by certain types of mosquitoes in Michigan. It is a rare but potentially serious disease that can affect anyone, but children and people over age 60 are more likely to get the more severe form of EEE illness. EEE is found primarily in areas with swamps and bogs. The risk of bites from infected mosquitoes is highest for people who work or play outdoors in these areas. Wearing insect repellent when outdoors (especially at dawn and dusk) is important to prevent EEE.
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services recommends taking precautions for avoiding mosquito bites from now until the first hard frost of the season.
How do I protect myself and my family from Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE)?
There is no vaccine against EEE virus for humans. Reducing exposure to mosquitoes is the best defense against infection with EEE and other mosquito-borne viruses. There are several approaches you and your family can use to prevent and control mosquito-borne diseases.
Use repellent:When outdoors, use insect repellent containing DEET, picaridin, IR3535 or oil of lemon eucalyptus on exposed skin and/or clothing. The repellent/insecticide permethrin can be used on clothing to protect through several washes. Always follow the directions on the package.
Wear protective clothing:Wear long sleeves and pants when weather permits.
Install and repair screens:Have secure, intact screens on windows and doors to keep mosquitoes out.
Keep mosquitoes from laying eggs near you:Mosquitoes can lay eggs even in small amounts of standing water. Get rid of mosquito breeding sites by emptying standing water from flower pots, buckets, barrels, and tires. Change the water in pet dishes and replace the water in bird baths weekly. Drill holes in tire swings so water drains out. Empty children's wading pools and store on their side after use.
Please visit Michigan Department of Health and Human Services EEE site as well as Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for more information on EEE, including Frequently Asked Questions, symptoms, and treatment options.
http://www.michigan.gov/eee
https://www.cdc.gov/easternequineencephalitis/index.html
Lindsay Barber, MSA
Ebola Open Letter
Birkam Health Center Home
Birkam Health Center
Big Rapids, MI 49307
Hours: 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
For Emergencies, please call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room. For Non-emergent health issues, please contact your local health provider or hospital.
Healthy Dog
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Home/Articles/New Booby Techniques
Boobies Aren't Just for Sinkers...
So you thought booby fishing consisted of chucking it out on a Hi-D and waiting.....
Colin Riach takes a new look at booby fishing.
Dougie G asked - "Could I suggest that you write a piece on the booby washing line technique? I have been in the boat whilst you have been using it, but I am unclear as to what line works best and whether this can be varied according to how high the fish are in the water."
The way we have been fishing it, it is more of a pulling minor tactic, and not strictly the "washing line" as it was conceived. For anyone not familiar with that, the idea is to use 2 boobies, on bob and tail, and to suspend one or 2 nymphs on droppers in between. These are either "hung out to dry" at the surface on a floating line (in which case you can probably dispense with the bob position booby), or sunk on a Hi-D. If Hi-D-ing, it is retrieved to the point where the buoyancy of the boobies gets the upper hand and slowly lifts the nymphs to the surface - the idea being to imitate nymphs or pupae that are ascending to hatch.
My experience with the method Dougie refers to started when I fished the national prelims at Menteith in 2001. The Lake fish were on top from the start, that year. It was a cracking day for dry fly and I thought I was set to show my boat partner, Stevie a thing or two about catching risers, as I could see he was rigged with a booby combo on a slime line. After about an hour of covering rising fish, I had one with no other chances and Stevie had 5 with at least a dozen other chances. What was he up to? He was covering rising fish and the instant the line landed was stripping like a mad thing for 3 or 4 pulls. Those 3 or 4 fast pulls caused the floating booby to cough, splutter and pop against the surface of the water, as it resisted the shallow angle pull of the line that was trying to drag it under. The commotion caused by the popping of the booby was getting the attention of the nearby fish that had been cast to. The fish would key-in and rush after the booby. The next job was to convert the follows into takes, and Stevie used an assortment of tactics, sometimes continuing to strip, sometimes changing to a figure-of-eight, sometimes stopping altogether.
Well, I wasn't going to sit with dries on while I got my bottom kicked, so I rigged up with what I thought was Stevie's set-up: a small booby on the bob and 2 nymphs - a Diawl Bach on the middle and a mini-damsel on the tail. That seemed the best arrangement to me, as I thought a fish keying-in on the booby but being too wary to take it, might, on falling off the pace, see the nymphs coming after and be more tempted to take one of them. And so it seemed to prove. I started to get loads of action, catching one or 2 on the booby, but actually more on the nymphs. In fact, I was doing even better than Stevie for a while. That's when we compared notes and I realised Stevie had his booby on the tail.
A couple of weeks later we were back at The Lake for our heat of the Scottish Club Championship and the same method worked a treat. I was finding that it was critical to get the balance right between the sink rate of the line and the buoyancy of the booby. I felt that the line didn't want to be faster sinking than a slow glass or a slow intermediate, or the booby got pulled under on the first pull. The booby, for its part, needed to have decent enough sized eyes to make a commotion, but not so large that it was still popping at the surface all the way back to the boat. That got plenty follows, but not many takes.
The method worked a treat for me on yet another occasion that year at Menteith. I think the only change to my rig the whole time was to try a change of booby between a coral size 10 or 12 to a cat's whisker on a 12 or 14 - that, and a change from the Diawl Bach on the middle to a claret buzzer. The 3 flies were, at all times, spaced at 5 ft / 5 ft / 5 ft, on 6 Ib fluorocarbon. I did go through a rough patch later in the season, when I was struggling with the method. I knew Jimmy M and Ian Mac had been continuing to get fish with it, and I asked them to describe the way they were using it...
A coral booby designed for 'top of the water' fishing.
The eyes are left deliberately un-aerodynamic to increase disturbance when retrieved
Jimmy:- Last season I used the method more as it was designed, ie, using a booby on the point of the cast with nymphs on the droppers, and fished static or slow figure-of-eighted on the floater. In this format the main task of the booby is only to serve as a controller; a means of keeping the droppers close to the surface. For me though, I may as well have dispensed with the nymphs and the droppers because all the fish I caught on this rig took the booby. On the night of our SCC heat this season I rigged up a washing line on the fast slime, and the fish were again locking on to the booby whilst it was still on the surface -- using a steady fig-o' eight -- but they seemed to lose interest at the point where the booty was pulled under by the line. A change to the floater kept it on the surface and the fish preferred it that way that particular evening. Sometimes I was covering risers with it and they would rise to it like a dry before I had begun retrieving, or they would lock-on, follow and take it while I was retrieving. When I try it in reverse, the way Colin does, with the booby on the bob as an attractor, I still don't get many fish on the nymphs. It is the booby that scores best for me.
I've been using standard pulling length 16-18' leaders, always fluorocarbon in conjunction with the slime lines, but I used 7 lb double strength with a floater, as I was trying to keep the flies as high as I could with as little "drop through" motion as possible. The boobies I have been using have been my favourite "booby colours" ie, sunburst, black with yellow eyes or cat's whisker: fairly garish in other words. As for the nymphs, I've tried Diawl Bachs, buzzers, PTNs and hare's ears, all with the same lack of success. To be fair to it though, I haven't tried it enough anywhere other than Menteith, and I never found the Lake fish to be particularly keen on nymphs at the best of times. It would probably pay to experiment more with the method on the likes of Lindores or Linlithgow.
Ian:- The three times I tried this method at the Lake I was using the same three flies. My cast was about twenty feet long, fished on a Mastery slime line. The booby on the bob was a size 12 with an olive Lite-brite body, and darkish green eyes. The two nymphs were both size 10 Diawl Bachs, both with jungle cock cheeks: one natural and the other dyed orange. This rig probably accounted for between 12 and 15 fish, most of them falling to the nymphs. Some of them were fish I had covered, but most were out of the blue, taken on a slow figure-of-eight retrieve after letting the cast sink a little.
As all the above so far has centred on Menteith, I asked Dougie S to comment on his experiences at Rutland in the Hardy final in 2001.
Dougie:- I did get some fish at Rutland on the washing line but like many others I didn't get a real handle on it. The one impression that I got was that you need something that makes a big initial impact, but which has a minimal impact at the point of contact. In other words, the fly needs to pop like a thing that pops a lot, but needs to be quite small and non-scary at rest.
I know what Dougie means here. The more commotion, the more the interest, but the less scary, the more takes you get. That's a difficult combination to get on to the fly. I think there is scope there for an improved booby design. Let's face it: the basic one is fairly primitive and not designed in any way to maximise the commotion. How about something like a size 12 or 14 popping bug in cat's whisker livery. I wonder?
Having said all this, the method will probably not be worth a sook this year! However, we'll be giving it a good try. It's certainly an exciting way to catch fish. The all-important visual aspect is very much involved, as you often see the mini-bow wave of the booby being followed by the large bow wave of the fish that's chasing it. Have a go!
Thanks to Colin for kind permission to use this article
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American Indian Prisoners of War
Battle Plan from the Pequot War
Wars between British colonizers and American Indians were a constant part of life in Colonial America. In this episode, Elizabeth explains the myriad ways American Indians became prisoners of war as well as how they were treated, including being sent as slaves to Barbados and other places.
Podcaster: Elizabeth
Michael L. Fickes, “ “They Could Not Endure That Yoke:” The Captivity of Pequot Women and Children after the War of 1637,” The New England Quarterly 73:1 (2000), 58-81.
Linford D. Fisher, “ “Why shall wee have peace to bee made slaves:” Indian Surrenderers during and after King Philip’s War," Ethnohistory 64:1 (2017), 91-114.
Alan Gallay, The Indian Slave Trade: The Rise of the English Empire in the American South, 1670-1717, Yale University Press (2002).
Margaret Ellen Newell, Brethren by Nature: New England Indians, Colonists, and the Origins of American Slavery, Cornell University Press (2015).
Timothy J. Shannon, "French and Indian Cruelty? The Fate of the Oswego Prisoners of War, 1756-1758," New York History 95:3 (2014).
Cultural Consultant, National Association of Cultural and Heritage Preservation, Chenae Bullock’s LinkedIn.
Music: "Evening Melodrama" by Kevin Macleod (www.incompetech.com)
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Fintech: The Fourth Platform - Part Two
Matthew Harris Contributor
Blue Planet Studio
This is part two of a two-part essay diving into the future of fintech. Read part one.
In part one of this essay, I discussed how fintech was moving from being a business model unto itself, to being an ingredient used in other technology businesses. This is what we refer to as the “fourth platform,” joining internet, cloud and mobile in the modern technology stack. In this essay, we will discuss why this is happening and offer some early examples.
Benefits of embedded financial services
When you look at the benefits of this embedded financial services model, the first point is obvious: as a technology founder, you’re already going through the hard work of acquiring customers, and as a result you have created the opportunity for a zero customer acquisition cost cross-sell. But the opportunity goes well beyond that basic business logic.
Having these financial functions integrated with software enables new functionality, leveraging the persistent connection to move beyond transactions to relationships. We’ve already been trained to conduct financial transactions inside of software applications (think payments inside of Uber), so if you’re utilizing software to run your business, using that same software to get paid and make payments is logical and more natural than going to your financial institution to do so. These relationships are data-rich, which leads to smarter cross-sell, prequalification and massive risk reduction. The monetization opportunities are not only large, but actually meaningfully larger than the original software opportunity.
As with most financial innovation, the first subsector to evolve is payments. When you look at payment card volume in the United States, for example, eight percent of it has migrated to what we call integrated payments, that is, merchant payments that are sold and managed through software companies as opposed to traditional payments companies. That portion is growing at two times the rate of the overall market, and analysts estimate it will hit 40 percent in the medium term. Why?
Bain Capital Ventures, LP
Take Shopify, a $36 billion software company that helps small businesses get online and setup e-commerce sites. You could think of it as shopping cart software. But at this point in time, the majority of its revenue comes from payments and that proportion is increasing. If you look at its website, you can see our thesis in action: zero CAC natural cross-sell, instant set up (most payments companies have to underwrite their merchants for risk, which takes time and hassle), novel functionality integrating settlement process and data into existing workflow, and then obviously additional revenue/enhanced monetization.
There are similar stories at many of our own portfolio companies. When we invested in AvidXchange four years ago, it was a majority software company, but by next year it will be 80 percent payments. Zelis Healthcare, which recently combined with RedCard Payments to form the next-generation leader in healthcare payments optimization, will similarly scale from almost entirely software to nearly a majority payments revenue in the next few years. We recently invested in Finix, the leading company enabling software companies to become payments companies.
In certain segments, the innovation has come in waves. For example, take the rental payment market, which started with old school payments companies like FirstData, then progressed with Fintech 1.0 player, ClickPay, and now to the fully-embedded model, Cozy. However, our bet is that companies like SmartRent represent the next generation, with an even deeper integration.
SmartRent sells and installs home automation hardware into rental buildings, and uses that as a methodology for getting widespread and persistent connectivity to tenants in the form of its app. This year, it will incorporate rent payment into the app, and as soon as next year will sell renters insurance. SmartRent is the logical evolution of insurtech companies like Lemonade — zero CAC, integrated into its own smart lock and leak detection system for a persistent data-rich connection and novel functionality, and with excellent incremental monetization.
Integrated lending
Within lending, we’re starting to see some early examples of embedded fintech. For example, we've seen the rapid rise of the payroll advance lenders. This type of loan recognizes that workers are paid in arrears, and have a balance of worked hours that can represent, in effect, collateral for a loan. This began with the 1.0 versions, like Dave, which finds borrowers through marketing channels and attempts to underwrite their hours worked algorithmically. This has quickly evolved to where modern software-driven payroll companies like Gusto can offer this functionality through their employer’s customers, reducing CAC to zero, increasing data-richness and validity through their ownership of the payroll system, and adding another leg of monetization.
Our portfolio company Wisetack provides an API-driven infrastructure for software companies to add point of sale lending to their offerings without becoming lenders themselves. Lambda School, ostensibly an edtech company, has leveraged an innovative financing product called an ISA, creating unprecedented alignment between the school and its students. If SoFi is a classic Fintech 1.0 company (digital student lending!), Lambda is an early example of a technology company leveraging fintech as a platform.
Integrated insurance
In the insurance sub-sector, this trend is just getting started. We see companies like Tomorrow, Freewill and Trust & Will building beautiful software to enable charitable giving or end-of-life document creation, and monetizing through financial advice and life insurance. Technology-enabled companies like Tesla and Quip are looking to better monetize their customer bases and further validate the efficacy of their products by bundling insurance. If the car reduces accidents, or the toothbrush reduces cavities, it creates an economic surplus that should be reflected in cheaper insurance.
Where do we go next?
If the analysts are right, and 40 percent of the payments industry will move to an embedded model, and if we stipulate that lending and insurance will reach, say, 20 percent each, then this fourth platform shift — whereby fintech underpins all software companies — will be the big one.
At a five times revenue multiple this transformation will create $3.6 trillion of value. I'll happily acknowledge that the internet is a big deal, sure. Cloud, mobile, great. But to put things in perspective, those three platforms together produced just under $3 trillion of value for founders, venture capitalists and everyone involved in the startup ecosystem. But we think, and the data clearly suggests that the opportunity in front of us now is even larger.
With the potential to create an entirely new landscape across technology, financial services and across every segment of the economy, we believe that every founder should be trying to figure out how to get ahead of this transformation and figure out their essential role in this next great platform shift. We look forward to partnering with you to do so.
I am a partner at Bain Capital Ventures where I focus on investments in financial technology and services. I see a huge amount of revenue, profit and market cap shiftin
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Home > About Ford > Newsroom > 2018 > Ford Unleashes First-Ever Ranger Raptor; Off-Road Pickup Loaded with ‘Built Ford Tough’ and Ford Performance DNA
Ford Unleashes First-Ever Ranger Raptor; Off-Road Pickup
Loaded with ‘Built Ford Tough’ and Ford Performance DNA
Setting a new benchmark in off-road pickup capability, the new Ranger Raptor has been designed to combine Ford Performance DNA with Ranger’s renowned toughness and engineering capability
Ranger Raptor includes standard front and rear Fox Racing Shox shock absorbers to help travel at high speeds off-road and includes increased ride height, wider track and improved approach and departure angles that ensure extreme off-road capability and stability
Innovative all-new Watt’s linkage rear suspension with coilover rear springs helps ensure rear axle lateral stability off-road while also improving ride and handling
New powertrain combination of a 2.0-liter Bi-Turbo diesel engine and 10-speed transimission has proven durability through extensive testing, offering smooth torque and power through independent turbos and closer gear ratios over a wider overall span
Ranger Raptor has been tested in the world’s toughest conditions to ensure an unrivalled off-road package is offered to astonish and excite drivers
BANGKOK, February 7, 2018 – The first-ever Ranger Raptor, Ford’s new off-road, performance pick-up truck, blasted out from behind its camouflage during an reveal event in Thailand today.
The ultimate Ranger is purposefully designed, built and tested to set a benchmark as the only factory-built performance truck across Asia Pacific. Designed by Ford Performance team for the true enthusiast off-roader, Ford Ranger Raptor strengthens Ford’s commitment to deliver “Built Ford Tough” pickup trucks to customers in Asia Pacific.
“We are so excited and proud to unleash this vehicle to the public, driving it really makes you feel like a hero,” said Jamal Hameedi, chief engineer, Ford Performance. “The Ford Performance team is excited to extend the Raptor name from our flagship off-road performance F-150 to Ranger. Just like the F-150 Raptor, the Ranger Raptor builds upon the core capability of the range of vehicles it comes from and carries the unmistakable Ford Performance DNA appearance.”
Bold Design
The Ranger Raptor features distinctive design cues inside and out that are functionally driven.
At the front, a stunning new grille takes styling cues from the world’s first factory-built high performance off road truck, the F-150 Raptor. The iconic block FORD lettering proudly positioned within the grille design is unmistakable when emerging from a dust cloud. A frame mounted front-bumper system is designed to offer desert durability performance and a distinctive presence. The front bumper also includes new LED fog lamps with functional air-curtain ducts, which help to reduce air resistance of the body.
Using composite materials, the front fenders not only look tough, but resist dents and dings often associated with off-road usage. The flared shape of the fenders are required for the long travel suspension and oversized tires. The exterior color palate offerings include Lightning Blue, Race Red, Shadow Black, Frozen White, as well as a unique Hero color for the Ranger Raptor, Conquer Grey. Contrasting Dyno Grey accents helps to accentuate the vehicle’s look even further.
Vehicle stance is noticeably bigger from every angle, standing at an impressive 1873mm tall, 2180mm wide and 5398mm long, with wider front and rear tracks at 1710mm. Ground clearance is increased to 283mm, while the approach angle of 32.5o, ramp over angle of 24o, and departure angle of 24o as a package are superior to anything seen before.
Starting from the ground up, the side steps are a cut above the rest. The step boards were designed specifically to prevent rock spray from hitting the rear of the truck and the holes have been designed to drain sand, mud and snow. The tough high-strength aluminium alloy die-cast main step board is designed for durability, undergoing testing which includes a load of 100kg being applied 84,000 times to simulate over 10 years in the field. A two-stage coating process involves the main step board firstly being powder-coated, before then having a robust grit-paint applied which results in a tough appearance that is also highly durable – scuff, scratch, stain-resistant with superior resistance to environmental weathering.
At the rear, a modified rear bumper comes with an integrated tow bar and two recovery hooks rated at 3.8 tonnes. Updated styling to the rear includes flush sensor bezels and specially packaged and styled tow connectors. Providing an abundance of space, the 1560mm x 1743mm tray has been designed with the weekend explorer in mind, while the 2500kg towing capacity also accounts for dirt bikes or jet-skis, as well as traditional work needs during the week.
Inside, Ranger Raptor offers a tailored Ford Performance DNA interior design with a high level of craftsmanship, harmonious colours and durable materials suitable for both off-road driving and everyday use. The seats are specially designed for off-road high speed performance support, allowing the driver to engage in enthusiastic handling, while also providing superior on-road comfort. The use of technical suede on the seats for additional occupant grip shows the practicality behind the material choice.
Multiple long-distance drive events were staged to gauge just how the seats perform over an extended period of time, both on highways and off-road tracks to simulate customer usage. The dual hardness cushion ticked all the boxes, providing superior lateral support and reduced feel of any chassis vibration. This is achieved by a modified structure, using bolsters on the seat back for greater support.
When getting behind the wheel, Ranger Raptor drivers will notice the detailed cockpit differences everywhere they look, including the blue stitching and leather accents. The cluster has aggressive styling, encompassing a host of Driver Assist features. The steering wheel is distinctively different; new Raptor DNA lightweight magnesium paddle shifters for crisp gear changing are easily accessible near the perforated leather hand grip sections on the rim for precision off-road shifting when you really need it.
Ford Performance DNA has played a significant role in the purposeful styling, including the ‘On-centre’ marker – a red stripe at the top-middle of the wheel to let you know where the centre is when operating the vehicle at high speed. The steering wheel is finished off with the Raptor logo debossed into the spoke bezel.
Chassis, Brakes and Suspension
The Ranger Raptor’s chassis frame is a new unique frame that is specifically designed for the vehicle to travel at high speeds off road and endure the punishment that off road racing provides.
Ranger Raptor’s innovative new coilover rear suspension uses a Watt’s link setup with solid rear axle to provide superior lateral control off-road while also helping improve ride and handling.
The frame design incorporates new geometry for the large suspension, providing the Raptor DNA increased track and wheel travel. Built to withstand high-impact off-road events, Ranger Raptor’s frame consists of various grades of high-strength low-alloy (HSLA) steel. The stiffened side-rails are made from increased HSLA grade steel to absorb off-road high speed impacts.
The front accommodates strengthened protruding shock absorber towers, while a new bespoke coilover rear suspension with an integrated Watt’s linkage allows the axle to move up and down with very little lateral movement. Two recovery hooks rated at 4.5 tonnes can be found at the front, plus reinforced spare tyre mounting cross-members for the larger 17-inch Raptor rims.
The braking system on the Ranger Raptor offers extreme stopping power through new and bespoke components. At the front, twin-piston calipers have been increased by 9.5mm in diameter, while the ventilated rotors are an impressive 332 x 32mm in size. At the rear, Ranger Raptor comes with disc brakes with a brake actuation master cylinder and booster to increase braking performance. The 332 x 24mm rear rotor is ventilated and coupled with a new 54mm caliper.
“The standout experience of the Ranger Raptor, hands down, is how far you can push it off-road versus any other available production road vehicle in our markets, and still ride like a millionare on-road,” said Damien Ross, Chief Program Engineer, Ranger Raptor, Ford Motor Company.
“Everything about the Ranger Raptor builds on the already outstanding sophisticated feel and functional capability of the Ranger, and then goes futher. From a driving dynamic fun standpoint, it is really an exceptionally special vehicle.”
Raptor’s race-bred suspension has been specifically crafted to tackle undulating terrain at high-speed while remaining in complete control and comfort. The Position Sensitive Damping (PSD) shock absorbers (dampers) provide higher damping forces at full jounce and rebound to enable better off-road capabilities, and lower damping forces in the mid-travel zone for a class leading plush ride during on-road trips. These settings are truly calibrated for the best of both worlds.
The dampers are exclusively manufactured by Fox Racing Shox with 46.6mm piston for front and rear. Designed for off-road endurance terrain, the dampers, coupled with the long travel suspension, allow for an unsurpassed damping performance off-road and a plushest of rides on-road thanks to Internal Bypass technology.
Holding them in place are the forged aluminium upper arms and cast aluminium lower arms to facilitate greater suspension travel and optimized for performance and extreme off-road durability.
Hit the Beaten Track
Given the unforgiving terrain Ranger Raptor has been developed for, it needed an aggressive set of tyres to keep it stable on and off-road. All-terrain BF Goodrich 285/70 R17 tyres have been specially developed for the Ranger Raptor. Holding a strong presence, each tyre measures 838mm in diameter and 285mm in width. The design offers a tough sidewall to take on all environments with confidence, a super grippy tread to extend owners’ adventure time on and off-road and an aggressive off-road tread pattern which provides grip in wet, mud, sand and snow conditions.
Ranger Raptor also comes with unique underbody protection to deflect off-road obstacles. The new bash plate is made from 2.3mm thick high-strength steel and meets enhanced capabilities for strength inline with Ford Performance requirements. The silver finished guard allows clearance to the dual front recovery hooks. Working together with the existing engine and transfer case undershields, the three elements provide protection to components such as the radiator, Electric Power Assisted Steering (EPAS), Front End Accessory Drive (FEAD), front cross-member, engine sump and front differential.
Tuned for all Terrains
Ranger Raptor comes with a Terrain Management System (TMS) offering six modes for various driving experiences, which can be selected via a dedicated five-button switch located on the steering wheel. Each mode has been calibrated to offer the best possible combination of technologies working in unison to tackle the chosen terrain or driving style with aplomb. These include:
On-road modes
Normal mode – Emphasising comfort, fuel economy and driveability
Sport mode – Responsive for spirited on-road driving. This means fast, crisp gear shifts at higher engine speeds to aid throttle response. The mapping reacts to increased demand inputs from the driver by holding gears longer and downshifting more aggressively.
Off-road modes
Grass/Gravel/Snow mode – Designed to inspire safe and confident driving on off-road slippery and uneven surfaces. This is done through smoother gear shifts and second-gear starts, minimizing the probability of wheel slip.
Mud/Sand mode – Vehicle responsiveness is tuned for optimum traction and momentum in deep, deformable surfaces like loose sand and mud. This is achieved by maintaining lower gears with high torque.
Rock mode – Used specifically for low-speed rocky terrain where smooth controllability is key.
Baja mode – Vehicle responsiveness is tuned for high-speed off-road performance, just like drivers need in the famous Baja Desert Rally. In this mode, vehicle systems like Traction Control are pared back in terms of intervention to allow spirited off-road driving without fighting the vehicle’s on-board systems. Gear selection is optimized for maximum performance, and the mapping will hold gears longer and downshift more aggressively.
Power to Move You
The Ranger Raptor powertrain features cutting edge technology to offer more power and torque, better fuel economy, less weight and with off-road specific calibrations for engine, transmission, driveline, steering, brakes and Electronic Stability Control (ESC) system.
In a revolutionary move to deliver incredible performance and responsiveness, a 10-Speed transmission is combined with a new 2.0-liter Bi-Turbo diesel engine in the Ranger Raptor to deliver a maximum of 213PS (157kW) of power and 500Nm of torque.
Ford engineers have tested the new powertrain extensively in order to prove out durability.
This testing includes running a ‘thermo cycle’ on the engine, heating both turbos to the point of glowing red for 200 hundred hours non-stop. It can withstand this torture thanks to the turbo bearings and low-pressure (LP) turbo being water cooled to reduce temperature, avoid over-heating and protect the air induction components.
Working as a team, the smaller, high-pressure (HP) turbo is connected in a sequence to the larger, LP turbo and is controlled with by-pass valves that determine the operating mode depending on engine speed. At lower engine speeds, the two turbos work in series, enhancing torque and responsiveness, while at higher engine speeds, the small HP turbo is bypassed, and the higher LP turbo provides boost to deliver more power.
The Ford-designed and Ford-built 10-speed automatic transmission is shared with the F-150 Raptor and has been created with high-strength steel, aluminium alloys and composites to optimize durability and weight. Having 10 gears means a wider ratio-span resulting in better acceleration and responsiveness. With more room to optimize gear spacing, engineers could customize gear progression far more efficiently than before, providing more accurate – and quicker – upshift and downshift capability.
The all-new electronic system features real-time adaptive shift-scheduling algorithms engineered to help ensure the right gear is selected at the right time. A unique transmission calibration also includes a ‘Live in Drive’ function, meaning that the paddle shifters are always available for manual gear selection override.
Practical Technology at Hand
Ranger Raptor comes with a host of advanced Driver Assist Technologies (DATs) at the push of a button which are not just cutting edge, but genuinely practical for everyday use.
Leading the way in connectivity, SYNC 3 is a fully integrated, voice activation system that lets the driver use their favourite devices while their hands stay on the wheel and eyes on the road. The Satellite Navagation System comes into its own when off-roading in remote areas, even offering a ‘breadcrumb’ feature to leave a trail when entering unchartered areas – perfect for the serious off-roader.
High levels of active and passive safety have been designed-in from the outset, including the improved Ford Stability Control incorporating Roll Mitigation Function.
Ford’s comprehensive Electronic Stability Control (ESC) system is also there to help in difficult cornering and braking situations. The impressive technology suite includes Trailer Sway Control (TSC), Hill Start Assist (HSA), Hill Descent Control (HDC) and Load Adaptive Control (LAC).
The rear view camera displayed on the eight-inch colour LCD screen matched with the rear parking sensors gives drivers the utmost confidence when parking anywhere.
For convenient access, an EZ Lift Tailgate uses a new rod assembly to give the owner a 66 percent reduction in initial lift force. Intelligent Access, also known as passive entry, allows the owner to unlock, lock and start the vehicle without having to reach for their keys. Using a radio frequency signal, the key fob allows the owner to start the vehicle with a press of a button, and is able to activate central locking for the doors and the tailgate. In the case of a depleted battery, a mechanical key blade is incorporated into the fob design.
An Exhilarating Driving Experience
Inheriting vital capability from the truly successful Ranger and complementing that with DNA from the F-150 Raptor, the new Ranger Raptor is set to turn heads throughout Asia Pacific and around the world.
“It is amazing to enable this level of performance and create a vehicle that can provide off-road enthusiasts such an adrenaline rush,” said Hameedi.
“It really is like a motocross bike, snowmobile and an ATV rolled up into a pickup truck – it’s an incredible, awesome experience!”
The Ford Ranger Raptor will be produced in Ford Thailand Manufacturing (FTM) using Ford’s latest state of the art manufacturing techniques and facilities.
About Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is a global company based in Dearborn, Michigan. The company designs, manufactures, markets and services a full line of Ford cars, trucks, SUVs, electrified vehicles and Lincoln luxury vehicles, provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company and is pursuing leadership positions in electrification, autonomous vehicles and mobility solutions. Ford employs approximately 203,000 people worldwide. For more information regarding Ford, its products and Ford Motor Credit Company, please visit www.corporate.ford.com.
Contacts: Kamolchanok Prasertsom Sinead Phipps
Ford Asia Pacific Ford Asia Pacific
+86 159 0085 1024 +86 21-20322714
kajjimat@ford.com sphipps6@ford.com
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Why Buffalo Wild Wings Just Rebranded Rusty Taco
By Steve SymingtonFool.com
See the hidden taco in R Taco's new logo? Credit: Rusty Taco/Buffalo Wild Wings
When Buffalo Wild Wings announced just over a year ago it had purchased a majority stake in Rusty Taco, one thing was clear: The fast-casual street taco chain had national appeal.
Only a few months earlier, Buffalo Wild Wings CEO Sally Smith had suggested that B-Dubs' team was exploring "investment candidates to build a portfolio of diversified brands for long-term sustained growth." And of the more than 200 candidates Buffalo Wild Wings considered, Rusty Taco made the cut.
But to fully realize that potential, Buffalo Wild Wings is making a one strategic tweak. Specifically, in a press release last week, Rusty Taco announced that it's changing its name to R Taco.
"As we grow the business and expand beyond its Dallas roots," explained R Taco CEO Steve Dunn, "we wanted to ensure the concept name had broader appeal while still linking to the brand's heritage. Shortening the name to 'R Taco' still provides a link to co-founder Rusty Fenton's legacy while the phonetic play on 'R' sounding like 'our' is friendly and welcoming, like the spirit of the brand."
Credit: Buffalo Wild Wings/R Taco.
For what it's worth, not everyone's a fan. A "loyal patron" since the first Minneapolis Rusty Taco opened a few years ago near his home,Franchise Times contributor Tom Kaiser calledDunn's statement a "strange justification for a name change that, at first blush, feels quite generic." He also comically observed "I've found [Rusty Taco] an amusing name that many young (read: less mature) people might associate with some Urban Dictionary-worthy terms I'm unwilling to discuss in a professional forum. [...] And there's no innuendo with the letter R."
That's fair enough. But I also think it's exactly the point. Sure, there's risk in losing the relative novelty of the more unique "Rusty Taco" name. For first-time diners encountering the brand without a familiarity of that name, however, I'm not convinced that risk is significant enough to threaten either word of mouth or the chain's viability on a national scale -- especially if R Taco's wares are as delicious as everyone claims.
For anyone worried that B-Dubs is unnecessarily tampering with a proven concept, keep in mind the R Taco name is theonlychange planned for the company. R Taco's menu and operations will remain the same -- that is, with the exception of Buffalo Wild Wings lending its expertise to the national expansion.
The relationship with Buffalo Wild Wings has "far exceeded my expectations," Dunn told Franchise Times in April. "It's like we went from high school ball to the Super Bowl." Thanks to Buffalo Wild Wings' experience and scale, Dunn elaborated, R Taco now enjoys the benefits of superior customer analytics and "sophisticated site selection."
Speaking of new sites, I'm sure I'm not the only investor relieved B-Dubs is finally getting the ball rolling. As of last week's press release, R Tacostillhad the same nine locations (plus a single food truck) it claimed when the initial investment was made, as well as "plans in the works to open additional locations." Regarding those plans, Smith underwhelmingly revealed during Buffalo Wild Wings' most recent conference call that R Taco "should open one location in Dallas in the second half of the year."
To be fair, Buffalo Wild Wings has had its hands full over the past year, notably with its recent $160 million purchase of 41 B-Dubs franchise locations across Texas, New Mexico, and Hawaii -- a move that quickly increased the size of its company-owned restaurant base by almost 8%. Meanwhile, Buffalo Wild Wings not only continued to build new locations of its namesake concept stateside, but is also executing the launch of B-Dubs in emerging markets, including the first location in Dubai earlier this month, and the first in Saudi Arabia by the end of September.
Going forward, however, perhaps the new R Taco name will mark the beginning of an accelerated expansion for the brand, which means inching ever closer to the company's stated long-term goal of building a portfolio of around 3,000 restaurants globally. That's nearly triple its base of 1,110 locations at the end of last quarter, and why I'm perfectly content holding my shares as complementary brands like R Taco help Buffalo Wild Wings' growth story unfold.
The article Why Buffalo Wild Wings Just Rebranded Rusty Taco originally appeared on Fool.com.
Steve Symington owns shares of Buffalo Wild Wings. The Motley Fool owns and recommends Buffalo Wild Wings. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Copyright 1995 - 2015 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
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Last Update December 24, 2015
White House Makes Economic Case for Stimulus-Sized Deal, Dems Slam Price Tag
Seemingly overnight, Congress has another stimulus package on its hands. And this time Democrats, for the most part, are the ones fighting it.
The package announced Monday of tax cuts and unemployment aid and breaks for businesses is probably worth north of $800 billion over two years, though Obama administration officials at this point are not putting a price tag on it. That's just about the value of the spend-heavy stimulus bill from 2009 -- the one Republicans assailed for putting too much money on the line for too little gain.
The latest proposal, negotiated with congressional Republicans, leans more on tax breaks. But Obama faces a heavy lift with his party in convincing skeptical lawmakers, just days after his deficit commission warned of a fiscal calamity on the horizon, that another giant hole blown in the federal budget will pay off in terms of economic growth.
The president is getting an early boost from economists who say the package will fuel post-recession growth. On Wednesday, he cited their predictions that the package could lead to higher job growth over the next two years, urging lawmakers to "get this done."
Moody's celeb Mark Zandi said this week that the deal should help propel 2011 GDP growth to 4 percent -- that's up from 2.7 percent. He also predicted the unemployment rate would fall to 8.5 percent by the end of next year.
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But to some lawmakers, the price outweighs the potential benefit. After all, the bulk of the package is devoted to keeping tax rates the way they are, as opposed to implementing new rates and policies. And the benefits included for wealthy taxpayers are drawing the most ire in the Democratic caucus.
"I feel like we are suffering from the worst possible case of collective short-term memory loss," Sen. Mark Udall, D-N.M., said in a written statement, noting the warnings of the president's debt commission. While saying Congress needs to extend the Bush tax cuts for the middle class, he said tax cuts for the wealthy would not be effective.
House Democrats, coming out of a meeting on Capitol Hill Tuesday night, said they were concerned that the compromise package would lower the estate tax to 35 percent -- it was scheduled to rise to 55 percent after having been 0 percent this year.
In an interview with Fox News, Rep. Charlie Rangel cited the sheer size of the package.
"We're talking about the actual loss of revenue," he said Wednesday, defending his concerns about tax breaks for the wealthy. "We're talking dollars and cents."
Though Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell said Tuesday the vast majority of his caucus would be supporting the deal, cracks were showing in some corners of the conservative wing.
Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C., in an interview on Hugh Hewitt's radio show, complained that the package would increase the deficit, specifically directing his concerns at $56 billion worth of proposed long-term unemployment aid. He suggested turning that into a loan.
At the same time, DeMint said the bill still taxes too much by raising the death tax at all and not making other tax rates permanent. "We don't need a temporary economy," he said.
The conservative Club for Growth made a similar argument, saying the bill should drop its spending measures for the sake of the deficit but make the tax relief permanent.
The proposed compromise would extend the Bush tax rates for all Americans for two years. It would extend long-term unemployment aid for one year, while also providing working Americans a temporary reduction in their Social Security payroll tax.
It would extend a handful of tax breaks from the original stimulus bill, as well as allow businesses to expense all their investments in 2011. The Obama administration says the business provision alone could drive more than $50 billion in additional investment next year.
Without calling it a stimulus, the White House continues to make an aggressive case for how the package will help rebuild the economy. President Obama practically lectured Democrats for being too "sanctimonious" during an afternoon press briefing Tuesday.
"There is a sense of urgency here," White House senior adviser David Axelrod told Fox News. He said the typical family faces a $3,000 annual tax increase without this deal.
"We want to get something done," he said Wednesday, warning that the economy could "fall backward" if the compromise fails.
Buttigieg interrupted at New Hampshire campaign stop by climate change activists
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(Roel) RO Lutkenhaus
PhD Candidate Erasmus School of History, Culture and Communication Department of Media and Communication
M8-45
lutkenhaus@eshcc.eur.nl
Roel Lutkenhaus (1985) is a PhD candidate at the Erasmus Research Center for Media, Communication and Culture and the Centre for Media & Health in Gouda.
As a PhD candidate, he researches the effects of interactive storytelling in Entertainment-Education (EE) strategies on a health related behavior. His PhD-project focuses on storytelling, media planning, and collaboration strategies, as well as on methods to study the target audiences’ behaviors and preferences (formative research) and measuring the reach and impact of EE interventions (process and summative research). Roel’s work is supervised by prof. dr. Martine Bouman and prof. dr. Jeroen Jansz.
Before joining the EUR, Roel worked as a content…
Before joining the EUR, Roel worked as a content specialist in the fields of journalism, communication strategy, and technology. He has developed data driven methods to research customer demand and behavior using open sources and has tailored multi-channel communication strategies to the needs of multiple audiences – an approach he aims to further develop and apply for a healthier society in his PhD research.
Roel holds a Bachelor’s in Arts and Technology and graduated on implementing cross media formats in print media organizations (2007). He worked in online journalism for a few years before starting the master Communication Studies at the University of Twente (2011). His track focused on marketing communication and customer behavior in a digital world and the interplay between off- and online media.
All publications (24)
R.O. Lutkenhaus, J. Jansz & M.P.A. Bouman (2019). Mapping the Dutch vaccination debate on Twitter: Identifying communities, narratives, and interactions. Vaccine: X, 1, 1-10. doi: 10.1016/j.jvacx.2019.100019 [go to publisher's site]
R.O. Lutkenhaus, J. Jansz & M.P.A. Bouman (2019). Toward spreadable entertainment-education: leveraging social influence in online networks. Health Promotion International. doi: 10.1093/heapro/daz104 [go to publisher's site]
R.O. Lutkenhaus, J. Jansz & M.P.A. Bouman (2019). Tailoring in the digital era: Stimulating dialogues on health topics in collaboration with social media influencers. Digital Health, 5. doi: 10.1177/2055207618821521 [go to publisher's site]
A.K. van Eldik, J. Kneer, R.O. Lutkenhaus & J. Jansz (2019). Urban Influencers: An Analysis of Urban Identity in YouTube Content of Local Social Media Influencers in a Super-Diverse City. Frontiers in Psychology, 10. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02876
S. Lubjuhn, M.P.A. Bouman, R.O. Lutkenhaus & K. Krumme (2019). Communicating Sustainable Logistic Innovations to Various Consumer Groups. In A Melkonyan & K Krumme (Eds.), Innovative Logistics Services and Sustainable Lifestyles. Berlin: Springer
Scholarly Publication (6)
R.O. Lutkenhaus, J. Jansz & M.P.A. Bouman (2019, februari 8). Tailoring in the digital era: Stimulating dialogues on health topics in collaboration with social media influencers. Nijmegen, Etmaal van de Communicatie.
R.O. Lutkenhaus, J. Jansz & M.P.A. Bouman (2018, april 17). Vaccination: Narratives and Social Infrastructures behind Online Conversations about Vaccination. Nusa Dua, The 2018 International Social and Behavior Change Communication (SBCC) Summit TM featuring Entertainment Education.
R.O. Lutkenhaus, J. Jansz & M.P.A. Bouman (2018, mei 25). Analyzing Conversation Networks: A Procedure to Analyze Online Discussions on Controversial Issues. Prague, ICA's 68th Annual Conference 2018.
R.O. Lutkenhaus, J. Jansz & M.P.A. Bouman (2018, mei 26). Analyzing Conversation Networks on Vaccination: Identifying Communities, Narratives, and Social Influencers for Audience Engagement. Prague, ICA's 68thn Annual Conference 2018.
R.O. Lutkenhaus, J. Jansz & M.P.A. Bouman (2018, februari 8). Vaccination. Narratives and Social Infrastructures behind Online Conversations about Vaccination. Ghent, Etmaal van de Communicatie 2018.
R.O. Lutkenhaus, J. Jansz & M.P.A. Bouman (2017, januari 20). The Entertainment-Education in the New Media Landscape. Rotterdam, RMeS Winter School.
Professional Publication (6)
R.O. Lutkenhaus (2018, juli 6). Voortgang MediaLab-onderzoek. Gouda, Stuurgroepvergadering.
R.O. Lutkenhaus (2018, mei 17). Donorwet: Gesprekken over orgaandonatie in de Nederlandse Twitter-sphere. Bussum, Opdracht Nierstichting.
R.O. Lutkenhaus (2018, mei 17). Conversation Networks: Understanding Audiences, Finding Influencers. Amersfoort, Introduction Diabetesfonds en Erfocentrum.
R.O. Lutkenhaus (2018, oktober 31). Stimulating online conversations for a healthy pregnancy. Rotterdam, Erasmus MC - Mini Lectures.
R.O. Lutkenhaus (2017, december 1). Conversatienetwerken analyseren. Inzicht in de sociale structuren die schuilgaan achter online discussies. Amsterdam, eHealth Meetup (SOA/AIDS Foundation Netherlands).
R.O. Lutkenhaus (2017, november 24). Conversatienetwerken Analyseren: Inzicht in Narratieven en Sociale Structuren achter Online Discussie over Vaccinatie. Amsterdam, Symposium 'Tailoring for Health ' by Amsterdam Center for Health Communication.
R.O. Lutkenhaus & M.P.A. Bouman (2019). De medianetwerken rond kiembaanmodificatie. (Extern rapport). Gouda: Center for Media & Health
R.O. Lutkenhaus & M.P.A. Bouman (2018). Donorwet: Conversatienetwerken op Twitter. (Extern rapport). : Centrum Media & Gezondheid, in opdracht van de Nierstichting
R.O. Lutkenhaus & M.P.A. Bouman (2018). Vaccinatie: Conversatienetwerken op Twitter. (Extern rapport). Gouda: Centrum Media & Gezondheid, in opdracht van het RIVM
Dataset (thumb-nail sketch) (1)
R.O. Lutkenhaus, J. Jansz & M.P.A. Bouman (2019). Data for: Mapping the Dutch Vaccination Debate on Twitter. Mendeley Data [Dataset]. doi:10.17632/fjvk93bc5m.1.
Other output (1)
R.O. Lutkenhaus, J. Jansz & M.P.A. Bouman (2018). Towards Spreadable Entertainment-Education: How Transmedia Storytelling and Social Influencers Contribute to Effective Health Interventions. ICA's 68th Annual Conference 2018: Prague, Czech Republic (2018, mei 27).
Television or radio appearance (2)
R.O. Lutkenhaus (Interviewee) (2017, mei 19). Roadmap KIA 2018-2021: The Human Touch. [webcast]. In CLICK NL. Utrecht. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BOS4eOp1zDo
M.P.A. Bouman & R.O. Lutkenhaus (Interviewee) (2019, jan 29). How amusement improves the health of the functionally illiterate. [webcast]. In Studio Erasmus. Rotterdam. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SsXSJtrjwOs
Department of Media and Communication
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A reply from an advocate to Peter Dutton about self-harm
Di Cousens
My first thought on seeing the video of Omid setting himself on fire was that he didn't have a support person. If he did, they would have talked him through his suicidal thoughts in the night or the morning and he would have settled down.
As an advocate for refugees, I talk to those on Manus at all times of the day and night and make sure they are okay.
Of course, they are not okay, but so far all of my friends are still alive.
We, the advocates, keep their spirits up by sending them clothes, games and keeping their phones paid-for so they can talk to their families. We keep them informed about what is going on in Australia. We do not encourage them to hurt themselves in order to get attention or put pressure on the government. We do everything possible to stop them from hurting themselves or attempting suicide.
After Omid's death, more than one had copycat thoughts. This was an intense time for those of us who listen and care for these people.
The asylum seekers on Manus and Nauru can talk to the paid staff of the detention centres, who may try to stop them from self-harming.
However, many of the paid medical staff also try to get them to go back to the country they came from, even though they have a well-founded fear of persecution there. If they did not have such a fear, they would have left by now. The conditions on Manus and Nauru are subhuman and they are being treated with deliberate, organised cruelty.
On Manus I regularly hear of inmates being beaten by guards for offences such as having a mobile phone. The guards who beat the inmates are not charged for these crimes. The guards who raped women and children on Nauru have not been charged either.
"One of my friends says that he is finding it increasingly difficult to see his friends' blood every day, after they have cut themselves."
Of the six people identified in the murder of Reza Barati, two were white Anglo-Saxon guards — an Australian and a New Zealander. They have been repatriated to Australia, and not charged.
The refugees are living in a fearful and dangerous place, and the consistent message from the Australian government is that they have no hope. It is the message of hopelessness that causes self-harm and suicide.
Their medical conditions are untreated, many have skin diseases and injuries from falling over while wearing thongs on slippery wet ground, and they live with chronic pain. A large proportion take psychiatric medication every day, which also limits their ability to think.
They are constantly retraumatised. One of my friends says that he is finding it increasingly difficult to see his friends' blood every day, after they have cut themselves.
We, the advocates, believe that hope is not lost. We believe in the rule of law, in human rights, and in the innate dignity of others. We don't believe that it is defensible to mistreat a group of people so as to stop others from seeking asylum. We don't believe it is defensible to treat a group of people as tools in a war of politics. These people need protection, dignity and opportunity, not punishment.
It will soon fall to the Australian government to relocate the refugees from Manus and Nauru, and I and other advocates look forward to welcoming them to Australia. Australia cannot go knocking on doors, seeking to offload human cargo on other countries. This is infra dig — beneath the dignity of a developed country with an elected government. We have room, and in arriving by boat the asylum seekers have committed no crime.
Peter Dutton, 3 May 2016:
I have previously expressed my frustration and anger at advocates and others who are in contact with those in regional processing centres and who are encouraging some of these people to behave in a certain way believing that pressure exerted on the Australian government will see a change in our policy in relation to our border protection measures. The behaviours have intensified in recent times and as we see they have now turned to extreme acts with terrible consequences.
Advocates who proclaim to represent and support the interests of refugees and asylum seekers must frankly hear a very clear message and I will repeat it again today. Their activities and these behaviours must end. They can oppose government policy and espouse a cause for open borders but that is not the policy of this government and no action of advocates or those in regional processing countries take will cause the government to deviate from its course.
Di Cousens is an honorary fellow with the Australian Catholic University, a university administrator at RMIT and former vice-chair of the Buddhist Council of Victoria. After meeting refugees in detention in Australia she became friends with detainees on Manus Island through social media. For over a year she have been engaged in supporting them in various ways, mostly through daily conversations.
Peter Dutton image: Alex Ellinghausen
Recent articles by Di Cousens.
Anna Burke: 'It's time for a rational debate about refugees'
Topic tags: Di Cousens, asylum seekers, refugees, Peter Dutton, Omid
I've never been so ashamed to be an Australian, because of the cruel treatment of those who come to this country seeking asylum. However I am proud that we have people like you, Di, supporting desperate asylum seekers struggling to stay alive on the overseas hell holes created and sustained by successive Australian Governments. I've been advocating for the closure of these offshore hell holes and the settlement in Australia of those there who are found to be refugees, which I believe is most of them. I appeal to readers to engage in, or step up, your advocacy campaigns so that this once humane nation can again hold its head high. Our national psyche is suffering badly from the wounds inflicted on it by John Howard with the Tampa and 'children overboard' issues and the continuance of the dehumanising and degrading treatment of innocent desperate people fleeing to our country for protection. The Australian Greens have humane immigration policies, which is more than I can say for the Government and the Opposition. As for Peter Dutton, I think his name will go down in history for infamy, not for fame, when this sorry chapter in Australia's history is finally written.
Grant Allen | 06 May 2016
I think Walleed Aly’s comments on the following linked article show how both sides of politics have been responsible for this dark chapter in Australia’s history - a still ongoing saga relating to our brutal treatment of asylum seekers and the destruction of our once excellent international reputation: http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/comment/the-monstrous-failure-of-our-bipartisan-asylum-seeker-policy-20160427-gogrhn.html
Why is deterrence by offloading unauthorised arrivals claiming to be asylum seekers to offshore detention immoral but deterrence by offloading operations to Indonesian soil to block smugglers not? In both cases, people are left in limbo so as to deter others. One group is stranded in Australian-initiated detention while the other is stranded in Indonesia or in locations prior thereto. At least, the ones in detention know where their next meal is coming from and if they could be treated with the same duty of care as is applied to Australian prisoners, they'd be better off than those hanging around in Asian countries who punted that a boat would be available and lost. Until Peter Dutton's claim, that without deterrence the borders are open, is rebutted, a deterrence that holds some people in limbo, whether here or outside, is necessary. As for the claim that most unauthorised arrivals are found to be genuine asylum seekers, I'm not sure why asylum advocates believe that a government that cannot be trusted to be honest about detention should be trusted to be honest about asylum verification. Is it that easy to verify a claim? It couldn't be to keep the detention situation manageable?
Roy Chen Yee, it used to be that in australian public schools, every morning several boys would be picked out of line for some minor disdemeanour (e.g. shuffling their feet) and sent to the office where they were caned. You could hear the swish of the cane and sometimes the cry of a boy throughout the school. The aim was to give a clear message to all other children that they should take care to behave themselves. Perhaps it is an old Australian custom, this business of punishing the few to give a warning to the many. It is a cruel custom. There must be some other way. In schools we have stopped caning children. Perhaps we can stop being cruel to asylum seekers, also.
Janet | 09 May 2016
Thank you Di Cousens for shining some light on the cruel, inhumane conditions Minister Dutton imposes on innocent people.
Roger Grealy | 09 May 2016
A perfect reply from someone whose compassion and sincerity should, should make the jailers and demagogic politicians so ashamed. Surely not just the ethical correctness but the obvious beauty of the position taken by refugee advocates must prevail over the wrongness and the ugliness of the current policies. Thank you Di and ES for this encouraging note.
tony | 09 May 2016
A middle aged man works in a soul destroying job, earning little more than he would earn on benefit program . He struggles to pay rent and energy costs . The running of a car to get to work stretches him to the limit. He cannot afford meat and his diet is markedly unbalanced and inadequate. A homeless girl sleeps in a sleeping bag in a city street, with a dog for company and security. A refugee languishes in a detention center , hopelessly suicidal . These are the people I see and hear about each day. These are the people being supported by refugee advocates, by charitable and church agencies, or they are simply doing it alone and tempted to find solace in dubious practices. A budget is brought down by a politician who has never known any of these people. A budget that is aimed to pander to small business people ,to those who can afford to invest in two houses etc. a budget to cajole voters into voting to retain people whose only interests seem to be the preservation of personal power. Keep Australia safe, eliminate terrorists,spend billions on defence, preserve the status quo. These are some of the messages that are currently the "opium of the people". . What can we do? Well Let's protest, write , "rage into the night", be a Dan Berrigan, live honest lives And maybe likeDi Cousens foster a connection with someone struggling . Maybe thiscould just be a small beacon of hope in their daily darkness. Maybe it could save one life while we wait for enlightened leadership and an Australian (or world) order that cares for the poor , marginalized and vulnerable
Celia | 09 May 2016
Thank you Di for the work you do. I feel powerless as an Australian when I hear about the Government and Opposition responses to the people who have sought safety in Australia. It seems to be maintaining the line of a campaign to hold onto fearful voters by keeping them fearful, uninformed or misinformed. It is not logical when it is examined and the predicament of those in detention is 'worse than in our prisons'.There is one party who is interested in helping refugees ( I am not a member of that party). Maybe if they got into parliament things would be a lot untidy, but what a great fertile, innovative time it might be for Australia instead of more of the same! I believe that a government that is prepared to treat people cruelly and put aside the human rights of others would also treat me or any other person cruelly if it suited their political stance to do so. I am afraid not only for the asylum seekers and for their families but for each Australian. Let's not become inward looking prisoners, but a people of compassion and real innovation!
Kerry Holland | 09 May 2016
I admire what you are doing....keep it up.
Pat sheahan | 09 May 2016
A day or two after the Minister for (Immigration and) Border Protection made the statement quoted above, I read a footer on ABC News24, "Immigration to pay compensation to Save the Children Fund workers removed from Nauru." The SCF workers were removed after being falsely accused of encouraging self harm by asylum seekers. Clearly, the Immigration Department knows it was wrong to accuse them in the first place. Apparently it's expecting too much to think Peter Dutton would now back off from making such unsustainable accusations.
Ian Fraser | 09 May 2016
Thank you, Di Cousens, for casting light on this issue from your personal experience. The callous reaction by the Minister and others to the most recent tragic events is distressing. Mr Dutton's attempt to blame advocates rather than accept that the conditions in detention camps are driving people to commit acts of desperation is reminiscent of his predecessor (Scott Morrison) accusing Save the Children staff of coaching detainees to self-harm. That accusation has just been found, by an independent inquiry, to be false but Mr Morrison is unapologetic. I, like many others feel appalled and ashamed of our Government's behaviour but don't think Peter Dutton and most of his colleagues can be shamed. Rather, I hope enough citizens feel outraged enough to make their voices heard. Surely there is a limit to our tolerance of cruel policies and denial of humanity to 'Others'. Perhaps we can be inspired by words of the recently deceased Father Daniel Berrigan whose opposition to the war in Vietnam was partly motivated by a Buddhist monk's self-immolation: 'How many must die before our voices are heard, how many must be tortured, dislocated, starved, maddened . . . at what point, will you say no ...?'
Myrna | 09 May 2016
Thank you Di, your words ring out- as a tolling bell. This is a blatant crime against humanity. Intolerable for innocent victims of war, against human rights laws and declarations and repulsive to decent people world wide.There is an election, as Australians we make either closure of Manus and Nauru camps a priority, or sink lower into our own murky demise.
Catherine | 09 May 2016
Most if not all of the asylum seekers knew the rules before they set off on the journey to Australia. Most have by-passed many countries where the same rules do not apply on the journey. Most know of the established agencies through which they could have sought shelter from harm if that was indeed what they were doing but chose not to. WHY? Why are we the Australian people responsible for the decisions these people have made of their own volition. Why are we responsible for the hardship they have chosen to inflict on their innocent children? Please explain.
What did European refugees do after WW2 John?
John, if what Di has written and the many who have responded to her have also written has not answered your question, nothing will.
Tom | 09 May 2016
John Frawley, you appear still hoodwinked by the lie of 'children overboard' and of "queues". Of course fleeing to Australia is their choice not ours but your apparent inability to think you might do the same if you were in fear of your life, and your apparent contentment that other humans suffer at our hands, diminishes you. We may all feel some apprehension about resources, but it is hardly the refugees' fault. Please listen to your better angels.
Stephen K | 09 May 2016
Shame Australia Shame. Its time we learned from the hideous injustice that's meted out to our indigenous population. The destruction of their communities is still going on and now lo and behold we have found a new target, the refugees. Its time to stop the harm and support those in need, otherwise the word civilised is nothing but a curse. Congratulations to the advocates who stand up for true justice and dignity, for those who really need it
Andrea | 09 May 2016
Janet, you're conflating two unrelated issues, cruelty within detention (which is not defensible) and detention without cruelty for the purpose of deterrence (which is). Those who believe there should not be any deterrence whatsoever should simply be honest enough to say that Australia should create an asylum seeker visa in which anyone from home anywhere in the world can apply to be admitted into the country for the purpose of lodging a claim for asylum at an Immigration Department counter. The fact that no asylum seeker advocate is proposing such a visa shows that every asylum seeker advocate believes that some deterrence is necessary, and the 'deterrence' s/he is relying on (without saying so) are those hazards that make travel arduous or fatal. Dutton is explicitly expecting walls and fences to keep the numbers of arrivals down; asylum seeker advocates are implicitly expecting the claws and jaws of nature to do the same. And whom are we deterring? Not someone from the countries directly adjoining ours such as Indonesia, Timor Leste, PNG, etc. but those who bypass countries along the route to Australia where protection claims could have been lodged ... as per the letter of international refugee laws.
Stephen K. The things I don't understand, Stephen, are those actions that fly in the face of true flight from persecution, Why for instance would a Sri Lankan Tamil risk his family at sea on a long dangerous voyage for a fee, when he could travel 80 kms to a Tamil state - or a little further to India? Why would anyone live for a number of years in another country and then pay a smuggler for a trip to Australia? Where would the genuine refugee fleeing from an imminent threat to his life find the money to do that? Does the desire for a better life style mean that unlike everyone else in the world some individuals can defy the conventions of entry into foreign countries?. There are many genuine refugees. They are fleeing murder and ethnic cleansing, have no possessions, hungry, sick children, no paid-up mobile phones , no access to any form of heath care or protection from the weather. They are the ones we have to address. How many of those detained in Australia fulfil these criteria?
ohn frawley | 10 May 2016
John, you ask why are Australian people responsible? We are not responsible for their decisions to flee, cross seas, with or without money or with or without any other motive. But we are certainly responsible for our own actions if we aggravate the risks or exacerbate suffering or injury or if we lock people up at further risk for indefinable periods of time that amount to a form of torture or inhumane treatment. That’s the point at issue.
To John Frawley : A solid research article offered in response to your questions : http://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Parliamentary_Departments/Parliamentary_Library/pubs/rp/rp1213/13rp01
Peter Griffin | 10 May 2016
Thank you Di for your contact and encouragement of asylum seekers ... I remain in despair & disbelief at the appalling cruelty of this government. As a GADRC member who went to Canberra some weeks ago I also feel totally helpless in the face of the silence, lies and misinformation to the public from both major political parties. Please somehow hold onto hope; this surely must end soon. Every best wish to you all.
Julie Collyer | 11 May 2016
An excellent article like your other recent one, Di. I had thought of making a (hopefully intelligent) comment, however, the excellent image of Peter Dutton by Alex Ellinghausen says, in a very Zen way, what I would want to. It is a pity that, with some honourable exceptions on both sides, we seem to have bipartisan support for offshore detention. I would love to hear the Opposition in federal parliament, when Dutton speaks on the subject, call 'Shame, shame' and 'Resign'.
Edward Fido | 12 May 2016
Thank you for this article, and for your advocacy. Not that we need reminding of how sickening our government's policies and practices are towards asylum seekers in detention, which shames all of us who call ourselves Australians. But we do need to know there are people like you who are providing solace and support to those undergoing this ordeal. It gives us hope as well. Thank you!
Jena Woodhouse | 13 May 2016
I am currently travelling with a disparate bunch of Australians across the northern Borneo Malaysian state of Sabah. A beautiful and central part of south-east Asia - filled with reminders of colonialism and of the tragic WWII Death March from Sandakan (where we are at the moment) to Ranau on the slopes/near vicinity of Mt Kinabalu - and War Memorials at every point along the way - young men - British and Aussie and Borneo people - a tripartite connection building hope out of those dark times. Brilliant guides have accompanied our visits to places across this land - revealing so much of our shared humanity and experiences. Among the group not one with anything positive to say about either major political party and their inhumanity re asylum-seekers - and very telling, too - the newspaper articles here and their focus on the way Peter Dutton has Malcolm Turnbull wrapped around the LNP rightwing agendas! The aspersions cast upon the very immigrants and refugees who have made Australia such a positive force for cultural diversity by Dutton raises interesting hackles here as well as elsewhere in the road. Thanks Di COUSENS for your heart!
Jim KABLE | 25 May 2016
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Is nuclear energy more expensive than offshore wind?
by Jerome a Paris Thu Jul 19th, 2012 at 07:28:47 AM EST
This is what is suggested in a recent article of the Times:
French demand high price for `rescuing' nuclear industry with two new reactors (behind pay wall, but accessible here)
According to well-placed industry sources, EDF Energy has told officials that it needs about £165 per megawatt hour, almost four times the existing wholesale price of electricity, if it is to go ahead with Hinkley Point.
The Government has warned EDF Energy, and its junior partner Centrica, that nuclear power subsidies must be lower than offshore wind power to ensure public acceptance. The company argues that the total costs of the giant new offshore wind projects planned for the North Sea will be £180 per mw/h [sic], making nuclear slightly cheaper.
That this is even in discussion shows how difficult it is to know the price of new nukes. Proponents of nuclear have long argued that nuclear power was really cheap, in the 3-4c/kWh (i.e. 30-40 EUR/MWh) range, and the recent report by the Cour des Comptes in France noted that the actual price of nuclear power in France over the past 30 years had been close to 50 EUR/MWh (see a summary of the report in English here (pdf)). But that was in the good old days when the country could - and knew how to - do industrial policy, and could fund nuclear power plants using sovereign discount rates (5-8% over 30-40 years) rather than private investor discount rates (10-15% over 15-20 years).
The Cour des Comptes notes that future nuclear power was unlikely to be cheaper than 80 EUR/MWh, and massive delays on the Olkiluoto and Flamanville plants being built by Areva in Finland and France (the former now pushed back again to a cumulative 5 year delay at the minimum) have made the calculation even more complicated.
I had heard rumors that EDF could be asking the British government for a 115 GBP/MWh tariff, in itself a stunning admission that nuclear was not so cheap (and making it barely cheaper than offshore wind, which currently benefits from tariffs in the 120-130 GBP/MWh range in the UK, and can be expected to go down significantly over time, as the sector industrializes and gains scale). But 165 GBP/MWh is definitely more expensive than offshore wind (the whole offshore wind industry would jump with joy if offered a flat tariff at that level) and massively more expensive than onshore wind (which costs 60 GBP/MWh or so and could be deployed on a large scale in the UK if it were not for NIMBY obstacles).
Beyond showing the UK government desperation to get some nukes built, this story suggests, more than anything else, that Germany's decision to stop nuclear altogether actually makes economic sense. Of course, it's not going to be easy, and there are serious engineering and technical problems to be solved, but they can be resolved if sufficient commitment is put towards that goal. In Germany, that commitment is there. In the UK, I think it's there as well (offshore wind will not be sacrificed to do nukes), but it's still not seen as the core priority - unless the push for nukes is actually a devious plot to make offshore wind look comparatively cheap...
Is nuclear energy more expensive than offshore wind? | 121 comments (121 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)
Re: Is nuclear energy more e (4.00 / 9)
You should crosspost this at the orange place. There's a nuclear crowd there on the warpath against renewables that could benefit from being forced with hard data that shows nuclear isn't the super cheap alternative that they paint it as.
And I'll give my consent to any government that does not deny a man a living wage-Billy Bragg
by ManfromMiddletown (manfrommiddletown at lycos dot com) on Wed Jul 18th, 2012 at 09:02:43 AM EST
done (4.00 / 6)
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/07/18/1111331/-Is-nuclear-energy-more-expensive-than-offshore-win d?detail=hide
by Jerome a Paris (etg@eurotrib.com) on Wed Jul 18th, 2012 at 12:40:38 PM EST
Re: done (3.75 / 4)
Jerome on DKos:
Sorry I haven't been around for a while
Work has kept me busy, and the eurozone stuff is too depressing to blog about.
Oh, please, at least you have a non-depressing job to blog about.
If you are not convinced, try it on someone who has not been entirely debauched by economics. — Piero Sraffa
by Migeru (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Wed Jul 18th, 2012 at 12:51:33 PM EST
well, I do that, but not on a daily basis.
Re: done (none / 0)
I went and commented, but probably after the witching hour for an Agent Orange essay.
I've been accused of being a Marxist, yet while Harpo's my favourite, it's Groucho I'm always quoting. Odd, that.
by BruceMcF (agila61 at netscape dot net) on Wed Jul 18th, 2012 at 09:20:59 PM EST
Cost overruns & delays (3.75 / 4)
I also wonder how much more expensive new coal is becoming. The need to replace T24 steel in boilers led to announced 2-4-year delays for practically all new plants in construction in Germany, but I haven1t seen a cost estimate yet.
*Lunatic*, n.
One whose delusions are out of fashion.
by DoDo on Wed Jul 18th, 2012 at 12:12:23 PM EST
Re: Is nuclear energy more expensive than offshore (none / 1)
The reasonable thing is to create a stable framework and let wind and nuclear duke it out. May the best one capture the most market share. Abolish all subsidies, guaranteed rates etc etc, and just introduce a high tax on carbon dioxide emissions.
If this is not enough, supply the state-owned power company with sovereign credit, and it will be enough.
Further, I disagree with Jerome's argument that the Germans might be reasonable to shut down their nukes. This is not so. It might (or might not) be reasonable for the Germans not to build new nukes, but prematurely closing current ones is folly, as they are veritable printing presses now that the loans are paid down. The old Swedish nukes produce electricity at less than 1 eurocent per kWh now that the loans are paid back. The same should be true in Germany.
by Starvid on Wed Jul 18th, 2012 at 03:32:30 PM EST
But that just means that the government's future value of money setting will choose the winner.
by njh on Fri Jul 20th, 2012 at 12:37:23 AM EST
You lost me there.
by Starvid on Fri Jul 20th, 2012 at 05:07:00 AM EST
Re: Is nuclear energy more expensive than offshore (4.00 / 3)
One of the most important aspects of the levelised cost of energy (LCOE) is the discount rate used. High capital, low O&M projects (e.g. wind, solar) prefer a very low discount rate. Low capital, high O&M (e.g. fossil) prefer a higher discount rate. Who "wins" very much depends on the cost of capital.
by jam on Fri Jul 20th, 2012 at 10:46:21 AM EST
Indeed it does.
The reasonable thing is to create a stable framework and let wind and nuclear duke it out. ay the best one capture the most market share. Abolish all subsidies, guaranteed rates etc etc, and just introduce a high tax on carbon dioxide emissions.
The trouble is that, even with the limitations in your last sentence, there can be several different "stable frameworks" and the ability to capture market share depends on them (the fitness of competitors is determined by the environment). Things like the financial framework, approval, zoning laws. But I'm sure you have been told this already.
prematurely closing current ones is folly
The reason for the premature closures is of course not economic but that the plants had safety issues and operators like Vattenfall cannot be trusted. Then again, there would be an economic dimension if the old plants were required to implement retrofits according to the newest standards (with the protective hull being the main cost factor).
That said, I don't disagree that the precise implementation of the Merkel II government's nuclear phaseout is not reasonable. In a proper planned transition, the phaseout part should be continuous and not big steps, the advertised replacement should not be throttled, other "replacement" should be throttled even if it hurts big business, and grid development should have been pushed more energetically from the start.
by DoDo on Fri Jul 20th, 2012 at 05:25:13 AM EST
Again quoting the French Senate report, it appears that the 54 € / MWh estimate for nuclear electicity includes the cost (about 5 € / MWh) of heavy-duty revisions to all the existing plant, both to prolong its life another 30 years and to implement post-Fukushima security. Sounds remarkably cheap... but only if they are effectively able, and allowed, to run them for an extra 30 years after the end of their design life :
Électricité : assumer les coûts et préparer la transition énergétique Electricity: acknowledging the costs and preparing for the energy transition
Votre commission s'interroge toutefois sur le pari que semble faire EDF : ces investissements, égaux aux trois quarts du coût de construction historique des centrales (72,9 milliards d'euros selon la Cour des comptes94(*)) se placent, en effet, dans la perspective de la prolongation des centrales nucléaires. M. Proglio a indiqué clairement aux membres de votre commission que « ces investissements comprennent une large rénovation, sorte de « grand carénage », indispensable à l'approche des trente ans de fonctionnement. Une fois cette rénovation réalisée, les centrales pourront fonctionner pendant trente nouvelles années, sans préjuger, bien sûr, des avis qui nous sont délivrés tous les dix ans par l'ASN. »
Your Committee nevertheless is curious about the bet that EDF seems to be making : these investments, equal to three quarters of the historical construction costs of the plants (72.9 billion euros according to the Court of Auditors) are made, indeed, in view of the extension of the life of nuclear power plants. Mr. Proglio has made it clear to your committee members that " these investments include a wide-ranging renovation, sort of" major overhaul "critical to the perspective of thirty years of operation. Once the renovation is completed, the plants will run for thirty more years, without prejudice, of course, to notices issued to us every ten years by the nuclear safety authority . "
Ainsi ces travaux ne produiront-ils véritablement leur effet sur le plan économique qu'à condition que la durée d'exploitation des centrales soit effectivement prolongée au-delà de trente ans : il s'agit d'une forme de pari économique, l'Autorité de sûreté nucléaire ou l'autorité politique pouvant en décider autrement. Thus these works really only produce their economic effecst on the condition that the duration of plant operation is effectively extended for at least thirty years: it is a form of economic bet, since the Nuclear Safety Authority or the political authority may decide otherwise.
It comes down to trust, in the end. Every nation's nuclear safety record is excellent, until it isn't.
It is rightly acknowledged that people of faith have no monopoly of virtue - Queen Elizabeth II
by eurogreen on Fri Jul 20th, 2012 at 06:02:02 AM EST
Design life is not 30 years. It's 40 years. The extensions make the lifetime 60 years.
And I would submit that it's far easier to make a wind turbine with a 60 year lifetime than it is a nuclear plant. The turbine just needs to have oversized bearings and gears, but the materials in the reactor are fundamentally damaged by the radiation. Also there is the question of how much of the original plant is still in use at the end of the cycle--compared to how much has been replaced during use.
Also the claim that nuclear plant re-fueling can be timed to coincide with a low period of power demand is questionable, given that the refueling takes months. It takes, what, a day to replace a blade on a turbine?
by asdf on Fri Jul 20th, 2012 at 09:02:34 AM EST
In France, there are enough reactors so that they can be rotated out of service one by one without making a huge hole in production (and the pauperized maintenance staff tour around France as their jobs move, sleeping in caravans etc.) The homogeneity of the plant makes this fairly easy to plan. Until you get the same systemic problem everywhere at the same time, of course...
Even the reactor tanks themselves can be replaced by newer ones when the old ones become brittle. It has been done already in the US, IIRC.
Nuclear plant refuelling is always done during summer, in Sweden at least. At that time, demand is so low anyways that the slack can be picked up by our hydroplants without a hitch. And not all nukes need to be refueled at the same time. A standard refueling operation takes a few weeks.
Here's an interesting comparison. When hybrid cars came out, one of the techniques used to reduce fuel consumption was "auto stop" of the engine. When you stop the car, the engine stops.
Then when you need to go again, the engine needs to start back up. (Obviously it's more complicated than that!) So the immediate reaction of the hybrid-car-denier community was "that's going to wear out your starter motor really fast!"
But obviously it doesn't wear out your "starter motor" because there is no starter motor. It's some combination of traction motor or motors, depending on the system, but the old-fashioned starter motor with Bendix drive engaging the flywheel is not in the picture at all.
Similarly with wind turbines, what you have today is a pretty complicated system with high-load gearing between the hub and the generator, plus what amounts to a helicoptor rotor blade management system to deal with varying wind strengths. The gearing can be replaced by direct drive connections, and one would think that over time the blade management system could also be simplified. So there's lots of space for technical improvements that go in the direction of simplification of the mechanical system--potentially down to something with very few moving parts.
Meanwhile, despite 60+ years of investment in engineering, nuclear reactors are fundamentally complicated, dangerous, and expensive.
by asdf on Fri Jul 20th, 2012 at 02:16:33 PM EST
That's probably because you don't use much air conditioning in Sweden. In the mediterranean latitudes it would probably be best in winter. After the hydroelectric dams get full if possible.
res humà m'és aliè
by Antoni Jaume on Fri Jul 20th, 2012 at 03:57:05 PM EST
True. So : we get an extra half-life. (boom boom!)
And cheap at the price : one wonders why/whether new build has to be so fiendishly expensive. My guess is that the EPR is just a poor design.
I'd say that a lot of it has to do with lack of n-experienced workers and companies, and a lack manufacturing capacity for heavy forgings and so on.
It's inherently silly to sell baseload on marginal pricing spot markets. Fixed prices makes sense for baseload as a market structure even more than as an infant industry protection.
by JakeS (JangoSierra 'at' gmail 'dot' com) on Sun Jul 22nd, 2012 at 03:36:07 PM EST
I don't disagree. Still, even in a marginal-cost pricing structure, individual consumers (big and small) can and indeed do make long-term fixed power deals with the generators. My utility offers the options of spot pricing for my power, and also fixed price contracts lasting for 1, 2, 3, 5 or 10 years.
Ironically, such contracts undermine the efficiency of the power market, at least when small consumers who aren't likely to stop using power when the price spikes, are given such options.
by Starvid on Mon Jul 23rd, 2012 at 06:42:26 AM EST
Which is why you need to have three different sorts of contracts: Fixed-price, fixed-volume, forward-price, scheduled-volume, and flexible price, load-following volume.
Ideally, Joe Q. Consumer would have a contract structured so that he has a baseline quota, which can vary over the day, week and year, and then pays a higher spot charge for going over that baseline.
The utility would then offer Mary Q. Producer a fixed rate for delivering power at the convenience of the producer, a higher forward rate for delivering on 24 hour notice, and a still higher rate for delivering at the convenience of the consumer. The utility would make money on the spread, and on the fact that Joe Q. Consumer will normally be within his quota (because he is risk-averse and because he has noise in his demand profile), which allows the utility to diversify out the noise in individual consumer profiles and to exploit its lower risk aversion.
by JakeS (JangoSierra 'at' gmail 'dot' com) on Mon Jul 23rd, 2012 at 08:06:01 AM EST
You can do better than this. (none / 0)
The cost of new nuclear powerplants is obviously not a relevant argument for turning existing nuclear power plants off prior to the end of their design life. That money has already been spent, the concrete poured, the steel forged, ect, and you dont get a refund.
Secondly: Paying private investors doubledigit returns on low carbon infrastructure in the current economic and climatic situation, regardless of type is.. gah. I dont have polite words.
That is not an argument against nuclear, it is an argument against our entire financial framework for building infrastructure.
by Thomas on Wed Jul 18th, 2012 at 04:58:08 PM EST
Re: You can do better than this. (4.00 / 4)
The cost of new nuclear powerplants is obviously not a relevant argument for turning existing nuclear power plants off prior to the end of their design life.
Indeed no. The argument about shutting them down is about safety.
A completely objective assessment of the safety of Europe's nuclear plants is not possible, because you can't buy insurance against a Fukushima type disaster. i.e. there is no rational way to assess whether the risks are justified by the economic benefit.
The reason new nukes are completely unaffordable, and will not be built without sovereign strategic decisions and sovereign financing (whatever fig-leaves may be employed) is that providing a high level of safety is horribly expensive. Pro-nuclear people no doubt believe that the safety standards that are now required are absurdly excessive. But this is demonstrably in the domain of belief.
by eurogreen on Thu Jul 19th, 2012 at 04:10:22 AM EST
Re: You can do better than this. (none / 0)
"providing a high level of safety is horribly expensive"
A safe nuke is not more expensive than a dangerous nuke. Nukes are expensive, period.
For example, the Fukushima accident would never happened if the plants had been protected by a comparatively cheap 20 metre high seawall.
And even if such a thing was lacking and the plants had indeed suffered core meltdowns, 99.9% of the radioactive emissions would have been avoided if the plants had been equipped by protective filters, cheap and simple enough that all Swedish nukes had them installed in the 80's.
by Starvid on Thu Jul 19th, 2012 at 10:49:29 AM EST
Which suggests that the question is whether one lives in a society in which one can trust its regulatory institutions to require such things. Clearly the Japanese do not. I see little reason to have faith that we Americans do.
by BruceMcF (agila61 at netscape dot net) on Thu Jul 19th, 2012 at 10:40:08 PM EST
If that is so, you have far more acute problems to deal with than nuclear power or any energy crisis...
Well, we do have both more acute and more serious long term problems than the energy crisis ~ though for the specific area where the breakdown of regulation of nuclear power plants comes home to roost, its both plenty acute and plenty serious long term ~ but over a 50 year period, I do not trust a US institution to remain free of capture by the industry for the whole 50 years. If you could point to a 50 year interval in US history when it had not occured in any given regulatory institution, I'd accept that its possible, but it still wouldn't be likely.
The US has ample sustainable, renewable energy sources that can be tapped with already existing renewable energy harvest technology for all our energy needs, if we adopt a sustainable economy, and if we don't adopt a sustainable economy then having nuclear power isn't going to save us. Our major energy challenge is vested interests standing in the way of abandoning energy profligate systems that they directly profit from.
by BruceMcF (agila61 at netscape dot net) on Fri Jul 20th, 2012 at 01:50:21 PM EST
Well, we do have both more acute and more serious longshort term problems than the energy crisis...
Namely, are we going to starve to death this coming winter due to massive crop failures...
Not in the US ~ switching to cereal grain and beans instead of grain-fed industrial farmed meat would keep starvation at bay. That's a flip side of the energy profligacy. What would be at risk would be massive subsidized agribusiness profits, and so the Congress would divert more food stamp budget into direct subsidy to long term unsustainable monoculture.
I tend to agree with you about shutting down plants prematurely. I'd note, cynically, that they are not shut down yet.
Your point about private returns is spot on, and it applies as much to nuclear as to renewables. Given the context we live in (no public sector investment as imposed by the EU), renewables can get lower cost of funding, if the regulatory framework is done right, than nukes can, because risk will be perceived as lower.
by Jerome a Paris (etg@eurotrib.com) on Thu Jul 19th, 2012 at 05:52:52 AM EST
no public sector investment as imposed by the EU
Do you know in what way this is actually stated, in what regulation, what law, what directive, or so on?
I imagine that given how the rules are actually framed, there might be certain loopholes, like borrowing via the state, then having the state issue all the cash to the state-owned utility via a rights issue, and so on. I.E. keep all the debt with the sovereign and have the utility funded solely through equity.
"Illegal state aid" rules.
Or, at any rate, their interpretation by the European Commission.
As a first step, it has to determine whether a company has received State aid, which is the case if the support meets the following criteria:
there has been an intervention by the State or through State resources which can take a variety of forms (e.g. grants, interest and tax reliefs, guarantees, government holdings of all or part of a company, or the provision of goods and services on preferential terms, etc.);
the intervention confers an advantage to the recipient on a selective basis, for example to specific companies or sectors of the industry, or to companies located in specific regions;
competition has been or may be distorted;
the intervention is likely to affect trade between Member States.
By contrast, general measures are not regarded as State aid because they are not selective and apply to all companies regardless of their size, location or sector. Examples include general taxation measures or employment legislation.
by Migeru (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Thu Jul 19th, 2012 at 11:05:42 AM EST
So, when the French state saved Alstom, that was clearly illegal state aid? The very ownership of state companies like Vattenfall or EdF is illegal state aid? State investment to support SME's are illegal state aid as well? Someone should tell the Swedish government then. Furthermore and very clearly, all bank bailouts are illegal state aid.
This seems very much a rubber paragraph, which can be used whenever someone has an axe to grind, and to be ignored when it fits the interests of the Commission.
Furthermore and very clearly, all bank bailouts are illegal state aid.
And Commissioner Almunia and his staff are going to be controling the process...
Ok, this is what the rules say:
By contrast, general measures are not regarded as State aid because they are not selective and apply to all companies regardless of their size, location or sector
So... offer all companies, no matter what size or sector or owner, the option of taking part in a massively diluting rigths issue, where the government injects, say 10 % of current equity in the company, and in return gets new shares equal to 1000% of the current number of shares. This would be equal and open to all, but no company would ever except the "offer", except one that is already 100% state-owned.
In this way you could issue sovereign bonds and transfer the cash into state-owned power companies while avoiding the illegal state aid rules.
If the value of the loans were measured to 'energy units' instead of current currencies. this would marry with Chris Cook's ideas, wouldn't it?
'The history of public debt is full of irony. It rarely follows our ideas of order and justice.' Thomas Piketty
by melo (melometa4(at)gmail.com) on Thu Jul 19th, 2012 at 01:23:05 PM EST
Commodity pegs are just as deflationary as gold buggery or ECBuggery.
by Migeru (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Thu Jul 19th, 2012 at 06:45:26 PM EST
Isnt that because all commodities have become hedge fund spec?
Plus the fact they are diminishing supply?
Investing in solar rollout is trusting a source of energy that is as close to infinite as we'll ever need.
There would be risk of some inflation during short to medium term due to bandwaggoning/carpet-bagging but it would settle down when the train got rolling and the thrillseekers went looking for a bubble with more quick profits.
Plenty sunshine for everyone to get pie.
by melo (melometa4(at)gmail.com) on Fri Jul 20th, 2012 at 08:18:12 AM EST
No, it is because if you peg your money to a real resource (be it gold, oil, carbon, or entropy) you allow society to potentially generate credit claims to more real resources than can actually exist (and, based on past experience, this potentiality will eventually be realised) which is then followed by a debt-deflation cycle when the bubble pops.
Fiat money allows such nonsense to be inflated away (which is why inflation-indexed debt is as systemically risky as especie pegs).
by Migeru (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Fri Jul 20th, 2012 at 08:57:25 AM EST
Not just that - Your monetary base gets vulnerable to technological shocks.
.... actually it is even worse than that. Shock implies surprises, but energy production is predictably going to dee upheavals. - it is the one sector of the economy guaranteed to experience technological changes. I dont know how we will be producing electrons in 2032, nor what they will cost, and neither does anyone else. -
I can list half-a-dozen highly plausible optinons for future generation mixes and technologies off the top of my head - some of them are unavoidably moderately more expensive than unmitigated coal, and some of them are ridiculusly cheap. Either of which would completely wreck any currency based off the supply of power. Bad, bad, bad idea.
by Thomas on Fri Jul 20th, 2012 at 06:36:25 PM EST
some of them are ridiculously cheap.
promises, promises...
just supposing we envision a future ever embroigled in the 'winner-takes-all' zero-sum game we call predatory capitalism, couldn't we make at least it fair?
ie no whining when the wheel turns against you and you bet loses to the house. if your currency breaks on the reefs of reality, then cut your losses and bet on another one.
or go home and bake cookies...
by melo (melometa4(at)gmail.com) on Fri Jul 20th, 2012 at 07:59:28 PM EST
State aid (4.00 / 3)
well, State ownership is not a factor, as the EU was not allowed to decide on forms of ownership, but State-owned firms are supposed to finance themselves without a State guarantee, explicit or implicit.
That applied to EDF but also to the Landesbanken, whose business model (borrow cheap and lend cheap to local companies) was broken by the EU to comply with the "competition" demands of the London-based (and US-owned) investment banks. So they had to borrow expensive, and turned to crazy stuff like MBS to earn the equivalent revenue, while their past clients went to the investment banks for loans (and get cut off at times of crisis...)
by Jerome a Paris (etg@eurotrib.com) on Thu Jul 19th, 2012 at 12:37:25 PM EST
Re: State aid (3.50 / 2)
I wouldn't put all the blame on Anglo banks. While the prime beneficents are the rentiers in the financial sector these Competition rules favor all well established players.
by generic on Thu Jul 19th, 2012 at 01:14:19 PM EST
Which, given the macroeconomic acumen of the current Commission, translates to "no significant public investment in anything useful."
French Senate report (4.00 / 4)
La facture d'électricité des Français augmenterait de 50% d'ici à 2020 French electricity bills to increase by 50% by 2020
La facture moyenne d'électricité d'un ménage français va s'alourdir de 50 % d'ici à 2020 à cause des investissements élevés du renouvelable et ceux croissants du nucléaire, selon un rapport de sénateurs présenté mercredi 18 juillet. Sous réserve, souligne le texte, d'une législation et de comportements de consommation inchangés.
Citant des projections de la Commission de régulation de l'énergie (CRE), ce rapport estime que la facture annuelle d'un ménage type ayant souscrit l'option heures pleines-heures creuses - et a priori équipé d'un chauffage électrique - atteindrait 1 307 euros en 2020 contre 874,5 euros en 2011. The average electricity bill of a French household will increase by 50% by 2020 because of high investments in renewables and increasing investments in nuclearenergy, according to a Senate report presented on Wednesday, July 18. Subject, says the text, to unchanged legislation and consumer behavior. Citing projections of the Energy Regulatory Commission (CRE), the report estimates that the annual bill of a typical household having subscribed the option "peak/off-peak hours" - and a priori equipped with electric heating - reach 1,307 euros in 2020 against 874.5 euros in 2011.
"Se pose aujourd'hui la question d'énormes investissements, on peut parler de 400 milliards d'euros à horizon de vingt ans", a souligné le rapporteur écologiste de cette commission, Jean Dessessard. Sur l'augmentation de 433 euros attendue sur la facture (qui est hors TVA), 28 % viendront de la taxe dite CSPE (contribution au services public de l'électricité, qui inclut notamment les tarifs d'achats subventionnés des énergies renouvelables), 37 % des réseaux électriques et 35 % de la production d'électricité elle-même. "This raises the question today of huge investments, we can talk about 400 billion euros in next twenty years" , stressed the rapporteur of the commission, the ecologist Jean Dessessard. The expected increase of 433 euros on the invoice (that is excluding VAT), 28% will come from the tax known as CSPE (contribution to public services of electricity, which includes subsidized purchase rates for renewable energy ), 37% from electrical network charges and 35% from electricity production itself.
Il ressort des évaluations des sénateurs que les coûts de l'électricité nucléaire française sont encore sous-évalués : en incluant les travaux de maintenance post-Fukushima, la commission les évalue à 54,2 euros par mégawattheure. C'est plus que l'évalution du rapport de référence publié par la Cour des comptes au début de l'année (49,5 euros) et plus que le prix de l'accès régulé à l'électricité nucléaire historique (Arenh), c'est-à-dire le prix officiel du courant nucléaire, qui est de 42 euros depuis le 1er janvier. The evaluations of the senators indicate that the costs of French nuclear electricity are still undervalued: including maintenance work post-Fukushima, the commission evaluates to 54.2 euros per megawatt hour. This is more than the evalution of the baseline report published by the Court of Auditors at the beginning of the year (49.5 euros) and more than the price of regulated access to nuclear power history (ARENH) that is to say the official price of nuclear power, which is 42 euros since 1st January.
Le rapport, comme celui de la Cour des comptes publié au printemps, relève aussi des "incertitudes" supplémentaires notamment sur le démantèlement, plus les coûts d'assurances pour un accident ou des frais de recherche. Des coûts qui porteraient le total à 75 euros le mégawattheure, même si la Commission s'est refusée à effectuer officiellement cette addition "parce qu'on n'a pas voulu rajouter des incertitudes aux incertitudes", selon M. Dessessard. The report, like that of the Court of Auditors published in the spring, also points out further "uncertainties" including the dismantling, plus the cost of insurance for accidents, or research costs. Costs that would bring the total to 75 euros per megawatt hour, while the Commission declined to make this addition officially "because we did not want to add uncertainties to uncertainties" , according to M . Dessessard.
L'ÉOLIEN TERRESTRE, "UNE FILIÈRE COMPÉTITIVE" onshore wind, "A COMPETITIVE INDUSTRY"
Les travaux de la commission, présidée par le sénateur UMP Ladislas Poniatowski, ont été adoptés par tous les membres à l'exception des communistes qui ont voté contre, dénonçant une logique de "justification de l'augmentation du coût de l'électricité". Des sujets sensibles comme l'avenir du nucléaire ont aussi été évacués en annexes, et n'ont pas fait l'objet d'un vote, ont précisé les membres de la Commission. The findings of the commission, chaired by Senator UMP Ladislas Poniatowski, were adopted by all members except the Communists who voted against, denouncing a logic of "justification for the increased cost of electricity ". Sensitive issues such as the future of nuclear were also evacuated into appendices, and have not been put to a vote, said the Commission members.
Côté renouvelables, les sénateurs relèvent que l'éolien terrestre est "d'ores et déjà une filière mature et compétitive", avec un prix de 82 euros du mégawattheure. L'éolien en mer reste encore beaucoup plus cher - plus de 220 euros - tandis que le photovoltaïque culmine toujours entre 229 à 371 euros, même si on est redescendu de sommets de 580 euros du fait du tour de vis sur les tarifs d'achat. On the renewables side, the senators note that onshore wind is "already a mature and competitive industry" , with a price of 82 euros megawatt hour. Offshore wind is still much more expensive - over 220 euros while photovoltaic is from 229 to 371 euros, even if it has dropped down from highs of 580 euros due to the tightening of rates of purchase.
La France, qui s'est engagée à atteindre 23 % d'électricité renouvelable en 2020 (contre 13 % l'an passé), reste l'un des pays les moins chers d'Europe pour l'électricité. Mais les sénateurs soulignent que la consommation étant plus élevée, la facture totale se retrouve gonflée par rapport à nos voisins. Les économies d'énergie, le stockage d'électricité et les réseaux intelligents sont considérés comme les pistes pour alléger les factures. France, which is committed to achieve 23% renewable electricity in 2020 (against 13% last year), remains one of the least expensive of Europe for electricity. But senators pointed out that because consumption is higher, the total bill is inflated compared to our neighbors. Energy conservation, electricity storage and smart grids are considered the tracks to alleviate the bills.
NÉCESSAIRE TRANSITION ÉNERGÉTIQUE NEEDED ENERGY TRANSITION
Evoquant "le prix à payer pour amorcer la transition énergétique", la commission estime que "l'augmentation provisoire du prix de l'électricité due aux renouvelables, incontestable, doit donc être prise pour ce qu'elle est : un investissement nécessaire pour l'avenir". Referring to "the price to pay to begin the energy transition" , the Committee considers that "the temporary increase in electricity prices due to renewable is undeniable, and must be taken for what it is: a necessary investment for the future ".
La publication de ce rapport est censée permettre d'éclairer le débat sur la transition énergétique prévu à l'automne par le nouveau gouvernement. Ce débat est une promesse électorale du président de la République, François Hollande, qui s'est engagé à développer les énergies renouvelables de façon à réduire de 75 % à 50 % la part du nucléaire dans la production électrique d'ici à 2025 et à fermer d'ici à 2017 la centrale nucléaire de Fessenheim (Haut-Rhin). Le gouvernement a par ailleurs décidé de limiter la hausse de l'électricité à 2 % au 1er août et réfléchit à un "réforme structurelle" des tarifs de l'énergie qui passerait par des prix progressifs distinguant les consommations essentielles et celles de confort. The publication of this report is supposed to allow an informed debate on energy transition, planned for the autumn by the new government. This debate is an election promise of President of the Republic, Francois Hollande, who is committed to developing renewable energy to reduce from 75% to 50% the share of nuclear in electricity generation by 2025, and close by 2017 the Fessenheim nuclear power plant (Haut-Rhin). The government has also decided to limit electricity price rises to 2% on 1st August and is considering a "structural reform" of rates that would use progressive prices distinguishing between essential consumption and comfort consumption.
This is a consensus report by an all-party committee. I won't comment the PC position, because I'm feeling charitable today.
Re: French Senate report (none / 0)
One of the things that I do not understand is why there is so much talk about offshore when onshore seems a much more interesting approach...
by cagatacos on Thu Jul 19th, 2012 at 07:32:39 AM EST
Re: French Senate report (4.00 / 6)
There is considerable and developing local opposition to onshore wind projects. There's a good share of NIMBYism in that, but also environmental concerns about implantation of industrial structures in rural areas, including the impact on the landscape.
If you'd asked people ten years ago about their perception of windmills, there'd probably have been a majority for saying they were esthetically pleasing, a "green" symbol, reassuring because non-polluting or dangerous, etc. Now a lot of people will tell you they disfigure the countryside, are oppressive, make people ill, and are only there to make a pile of subsidy money for rich people. Some incumbent energy industry/ies has/ve been doing a PR job...
by afew (afew(a in a circle)eurotrib_dot_com) on Thu Jul 19th, 2012 at 09:01:58 AM EST
That in the UK seems to be very much the case, but I wonder (i) is it the same elsewhere? and (ii) are any other reasons (more "rational")?
It's the same in Sweden. No one likes the windmills, except people who live far from them. The solution for us is that someone figured out that Sweden is a sparsely populated country mostly covered in deep forests, where the population density is even lower. So you add 20 metres to the height of the turbines and put them in the forests, where they cannot be seen except from a pretty short distance.
And lo and behold, Swedish forests are owned mostly by massive corporations (google SCA + Statkraft) and cooperatives, so it's easy for the power companies to make deals with them.
It's the case in rural France.
by afew (afew(a in a circle)eurotrib_dot_com) on Thu Jul 19th, 2012 at 12:08:30 PM EST
"More rational" reasons : as I say, concerns about the environmental impact of industrial structures in previously untouched areas (woods and hills), concern about previously unspoiled landscapes. These may shade into NIMBYism, but not necessarily.
Hm. There are no "previously untouched areas" in France or the UK. They have been fashioned by human stewardship for thousands of years.
In previous centuries, people had a more pragmatic approach to unsightly windmills. They knew they needed the energy. These days, we have our priorities wrong.
That's not to say that all potential wind sites should be used indiscriminately. Actual nuisance should be reduced. Seeing windmills on the skyline doesn't count as a nuisance.
by eurogreen on Thu Jul 19th, 2012 at 12:18:05 PM EST
Seeing windmills on the skyline doesn't count as a nuisance.
The right to define a nuisance lays with those who live next to it.
by Starvid on Thu Jul 19th, 2012 at 12:52:42 PM EST
Right, and the farmers leasing out a few hundred square meters of field space to allow a turbine to be constructed have spoken with their signatures on the dotted line.
by asdf on Thu Jul 19th, 2012 at 01:38:22 PM EST
The people who live next to the turbines are often not the same ones as the people who own the land. For example, the previously mentioned company SCA is erecting turbines close to where some of my friends live, and this company own land equal to more than half the area of the Netherlands, 2.6 million hectares.
When I talk about "skyline", I'm talking about five or ten km away, not the people who live next to the windmills, who are interested parties and must be listened to.
If the windmill had been invented in India 3000 years ago they night have been studded with multicoloured gods and demons, their basse daily laved with coconut water and festooned in marigolds and tuberose.
"previously untouched" by industrial installations or industrial agriculture.
another reason (4.00 / 6)
and one which is, naturally, not said loudly, is that the strongest opponents are often the owners of the land on which the wind turbines are NOT situated, who are jealous of the income of the guys with the wind tribunes (which amounts to something like 10,000 euros per year per turbine, for a loss of a few square meters of usable land).
It's one thing that such cncerns exit, but just how widespread are they in the population really? A problem in Britain has always been that a loud anti-wind minority has been assumed to represent a silent majority. Do you have a French poll on the subject?
For example, a recent poll on "spoiled landscape":
Holiday plans affected by windfarms - Environment - Scotsman.com
A total of 80 per cent of people in the UK - and 83 per cent of Scots surveyed - said the presence of a wind farm would not affect their decision about where to stay when on a holiday or short break in Britain.
When asked if wind farms spoiled the look of the countryside, 52.1 per cent of people in both Scotland and across the UK disagreed, with a further 29.3 per cent in the UK and 28.3 per cent of Scots saying they neither agreed nor disagreed.
Only 18.7 per cent in the UK and 19.6 per cent of Scots said wind farms did spoil the look of the countryside.
The most in-depth poll I saw which focused specifically on local opinion, was also from Scotland nine years ago, and found that people closest to the wind farms are the most supportive:
Public Attitudes to Windfarms: A Survey of Local Residents in Scotland
People living close to windfarms (within 20 km) like the areas they live in, mentioning the peacefulness (28%), scenery (26%), rural isolation (23%) and friendly people (20%) as particular strengths. When asked to say what the shortcomings are, most commonly mentioned are a lack of amenities (20%), poor public transport (18%), and lack of jobs (8%). Just five people (0.3%) spontaneously mention windfarms as a negative aspect of their area.
Three times the number of residents say that their local windfarm has had a broadly positive impact on the area (20%) than say that it has had a negative impact (7%). Most (73%) feel that it has had neither a positive nor negative impact, or expressed no opinion.
People who lived in their homes before the site was developed say that, in advance of the windfarm development, they thought that problems might be caused by its impact on the landscape (27%), traffic during construction (19%) and noise during construction (15%). However, only 12% say the landscape has been spoiled, 6% say there were problems with additional traffic, and 4% say there was noise or disturbance from traffic during construction.
...People living closest to the windfarms tend to be most positive about them (44% of those living within 5km say the windfarm has had a positive impact, compared with 16% of those living 10-20km away). They are also most supportive of expansion of the sites (65% of those in the 5km zone support 50% expansion, compared with 53% of those in the 10-20km zone).
Similarly, those who most frequently see the windfarms in their day-to-day lives tend to be most favourable towards them (33% of those who see the turbines all the time or frequently say the windfarms have had a positive impact on the area, while 18% of those who only see them occasionally say the same).
I can't cite a poll offhand, but I have personal knowledge of a groundswell of opposition to windmills in rural areas of SW France and in the Mediterranean coastal strip of Languedoc (flat, uninspiring landscape for the most part). I know people in hilly country who are undoubtedly "green-minded" who are passionately determined to prevent skyline wind projects (and they are succeeding). And the coastal opposition seems to veer towards threats of violence and sabotage (I have seen roadside graffiti threatening the "wind lobbyists" with the "rising anger" of the people).
by afew (afew(a in a circle)eurotrib_dot_com) on Fri Jul 20th, 2012 at 03:01:39 AM EST
Can you say if this is the case of a loud minority or a wider majority?
How much connection is there to the UK? Merely import of rhetoric, or organisational connections?
How much involved are farmers in wind projects in that region? Not at all, they only lease land, or are given shares in projects, or are there even community projects fully owned by locals?
Is your sample big enough to differentiate public opinion in areas where there are windmills already and areas without?
Well, I'm not running a poll organisation... ;)
On the first question, I have been surprised by the number of people I've heard express fairly virulent anti-wind opinions. And the movement is wide enough to stop local projects not far from where I live.
I'm aware of no connection with the UK. This movement (as far as I can make out) is endogenous. It took off from the coastal areas.
Afaik farmers (as such) are not so much involved in the hill projects - landowners may be. They can lease and pick up rent. In some cases they can build their own projects (possibly after having bought land for the purpose). But there are also local-authority projects (one of which, locally, see above, is not going to see the light of day because of widespread opposition).
The more you go towards the Med coast, the more built projects there are, and the more virulent the opposition.
In hilly area, the place to put wind farms is on the crests. And it's also on those crests that the hiking trails go through... hiking trails that provide most if not all of the non-agriculture local business. And hiking on a path transformed into an industrial-strength dirt road for the purpose of building wind mills is not as romantic as on a smaller path ! (not to mention hiking while the windmills are being built).
Un roi sans divertissement est un homme plein de misères
by linca (antonin POINT lucas AROBASE gmail.com) on Fri Jul 20th, 2012 at 10:08:05 AM EST
In hilly areas in Appalachia, the working alternative is to blow the crests sky high in mountain top removal coal mining.
No coal has been mined in France for 20 years... And also, there are alternative places to put windmills such as offshore or the Rhône valley which is thoroughly industrialised and has a reasonable wind resource.
The Massif Central is more densely populated than Appalachia, also.
by linca (antonin POINT lucas AROBASE gmail.com) on Fri Jul 20th, 2012 at 08:29:38 PM EST
It may be that the UK is particularly favorable terrain for that tactic ~ in the US, that may well be successful in holding up deployment of onshore wind in some states, but in a state like Iowa, the farmers want the money from the leases and the state sure as hell better not stand between the farmers and those lease payments.
This kind of issue doesn't even require a Republican farmer to vote for a Democrat ~ just turn out to vote against an anti-wind and for a pro-wind Republican delegate to the county Republican convention.
by BruceMcF (agila61 at netscape dot net) on Thu Jul 19th, 2012 at 09:46:27 AM EST
It depends where you are, also. In places like Texas and Colorado, huge wind farms are possible because nobody lives anywhere nearby. In Indiana, they're more visible but still in a rural area. If you start putting them in suburbs, it's going to get ugly fast.
Well. I don't think that anyone is planning on putting them in the suburbs. Nonetheless the largest windfarm in Indiana is in Benton County (2 projects, ~1000 MW), which is technically in the Lafayette Metro area. You can actually see the towers from most places in Fowler, which is the county seat. It doesn't really seem to have stirred up that much protest.
by ManfromMiddletown (manfrommiddletown at lycos dot com) on Thu Jul 19th, 2012 at 06:56:52 PM EST
The "best" reason for preferring offshore to on is that offshore winds are stronger and steadier.
The North Sea continental shelf is really special. Where else on the planet is there a comparable geological base for offshore wind?
Maybe Indonesia?
Some candidates:
Indonesia/New Guinea/Norhtern Australia
East China Sea
Orhotsk Sea
Bering Straits
by Migeru (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Fri Jul 20th, 2012 at 12:41:57 PM EST
Lake Erie.
Thats why there is sabre rattling about the Falklands!
(No, not really.)
by A swedish kind of death on Sun Jul 22nd, 2012 at 08:04:10 AM EST
An additional criterion (4.00 / 2)
beyond geology is to be near a significant (and credit worthy) load center...
That seems to take most of your list off - leaving possibly New Zealand and (some of) the Great Lakes. The North East of the Us is probably the only other area which makes sense: otherwise Japan will make a lot of sense for floating technology, once it's made to work at a decent cost.
by Jerome a Paris (etg@eurotrib.com) on Sun Jul 22nd, 2012 at 05:17:18 PM EST
Re: An additional criterion (none / 0)
New zeeland doesnt really have much use for... any. power sources other than conventional hydro, tough. It is essentially "Norway, southern hemisphere edition" as far as hydro resource goes.
by Thomas on Mon Jul 23rd, 2012 at 02:53:53 PM EST
Except local opposition stopped a number of projects, which were more akin to Island's; as is the presence of geothermal. Wind does have a chance, especially as New Zealand has some of the world's best on-shore sites (capacity factors like for North Sea off-shore wind farms or higher).
by DoDo on Mon Jul 23rd, 2012 at 03:15:57 PM EST
Seems like Shanghai would be a significant and credit worth load center if the manufacturer of the wind turbines paid their workers in ¥RMB.
by BruceMcF (agila61 at netscape dot net) on Mon Jul 23rd, 2012 at 03:23:43 PM EST
Or US$ (n/t) (none / 0)
by JakeS (JangoSierra 'at' gmail 'dot' com) on Mon Jul 23rd, 2012 at 03:30:28 PM EST
Re: Or US$ (n/t) (none / 0)
So long as the Chinese have an economic need to discount the Yuan Renminbi against the dollar, not quite as strong a load center in US dollars, but if they decide to shift the weight of their basket-peg away from the US$, then certainly, those paying workers in US$ as well.
It seems to me that printing RMB to buy dollars to pay for a wind farm would depress the RMB against the US$ just as effectively as printing it to buy Uncle Sam's IOUs and stockpile them at the central bank. This not so? And if it is not so, then why aren't more African countries printing local currency and buying out Uncle Sam with it?
The way that a nation avoids becoming exposed to an exchange rate meltdown a la many Southeast Asian nations in the Asian Financial Crisis is avoiding excessive debt denominated in foreign currency.
Which is why the parenthesised part of "a significant (and credit worthy) load center" brings the country of manufacture into play: in what currency is the credit being created? If its being created in Yuan Renminbi, then Shanghai is both a substantial and a quite credit worthy load.
But if the credit is drawn on an electrical utility, rather than on the Chinese government, the fact that China plays neo-mercentalist games with their currency raises reasonable suspicions about the multiple-decade credit worthiness of an enterprise that sells in Yuan Renminbi, if its loan is denominated in € or ¥ or US$.
Quite. But the Chinese government has enough reserves to cover the gross Chinese hard currency debt, so there is no overriding need to continue to depress the exchange rate by adding to these reserves rather than by buying real stuff. If you buy the real stuff you want with dollars bought with your newly minted currency, it will also depress the exchange rate.
I'm not sure how you get to that conclusion, unless you believe that the Chinese government will further depress the exchange rate at some point? The sign of the exchange rate pressure looks wrong for a simple cessation of mercantilist gamesmanship to impair the solvency of such an entity.
It looks to me like political risk would be a lot more significant than vanilla currency risk over a 20-30 year period.
In what way, shape or form are they in any way distinct and separable for a country that is pegging its exchange rate? The exchange rate risk is a policy risk, combined with a risk of losing a capacity to enforce policy.
Substantial credit risks here are (1) the exchange rate risk and (2) the default risk of the actual borrower. From the perspective of US-based consortium raising funds in US$ capital markets, that default risk has to be seen as quite substantial. By contrast, for a Chinese-based consortium raising funds in China, converting what foreign exchange they require on a current rather than capital basis, the default risk seems likely to look much better compared to other investment opportunities in China.
I was thinking of currency risk in terms of loss of ability to maintain a peg and subsequent movement of the floating rate.
Of course, loss of ability to maintain the peg is not always distinguishable from loss of willingness to maintain the peg. But it usually is, and I think it is useful to distinguish between the risk of a foreign government deciding to screw your investment over and the risk of a foreign government being unable to decide not to screw your investment over. The latter is a risk which can be forecast with some delicacy. The former is far closer to a Knightian uncertainty.
I find that it usually pays dividends to separate those two sorts of risk.
by JakeS (JangoSierra 'at' gmail 'dot' com) on Tue Jul 24th, 2012 at 04:26:31 AM EST
In the abstract I guess, but the current pegging regime of China is to peg at a discount against a basket of foreign currencies, which eliminates the risk that they will be unable to maintain the peg. The risks that a creditor raising funds in US$ and having their electricity bought in Yuan Renminbi faces are (1) that China opts to increase the discount at which they are pegging, and (2) that China opts to reduce the weight of the US$ in the currency basket that they peg against, opening up the Yuan Renminbi / US$ exchange rate to greater volatility.
by BruceMcF (agila61 at netscape dot net) on Tue Jul 24th, 2012 at 06:40:19 PM EST
Shanghai (4.00 / 2)
Sure, Shangai is a real load center, problem is that they have access to 2c/kWh coal-fired power, so there's not going to be a case for offshore wind until that changes. I would not trust a government that says "I'll pay you 12c/kWh for 15 years if you do offshore wind" in such circumstances, especially not China's.
Even Russia is not able to sell gas to China given how cheap coal has been.
by Jerome a Paris (etg@eurotrib.com) on Tue Jul 24th, 2012 at 05:10:46 AM EST
Re: Shanghai (none / 0)
Also - rather relevantly to this thread, China has astonishingly low construction costs for fission reactors. Largely because they have a very experienced heavy construction sector, which keeps the projects on time and on budget. At this point, odds are fairly good that the first EPR to sell power will be selling it to Chinese consumers - Now, whether this is a viable path to a low-carbon china depends on how much they could scale up their build programme before running into bottlenecks.
by Thomas on Tue Jul 24th, 2012 at 05:32:09 PM EST
Yes, given that we can be reasonably confident that the current rate of domestic coal production cannot be maintained through to the end of the current decade.
European Tribune - Is nuclear energy more expensive than offshore wind?
offshore wind, which currently benefits from tariffs in the 120-130 GBP/MWh range in the UK
That's ~160€/MWh. Is the French Senate estimate of 220€/MWh realistic? Are there reasons why UK offshore would be cheaper?
Wouldn't the UK have access to the North Sea resource?
True - the UK has better offshore wind resources than France.
Jerome can confirm, but I'd assume that the main drivers for differences in cost per MWh are in the denominator ~ say, (arbitrary figures) average 40% yield vs average 30% yield. Though there'd also be an establishment cost, which could result in a country with more installed capacity being further down a degressive feed-in tariff schedule.
cost drivers (4.00 / 5)
It's the wind levels on one side, and the balance of project depth and distance to shore (which depends on what your coastal areas is like). The North Sea is unique in not being deep (not beyond 40m and often quite less) over hundreds of square miles. So you don't need bigger foundations as you go further out, only a longer cable. That has a real impact on the cost side.
well... the French government is trying to kick-start a homegrown offshore wind industry (against the spirit of the EU which forbids industrial policy of course). They apparently didn't have any such concern in the UK. This presumably adds a bit of cost, because you're talking about creating an industry practically from scratch.
The UK now presumably has a certain amount of sunk-cost infrastructure for servicing the building of offshore farms, lowering the cost of additional farms. I guess.
220 EUR/MWh is on the high side, given that bids were supposed to be below 175 EUR/MWh in most zones (200 EUR/MWh in a couple) and that you need to add about 20 EUR/MWh for transmission costs.
But yes, the wind resource is not as good off the French coasts as it is off the UL coasts.
On the technical side, how are the measurement campaigns set up when the masts should be offshore? Do you build a platform just of the mast offshore or do you trust data points in the vicinity (lighthouses?)?
Rien n'est gratuit en ce bas monde. Tout s'expie, le bien comme le mal, se paie tot ou tard. Le bien c'est beaucoup plus cher, forcement. Celine
by UnEstranAvecVueSurMer (holopherne ahem gmail) on Thu Jul 19th, 2012 at 02:57:49 PM EST
wind studies (4.00 / 2)
You don't actually need onsite data offshore - correlation with met data from not-too-distant sources is good enough - offshore wind is predictable over long distances and you can use mesoscale studies (modelisation done using NOAA data for instance).
The one tricky issue offshore is wake effect (i.e. the impact of one row of turbines on the production of the row "behind" them) as it can be quite significant (10-30% for individual rows) in some wind directions - both from the wind fair itself as from neighboring ones.
Re: wind studies (none / 1)
Thanks. Some further questions if you have the time...
Do you use raw NOAA data or GFS + validation using other meteorological models? GFS afaik underestimates wind speeds, especially for higher speeds, so I would be curious to see how one corrects for that.
As far as wake losses are concerned, I suppose your regular 2.5/5 diameter rule does not apply... but why is that? Is it because wake effects do not move linearily with rated power?
Re: wind studies (4.00 / 4)
What 2.5/5 diameter rule?
Spacing is determined by the energy-weighted wind rose. But it takes anywhere from 12 to >20 diameters before upwind turbulence has decayed and boundary layer mixing has replenished the energy taken out by the upwind row.
No project developer uses such spacing today, which puts extra load cycles on the downwind turbines in any direction.. There should be a happy medium, with well understood tradeoffs between energy capture and excessive load avoidance. But proper spacing greatly increases cable costs as well, so... it's often not under major consideration.
We'll have to wait for more operational data from the low rpm greater diameter WTs to see how great the problem is before there's a chance of establishing a rule of thumb. This can also be an underestimated problem between projects, when they are clustered with a narrow shipping lane between.
The science is obtained incrementally.
"Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage." - Anaïs Nin
by Crazy Horse on Fri Jul 20th, 2012 at 08:06:20 AM EST
Offshore these days is typically spaced 7 diameters apart in the prevailing wind direction and 5 in the other direction.
by Jerome a Paris (etg@eurotrib.com) on Fri Jul 20th, 2012 at 12:16:24 PM EST
You do get higher correlation by having a mast to use as a base station. The most expensive ones are complete research stations, which can be used for wave and current measurement and environmental issues. They can run over €3M, which can be shared between projects. Germany has built two in the North Sea and one in the Baltic. FINO 1 was operational since 2003, and FINO 3 since 2009.
You can visit FINO 1, 2, and 3 on the web, starting in english HERE. You can get live speed data and images. FINO 3 cost €12M which includes years of research and measurement projects. It measures to 105m, with a 15m lightning rod taking it to 120m.
There are less expensive versions primarily aimed and wind and wave measurement. The technology of floating stations is gradually gaining acceptance as well, or at least entering the market, usually LIDAR or SODAR based. Here's a test of one model:
I believe many of the larger projects will need to have a station, because there is no substitute for onsite data. This can help with power curve verification as well as wake analysis, so should prove cost effective, especially if shared.
by Crazy Horse on Thu Jul 19th, 2012 at 05:03:19 PM EST
yes - which means you don't need wind masts at every project location, which is what I meant.
Yup. And the FINO masts are a perfect example of valid government funded infrastructure (which you comment on often), which provides significant value to project financing. The German masts were funded by the government, the EU, and private research groups on the studies.
When such base stations are established, then short-term floating LIDAR and turbine sited measurements can be very well-correlated.
by Crazy Horse on Fri Jul 20th, 2012 at 01:01:49 PM EST
The most depressing part, especially in the way it was reported in the French media, is to see EELV (Greens!) senators (unwittingly?) propagate the message that, of course, the price of electricity will double by the end of the decade, because of the "heavy investments in renewable energy", feed-in tariffs and other subsidies. Talk about shooting oneself in the foot...
If you wanted to ingrain the perception that "renewable energies = taxes and subsidies" even deeper in the French public, you couldn't have done any better. This is the not so subtle message that has been pushed by conventional wisdom and corporate media; many ordinary folks now believe that solar or wind are at best, a speculative bubble or even a scam to subsidize their hard won tax euros to politically connected lobbies.
Of course a large part of that perception is 180 degrees from the reality, but never mind, this is that very perception that's going to shape the upcoming political debates in the near future (just like: we must reduce state spending to reduce state debt level).
Many people's reaction to these news are along the lines: forget about solar and wind mills (un-serious), what we need is more nuclear power plants (serious).
by Bernard on Thu Jul 19th, 2012 at 03:49:40 PM EST
The main problem with Le Monde's write-up, and it's not EELV's fault, is that they quote prices for nuclear which, although higher than those previously quoted, manifestly refer to existing nuclear capacity. Whereas the renewables pricing is manifestly about new build; thus, we are invited to compare apples to oranges.
Having consulted the report itself, it mentions the projected price of electricity from new build (EPR reactors) at 70 to 90 euros/MwH.
(It also mentions in passing, that the price guarantee demanded in the UK by EDF, of the order of 90 to 110, is higher because of the merit order effect, i.e. they are afraid that demand for nuclear electricity would be uneven because of renewables!)
(I note that you cite the error made by most of the press, equating a 50% increase in prices with a doubling, i.e. 100% increase... innumerate journalists...)
The courageous answer for EELV, I suppose, is to do like the PC... deny reality because it's inconvenient.
Indeed, it's how the Senate report has been spun in the mainstream media: "doubling" of electricity bills (elementary arithmetic be dammed), selective quoting of EELV senators attributing some of the reasons to investments in renewable energy, little mention (if any) of the cost of nuclear that's not so cheap after all...
No, denying reality is neither courageous neither good strategy, unless you're a rabid right-winger of course. But for those of us who favor fact & reality based policy, the reality is not always "inconvenient": haven't we read right here that wind "makes power too cheap" and that, all things considered, nuclear energy is not so cheap, to the point where investors start backing off?
Those are certainly worthy points to bring into the debate, especially for EELV. Instead, the perception that's likely to remain for the overall French public is that wind and solar are costly and "un-serious" "gadgets" for tree-huggers. Not a smart move, I'd think...
by Bernard on Sat Jul 21st, 2012 at 08:22:54 AM EST
Outside analysis down recently (4.00 / 3)
U.K. Seen Doubling Power Price To Guarantee New Reactor: Energy
The future of the U.K.'s nuclear industry will be decided on one number: the price the government's willing to guarantee Electricite de France SA will get for generating atomic power.
EDF and government officials will negotiate the so-called strike price for new nuclear power plants by the end of the year. To ensure the Paris-based utility makes a final decision on a new reactor in southwest England, the U.K. must set a price between 95 pounds ($148) and 105 pounds a megawatt-hour in 2020, double the level power trades at today, according to Bloomberg New Energy Finance.
When negotiating with the department of energy, EDF will argue that costs of nuclear have increased significantly given delays at reactor construction sites in France and Finland, as well as post-Fukushima safety precautions, according to Bloomberg New Energy Finance analyst Brian Potskowski.
Increased Capital Costs
Based on increased capital costs and a rate of return of 10 percent to 11 percent, the company will need a guaranteed power price of 95 to 105 pounds, he said. The upper limit on this strike price is 130 pounds, which is the compensation level for offshore wind, he added.
"If the U.K. government really wants new nuclear built, there aren't any other options on the table other than EDF and Centrica," Daniel Grosvenor, head of Deloitte LLP's nuclear team in London, said in a telephone interview. "All the utilities are going to look at this as a robust investment decision. No one is going to take a punt."
"robust" is one of these new corporate buzzwords...
Re: Outside analysis down recently (none / 1)
Heh. I say let the free market decide! That'll surely result in no plants at all getting built (at best some gas plants), and then we'll get an actual phyisical lack of power, rolling blackouts and enormous price spikes which create "incentives" to build new plants, which will come online 5-10 years after the disaster strikes, while in the meantime rolling blackouts remain and all power-intensive industry is forced out of the country. :)
Markets yay, planning boo!!!11
Demand management... (none / 0)
As usual, this analysis seems to focus on the supply side without appreciation for the demand side. If there were a 100% conversion to wind power, side effects related to distribution and availability factor would be obvious, but since it's only a partial conversion, it seems as if these costs are overlooked.
Some demand adjustments are inexpensive such as scheduling. Others are more expensive, such as the distribution network. Others are really expensive but accounted for differently, such as household battery storage. If you have x% penetration by wind compared to y%, these costs change.
It doesn't seem right to hold the demand side of the equation constant while trying to optimize the supply side...
Re: Is nuclear energy more expensive (none / 0)
Europe's offshore wind power capacity up 50% in a year | EurActiv
Europe's offshore wind capacity soared by 50% in the first half of 2012, compared to a year before, figures from the European Wind Energy Association (EWEA) show.
The association's `key trends and statistics' report says that 132 new offshore wind turbines, providing 523 megawatts (MW) of power were fully connected to the grid in the first six months of 2012, compared to 348.1 MW in the same period in 2011.
The figures for wind turbine builds were even more impressive with 103 erected in five wind farms since January - a 95% increase on the equivalent period in 2011.
The average size of wind turbines grew to 4MW, up 14% on last year, and 30% more turbines were connected to the grid.
Christian Kjaer, chief executive of EWEA, hailed the news as a triumph in the face of economic adversity.
"Offshore wind power is increasingly attracting investors, including pension funds and other institutional and corporate investors," Kjaer said in a statement. "But it would be good to see more activity in southern Europe where jobs, investments and growth are desperately needed."
Some good marketing (4.00 / 3)
Deepwater: High Temps Enable Offshore Wind To Produce Massive Amount Of Electricity
Deepwater Wind says its proposed Deepwater Wind Energy Center (DWEC) could reach maximum output on the hottest days of summer in the Northeast - coinciding with the time of highest demand.
According to data from AWS Truepower, had the DWEC - a 900 MW offshore wind farm planned 30 miles east of Montauk and 20 miles south of the Massachusetts and Rhode Island mainland - been operating, the project would have reached its maximum output during the afternoons of both June 20 and June 21, when the heat wave was at its peak.
While the wind farm is projected to produce at an average of approximately 45% capacity over the course of a full year, Deepwater says its output could have been in the range of 65% to 90% capacity during most of the hottest hours of the heat wave.
"One of the great benefits of offshore wind power is that its output surges during those hot afternoons in the dog days of summer," says Bill Moore, CEO at Deepwater Wind, who attributes the power surge to the so-called "sea breeze" effect.
"When temperatures rise onshore and heat the air, that hot air rises," Moore explains. "The resulting drop in air pressure onshore causes cooler air from the ocean to accelerate toward the coast. Those cooler ocean breezes also produce steady wind that powers our offshore wind turbines."
by Jerome a Paris (etg@eurotrib.com) on Fri Jul 20th, 2012 at 06:36:55 AM EST
What's the real cost of offshore wind (none / 1)
Hi Jérôme, interesting bit.
Sometime ago I made a back of the envelope calculation on offshore wind costs and got a figure well below 120-130 GBP/MWh. This was based on info you posted on one of the north sea projects, which I can't find at this time :). In any case, this figure is a feed-in tariff, do you have an idea of the real cost? Or maybe how long it thanks for a project to reach break-even with such tariff?
You might find me At The Edge Of Time.
by Luis de Sousa (luis[dot]a[dot]de[dot]sousa[at]gmail[dot]com) on Fri Jul 20th, 2012 at 07:56:02 AM EST
Re: What's the real cost of offshore wind (4.00 / 4)
Feed-in tariffs allow investors to get a return on their investment at a lowish rate (7-8% for onshore wind, for instance), taking into account the leverage that can be put in place (again ,for onshore, 80% of debt at 5% cost or so).
Offshore, return expectations are a bit higher (but not that much) and debt is a bit more expensive so you get a average cost of capital at 8-9% rather than 6-7% for onshore.
Tariffs typically last 15 years but can be less.
Re: Is nuclear energy more expensive (4.00 / 2)
But that was in the good old days when the country could - and knew how to - do industrial policy, and could fund nuclear power plants using sovereign discount rates (5-8% over 30-40 years) rather than private investor discount rates (10-15% over 15-20 years).
Welcome to the wonderful world of not having a sovereign currency. This will ultimately be the Achilles's heel of the EU: sovereigns without sovereign currencies, and a sovereign currency without a sovereign.
by rifek on Sat Jul 21st, 2012 at 09:41:38 PM EST
Added (none / 0)
to the wind series
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Study examines impact of physician promos
by Calisha Myers |
In examining the marketing of Novartis' Zelnorm, University of North Carolina researchers found that DTC ads for the irritable bowel syndrome med raised awareness of the condition and prompted over one million people to head to their physician's office for a diagnosis in just the first three months of the campaign. But unfortunately for Novartis, the $122 million spent on DTC ads increased diagnosis of the condition--resulting in 400,000 new diagnosis--but failed to boost prescriptions.
What did work? Direct-to-physician advertising. In 2005, Novartis spent $127 million to market Zelnorm to doctors, News & Observer reports. And although doctor visits for symptoms of IBS and diagnosis of the condition fell back to normal following the ad campaign, prescriptions continued to rise. In fact, every $243 spent on promos to doctors led to a new prescription. Top that off with the fact that patients were supposed to take the $180-per-month Zelnorm med indefinitely--as the drug is intended to control symptoms, not cure them--and you see why the researchers say Novartis' DTP marketing strategy was a "lucrative investment," (as News & Observer puts it).
But there's more to this story. According to researchers, while DTP promos may have been a good thing for Novartis' sales and marketing department, the strategy may have prompted overprescribing and overuse of Zelnorm before the benefits and risks of the med were really evaluated. Approved by the FDA in 2002, Zelnorm was pulled from the market just five years later due to increased cardiovascular risks among patients.
- here's the News & Observer piece
- and more on Zelnorm - Top 10 Drug Warnings and Recalls of 2007
Calisha Myers
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← Thieves and Jinxes (or, When Michael Met Anita)
Topologika →
In a hole in a mound there lived an orc. Not a clear, dry, sandy hole with only spiders to catch and eat, nor yet a comfortable hobbit hole. It was an orc hole, and that means a dirty, clammy, wet hole filled with bits of worms and a putrid smell.
It had a perfectly round garbage heap, blocking the doorway, with a slimy yellow blob in the exact middle for spitting practice. The doorway opened onto a sewer-shaped hall — a deeply unpleasant tunnel filled with smoke, with secret panels, and floors snared and pitted, provided with treacherous chairs and lots and lots of booby traps — the orc was fond of visitors.
But what is an orc? Orcs are not seen much nowadays, since they are shy of human beings. They are a pungent people, little bigger than overweight elves, with the charisma of blow flies and the appetite of gannets. Orcs have little or no magic, except a rudimentary skill with knives and strangling cords and, in short, they are evil little pits.
This orc was unusually ugly, even for an orc. His name was Grindleguts.
Grindleguts had lived in the neighborhood of The Mountain for about a year and most people considered him two steps lower than a tapeworm, not only because of the smell and the plague, but because he kept eating their household pets.
— Knight Orc
Level 9 signs with Rainbird. From left: Nick Austin, Tony Rainbird, Paula Byrne, Pete and Mike Austin.
The Austin family who ran Level 9, suddenly Britain’s other great adventure house, would have had to have been almost incomprehensibly magnanimous not to have resented just a little bit Magnetic Scrolls’s breathtaking ascent to prominence on the back of The Pawn. By the time they too signed with Rainbird in 1986 Level 9 had been selling adventure games for four years, amassing a stellar reputation for their ability to pack a staggering amount of text and gameplay into the likes of a little 48 K cassette-based Spectrum. Their games had their problems in terms of puzzles that really needed more thought or at least more hints, but that was such par for the course at the time that British gamers barely seemed to notice whilst marveling over their expansive worlds and the pictures the Austins were soon managing to shoehorn in on top of everything else.
What the Austins couldn’t seem to manage, however, was that single breakout hit that would separate itself from their catalog. This wasn’t hugely surprising in itself; the British adventure market was largely a niche market. Only once every year or two did an adventure like The Hobbit or Sherlock become a force to be reckoned with outside of the magazines’ specialized “Adventure” chart listings. Level 9’s best-selling single game to date had been their least typical. Published by Mosaic rather than Level 9 themselves at the height of the British bookware boom, The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13 3/4 was essentially a Choose Your Own Adventure version of Sue Townsend’s comic epistolary novel of the same name, which was a popular literary sensation in Britain at the time. The ludic version consisted of episodes lifted directly from the novel glued together with unsightly globs of Pete Austin text trying rather too hard to recreate the voice of Townsend’s fussy hypochondriac of a teenage boy. No matter — the license alone was strong enough to push sales well past 150,000 and prompt a second, somewhat less successful game based on the next book in the burgeoning series.
When Level 9 opted to forgo publishing their own parser-driven adventures and signed a contract with Rainbird in early 1986, it was with some hope that the latter could foster the big hit that had so far eluded them and make a name for them in the fabled land of milk and honey known as North America, where money rained from the sky and punters picked it up and plunked it down to buy computer games costing $40 or more. Tony Rainbird’s right-hand woman Paula Byrne whilst working for Melbourne House had brokered the deal that had brought The Hobbit to North America in a deluxe package under the Addison-Wesley imprint, where it had done almost as well as it had in Britain. Thus the Austins could feel reasonably hopeful that she might be able to do something similar for their next game. How disappointing, then, when Rainbird’s big transatlantic hit of an adventure game turned out to be one from a company no one had ever heard of before the launch. To be fair, it was awfully hard for Level 9’s crude vector graphics to compete with the beautiful hand-drawn pictures in The Pawn, and equally hard for the three boffinish Austin brothers to win any attention from the mostly young male trade press when the alluring Anita Sinclair was available for questions somewhere else on the same show floor.
Jewels of Darkness on the Amiga. The graphics didn’t compare too favorably to those of The Pawn.
It also didn’t help that Level 9’s first game for Rainbird was a retread. Jewels of Darkness packaged together their first three games, their so-called “Middle Earth” trilogy, with the Tolkien fan-fiction serial numbers filed away; it was actually something of a small miracle that Level 9 hadn’t been sued by the Tolkien estate already. Level 9 added vector graphics to the text-only originals and, this being a Rainbird game, a novella to set the scene. While it was politely received by reviewers in Britain, sales were doubtless impacted by the fact that many of the hardcore adventurers most likely to buy the somewhat pricy collection already owned one of more of these games in the original. In North America, where Jewels of Darkness became the first ever Level 9 game to be sold, the reception was less polite. Without the historical context or the requisite warm haze of nostalgia in which to view these fairly primitive games, reviewers were left to nitpick the collection’s shortcomings and dwell on the fact that the first game of the trilogy, Colossal Adventure, was essentially an uncredited ripoff of the original Adventure. It was by no means the first version of Adventure to be sold without permission from or reparation to Crowther and Woods, mind you, but its being sold at this late date and under another name fueled a belated sense of outrage on the part of many. When not accusing the Austins of plagiarism, reviewers just talked about how bad the pictures were in comparison to those in The Pawn.
Level 9’s second game for Rainbird, Silicon Dreams, was another collection, this time of their “Eden” trilogy of science-fiction titles that had begun with Snowball, still perhaps their most innovative and interesting game to date. But few took the time to notice the charms of Snowball or either of the other included games. Without controversy to win it even a modicum of attention, Silicon Dreams just vanished.
The underwhelming performance of the two trilogies is understandable, but I’d be doing Level 9 a disservice to join so many contemporary reviewers and gamers in dismissing them completely. As primitive as the games themselves are, you see, the interpreters in which they run on the bigger, newer machines like the Atari ST and Amiga are anything but. Level 9 took advantage of the acres and acres of unused memory available to them on those platforms to implement a number of conveniences that go beyond even what Magnetic Scrolls was doing at the same time. Rather than constantly blocking your machine, pictures load and draw as background tasks whilst you continue to interact at the command line, even on machines that don’t normally support multitasking. You can save a game quickly in memory instead of on disk to come back to it later by using the “ramsave” and “ramload” commands. You can scroll backward and forward through your command history using the arrow keys. And, most impressive of all, you can undo up to about a dozen turns by simply typing “oops.” When you enjoy these sorts of features on a modern interactive-fiction interpreter, you’re enjoying ideas pioneered by Level 9. To take the time to credit Level 9 for them here can feel a bit like celebrating the guy who devised a new bolt to hold your car together, but these sorts of innovations are important in their own right in making text adventures more enjoyable and accessible. So, credit where it’s due. These are conveniences the like of which Infocom and Magnetic Scrolls would never implement to anything like the same degree; neither, for instance, would ever offer more than single-level undo, and even that would be long in coming.
Indeed, Magnetic Scrolls, sexy pictures or no, can feel like quite the hidebound traditionalists in relationship to the late works of Level 9. Nowhere is the difference starker than when we get to Level 9’s third game for Rainbird, an original work at last. Boy, was it original. While Magnetic Scrolls was polishing up a more perfect Zork in the form of Guild of Thieves, Level 9 was seemingly trying to blow up just about every assumption ever held about the genre with Knight Orc.
Released in July of 1987, Knight Orc is a glorious hot mess of a game that introduced Level 9’s newest adventure engine: KAOS, the Knight Orc Adventure System. No, the acronym doesn’t quite match the name, but I think we can forgive them a bit of fudging because never has an acronym better fit to a game’s personality. Rather than the static worlds that were still the norm in adventure games, KAOS worlds were to be filled with active characters — potentially dozens of them — moving about following agendas of their own. Each is effectively your equal, able to do anything you can instruct your own avatar to do. In fact, learning to use these characters as alternatives to the character you directly control is key. Once you bring a character under your sway, whether through bribery or coercion or plain old kindness, you can issue commands to that character through the mouth of your own, get that character to do just about anything your own can do — and sometimes a bit more, if she has abilities your own does not. You can issue long strings of commands to your minions that might take ten turns or more to carry out. The more complex problems you encounter can require using this capability to orchestrate the actions of several non-player characters working in carefully plotted concert with your own.
Level 9 also announced that beginning with Knight Orc they were just so over mapping, quite a reversal indeed from this company that had previously felt obligated to put at least 200 locations into each of their games. KAOS games would still consist of a grid of discrete rooms, but the right-thinking player would use a handy in-game map or list of notable landmarks to get around by using “go to” in lieu of tedious compass directions.
It all added up to the most radical single reimagining of the text adventure of the genre’s commercial era. Infocom had played with more dynamic, responsive storyworlds of their own, particularly in their first trilogy of mystery games, but never on a scale like this. Perhaps the only games that really compare are Melbourne House’s The Hobbit and Sherlock, which offer much the same Looney Tunes, even-the-programmer-has-lost-control-of-this-thing experience as Knight Orc. Pete Austin actually called Knight Orc Level 9’s “Hobbit basher” before its release. Yet, impossibly, Knight Orc is even stranger. Not even The Hobbit let you orchestrate the activities of multiple minions, like a strategist sitting at the center of a web of action and reaction. What the hell was Level 9 thinking?
Well, whatever they were thinking, it was something of a thoroughgoing theme by this period in their history. The Austins had spent much of their time during 1985 and 1986 on a quixotic project to create a multiplayer text adventure similar to but much more advanced than Richard Bartle’s M.U.D. This was a fairly logical leap to make from single-player text adventures, one Level 9 was hardly alone in contemplating; Infocom, for instance, also spent considerable energy on a proposed online version of their interactive fiction during their salad days. Level 9’s plans, however, were unusually grandiose by anyone’s standards. Avalon was to be based on the Arthurian legends, and was to play in a virtual world consisting of 10,000 locations and 1000 non-player characters — all the standard cast like Arthur, Merlin, and Morgana included — in addition to the many real humans who would also be logged in and wandering about. It would offer an “incredible number of puzzles” for them to solve in traditional text-adventure fashion in the beginning, but Level 9 anticipated that as a player grew in wealth and power her experience would gradually transform, as in some high-level Dungeons and Dragons campaigns, into one of strategy, politics, and resource management. The whole thing would run on a network of souped-up Amigas and/or Atari STs attached to banks of modems.
It was all hopeless, of course. Level 9, still a tiny family company, didn’t have anything like the resources to pull it off, even assuming they could answer the million practical questions raised by even the quick summary I’ve just given. (What happens when all those puzzles have been solved by eager players? What happens to this Arthurian mythos when some enterprising player kills Arthur? Etc., etc.) Avalon was quietly abandoned by the end of 1986.
KAOS was not, as one might initially suspect, a single-player consolation prize that went into development after Level 9 realized that Avalon just wasn’t going to work. The two projects were actually in development in parallel for some time. Indeed, both were manifestations of deeper predilections that had been with Level 9 for a very long time now. Their very first attempt at an adventure game, written in BASIC for the Nascom kit computer well before Colossal Adventure, had been called simply Fantasy. The game itself seems to have been lost to time, but its description reads like a dry run for Knight Orc. Pete Austin:
It was a game with about thirty locations. It had people wandering about and essentially it was one of the few games where the other characters were exactly the same as the player and they were all after the gold as well. What made it amusing was that they had quite interesting characters, each had a table of attributes, some of them were cowardly, some of them were strong — that kind of thing and we gave them names. There was one called Ronald Reagan and one called Maggie Thatcher and so on, so you could wipe out your least favourite person!
This desire to find a way to let you share your adventure with others, whether in the form of dynamic non-player characters or other flesh-and-blood humans, had obviously never left Level 9.
Level 9’s seemingly sudden abandonment of mapping and traditional navigation was similarly not quite so sudden as it appeared. As early as Snowball with its 7000 rooms set inside a vast generation ship in interstellar space, they had begun to show an interest in more organic, realistic storyworlds where success didn’t depend on methodically visiting every location and plotting it all on paper but rather going where the situation — the plot — led.
And what a plot and situation Knight Orc had to offer! If the quote that opened this article makes you laugh half as much as it does me, you’re on this game’s wavelength. Now consider this: you play the benighted orc Grindleguts. Much of the credit for the… um, unique atmosphere of Knight Orc must go to one Peter McBride, a talented writer who sparked up a friendship and, soon, a working relationship with Pete Austin circa 1984 that would turn him into the most significant single contributor to Level 9’s games without the last name of Austin. A computer hobbyist and self-taught programmer in his own right, McBride already had quite some experience combining computers and writing before meeting the other Pete, authoring books and many a simple BASIC program for the Spectrum. His first major job for Level 9 was to write the novellas, almost 50 pages each, that accompanied Jewels of Darkness and Silicon Dreams. After that he wrote the novella for Knight Orc, of which the introduction above is just the beginning. It’s been described by Robb Sherwin as “the finest piece of authorized fiction ever to accompany a game,” and offhand I certainly can’t think of a better to use in disagreement. Just as importantly, McBride played a big role in crafting the game itself, writing or rewriting much of its text.
Knight Orc on the Amiga.
Where to start with the walking, talking collection of lowest common denominators who inhabit Knight Orc, all squabbling after the treasures lying about the place and inflicting their petty little cruelties on poor little… well, okay, Grindleguts is equally loathsome. Maybe with the jousting horse who looks like “a flatulent barrel.” Or with the fighter who looks like “a butcher’s shop on two legs.” Or the ant-warrior Kris who looks like “an ogre-sized fried roach.” Or the town layabout, “a lanky, twitchy-fingered nicotine addict.” The most cutting statement of real-world politics comes with the village priest:
He is a sweaty paedophile, quite happy to swarm on about the meek inheriting the Earth, turning the other cheek and the love of you know who... until you mention liberation theology, disarmament, or anyone other than male humans becoming ministers.
And then there’s the knight. God, I love the knight in all his sub-Chaucerian splendor.
>examine knight
"A handsome, parfait knight, great-muscled, fit and slim.
Almost a giant in height, and long and straight of limb.
Clad all in green is he, and green his skin and hair.
His eyebrows are mossy, bright emerald his stare.
No shield, helm or plastron, nor bright chain mail has he.
Of armour has he none. Just, in one hand, holly.
Storm-like and strong, he seems. And swift to strike and stun.
Dreadful his blows, one deems. Once dealt, true death has come."
In other words, he is a bully of the worst type.
The green knight puffs himself up and stares down scornfully from the back of his overgrown pony.
"If thee be brave, not coward base,
Then thee must now my challenge face.
With this, my axe, strike blow for blow.
I'll let thee strike first. Have a go!"
He indicates his mighty axe.
>hit horse with axe
With a surprisingly dextrous stroke you behead the horse. The green knight shouts in surprise, but, before he can retaliate, the massive steed has fallen on him!
That’s such a delicious scene, pretty much exactly what I want to see someone do every time the battle improbably stops around Aragorn in the Lord of the Rings movies so he can make another speech about Courage and Honor. Cheaters always win and and karma doesn’t exist in Knight Orc. This combined with the focus on dynamic characters makes the game an experience all its own. There are some set-piece puzzles that could have been dropped into almost any adventure game, but they’re in the minority. The majority of the problems you face must be solved by interacting with the others — often, as in the case above, treacherously and to their considerable detriment.
When you die you’re taken to Orc Heaven, revived, and spit back out into the game. The same goes for all of the various other characters, whether killed by you or by each other. This only adds to the Bizarro World personality of the game. If Level 9 had imagined that their active characters would make the game more realistic, would advance them toward that ultimate dream of making the player feel she had (to paraphrase Infocom) “woke up inside a story,” their efforts can only be judged a failure. For one thing, you can’t really talk to any of your minions at all beyond saying “hello”; you can only order them about, using them like automatons at your beck and call. Level 9 themselves would come to talk about their “characters on rails,” a phrase which gives a pretty good sense of the experience of playing Knight Orc. I don’t really say this to criticize, merely to try to describe just what a deeply weird experience it is.
Knight Orc is really, really funny, but it’s also really, really broken. Let me give an example, involving the most low-rent possible version of an English gentleman hunter. Every time you come to a certain crossroads, he bursts out of hiding to harass you:
A mounted hunter bursts through the trees and spurs his nag towards you. Repeated shouts of "Yoiks! Tally ho!", together with his choice of red as camouflage, demonstrate his hunting skill. The fool is waving his lasso and clinging on for dear life.
Not surprisingly, the hunter gets hopelessly entangled in his lasso and misses you completely. Unfortunately, his horse has better luck when it lashes out with one huge hoof.
Woops! That hoof sends you to Orc Heaven.
My eventual solution to this dilemma was to get the hunter to kill someone called Denzyl in my stead, “a right gullible and stupid-looking person” who’s just gullible enough to take me as his friend.
>denzyl, kill hunter
Denzyl says, "No sooner said than done."
The hunter strikes out wildly with his whip. As is traditional when orcs or their allies are attacked by humans, his blow is deadly. Odin enters from the southwest. Not surprisingly, the hunter gets hopelessly tangled in his lasso and misses you completely. Unfortunately, his horse has better luck when it lashes out with its huge hoof.
In spite of that last sentence which would seem to imply the contrary, I’m still alive at this point, standing there with a suddenly passive hunter and his horse who’s now willing to trade me his lasso — the real point of this whole exercise — for a bit of treasure. Problem solved, right? Well, yes, except that this whole solution was dependent on some combination of emergent behavior and simple bugginess; as best I can tell, the game seems to have been confused by the fortuitous arrival of Odin (don’t ask!) just as the hunter’s horse was about to kill me. The “official” solution to this puzzle is to tie a rope to some signposts, thereby tripping the hunter’s horse and sending him sprawling along with his lasso. I like to think that this little example illustrates everything that’s so good and so infuriating about Knight Orc. I got lucky this time in that “solving” the puzzle in this way didn’t break anything elsewhere. Break one of the middle links in a longer chain of causality in such a way, though, and you might not be so lucky, leaving the game in an unwinnable state that will be all but impossible to track down and correct. Building a dynamic, simulation-oriented game in lieu of just a set of set-piece puzzles is a tremendously demanding endeavor in that everything in that world — even things the programmer has never anticipated — has to work right. Knight Orc too often fails that test. It’s a complicated, difficult game that you can’t trust as a player — a fatal situation.
Unlike Magnetic Scrolls, who chose to demand a disk drive on the 8-bit machines and thus had recourse to virtual memory, Level 9 chose or felt compelled to continue to support the little 48 K cassette-based machines on which they’d built their reputation. Thus Knight Orc is artfully split into three smaller games that each load into memory separately. The first of these revolves around making a long rope to get Grindleguts back into the orc stronghold outside of which he’s been trapped by a long string of very amusing happenstance detailed in McBride’s accompanying novella. He does this by tying together every vaguely ropelike thing he can find, including the aforementioned lasso and even Goldilocks’s hair, which, in one of the most amusing bits of the game, he rudely hacks off like the sniveling little reprobate he is. This first part of the game is fairly manageable, one dodgy puzzle involving a thorny hedge and a welcome mat aside. Once you get to the stronghold, however, the complexity ramps up dramatically. Amongst other things, you need to collect and use no fewer than 21 spells, many found in the most improbable of places. As always, Level 9’s ability to squash a crazy amount of game into 48 K is impressive — maybe a little too impressive. Combined with all of the bugs, it’s enough to make the game as a whole all but unsolvable even if playing straight from a walkthrough, what with all of the wandering characters constantly mucking with everything, never being where you want them, and always stealing items from you just when you were about to use them for something. I’m told that the whole thing is eventually revealed to have taken place in a simulacrum of a fantasy world, similar to the ending of Adventure. Ah, well… Level 9 had ignored that original ending in Colossal Adventure in favor of grafting a bunch more gameplay onto the end, so I suppose they earned the right to use it here.
Knight Orc received a notably cool reception in British adventuring circles, with reviewers dwelling at some length on how all but impossible it was to actually get anywhere with it. Others seemed put off by the sheer bloody-mindedness of it all, apparently preferring their fantasy fantastic and their heroes heroic, while plenty more just wanted the sort of traditional adventure game that Knight Orc most definitively was not. Even the pictures that were included with the 16-bit versions sparked a surprising amount of vitriol. Rather than resorting to vector graphics again or drawing directly on the computer, Level 9 digitized a set of watercolor paintings provided by Godfrey Dowson. The end results have a soothing, almost Impressionistic quality that clashes with the carnal tone of the game itself, but they hardly strike me as worth getting so upset over. They’re rather nice pictures really.
Nor was Knight Orc destined to be the big break Level 9 dreamed of in North America. A milquetoast Computer Gaming World review made the very cogent observation that the puzzles “are too uneven” — “When random bad luck can spoil a well-thought-out solution, it’s hard to be sure if you’re on the right trail.” — and damned the game with the faint praise of “above average.” Most of the other magazines didn’t even notice Knight Orc, which like its two predecessors vanished quickly from the store shelves.
And so now all of Level 9’s games for Rainbird had proved to be commercial disappointments, while the British gaming press was now indulging in unabashed schadenfreude, saying that Level 9 had lost their mojo to their intra-label rivals Magnetic Scrolls. The Rainbird/Level 9 relationship collapsed under mutual recriminations. Level 9 said with some degree of truth that Rainbird had always favored Magnetic Scrolls, had given their games exactly the sort of promotional push, especially in North America, that Level 9 had never received. They claimed that any enthusiasm Rainbird had had for adventure games not from Magnetic Scrolls had ended with the departure of Tony Rainbird. Rainbird could reply with an equal degree of truth that Level 9 hadn’t given them all that much to promote: just two musty classics collections and one radical departure from their past that was wildly original but also kind of unplayable. A middle ground between retread and innovation would have been welcome at some point. By mutual decision, the two parted ways. Level 9 was now fully on their own again, forced to publish and market their next game for themselves. By 1987 that was a fairly uncomfortable place for a little family shop like theirs to find themselves in, but needs must. They would never regain the commercial mojo they had lost — or had stolen from them — in 1986.
Their best games, however, were actually still in front of them.
I’ve had a difficult relationship with Level 9 since starting this history. As the major interactive-publisher I knew least, they were the one I was most excited to learn more about, but they’ve left me feeling again and again like Charlie Brown on the football field, as their big ideas and interesting fictional concepts proved again and again to be riddled with nonsensical puzzles and fundamental issues of playability. I was ready to give them one final article today and be done with them. But then some of you encouraged me to have another look, I noticed that the games that followed Knight Orc were substantially better reviewed, and I came across this welcome statement from Pete Austin in a late interview:
It is worth saying that in the later ones when it is finished we play through it and we now have about a month’s play testing and we do take the results of the play testing quite seriously. This is from Gnome Ranger [the game that followed Knight Orc] onward. We also, where people find puzzles hard, put hints around the place or make them easier.
It seems that Knight Orc‘s obvious failings finally prompted changes at Level 9. I’ve investigated some of their games still to come, and found works that incorporate many of Knight Orc‘s innovations into more sober, accessible, solvable designs. I’m thus happy to say that there are still articles worth writing about Level 9.
In the meantime, I do encourage you to have a look at Knight Orc. It’s still one of the most unique text adventures I’ve ever played, and you can experience that uniqueness more than well enough in the reasonably playable first part. Whatever else you can say about it, it’s good for one hell of a laugh.
(Sources: Retro Gamer 6, 7, and 57; Amtix of June 1986; Page 6 of July/August 1988; Your Computer of October 1987; Questbusters of November 1987; Sinclair User of May 1985; ZX Computing of September 1986; Crash of February 1988; Amstrad Action of May 1986; Computer and Video Games of July 1986; ACE of December 1987; Computer Gaming World of April 1988.
Feel free to download Knight Orc to give it a try. The zip file contains two versions of the game: as a disk image for use with an Amiga emulator, or, in the “game” folder, as data ready for use with a Level 9 interpreter that’s available for many platforms. Open “gamedat1.dat” in the interpreter and everything should Just Work from there.)
Tags: knight orc, level 9, rainbird
24 Responses to KAOS
Pedro Timóteo
I’m thus happy to say that there are still articles worth writing about Level 9.
Yay! :)
Also, “Aragon” should be “Aragorn”. Anyway, great as always.
For some reason Aragorn will always be Aragon to me. Thanks!
Maybe you’re a fan of the history of the Iberian Peninsula. :)
Robb Sherwin
Oh yeah! This is it, this is my new favorite article on the Internet. I can stop reading things now, it ain’t gonna get better than this. :)
Awesome work, Jimmy, as usual. I never had any larger picture of the game or company, so this is much appreciated!
That sounds very interesting! Adding it to my play list. Awesome job Jimmy, as always!
” the orc was found of visitors”
fond, not found
Rather than constantly blocking your machine, pictures load and draw as background tasks whilst you continue to interact at the command line, even on machines that don’t normally support multitasking.
Yes, this was something I always found impressive, especially since they were doing it, I think, way back in 1985, on a 48K Spectrum (that is, not just on STs and Amigas and such).
By the way, speaking of their games still to come, besides the “obvious” ones (Gnome Ranger, Lancelot, Ingrid’s Back and Scapeghost), I think the Time and Magik trilogy may also deserve a mention. Like Jewels of Darkness and Silicon Dreams, it was a collection of three games from their past (Lords of Time, Red Moon, The Price of Magik), but this time they were actually improved, with extra text (compared to the original 48k versions), and Knight Orc-like digitized pictures.
Petter Sjölund
Red Moon and The Price of Magik are actually quite cool with good atmosphere and combat. Similar to Kerkerkruip in many ways.
Ruber Eaglenest
Oh god, now I feel bad for opening the Pandora’s box of the level 9 fans :)
Yeah, that was an awesome reading, but a little sad too. It is always sad to read about the market failures of your youth heroes.
On the topic of the game, Jimmy has written the article spoilers free, but I must say that after the first part of the game there is an impressive moment of plot twist. Very amazing.
Minor nitpick, when you say that Fantasy was abandoned, do you mean as in unreleased or the ideas abandoned? There is nothing I can find in the source material (Page 6, Retro Gamer) that suggests the former and you could argue that in some way the idea was recycled for KAOS.
The game itself was abandoned. It’s described at greater length in the July/August 1988 Page 6.
Hmmm… not to be a party pooper, but that’s what I see there:
https://archive.org/details/sinclair-user-magazine-038
“Our first two products were this Fantasy thing and Extension Basic”. The interviewer then want’s to label Colossal Adventure as their first commercial game where the reply is that it was their first commercial adventure game (intended emphasis mine). Retro Gamer 6 then bundles Fantasy with the initial products that were sold through mail order for this Nascom system.
Loving the series btw. Never really got hang of the British text adventures, but coming from an Anglo centric culture at the time I sure read a lot of the reviews and tried my hand at many of them. (Not the least tempted to revisit though, same cannot be said about early Scott Adams and Infocom ;)
Okay, right you are. I did find an ad for it with their other games in the December 1982 Your Computer. Apparently it was written in BASIC for the Nascom only. Unfortunately not a lot of Nascom software has been preserved, and I can’t find Fantasy among it.
What was confusing me was their unwillingness to label Fantasy an *adventure* game. I assume that was because it (presumably) wasn’t parser driven, which was sometimes taken as a baseline requirement of the genre during this period. Otherwise it sounds pretty adventure-like. Anyway, edits made. Thanks!
SHOlafsson
Bah, and I even linked the wrong mag (so much for proving my researchieness ;) the Page 6 article was of course the intended link.
https://archive.org/stream/Page_6_Issue_34_1988-07_ABACUS_GB#page/n11/mode/2up
But yeah, they seem somehow want to classify this “Fantasy thing” as a “role playing” game, which can be argued is a misnomer for any computer game, especially at this point in time.
Pingback: Weekly Links #73 « No Time To Play
Tom Salvador
Typo: “given their games exactly the sort promotional push”
Wait a minute – you didn’t get to the part where you raised the virtual simulation goggles Grindleguts is wearing only to find that you are walking about a warehouse filled with old cardboard boxes stacked as castles and robots whose costumes appear to have been chewed by rats? That was what made this game memorable to me — the pathos!
You struggle through that 1st chapter and think you’re finally getting the hang of things. You start collecting spells in the fantasy world and you’re just starting to believe that hey, Grindleguts is an ok guy. He’s starting to make his way in the world…and then you raise the glasses and it’s all for nothing. The beautiful spells are just sparklers. Everything is just dreary reality.
That’s why I stopped playing it. It was just too sad!
Peter Piers
Oh for… Nicholas, that spoiler was SO not appreciated! Jimmy, could you edit some spoiler tags in, or something?
I never played this one, but I do find that the buggy, unplayable games are often the most interesting for me. Not *because* they are buggy and unplayable, but because experimental gameplay almost always results in problems.
Specifically, it seems like giving in-game characters agency is a leading source of both experimentation and broken gameplay. I tend to approve despite the problems… for example, I don’t much care for fps games, but the Stalker games, a Russian fps series, feature dynamic factions battling for control of a fictionalized Chernobyl exclusion zone, and the dynamism and tension make the bugs (for me) worthwhile.
Minor edit: simulacrum, not simulacra, as you want the singular here.
Cecil Casey
I know this is late, and may be quite obvious to everyone, but not mentioned by Jimmy.
But how this introduction is the polar opposite to the introduction to the Hobbit.
Just saying you missed a big ref.
I trusted it was obvious enough that I didn’t need to beat readers over the head with it. ;)
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Newcastle Industrial School for Females (1867 - 1871)
Barracks now part of Watt Street Hospital, 1976, courtesy of Newcastle Cultural Collections.
Industrial School, Government-run, Home
Reformatory for Girls Newcastle
The Newcastle Industrial School was established on 6 August 1867 in the former Military Barracks on the Newcastle Government Domain. It was a place of detention for girls charged with neglect, wandering, street-trading or being 'uncontrollable'. From 1869 the site was shared with the Newcastle Reformatory School for Females. In 1871 the institution was relocated and became the Biloela Industrial School at Cockatoo Island.
The Newcastle Industrial School for Females was established under the Destitute Children Act (also known as the Industrial Schools Act) of 1866. It was Australia's first industrial school for girls; that is, an institution defined by legislation and paid for by the government as a place of detention for children charged with neglect, wandering, street-trading or being 'uncontrollable'. It used the convict-built Military Barracks building.
193 girls and young women were sent to the Industrial School and Reformatory between 1867 and 1871. The first inmate was sent to the school on 31 August 1867. The institution operated until 1871 under the Comptroller of Prisons. On 19 January 1869, a reformatory was established at the same site, this created twin institutions.
Staffing proved to be a problem for the institutions, as did the behaviour of inmates. According to historian Jane Ison:
'The Newcastle site was open to public view and the inmates, almost all unused to having to follow rules, protested their confinement with wild rioting, obscene language, lewd behaviour and frequent escapes. '
The resulting public outcry forced the government to close the institutions in March 1871 and relocate the industrial school and reformatory to Cockatoo Island (Biloela).
The barracks building became part of the James Fletcher Hospital. In 2011 this was known as the Watt Street Centre.
Location - Newcastle Industrial School for Females was situated at Watt Street, on the Government Domain, Newcastle
Newcastle Industrial School for Females
Biloela Industrial School, Cockatoo Island
Copies of letters sent by the Superintendent (1868 - 1909)
14717 [State Records Authority of New South Wales Series Number]
Please contact the State Records Authority of New South Wales:
Street Address: Western Sydney Records Centre, 143 O'Connell Street, Kingswood NSW 2747
Postal Address: PO Box 516, Kingswood NSW 2747
Email: info@records.nsw.gov.au
Website: http://www.records.nsw.gov.au/contact-us/contact-us/
If you know the name of a member of staff use this email format: firstname.surname@records.nsw.gov.au
Registers Of Warrants Received (1867 - 1942)
Please contact the Care Leaver Records Access Unit, Community Services:
Address: Care Leaver Records Access Unit, Community Services, Department of Family and Community Services, Locked Bag 4028, Ashfield NSW 2131.
Website: http://www.community.nsw.gov.au/docs_menu/parents_carers_and_families/fostering_and_adoption/foster_care/are_you_a_former_ward.html
Barracks now part of Watt Street Hospital
Find out what these words mean
Industrial Schools
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Gino Sorbillo: "My Pizza? It Reflects who I am"
Both his name and surname are synonymous with "pizza," inside and outside of Italy.
In addition to various addresses in Naples and conquering Milan, Gino Sorbillo has also now travelled across the Atlantic opening pizzerias in New York and Miami Beach.
Tireless and always full of ideas, the pizza maker, who regularly divides his time between events and TV, spoke to Fine Dining Lovers.
Here's what he told us.
How did your passion for the pizza come about?
I was born in the middle of pizzas. My father was a pizza maker, so for me, it was always normal to see, smell and taste pizza in its every aspect as well as witnessing the daily processes. Since I was a child, I dreamed of having my own pizzeria and staying in my neighbourhood, even if it was more difficult than others.
In 1995 I opened my first pizzeria with a very precise idea of what I wanted to offer. I was a lively and curious boy, I wanted my pizza to reflect that about me, while remaining faithful to tradition. The pizza I still prepare today, whether at Identità Golose or on TV, is a genuine pizza that occasionally combines unusual ingredients, but always top quality.
Discover 6 Tips to Pizza Making from Top Pizzaioli
When did you feel that something was changing, that there was a "leap"?
Until not long ago, the job of a pizza chef was often seen as simple, compared to that of a cook and to certain types of cuisine. I approached my work with seriousness and conviction, daily. The leap came by itself: I noticed that people were starting to no longer see as "a pizza chef" and that the work I was doing was to create a great quality pizza. Different chefs started calling me to collaborate on events and projects. Today pizza is more accepted in the world of haute cuisine and the concept of "gourmet pizza" has been absorbed, but in the past, it wasn't so obvious.
How would you describe Gino Sorbillo's pizza?
True, authentic, above all. My pizza is interpreted in many ways, to reach as many people as possible.
What advice would you feel to give to a young person starting out in this sector?
Never imitate. Even when you are opposite someone well respected, you must avoid taking that modus operandi and instead take your own shape. We need to learn and work a lot, but without ever looking at the work of others as something we can reproduce. It is more important to know each other, apply the techniques you learned to your idea of pizza, because everyone has their own story to tell.
You are always on the move between collaboration and new project. What are Gino Sorbillo's next goals?
I brought my pizza to Milan, then to New York and Miami. Now I want to focus on these realities, taking into account the many commitments I have between TV and events. And then who knows...
Follow Fine Dining Lovers on Facebook
Paul Bocuse restaurant loses third Michelin star after 55 years
After 55 years the famous Paul Bocuse restaurant in Lyon has been downgraded from three Michelin stars to two.
Read more about Paul Bocuse restaurant loses third Michelin star after 55 years
These rare 20-year-aged cheddar costs more than Wagyu beef
This rare 20-year-aged Cheddar, at $209 per pound, costs more than Wagyu beef.
Read more about These rare 20-year-aged cheddar costs more than Wagyu beef
Virgilio Martínez: 'Working Less Can Be More Productive'
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You are browsing: All The Case of George Pell: reckoning with child sexual abuse by clergy
The Case of George Pell: reckoning with child sexual abuse by clergy (Paperback)
Melissa Davey
Guardian Australia's Melbourne bureau chief Melissa Davey covered Cardinal George Pell's evidence at the royal commission into child sexual abuses, and attended each of his trials for his alleged historic sexual offences against children - his committal hearing, mistrial, retrial, and appeal.
What she saw, heard, and read made her determined to produce a dispassionate and thorough rendition of what occurred. The Case of George Pell is the result - an authoritative account of those trials, of the basis for the guilty verdict, and of the backlash to that verdict. It is inevitably not only about Cardinal Pell but also about justice in the age of conservative media, about culture wars, and about the broader context of clergy abuse.
Despite a five-year-long sexual-abuse enquiry, three trials of one of the most senior Catholics in the world, and saturation coverage of the issue, it became evident to Ms Davey that many myths about the nature of child sexual abuse persist - and that, for some people, the evidence of victims can never be allowed to tarnish the reputation of the church and its practitioners.
The Case of George Pell is not just about one alleged offender, and one complainant. It is also about how the sexual abuse of children occurs - and has been allowed to continue.
Biography True stories True crimeLaw Laws of Specific jurisdictions Criminal law & procedurePhilosophy, Psychology & Social Sciences Social issues & processes Violence in society Child abusePhilosophy, Psychology & Social Sciences Social issues & processes Violence in society Sexual abuse & harassmentReligion & Beliefs Christianity Christian institutions & organizations Publisher: Scribe Publications Publication Date: 08/10/2020 ISBN-13: 9781912854707 Details: Type: Paperback Format: Books
Melissa Davey has been The Guardian's Melbourne bureau chief for several years. She has been nominated for three Walkley awards and two Quill awards, and has won two New York Festival awards for The Reckoning, a podcast series she collaborated on with David Marr and Miles Martignoni. She has also won awards from medical bodies for her work reporting on rheumatic heart disease in Aboriginal children, and for her investigation into the brutality of gynaecologist Emil Shawky Gayed. Her investigation into Gayed triggered a government inquiry. Melissa frequently appears on BBC World News, and commercial radio in Australia and overseas. Previously she worked for The Sydney Morning Herald, The Sun Herald, and News Ltd.
More books by Melissa Davey
International Perspectives on Child...
Julia Davidson; Christopher Hamerton
Daddy's Special Girls: Three...
Joyce Kavanagh; June Kavanagh; Paula...
Understanding Child Abuse and Neglect
Cynthia Crosson-Tower
Take It as a Compliment
Maria Stoian
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In 1976, with the support of several Townships in Frontenac County, the North Frontenac Community Arena opened at Godfrey.
Over the years, the Arena (now Frontenac Community Arena) has provided a place for young and old alike to gather and engage in sporting and recreational activities. Most notably, it has given young people in Central and South Frontenac Townships, and surrounding area, the chance to Dream Big.
Frontenac Community Arena
About the FCA
Hours / Schedules / Rates
FCA @ 40
© 2015 by Frontenac Community Arena.
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50 Awesome Cartoons That Should Be Movies
By George Wales 2012-04-04T14:00:00.94Z
Nostalgia, anyone?
The Raccoons
The Cartoon: An eco-conscious cartoon in which mischievous Bert Raccoon and his forest-dwelling buddies bump heads with villainous land-baron, Cyril Sneer. He's an aardvark who smokes cigars, by the way… be afraid!
The Film: This could easily translate into a state-of-the-nation, live action picture, with Burt and friends becoming a bunch of Occupy-London protesters, and Sneer reprising his role as their money-grabbing nemesis. Only he'd be a human. Not an aardvark.
Dream Cast: Jack O'Connell (Bert), Charles Dance (Cyril Sneer)
Dream Director: Ken Loach
Dogtanian And The Three Muskehounds
The Cartoon: The adventures of d'Artagnan and The Three Musketeers, imagined as if they were giant, humanoid dogs. Not nearly as terrifying as it sounds….
The Film: We'd like grown men playing it for laughs in canine prosthetics, please. Realism was never the name of the game with Dogtanion.
Dream Cast: Jay Baruchel (Dogtanion), Seth Rogen (Porthos), Jonah Hill (Athos), Jason Segel (Aramis)
Dream Director: Judd Apatow
The Cartoon: One of the most well-loved Disney cartoons of all time, DuckTales followed the money-grabbing antics of Scrooge McDuck and his resourceful nephews Huey, Dewy and Louie.
The Film: DuckTales did get a big-screen spin off in the form of The Tale Of The Magic Lamp , but if Disney want to bring some of their back catalogue to a new audience, DuckTales would be a prime property to reinvent. We're thinking a combination of hand-drawn animation and CGI, a la Tangled for this one.
Dream Cast: Ewan McGregor (Scrooge McDuck), Billy Connolly (Flintheart Glomgold),
Dream Director: Nathan Greno & Byron Howard
The Cartoon: A spinoff from DuckTales , Darkwing Duck told the adventures of an egotistical superhero attempting to balance the monotony of parenthood with the thrills of crime-fighting.
The Film: A live-action version in which the set-up is the same, but the protagonists aren't ducks. Take that away and this would make for a decent superhero comedy.
Dream Cast: Will Ferrell (Darkwing Duck), Danny McBride (Launchpad McQuack)
Dream Director: Adam McKay
The Mysterious Cities Of Gold
The Cartoon: The long-running and seemingly never-ending saga of a young Spanish stowaway, who makes his way to the New World on a quest to discover one of the seven Lost Cities of Gold.
The Film: A sprawling, boys-own adventure saga, in the vein of the Journey movies. Although hopefully with slightly more polished CGI…
Dream Cast: Captain Mendoza (Javier Bardem), Vincent Cassel (Gaspard)
Dream Director: Guillermo Del Toro
Superted
The Cartoon: The batshit crazy tale of a discarded teddybear who is brought to life by an alien and his "magic dust", enabling him to fight evil in the form of a cowboy, a skeleton and a fatty. Truly bizarre.
The Film: We can't really see this one working as anything but animation, so we'll leave Pixar and Dreamworks to scrabble over the rights. Come on… it's a guaranteed banker!
Dream Cast: Michael J. Fox (Superted), Stephen Fry (Spotty Man), Josh Brolin (Texas Pete), Alan Cumming (Skeleton)
Dream Director: John Lasseter
The Cartoon: Come on, you know the drill: "This is 29 Acacia Road. And this is Eric, the schoolboy who leads an exciting double life. For when Eric eats a banana, an amazing transformation occurs! Eric...is...BANANAMAN, ever alert for the call to action."
Live-Action Version: Bananaman was always a bit limp in the heroism stakes, so this might work well as a kind of Kick-Ass style subversion of the traditional superhero story.
Dream Cast: Bill Hader (Bananaman), Timothy Dalton (Dr. Blight)
Dream Director: Matthew Vaughn
The Cartoon: They're ThunderCats. They're on the loose. They're go. All of which is bad news for Mumm-Ra, the leader of the evil Mutants of Plun-Darr.
The Film: Unbelievably, the cartoon series has been rebooted before the ThunderCats have actually made it to the big screen. The next big fantasy franchise? Look no further.
Dream Cast: Chris Hemsworth (Lion-O), Jennifer Lawrence (Cheetara), Idris Elba (Panthro), Gary Oldman (Mumm-Ra)
Dream Director: Kenneth Branagh
Count Duckula
The Cartoon: Imagine what Count Dracula would have been like if he were a duck with an aversion to blood… congratulation, you've just imagined Count Duckula! Or "Duckypoos" to his friends…
The Film : A gothic comedy starring a cast of loveable grotesques, in which an unwilling vampire attempts to find ways around his distasteful need for blood.
Dream Cast: Johnny Depp (Duckula), Helena Bonham Carter (Nanny), Jackie Earle Haley (Igor)
Dream Director: Tim Burton
The Cartoon: The space-set adventures of a freedom fighting hare and his ongoing battles with a race of evil toads, complete with seizure-inducing opening credits and rocking theme tune.
The Film: A futuristic world, wracked with conflict between rebels and the establishment… let's face it, the essential storyline is as old as the hills! However, Star Wars never had widdly-widdly guitar solos and a truly badass hero. This one would.
Dream Cast: Chris Evans (Bucky), Peter Mullan (Deadeye Duck), Timothy Spall (Toad Air Marshall)
Dream Director: Jon Favreau
George Wales
George is GR's resident movie news person, based out of London. He understands that all men must die, but he'd rather not think about it.
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Finland will repatriate Islamic State children as soon as possible
December 17, 2019 » Kids Under Fire » ISIL / Terrorist Threat
Article RadarTHIS ARTICLE CONNECT:
Islamic State ISIS is an Islamic extremist terrorist organization controlling territory in Iraq...[+]
Affected Countries: finland;
Finland will try to repatriate children of Finnish mothers who travelled to Syria to join ISIS “as soon as possible”, Prime Minister Sanna Marin said on Monday.
Finland is one of a number of European Union member states facing a decision over whether to bring home citizens with ISIS links who are at Al Hol displacement camp in north-eastern Syria.
More than 30 children born to 11 Finnish women are at the camp, which is controlled by Kurds, Finnish media said
The fate of the mothers has caused divisions in Finland’s five-party coalition government that took office last week.
The Centre Party, a coalition ally of Ms Marin’s Social Democrats, is opposed to letting the wives of ISIS fighters back into the country but supports the repatriation of their children.
The Centre Party is worried by the rise in the polls of the opposition nationalist Finns Party, which says repatriating ISIS detainees could endanger Finland’s security.
In an attempt to resolve the dispute in the coalition, Ms Marin said the government had decided each case should be judged on its own merits.
“The aim of the authorities’ actions is to protect the interests of the child in all circumstances,” Ms Marin said, leaving the door open for the repatriation of some of the mothers with their children.
“There is no obligation to assist adults who went to the region of their own accord.”
Repatriating children without their mothers is unlikely to happen as Syrian Kurdish forces, who control the territory that includes Al Hol, oppose separating children from their mothers.
Mr Marin’s government faces questioning on the issue in parliament on Tuesday.
Source: The National
Previous Islamic State terrorists attack security checkpoint in Baghdad
Next Islamic State group’s branch is still alive and functioning in the Sinai Peninsula
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Rumors Abound About iOS5 Facebook App Project and New Facebook Photo Features
by Melanie Gross on June 17, 2011 in Facebook - Last Update: December 18, 2014 - 1 comment
In an unexpected twist to begin the day on Thursday, technology news agencies began reporting that Facebook may be working on a brand new mobile application platform to challenge Apple’s App Store.
Code named “Project Spartan,” the top secret undertaking poises Facebook to take on Apple’s dominance in its own self-created bubble. Rather than focusing on distribution through traditional channels – namely, the App Store – Facebook’s application tools would be accessed directly through Safari on iPad and iPhone devices. This limits the amount of control Apple has over the system, freeing Facebook to market applications more freely.
Reports indicate that work on Project Spartan has already been underway for several months by third-party developers who want to be on-board from the very start. In fact, a limited release of the service may even be ready for users as soon as the next few weeks. Any such showing is less likely to be a full-fledged launch, but more a clear challenge to Apple, illustrating to the company and
Facebook’s 700 million users that they are prepared to market applications to Apple products – directly.
For a company that has already seen its mobile domination decimated by new competitors like Google, such an assault could spell big trouble for Apple. While it has always been a company to favor in-house creation of products over open, third-party relationships, Apple’s control over the app market on its still popular devices afforded them a few advantages in the market. If monsters like Facebook get a grip on their products, that slim advantage could quickly fade away.
News about Project Spartan comes on the heels of a new partnership between Twitter and Apple regarding integration of the social tool into iOS 5. As most people had thought Facebook a more likely candidate until the moment of the announcement last week, questions are now raised about the relevance of Project Spartan in that decision. While originally seen as a snub to Facebook by Apple, perhaps the social networking giant had better cards in their hand than spectators thought.
The rumors today came amid other stunning revelations about Facebook’s upcoming photo application for the iPhone. Currently in its final stages of development, some tech news agencies report the standalone app is expected to be released in coming weeks. After its initial launch, it is likely that the application may wind up featured as a component of Facebook’s primary iPhone app – although only time can prove that claim.
It is difficult to identify the source of the information flying around these topics, although it does appear that many of them may be valid. Images and documents were released to some websites outlining the new photo app, and murmurs have been rumbling about the possibility of Facebook directly challenging Apple’s hold on its products. It may be that such leaks are intended to create a buzz around the new products which will challenge long-time leaders in their areas. Public announcements regarding both products are expected in the coming days. Hearing it from Facebook’s own mouth and watching Apple’s reaction may be telling in understanding the full implication of the claims.
Facebook may be working on a brand new mobile application platform to challenge Apple’s App Store
Mike Halsey
About Melanie Gross
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2019 Pale Moon 28.3.0 released
2018 How to find and install BIOS updates on your computer
2017 Chrome Annoyance: new tabs not added to tab bar anymore
2016 Enhance Firefox Cookie Management with these add-ons
2015 Find out what Facebook knows about you
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Over 3,000 Attend Papua New Guinea’s First Real Estate Show
Papua New Guinea’s first ever real estate show -The 2017 PNG Real Estate Show – organized by Hausples.com.pg, welcomed an influx of over 3000 local and international visitors on the 3rd and 4th of November- hosted at the Sir John Guise Indoor Complex. Over 30 businesses in the real estate industry showcased their services to property renters, buyers and potential investors over the two days.
The aim of Hausples.com.pg in organizing The 2017 PNG Real Estate Show, was to bring as many stakeholders of Papua New Guinea’s real estate industry together into one easily accessible forum. The company further aimed to provide an opportunity for the general public to learn about the real estate market as a whole in Papua New Guinea and any current and prospective changes taking place.
The event included a wide range of exhibitors from the real estate industry; from real estate agents such as Century 21 Siule Real Estate, The Professionals and Strickland Real Estate, financial institutions such as Bank of South Pacific (BSP), and superannuation companies including Nambawan Super Limited, and National Superannuation Fund (NASFUND).
In addition, PNG Forest Products, Rhodes Builders,Inc and the China Railway Group Limited, showcased a variety of different housing models which could be adopted by home buyers when looking at the construction phase of their new home. Home furnishing businesses; Brian Bell Group and FairPrice Furniture also exhibited their in-house furniture options; ranging from sofas to white ware -and other furnishing necessities.
Guest speakers from across the industry delivered speeches over the two days, including topics such as; ‘Legal implications of apartment development and strata titles’, delivered by Mr John Leahy of Leahy Lewin Lowing Sullivan Lawyers, ‘Private sector perspective of addressing affordable housing’, by Kym Young, Director of Edai Town, and Ms. Linda Garo of Transpacific Assurance Limited, addressed common questions surrounding home insurance.
Mr Tom Snelling, General Manager of Hausples.com.pg, believed these speeches at the show were important: “Education surrounding the property market is sorely lacking in Papua New Guinea and we believe including speakers about relevant topics in the real estate industry was a major draw card. Attendees gave positive feedback on speakers and we have some excellent suggestions for speakers for the next show.”
Mr Snelling, reflecting on the show a whole believes the show was considered a success by attendees: “We’ve actually surveyed attendees and over 1,000 have taken the time to respond,” Mr. Snelling continued: “93% of respondents said that they enjoyed, and received value from the show. Moreover, 85% said they wanted to see more exhibitors at the 2018 Show.” Over 60% of attendees enquired about the purchasing property at the show- with a majority of those expressing an interest to purchase property in the immediate future, according to Mr Snelling.
This sentiment was also confirmed by feedback from exhibitors: “We are proud to report that over 90% of exhibitors said that the show delivered on their expectations, whether it be generating leads or awareness of their product.” Mr Snelling stated.
Mr Snelling has confirmed the return of the PNG Real Estate Show in 2018: “The show will be back- bigger and better than ever in 2018”. He explained that the date will likely be around mid-year 2018, and arrangements have already taken place to ensure 30% additional space will be available at the venue – for further exhibitors to take part in the show.
Official Media Partners for the event were Bank South Pacific;Trans Pacific Assurance Limited; The National; Pascoe Group: Marketing & Brand Specialists Click TV PNG; Guys Official; Advantage PNG Audio & Photography; Skerah Papua New Guinea; LightSpeed Internet.
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Go directly to content (Alt 1)Go directly to second-level navigation (Alt 3)Go directly to first-level navigation (Alt 2)
Max Mueller
Bhavan
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Meet our Guests Ernst Surberg
© private
Ernst Surberg is founding member of ensemble mosaik. In April 2017 they performed on Open Stage at Goethe-Institut / Max Mueller Bhavan, New Delhi. ensemble mosaik was founded in 1997 by young instrumentalists and composers in Berlin and has developed, as an especially multifaceted and adventurous experimental formation, into one of Germany’s most renowned ensembles for contemporary music.
My first impression of India…
…plunging into a fog, literally, because of the smog, and proverbially, because of the haze in your nose that’s composed of all the individual unidentifiable smells, the fog of the hustle bustle, the vocal fog of a foreign language, the fog of uncertainty about the number of languages whose sounds I can’t differentiate. And the heat, the air’s heaviness, it’s materiality, doubting you can breathe it and at the same time the clarity about the inescapably of having to breathe it, something I share with the millions of people in Delhi.
Things in Delhi that remind me of my hometown Berlin…
I can’t think of anything off-the-cuff in Delhi that reminds me of my (chosen) hometown, Berlin, except that you wouldn’t necessarily describe Berlin and Delhi as beautiful at first.
One thing I’ve noticed in India (that’s not so typical in Germany)…
One thing that I noticed in India (that’s rather uncommon in Germany) is openly separating people by faith, social status, background, tourists vs. locals. These groups exist in Germany, but it seems to me that there’s more permeability amongst them there. Something that stood out for me was studying the personal ads the Hindustan Times, which you see all over the place and that sells its complete front and back covers as ads about every other day, another thing that seems unthinkable to me for a serious daily newspaper. I don’t have it in front of me now, but it’s very telling that they aren’t only sorted by MF, FM, FF, MM, but also by ethnicity (“Punjabi”), religion, college graduate – that’s as far as I can remember, but I know I was agape. And sometimes it would also say “no caste prejudice,” because that’s something worth mentioning. When it comes to marriage, the prejudice stick out like bones on an X-ray.
Women always look like they belong to someone.
What’s remarkable in daily public life is the respect for animals, the life within them, which is what they have in common with humans. As someone who grew up in Germany, this inherit respect seems distant to me, which is all the more reason why the beauty of this behavior is so striking to me. In Germany, performance, purpose and rationale come before being, everything is seen through the lens of “what for?”
An enduring memory of India…
The streets of Delhi, and above all the country roads, are a mill of bones and the tuk-tuk drivers approach this in a sublime way, namely, by accepting death. Like everyone does, but I have the impression that they, the tuk-tuk drivers, know it. At present the image of a driver of about 55, who at a crossing takes his hands off the handlebars to relax and rests them on the side-view mirrors; the patient pose of the crucified.
The extreme attentiveness of looks, of eyes on me. I always felt myself recognized as being present in a room of people even before me being aware of them, or even of the room. The quickness of all those calm eyes already on me, being taken in, overtaken. And while my interest in them is gaining they already seem to get bored of me. I feel slow. But maybe this is also a change of order of perception. First the room, then the people in it or opposite. I tend to cling to things rather than people?
Ernst Surberg, born 1966 in Münster, is founding member of ensemble mosaik. He studied piano at the University of Arts and the Academy of Music Hanns Eisler in Berlin. A master course for contemporary piano music with Jeffrey Burns, triggered Surberg’s intense examination of contemporary music.
Copyright: Goethe-Institut / Max Mueller Bhavan New Delhi
Any questions about this article? Write to us!
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Home » Association: Business outlook slips for 2020
Economic Development, Government, and Human Resources
Association: Business outlook slips for 2020
National employer group finds executives are responding with caution to reports of softening economy.
TAGS 2020 National Business Trends Survey / Talent acquisition / The Employers’ Association in Grand Rapids
2020 vision: Outlook for construction industry looks rosy … for now
Business leaders’ confidence slipping
The Employer Associations of America (EAA) just released its 2020 National Business Trends Survey, and it shows executives are feeling a little less confident about next year’s economy.
The EAA consists of 32 regional employer associations serving 35,000 companies and more than 6 million employees. The associations surveyed their membership and sent their responses to the national group for synthesis and publication.
The annual survey focuses on what executives are doing to address the changing business climate, and executives surveyed this year indicated that they are feeling a little less optimistic.
The majority of respondents (52%) felt the economy in the next 12 months would stay the same with only 12% feeling the economy would improve, and 36% feeling that the economy will decline.
Compared to 2019 survey results, respondents felt more confident that the economy would improve (30%) and only 12% felt there would be a decline. The numbers in these two areas flipped from last year to this year.
“Given the feelings about the economy in the next 12 months, it seems that organizations are taking a more cautious approach to 2020,” said Mary Corrado, EAA board chair. “Despite reduced confidence in the economy, 49% of organizations surveyed still expect a slight increase in revenue for the coming year. The talent shortage will remain a key factor in 2020. Employers will need to implement innovative talent acquisition and retention strategies to meet their business results.”
Maggie McPhee, director of information services at The Employers’ Association in Grand Rapids, said she was not surprised by the dip in optimism for next year.
“We’ve been riding a high wave for a long time, and it can’t keep going like this forever,” she said.
When asked on the survey what are the top challenges to their business in 2020, executives cited talent acquisition, talent retention, the ability to pay competitive wage/salaries, competition in the market and the ability to pay for benefit costs.
McPhee said local executives’ responses matched the national results regarding top current challenges.
A number of the survey questions focused on hiring and staffing practices. The amount of permanent staff members that executives plan to hire in 2020 is down slightly to 47%, as compared to 54% in 2019.
About 65% of respondents planned additional hiring in part due to newly created jobs.
The majority of executives (83%) indicated they were replacing employees due in part to voluntary turnover. Such an uptick makes talent acquisition more difficult, and employers will need to offer more competitive wages and be more strategic when marketing for positions, the EAA said.
Organizations said the top five most important factors job seekers are weighing are fairly similar to last year’s results:
Competitive pay: 81%
Good work/life balance: 69%
Opportunities for advancement: 56%
Flexibility in work hours: 56%
Competitive health benefits: 48%
The top three reasons respondents cited for why it has become more difficult to hire employees in their industries are:
Lack of qualified candidates: 66%
Market competition/high demand: 48%
Candidates want more pay than employer can/will offer: 43%
With the national spotlight on pay equity, new responses were added this year to the question, “How is your organization minimizing risk and ensuring compliance with federal, state and local laws?”
The top three responses include:
Conducting internal pay audits: 38%
Establishing/updating a formal compensation structure: 35%
Conducting external compensation analyses to compare internal positions with the external market: 29%
McPhee said West Michigan employers did not cite action they are taking on pay equity compliance, as they appear to be more concerned about the U.S. Department of Labor’s change to the Fair Labor Standards Act’s overtime exemption threshold, which takes effect in January.
The EAA 2020 National Business Trends Survey breaks results out on the state level as well as sharing the national data.
In Michigan, respondents identified the top three greatest challenges for 2020 as talent acquisition (59.5%), talent retention (47.3%) and competition in the marketplace (35.6%).
About 63% of Michigan respondents said they are expecting a slight or significant increase in revenue, and 15% expect revenue to decrease slightly or significantly.
More detailed information about the full survey or state-specific results is available by contacting McPhee at mmcphee@teagr.org or (616) 698-1167.
2019-20 Wage & Salary Survey findings
The Employers’ Association in Grand Rapids recently collected data from 272 West Michigan organizations (out of 944 surveyed) regarding their wage and salary increases in the past year for 354 jobs within 16 major job families.
Organizations were surveyed in eight broad industry categories: manufacturing durables, manufacturing nondurables, wholesale/distribution, professional/financial/insurance/other, construction, sales/service/retail, health care and nonprofits.
The survey responses revealed reported pay rates increased between 2.5% and 3.5% overall from 2018.
McPhee said it’s important to keep in mind that the rate of wage and salary increases in the past year does not necessarily mean wages are higher overall because as baby boomers retire, the younger workers replacing them are starting at lower pay rates.
Examples of pay changes from 2018-19:
Administrative assistant II — $40,175.89 in 2018 to $41,980.63 in 2019, an average increase of 4.4%
Accountant II — $55,038.50 in 2018 to $56,638.38, an increase of 3%
Buyer II — $58,614.34 in 2018 to $60,823.70 in 2019, an increase of 4%
Payroll supervisor/manager — $72,230.12 in 2018 to $73,751.91 in 2019, an increase of 2%
Assembler III (heavy mechanical production) — $18.31/hour in 2018 to $19.38/hour in 2019, an increase of 6%
Driver III — $19.56 in 2018 to $20.28 in 2019, an increase of 3.4%
Help desk II — $22.62 in 2018 to $23.05 in 2019, an increase of 1.9%
Tool and die maker III — $29.58 in 2018 to $29.91 in 2019, an increase of 1.1%
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Boards, Committees and Commissions Listing - A-C
Task Force on the Commemoration of Edward Cornwallis and the Recognition and Commemoration of Indigenous History
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On October 30, 2018 Regional Council approved the formation of a new committee to reflect an equal partnership between Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM) and the Mi'kmaw community, as represented by the Assembly of Nova Scotia Mi'kmaq Chiefs (ANSMC). This Committee is tasked to advise Regional Council on the following:
(a) Proposed changes to the commemoration of Edward Cornwallis on municipal assets, including Cornwallis Park and Cornwallis Street.
(b) Recognizing and commemorating the indigenous history in the lands now known as Halifax Regional Municipality.
You can find meeting details online. You can also search for records of board and committee meetings.
Phase Two: October 2019
The Task Force on the Commemoration of Edward Cornwallis and the Recognition and Commemoration of Indigenous History hosted two public engagements in October to seek public input.
Residents were invited to join facilitated conversation circles to discuss how the Halifax Regional Municipality should recognize and commemorate Indigenous history.
As part of this important discussion, participants were also asked what we should take into consideration when commemorating history in general.
Phase One: June 2019
The Task Force hosted four public engagement sessions in June to seek public input. Residents were invited to present their recommendations on the following:
How best to recognize and commemorate Indigenous history, in the area now known as “Kjipuktuk” or “the Halifax Regional Municipality”, as part of a more complete history of the area
The commemoration of Edward Cornwallis on municipal assets including the statue, park and street
The Task Force members would like to thank all participants and communities for their participation in the June and October public engagement sessions. Anyone who wishes to share their recommendations in writing at any time, are encouraged to email submissions to clerks@halifax.ca.
In October 2017, Halifax Regional Council approved the creation of a Special Advisory Committee on Commemoration of Edward Cornwallis and the Recognition and Commemoration of Indigenous History was established, with the mandate of providing advice to Regional Council regarding the commemoration of Edward Cornwallis on municipal assets (e.g. park, statue, street) and on the recognition and commemoration of indigenous history in the lands now known as the Halifax Regional Municipality.
Council approved a budget for the committee of $50,000, for research, public engagement, and other required supports, and a stipend for each committee member of $150 per meeting, up to $2,100. There was no reporting period established for the committee.
The names of the 10 members, five proposed by the Assembly of Nova Scotia Mi’kmaq Chiefs and five by staff from the Halifax Regional Municipality, were presented on July 17, 2018 to Regional Council, which ratified the appointment of proposed members.
In August 2018, the co-chairs requested a change in the governance structure of the committee. This motion was approved by Regional Council in October 2018, following similar motions passed by the committee, then by the Assembly.
In December 2018, an administrative approach to the new governance structure was ratified between the Halifax Regional Municipality and Kwilmu’kw Maw-klusuaqn Negotiation Office (Mi’kmaq Rights Initiative) on behalf of the Assembly of Nova Scotia Mi’kmaq Chiefs and the Mi’kmaw of Nova Scotia.
Originally established as a Special Advisory Committee to Regional Council, the new governance structure better reflects the equal partnership between the Halifax Regional Municipality and the Assembly of Nova Scotia Mi’kmaq Chiefs, and the committee now has the ability to set its own processes and procedures.
The mandate and membership of the committee remain the same. However, the original budget of $50,000 will now be funded equally by the Halifax Regional Municipality and the Assembly, and the administrative support for the committee will also be equally shared.
The new committee has also been asked to complete its work within two years.
A motion was passed at the first meeting of the newly constituted committee on Jan. 21, 2019 for the Special Advisory Committee to be renamed the Task Force on the Commemoration of Edward Cornwallis and the Recognition and Commemoration of Indigenous History.
Regular meetings are planned for the third Monday of every month, as scheduling allows. The first in a series of public consultation sessions are anticipated to be held in spring 2019. Details regarding specific timing will be announced in the near future.
Members of the public can also provide written submissions to clerks@halifax.ca on the topics of the commemoration of Edward Cornwallis on municipal assets (e.g. park, statue, street) and on the recognition and commemoration of indigenous history in the lands now known as the Halifax Regional Municipality. These submissions may be made available to the public through any reporting by the committee and/ or freedom of information requests. Please note that the Task Force will address correspondence received at its discretion and correspondence received may form a part of the public record of matters before the Committee.
For more information on the work of the Commemoration Task Force you can visit halifax.ca. Specifically, https://www.halifax.ca/city-hall/boards-committees-commissions/a-c/task-force-commemoration, or visit the Kwilmu’kw Maw-klusuaqn Negotiation Office (Mi’kmaq Rights Initiative) website at http://mikmaqrights.com/our-community/commemoration-task-force/.
Yvonne Atwell
Jaime Battiste
Sheila Fougere
Pam Glode-Desrochers
Chief Roderick Googoo (co-chair)
Dr. John Johnston
Dr. Monica MacDonald (co-chair)
Heather McNeill, Q.C.
Mi’kmaq Elder Dr. Dan Paul
You can learn more about the Task Force Members here: Task Force Member Biographies [PDF]
Communicating with Halifax Regional Council
Office of the Municipal Clerk
TTY: 902.490.7083 (hearing impaired only line teletypewriter users)
Email: clerks@halifax.ca
Halifax, NS B3J 3A5
City Hall, 1841 Argyle Street, Main Floor
Hours of Operation: Monday - Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
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Exposing The Real Genocide of Nazi Germany
BUY A DVD
UPDATE: Hellstorm Now Banned All Around the World
NOTICE: The main upload of Hellstorm (well over 300,000 views in 3 months) is currently not able to be seen on Youtube in all countries around the world. However, you can still view different upload of the video on Youtube, like this one with all of the subtitles:
Here’s the first message from Youtube:
Banned in: France, Germany, Czech Republic, Poland, Israel, Italy, French Guiana, French Polynesia, French Southern Territories, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Mayotte, New Caledonia, Reunion, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Wallis and Futuna, Austria, and Switzerland.
And here is the second message:
Banned in: Venezuela, West Bank, British Virgin Islands, Guyana, Paraguay, Guinea-Bissau, Palau, Guam, Guatemala, Puerto Rico, Greece, Equatorial Guinea, Belarus, Pitcairn, Guinea, Gambia, Greenland, Pakistan, Gibraltar, Ghana, Guernsey, Papua New Guinea, Georgia, Grenada, United Kingdom, Gabon, Panama, Bangladesh, Belgium, Burkina Faso, Bulgaria, Micronesia – Federated States of, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Barbados, Swaziland, Saint Barthelemy, Bermuda, Brunei, Bolivia, Bahrain, Burundi, Benin, Bhutan, Zambia, Bouvet Island, Botswana, Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba, Brazil, Bahamas, South Africa, Belize, Jamaica, Jordan, Jersey, Vanuatu, Singapore, Suriname, Samoa, Armenia, Albania, Angola, Anguilla, United Arab Emirates, Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Afghanistan, Aland Islands, Svalbard and Jan Mayen, Azerbaijan, Australia, Aruba, Sao Tome and Principe, Antarctica, American Samoa, Argentina, Nepal, Rwanda, Iraq, Iceland, Serbia, Fiji, Ireland, Indonesia, Saint Helena, Isle of Man, British Indian Ocean Territory, Romania, Niue, Djibouti, Denmark, Sierra Leone, Dominican Republic, Dominica, Algeria, Tuvalu, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Sri Lanka, Liechtenstein, Lebanon, Japan, Laos, Libya, Saint Lucia, Liberia, Lesotho, Qatar, Oman, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Cook Islands, Cote d’Ivoire, Colombia, China, Cameroon, Chile, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, Canada, Congo, Central African Republic, Congo – Democratic Republic of, Cyprus, Christmas Island, Costa Rica, Curacao, Cape Verde, Cuba, Turkey, South Korea, North Korea, Kuwait, Taiwan, Trinidad and Tobago, Tanzania, Kazakhstan, Cayman Islands, Turks and Caicos Islands, Kyrgyzstan, Togo, Chad, Tajikistan, Tokelau, Kiribati, Cambodia, Tunisia, Tonga, Timor-Leste, Turkmenistan, Kenya, Portugal, Philippines, Haiti, Thailand, Namibia, Syria, Sint Maarten, Niger, Norfolk Island, Nigeria, South Sudan, Nicaragua, Netherlands, El Salvador, Norway, Slovakia, Finland, Slovenia, Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas), Somalia, Senegal, San Marino, Faroe Islands, Seychelles, Solomon Islands, New Zealand, India, Sweden, Sudan, Ecuador, Uzbekistan, Estonia, Egypt, Western Sahara, Spain, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Marshall Islands, Macedonia, Myanmar, Mali, Macao, Mongolia, Morocco, Holy See (Vatican City State), Monaco, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Montenegro, Moldova, Madagascar, Saint Martin, Malaysia, Mexico, Mozambique, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Northern Mariana Islands, Montserrat, Mauritania, Mauritius, Malta, Malawi, Maldives, Zimbabwe, United States Virgin Islands, Comoros, Peru, United States, Hungary, Croatia, Vietnam, Uruguay, Latvia, Iran, Hong Kong, Ukraine, Uganda, Honduras, Russia, Heard Island and McDonald Islands, United States Minor Outlying Islands, Nauru
Well, it seems the documentary has drawn the attention and ire of the “victors.” It’s a good sign.
23 thoughts on “UPDATE: Hellstorm Now Banned All Around the World”
Ed McGaugh August 10, 2015 at 4:37 pm
FYI: Hellstorm is viewable on YouTube here in Switzerland (as of Aug. 10, 2015).
Media Professional August 12, 2015 at 6:50 pm
Remember you can still obtain, through a donation, a high quality DVD disc version from Renegade Broadcasting. Support these brave filmmakers. Also owning a DVD will allow you to preserve this vital historical document to make society a better place. After WW II the Communists were never removed from power, and we see them increasing censorship today.
Howard Ray Gibson February 18, 2017 at 9:00 pm
I would very much like to buy a DVD copy of this brace and noble work
/\/\0r9h3u5 December 15, 2015 at 9:46 am
It was stated once, and rightly so, “there is no such thing as war atrocities”, “war itself is an atrocity.” Holocaust aside, the civilian death count for WWII was over 50 million (approximately 30 million as a direct result of military action and over 25 million as a result of war related famine and disease). Truth is a reality which isn’t prejudice to race, color, creed, nationality, or religion. It is not a perception or opinion of fact, but an unbiased recital of fact. Terror bombing (aka carpet bombing) was first used by the Luftwaffe and Wehrmacht during Spain’s Civil War (albeit, in a smaller theater) which predates the Allied forces use of it against Germany in WWII.
It is a semantical argument that Germany called this upon themselves by engaging in certain “war crimes and atrocities”, but a more advanced and mature civilization would acknowledge that, regardless of its crimes, both sides need to own their responsibility to the atrocity committed against the civilian population across the entire theater of WWII.
Rudolf Hess August 10, 2015 at 7:57 pm
Or change the language settings for YT to worldwide (scroll to bottom of the YT page)
Why not release a version of the film on the torrent/P2P filesharing networks?
Unstoppable and uncensored global distribution that way.
Some_guy August 12, 2015 at 10:52 pm
I have seen Hellstorm and I support the gentile truth/activist movement (the grassroots workers who are not subverters). I am downloading the Hellstorm torrent strictly to reseed it and make sure that others have high speed access.
From my own grassroots work, it is clear that information can be collated into readily exchangable forms (pdfs, printed flyers, etc.); however, it is our “marketing” of this information that all of us have to work hard to improve. Hellstorm has had very good marketing, but I think that there is room for improvement. I am studying this issue to determine what recommendations can be made as constructive suggestions without an actual suggestion is worthless.
I do think that at the center of all of this is a requirement for recruiting other “common folk” from across the globe who speak english. These individuals will be critical for assisting in the translation, between nations/races, of anti-jewish/pro-non-jewish materials. I already see this occuring in the white nationalist movement on a small scale, which is excellent! Thank you to the translators! Your work is invaluable!
I see an increased need for translators from other countries, however. The stronger the white nationalist/identity movement gets, the more the jews will work to inflame tensions between that power block and other organized non-jewish power blocks (ie: chinese, japanese, meztizos, etc.). I know for a fact that there are small outcroppings from these other groups that are natural links between whites in the fight against world jewish tyranny. Any and all of us who encounter non-jewish non-whites who are on the same page about jews, must, and I mean this MUST, cultivate the bonds between these groups if we are to make in roads with these other races to co-operate against the jews and the avoid allowing the jews to pit non-jewish power blocks against one another.
I think the most strategic minded whites already realize this. We need more to realize this and we need to have people actively seeking out forums and other organized locations where potential non-jewish non-white allies gather, in order to convey our intentions and desires to these people. The larger the network, the larger the resources at our fingertips.
Imagine the ability to begin producing short pro-nationalist/anti-communist animes with artists from America, Europe, Japan, and elsewhere, coming together to pool our still small resources, into massive recruiting mechanisms.
Things will continue to grow and shift in our favor as long as we keep our eyes on the goals and break our required tasks to reach those goals into manageable chunks.
Stay positive and focused everyone!
Heimdaller August 16, 2015 at 1:41 pm
It is vital this documentary is on JewTube just because that is where everyone goes to watch videos. An idea would be to create a YouTube video-teaser re-directing people to this website in order for them to watch the documentary here. Maybe that would pass the censorship line quite nicely. Just an idea.
P: Somebody else still has the Hellstorm video on youtube with 24,356 views. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qkQ6J5F01Do
Hellstorm August 16, 2015 at 6:30 pm
I will link to that version for now. There are others out there. They simply wanted to kill the viral nature of our main upload.
Ton Nuiten August 27, 2015 at 3:58 pm
The reason the victors are very worried is clear; by the film, “Hellstorm” people begin to understand that these victors are, in fact, the losers! Granted, their lies have prevailed for a long time; now however, people the world over, begin to see through all these lying propaganda-stories from mainly Jewish sources of propaganda, imposed on peoples of the world as “truth.” Now, whether we consider the Bible as historically correct or not, fact is that in the distant past of the early Church, there were already people who proclaimed, what the missionary, Paul, called “Jewish fables”. (= lies):
“For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision; Whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things wich they ought not, for filthy lucre’s sake”….”This witness is true. Wherefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith; Not giving heed to Jewish fables and commandments of men, that turn from the truth.” (Titus 1:10-11, 13-14)
One of the greatest Jewish fables of our time is that Adolf Hitler was solely responsible for WW II, that it was his intention to destroy the Jews of Europe (and after he had achieved world domination, the Jews of the whole world.) That he, his Nazi government (and subsequently the German people as a whole) was responsible for an event wich is now exposed as the greatest of Jewish fables, the holocaust. Talking about “for filthy lucre’s sake”, how much money has Germany already paid in reparations for the so-called “holocaust suvivors” extorted by the true victors wich are, in any case, not the Allies? The holocaust is exposed by many good and decent people such as for example, Fred Leuchter. For how long were we the victims of Jewish fables “that turn from the truth” wich were (and still are) spread by those who were (and are) the true victors? Although the holocaust itself is not a subject in the film, “Hellstorm” exposes other fables as “Adolf Hitler was the bad guy and the Allies were the good guys” and as result, it is banned from You Tube in order to preserve all these lies. And no wonder! The true victors themselves are feeling threatened, are becoming the losers, now the naked truth thanks to “Hellstorm” is known for so manny people! Mr. Goodrich, mr. Hunt, thank you for being so brave and coureageous to tell the truth about what really happened with the German people; thank you very much for exposing these Jewish fables! Keep up this great work!
Anonymous coward September 7, 2015 at 4:27 pm
Can anyone sent me a finnish subtitle.srt -file of this doc ?
Man in der Schnee November 29, 2015 at 5:35 pm
Why you couldn’t upload it into your own server? Why you can’t make at least a torrent from it?
Hellstorm December 1, 2015 at 2:09 pm
It exists all over. There are plenty of ways to still view the film, all available on this site. Do just a bit of searching on youtube or torrent sites and you will find it as well. Eg. http://torrentdownloads-me.com/torrent/1660427416/Hellstorm+-+Exposing+The+Real+Genocide+of+Nazi+Germany+mp4
The reason the main youtube version was taken down is because it was linked all over the internet and was generating around 100k views per month.
Donald Holman December 27, 2015 at 3:00 am
This is by no means “ground breaking” all of this information is documented in history, you just have to read. Morgenthau was an idiot that was a patsy and was manipulated by Jewish groups and Pro communist. His Chief Advisor Harry Dexter White, whom came up with most of the radical plans to decimate Germany into a large potato field, was accused of being a soviet agent. Of course now, history has shown that it was in the best interest of the Soviets to alienate the U.S., Great Britain and Germany, so they could have an “open door” to controlling Europe. This documentary has the feel of an Anti Jewish propaganda, Pro white power kinda thing. Just my opinion.
SS Führungshauptamt February 6, 2016 at 2:08 pm
Ingen land kjører sitt eget løp under denne invasjonen, for det hele er en politisk agenda som ledes av FN, og som pushes frem av jødene og deres nikkedukker (politikerne).
Derfor er vi maktesløse og kan ikke gjøre noe fordi folk flest vil ganske enkelt ikkevite eller forstå at dette er en politisk agenda.
Noen klarer imidlertid å forstå at politikerne bevisst jobber for å importere muslimer og skifte ut folket, men der stopper det, de er som en computer som ikke kan gå videre fordi programmet ikke tillater det.
FNs sjef for Migration er styreleder i Goldman-Sachs bank… Jødiske bankfolk er oversvømmelser Europa med muslimer!
Eine Sturm kommt… Aus der Asche der alten Welt, entzündet sich eine neue Flamme… Unsere Welt wird brennen, die Angst und Zweifel werden im Feuer untergehen...
Wer bombardiert Orthodoxen Christlich Serben für die Muslimen?
Nördlich Atlantik Terrorist Organisation!
Jüdischen Bankiers sind überschwemmung Europa mit Muslimen und Amerika mit Dritte Welt Papierkorb.
Ja sam čovjek iz sjene… Jevreji su licemjer lopove … Imun na Zakon, paraziti… Satanizam je Jevrejski kult… Kosovo je Srbija!
“Hitler will emerge from the hatred that surrounds him now as one of the most significant figures who ever lived… He had in him the stuff of which legends are made.” (John F. Kennedy)
“I have killed many Mexicans; I do not know how many, for frequently I did not count them. Some of them were not worth counting. It has been a long time since then, but still I have no love for the Mexicans. With me they were always treacherous and malicious.” (Geronimo)
“I have been just as furious as you at the compilation of lies which the communist and Semitic elements of our government have leveled against me and practically every other commander. In my opinion it is a deliberate attempt to alienate the soldier vote from the commanders, because the communists know that soldiers are not communistic, and they fear what eleven million votes (of veterans) would do.” (George Patton)
“The Jewish doctrine of Marxism rejects the aristocratic principle of Nature and replaces the eternal privilege of power and strength by the mass of numbers and their dead weight.” (Adolf Hitler)
“Among the many misdeeds of the British rule in India, history will look upon the act of depriving a whole nation of arms as the blackest.” (Mahatma Ghandi)
Украина должна забыть о Крыме и НАТО… НАТО бомбили христианские сербов…
власть на Украине находится в сговоре с олигархами, им никто не противостоит… Армия Украины обстреливает мирные города.
Мирные города не обстреливает ополчение и тем более армия России. Украинская армия убивает мирных жителей… и это факт.
НАТО – это организация военных преступников… Сатанизм является еврейского культ.
Le satanisme est un juive cile…
Le juive occupé gouvernement français a mis Jean-Marie Le Pen en prison pour avoir critiqué l’islam!
La liberté d’expression en France? Taureau-merde!
When the Iron curtain came down, the Bolsheviks all fled to the other side because they knew what the Russians would do to them after 100 years of communism. The US State Dept. is infested with communists since WW1 and Woodrow Wilson, they tried to steal the Russian elections for Hillary and their comrades in the Russian Communist Party with 501(c)3 tax exempt corporations, just like at home in the USA.
Miss neo-kabbalah lesbian Madonna, now rumored to be a Muslim convert, was flown in to agitate while Hillary was on a world-wide gay pride tour… The Kyiv Post is owned and published by Mohammad Zahoor! And, what of this John Podesta and the Podesta Group? No wonder Russia and Egypt clamped down on NGO non-profit provocateurs.
The EUSSR needed Libya’s oil, but Muammar Gadaffi decided he wanted gold instead of worthless fiat currency from the EU… What was the first thing NATO did when Gaddafi was deposed besides stealing all of Libya’s gold? Form a new government? NOPE, they formed a new Libyan national bank. Now, why would they do that? Because even if Muammar was deposed, he and his heirs would still be the sole proprietors.
Like with the nonsense in Syria, the U.S. State Department armed terrorist rebels to get rid of Gadaffi, the same ones that killed Ambassador Stevens and stole weapons from that secret armory in the basement… It was easy to dispose of the hated Muammar Gaddafi, but Bashar al Assad has friends…
The best thing about Russia getting Crimea back… Catherine the Great took it from the Turks… What happened right after Russia retook Crimea? The Russian FSB searched all the Turks living there… Why? Because NATO sponsors Islamist terrorism when it suits them.
Syria and Ukraine are the same scenario as Serbia… NATO bombed Serbia so the IMF could make loans for rebuilding and get control of Serbian iridium assets… North Atlantic Terrorist Organization? Who bombed Christian Serbs for the Muslims?
1. UN chief of Migration, chairman Goldman-Sachs bank.
2. CFR globalist Ted Cruz’s wife works for Goldman-Sachs.
3. Sydney Blumenthal, John Podesta not Muslims, work for Hillary.
4. Rupert Murdoch says ‘Bloomberg would make a good president.’
5. Filthy kike Mike Bloomberg sells Sharia financial services.
6. Syrian “rebel” terrorists met Keating 5 Senator McCain.
7. Sheldon Adelson bankrolls Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz.
8. George Soros, public enemy #1 in Russia, just gave Hillary 8 million
9. Bernie Sanders needs to “feel the Bern” in a big oven.
The only reason communist Jew Francois Hollande is president of France is because communist Jew and former IMF head Dominque Strauss Kahn got arrested for raping a negro prostitute in New York… (IMF = Israeli Military Fund) Communist Jew David Cameron was in the news about him fucking a dead pig in some kind of bizarre initiation ritual… Satanism is a Jewish cult…
“If you don’t stand with Israel, I won’t stand with you.” (Terd Cruz)
Maybe the kikesucker should run for president of Israel instead?
eevie September 23, 2016 at 12:12 pm
It is beyond wrong to ban knowledge…this is akin to book burning. No one has the right to tell us what we should know and not know. Censorship should be banned. Do you, Youtube, really think i trust you for knowledge? You can’t find your own ass in the dark yet you have the moronic audacity to censor what i hear and see. Your zionist jew roots are showing and they are about to be dug up and destroyed.
Danny lockhart January 10, 2018 at 9:26 pm
people will one day understand our country has been ruined by the jewish media the master
of lies
Karissa Best September 14, 2018 at 11:24 am
The way the world is, it’s likely Hitler was a puppet too….
I’d hope not, I agree with all that he says, but sadly we can’t ever know for sure.
This world really is the matrix….but inside it isn’t pretty- its an absolute mess.
How can the people in charge be so evil.
They seem to be obsessed with evil, demons, power, control, rituals and manipulation….I just fail to understand why, but I guess if you aren’t completely evil you will never understand. All I know is WE ARE THE ANSWER.
That’s what they don’t want us to know. We must be capable of great things we don’t yet remember or understand.
I hope we figure it out soon, I , like many spend all my days researching studying and picking apart the lies with psychology knowledge.
I will happily run into the fire, I just need to know who at – and where they are.
There days are up soon….hope they are afraid.
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cris on Guestbook
Gerhard Franz on Guestbook
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HC at BC
4 Questions We Have For Season 3 of This is Us
By Katherine Carroll • BC Contributor • Entertainment September 29, 2018 at 12:00am
1.What ever happened with Sophie?
Sophie was Kevin’s ex-wife, until they reconnected after not seeing each other for 12 years. They started to date again, but ran into problems once again with Kevin’s alcohol addiction. Alexandra Breckenridge, who plays Sophie, was promoted to a series regular in Season 2. However after their breakup in the thirteenth episode, she was not shown again. I was surprised that Sophie did not show up at Kate’s wedding, as Sophie and Kate were best friends growing up. In the last few minutes of the Season 2 finale, Kevin is seen on a plane going to Vietnam with Beth’s cousin, Zoe. So, who knows what the future is for former childhood sweethearts, Sophie and Kevin?
2. Where is Beth’s family?
Beth is always seen with the Pearson family, but what about her family? We are introduced to Beth’s cousin, Zoe, in the Season 2 finale. Hopefully, that means Season 3 will take a deeper look at Beth’s background. Where she grew up? What her childhood was like? These are all important questions to add to this story.
3. What happened immediately after Jack’s death?
How do Kevin, Randall, and Kate handle the death of their father? How does Sophie help Kevin cope? What happens with the triplets and their college choices? There are a lot of questions and ways in which the show can handle all these questions.
4. What was the beginning of Jack and Rebecca’s relationship like?
I am dying to see young Jack and young Rebecca. You know Jack did some special things for Rebecca when they started dating. In the Season 3 trailer, it is clear that Jack and Rebecca’s relationship will be explored including their first date!
https://www.google.com/search?q=free+this+is+us+images&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiOmfqkldfdAhWDT98KHTiiAXM4ChD8BQgOKAE&biw=1272&bih=637#imgrc=0pRQNaXQT2xpHM:
Katherine Carroll (BC ‘20)
Boston College senior who loves Dunkin Donuts french vanilla swirl iced coffee, Friends, John Mulaney, and Swedish Fish.
Sadie Stetson, 2021
Five Habits to Help Stay Productive
Why I Love The Mandalorian
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Health Information and Technology Year in Review
As 2019 comes to a close, we asked our subject matter experts for a year in review look at health information and technology. Here are their insights into how the global health ecosystem has transformed over the past year.
Advanced Healthcare Through Policy
Jeff Coughlin, Senior Director, Federal and State Affairs, HIMSS
In 2019, work in government relations led to some monumental successes that drove our policy agenda forward and maximized impact. On the Congressional side, the development of Data: Elemental to Health—in partnership with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention—focuses on driving federal investment in a 21st century public health information superhighway to transform today’s public health data systems into a state-of-the-art, secure and fully interoperable system. HIMSS also collaborated with the Personal Connected Health Alliance to endorse the updated Creating Opportunities Now for Necessary and Effective Care Technologies for Health Act of 2019, which makes critical and thoughtful reforms to the Medicare program by expanding access to evidence-based telehealth services.
Our work with federal agencies focused on interpreting the new draft interoperability regulations from the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC), and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which led to HIMSS and the Personal Connected Health Alliance developing public comments and communicating our viewpoints to membership as well as the broader stakeholder community.
Moreover, we delved into state policy issues and continued to champion the creation of state health information and technology roadmaps or strategic plans to act as guideposts for the health information and technology tools needed to promote a state’s healthcare transformation. Through sustained work with our chapters, HIMSS continues to advocate for critical health information and technology policy issues at the state level and build on our work with the federal government.
Explored Quality Measures for Value-Based Care
Jonathan French, CPHIMS, SHIMSS, Senior Director, Quality and Patient Safety, HIMSS
Over the last year, governments and payers around the globe have explored how to change the way quality is measured to drive value-based care. Identifying core measure sets—to track measureable outcomes— help eliminate disparities, safeguard public health, improve access to care and drive cost savings.
Quality measures alignment continues to be a huge challenge across the globe. In every country, hospitals and clinicians are required to capture and report clinical quality data in a multitude of ways to meet the requirements of value-based care models for government and private payers, along with accreditation requirements. We’ll continue to lead the conversation around quality measures alignment and the impact on improving care while reducing administrative burden.
Empowered Stakeholders with Informatics
Mari Greenberger, MPPA, Senior Director, Informatics, HIMSS
As 2019 comes to an end and we set our sights on 2020, several of the key areas of focus for informatics remain consistent—addressing interoperability challenges and embracing emerging stakeholders and technology, data and information exchange and sharing via application programming interfaces, promotion and adoption of healthcare standards, as well as empowering the individual and alleviating clinician burden. With an evolving policy and legal landscape, both in the U.S. as well as abroad, these areas of focus remain constant across the globe. Whether it’s cross-border exchange or crossing state lines, relevant health information needs to be accessible to the individual and the appropriate care providers where and when it’s needed.
Within informatics, we have an acute focus on accelerating the awareness and adoption of HL7 FHIR®, particularly through the ONC/IHE USA Cooperative Agreement focused on profiling FHIR and its corresponding accelerator initiatives. Additionally, it is well known that the social determinants of health (SDOH) topic has begun to dominate conversation amongst major healthcare stakeholders around the world—integrating health and social components into the clinical conversation is essential to ensure more meaningful health outcomes and ultimately caring for the whole-person; informatics has put a sharp focus on this topic area for 2020. Through our educational and networking opportunities at the HIMSS Global Health Conference and the initiation of a SDOH Task Force this spring, we intend to amplify its importance and begin to have dialogue around how to most appropriately include relevant information into the broader healthcare workflow.
Changed Conversations Around Innovation
Ian Hoffberg, Applied Innovation Manager, HIMSS
This year has been a landmark year for innovation. From the use of 3-D printed models to assist brain surgery at Boston Children’s Hospital, to voice assistance that tackle healthcare solutions such as connecting patients with pharmacies, emergency department scheduling, post-surgery care and chronic care personalization. This year has demonstrated how technology and innovation can connect patients, lower cost and provide better care.
The biggest transition this year is more of how people talk about innovation. It is no longer a question of should we innovate, but rather how do I implement new technologies and solutions. The industry has realized that innovation is happening and is moving forward with exciting new technologies such as artificial intelligence and blockchain. If you are not innovating then you are being stagnate and falling behind. There is a sprit within healthcare to move beyond the why and a focus on the how and what.
Increased Maturity of Cybersecurity Practices
Lee Kim, Director, Privacy and Security, HIMSS
It’s been a year of increasingly sophisticated and stealthy attacks. Cryptojacking—the unauthorized use of a computer to mine cryptocurrency—and ransomware have taken center stage. Cyberattacks are now much more sophisticated and targeted. Business email compromise is on the rise as well. Attackers are frequently gaining entry by either vishing, phishing, or a combination of the two. Humans are and always will be the weakest link.
Yet, the healthcare sector has had more time to mature its security practices. While there have been growing pains amidst limited budgets and cultural resistance to making cybersecurity a priority, more proactive initiatives have occurred. One such example is the Health Industry Cybersecurity Practices (HICP): Managing Threats and Protecting Patients.
Explored New Opportunities for Innovation
Neil Patel, Executive Vice President, HIMSS and President, Healthbox, a HIMSS Innovation Company
Over the past few years, innovation has become an overused word that has started to give it a negative connotation toward innovation theater. However, a fair amount of real innovation did happen in 2019, from industry altering changes to small, impactful changes.
Investments in digital health are still strong, with behavioral health and women's health funding on the rise. And five digital health companies have gone public so far. Big players new to healthcare continue to shake up the marketplace by advancing care delivery for primary and dentistry care, and virtual clinics with at-home primary care. Smaller but impactful entrants are expanding and offering alternatives to expensive care delivery. These companies are now more visibly competing with many incumbents and partnering with others.
Incumbents who are innovating their business models and their workforces to meet the market’s competition and demands of the consumer will survive. Many incumbents fall prey to innovation theater, while others are just doing it and going all in with protected innovation time, focus on deploying solutions they invest in and even looking internationally for inspiration. Some of the focus areas this year for health systems have been commercialization of internal ideas (and data!), simplifying high-volume, non-complex tasks and exploring opportunities to partner with existing tech companies.
Scaled Digital Health Innovations
John Sharp, Director, Thought Advisory, Personal Connected Health Alliance, a HIMSS Innovation Company
In the past year, connected health has seen new innovations begin to scale. One reason for this beyond investment dollars is that smart digital health companies produce more evidence to demonstrate the effectiveness of health apps and devices. Studies have moved beyond pilots to full-scale trials collecting digital data and measuring real-world outcomes. One example of this success is the use of virtual coaching apps, which originally focused on diabetes prevention and have expanded to chronic condition management. Also, big tech has moved into the connected health space, not only offering cloud solutions but also developing wearables, voice technology and other innovations and acquisitions.
New reimbursement codes for remote monitoring enable these tools—including wireless blood pressure monitors, scales, respiratory devices and heart monitors—to be considered for population health programs. On the regulatory side, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has clarified its definition of Software as a Medical Device. Telemedicine has moved toward a mainstream offering, not just via private pay but also with veterans and some insurance providers and Medicare Advantage programs. Finally, there is increased involvement of patients in development of apps including a co-design process.
Be the Change: HIMSS Global Health Conference
March 9 – 13, 2020 | Orange County Convention Center | Orlando, Florida
The world of health information and technology is evolving and so is HIMSS. Find out what's next for health and be part of the transformation.
Tags: Digital Health
What’s Next for Health in 280 Characters or Less
Caregiver Support and the Potential of Technology
Our Top 10 Most Read Resources from the Past Year
Transforming the Health Ecosystem: A Look Ahead
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HINDIPATH facebook
घर ऑनलाइन टेस्ट सामान्य ज्ञान इतिहास सूची लेख
Banking Awareness Challenge Quiz Current Afairs Daily Current Affairs Test facts full forms General Knowledge General Knowledge Quiz ISRO List Reasoning Test Science syllabus UP Department UPSC अर्थशास्त्र इतिहास काम की बात क्या आप जानते हैं गणित जीवन परिचय प्रश्न बैंक राज्य से सामान्य ज्ञान लेख विज्ञान व्यंग सामान्य ज्ञान सामान्य ज्ञान क्विज
Complete Syllabus Of SSC STENOGRAPHERS (GRADE ‘C’ & ‘D’) EXAMINATION, 2017
» Complete Syllabus Of SSC STENOGRAPHERS (GRADE ‘C’ & ‘D’) EXAMINATION, 2017
The details of computer based examination are mentioned below –
4.9.2017 to 7.9.2017 I General Intelligence & Reasoning 50 50 2 Hours (2 hours and 40 minutes for VH/OH (afflicted by Cerebral Palsy and locomotor disability wherein the dominant writing extremity is affected to the extent of slowing down the performance of the candidates)
II General Awareness 50 50
III English Language and Comprehension 100 100
Question paper will be of Objective Multiple choice type. Questions will be set in Hindi and English except Part-III.
There will be negative marking of 0.25 marks for each wrong answer. Candidates are, therefore, advised to keep this in mind while answering the question.
Canvassing in any form will disqualifying the candidates.
Note:-I: The Commission reserves the right to add an additional Tier in the scheme of Examination.
NOTE:-II: Candidates are not permitted to use Mobile Phone, Calculator, bluetooth device or any other electronic/electrical device for answering any paper. Candidates must not, therefore, bring Mobile Phone, Calculator or any other electronic/ electrical device inside the Examination premises. Possession of these items, whether in use or not, will be considered as “use of unfair means” in the Examination and candidature of such candidates will be cancelled forthwith. Such candidates are also liable for debarment upto a period of 3 (three) years.
12 Indicative Syllabus for Computer Based Mode Examination:
General Intelligence & Reasoning: It would include questions of both verbal and non-verbal type. The test will include questions on analogies, similarities and differences, space visualization, problem solving, analysis, judgement, decision making, visual memory, discriminating observation, relationship concepts, arithmetical reasoning, verbal and figure classification, arithmetical number series, non-verbal series etc. The test will also include questions designed to test the candidate‟s abilities to deal with abstract ideas and symbols and their relationship, arithmetical computation and other analytical functions.
General Awareness: Questions will be designed to test the ability of the candidate‟s general awareness of the environment around him and its application to society. Questions will also be designed to test knowledge of current events and of such matters of everyday observation and experience in their scientific aspects as may be expected of an educated person. The test will also include questions relating to India and its Neighboring countries especially pertaining to Sports, History, Culture, Geography, Economic scene, General Polity including Indian Constitution, and Scientific Research etc. These questions will be such that they do not require a special study of any discipline.
For VH candidates of 40% and above visual disability /afflicted by cerebral palsy and locomotor disability candidates and opting for scribe there will be no component of Maps/Graphs/Diagrams/Statistical Data in the General Intelligence & Reasoning / General Awareness Paper.
English Language & Comprehension: In addition to the testing of candidates' understanding of the English Language, its vocabulary, grammar, sentence structure, synonyms, antonyms and its correct usage, etc. his/her writing ability, would also be tested.
Skill test in Stenography:
Candidates who obtain the qualifying marks in the Examination as may be prescribed by the Commission will only be called for the Skill Test. Commission may also prescribe qualifying marks in each part of Examination. The skill test will be of qualifying nature and the Commission will fix the qualifying standards in the skill test for different categories of candidates.
The candidates will have to appear for the stenography test. The candidates will be given one dictation for 10 minutes in English / Hindi at the speed of 100 w.p.m. for the post of Stenographer Grade „C‟ and 80 w.p.m. for the post of Stenographer Grade „D‟. The matter will have to be transcribed on compute. The transcription time is as follows:-
For Stenographer Grade „D‟: 50 minutes (English)
65 minutes (Hindi)
For Stenographer Grade „C‟: 40 minutes (English)
If the candidates do not indicate the medium of stenography test in Column No. 18 of the Application Form, the Commission will consider English as the medium of stenography test for such candidates.
The compensatory time for „Skill Test‟ in Stenography will be allowed as follows -
Visually Handicapped, Orthopedically Handicapped (OH) candidates & afflicted by Cerebral Palsy and the candidates who have a locomotor disability (40% or more) wherein the dominant writing extremity is affected to the extent of slowing the performance of the candidates are required to transcribed the matter in 75 minutes for English Shorthand or in 100 minutes for Hindi Shorthand for the post of Stenographer Grade – „D‟ and in 70 minutes for English Shorthand test and in 95 minutes for Hindi Shorthand test for the post of Stenographer Grade – „C‟.
Candidates who opt to take the Stenography Test in Hindi will be required to learn English Stenography and vice versa after their appointment, failing which their probation may not be cleared by appointing departments or authority. Candidates have to work as English/Hindi stenographers as per the functional requirement of the User Office irrespective of the medium of Skill Test of candidate during the examination.
The skill test will be held at the Commission‟s Regional/Sub Regional Offices or at other Centre(s) as may be decided by the Commission.
Detailed instructions regarding Skill Test will be sent by the concerned Regional/Sub Regional Offices of the Commission to the candidates called for the Skill Test.
Candidates will be shortlisted for the skill test on the basis of their performance in the Computer Based Examination. Candidates who qualify in the skill test will be recommended for appointment by the Commission on the basis of total marks in the Computer Based Examination. Allocation of candidates will be made to User Departments depending upon their merit position and the option exercised by them.
Provided that SC, ST, OBC, ExS and PH (PWD) candidates, who are selected on their own merit without relaxed standards, along with candidates belonging to other communities, will not be adjusted against the reserved share of vacancies. Such SC, ST, OBC and PH (PWD) candidates will be accommodated against the general/ unreserved vacancies as per their position in the overall Merit List. The reserved vacancies will be filled up separately from amongst the eligible SCs, STs, OBCs and PH candidates which will thus comprise of SC, ST, OBC and PH(PWD) candidates who are otherwise found suitable for appointment even by relaxed standard.
Reserved category candidate who qualifies on the basis of relaxed standards viz. age limit, experience or qualifications, permitted number of chances in computer based examination, extended zone of consideration, etc. is to be counted against reserved vacancies and not against general vacancies subject to fitness of such
candidate for selection. Such candidates may also be recommended at the relaxed standards to the extent number of vacancies reserved for them, to make up for the deficiency in the reserved quota, irrespective of their rank in the order of merit. Deduction of the military service rendered from the age of Ex-Servicemen and relaxation of age to PH candidates are permissible against the reserved or unreserved posts and such exemption cannot be termed as relaxed standards in regard to age.
Success in the examination confers no right of appointment unless Government is satisfied after such enquiry as may be considered necessary that the candidate is suitable in all respects of appointment to the service/post.
The candidates applying for the examination should ensure that they fulfill all the eligibility conditions for admission to the examination. Their admission at all the stages of examination will be purely provisional, subject to their satisfying the prescribed eligibility conditions. If, on verification, at any time, it is found that they do not fulfill any of the eligibility conditions, their candidature for the examination will be cancelled by the Commission.
Candidates, who are appointed on the basis of this examination, shall be on probation for a period of two years and during the period of probation, the candidates would be required to undergo such training or pass such examinations as prescribed by the Controlling Authority. On successful completion of the period of probation, the candidates shall, if considered fit for permanent appointment, be confirmed to their post by the Controlling Authority.
In accordance with the directions issued by DOPT vide its O.M. No.39020/1/2016-Estt. (B) dated 21.06.2016 for increasing access of the unemployed candidates to job opportunities it has been decided that after declaration of final result the Commission will make the scores and rankings in the said open Competitive Examinations conducted by the Commission available on its website in descending order of ranking. Accordingly, it has been decided that the following details of the candidates will be made available on its website:
Name of candidate.
Father/Husband‟s name
Category(Gen/SC/ST/OBC/PH/Minority)
Gender of the candidate.
Educational Qualifications.
Total Marks obtained in the qualifying examination
Ranking by which the merit is decided.
However, the candidate will have the option, at the time of filling up of his/her application form, from opting out of disclosing the above details publicly. Accordingly, the scores and rankings in respect of only those candidates who have opted for disclosing the above details or else have inadvertently not exercised their options will be made available on the website of the Commission.
Complete Syllabus Of SSC STENOGRAPHERS (GRADE ‘C’ & ‘D’) EXAMINATION, 2017 Download as PDF Ebook
Previuos
हाल ही के पोस्ट
By राजेन्द्र at September 07, 2017
Labels: syllabus
नैतिकता की परिभाषा
बाजार की परिभाषा तथा बाजार का वर्गीकरण
फ्रांस की क्रांति । फ्रांस की क्रांति के कारण । फ्रांस के क्रांति के प्रमुख घटनाएं
मानव नेत्र के महत्वपूर्ण भाग | Important parts of the human eye
साहित्यिक हिंदी के प्रमुख लेखक एवं उनकी रचनाएँ
hindipath.in@gmail.com
Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, India
Copyright © 2019 Hindipath.In All Rights Reserved
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Why Do We Find Clowns So Terrifying?
Want a shiver of horror as you get ready for Halloween? Watch the trailer for American Horror Story: Freak Show, which premieres tomorrow on FX. Set amid one of the last freak shows in the 1950s, it follows people like sword-swallowers, bearded ladies—and worse—scary killer clowns.
By MaryAnn Barone
Want a shiver of horror as you get ready for Halloween? Watch the trailer for American Horror Story: Freak Show, which premieres tomorrow on FX. As you might expect from the name, it’s a bit dark and twisted. Set amid one of the last freak shows in the 1950s, it follows people like sword-swallowers, bearded ladies—and worse—scary killer clowns.
It begs the question: What exactly is it about clowns that freaks us out?
For starters, coulrophobia is the proper term for an abnormal fear of clowns. And if you don't like clowns, you have plenty of company. Researchers from the University of Sheffield interviewed 250 children aged 4 to 16 about including clowns as part of hospital decor, and they found that clowns were overwhelmingly disliked by ALL those surveyed. Children found them "frightening" and "unknowable." (Note: you may want to rethink booking a clown for your kid's birthday party.)
Some professionals say the fact that clowns mask their emotions behind white makeup and a fake nose is what really scares us, while others say that we're frightened by the tricksters' ability to get away with things that the rest of society can't do. (Terrifying tibdit from a Smithsonian magazine feature on the history of scary clowns: serial killer and registered clown John Wayne Gacy allegedly told investigators, "You know… clowns can get away with murder.")
The theories are that people who are afraid of clowns view them as sinister, impish characters hiding their real faces (and possibly displaying fake emotions), so we don't trust them. Much like wearing an actual mask, their exaggerated get-up acts as a barrier and it's the fear of the unknown that scares us.
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Compassion Club
Pressing Needs
Strategic Stewardship
Healthy New Year!
Heaven's Family
Critical Medical Needs Ministry
Patti Samuels
Victor is all smiles and thankful for your compassionate response to his need!
Victor Siniyu, along with his wife and children, are happy to see the end of 2014. That’s because this year has been filled with doctors and hospitals and treatments—and fear.
It all started 8 years ago in Bungoma, Kenya, when Victor was 23 years old. He noticed an open sore on his chest. Medicines didn’t heal it; instead, it just got bigger and uglier. There were no doctors near his village and traveling to the nearest hospital was financially impossible. So Victor just made the best of it and tried to keep living a normal life.
Over the years the open sore became one huge wound that covered his chest. The wound smelled horribly, too, and drove people away from him. Unable to endure the odor any longer, the village chief went to see Marc Carrier, a missionary friend of Heaven’s Family, early this year. The chief told Marc the village was now desperate, and asked for help getting Victor to a doctor.
Marc soon contacted me to see if the Critical Medical Needs Fund could help Victor. I said yes, and we got him to the hospital, where he learned that he had cancer. We knew that this would be a big project, and asked all of you to pray and to give. You did both, over and over again, month after month.
The first step for Victor was debriding (the medical removal of dead, damaged, or infected tissue to improve the healing potential of the remaining healthy tissue), followed by chemo and radiation treatments. And now, less than a year later, he has been declared cancer free by the doctors—and smelling much better, according to those around him.
During the ordeal Victor surrendered his life to Christ and was baptized. Now his fear is gone, and he is spreading God’s word and His love to others. He’s excited about the new year, and thankful that 2014 is coming to an end. But Victor also thanks God for His mercy, which he would not have known without his ordeal, and for the healing made possible by the compassion of those who prayed and gave!
Victor at the beginning of the year with his huge wound covered with gauze
Thank you so much for your help this year. We couldn’t have done it without you. Please pray with me that we’ll be able to help many more like Victor in the new year.
May you and yours have a Blessed Christmas and Joyous New Year,
Director, Critical Medical Needs Fund
Aching Dawn
Critical Medical Needs Fund
Disaster Relief Ministry
Disciple Multiplication Ministry
Farming God's Way Ministry
Fitzpatricks
Human Trafficking & Slavery Ministry
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Microloan Ministry
National Missionary Ministry
Orphan's Tear Ministry
Persecuted Christians Ministry
Prison & Rehab Ministry
Refugee Ministry
Safe Water Ministry
Strategic Bibles Ministry
Unreached People Groups Ministry
Victims of Sexual Violence Ministry
Widows & Abandoned Women Ministry
Our mission is to advance the kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ on earth. We do that by strategically linking kingdom needs and opportunities with resources that the Lord has entrusted to those who love Him.
PO Box 12854, Pittsburgh, PA, 15241
THE MINISTRIES OF HEAVEN'S FAMILY
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Hoeven: New Libya Faces Substantial Challenges
WASHINGTON - Senator John Hoeven today said Libya faces significant political and humanitarian challenges in the post-Moammar Gadhafi era, but the nation has made progress toward recovering its oil economy to help meet those challenges. Challenges include planning for upcoming national elections, integrating the various regional militias into a unified national army, providing humanitarian aid to assist the thousands of wounded and ensuring human rights for all Libyans after the war for freedom.… Continue Reading
Hoeven: Meeting With Netanyahu Reaffirms Need for Full and Timely Iran Sanction
WASHINGTON - Senator John Hoeven today said that his meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu reaffirmed the need to fully implement U.S. sanctions on Iran in a timely manner. Hoeven, along with a bipartisan delegation of senators including Senators John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), met with Netanyahu this week in Jerusalem to discuss the steps needed to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapons capability. Hoeven, along with Senator Graham and 34 other senat… Continue Reading
Hoeven: Cairo Meetings, Egyptian Statements Encouraging for NGO Situation
WASHINGTON - Senator John Hoeven today said recent statements by Egypt's Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) regarding nongovernmental organization (NGO) operations in the nation are encouraging for American NGO workers, including North Dakota native Staci Haag, currently being detained and subject to trial in Egyptian courts. Hoeven and a bipartisan delegation of senators, including Senators John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C) were in Egypt Monday meeting with government and military l… Continue Reading
Delegation Announces Close to $2.9 Million in Federal Funding to Repair Longfellow Elementary
Washington - Senators Kent Conrad and John Hoeven and Congressman Rick Berg today announced that the State of North Dakota has been awarded $2,899,504 in federal funding to help repair Minot's Longfellow Elementary School, which was severely damaged in last year's Souris River flood. "The faculty, staff and students at Minot's schools have gone through so much this past year," the delegation said in a joint statement. "This funding is another step on the road to recovery for the Minot communi… Continue Reading
Hoeven Meets with Fargo Native Haag, Egyptian Leaders in Cairo
CAIRO - Senator John Hoeven met with North Dakota native Staci Haag Monday at the United States Embassy in Egypt. Haag is one of seven American nongovernmental organization (NGO) workers detained and facing charges in Egypt. "Staci is doing well and I was very pleased to meet with her in person," said Hoeven. "She is staying at the embassy and U.S. Ambassador Anne Patterson is doing everything she can to assist her." Hoeven is in Egypt with a bipartisan delegation of senators including Senator… Continue Reading
Hoeven, Senators Meeting with Middle Eastern Government Officials on Security, Cooperation
WASHINGTON - Senator John Hoeven today announced that he is participating in a bipartisan Senate delegation to meet with Egyptian and other government officials in the Middle East to discuss national security and foreign relations issues pertaining to governments in the region. The delegation has already met with U.S. soldiers, as well as government and military leaders in Afghanistan, including Gen. John Allen and Afghan President Hamid Karzai. Other participants include Senators John McCain … Continue Reading
Highway Administration Approves New Plan to Fund Statewide Emergency Road Repairs
BISMARCK, N.D. - Governor Jack Dalrymple, Sen. Kent Conrad, Sen. John Hoeven and Rep. Rick Berg, announced today that the Federal Highway Administration has approved a new plan to fund statewide emergency road improvement projects, including needed road repairs in the Devils Lake Basin. "Working together, we pushed for a revised plan so that counties and cities throughout the state can get the emergency road repairs they need," Dalrymple said. "We will continue to work with local and federal of… Continue Reading
Hoeven Statement on Passage of the Payroll Tax Cut, Unemployment Insurance Extension
WASHINGTON - Senator John Hoeven today issued the following statement after the U.S. Senate passed legislation that would extend the payroll tax cut and unemployment insurance, as well as address a scheduled cut in Medicare reimbursement rates for doctors through 2012: "Today I voted in support of a measure that will extend the temporary payroll tax cut for working Americans, as well as unemployment insurance for those who are still unable to find work. The same bill will also address the so-ca… Continue Reading
Hoeven, Bipartisan Group of Senators Introduce Iran Nuclear Sanctions Resolution
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator John Hoeven and a bipartisan group of senators today held a press conference announcing their introduction of a formal resolution urging the U.S. to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapons capability. Hoeven and others urged the Administration to quickly implement sanctions passed by Congress in the Defense Authorization bill passed in December that would bar any country or company that does business with the Iranian Central Bank from doing business with the Unit… Continue Reading
Delegation Presses Air Force Leadership on Defense Priorities
Washington - Senators Kent Conrad and John Hoeven and Congressman Rick Berg today met with top Air Force leadership - including Air Force Secretary Michael Donley - to reemphasize the vital role North Dakota's Air Force Bases and Air National Guard play in America's national defense. "When you factor in the vital missions performed in North Dakota and our strategic location along the northern tier, it's clear to us that the Air Force Bases in Minot and Grand Forks should continue to play an imp… Continue Reading
Hoeven: DOE Report Shows Keystone XL Would Lower Gas Prices
WASHINGTON - Senator John Hoeven today urged U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chu to pursue energy infrastructure projects such as the Keystone XL pipeline, citing an Energy Department report that stated the Keystone XL pipeline would transport oil to be refined in the United States, and it would lower U.S. gas prices. "Here we have rising gas prices, putting a strain on our consumers, on business, on the economy, and yet the administration turns down a project that would help us redu… Continue Reading
Hoeven to Vilsack: Crop Insurance Needs to Be Number One Priority in New Farm Bill
WASHINGTON - Senator John Hoeven today told U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack that a strong crop insurance program needs to be the number one priority in developing the new Farm Bill. He also urged the secretary to support agricultural research programs and a market-based approach to promote biofuel. Secretary Vilsack testified this morning in front of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, of which Hoeven is a member, to outline agriculture-related funding ini… Continue Reading
Hoeven Meets with FEMA Official to Stress Need for Flexible Home Buyout Policy in Minot
WASHINGTON - Senator John Hoeven met yesterday with James Walke, Risk Reduction Division Director for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), to stress the importance of flexibility in using FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grand Program (HMGP) funds to buy out homes. The senator wanted to make sure that federal funding from various sources are used as soon as and as effectively as possible. In addition, Hoeven's legislation to allow building flood protection structures on previously bought out la… Continue Reading
ND Leaders Review Strategy to Raise DL Rail Line
Washington - Senators Kent Conrad and John Hoeven and Congressman Rick Berg today met with the leaders of Amtrak and BNSF Railway to review plans to raise a rail line in the Devils Lake basin that is threatened by floodwaters. "Time is of the essence here. The rising waters of Devils Lake continue to threaten this rail line and bridges near Churchs Ferry. As a result, passenger service on the Amtrak Empire Builder line is at risk. A flooded line would cause Amtrak to reroute trains which wo… Continue Reading
Hoeven Seeks to Attach Keystone Legislation to Highway Bill
WASHINGTON - Senator John Hoeven today spoke on the U.S. Senate floor on the importance of the Keystone XL pipeline to the country's energy independence and job creation, describing it as "vital infrastructure that's very much needed by our country." Hoeven filed an amendment yesterday to attach legislation approving the Keystone XL project to an important transportation authorization bill. "Whether you measure it by jobs, whether you measure it by energy security for this nation - really, … Continue Reading
Hoeven Statement on President Obama's Budget Released Today
WASHINGTON - Senator John Hoeven today released the following statement in response to the budget President Barack Obama released earlier today: "The budget that the president released today does not adequately respond to the country's needs. Under his budget, our national debt continues to rise over the next 10 years, from $15 trillion to $26 trillion. That is on top of the increase from $10 trillion to $15 trillion we saw during his three years in office. "Rather than address this challeng… Continue Reading
Hoeven Calls on Egyptian Government to Free Fargo Native, All American Detainees
WASHINGTON - Senator John Hoeven today in a pointed letter to Egyptian ambassador to the United States Sameh Shoukry demanded that the Egyptian government release North Dakota native Staci Haag and 19 other Americans working for nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) in Egypt. Haag and the others are now threatened with trial in Egyptian courts for promoting democracy and human rights. Hoeven had planned to make the demand in person to an Egyptian military delegation he was scheduled to meet wit… Continue Reading
Hoeven Meets With Corps, Fish and Wildlife Service Officials on Flood Management for Souris River Basin
WASHINGTON - Senator John Hoeven today met with officials of the Army Corps of Engineers and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to discuss comprehensive flood management for the Souris River Basin. Specifically, the senator asked agency officials to provide a timely evaluation of the feasibility of increasing water storage capacity on Lake Darling as part of a larger approach to flood mitigation in Minot and the river valley. Hoeven said a comprehensive flood protection plan should include several… Continue Reading
Delegation Announces Nearly $2 Million for Minot Sewer Project
Washington - Senators Kent Conrad and John Hoeven and Congressman Rick Berg today announced that $1.9 million has been allocated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to support the upgrade and expansion of the City of Minot sewer system. Local officials have stressed the importance of the project both to Minot's recovery from last year's flood and to handling the increase in population that has accompanied the energy boom in western North Dakota. "This infrastructure project is a key building b… Continue Reading
Delegation Announces More Than $10 Million for Garrison Diversion Water Project
Washington - Senators Kent Conrad and John Hoeven and Congressman Rick Berg today announced that $10.9 million in federal funding has been allocated by the U.S. Department of Interior to the Garrison Diversion Unit (Pick-Sloan Missouri Basin Program) in an effort to repair and upgrade water storage reservoirs. "Clean, safe drinking water is vital to any community. This funding will allow the Spirit Lake Tribe to replace an aging storage reservoir with a new system that will provide a reliable… Continue Reading
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Star Wars Interviews Comics Watch
'The Witcher' Game Studio Inks Extended Partnership With Source Novels' Author
December 20, 2019 12:48pm by Patrick Shanley
Courtesy of CD Projekt Red
The new deal "sets out a framework for the future cooperation between the two sides."
Polish game studio CD Projekt Red and author Andrzej Sapkowski have reached a new agreement to continue their partnership on fantasy series The Witcher.
The partnership first began with 2007's The Witcher action role-playing game on PC, which spawned two sequels — The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings in 2011 and The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt in 2015. Since its initial launch, the game series has sold more than 40 million copies worldwide, with the third installment making up roughly half of that total.
Heat Vision breakdown
“We’ve always admired Mr. Andrzej Sapkowski’s works — a great inspiration for the team here at CD Projekt Red,” Adam Kiciński, president and joint CEO at CD Projekt, said in a blog post Friday. “I believe today marks a new stage in our continued relationship."
As part of the new agreement, CD Projekt Red has acquired new rights to the series across "video games, graphic novels, board games and merchandise." In Friday's blog post, the company states that the new deal "sets out a framework for the future cooperation between the two sides."
Whether this means there will be a new Witcher game in the future is unclear. CD Projekt Red declined further comment when contacted by The Hollywood Reporter. Earlier this year, however, the studio said in an earnings report that it is migrating "towards a dual-franchise model." CD Projekt Red is due to launch its next game, Cyberpunk 2077, a new IP based on Mike Pondsmith's 1988 tabletop role-playing game, on April 16.
Sapkowski's novels (and short stories) follow Geralt of Rivia, the titular monster hunter who traverses the vast Continent taking contracts to fell dangerous beasts. Along his travels he encounters numerous other characters, including the exiled princess Ciri and the powerful sorceress Yennefer. On Friday, Netflix debuted a new television series based on the books starring Henry Cavill.
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Tribute Donation
Bank Donations
Three times the reasons to be thankful
Danielle's Story
Thankful. That’s how Danielle Johnston feels after 2018, an emotional rollercoaster of a year.
In July, her triplets came early. Danielle had just put her three younger kids to bed when labour pains started. Her oldest child called an ambulance to their farm, located roughly an hour and 45 minutes from Regina. But the first baby wasn’t waiting.
“The baby wanted out,” Danielle says. “I pulled her out and she wasn’t breathing.”
Danielle sprang into action, performing CPR on her newborn daughter before the ambulance arrived. The ambulance took Danielle, her husband Trevor and the baby, named Karlee, to the hospital in Weyburn. But Danielle knew she needed to be taken to Regina, as the other babies were in breach.
The other two triplets were born shortly after arriving in Regina. They each weighed 4.5 pounds and were placed in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). The two boys, Liam and Jack, each had bradycardia episodes, meaning their heart rates were too low.
“The babies were so early, they weren’t developed all the way,” Danielle explains. “The medical team doesn’t want you to go home when the babies aren’t ready and I’m so glad, because I didn’t know what I’d do if something happened at home.”
To stay close to her babies, Danielle parked her family’s camper trailer at a campground on the outskirts of Regina. She stayed there with her four other children, going back and forth to Regina General Hospital. In late August, Karlee was released from the NICU. The following day, Danielle received devastating news: her family’s house had burned down.
“There was nothing left of the house,” recalls Danielle. “It was probably a blessing in disguise we weren’t home, because it could have happened when we had to get seven kids out of there.”
A week later, Liam and Jack were released from the NICU. The family lived in their camper trailer until early November.
Today, the family is in a brand new home on their farm. Danielle says everyone is happy, healthy and grateful for the outpouring of support they received.
“I always thought there were good people out there, but I didn’t realize how amazing people could be,” Danielle says. “It’s very humbling.”
“Regina’s NICU remains an immensely important facility for families across southern Saskatchewan,” says Dino Sophocleous, president and CEO, Hospitals of Regina Foundation. “It’s imperative we equip the unit with the technology needed to save the lives of hundreds of babies every year.”
Danielle's story appears in our Spring 2019 newsletter. Watch for it here after May 14, 2019.
Interested in knowing more about the better lives people are living, thanks to your support of Regina's NICU? Click here to watch an inspiring video.
Make a donation and help ensure better lives for people right here in our community.
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Email: hrf@hrf.sk.ca
© 2017 Hospitals of Regina Foundation Inc.
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HSAwareness
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Development Portfolio
Gateway Foundation
Gateway Foundation, a Chicago-based not-for-profit corporation that provides effective drug and alcohol abuse treatment in community-based and corrections settings for people without financial resources, operates multiple facilities and campuses in several states. Although they had an annual operating budget of over $3.5 million for facility-related expenses annually, Gateway did not track facility costs as a stand alone operating component. They were unable to tell if they were underspending or overspending on items such as utilities, cleaning, maintenance and repair, facility supplies and other facility costs. Annual capital projects were not planned or analyzed centrally, resulting in some sites having a series of major capital improvements while others were in a state of disrepair.
HSA worked with Gateway’s finance group to develop a process for tracking and benchmarking the facility-related costs, both operating and capital, for all of the Gateway sites. Facility costs were benchmarked against one another and against IFMA and BOMA survey results. Historical spending for each site was also researched and analyzed.
Quarterly meetings were scheduled with business managers, finance and facility staff to review and analyze actual facility costs for each site against plan, against other Gateway sites, and against applicable standard benchmarks. Capital plans were drawn up by visiting each site, preparing a list of items requiring capital investment, prioritizing those projects, and comparing the final list against the existing 20-year capital plan, which was updated in the process.
Gateway Foundation can now track and analyze facility costs for each of their sites. Where sites were overspending in comparison to other sites and to benchmarks on a square foot basis, service/maintenance contracts and other maintenance issues were analyzed and, in appropriate cases, service contracts or repair procedures were adjusted. In addition, the annual budgeting process for both capital and operating expenses related to the facilities has been tightened and streamlined so that the plan is more realistic and is in line with Gateway’s overall real estate strategy. Initial cost savings of over $100,000 were achieved and ongoing management of facility related expenses were tightened through HSA’s efforts.
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Home » News » Why thieves love the…
Why thieves love the older models of Ford pickup trucks
Ford trucks once again topped the list of most-stolen vehicles in Canada, according to the latest report from Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC). But the thieves don’t want the new models: it turns out that nine of the 10 most stolen vehicles are all pre-2007 model years.
So what’s the interest in stealing the old models? They don’t have electronic vehicle immobilizers, which prevent hot-wiring, IBC national director of investigative services Bryan Gast told Canadian Underwriter. The immobilizer technology wasn’t mandated until 2007, making the pre-2007 models easier to steal.
Older model Ford pickup trucks dominate IBC’s Top 10 list this year. The 2007 Ford F-350 Super Duty four-wheel-drive pickup has been a top-three vehicle of choice for car thieves since 2014, topping IBC’s annual list four times since then. Usually the 2005 and 2006 model-year versions of the truck are a popular choice for thieves. “It simply means they’re easier to steal and there are lots of them,” Gast explained.
Of course, there are many reasons to swipe Ford pickup trucks apart from the fact that they’re easier to steal. As those vehicles age, there is an increased demand for their parts. Stolen vehicles are being stripped for replacement parts, Gast told Canadian Underwriter.
Furthermore, stolen vehicles are often used for committing other crimes and so, if it’s easier to steal an older car to do so, thieves will target them. Vehicles are also stolen for joyriding, to be resold to unsuspecting consumers, or shipped overseas where they’re in demand.
Regionally, Alberta’s top stolen vehicles mirror national data, as pickups in Alberta are more prevalent than in Ontario. IBC’s data show that in Ontario, luxury vehicle brands like Land Rover and Lexus make up about half the most-stolen list. Full-size sport utility vehicles like Chevrolet’s Suburban and Tahoe models are also commonly lifted.
In Ontario, “you’re starting to see that trend emerge where you have some of the newer vehicles [being stolen],” Gast said. “I think it’s important to note that even if your vehicle is not on that list, it’s important to really take the same precautions [to safeguard vehicles]. I don’t want anyone to have a false sense of security. The fact is, it can happen to anybody if you don’t take the precautions.”
Precautions include parking in well-lit areas and not leaving the vehicle running unattended so as to not make your vehicle an easy target. Installing a tracking device and an electronic vehicle immobilizer also helps.
The manner in which today’s vehicles are stolen has also come to the attention of IBC. Gone are the days of stealing a set of keys, for example. Fobs, which send electronic signals to unlock and start cars, are increasing the vulnerability of vehicles equipped with the technology, Gast said. Today’s car thieves are increasingly tech-savvy; they’re using wireless transmitters to intercept signals or are otherwise cloning the fob.
IBC reported that auto theft costs upwards of $1 billion every year to Canadians. Of that, $542 million come on the insurance end of things to fix or replace stolen cars.
The top 10 stolen vehicles in Canada
Ford 350SD AWD 2007
Lexus RX350/RX350L/RX450h/RX450hL 4DR AWD 2018
Ford F250 SD 4WD 2005
Ford F350 SD 4AWD 2002
Honda Civic Si 2DR Coupe 1998
– Source: Insurance Bureau of Canada
Author: Adam Malik
Source: https://www.canadianunderwriter.ca/insurance/why-thieves-love-the-older-models-of-ford-pickup-trucks-1004171435/
HPD: More than 2,000 guns stolen out of cars in the last 10 months
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Home » Auto makers, including those in Indiana, enjoy big year
Auto makers, including those in Indiana, enjoy big year
January 3, 2013 | IBJ Staff and Associated Press
Keywords Auto Industry / Automakers / Factories / GM / Honda / Manufacturing / Subaru / Toyota
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Strong U.S. sales in December capped a remarkable year for the auto industry — especially Japanese brands — and 2013 could be even better.
Sales of new cars and trucks are expected to total 14.5 million after all carmakers announce figures on Thursday. That is 13 percent better than 2011 and the best performance in five years.
U.S. sales of models manufactured in Indiana in 2012 by General Motors, Toyota, Honda and Subaru outpaced the national rate, rising 17 percent, from 1.47 million to 1.72 million.
In 2012, Americans had plenty of incentive to buy new cars and trucks. Unemployment eased. Home sales and prices rose. And the average age of a car topped 11 years in the United States, a record that spurred people to trade in. Banks made that easier by offering low interest rates and greater access to loans, even for those with lousy credit.
"The U.S. light vehicle sales market continues to be a bright spot in the tremulous global environment," said Jeff Schuster, senior vice president of forecasting for LMC Automotive, a Detroit-area industry forecasting firm.
Year-end deals on pickup trucks and the usual round of sparkling holiday ads helped December sales jump 10 percent, to more than 1.3 million, auto pricing site TrueCar.com predicted. That would translate to an annual rate of more than 15.6 million, making December the strongest month of 2012.
Toyota, which has recovered from an earthquake and tsunami in Japan that crimped its factories two years ago, said Thursday that sales jumped 27 percent for 2012. December sales were up 9 percent. Unlike 2011, the company had plenty of new cars on dealer lots for most of last year.
Toyota reported a big increase in sales of models manufactured in Indiana at its Princeton plant. Sales of the top-selling Camry increased 31 percent, from 308,000 to 404,00. Highlander sales rose 19.6 percent, to 121,00. Sienna sales crept up 3 percent, to 114,00; and Sequoia sales ticked up 1 percent, to 13,151.
Nationally, Honda sales rose 24 percent for the year, with sales of the Civic, which is manufactured in Greensburg, rising a whopping 44 percent, from 221,000 to 318,000.
Subaru, which makes the Outback, Legacy and Tribeca in West Lafayette, saw sales rise 26 percent nationally. Sales of the Outback rose 12.6 percent, to 117,500. Legacy sales were up 11.1 percent, to 47,000. Tribeca sales fell 26 percent, to 2,075.
Nissan and Infiniti sales were up nearly 10 percent as the Nissan brand topped 1 million in annual sales for the first time.
Volkswagen led all major automakers with sales up a staggering 35 percent.
Chrysler, the smallest of the Detroit carmakers, had the best year among U.S. companies. Its sales jumped 21 percent for the year and 10 percent in December.
Demand was led by the Jeep Grand Cherokee SUV, Ram pickup and Chrysler 300 luxury car.
But full-year sales at Ford and General Motors lagged. GM's rose only 3.7 percent for the year, while Ford edged up 5 percent. For December, GM sales rose 5 percent, while Ford was up 2 percent.
GM executives said the company has the oldest model lineup in the industry, yet it still posted a sales increase and commanded high prices for its cars and trucks. The company plans to refurbish 70 percent of its North American models in the next 18 months and expects to boost sales this year.
GM North American President Mark Reuss said the company won't give away cars and trucks with discounts like it has in the past, especially when it's in the midst of its biggest product update ever.
"Give us 18 months and you're going to see the whole portfolio turned," said Reuss.
In Indiana, GM makes the GMC Sierra and the Chevrolet Silverado. Silverado sales slipped less than 1 percent, to 415,000. Sierra sales rose 5.4 percent, to 157,000.
Ford said that even though the fiscal cliff deal raised tax rates on individuals making more than $400,000 and couples making more than $450,000 a year, it doesn't see a huge impact on auto sales.
Its chief economist, Ellen Hughes-Cromwick, said only 2 percent of new-vehicle buyers have income in that upper tax bracket, and they tend to purchase even if there is a change in their after-tax income.
She said Ford is more concerned about an increase in the payroll tax, which is scheduled to bounce up to 6.2 percent this year from 4.2 percent in 2011 and 2012. That amounts to a $1,000 to $1,500 tax increase per household, she said.
"We will look at that closely because it will crimp spending in the months ahead," she said.
December featured year-end deals on GM's big pickup trucks; the company offered discounts of up to $9,000 to help clear growing inventory. The move worked.
GM cut its full-size pickup supply by more than 20,000 in December to about 222,000.
Overall, though, analysts said the industry eased up on promotions such as rebates and low-interest financing. Car and truck buyers paid an average of $31,228 per vehicle last month, up 1.8 percent from December 2011.
The year's sales of 14.5 million were far better than the bleak days three years ago when they fell to 10.4 million, a 30-year low as the economy tanked and GM and Chrysler went through bankruptcy protection. But sales still aren't back to the recent peak of around 17 million in 2005.
The Polk auto research firm predicted even stronger U.S. sales for 2013, forecasting 15.3 million as the economy continues to improve. Polk, based in Southfield, Mich., expects 43 new models to be introduced, up 50 percent from last year. New models usually boost sales.
The firm also predicts a rebound in sales of large pickups and midsize cars. All eight of the top manufacturers are strong and introducing new vehicles, and that should bring competition and lower prices in those segments, according to Tom Libby, lead North American analyst for Polk.
But the firm's optimistic forecasts hinge on Washington reaching an agreement on government debt limits and spending cuts.
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Hamilton County voters could be using iPads
Tired of flipping through pages and pages of names to sign in at your polling place on election day? There's an app for that.
Hamilton County voters could be using iPads Tired of flipping through pages and pages of names to sign in at your polling place on election day? There's an app for that. Check out this story on IndyStar.com: https://indy.st/1LhtUby
Chris Sikich, IndyStar Published 5:01 a.m. ET Oct. 7, 2015 | Updated 3:35 p.m. ET Oct. 7, 2015
Voters lined up in the Parish Hall at Holy Spirit Catholic Church at Geist in Hamilton County on Nov. 6, 2012.(Photo: Joe Vitti / The Star 2012 file photo)Buy Photo
Tired of flipping through pages and pages of names to sign in at your polling place on Election Day?
There's an app for that.
Hamilton County Elections Administrator Kathy Richardson wants the county to switch to an increasingly used electronic poll book system. But several Hamilton County Council members aren't sure they're ready to sign off on the idea.
She is asking the council for about $414,000 to buy 220 iPads, polling software and related equipment. She also would need $30,500 in each of the next two years for software upgrades. If the request is approved, she hopes to have the system in place by May's presidential primary.
Instead of leafing through polling books to find your name in alphabetized order, you would scan your identification card or driver's license into an iPad. The software would check you in and relay that information to the county and state election offices.
Richardson believes electronic poll books would both speed voter check in and make it easier to catalog and audit who has voted. She said it now takes two staffers two weeks to get such voting data into the statewide voter registration system. She said that work could be done electronically in mere minutes with the new system.
She said electronic polling already is used in 28 of 92 counties, including in Boone, Hancock and Johnson counties.
But approval for funding is no guarantee. While Richardson hopes the council will consider the proposal at its monthly meeting at 7 p.m. Wednesday, some council members raised concerns, including whether she should solicit more bids and whether a presidential election year is the right time to try new equipment.
And at least one councilman, Rick McKinney, is worried the information could be used to, well, play politics. He believes well-funded candidates, using the electronic voting records to determine who had yet to vote, could have campaign staff or consultants make get-out-the-vote calls to people identified through earlier surveys as supportive. Essentially, the concern is, they could make "get out and vote for me" calls.
McKinney says that is done now to some extent. But candidates who want to collect that data have to use poll watchers to leaf through pages and pages of poll books at the county's 212 precincts.
He wants to know who will have access to that electronic data. At this point, that is unclear.
McKinney also sees another potential red flag.
He is one of several Republicans who believes Hamilton County GOP party officials provide resources to favored candidates in primary elections, and he worries only preferred candidates would have access to the electronic polling records.
"That's the concern," he said.
In Hamilton County, GOP party leaders accused of playing favorites
Hamilton County Republican Party Executive Director Andrew Greider doesn't believe electronic poll books would provide an advantage to certain candidates over others. He said e-polling simply would make elections run more smoothly, fairly and accurately.
"I don't see how there would be any advantage (to certain candidates)," he said.
Greider is a member of the county election board and has managed some Republican candidates' campaigns, including Carmel Mayor Jim Brainard and Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness.
Boone County Clerk Jessica Fouts began using electronic poll books from MicroVote and Knowink in fall 2014. She emails the voting reports to any candidates who ask for them. In the primary, she emailed the information four times throughout the day.
"As long as you give access to everyone," she said, "there shouldn't be any complaints."
She said the system has increased efficiency, including quickly identifying when voters are in the wrong precinct and ensuring the correct person is marked as voting when two names are similar. She said the technology also saves the cost of printing thousands of pages of poll books.
The only concern, she said, is ensuring Wi-Fi connections are available. Even without Wi-Fi, the iPads will collect information so people can vote. The information, though, wouldn't be synced with the central system.
"We haven't had any issues," she said.
Councilman Steve Schwartz said he is ready now to vote for the funding and hopes his colleagues come around to the idea, if not Wednesday then later this year. He said voting for the funding is an easy decision that will improve efficiency.
"Hamilton County is not the first to do this in the state, and I'm sure there will be more to come," he said.
Call Star reporter Chris Sikich at (317) 444-6036. Follow him on Twitter: @ChrisSikichand at Facebook/chris.sikich.
Read or Share this story: https://indy.st/1LhtUby
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Help United Way help our community
March Madness is pure magic. The fans, their devotion to favorite teams, and the time spent predicting the winners an...
Help United Way help our community March Madness is pure magic. The fans, their devotion to favorite teams, and the time spent predicting the winners an... Check out this story on IndyStar.com: http://indy.st/1iLajQb
Indiana Published 4:54 p.m. ET March 14, 2014
George Hill of the Indiana Pacers presented an award to his former teacher, Susan Avery, during a presentation at the United Way of Central Indiana of $25,000 prizes for life-changing teachers in Indianapolis Public Schools. (Photo: Star 2013 File Photo )
March Madness is pure magic. The fans, their devotion to favorite teams, and the time spent predicting the winners and filling in the infamous brackets are all part of the season.
Well, the countdown is now underway for the biggest game in our community — United Way of Central Indiana's 2013 annual fundraising season, which ends March 31. And we're just as determined to amp up the pace and score a big win as the clock ticks down.
United Way is about serving today and changing tomorrow. We’re working to help more people be self-sufficient through our focus on education, income stability, health and basic needs. But we need your help because the money we raise through March 31 will be strategically invested in our community in the following year.
United Way identifies critical barriers to self-sufficiency and invests to close those gaps. For example, in early childhood education our work has been effective in providing quality child care options for more than 4,300 Central Indiana kids, strengthening laws that keep them safe while in day care, preparing them for school, and getting them reading by Grade 3 — a significant indicator of future self-sufficiency as adults.
Our network of human service agencies provides daily support to residents in need — including a growing number of children. These agencies are required to meet rigorous standards to be eligible for certification as United Way agencies. We also connect the dots between agencies to ensure that we are leveraging the network to the greatest extent possible and creating a path where those in need can get the critical mass of services it takes to become self-sufficient.
Giving is quick and easy. A gift of as little as a dollar a week can make a huge difference. You do not have to be part of a workplace campaign to join our team. If you haven’t looked at United Way in a while, please check us out. This is definitely not your father’s United Way.
Ann D. Murtlow
Andy Mohr
2013 Campaign Chair
United Way of Central Indiana
Read or Share this story: http://indy.st/1iLajQb
Briggs: Why Circle Centre mall is doing better than you think
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Briggs: Vop Osili is positioning himself to be Indy's next mayor
Lt. Gov. Crouch: Celebrate women's suffrage anniversary by going to the polls
Letters: Congress must enact measures to limit scope of future wars
See the 2020 IndyStar Storytellers Project schedule
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Veritas Bombshell: Election Official Admits Non-Citizens Voting in Texas
‘We got TONS of them,’ official says on undercover video
Many non-citizens are apparently voting in Texas for the 2018 midterm elections, according to an election official captured on undercover video by Project Veritas.
A Project Veritas journalist approached election official Deborah Brooks-Wims, claiming her boyfriend is a non-citizen who has a driver’s license.
“So let’s just say that my boyfriend is a DREAMer, but he’s registered to vote. He just needs his ID, right?” she asks the official.
“If he has his ID, that’s all he needs. If he’s registered,” Brooks-Wims responds.
“Right. It doesn’t matter if he’s not a citizen?” the PV journalist asks.
“No! No…if he’s registered, he has a…honey, it might not be that he’s registered. If he’s giving you all this trouble it may not be that he’s registered,” the official says.
The PV journalist then explains the “boyfriend” was able to obtain a driver’s license because he was a DACA recipient.
The Brooks-Wims assured the PV journalist that if the non-citizen showed up with his Texas ID that he would be able to vote.
“Bring it up here, that’s his ID, show it to them, and then he can vote,” she said.
Another poll worker named Pam Nash told the PV journalist, “We got tons of ’em.”
“Go get him, bring him in,” Nash told her.
According to Texas Election Code 63.012, the Code “makes it illegal for a poll worker to permit an ineligible voter to vote.”
Last week, Project Veritas also captured Beto O’Rourke campaign workers discussing how they funnel campaign funds to the migrant caravans, a criminal FEC violation punishable by up to five years imprisonment.
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Donald Trump: Hillary Clinton Committed a Crime in Email Scandal
News 8:06 AM PDT, August 12, 2015 - Inside Edition
8:06 AM PDT, August 12, 2015 - Inside Edition
Donald Trump has said Hillary Clinton's actions in her email scandal were criminal.
Two classified messages found in emails she turned over to the State Department were "top secret," it has emerged.
Servers she used in her home for official government business were given to the FBI.
Read: Megyn Kelly Defends Herself Over Trump Fallout: 'I Will Not Apologize For Good Journalism'
She has repeatedly denied she used her personal email account for classified material.
"Department employees circulated these emails on unclassified systems in 2009 and 2011 and ultimately some were forwarded to Secretary Clinton," said State Department spokesman John Kirby. "They were not marked as classified."
Trump said on Tuesday night that she might get away with the scandal.
"She committed a crime," he said. "[But] Democrats are all the prosecutors."
He lashed out at the Clintons as he sat down with Sean Hannity on Tuesday night.
He said that he's prepared to mention the sex scandals that dogged Bill Clinton's presidency if he battles Hillary for the White House.
Hannity asked him: “If it's you versus Hillary, is that fair game that issue?”
He replied: “I guess it is. He would have had a much different presidency if he didn't have Monica and all of these things that happened during his...”
Read: Donald Trump Calls Rose O'Donnell a 'Fat Pig' During the Debate, She Responds
Hannity then interjected saying: “More than Monica, Paula Jones, Juanita Broadderick.”
“If anything, they won't be doing too much talking about it. Certainly it's fair game,” Trump fired back.
And there is more bad news for Hillary.
A small-sample poll by Boston Herald/Franklin Pierce University puts her in second place behind Vermont senator Bernie Sanders - showing Sanders at 44% and Hillary at 37%.
Watch Below: Despite Leaving Campaign, Roger Stone Will Still Vote for Donald Trump
Despite Leaving Campaign, Roger Stone Will Still Vote For Donald Trump
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Chloe Kim finally got to eat all the food she's been tweeting about at the Olympics — and it was adorable
Caroline Praderio
Chloe Kim on the "Today" show.
NBC Today/Samantha Okazaki
17-year-old US snowboarder Chloe Kim easily won a gold medal in ladies' halfpipe at the Winter Olympics.
While competing, Kim has tweeted about wanting ice cream and "getting hangry."
In an appearance on the "Today" show, Kim got to eat some of the foods she's mentioned on Twitter.
The show's hosts gave her a tray filled with ice cream, churros, and breakfast sandwiches.
Chloe Kim dominated the ladies' halfpipe final on Tuesday, easily snagging her first Olympic gold with a near-perfect score.
Minutes before learning she'd won, Kim took out her phone and sent a tweet to her 196,000 followers.
"Wish I finished my breakfast sandwich but my stubborn self decided not to and now I'm getting hangry," she wrote.
It wasn't the first food-related tweet Kim has sent out while competing in Pyeongchang 2018. In the middle of the halfpipe qualifying event on Sunday, she tweeted that she "could be down for some ice cream rn." That same day, she recommended churros as a way to combat nerves.
—Chloe Kim (@chloekimsnow) February 11, 2018
"I had 2 churros today and they were pretty bomb so if you ever get nervous go eat a churro," she wrote.
Kim's candor about hanger and food cravings has charmed fans at home. And in a "Today" show appearance on Tuesday, Kim got to dig into the foods that she's been tweeting about.
"Today" hosts Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb with Chloe Kim.
First, she explained exactly how she got so hangry before the halfpipe final.
"I had so much time on the bus to eat my sandwich, but I was like, 'No I'm not gonna to finish. I'm gonna talk on the phone with my friends and not eat my sandwich till later.' And then I never ended up finishing my sandwich," Kim said.
Then hosts Hoda Kotb, Al Roker, and Savannah Guthrie revealed that they'd prepared a tray of ice cream, breakfast sandwiches, and churros for Kim. The churros had even been custom made.
"We looked for churros everywhere here in South Korea and they were sold out," Kotb said. "So a chef ... whipped up some churros especially for you."
Kim gasped and applauded before she reached for a churro and dipped it in chocolate sauce.
"I'm definitely not going back home for real, though," she told the hosts.
Watch the whole video right here:
Want more? Read all of our coverage of the Winter Olympics here.
SEE ALSO: Chloe Kim was tweeting about breakfast minutes before learning if she won a gold medal
SEE ALSO: Here's the full list of medalists at the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics
NOW WATCH: Shaun White reveals his strategy for success in high-pressure situations
More: winter olympics pyeongchang 2018 Chloe Kim
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Attorney General Holder Vacates Matter of Silva-Trevino!
IDP applauds the April 10th Order of Attorney General Eric Holder vacating Matter of Silva-Trevino, 24 I&N Dec. 287 (AG 2008), a highly problematic decision that has led to the unjust deportation of many immigrants from the United States. This action by the sitting Attorney General is a tremendous step in the restoration of justice and due process to immigrants facing possible deportation consequences because of past criminal convictions.
Since the Silva-Trevino decision issued in 2008, IDP and allies have been at the forefront of efforts to reverse it. IDP is especially appreciative of extraordinary advocacy by National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers Executive Director Norman L. Reimer, as well as American Bar Association President James R. Silkenat, American Immigration Lawyers Association Executive Director Crystal Williams, the National Immigration Project and our other federal court litigation allies, the Cardozo School of Law Immigration Justice Clinic, the NYU School of Law Immigrant Rights Clinic, and Mr. Silva-Trevino’s lawyer Lisa Brodyaga.
Attorney General Robert Mukasey issued the Silva-Trevino decision in 2008, permitting immigration judges to find an immigrant deportable on the basis of alleged facts never established in that immigrant’s criminal case. Since 2008, IDP and allies, represented by the Cardozo School of Law Immigration Justice Clinic and by the NYU School of Law Immigrant Rights Clinic, have engaged in administrative advocacy with the Department of Justice and in litigation in the U.S. Circuit Courts of Appeals to remove this deeply problematic decision from immigration jurisprudence.
Based in part on the amicus briefing filed by IDP, NIPNLG, and partner organizations, five federal appellate courts rejected the ill-advised and unfair Silva-Trevino opinion.The briefing pointed out how re-trying criminal cases in immigration court is deeply unfair to immigrants, who are often detained and lack counsel and who may have given up their right to trial and agreed to plead guilty specifically to avoid immigration consequences.
IDP applauds the Obama administration for taking this important step.
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About ICGA
National Corn Growers Association
Leadership Opportunities & Election Info
How to Partner with Indiana Corn
Contact ICGA
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ICMC
Ethanol’s benefits showcased for fuel retailers at ICGA’s High Octane Fuel Summit
Contact: Dave Blower Jr. at 317-644-0980; dblower@indianasoybean.com
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (May 3, 2019) — As mechanics and engineers at the Dallara factory completed final touches on the cars that will race at the Indy 500 later this month, ethanol proponents, retail fuel executives and farmers discussed the benefits of the corn-based fuel that will power those cars. The Indiana Corn Growers Association (ICGA) hosted its High Octane Fuel Summit on May 2 at Dallara’s showroom and museum in Indianapolis, Ind. Fuel experts agree that ethanol fuel blends improve efficiency and performance in modern automobiles.
Octane allows an engine to run at a higher compression ratio and extract more energy from gasoline. More energy means a properly engineered vehicle will go farther, faster on the same amount of fuel. Ethanol naturally contains that high-octane punch. High Octane Fuel Summit speakers said more ethanol creates opportunities for retailers and fuel savings for consumers.
“This event sparked some excitement for everyone,” said ICGA President Sarah Delbecq, who is a farmer from Auburn, Ind. “The Summit was a gathering of diverse stakeholders and helped all ethanol supporters find their place in the conversation. We all come from different places, but we all bring different things to the table. We can help move forward the larger goal of selling more ethanol to the finish line.”
Many consumers are unaware of the health benefits of cleaner-burning octane from ethanol. Angela Tin of the American Lung Association explained the importance of switching from aeromatics as an octane source to cleaner burning ethanol. “Every fuel you pick has an impact,” she said as she explained the dramatic impact E10 ethanol blend fuels have had on improving air quality since their inception in 1995.
Geoff Cooper, President and CEO of the Renewable Fuels Association, told fuel retailers at the Summit that American consumers want renewable, cleaner-burning fuels such as ethanol.
“Ethanol is the highest octane source on the marketplace,” Cooper said. “It’s also the cleanest octane available, and it’s the lowest cost octane source available. So, as automakers look at how to build more efficient engines, a big piece of that is what fuel is going to be used in these engines. If we’re going to use a high octane fuel, they can get significant efficiency increases. We know ethanol has a tremendous role to play in that high-octane fuel future, especially because it also reduces carbon emissions – which is another policy goal.”
The High Octane Fuel Summit enjoyed support from many sponsors including: Indiana Corn Marketing Council, Clean Air Choice, American Lung Association, National Corn Growers Association, Family Express, K-Coe Isom, Growth Energy, Lallemand Biofuels and Distilled Spirits, South Bend Ethanol, Casey's General Store, Syngenta, Renewable Fuels Association, Indiana Ethanol Producers Association, Central Indiana Ethanol, American Dairy Association Indiana, Premier 1 Energy, Harvest Land Cultivating Communities, Cardinal Ethanol, CountryMark, Urban Air Initiative and Ignite High Performance Lubricants.
Ethanol represents an important consumer of Indiana corn. The Hoosier State is the fifth-largest producer of ethanol – generating more than 1.1 billion gallons per year. Indiana produces 7.5 percent of the total U.S. ethanol output. Indiana’s production will increase when the state’s 15th ethanol plant goes online during the first quarter of 2020. These ethanol plants consume nearly 47 percent of Indiana’s total corn crop – more than 410 million bushels.
The Indiana Corn Growers Association, which works with the state and federal governments to develop and promote sound policies that benefit Indiana corn farmers, consists of 9 farmer-directors who provide leadership to the organization on behalf of the nearly 600 ICGA members statewide. Learn more at www.incorn.org/icga
This communication was not funded with Indiana corn checkoff dollars.
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View this article online: https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/international/2016/01/14/395071.htm
Ironshore International Opens Office in Shanghai; Part of Lloyd’s China Platform
Ironshore International announced its subsidiary, Pembroke Managing Agency, will establish an office in Shanghai in January 2016 as part of the Lloyd’s China platform.
Pembroke Managing Agency will underwrite specialty lines of business, initially focusing on the agriculture, marine and healthcare sectors.
Tracy Ma has been appointed underwriting manager of the entity, reporting to Hui Yun Boo, managing director of Ironshore’s Asia Pacific region. Ma has extensive experience in underwriting complex commercial risks in the agriculture and marine industries that encompasses a range of product development and marketing initiatives, Ironshore said in a statement.
“Ironshore’s parent Fosun, headquartered in Shanghai, positions us with clear distinction in the local market, allowing us to offer onshore specialist products to meet growing demand within this vibrant city,” said Mark Wheeler, chief executive officer of Ironshore International.
“Tracy has a proven background in specialty lines insurance and we are fortunate to have her join Ironshore to optimize our relationships with Fosun’s network of portfolio companies throughout China,” said Wheeler.
Hui Yun Boo noted that the new Shanghai office complements Ironshore’s regional presence in Asia Pacific growth hubs, such as Singapore, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Sydney and Auckland.
Ironshore International offices are located in Canada, Europe, United Arab Emirates, and business centers throughout the Asia Pacific region. Through its Lloyd’s Pembroke Syndicate 4000, Ironshore International has the authority to offer capacity on a worldwide basis.
Source: Ironshore
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BANK OF AMERICA FIGHTS COURT BATTLE OVER PURGE OF NEARLY 2 BILLION FORECLOSURE RECORDS
“The flow chart shows that Bank of America corrected the lack of endorsements on original notes in open, active foreclosures by using unauthorized workers to surrogate sign endorsements on original notes with rubber stamps”
BANK OF AMERICA FIGHTS COURT BATTLE OVER PURGE OF NEARLY 2 BILLION RECORDS
At the heart of the dispute is the purge of 1.88 billion records. Bank of America, in a court filing, insists the records were copied, returned to the bank and still exist in its system.
Miami attorney Bruce Jacobs, a former prosecutor, says the bank got rid of loan records that he claims may have contained evidence of fraud.
Bank of America said he has it all wrong.
MIAMI – The nation’s second-largest bank is squaring off in a contentious court battle against a Miami real estate attorney who is accusing it of purging 1.88 billion records to conceal alleged fraud.
Bank of America, in a court filing, insists the records were copied, returned to the bank and still exist in its system.
But Bruce Jacobs, a former Miami-Dade County prosecutor, says the bank got rid of loan records he was seeking that he says may be evidence of fraud because the original records may have been altered by the bank.
“Bank of America thinks they’re untouchable,” Jacobs told CNBC. “They think they have so many zeroes in their bank accounts that they’re above the law.”
The bank, while declining repeated requests for comment, called Jacobs’ allegations in a court filing last month “simply a collection of grievances against the banking and mortgage industries generally.”
It said Jacobs’ “baseless charges of fraud, conspiracy, perjury and other allegedly illegal or improper acts” by Bank of America have never been proven. Jacobs “nevertheless continues, without a trace of shame or irony, to recycle these reckless and rejected accusations ad nauseum.”
Mortgage loan servicing and foreclosure abuses were at the heart of the landmark $25 billion agreement in 2012 between the nation’s five largest mortgage servicing companies, including Bank of America, and the Justice Department and 49 state attorneys general to compensate homeowners who were hit by the housing crisis.
The settlement focused on what the Justice Department called “mortgage loan servicing and foreclosure abuses” as a result of the housing bubble. Many of those abuses involved what is known as robosignings. The loans are supposed to be endorsed with correct signatures when they are processed, and not at a later date, which the Department of Justice says happened in thousands of cases.
The Miami case began in 2013 as a foreclosure lawsuit in Miami-Dade Circuit Court against a couple who own a condo in Bal Harbour, Florida. After a financial setback, the couple sought a loan modification from Bank of America, which serviced the loan, held by Bank of New York Mellon. Bank of New York Mellon sued for foreclosure. Originally, Bank of America was not a party to the lawsuit.
The foreclosure case was settled last year, and the couple, who had to file for bankruptcy, remained in their home.
However, Jacobs, who represents them, filed a countersuit against Bank of New York Mellon in which he made serious allegations against the two banks.
What Jacobs said he discovered over several years — according to court documents filed in his numerous foreclosure cases in South Florida and reiterated in an interview — are allegations that Bank of America deliberately acted improperly.
According to a timeline Jacobs spelled out in court records, he said he learned in 2015 that a company called SourceCorp did work for Bank of America. The company’s name appeared on loan records he had obtained through the discovery process in a separate Miami-Dade County foreclosure case. Jacobs said he found that odd because he had never heard of the company.
Court filings show that Jacobs filed a notice to take a deposition on Nov. 2, 2015, asking for more information about the loan in the case.
The following month, he filed a “notice of intent to serve (a) subpoena for deposition” on SourceCorp. That notice asks for “any relationships, agreements, work orders, instructions” related to the loan and Bank of New York Mellon and Bank of America.
In January 2016, a court-ordered subpoena was issued and served on SourceCorp.
Then in February 2016, SourceCorp turned over a copy of a contract with Bank of America.
Jacobs said he was stunned to learn through discovery in another case more than a year later that Bank of America had ordered SourceCorp to purge its records.
“And what I found out later is that as I’m going though that whole process, Bank of America has ordered SourceCorp to do a military-grade purge of all of their records, everything: 1.88 billion objects of data, metadata, encryption keys,” he said.
Jacobs points to two emails he received from SourceCorp as part of the discovery process that he says alerted him to the purge.
The first email, dated Feb. 16, 2016, described what SourceCorp called “a final summary of the Fastrieve Purge Project.” The document shows the purge took about three months to complete.
Jacobs said he obtained a second SourceCorp email from June 16, 2017. It said Bank of America “had us execute an extensive project to purge all of its data, which we were obligated to do.”
The email was from Dimple Sehgal, corporate counsel for SourceHOV, which is SourceCorp’s current name. Sehgal did not respond to multiple requests for comment via email and voicemail.
Jacobs has now subpoenaed SourceCorp to appear for a deposition in connection with the records purge.
A “statement of work” between Bank of America and SourceCorp describes how the bank’s loan documents would be imaged and ultimately purged from SourceCorp’s system, according to a document turned over in discovery.
“Image storage and final disposition will be in accordance with Bank of America protocol currently in place,” the document states. “All images will remain in FASTRIEVE until such time they are archived in Bank of America iPortal repository. In no case will the images be purged or deleted without Bank of America approval.”
The red flag, according to Jacobs’ court filings, is when Bank of America actually ordered SourceCorp to start purging the 1.88 billion records: Nov. 13, 2015, which was 11 days after Jacobs filed the notice to take a deposition about the loan in the case. He said the purge continued even after the court-ordered subpoena was served on SourceCorp.
In addition, Jacobs said a Bank of America flow chart he obtained as part of the discovery process shows the note endorsement process.
“The flow chart shows that Bank of America corrected the lack of endorsements on original notes in open, active foreclosures by using unauthorized workers to surrogate sign endorsements on original notes with rubber stamps,” Jacobs wrote in a court filing. “Later, Bank of America continued the surrogate signing process for loans about to be referred to foreclosure.”
In another court filing, he wrote that Bank of America “stonewalled discovery with scorched earth tactics to hide evidence of its ‘delinquent note enforcement process'” involving SourceCorp.
Bank of America said Jacobs has it all wrong.
A June 26, 2017, court-filed sworn statement from Thomas Wrenn, a Bank of America senior vice president, said the bank has used SourceHOV and its predecessor company, SourceCorp, “to scan, index and provide electronic document retrieval sources.”
“In February 2016, SourceHOV completed a routine purge of data in accordance with the terms of the agreement under which the Bank had engaged SourceHOV for its electronic documents service,” the statement said. “All of the images … that SourceHOV purged in February 2016 had been migrated and copied into the Bank’s own repository, known as P8, prior to the purge by SourceHOV and are currently in the Bank’s possession.”
CNBC requested a more detailed explanation from Bank of America of both the timing of the purge and Jacobs’ allegations. A bank spokesperson cited the Wrenn statement and said it would later issue its own statement because Jacobs’ claims were outlandish.
But the following week, a second spokesperson said the bank would not respond to Jacobs’ allegations.
Instead, the bank did send several emails with links to court cases in which Jacobs was admonished for overreaching in requests for records.
Bank of America, which serviced the loan in the Miami foreclosure case, has now been added as a cross defendant in the case, according to an order from Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Bronwyn Miller. The judge has set a hearing date for Monday on motions by Jacobs for sanctions and by Bank of America to dismiss Jacobs’ claims.
Jacobs is trying to prove his allegations of criminal contempt of court for the purge that he said took place after he had asked a court for bank records in the separate Miami-Dade County foreclosure case. He also claims violations of RICO — the Racketeering Influence Corrupt Organization Act — by Bank of America and Bank of New York Mellon.
“Many of the acts alleged by borrowers are simply not crimes,” Bank of America’s court filing said. “Borrowers once again allege that the trustee and (Bank of America) have used improper evidence to prove standing in foreclosure cases, including surrogate-stamped endorsements and mortgage assignments that are allegedly defective.
“However, nowhere do borrowers allege that the endorsement assignment, or any of the loan documents pertaining to their loan are defective or improper — nor can they, given their acknowledgement in the loan modification agreement that the loan documents are all authentic, valid and binding.”
The bank also said in court filings that it would not turn over any loan records sought by Jacobs, calling his requests “irrelevant, immaterial and will not lead to the discovery of admissible evidence.”
It added that Jacobs’ request for any instructions to SourceCorp to purge records was “overboard and burdensome.” It cited a Florida case that found “discovery rules were ‘not intended to afford a litigant an avenue to pry into his adversary’s business to go on a fishing expedition'” related to the business.
The bank’s court filings do not address specifics about the records purge.
Jennifer Hendricks Sullivan, global head of external communications for Bank of New York Mellon, said the bank declined to comment due to the pending litigation. In a court filing this month, Bank of New York Mellon said the allegations by Jacobs should be dismissed because they were not raised in the Miami couple’s bankruptcy proceedings, and should not be litigated now.
Email story tips to: INVESTIGATIONS@CNBC.COM
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Using Personalized Video Programming to Advertise With Tact
Posted by Rohan Castelino | Nov 15, 2016 | Video Programming Insights | 0 |
by Rohan Castelino | Nov 15, 2016 | Video Programming Insights
By Mike Edelhart and Rohan Castelino
Traditional advertising — the notion that corporate messages must be delivered broadly in tidy, uniform packets — only came into existence because, in the past, it was impossible to get exactly the right information and experiences to exactly the right people at exactly the right time. Clearly, getting people just what they want/need at exactly the best moment would be both effective and delightful.
But how can this best be done? Sadly, first gen digital advertising hasn’t achieved this goal. Instead of effective efficiency, we have had an escalating array of monetizable ad units shoved in our faces. Even video, widely held as the best element of current digital advertising, has fallen far short of its potential. While there has been some innovation beyond pre-roll, there is just as much disruption to user experience via latency, buffering and invasive video ad units (Placing a video ad in the middle of an article a person is reading is not “native”. It’s just rude). Like pollution in the physical economy, this represents digital clutter and clumsiness.
What publishers and advertisers have been lacking when it comes to engagement is tact. Winston Churchill once said that tact is the act of telling someone to go to hell in such a way that they looked forward to the trip. Comparing ad watching to eternal damnation may be a tad hyperbolic, but the point is that when we interrupt someone’s viewing experience to make them watch something not of their choice, we better deliver a worthy benefit to them.
The key: relevance. People will happily watch video that provides them the information they need or simply hits their personal delight buttons. If content isn’t truly relevant, they won’t engage and if that content is obtrusive, they will react quite negatively. Hence the rise of ad blockers…
Read the full article at Social Starts
Mike Edelhart is the managing partner of Social Starts, one of the most active moment-of-inception venture funds in the US. A pioneering media and Internet startup executive, Mike became widely known in tech circles as the original Executive Editor of PC Magazine. Find Mike on Twitter @MikeEdelhart.
Rohan Castelino is the Director of Business Development & Marketing for IRIS.TV. Mr. Castelino has over 12 years international experience working in the intersection of media and technology. He spent six years in Beijing and Shanghai where he helped develop and finance international film and television co-productions with China, Hollywood and Europe. Prior to joining IRIS.TV, Rohan worked with major media companies such as Sony Pictures Entertainment, Paramount Pictures, and Illumination Entertainment.
PreviousVideo: IRIS.TV Machine Learning Yields Personalized Video Streams – Beet.TV
NextInfographic: Video Metadata 101
Rohan Castelino
Rohan Castelino is Vice President of Marketing at IRIS.TV. Mr. Castelino has over 14 years of international experience working in the intersection of media and technology. He spent six years in Beijing and Shanghai where he helped develop and finance international film and television co-productions with China, Hollywood, and Europe. Prior to joining IRIS.TV, Rohan worked with major media companies including Sony Pictures Entertainment, Paramount Pictures, and Illumination Entertainment.
Top Video Metrics and How to Take Action From Them
The Revolution Will Be Live and Personalized
A Publisher’s Guide to the Best Video Taxonomy
Why “in-stream” placement of branded video is a Win, Win, Win
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Instructions for Form 4626 (2017)
Instructions for Form 4626 - Introductory Material
American Samoa economic development credit.
Purpose of Form
Consolidated returns.
Who Must File
Exemption for Small Corporations
Loss of small corporation status.
Credit for Prior Year Minimum Tax
Short Period Return
Allocating Differently Treated Items Between Certain Entities and Their Investors
Optional Write-Off for Certain Expenditures
Specific Instructions
Line 1. Taxable Income or (Loss) Before Net Operating Loss Deduction
Line 2. Adjustments and Preferences
Line 2a. Depreciation of Post-1986 Property
What Adjustments Are Not Included as Depreciation Adjustments?
What Depreciation Must Be Refigured for the AMT?
What Depreciation Is Not Refigured for the AMT?
How Is Depreciation Refigured for the AMT?
Property placed in service after 1998.
Property placed in service before 1999.
How is the AMT class life determined?
How Is the Line 2a Adjustment Figured?
Line 2b. Amortization of Certified Pollution Control Facilities
Line 2c. Amortization of Mining Exploration and Development Costs
Line 2d. Amortization of Circulation Expenditures
Line 2e. Adjusted Gain or Loss
Dispositions for which lines 2i, 2j, and 2k adjustments are made.
Line 2f. Long-Term Contracts
Line 2g. Merchant Marine Capital Construction Funds
Line 2h. Section 833(b) Deduction
Line 2i. Tax Shelter Farm Activities
Line 2j. Passive Activities
Tax Shelter Farm Activities That Are Passive Activities
Line 2k. Loss Limitations
Line 2l. Depletion
Line 2m. Tax-Exempt Interest Income From Specified Private Activity Bonds
Line 2n. Intangible Drilling Costs
Excess IDCs.
Net income from oil, gas, and geothermal properties.
Line 2o. Other Adjustments and Preferences
Income from the biofuel producer, biodiesel, and renewable diesel fuels credits.
Income as the beneficiary of an estate or trust.
Net AMT adjustment from an electing large partnership.
Patron's AMT adjustment.
Cooperative's AMT adjustment.
Domestic production activities deduction.
Installment sales.
Accelerated depreciation of real property and certain leased personal property (pre-1987).
Related adjustments.
Line 4. Adjusted Current Earnings (ACE) Adjustment
Line 4b.
Example 1.
Line 4d.
Line 6. Alternative Tax Net Operating Loss Deduction (ATNOLD)
Line 7. Alternative Minimum Taxable Income
Line 8. Exemption Phase-Out Computation
Line 8a.
Line 8c.
Line 11. Alternative Minimum Tax Foreign Tax Credit (AMTFTC)
Simplified Limitation Election
Adjusted Current Earnings (ACE) Worksheet Instructions
Treatment of Certain Ownership Changes
Line 2. ACE Depreciation Adjustment
Line 2a. AMT depreciation.
Line 2b(1). Post-1993 property.
Line 2b(2). Post-1989, pre-1994 property.
Line 2b(3). Pre-1990 MACRS property.
Line 2b(4). Pre-1990 original ACRS property.
Line 2b(5). Property described in sections 168(f)(1) through (4).
Line 2b(6). Other property.
Line 2c. Total ACE depreciation.
Line 3. Inclusion in ACE of Items Included in Earnings and Profits (E&P)
Line 3e.
Line 4. Disallowance of Items Not Deductible From E&P
Items for which no adjustment is necessary.
Line 5. Other Adjustments
Line 6. Disallowance of Loss on Exchange of Debt Pools
Line 7. Acquisition Expenses of Life Insurance Companies for Qualified Foreign Contracts
Line 8. Depletion
Line 9. Basis Adjustments in Determining Gain or Loss From Sale or Exchange of Pre-1994 Property
Instructions for Form 4626 - Notices
Paperwork Reduction Act Notice.
Instructions for Form 4626 - Additional Material
Adjusted Current Earnings (ACE) Worksheet
Alternative Minimum Tax—Corporations
Section references are to the Internal Revenue Code unless otherwise noted.
For the latest information about developments to Form 4626 and its instructions, such as legislation enacted after they were published, go to IRS.gov/Form4626.
The alternative minimum tax (AMT) adjustments for the American Samoa economic development credit expired December 31, 2016. To find out if legislation extended this provision and made it (and other expired provisions affecting AMT) applicable for 2017, go to IRS.gov/Extenders.
Use Form 4626 to figure the AMT under section 55 for a corporation that is not exempt from the AMT.
For an affiliated group filing a consolidated return under the rules of section 1501, AMT must be figured on a consolidated basis.
Generally, file Form 4626 if any of the following apply.
The corporation is not a "small corporation" exempt from the AMT (as explained below).
The corporation's taxable income or (loss) before the net operating loss (NOL) deduction plus its adjustments and preferences total more than $40,000 or, if smaller, its allowable exemption amount.
The corporation claims any general business credit, any qualified electric vehicle passive activity credit from prior years, or the credit for prior year minimum tax.
A corporation is treated as a small corporation exempt from the AMT for its current tax year if:
The current year is the corporation's first tax year in existence (regardless of its gross receipts for the year), or
Both of the following apply.
It was treated as a small corporation exempt from the AMT for all prior tax years beginning after 1997.
Its average annual gross receipts for all 3-tax-year periods (or portions thereof during which the corporation was in existence) ending before its current tax year did not exceed $7.5 million ($5 million for the corporation's first 3-tax-year period). See section 55(e).
The following rules apply when figuring gross receipts under 2b above.
Gross receipts must be figured using the corporation's tax accounting method and include total sales (net of returns and allowances), amounts received for services, and income from investments and other sources. See Temporary Regulations section 1.448-1T(f)(2)(iv) for more details.
Gross receipts include those of any predecessor of the corporation, including non-corporate entities.
For a short tax year, gross receipts must be annualized by multiplying them by 12 and dividing the result by the number of months in the tax year.
The gross receipts of all persons treated as a single employer under section 52(a), 52(b), 414(m), or 414(o) must be aggregated.
If the corporation qualified as a small corporation exempt from the AMT for its previous tax year, but does not meet the gross receipts test for its current tax year, it loses its AMT exemption status. Special rules apply in figuring AMT for the tax year beginning on the "change date." The change date is the first day of the corporation's tax year for which the corporation ceased to be a small corporation. Where this applies, complete Form 4626 taking into account the following modifications.
The adjustments for depreciation and amortization of pollution control facilities apply only to property placed in service on or after the change date.
The adjustment for mining exploration and development costs applies only to amounts paid or incurred on or after the change date.
The adjustment for long-term contracts applies only to contracts entered into on or after the change date.
When figuring the amount to enter on line 6, for any loss year beginning before the change date, use the corporation's regular tax NOL for that year.
Figure the limitation on line 4d only for prior tax years beginning on or after the change date.
Enter zero on line 2c of the Adjusted Current Earnings (ACE) Worksheet. When completing line 5 of the ACE Worksheet, take into account only amounts from tax years beginning on or after the change date. Also, for line 8 of the ACE Worksheet, take into account only property placed in service on or after the change date.
Note.
No additional modification in figuring AMT is required for exceptions related to any item acquired in a corporate acquisition under section 381 or to any substituted basis property, if any of the AMT adjustment modifications listed earlier applied to the item or property while it was held by the transferor.
Once the corporation loses its small corporation status, it cannot qualify for any subsequent tax year.
A corporation may be able to take a minimum tax credit against the regular tax for AMT incurred in prior years. See Form 8827, Credit for Prior Year Minimum Tax—Corporations, for details.
Certain items of income, deductions, credits, etc., receive different tax treatment for the AMT than for the regular tax. Therefore, the corporation should keep adequate records to support items refigured for the AMT. Examples include:
Tax forms used for regular tax purposes that are completed a second time to refigure items of income, deductions, etc., for the AMT;
The computation of a carryback or carryforward to other tax years of certain deductions or credits (for example, NOL, capital loss, and foreign tax credit) if the AMT amount is different from the regular tax amount;
The computation of a carryforward of a passive loss or tax shelter farm activity loss if the AMT amount is different from the regular tax amount; and
A "running balance" of the excess of the corporation's total increases in alternative minimum taxable income (AMTI) from prior year adjusted current earnings (ACE) adjustments over the total reductions in AMTI from prior year ACE adjustments (see the instructions for line 4d).
If the corporation is filing for a period of less than 12 months, AMTI must be annualized and the tentative minimum tax prorated based on the number of months in the short period. Complete Form 4626 as follows.
Complete lines 1 through 6 in the normal manner. Subtract line 6 from line 5 to figure AMTI for the short period, but do not enter it on line 7.
Multiply AMTI for the short period by 12. Divide the result by the number of months in the short period. Enter this result on line 7 and write "Sec. 443(d)(1)" on the dotted line to the left of the entry space.
Complete lines 8 through 11.
Subtract line 11 from line 10. Multiply the result by the number of months in the short period and divide that result by 12. Enter the final result on line 12 and write "Sec. 443(d)(2)" on the dotted line to the left of the entry space.
Complete the rest of the form in the normal manner.
For a regulated investment company, a real estate investment trust, or a common trust fund, see section 59(d) for details on allocating certain differently treated items between the entity and its investors.
There is no AMT adjustment for the following items if the corporation elects to deduct them ratably over the period of time shown for the regular tax.
Circulation expenditures (personal holding companies only)—3 years.
Mining exploration and development costs—10 years.
Intangible drilling costs—60 months.
See section 59(e) for more details.
Enter the corporation's taxable income or (loss) before the NOL deduction, after the special deductions, and without regard to any excess inclusion (for example, if filing Form 1120, subtract line 29b from line 28 of that form).
To avoid duplication, do not include any AMT adjustment or preference taken into account on line 2i, 2j, 2k, or 2o in the amounts to be entered on any other line of this form.
Do not make a depreciation adjustment on line 2a for:
A tax shelter farm activity. Take this adjustment into account on line 2i.
Passive activities. Take this adjustment into account on line 2j.
An activity for which the corporation is not at risk, or income or loss from a partnership interest, or stock in an S corporation if the basis limitations apply. Take this adjustment into account on line 2k.
Generally, the corporation must refigure depreciation for the AMT, including depreciation allocable to inventory costs, for the following.
Property placed in service after 1998 depreciated for the regular tax using the 200% declining balance method (generally 3-, 5-, 7-, or 10-year property under the modified accelerated cost recovery system (MACRS)), except for certain qualified property eligible for the special depreciation allowance (discussed later).
Section 1250 property placed in service after 1998 that is not depreciated for the regular tax using the straight line method.
Tangible property placed in service after 1986 and before 1999. (If the transitional election was made under section 203(a)(1)(B) of the Tax Reform Act of 1986, this rule applies to property placed in service after July 31, 1986.)
Do not refigure depreciation for the AMT for the following.
Residential rental property placed in service after 1998.
Nonresidential real property with a class life of 27.5 years or more (generally, a building and its structural components) placed in service after 1998 that is depreciated for the regular tax using the straight line method.
Other section 1250 property placed in service after 1998 that is depreciated for the regular tax using the straight line method.
Property (other than section 1250 property) placed in service after 1998 that is depreciated for the regular tax using the 150% declining balance method or the straight line method.
Property for which the corporation elected to use the alternative depreciation system (ADS) for the regular tax.
Any qualified property eligible for a special depreciation allowance if the depreciable basis of the property for the AMT is the same as for the regular tax. In addition, no adjustment is required for any depreciation figured on the remaining basis of the qualified property. However, if the corporation elected not to have any special depreciation allowance apply, the property may be subject to an AMT adjustment for depreciation if it was placed in service before 2016. It is not subject to an AMT adjustment for depreciation if it was placed in service after 2015.
Any part of the cost of any property that the corporation elected to expense under section 179. The reduction to the depreciable basis of section 179 property by the amount of the section 179 expense deduction is the same for the regular tax and the AMT.
Certain public utility property (if a normalization method of accounting is not used), motion picture films and video tape, sound recordings, and property that the corporation elects to exclude from MACRS by using a depreciation method that is not based on a term of years, such as the unit-of-production method.
Any natural gas gathering line (as defined in section 168(i)(17)) placed in service after April 11, 2005, the original use of which begins with the corporation after April 11, 2005, and which is not under self-construction or subject to a binding contract in existence before April 12, 2005.
Use the same convention and recovery period used for the regular tax. Use the straight line method for section 1250 property. For property other than section 1250 property, use the 150% declining balance method, switching to the straight line method the first tax year it gives a larger deduction.
Refigure depreciation for the AMT using ADS, with the same convention used for the regular tax. See the table below for the method and recovery period to use.
Property Placed in Service Before 1999
IF the property is THEN use the
Section 1250 property. Straight line method over 40 years.
Tangible property (other than section 1250 property) depreciated using the straight line method for the regular tax. Straight line method over the property's AMT class life.
Any other tangible property. 150% declining balance method, switching to the straight line method the first tax year it gives a larger deduction, over the property's AMT class life.
For property placed in service before 1999, the class life used for the AMT is not necessarily the same as the recovery period used for the regular tax.
The class lives are listed in Rev. Proc. 87-56, 1987-2 C.B. 674, Rev. Proc. 88-22, 1988-1 C.B. 785, and in Pub. 946, How To Depreciate Property.
See Pub. 946 for tables that can be used to figure AMT depreciation. Rev. Proc. 89-15, 1989-1 C.B. 816, and Pub. 946 have special rules for short tax years and for property disposed of before the end of the recovery period.
Subtract the AMT deduction for depreciation from the regular tax deduction and enter the result on line 2a. If the AMT deduction is more than the regular tax deduction, enter the difference as a negative amount.
In addition to the AMT adjustment to the deduction for depreciation, also adjust the amount of depreciation that was capitalized, if any, to account for the difference between the rules for the regular tax and the AMT. Include on this line the current year adjustment to taxable income, if any, resulting from the difference.
For facilities placed in service before 1999, figure the amortization deduction for the AMT using ADS (that is, the straight line method over the facility's class life). For facilities placed in service after 1998, figure the amortization deduction for the AMT under MACRS using the straight line method. Figure the AMT deduction using 100% of the asset's amortizable basis. Do not reduce the corporation's AMT basis by the 20% section 291 adjustment that applied for the regular tax.
Enter the difference between the AMT deduction and the regular tax deduction on line 2b. If the AMT deduction is more than the regular tax deduction, enter the difference as a negative amount.
Do not make this adjustment for costs for which the corporation elected the optional 10-year write-off for the regular tax.
For the AMT, the regular tax deductions under sections 616(a) and 617(a) are not allowed. Instead, capitalize these costs and amortize them ratably over a 10-year period beginning with the tax year in which the corporation paid or incurred them. The 10-year amortization applies to 100% of the mining development and exploration costs paid or incurred during the tax year. Do not reduce the corporation's AMT basis by the 30% section 291 adjustment that applied for the regular tax.
If the corporation had a loss on property for which mining exploration and development costs have not been fully amortized for the AMT, the AMT deduction is the smaller of (a) the loss allowable for the costs had they remained capitalized, or (b) the remaining costs to be amortized for the AMT.
Subtract the AMT deduction from the regular tax deduction. Enter the result on line 2c. If the AMT deduction is more than the regular tax deduction, enter the difference as a negative amount.
Complete this line only if the corporation is a personal holding company. Do not make this adjustment for expenditures of a personal holding company for which the company elected the optional 3-year write-off for the regular tax.
For the regular tax, circulation expenditures may be deducted in full when paid or incurred. For the AMT, these expenditures must be capitalized and amortized over 3 years beginning with the tax year in which the expenditures were made.
If the corporation had a loss on property for which circulation expenditures have not been fully amortized for the AMT, the AMT deduction is the smaller of (a) the loss allowable for the expenditures had they remained capitalized, or (b) the remaining expenditures to be amortized for the AMT.
Subtract the AMT deduction from the regular tax deduction. Enter the result on line 2d. If the AMT deduction is more than the regular tax deduction, enter the difference as a negative amount.
If, during the tax year, the corporation disposed of property for which it is making (or previously made) any of the adjustments described on lines 2a through 2d above, refigure the property's adjusted basis for the AMT. Then refigure the gain or loss on the disposition.
The property's adjusted basis for the AMT is its cost minus all applicable depreciation or amortization deductions allowed for the AMT during the current tax year and previous tax years. Subtract this AMT basis from the sales price to get the AMT gain or loss.
The corporation may also have gains or losses from lines 2i, 2j, and 2k that must be considered on line 2e. For example, if for the regular tax the corporation reports a loss from the disposition of an asset used in a passive activity, include the loss in the computations for line 2j to determine if any passive activity loss is limited for the AMT. Then, include the AMT passive activity loss allowed that relates to the disposition of the asset on line 2e in determining the corporation's AMT basis adjustment. It may be helpful to refigure the following for the AMT: Form 8810, Corporate Passive Activity Loss and Credit Limitations, and related worksheets; Schedule D (Form 1120), Capital Gains and Losses; Section B of Form 4684, Casualties and Thefts; or Form 4797, Sale of Business Property.
Enter on line 2e the difference between the regular tax gain or loss and the AMT gain or loss. Enter the difference as a negative amount if any of the following apply.
The AMT gain is less than the regular tax gain.
The AMT loss exceeds the regular tax loss.
The corporation has an AMT loss and a regular tax gain.
For the AMT, the corporation generally must use the percentage-of-completion method described in section 460(b) to determine the taxable income from any long-term contract (defined in section 460(f)). However, this rule does not apply to any home construction contract (as defined in section 460(e)(6)).
For contracts excepted from the percentage-of-completion method for the regular tax by section 460(e)(1), determine the percentage of completion using the simplified procedures for allocating costs outlined in section 460(b)(3).
Subtract the regular tax income from the AMT income. Enter the difference on line 2f. If the AMT income is less than the regular tax income, enter the difference as a negative amount.
Amounts deposited in these funds are not deductible for the AMT. Earnings on these funds must be included in gross income for the AMT. If the corporation deducted these amounts or excluded them from income for the regular tax, add them back on line 2g.
This deduction is not allowed for the AMT. If the corporation took this deduction for the regular tax, add it back on line 2h.
Complete this line only if the corporation is a personal service corporation and it has a gain or loss from a tax shelter farm activity that is not a passive activity. If the tax shelter farm activity is a passive activity, include the gain or loss in the computations for line 2j.
Refigure all gains and losses reported for the regular tax from tax shelter farm activities by taking into account any AMT adjustments and preferences. Determine the AMT gain or loss using the rules for the regular tax with the following modifications.
No loss is allowed except to the extent the personal service corporation is insolvent.
Do not use a loss in the current tax year to offset gains from other tax shelter farm activities. Instead, suspend any loss and carry it forward indefinitely until the corporation has a gain in a subsequent tax year from that same tax shelter farm activity or it disposes of the activity.
Keep adequate records for losses that are not deductible (and therefore carried forward) for both the AMT and regular tax.
Enter on line 2i the difference between the AMT gain or loss and the regular tax gain or loss. Enter the difference as a negative amount if the corporation had:
An AMT loss and a regular tax gain,
An AMT loss that exceeds the regular tax loss, or
A regular tax gain that exceeds the AMT gain.
This adjustment applies only to closely held corporations and personal service corporations.
Refigure all passive activity gains and losses reported for the regular tax by taking into account the corporation's AMT adjustments and preferences and AMT prior year unallowed losses that apply to that activity.
Determine the corporation's AMT passive activity gain or loss using the same rules used for the regular tax. Generally, no loss is allowed. However, if the corporation is insolvent, special rules apply. See section 58(c).
Disallowed losses of a personal service corporation are suspended until the corporation has income from that (or any other) passive activity or until the passive activity is disposed of. That is, its passive losses cannot offset "net active income" (defined in section 469(e)(2)(B)) or "portfolio income." Disallowed losses of a closely held corporation that is not a personal service corporation are treated the same except that, in addition, they may be used to offset "net active income."
Enter on line 2j the difference between the AMT gain or loss and the regular tax gain or loss. Enter the difference as a negative amount if the corporation had:
Refigure all gains and losses reported for the regular tax by taking into account the corporation's AMT adjustments and preferences and AMT prior year unallowed losses.
Use the same rules as outlined above for other passive activities, with the following modifications.
AMT gains from tax shelter farm activities that are passive activities may be used to offset AMT losses from other passive activities.
AMT losses from tax shelter farm activities that are passive activities may not be used to offset AMT gains from other passive activities. These losses must be suspended and carried forward indefinitely until the corporation has a gain in a subsequent year from that same activity or it disposes of the activity.
Refigure gains and losses reported for the regular tax from at-risk activities and the corporation's share of distributive items from partnerships by taking into account the corporation's AMT adjustments and preferences. If the corporation has recomputed losses that must be limited for the AMT by section 465 or section 704(d) or the corporation reported losses for the regular tax from at-risk activities or distributive shares of partnership losses that were limited by those sections, figure the difference between the loss limited for the AMT and the loss limited for the regular tax for each applicable at-risk activity or distributive share of partnership loss. "Loss limited" means the amount of loss that is not allowable for the year because of the limitations above.
Enter on line 2k the excess of the loss limited for the AMT over the loss limited for the regular tax. If the loss limited for the regular tax is more than the loss limited for the AMT, enter the difference as a negative amount.
Refigure depletion using only income and deductions allowed for the AMT when refiguring the limit based on taxable income from the property under section 613(a) and the limit based on taxable income, with certain adjustments, under section 613A(d)(1). Also, the depletion deduction for mines, wells, and other natural deposits is limited to the property's adjusted basis at the end of the year, as refigured for the AMT, unless the corporation is an independent producer or royalty owner claiming percentage depletion for oil and gas wells. Figure this limit separately for each property. When refiguring the property's adjusted basis, take into account any AMT adjustments the corporation made this year or in previous years that affect basis (other than the current year's depletion). Do not include in the property's adjusted basis any unrecovered costs of depreciable tangible property used to exploit the deposits (for example, machinery, tools, pipes, etc.).
For iron ore and coal (including lignite), apply the section 291 adjustment before figuring this preference.
Enter on line 2l the difference between the regular tax and the AMT deduction. If the AMT deduction is more than the regular tax deduction, enter the difference as a negative amount.
Enter on line 2m interest income from specified private activity bonds, reduced by any deduction that would have been allowable if the interest were includible in gross income for the regular tax.
Generally, a specified private activity bond is any private activity bond (as defined in section 141) issued after August 7, 1986, on which the interest is not includible in gross income for the regular tax. Specified private activity bonds do not include:
Qualified 501(c)(3) bonds;
Certain housing bonds issued after July 30, 2008; and
Bonds issued in 2009 and 2010.
See section 57(a)(5)(C) for more information and other exceptions.
Do not include interest on qualified Gulf Opportunity Zone bonds or qualified Midwestern disaster area bonds.
Do not make this adjustment for costs for which the corporation elected the optional 60-month write-off for the regular tax.
Intangible drilling costs (IDCs) from oil, gas, and geothermal properties are a preference to the extent excess IDCs exceed 65% of the net income from the properties. Figure the preference for all geothermal deposits separately from the preference for all oil and gas properties that are not geothermal deposits.
Excess IDCs are the excess of:
The amount of IDCs the corporation paid or incurred for oil, gas, or geothermal properties that it elected to expense for the regular tax (not including any IDCs paid or incurred for nonproductive wells) reduced by the section 291(b)(1) adjustment for integrated oil companies and increased by any IDCs allowed to be amortized under section 291(b)(2) over
The amount that would have been allowed if the corporation had amortized that amount over a 120-month period starting with the month the well was placed in production or, alternatively, had elected any method that is permissible in determining cost depletion.
Net income is the gross income the corporation received or accrued from all oil, gas, and geothermal wells minus the deductions allocable to these properties (reduced by the excess IDCs). When refiguring net income, use only income and deductions allowed for the AMT.
The preference for IDCs from oil and gas wells does not apply to corporations that are independent producers (that is, not integrated oil companies as defined in section 291(b)(4)). However, this benefit may be limited. First, figure the IDC preference as if this exception did not apply. Then, for purposes of this exception, complete a second Form 4626 through line 5, including the IDC preference. If the amount of the IDC preference exceeds 40% of the amount figured for line 5, enter the excess on line 2n (the benefit of this exception is limited). If the amount of the IDC preference is equal to or less than 40% of the amount figured for line 5, do not include an amount on line 2n for oil and gas wells (the benefit of this exception is not limited).
Enter the net amount of any other adjustments and preferences, including the following.
If this income was included in the corporation's income for the regular tax, include this amount on line 2o as a negative amount.
If the corporation is the beneficiary of an estate or trust, include on line 2o the AMT adjustment from Schedule K-1 (Form 1041), Part III, box 12.
If the corporation is a partner in an electing large partnership, include on line 2o the amount from Schedule K-1 (Form 1065-B), box 6. Also include on line 2o any amount from Schedule K-1 (Form 1065-B), box 5, unless the corporation is a closely held or personal service corporation. Closely held and personal service corporations should take any amount from box 5 into account when figuring the amount to enter on line 2j.
Distributions the corporation received from a cooperative may be includible in income. Unless the distributions are nontaxable, include on line 2o the total AMT patronage dividend adjustment reported to the corporation from the cooperative.
If the corporation is a cooperative, refigure the cooperative's deduction for patronage dividends by taking into account the cooperative's AMT adjustments and preferences. Subtract the cooperative's AMT deduction for patronage dividends from its regular tax deduction for patronage dividends and include the result on line 2o. If the AMT deduction is more than the regular tax deduction, include the result as a negative amount.
For the AMT, figure the corporation's domestic production activities deduction under section 199 without taking into account any AMT adjustments and preferences. The section 199 deduction for the corporation's AMT is 9% of the smaller of (a) the qualified production activities income or (b) the alternative minimum taxable income (AMTI), determined without taking into account the section 199 deduction. Subtract the corporation's AMT section 199 deduction from its regular tax section 199 deduction and include the result on line 2o. If the AMT deduction is more than the regular tax deduction, include the result as a negative amount.
The installment method does not apply for the AMT to any nondealer disposition of property that occurred after August 16, 1986, but before the first day of the corporation's tax year that began in 1987, if an installment obligation to which the proportionate disallowance rule applied arose from the disposition. Include as a negative adjustment on line 2o the amount of installment sale income reported for the regular tax.
Refigure depreciation for the AMT using the straight line method for real property for which accelerated depreciation was determined for the regular tax using pre-1987 rules. Use a recovery period of 19 years for 19-year real property and 15 years for low-income housing property. Figure the excess of the regular tax depreciation over the AMT depreciation separately for each property and include only positive adjustments on line 2o.
The adjustment for leased personal property only applies to personal holding companies. For leased personal property other than recovery property, enter the excess of the depreciation claimed for the property for the regular tax using pre-1987 rules over the depreciation allowable for the AMT as refigured using the straight line method.
For leased 10-year recovery property and leased 15-year public utility property, enter the excess of the regular tax depreciation over the depreciation allowable using the straight line method with a half-year convention, no salvage value, and a recovery period of 15 years (22 years for 15-year public utility property).
Figure this amount separately for each property and include only positive adjustments on line 2o.
This preference generally applies only to property placed in service after 1987, but depreciated using pre-1987 rules due to transition provisions of the Tax Reform Act of 1986.
AMT adjustments and preferences may affect deductions that are based on an income limit (for example, charitable contributions). Refigure these deductions using the income limit as modified for the AMT. Include on line 2o an adjustment for the difference between the regular tax and AMT amounts for all such deductions. If the AMT deduction is more than the regular tax deduction, include the difference as a negative amount.
The ACE adjustment does not apply to a regulated investment company or a real estate investment trust. Also, for an affiliated group filing a consolidated return under the rules of section 1501, figure line 4b on a consolidated basis.
The following examples illustrate the manner in which line 3 is subtracted from line 4a to get the amount to enter on line 4b.
Corporation A has line 4a ACE of $25,000. If Corporation A has line 3 pre-adjustment AMTI in the amounts shown below, its line 3 and line 4a amounts would be combined as follows to determine the amount to enter on line 4b.
Line 4a ACE $25,000 $25,000 $25,000
Line 3 pre-adj.
AMTI 10,000 30,000 (50,000)
Amount to enter
on line 4b $15,000 $(5,000) $75,000
Corporation B has line 4a ACE of $(25,000). If Corporation B has line 3 pre-adjustment AMTI in the amounts shown below, its line 3 and line 4a amounts would be combined as follows to determine the amount to enter on line 4b.
Line 4a ACE $(25,000) $(25,000) $(25,000)
AMTI (10,000) (30,000) 50,000
on line 4b $(15,000) $5,000 $(75,000)
A potential negative ACE adjustment (that is, a negative amount on line 4b multiplied by 75%) is allowed as a negative ACE adjustment on line 4e only if the corporation's total increases in AMTI from prior year ACE adjustments exceed its total reductions in AMTI from prior year ACE adjustments (line 4d). The purpose of line 4d is to provide a "running balance" of this limitation amount. As such, the corporation must keep adequate records (for example, a copy of Form 4626 completed at least through line 5) from year to year (even in years in which it does not owe any AMT).
Any potential negative ACE adjustment that is not allowed as a negative ACE adjustment in a tax year because of the line 4d limitation cannot be used to reduce a positive ACE adjustment in any other tax year. Combine lines 4d and 4e of the 2016 Form 4626 and enter the result on line 4d of the 2017 form, but do not enter less than zero.
Corporation C, a calendar-year corporation, was incorporated January 1, 2013. Its ACE and pre-adjustment AMTI for 2013 through 2017 were as follows.
Year ACE
Line 4a Pre-
2013 $700,000 $800,000
2014 900,000 600,000
2016 (100,000) 300,000
Corporation C subtracts its pre-adjustment AMTI from its ACE in each of the years and then multiplies the result by 75% to get the following potential ACE adjustments for 2013 through 2017.
Year ACE minus
pre-adjustment
Line 4b Potential
Line 4c
2013 $(100,000) $ (75,000)
2015 (100,000) (75,000)
2016 (400,000) (300,000)
Under these facts, Corporation C has the following increases or reductions in AMTI for 2013 through 2017.
Year Increase or (reduction)
in AMTI from ACE adjustment
Line 4e
2013 $0
2014 225,000
2015 (75,000)
2016 (150,000)
In 2013, Corporation C was not allowed to reduce its AMTI by any part of the potential negative ACE adjustment because it had no increases in AMTI from prior year ACE adjustments.
In 2014, Corporation C had to increase its AMTI by the full amount of its potential ACE adjustment. It was not allowed to use any part of its 2013 unallowed potential negative ACE adjustment of $75,000 to reduce its 2014 positive ACE adjustment of $225,000.
In 2015, Corporation C was allowed to reduce its AMTI by the full amount of its potential negative ACE adjustment because that amount is less than its line 4d limit of $225,000.
In 2016, Corporation C was allowed to reduce its AMTI by only $150,000. Its potential negative ACE adjustment of $300,000 was limited to its 2014 increase in AMTI of $225,000 minus its 2015 reduction in AMTI of $75,000.
In 2017, Corporation C must increase its AMTI by the full amount of its potential ACE adjustment. It cannot use any part of its 2016 unallowed potential negative ACE adjustment of $150,000 to reduce its 2017 positive ACE adjustment of $112,500. Corporation C would complete the relevant portion of its 2017 Form 4626 as follows.
Line Amount
4a $250,000
4b 150,000
4c 112,500
4d -0-
4e 112,500
The ATNOLD is the sum of the alternative tax net operating loss (ATNOL) carrybacks and carryforwards to the tax year, subject to the limitation explained below. For a corporation that held a residual interest in a real estate mortgage investment conduit (REMIC), figure the ATNOLD without regard to any excess inclusion.
The ATNOL for a loss year is the excess of the deductions allowed in figuring AMTI (excluding the ATNOLD) over the income included in AMTI. This excess is figured with the modifications in section 172(d), taking into account the adjustments in sections 56 and 58 and preferences in section 57 (that is, the section 172(d) modifications must be separately figured for the ATNOL).
In applying the rules relating to the determination of the amount of carrybacks and carryforwards, use the modification to those rules described in section 56(d)(1)(B)(ii).
The ATNOLD is generally limited to 90% of AMTI determined without regard to the ATNOLD and any domestic production activities deduction under section 199. To figure AMTI without regard to the ATNOLD, use a second Form 4626 as a worksheet. Complete the second Form 4626 through line 5, but when figuring lines 2l and 2o, treat line 6 as if it were zero. The amount figured on line 5 of the second Form 4626 is the corporation's AMTI determined without regard to the ATNOLD. Add any domestic production activities deduction to this tentative total. The ATNOLD limitation is 90% of this amount.
However, if an ATNOL carried back or carried forward to the tax year is attributable to qualified disaster losses, qualified Gulf Opportunity Zone losses, qualified recovery assistance losses, qualified disaster recovery assistance losses, or an applicable 2008 or 2009 NOL for which the corporation elected a 3-, 4-, or 5-year carryback period, the ATNOLD for the tax year is limited to the sum of:
The smaller of:
The sum of the ATNOL carrybacks and carryforwards to the tax year attributable to net operating losses other than qualified disaster losses, qualified Gulf Opportunity Zone losses, qualified recovery assistance losses, qualified disaster recovery assistance losses, and applicable 2008 and 2009 NOLs for which the corporation made the election under section 172(b)(1)(H); or
90% of AMTI for the tax year (figured without regard to the ATNOLD, as discussed earlier, and the domestic production activities deduction under section 199); plus
The sum of the ATNOL carrybacks and carryforwards to the tax year attributable to qualified disaster losses, qualified Gulf Opportunity Zone losses, qualified recovery assistance losses, qualified disaster recovery assistance losses, and applicable 2008 and 2009 NOLs for which the corporation made the election under section 172(b)(1)(H); or
100% of AMTI for the tax year (figured without regard to the ATNOLD, as discussed earlier, and the domestic production activities deduction under section 199) reduced by the amount determined under 1 above.
Enter on line 6 the smaller of the ATNOLD or the ATNOLD limitation. The ATNOL can be carried back or forward using the rules outlined in section 172(b), generally, a two-year carryback and a twenty-year carryforward. An election under section 172(b)(3) to forgo the carryback period for the regular tax also applies for the AMT.
The ATNOL carried back or forward may differ from the NOL (if any) that is carried back or forward for the regular tax. Keep adequate records for both the AMT and the regular tax.
The NOL carryback and carryforward rules have changed for NOLs arising in tax years ending after December 31, 2017. See section 172(b), as amended by P.L. 115-97, section 13302.
For a corporation that held a residual interest in a REMIC and is not a thrift institution, line 7 may not be less than the total of the amounts shown on Schedule(s) Q (Form 1066), Quarterly Notice to Residual Interest Holder of REMIC Taxable Income or Net Loss Allocation, line 2c, for the periods included in the corporation's tax year. If the total of the line 2c amounts is larger than the amount the corporation would otherwise enter on line 7, enter that total and write "Sch. Q" on the dotted line next to line 7.
If alternative minimum taxable income entered on line 7 is $310,000 or more, skip lines 8a and 8b and enter -0- on line 8c. You cannot take an exemption.
If this Form 4626 is for a member of a controlled group of corporations, subtract $150,000 from the combined AMTI of all members of the controlled group. Divide the result among the members of the group in the same manner as the $40,000 tentative exemption is divided among the members. Enter this member's share on line 8a. The tentative exemption must be divided equally among the members, unless all members consent to a different allocation. See section 1561 for details.
If this Form 4626 is for a member of a controlled group of corporations, reduce the member's share of the $40,000 tentative exemption by the amount entered on line 8b.
Multiply line 9 by 20% (0.20) and enter that amount on line 10.
The AMTFTC is the foreign tax credit refigured as follows.
Complete a separate AMT Form 1118, Foreign Tax Credit—Corporations, for each separate limitation category specified at the top of Form 1118.
In determining if any income is "high-taxed" in applying the separate limitation categories, use the AMT rate (20%) instead of the regular tax rate.
For each separate AMT Form 1118, if the corporation previously made or is making the simplified limitation election (discussed below), skip Schedule A and enter on Schedule B, Part II, line 7, the same amount you entered on that line for the regular tax. Otherwise, complete Schedule A using only income and deductions that are allowed for the AMT and attributable to sources outside the United States.
For each separate AMT Form 1118, complete Schedule B, Part II. Enter any AMTFTC carryover on Schedule B, Part II, line 5. Enter the AMTI from Form 4626, line 7, on Schedule B, Part II, line 8a. Enter the amount from Form 4626, line 10, on Schedule B, Part II, line 10.
For the AMT Form 1118, complete Schedule B, Part III, Summary of Separate Credits. The total foreign tax credit is the amount on line 6.
Enter on Form 4626, line 11, the smaller of:
The amount on Form 4626, line 10, or
The amount from the AMT Form 1118, Schedule B, Part III, line 6.
The corporation can use any reasonable method, consistently applied, to apportion the disallowed amount among the separate limitation categories (including the general limitation income category). Any AMT foreign tax credit for each separate limitation category that the corporation cannot claim (because of the limitation fraction) is treated as a credit carryback or carryforward for that limitation category under section 904(c). Because these amounts may differ from the amounts that are carried back or forward for the regular tax, keep adequate records for both the AMT and regular tax. When carried back or forward, the credit is reported on Schedule B, Part II, line 5, of the carryover year's AMT Form 1118 for that separate limitation category.
The corporation may elect to use a simplified section 904 limitation to figure its AMTFTC. The corporation must make the election for its first tax year beginning after 1997 for which it claims an AMTFTC. If it does not make the election for that tax year, it may not make the election for a later tax year. Once made, the election applies to all later tax years and may only be revoked with IRS consent.
If the corporation made the election for each of its AMT separate limitations, the corporation uses its separate limitation income or loss that it determined for the regular tax (instead of refiguring the separate limitation income or loss for the AMT, as described earlier).
Enter the corporation's regular tax liability (as defined in section 26(b)) minus any foreign tax credit (for example, Form 1120, Schedule J, line 2, minus any foreign tax credit entered on Schedule J, line 5a).
Do not include any:
Tax on accumulation distribution of trusts from Form 4970,
Recapture of investment credit (under section 49(b) or 50(a)) from Form 4255,
Recapture of low-income housing credit (under section 42(j) or (k)) from Form 8611, or
Recapture of any other credit.
If a corporation with a net unrealized built-in loss (within the meaning of section 382(h)) undergoes an ownership change (within the meaning of section 382(g) and Regulations section 1.56(g)-1(k)(2)), refigure the adjusted basis of each asset of the corporation (immediately after the ownership change). The new adjusted basis of each asset is its proportionate share (based on respective fair market values) of the fair market value of the corporation's assets (determined under section 382(h)) immediately before the ownership change.
To determine if the corporation has a net unrealized built-in loss immediately before an ownership change, use the aggregate adjusted basis of its assets used for figuring its ACE. Also, use these new adjusted bases for all future ACE calculations (such as depreciation and gain or loss on disposition of an asset).
Generally, the amount entered on this line is the depreciation the corporation claimed for the regular tax (Form 4562, line 22), modified by the AMT depreciation adjustments reported on lines 2a and 2o of Form 4626.
For property placed in service after 1993, the ACE depreciation is the same as the AMT depreciation. Therefore, enter on line 2b(1) the same depreciation expense you included on line 2a of this worksheet for such property.
For property placed in service in a tax year that began after 1989 and before 1994, use the ADS depreciation described in section 168(g). However, for property (a) placed in service in a tax year that began after 1989 and (b) described in sections 168(f)(1) through (4), use the same depreciation claimed for the regular tax and enter it on line 2b(5).
For MACRS property generally placed in service after 1986 and in a tax year that began before 1990, figure depreciation by using the property's AMT adjusted basis as of the close of the last tax year beginning before 1990 and by using the straight line method over the remainder of the recovery period for the property under ADS. In doing so, use the convention that would have applied to the property under section 168(d). For more information (including an example that illustrates the application of these rules), see Regulations section 1.56(g)-1(b)(2).
For ACRS property generally placed in service in a tax year that began after 1980 and before 1987, figure depreciation by using the property's regular tax adjusted basis as of the close of the last tax year beginning before 1990 and by using the straight line method over the remainder of the recovery period for the property under ADS. In doing so, use the convention that would have applied to the property under section 168(d) (without regard to section 168(d)(3)). For more information (including an example that illustrates the application of these rules), see Regulations section 1.56(g)-1(b)(3).
For this property, use the regular tax depreciation, regardless of when the property was placed in service.
Line 2b(5) takes priority over lines 2b(1), 2b(2), 2b(3), and 2b(4). For property that is described in sections 168(f)(1) through (4), use line 2b(5) instead of the line 2b(1), 2b(2), 2b(3), or 2b(4) that would otherwise apply.
Use the regular tax depreciation for (a) property placed in service before 1981 and (b) property placed in service after 1980, in a tax year that began before 1990, that is excluded from MACRS by section 168(f)(5)(A)(i) or original ACRS by section 168(e)(4), as in effect before the Tax Reform Act of 1986.
Subtract line 2b(7) from line 2a and enter the result on line 2c. If line 2b(7) exceeds line 2a, enter the difference as a negative amount.
In general, any income item that is not taken into account (see below) in determining the corporation's pre-adjustment AMTI but is taken into account in determining its E&P must be included in ACE. Any such income item can be reduced by all items related to that income item that would be deductible when figuring pre-adjustment AMTI if the income items to which they relate were included in the corporation's pre-adjustment AMTI for the tax year. Examples of these income items and the adjustments that relate to them include:
Interest income from tax-exempt obligations excluded under section 103 minus any costs incurred in carrying these tax-exempt obligations and
Proceeds of life insurance contracts excluded under section 101 minus the basis in the contract for purposes of ACE.
An income item is considered taken into account without regard to the timing of its inclusion in a corporation's pre-adjustment AMTI or its E&P. Only income items that are permanently excluded from pre-adjustment AMTI are included in ACE. An income item will not be considered taken into account merely because the proceeds from that item might eventually be reflected in the pre-adjustment AMTI of another taxpayer (for example, that of a shareholder) on the liquidation or disposal of a business.
Do not make an adjustment for the following.
Any income from discharge of indebtedness excluded from gross income under section 108 (or the corresponding provision of prior law).
For an insurance company taxed under section 831(b), any amount not included in gross investment income (as defined in section 834(b)).
Any special subsidy payment for prescription drug plans excluded from gross income under section 139A.
Any qualified shipping income excluded under section 1357.
Tax-exempt interest on certain housing bonds issued after July 30, 2008, excluded under section 57(a)(5)(C)(iii).
Tax-exempt interest on certain private activity bonds issued in 2009 and 2010. Special rules apply to refunding bonds. See section 56(g)(4)(B)(iv).
Include in ACE the income on life insurance contracts (as determined under section 7702(g)) for the tax year minus the part of any premium attributable to insurance coverage.
Do not include any adjustment related to the E&P effects of any charitable contribution.
Generally, no deduction is allowed when figuring ACE for items not taken into account (see below) in figuring E&P for the tax year. These amounts increase ACE if they are deductible in figuring pre-adjustment AMTI (that is, they would be positive adjustments).
However, there are exceptions. Do not add back:
Any deduction allowable under section 243 or 245 for any dividend that qualifies for a 100% dividends-received deduction under section 243(a), 245(b), or 245(c);
Any dividend received from a 20%-owned corporation (see section 243(c)(2)), but only if the dividend is from income of the paying corporation that is subject to federal income tax; and
Any allowable domestic production activities deduction under section 199.
Special rules apply to certain dividends received by certain cooperatives.
An item is considered taken into account without regard to the timing of its deductibility in figuring pre-adjustment AMTI or E&P. Therefore, only deduction items that are permanently disallowed in figuring E&P are disallowed in figuring ACE.
Generally, no deduction is allowed for an item in figuring ACE if the item is not deductible in figuring pre-adjustment AMTI (even if the item is deductible in figuring E&P). The only exceptions to this general rule are the related reductions to an income item described in the second sentence of the instructions for line 3 above. Deductions that are not allowed in figuring ACE include:
Capital losses that exceed capital gains;
Bribes, fines, and penalties disallowed under section 162;
Charitable contributions that exceed the limitations of section 170;
Meals and entertainment expenses that exceed the limitations of section 274;
Federal taxes disallowed under section 275; and
Golden parachute payments that exceed the limitation of section 280G.
Except as noted below, in figuring ACE, determine the deduction for intangible drilling costs under section 312(n)(2)(A).
Subtract the ACE expense (if any) from the AMT expense (used to figure line 2n of Form 4626) and enter the result on line 5a. If the ACE expense exceeds the AMT amount, enter the result as a negative amount.
The above rule does not apply to amounts paid or incurred for any oil or gas well by corporations that are independent producers (that is, not integrated oil companies as defined in section 291(b)(4)). If this exception applies, do not enter an amount on line 5a for oil and gas wells.
When figuring ACE, the current year deduction for circulation expenditures under section 173 does not apply. Therefore, treat circulation expenditures for ACE using the case law that existed before section 173 was enacted.
Subtract the ACE expense (if any) from the regular tax expense (for a personal holding company, from the AMT expense used to figure line 2d of Form 4626) and enter the result on line 5b. If the ACE expense exceeds the regular tax amount (for a personal holding company, the AMT amount), enter the result as a negative amount.
Do not make this adjustment for expenditures for which the corporation elected the optional 3-year write-off under section 59(e) for the regular tax.
When figuring ACE, the amortization provisions of section 248 do not apply. Therefore, charge all organizational expenditures to a capital account and do not take them into account when figuring ACE until the corporation is sold or otherwise disposed of. Enter on line 5c all amortization deductions for organizational expenditures that were taken for the regular tax during the tax year.
The LIFO inventory adjustments provided in section 312(n)(4) apply in figuring ACE. See Regulations section 1.56(g)-1(f)(3).
For any installment sale in a tax year that began after 1989, a corporation generally cannot use the installment method to figure ACE. However, it may use the installment method for the applicable percentage (as determined under section 453A) of the gain from any installment sale to which section 453A(a)(1) applies.
Subtract the installment sale income reported for AMT from the ACE income from the sales and enter the result on line 5e. If the ACE income from the sales is less than the AMT amount, enter the difference as a negative amount.
When figuring ACE, a corporation may not recognize any loss on the exchange of any pool of debt obligations for any other pool of debt obligations having substantially the same effective interest rates and maturities. Add back (that is, enter as a positive adjustment) on line 6 any such loss to the extent recognized for the regular tax.
For ACE, acquisition expenses of life insurance companies for qualified foreign contracts (as defined in section 807(e)(4) without regard to the treatment of reinsurance contract rules of section 848(e)(5)) must be capitalized and amortized by applying the treatment generally required under generally accepted accounting principles (and as if this rule applied to such contracts for all applicable tax years).
Subtract the ACE expense (if any) from the regular tax expense and enter the result on line 7. If the ACE expense is more than the regular tax expense, enter the result as a negative amount.
When figuring ACE, the allowance for depletion for any property placed in service in a tax year that began after 1989 generally must be determined under the cost depletion method.
Subtract the ACE expense (if any) from the AMT expense (used to figure line 2l of Form 4626) and enter the result on line 8 of the worksheet. If the ACE expense is more than the AMT amount, enter the result as a negative amount.
Independent oil and gas producers and royalty owners that figured their regular tax depletion deduction under section 613A(c) do not have an adjustment for ACE purposes.
If, during the tax year, the corporation disposed of property for which it is making (or previously made) any of the ACE adjustments, refigure the property's adjusted basis for ACE. Then refigure the property's gain or loss.
Enter the difference between the AMT gain or loss (used to figure line 2e of Form 4626) and the ACE gain or loss. Enter the difference as a negative amount if any of the following apply.
The ACE gain is less than the AMT gain.
The ACE loss is more than the AMT loss.
The corporation had an ACE loss and an AMT gain.
We ask for the information on this form to carry out the Internal Revenue laws of the United States. You are required to give us the information. We need it to ensure that you are complying with these laws and to allow us to figure and collect the right amount of tax.
You are not required to provide the information requested on a form that is subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act unless the form displays a valid OMB control number. Books or records relating to a form or its instructions must be retained as long as their contents may become material in the administration of any Internal Revenue law. Generally, tax returns and return information are confidential, as required by section 6103.
The time needed to complete and file this form will vary depending on individual circumstances. The estimated burden for business taxpayers filing this form is approved under OMB control number 1545-0123 and is included in the estimates shown in the instructions for their business income tax return.
If you have comments concerning the accuracy of these time estimates or suggestions for making this form simpler, we would be happy to hear from you. See the instructions for the tax return with which this form is filed.
▶ See ACE Worksheet Instructions.
1 Pre-adjustment AMTI . Enter the amount from line 3 of Form 4626 1
2 ACE depreciation adjustment:
a AMT depreciation 2a
b ACE depreciation:
(1) Post-1993 property 2b(1)
(2) Post-1989, pre-1994 property 2b(2)
(3) Pre-1990 MACRS property 2b(3)
(4) Pre-1990 original ACRS property 2b(4)
(5) Property described in sections 168(f)(1) through (4) 2b(5)
(6) Other property 2b(6)
(7) Total ACE depreciation. Add lines 2b(1) through 2b(6) 2b(7)
c ACE depreciation adjustment. Subtract line 2b(7) from line 2a 2c
3 Inclusion in ACE of items included in earnings and profits (E&P):
a Tax-exempt interest income 3a
b Death benefits from life insurance contracts 3b
c All other distributions from life insurance contracts (including surrenders) 3c
d Inside buildup of undistributed income in life insurance contracts 3d
e Other items (see Regulations sections 1.56(g)-1(c)(6)(iii) through (ix) for a partial list) 3e
f Total increase to ACE from inclusion in ACE of items included in E&P. Add lines 3a through 3e 3f
4 Disallowance of items not deductible from E&P:
a Certain dividends received 4a
b Dividends paid on certain preferred stock of public utilities that are deductible under section 247 (as affected by P.L. 113-295, Div. A, section 221(a)(41)(A), Dec. 19, 2014, 128 Stat. 4043) 4b
c Dividends paid to an ESOP that are deductible under section 404(k) 4c
d Nonpatronage dividends that are paid and deductible under section 1382(c) 4d
e Other items (see Regulations sections 1.56(g)-1(d)(3)(i) and (ii) for a partial list) 4e
f Total increase to ACE because of disallowance of items not deductible from E&P. Add lines 4a through 4e 4f
5 Other adjustments based on rules for figuring E&P:
a Intangible drilling costs 5a
b Circulation expenditures 5b
c Organizational expenditures 5c
d LIFO inventory adjustments 5d
e Installment sales 5e
f Total other E&P adjustments. Combine lines 5a through 5e 5f
6 Disallowance of loss on exchange of debt pools 6
7 Acquisition expenses of life insurance companies for qualified foreign contracts 7
8 Depletion 8
9 Basis adjustments in determining gain or loss from sale or exchange of pre-1994 property 9
10 Adjusted current earnings. Combine lines 1, 2c, 3f, 4f, and 5f through 9. Enter the result here and on line 4a of Form 4626 10
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New drug could help keep advanced skin cancer at bay
Lawrence McGinty Former Science and Medical Editor
A new drug called Vemurafenib has been shown to extend the life expectancy of people with advanced skin cancer.
Drugs offers hope in battle against skin cancer
Vemurafenib is not a total cure but can stop cells from further spreading.
From today doctors can apply for some patients to be given the treatment and, if approved by NICE, could be widely available on the NHS.
The oncologist Dr James Larkin has been involved in the drug's development.
Skin cancer drug offers new hope
Advanced melanoma is a devastating disease and new treatments are desperately needed, so it's especially pleasing that patients will now be able to benefit from a drug that we helped develop.
The success of vemurafenib demonstrates the importance of our approach to developing personalised medicines for cancer.
– Prof Alan Ashworth, chief executive of the Inst of Cancer Research
Skin cancer drug increases life expectancy
The new drug, vemurafenib, taken as four pills twice a day, blocks a specific cancer-causing form of a gene which has been identified by specialists.
A test is available to identify patients who might benefit from the treatment.
In clinical trials vemurafenib increased the life expectancy of patients with advanced disease from 9.6 months to 13.2 months.
New hope for skin cancer patients
A "personalised" pill for advanced skin cancer that can extend life has been approved for use in the UK from today.
The drug, vemurafenib, only works for patients with a specific variant of the BRAF gene.
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ABOUT IVAN HENARES
HERITAGE RESOURCE CENTER
PHILIPPINE HERITAGE
Bring out your Philippine flags! It's National Flag Day 2009!
Hunyo 12 by Claude Tayag (1989 Fiestas Serigraph Series)
It's National Flag Day 2009 today! After reminding Filipinos about the proper way to sing the Philippine National Anthem, it's time to talk about our foremost national symbol, the Philippine flag, and the proper way of displaying it. When was the last time you displayed the Philippine flag outside your home? According to Section 7 of RA 8491 - An Act Prescribing the Code of the National Flag, Anthem, Motto, Coat-of-Arms and other Heraldic Items and Devices of the Philippines:
"SECTION 7. The flag shall also be displayed in private buildings and residences or raised in the open on flag-staffs in front of said buildings every April 9 (Araw ng Kagitingan); May 1 (Labor Day); May 28 (National Flag Day) to June 12 (Independence Day); last Sunday of August (National Heroes Day); November 30 (Bonifacio Day); and December 30 (Rizal Day); and on such other days as may be declared by the President and/or local chief executives."
May 28, 1898 was the day the Philippine flag was first unfurled near the port of Cavite Nuevo after the victory at the Battle of Alapan, where the Philippine Revolutionary Army lead by Aguinaldo defeated the Spanish Army. This day is recognized today as National Flag Day.
As one Filipino nation, let us display the Philippine flag outside our homes and offices from May 28 (National Flag Day) to June 12 (Independence Day)! For the proper display of the flag, please read RA 8491.
The painting above is one of my favorites from Claude Tayag's Fiestas serigraph series. It's called Hunyo 12. In fact, I have one displayed in my room.
Labels: Festivals Posted by Ivan Henares at 12:00 AM
Berniemack Arellano III 28.5.09
Its Watawat Festival here in Imus.,..
ivanhenares 28.5.09
Naku, ano yan?
Pakulo ni Mayor Maliksi "celebrating" the first flag raising in Alapan Imus...launchingg din ng bagong plaza ng Imus...too bad sira cam ko..argh!
Festival on the Philippine flag? Hmmm... the proper term should be commemoration of the Battle of Alapan. Creating a festival out of the flag, in my opinion, makes the flag a commodity.
Sorry its "Wagayway Festival." this was for last year: http://www.imus.gov.ph/wagayway2008.php
That sounds worse! I still think it should not be called a festival. And Flag Capital of the Philippines? Oh c'mon! Let's call a spade a spade, it's the site of the first unfurling of the Philippine flag.
Hahaha!!! I dunno about Malikso but I don't see him acting with Imus' chronic problem....traffic. Sorry if I'm vocal about this because its been years and nothing has been happening in Imus...its even declining, IMO.
I even asked why "Flag Capital?" Was it there that the Philippine flag was even sown and created? Come here in Imus starting today to see what's going on...if you have patience with Cavite's worsening traffic, LOLS!
Aha! Read this: Where was the Filipino Flag first unfurled?
Its in Kawit...not in Alapan, hahahaha!!! This is what I like about historiography...
Poor Imus, trying hard to make a claim to fame. Why does it have to try hard? There is so much to be proud of. Let's get rid of all those titles and motherhood statements that cloud the real reason the town should be proud. And that's the Battle of Alapan.
Wait for 2010, hehehe...I have a hunch there is a change of "liderato" here...but I'll be silent about this for now since sometimes politics and pride can distort historiography...
Pierre 28.5.09
Congratulations on a fine Blog, Ivan! I've added it to my blogroll and look forward to your future posts.
It seems like I'm the only Imuseno here. Well I also too am intruiged about it too. But that's history(?). But I am still protesting against the 2nd renovation of our Old TOWN PLAZA. They should have restored it on what it looked like before, the one without trellises, Jose Rizal and the trees, they should have fixed Licerio Topacio, the Fountain, the terrace and the pathways. It does not match the old Municipal hall and the old Cathedral. SHAME ON YOU MALIKSI!! YOU CORRUPT POLITICIAN!!!! AND TO YOU, WHAT IF I CALL YOUR TOWNS LOSERS EH? WILL YOU BE HAPPY ABOUT IT!!!???
Net 12.6.09
My Philippine flag is hanging on our terrace all year round. I'm in Sweden by the way!
Well, our current mayor, Homer Saquilayan, ceased to celebrate that stupid WAGAYWAY festival, it's just a waste of money if you ask me, the town plaza sucks as well.
About the town plaza, it was once branded as the MOST BEAUTIFUL PLAZA IN THE PHILIPPINES. Sadly it was renovated in 1991 by Manny Maliksi's Father, AYong, who was mayor at that time.
This is how the plaza looked like before: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iyq1luiMzh4 , the video also features the demise of this place, a great LOSS of Imus' HERITAGE.
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At the Romanian Skete of the Honorable Forerunner (Timios Prodromos in Greek) there is a miraculous icon of the Panagia. It is a rare icon of the Orthodox Church, because it was painted without human hands. This miracle of acheiropoiitos (created without hands) iconography came to be in the following manner.
In the year 1863 the founders of the Skete, Fathers Niphon and Nektarios, wished to acquire a beautiful icon of the Panagia, like all the other Athonite monasteries. In Iasi, Romania they found a pious iconographer named Iordakin Nicholas, and they asked him to paint with prayer and fasting the icon they desired. The iconographer agreed, and with much reverence began his work.
While he daily read the Supplication Service to the Most Holy Theotokos, in the beginning he painted the vestments of the Panagia and the Lord. Then he tried to paint the face, but failed. Pained and troubled he stopped the iconography, covered the icon with a cloth, locked the lab, and retired to his room to pray harder.
The next day, wanting to make an effort to paint the divine faces, he entered the lab. When he withdrew the cloth which was over the icon, he beheld a wonder of the Lord. He was amazed to see that the sacred and all-holy faces were miraculously and perfectly made, and the icon was completed in its current form.
The fathers of the Romanian Skete received and transferred the wondrous icon to Mount Athos. During the journey it accomplished numerous miracles and continues to work miracles today, to the glory of our Holy Triune God and the salvation of the faithful. It is celebrated on July 12th.
Source: Translated by John Sanidopoulos
Labels: Iconography, Mariology, Miracles, Mount Athos
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Holy New Martyr Angelis of Constantinople (+ 1680)...
Saint Meletios the New of Mount Myoupolis (+ 1105)...
Commemoration of the Miracle of the Theotokos in M...
Synaxarion for the Exaltation of the Honorable and Life-Creating Cross
Synaxarion for the Exaltation of the Honorable and Life-Creating Cross1
Exalting the neck O Savior,
Creation sees the Cross exalted.
On the fourteenth the Wood of the Cross is exalted.
Constantine the Great and Equal to the Apostles, first among the emperors of ancient Rome, accepted Christianity. While in the midst of battle, according to some against Magnentius in Rome, or according to others against the Scythians at the Danube River,2 he saw that the armies of the enemy were greater in number than his own, and this caused distress and fear. Finding himself in this situation, there appeared in the afternoon the form of the Cross in the sky, marked by stars. And encircling the Cross were letters, also inscribed by stars in Roman, namely Latin letters,3 which said the following: "Conquer by this."
Straightway there was fashioned a Cross,4 like the one that appeared in the sky, and he ordered for it to go before the army. Engaging the enemy, they mightily conquered, to the point that most of them were killed. The others left in fear. The power of the Crucified One was therefore understood by this miracle, and he believed that He was the true God, and he was baptized with his mother.5
He then sent his mother Helen to Jerusalem, first of all, to venerate and honor with more brilliance the life-giving Tomb of the Lord, and the rest of the Holy Land. Also, to hastily seek and find the honorable Cross of the God-man Savior. For this she investigated with fervent longing, and she found it hidden. Likewise she found the two crosses on which the thieves were crucified. She also found the nails.6 The empress was confused, however, as to which of three was the Cross of the Lord. She discovered which it was by a miracle, when it raised a dead widow woman after the Cross of the Lord touched her. The other two crosses of the thieves did not perform the miracle.7
Then she kissed and venerated the honorable Cross with great reverence and faith, not only the empress Helen, but also all the officials with her. Because all the Christians sought to kiss and venerate it, it was not possible to fulfill their desire due to the large crowd, so they sought alternatively to merely see the sweet vision of the honorable Cross, and so by this vision their longing would be satisfied. Wherefore the then blessed Patriarch of Jerusalem Makarios went up onto the ambon, and lifted high with his two hands the honorable Cross, showing it to all the Christians found below. Straightway when they saw it, together they cried out from their heart: "Lord have mercy." From then on it was established by the most divine and God-inspired Fathers of the Church, for all Christians to celebrate on this day, this honorable and universal Exaltation of the divine Cross, to the glory of Christ our true God for Whom they gather.
1. This synaxarian is from the 10th century Synaxarion of Constantinople. Translation and notes by John Sanidopoulos.
2. The most reliable research indicates that this battle was neither against Magnentius or the Scythians, but against Maxentius at the Milvian Bridge. Also, sources indicate that Constantine became a Christian before this battle through his son Crispus, who was a Christian, after presenting him with certain books of his father who was a Christian.
3. Some sources say the letters were in Latin, while others, like Emperor Leo the Wise and Paisios of Gaza, say they were in Greek.
4. After the vision of the Cross in the sky, that night Constantine saw Christ in a vision, Who told him to place the form of the Cross he saw on his spear.
5. There used to be a false opinion that Pope Sylvester of Rome catechized and baptized Constantine, but these documents were proved to be papal forgeries. Rather, it is believed Helen was already a Christian, while Constantine put off his baptism in order to be baptized in the Jordan River, which he was never able to accomplish, therefore he was baptized by Eusebius of Nicomedia before his repose in Constantinople.
6. These nails were brought by Helen to Constantinople, as a gift to her son. One was placed in the bridle of his horse, to fulfill the prophecy of Zachariah 14:20, "On that day Holy to the Lord Almighty will be inscribed on the bridle of the horses." The second was placed in his battle helmet. The third, according to Ambrose, was thrown by Helen into the Adriatic Sea in order to calm a storm, though Dositheos of Jerusalem does not believe this story. Socrates says that the Cross and Nails were placed in the pillar of the statue of Constantine in Constantinople, to protect the City. Some say there were only three nails, while others say they were four, with two nails used for each foot rather than one nail for both feet.
7. Euthymios Zygabenos says that the true Cross of the Lord was distinguished by the inscription of Pilate over one of the crosses that said Christ was King of the Jews. Also, some say that the woman was near death and immediately healed, while others say fragrant basil grew over the location of the actual Cross of Christ. The finding of the Cross is celebrated on March 6th. The two crosses of the thieves were brought to Constantinople and placed in a porphyry pillar in the forum, with other relics.
Apolytikion in the First Tone
O Lord, save Thy people and bless Thine inheritance. Grant victory over their enemies to Orthodox Christians, and protect Thy people with Thy Cross.
O Christ our God, Who wast voluntarily lifted up on the Cross, grant Thy mercies to Thy new people named after Thee. Gladden with Thy power Orthodox Christians and give them victory over their enemies. May they have as an ally that invincible trophy, Thy weapon of peace.
Labels: Cross, Saints of September
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(-) Maternity services
(-) Health and wellbeing boards
(-) Integrated care
Patient leadership
(-) System leadership
Leading for integrated care: 'If you think competition is hard, you should try collaboration'
This report explores the progress, challenges and opportunities the move towards greater integration presents, through interviews with 16 people leading or chairing an integrated care system or sustainability and transformation partnership.
By Nicholas Timmins - 27 November 2019
Health and wellbeing boards and integrated care systems
In the last several years there have been significant changes in how the NHS works across different services and with external partners such as local government. Richard Humphries explores how this has impacted health and wellbeing boards, and what the future holds for them.
By Richard Humphries - 13 November 2019
Talking leadership: breakthrough conversations
We talk to Patricia Boyle, a senior consultant here at The King’s Fund, about why important conversations sometimes become stuck and what helps and about our new programme on this topic, Leading breakthrough conversations.
By Tricia Boyle - 6 August 2019
Talking leadership: Ben Fuchs on 'advantage blindness'
Ben Fuchs is a Senior Consultant in our Leadership and Organisational Development team. Ahead of our annual leadership summit on compassionate and inclusive leadership, we explore why it’s important for those in management and leadership roles to be aware of potential blind spots.
By Ben Fuchs - 24 May 2019
The false promise of the self-improving health system
There is an urgent need to reform the system for paying and contracting for services in the NHS but new complex financial incentive schemes are not the answer, writes Ben Collins for HSJ.
By Ben Collins - 1 April 2019
Payments and contracting for integrated care: The false promise of the self-improving health system
Why should the new payment systems being developed to support integrated care be any more successful than previous ones? This new report calls for urgent reform of the system for paying and contracting services in the NHS.
The NHS long-term plan explained
On 7 January, the NHS long-term plan was published setting out key ambitions for the service over the next 10 years. In this explainer, we set out the main commitments in the plan and provide our view of what they might mean, highlighting the opportunities and challenges for the health and care system as it moves to put the plan into practice.
By Anna Charles et al - 23 January 2019
Community health services explained
Community services play a key role in keeping people well, treating and managing acute illness and long-term conditions, and supporting people to live independently – and yet they are poorly understood compared to other parts of the NHS. In this explainer we set out what community services are, the challenges faced and how they're changing.
By Anna Charles - 14 January 2019
Shared responsibility for health: the cultural change we need
We believe that the relationship between the public and the NHS, and between patients and the staff who care for them, needs to be transformed. As well as ensuring that the resources (funding and workforce) needed to deliver care are available, national and local leaders must work to fully engage patients and the public in improving health and care.
By Professor Sir Chris Ham et al - 23 November 2018
Sustainability and transformation partnerships in London: An independent review
Our report, commissioned by the Mayor of London, reviews the progress made over the past year by London's five sustainability and transformation partnerships (STPs).
By Matthew Kershaw et al - 16 October 2018
Talking leadership with Suzie Bailey
Suzie recently joined The King’s Fund as Director of Leadership and Organisational Development. We talk to her about the challenges facing leaders from across the health and care system.
By Suzie Bailey - 25 September 2018
A year of integrated care systems: reviewing the journey so far
Integrated care systems represent a fundamental and far-reaching change in how the NHS works across different services and with external partners. This report is based on interviews with eight of the ‘first wave’ ICSs to understand how they are developing and to identify lessons for local systems and national policy-makers.
By Anna Charles et al - 20 September 2018
Joined-up listening: integrated care and patient insight
In this article, we articulate the opportunity that integrated care presents for using insight from people and populations to design services that meet their needs and reflect their priorities.
By Dan Wellings et al - 30 August 2018
Breaking the leadership mould
Suzie Bailey and Saffron Cordery from NHS Providers reflect on the findings of our joint report and the challenge of recruiting and retaining leadership roles.
By Suzie Bailey et al - 22 August 2018
The Montefiore Health System in New York: a case study
The Montefiore Health System in the Bronx, New York, has found ways of helping even the most deprived by stepping beyond the bounds of conventional health services. Our report explores the system in detail.
By Ben Collins - 27 July 2018
Leadership in today's NHS: delivering the impossible
Leaders in today’s NHS operate in a climate of extreme pressure. Staffing vacancies are rife, there are widespread challenges in meeting financial and performance targets and demands on services continue to increase. What can be done to support current leaders and encourage future ones?
By Siva Anandaciva et al - 18 July 2018
The NHS 10-year plan: how should the extra funding be spent?
The government has announced increases in NHS funding and has asked the NHS to come up with a 10-year plan for how this funding will be used. After eight years of austerity, there is now an opportunity to tackle the issues that matter most to patients and communities and to improve health and care.
By Professor Sir Chris Ham et al - 12 July 2018
Leading across health and social care in Scotland: learning from chief officers' experiences, planning next steps
This report, commissioned by the Scottish Government in collaboration with the chief officers of integration authorities, looks how the chief officers have developed their role in the Scottish health and social care system so far.
By Alex Baylis et al - 21 June 2018
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Dulcolax, Buy Dulcolax - FREE shipping!* - Kiwi Drug - New Zealand Pharmacy Online
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Dulcolax (bisacodyl) is a laxative used to alleviate constipation, promote regularity in certain bowel disorders, and to empty the bowels prior to certain medical procedures. It is safe for use in patients 12 years of age and up.
The medication comes in small, easy-to-swallow tablets which cause a bowel movement around 8 hours later. Tablets are typically taken at bedtime, but can be taken at other times if preferred.
Getting the Most from Dulcolax
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Do not use other laxatives with Dulcolax.
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Most of the time constipation is easily treated and nothing to be too concerned about. Unfortunately this is not always the case, and it can be a symptom of a very serious underlying issue. While taking Dulcolax, or any laxative, be alert for warning signs that warrant medical attention:
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PALAWAN SEAS PROJECT
Current Project: Palawan Seas [2007-present]
Bolondong's Octopus Hunt [2019]
Four Generations [2005-2011]
Symbiosis [2006-2009]
KATHERINE JACK
The Nest Gatherers of Pabellon Island
Eduardo ‘Dado’ Gueriba, the 45-year-old community leader of Maytegued Island, has been climbing the craggy rock faces of Pabellon since he was six. In the early morning, Pabellon’s cliffs tower above a calm greenish-blue sea. Small wooden huts perched on boulders by the shoreline are dwarfed by giant limestone rock formations.
Dado arrives on the shore of Pabellon with a group of men from Maytegued. They leave their outrigger boat and set out along the beach carrying bundled ropes and bamboo poles. These are the nest gatherers of Pabellon – skilled climbers, locally known as busyadores, looking for birds’ nests.
The nests, made by Aerodramus fuciphagus swiftlets from hardened strands of their gummy saliva, are among the world’s most expensive animal produce consumed by humans. They are typically made into ‘bird’s nest soup’, a Chinese delicacy renowned for a multitude of health benefits, such as raising libido and boosting the immune system. On Pabellon, high quality nests are sold for PHP 180,000 ($3,785) per kilo.
Gonzalo Ponce de Leon, 67 years old, is the oldest climber here and has been gathering nests since he fourteen. “When we used to come here in the 1950s there were only ten or fifteen climbers, now there are more than fifty,” he recalls. “In those days we sold the nests to a Chinese man from Manila, who gave us roughly PHP0.12 per kilo. The men would make around PHP35 during each harvest, which was considered a good income at that time.”
Nest gathering is risky – the climbers are mostly barefoot and use only bamboo poles and a few ropes to reach caves hundreds of metres up. Inside the caves the busyadores continue their ascent on slippery rocks in the darkness. Nowadays most climbers have small flashlights, however traditionally they found their way carrying burning tree sap, locally called saleng, wrapped in palm leaves.
“Most of us prefer free-climbing,” says Gueriba, whose grandfather taught him how to navigate Pabellon’s caves “but there are many areas where the climbers need ropes or bamboo to scale sheer rock faces or cross gaps in the cave walls”. The rugged limestone can be perilous.
“Some rocks are loose so you must ensure that each one you hold onto is secure. During my lifetime alone, two men have fallen to their death,” he says. “When my nephews climb with me, I warn them to never remove their hands if they are not absolutely sure of the rock beneath their feet.”
Located in Taytay Bay, in northern Palawan, Philippines, Pabellon consists of two limestone karst islands sculpted by water over millions of years, creating a labyrinth of intricate cave complexes. These caves are home to edible-nest swiftlets (locally called balinsasayaw), who inhabit the caves from December until August each year to mate, build nests and produce offspring.
The harvest takes place from December until June and, during these months, the busyadores climb up to the caves every twenty to fifteen days. In June and July the swiftlets are left to re-build their nests and produce offspring. Most busyadores are local Cuyonon and Tagbanua men from the neighbouring island of Maytegued, where climbing skills have been passed from father to son through hundreds of generations. Each cave is traditionally cared for by a particular family, who is responsible for gathering the nests.
In 1920, the local government started selling concessions for harvesting Pabellon’s nests directly to traders, most of whom were Chinese. But in the late 1990s the climbers began finding traces of blood in the nests, a possible indication that the bird population was under stress.
“It was difficult during the time of the Chinese concessioners as they had complete control over the harvest,” remembers Gueriba. “They wanted to make as much money as possible and forced us to keep climbing and collecting nests even after the birds had laid their eggs.” The population suffered during that time, as the birds could not reproduce successfully. The climbers explained to the concessioners that some nests must be left for the birds to hatch their eggs but they ignored the advice and forced the climbers to collect them all.
So in 2005, the busyadores formed a cooperative and bought the concession for Pabellon from the local government. Since then a more sustainable harvesting system has been in operation, run by the traditional owners of the caves.
“Since we formed our own cooperative things have been much better,” Gueriba continues. “We are now the ones in control of the harvest. Our income depends on the market value of the nests, rather than on middlemen. We take care of the balinsasayaw population, giving them time to reproduce so that they continue to return to Pabellon each year.”
The climbers now pay a tax of PHP2.6 million ($54,718) to the municipal government every year, 20 percent of which goes to the Palawan Council for Sustainable Development. In return, the municipality helps the busyadores to police Pabellon – a huge challenge since thieves can come in the dead of night, leave their boats far from the island and swim to the shore before climbing up to the caves.
When the climbers arrive on Pabellon in early December they begin cleaning the walls of the caves, removing debris from the previous year so that the swiftlets can build new nests on the clean walls. If left to natural processes, it might be years before the walls were clean enough to provide a suitable nesting area and in this sense the relationship between the busyadores and the balinsasayaw is truly symbiotic.
Arthur Cavalda, 18, is among the most confident of the young climbers. He places a bamboo pole pointing up the cliff in front of him and makes the sign of the cross before deftly lifting himself onto the rocks. Once he has begun his climb he moves quickly, springing from one position to another, eventually entering a cave at the cliff top. He may be young but he is repeating the movements of his forefathers from hundreds of years ago.
Cavalda, here to help his cousins with their harvest, looks completely at home despite his relatively young age. “Climbing comes to me so naturally,” he says. “ I don’t feel fear – it is just my way of life.”
+63 998 8838970 | kat@katherinejack.com
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Throughout Southern California
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July 2019 Archives
Pre-Paid Funeral Plans: Buyer Beware
By The Law Firm of Kavesh, Minor & Otis, Inc. posted in Funeral on Monday, July 29, 2019.
Funerals rank among the most expensive purchases many consumers will ever make. A traditional funeral costs about $7,000, although "extras" like flowers, obituary notices, acknowledgment cards and limousines can bring the total to well over $10,000. Moreover, people often "overspend" on a funeral or burial because they think of it as a reflection of their feelings for the deceased.
Continue reading Pre-Paid Funeral Plans: Buyer Beware...
Summertime and The Living Was Easy
By The Law Firm of Kavesh, Minor & Otis, Inc. posted in Children on Monday, July 29, 2019.
Article Written By, Philip Kavesh
Continue reading Summertime and The Living Was Easy...
Steps You Can Take NOW to Plan for Long-Term Care--and Before It's Too Late!
By The Law Firm of Kavesh, Minor & Otis, Inc. posted in Long Term Care on Thursday, July 25, 2019.
It is estimated that two out of every three Americans will require some kind of assisted living at some point during their lives. This can be due to aging, illness, or some other disability.
Continue reading Steps You Can Take NOW to Plan for Long-Term Care--and Before It's Too Late!...
Who Should You Choose to Be Your Successor Trustee?
By The Law Firm of Kavesh, Minor & Otis, Inc. posted in Trustee on Monday, July 15, 2019.
When putting together your Living Trust estate plan, you will be asked to name a Successor Trustee. During your lifetime, you serve as the Trustee of your own trust. You control all of your assets as usual, but should something happen to you and you are no longer able to serve (such as become incapacitated or pass away), whomever you have named as Successor Trustee will step in.
Continue reading Who Should You Choose to Be Your Successor Trustee?...
What Happens to Your Living Trust If You Become Disabled?
A common question for many people is what happens to your Living Trust (and your assets) if something were to happen to you and you were to become disabled or ill to manage your own affairs. Who takes over then?
Continue reading What Happens to Your Living Trust If You Become Disabled?...
Changes Coming to IRA Planning
By The Law Firm of Kavesh, Minor & Otis, Inc. posted in IRA on Friday, July 5, 2019.
Have you heard of the bill that is currently going through Congress called the "Setting Every Community Up For Retirement Enhancement" (also known as the SECURE Act). The SECURE Act is going to bring about major changes to IRA and retirement planning, more than we have seen in decades. Namely, it's effectively going to put an end to "stretch IRAs" as we know them. While the House approved the SECURE Act at the end of May, it has now been sent to the Senate for vote and they have some differences to the bill pending. If you have an IRA, chances are the beneficiary of your IRA is your spouse. However, if you have an IRA that you don't plan to use, then your beneficiary might be your youngest grandchild. The IRS currently requires that you withdraw a certain amount every year once you turn 70 ½ (also known as a required minimum distribution or "RMD"). The "stretch IRA" works because younger beneficiaries have a longer life expectancy, which allows for longer periods of time for the money to compound, smaller RMDs and taxed much less. Thus, a larger sum of money going to the beneficiaries. The House version of the bill changes the stretch period to a maximum of 10 years. The Senate version of the bill allows a stretch of the IRA on the first $400,000 of aggregated IRAs and the exceeding balance must be distributed within five years. Under the current rules, a younger beneficiary would take a distribution over their life expectancy using a chart while under the SECURE Act, the beneficiary would have to withdraw all the money within 10 years. Generally, these pending changes are intended to modernize and update aspects of retirement planning. Giving flexibility for individuals who work beyond the age of 70 ½, allowing for continued contributions as well as certain academic contributions to be made to IRAs. This enables people to start saving for their retirement at a much younger age. As noted, the House has voted and approved the SECURE Act and this pending legislation is currently awaiting on a vote from the Senate-with both sides hashing out their versions of the bill and the rules and regulations to be finalized. We, at the Law Firm of Kavesh, Minor & Otis, are keeping a close eye on this legislation. Once we have information about how this may impact IRA accounts and any IRA planning that you have done (or can do), we will definitely be reaching out to discuss this further with our clients.
Continue reading Changes Coming to IRA Planning...
Medicare Launches App to Help Beneficiaries Find Out What's Covered
By The Law Firm of Kavesh, Minor & Otis, Inc. posted in Medicare on Monday, July 1, 2019.
At the doctor's office and want to know if a procedure is covered by Medicare? There is an app for that. Medicare has launched a free app that gives beneficiaries a quick way to see whether the program covers a specific medical item or service.
Continue reading Medicare Launches App to Help Beneficiaries Find Out What's Covered...
Child Off to College Soon? Is He or She Properly Protected In Case of Accident or Illness?
By The Law Firm of Kavesh, Minor & Otis, Inc. posted in College on Monday, July 1, 2019.
If you have a child (or grandchild) over age 18 and heading to college, read on...
Continue reading Child Off to College Soon? Is He or She Properly Protected In Case of Accident or Illness?...
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Kenmore Uniting Church
A church with Heart, Mind and Soul
News & Recent Events
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Refreshed Shop
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The small church, now called the Pioneer Church, was built in 1885 on a donated half acre of land which faced Kenmore Road near its junction with Brookfield Road. In the mid 1900s the building was relocated to its present position at the back of the (then new) large church on Moggill Road.
Enquiries about Weddings in the heritage listed Pioneer Church are welcome, but note that the church holds a maximum of 70 people comfortably.
In 2015, we celebrated the 130 year anniversary of this church.
A special CD version of the community history written for the Centenary is available and on sale at the Refreshed Shop at the Church, 982 Moggill Road for $10 – or ring Dawn (3878 3936). See below for details
Contact the office: kenmore@dovenetq.net.au
Photo gallery: Please click on image for additional photos
TELL THE NEXT GENERATION:
CDs on sale for $10
Are you new to the district?
Would you like to learn more about the area’s history and development? Tell the Next Generation is a history of the early days from the 1840s to 1985, covering the churches, schools, occupations and families.
Did your great grandparents live here and now you’d like to know more about how your family worked in this community?
Whether you are a descendant of pioneers or just moved in, the new CD version of the community’s history will be of interest to you.
The history of the district from Fig Tree Pocket to Moggill called Tell the Next Generation produced in 1985 has been out of print for many years. However, it is now available in a digital version which is a copy of the book with text and photos and a new Appendix which includes a detailed index for those trying to find relatives or familiar place names.
This CD is now on sale from for $10 at the Church Refreshed Shop at 982 Moggill Road from 9 till 12.30 pm each day. You can email the Church Office (kenmore@dovenetq.net.au) with an order or ring Dawn (3878 3936) to ensure a copy.
Sunday Services: 9.00 am Come and enjoy the service and the fellowship of the Cha Bar afterwards.
982 Moggill Road, Kenmore, 4069
email: kenmoreuc01@gmail.com
Office open:
Thursday & Friday: 9.30am – 4.00pm
© 2020 - Kenmore Uniting Church Proudly powered by WordPress Weaver II by WP Weaver
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Richard Liu is the billionaire who operates JD.com
Woman sues Chinese billionaire for alleged rape
Richard Liu released a statement on Chinese social media then saying he broke no law
A woman who said she was raped by JD.com founder Richard Liu filed a lawsuit Tuesday against the billionaire and his company alleging he and other wealthy Chinese executives coerced her to drink during a dinner in the hours before she was attacked.
Jingyao Liu, a student at the University of Minnesota, claims Liu forced himself upon her in his vehicle after the dinner and later raped her at her apartment. The lawsuit seeks damages of more than $50,000.
Richard Liu, founder of the Beijing-based e-commerce site JD.com, was arrested Aug. 31 in Minneapolis on suspicion of felony rape and released within hours. Prosecutors announced in December that he would face no criminal charges because the case had “profound evidentiary problems” and that it was unlikely they could prove his guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Liu’s defence attorneys said at the time that his arrest was based on a false claim. Liu released a statement on Chinese social media then saying he broke no law, but that his interactions with the woman hurt his family, especially his wife, and he hoped she would accept his apology.
READ MORE: Prosecutor wraps up case in Bountiful child bride trial
Attorneys for Richard Liu and representatives of JD.com did not immediately respond to messages from The Associated Press seeking comment.
The alleged attack happened while Liu was in Minneapolis for a weeklong residency as part of the University of Minnesota’s doctor of business administration China program. The four-year program in the university’s management school is geared toward high-level executives in China and is a partnership with Tsinghua University School of Economics and Management.
Jingyao Liu is a Chinese citizen studying at the university on a student visa. The Associated Press does not generally name alleged victims of sexual assault without their consent her attorney Wil Florin said Jingyao Liu had agreed to be named.
On the night of the alleged attack, Liu and other executives went to Origami, a Japanese restaurant in Minneapolis. The woman went to the dinner as a volunteer, Florin has said. She felt coerced to drink as the powerful men toasted her, he said.
Text messages reviewed by The Associated Press and portions of the woman’s interviews with police show the woman claims Liu pulled her into a vehicle and made advances despite her protests. The woman texted a friend: “I begged him don’t. But he didn’t listen.” She said he raped her at her apartment.
READ MORE: US man gets life for killing teen who accused him of rape
Liu, known in Chinese as Liu Qiangdong, is a prominent member of the Chinese tech elite, with a fortune of $7.5 billion. He is part of a generation of entrepreneurs who have created China’s internet, e-commerce, mobile phone and other technology industries since the late 1990s. The son of peasants, Liu built a Beijing electronics shop into JD.com, China’s biggest online direct retailer, selling everything from clothes to toys to fresh vegetables.
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RCMP officer pleads not guilty to assault in northern B.C.
Penticton residents invited to candle light vigil for shooting victims
Petition to install safety barriers on Hwy 97 garners over 500 supporters
Yesterday a fatal collision on Hwy 97 claimed the life of one individual
Minister of Health was in Oliver for the official opening of the improved emergency department
Okanagan health care community mourns loss of long-time hospital director
Ken Jarrard dedicated his life in Penticton to health care; he passed away today at age 92.
Four arrested, weapons, suspected drugs seized by RCMP in Penticton
Penticton RCMP take down local drug trafficking operation
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Home » Aaliya’s Magic Wish to Visit Her Favorite Princess Jasmine
Aaliya’s Magic Wish to Visit Her Favorite Princess Jasmine
“She talked to Mickey Mouse about her polka-dotted fingernail polish and had conversations with him like they were old friends.”
Aaliya loves Disney and has always wanted to visit Disneyland in California and meet some of her favorite characters. Kids Wish Network granted Aaliya’s wish and flew her and her family to Anaheim, California for Aaliya’s Disney wonderland wish.
Aaliya suffers from biliary atresia, a rare disease of the liver that blocks the flow of important digestive fluids, which can quickly cause damage and scarring of the liver cells. Because of her condition, Aaliya had a liver transplant a few months after her birth, and she still has some complications.
Aaliya and her family stayed at the wonderful Sheraton Park hotel and were greeted with balloons and gift baskets filled with some of her favorite Disney characters including Minnie Mouse and Vampirina. Luckily, Aaliya spent her first day at Disney during the opening day of the California Adventure Park Food and Wine Festival. Aaliya had a delectable time trying all the different foods on display. Her absolute favorite food from the festival was the gourmet mac and cheese with garlic bread crumbles sprinkled on top. Aaliya also got to participate in a Jr. chef cooking show where she got to make and eat special Disney dishes. She even got to try the delicious Disney dish frushi, a kind of sushi made out of fruit. She loved every bite.
During her trip to Disneyland, Aaliya met Chip and Dale, Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, and her favorite characters Princess Jasmine and Mickey Mouse himself. Princess Jasmine even offered Aaliya VIP seats to stay and watch her perform in a parade that evening. “She talked to Mickey Mouse about her polka-dotted fingernail polish and had conversations with him like they were old friends,” said Aaliya’s mom Rebecca. In addition to all the magical characters, Aaliya rode tons of fun rides, her favorites being It’s a Small World and the Mad Tea Party. In addition to all the wonderful food and exciting adventures at Disneyland, Aaliya and her family were treated to delicious dinners at Tony Roma’s, Bubba Gump Shrimp Co., and Roy’s Steakhouse.
Kids Wish Network would like to thank the following sponsors for making Aaliya’s dreams become a reality:
Sheraton Park at Anaheim
Tony Roma’s
Roy’s Steakhouse
Donate to Help Grant more Wishes
https://www.kidswishnetwork.org/2019/03/aaliyas-magic-wish-to-visit-her-favorite-princess-jasmine/
https://www.kidswishnetwork.org/2019/03/aaliyas-magic-wish-to-visit-her-favorite-princess-jasmine
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Newton Burgoland Primary School
Find out how Newton Burgoland Primary School rates compared to other primary schools in Leicestershire with our school ratings
Here Newton Burgoland Primary School, School Lane, Newton Burgoland, Coalville, LE67 2SL, is put into focus to show its scores in relation to other schools in the area.
School Lane, Newton Burgoland, Coalville, LE67 2SL
The open date and status above indicate when Newton Burgoland Primary School opened or when it changed to its most recent incarnation, with a number of schools converting to academies in recent years. Where schools have changed type recently, data for previous years covering their previous incarnation is included below as well - so a school may have a status of New due to converting to an academy but have data for previous years prior to conversion.
What type of school is Newton Burgoland Primary School?
England Rank 5,957 10,593 11,355 1,354
Local Rank 88 158 167 15
Data missing (out of 42) 17
How Newton Burgoland Primary School scores on each indicator.
Newton Burgoland Primary School has been rated as Outstanding at its most recent Ofsted inspection.
How does Newton Burgoland Primary School perform on each of the areas inspected by Ofsted? As of September 2012, a score of 3 changed from indicating Satisfactory to Requires Improvement.
In 2019, 71% of pupils at Newton Burgoland Primary School reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.
How have pupils at Newton Burgoland Primary School done in assessments at the end of Key Stage 2 and how does it compare to local authority and national averages?
While pupils are generally aiming to be working at the expected level in reading, writing and maths, what proportion of children at Newton Burgoland Primary School had a high score in reading and maths and were working at greater depth in writing, and how does this compare to performance at local and national level?
How do children at Newton Burgoland Primary School with different levels of attainment at Key Stage 1 and pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds perform in terms of reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths?
How does the % of boys and girls at Newton Burgoland Primary School achieving the expected standard in reading, writing and maths compare to the national average?
What is the pupil:teacher ratio at Newton Burgoland Primary School and how does it compare to the national average?
At Newton Burgoland Primary School, pupils had an average progress score in maths in 2019 that was 1.7 compared to the national average of 0.
At Newton Burgoland Primary School, pupils had an average progress score in reading in 2019 that was 2.8 compared to the national average of 0.
At Newton Burgoland Primary School, pupils had an average progress score in writing in 2019 that was 2.8 compared to the national average of 0.
In 2017/18, the most recent full school year, 2.8% of half-day sessions were missed by pupils at Newton Burgoland Primary School. Nationally, primary school pupils missed 4% of half-day sessions.
What is the total school spend per pupil at Newton Burgoland Primary School compared to the local average? (school is in blue)
How much does Newton Burgoland Primary School spend per pupil on teachers and educational support staff and how does this compare to the average spending across Leicestershire?
What percentage of the budget at Newton Burgoland Primary School is spent on supply staff?
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Leimert Park Sunday Drum Circle Every Sunday@ 3 pm
March 28, 2010 at 3pm to April 3, 2011 at 12pm – Leimert Park Join us each and every Sunday from 3:00PM until dusk and experience the Leimert Park Drum Circle. All ages and skill levels are welcome to participate in this exciting community event. Organized by Mel Jones | Type: community, event, music
5Vibes Open Mic Sanctuary
April 22, 2010 at 8pm to April 22, 2011 at 11:30pm – Alliance de Francaise FREE FOOD and DRINKS for the TALENTED - 5Vibes Open Mic Sanctuary is finally here. Organized by Environmentally Sound Music TM | Type: fun, raiser., mixer., dinner, party.
Los Angeles Sparks Writers Workshop
June 8, 2010 at 4:30pm to August 20, 2010 at 4pm – STAPLES Center THE LOS ANGELES SPARKS BRINGS CREATIVE WRITING TO THE STAPLES CENTER Spurring Our Fans with Books and Basketball”T he Los Angeles Sparks and Reflections Publishing, Inc. join together to launch the 1… Organized by Debbie Bellis | Type: writer's, workshop
June 19, 2010 at 7pm to June 27, 2010 at 10pm – Lucy Florence Cultural Center The Beautiful Ones A new Play by Tory Scroggiins June 19, 20, 26 and 27 7PM buffet / 8PM show $25 includes buffet and show Lucy Florence Cultural Center 3351 W 43rd Street Los Angeles CA 90008 (323)… Organized by richard/ronald harris | Type: theater
Leimert Park Art Walk
June 27, 2010 from 10am to 10pm – Leimert Park Village A gang of artist and live performances of all types at Kaos Network, Cinefreestyle and the Vision. Art exhibits up and down the street at various open spaces. Leimert park drum circle at the Fountai… Organized by KAOS' Ben Caldwell and Kyle Verbs Guy | Type: art, walk
Summer Soul-stice Mind-Body-Spirit Healing Fest
June 27, 2010 from 3pm to 7pm – Lucy Florence Cultural Center Sunday, June 27, 2010 3PM to 7PM Admission free / $10 for healings & readings Lucy Florence Cultural Center 3351 W 43rd Street Los Angeles CA 90008 (323) 293-1356 http://www.lucyflorence.org Dis… Organized by Rhonda Kuykendall-Jabari | Type: healing, fest
Message Media Ed presents... RISE ABOVE THE NOISE.
June 27, 2010 from 3pm to 6pm – Vegan Village Internet Cafe - Community Room Message Media Ed presents… RISE ABOVE THE NOISE "The Normalization of Failure & Black Inferiority in the Media" In an effort to create a safe space for cultural healing and shifts in consciousn… Organized by Message Media Ed & The DIGITAL ELDER Project | Type: educational, workshop/community, discussion
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Shield rule closes hearing in rape case against ex-UT Vols A.J. Johnson, Michael Williams
A judge is deciding behind closed doors an issue upon which the fate – and freedom - of a former star UT linebacker and his ex-teammate could rest.
Shield rule closes hearing in rape case against ex-UT Vols A.J. Johnson, Michael Williams A judge is deciding behind closed doors an issue upon which the fate – and freedom - of a former star UT linebacker and his ex-teammate could rest. Check out this story on knoxnews.com: https://knoxne.ws/2J3tBDW
Jamie Satterfield, USA TODAY NETWORK - Tennessee Published 3:38 p.m. ET May 30, 2018 | Updated 7:37 p.m. ET May 30, 2018
Former University of Tennessee linebacker A.J. Johnson, right, walks to the courtroom in Knox County Criminal Court on Wednesday, May 30, 2018. (Photo: Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel )Buy Photo
A judge is deciding behind closed doors an issue upon which the fate – and freedom – of a former star University of Tennessee linebacker and his ex-teammate could rest.
And it’s perfectly legal for Knox County Criminal Court Judge Bob McGee to do so under a Tennessee Supreme Court rule enacted more than two decades ago that the court said would “balance” the accused’s constitutional right to a fair trial with an accuser’s “sexual privacy.”
Special shield
Judge McGee is holding a hearing this week in the aggravated rape case filed against former Vols A.J. Johnson and Michael Williams that will determine if the ex-players can seek to show their accuser is lying by, in part, presenting testimony that she and Johnson had been engaging in secret sexual trysts for months.
More: Accuser in rape case against ex-Vols A.J. Johnson, Michael Williams to testify for first time
Citing the state Supreme Court’s rape shield law, McGee locked the courtroom for the hearing Wednesday. Witnesses waiting to testify included the accuser’s best friend and several Knoxville Police Department investigators. The accuser could be seen on the witness stand - from outside the courtroom – for several hours Wednesday morning and early afternoon.
Knox County Criminal Court Judge Bob McGee speaks during a motions hearing for former University of Tennessee football players A.J. Johnson and Michael Williams on Sept. 17. (Photo: Michael Patrick / News Sentinel)
None of that testimony will be made public under the rule, which requires the record of the hearing to be sealed.
The rule states, “The court shall hold a hearing in chambers or otherwise out of the hearing of the public and the jury to determine whether the evidence described in the motion is admissible.”
Case turns on consent
The motion in the case involving Johnson and Williams is under seal, too. But USA TODAY NETWORK-Tennessee has determined, based on unsealed court records, attorneys Stephen Ross Johnson and Tom Dillard, who represent A.J. Johnson, and attorneys David Eldridge and Zach Walden, who represent Williams, want to question the accuser about her sexual history with Johnson.
That history is at the heart of their contention the accuser voluntarily had sex with them and claimed rape for fear her parents and boyfriend – also a UT athlete – would find out.
Former UT football players A.J. Johnson and Michael Williams shake hands as they leave a motions hearing in Knox County Criminal Court on Sept. 17. (Photo: Michael Patrick / File / News Sentinel)
Johnson and Williams are accused of raping the woman, also a UT athlete, in Johnson’s bedroom during a party in November 2014 at his apartment after the football team won a game. The accuser’s best friend, records show, saw the accuser engaging in sex with Johnson after the two women arrived but left the room when, she said, Williams made a pass at her.
More: Supreme Court backs A.J. Johnson's bid to see alleged victim's social media
More: Motion: Ex-Vol A.J. Johnson's accuser supported his consensual sex claim in statement
Johnson and Williams contend the accuser had consensual sex with both of them and only alleged rape after word began to spread among partygoers. At least one witness told police he saw the accuser chatting with Williams and Johnson after the alleged rape and overheard Johnson protest when Williams asked for the accuser’s phone number.
Prosecutors Leslie Nassios and Kyle Hixson contend the accuser did not agree to have sex with the two men – no matter her prior relationship with Johnson – and told them so but was forced to continue.
Deputy District Attorney General Kyle Hixson is shown in an undated photo. (Photo: Jon Gustin)
Hearing, record sealed
The rape shield rule was enacted in 1991. No other class of crimes are afforded similar privacy protections for the alleged victims. It came after pressure from victims’ rights groups.
The rule sets up a legal test to guide judges on when they should tip the scales in favor of the accused and allow testimony about an accuser’s sexual past and when they should tip the scales in favor of the accuser’s “interests … in avoiding an unnecessary, degrading, and embarrassing invasion of sexual privacy,” the rule states.
Former Tennessee player A.J. Johnson heads to court with his attorney, Stephen Ross Johnson, on Friday, Nov. 17, 2017, at the City-County Building. (Photo: Michael Patrick / News Sentinel)
Because McGee closed the entirety of the hearing – and not just the portions related to the accuser’s sexual history – it’s not clear why the accuser's friend Anna Lawn and the KPD investigators were on the witness list. But records indicate the defense also would be seeking to question the accuser and Lawn about why they ditched their phones and deleted their social media accounts after KPD investigators asked about them.
The attorneys for Johnson and Williams have been battling for nearly three years to gain access to social media messages and posts as well as phone text messages by the accuser, Lawn and two other witnesses.
Knox County Assistant District Attorney Leslie Nassios in 2017. (Photo: Michael Patrick/News Sentinel)
They said whatever the accuser and her friends said via the internet before and after the alleged rape could help prove the accuser is lying. The defense also noted the accuser and Lawn — a key state witness — got rid of their phones after police asked about text messages and social media chatter.
David Eldridge (Photo: Submitted)
Several witnesses told police there had been discussion about the allegations via internet-based messaging, the defense argued, but the Knoxville Police Department failed to follow through with its warrant for that communication.
The defense appealed when McGee refused to allow them direct access from the four women of their social media accounts and won, creating a new legal right for the accused across the state.
The men are currently set to stand trial in July.
Read or Share this story: https://knoxne.ws/2J3tBDW
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TSA Precheck additions: Norwegian, Icelandair and Via airlines
Three more airlines have joined the Transportation Security Administration’s expedited screening program called Precheck, the agency announced this week.
TSA Precheck additions: Norwegian, Icelandair and Via airlines Three more airlines have joined the Transportation Security Administration’s expedited screening program called Precheck, the agency announced this week. Check out this story on knoxnews.com: https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/flights/todayinthesky/2018/10/24/tsa-precheck-additions-norwegian-icelandair-and-via-airlines/1748197002/
Ben Mutzabaugh, USA TODAY Published 8:34 a.m. ET Oct. 24, 2018 | Updated 8:42 a.m. ET Oct. 24, 2018
Travelers go through the TSA PreCheck security point at Miami International Airport on June 2, 2016. (Photo: Joe Raedle, Getty Images)
Three more airlines have joined the Transportation Security Administration’s expedited screening program called Precheck, the agency announced.
The new carriers eligible for the program are European airlines Norwegian Air and Icelandair and small U.S. regional carrier Via Air.
With the additions, 56 domestic and international airlines are now part of the Precheck program, which is available at 200 airports. The program rose past 5 million participants last July.
The PreCheck program costs $85 for five years. Applicants must provide some biographical information, pass a background check and provide fingerprints.
TODAY IN THE SKY: TSA looks at separate lines for fliers 'swept' by canines
If approved, travelers get access to the TSA’s PreCheck lanes in which they can leave laptops and small containers of liquids in their carry-on bags. Travelers in the PreCheck lanes are also not required to remove their shoes and belts as they go through the checkpoint’s metal detector.
Other expedited screening programs at the Department of Homeland Security, such as Global Entry for international travelers, include Precheck. The department has a comparison site to determine which program is the best fit.
The PreCheck expansion comes as TSA has tightened the screening in regular checkpoint lines. Travelers are asked to take any electronics larger than phones out of carry-on bags, as well as snacks and some other items, to reduce clutter in the X-ray images.
Even PreCheck members occasionally receive more intense scrutiny.
Contributing: Bart Jansen
30 COOL AVIATION PICS: Behind the scenes at Oslo, Stockholm airports
Airplanes line the older domestic terminal at Oslo Gardermoen Airport on June 30, 2017. Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren for USA TODAY
Passengers make their way to flights at Oslo Gardermoen Airport on June 30, 2017. Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren for USA TODAY
A Scandinavian Airlines Boeing 737 in Star Alliance paint pulls out of the gate at Oslo Gardermoen Airport on June 30, 2017. Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren for USA TODAY
Double rainbows herald the arrival of Norwegian Air's first Boeing 737 MAX aircraft to its home base of Oslo on June 30, 2017. Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren for USA TODAY
A handful of Scandinavian Airlines tails are seen in front of a Norwegian Air Boeing 787-9 at Oslo Gardermoen Airport on June 30, 2017. Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren for USA TODAY
A unique restaurant fixture, seen at Oslo Gardermoen Airport on June 30, 2017. Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren for USA TODAY
Passengers walk through Oslo Gardermoen Airport's new terminal on June 30, 2017. Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren for USA TODAY
Oslo Gardermoen Airport on June 30, 2017. Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren for USA TODAY
An exercise in aesthetic minimalism: Oslo Gardermoen Airport's new terminal, photographed on June 30, 2017. Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren for USA TODAY
A Norwegian Air Boeing 737-800 taxis to the gate at Oslo Gardermoen Airport on June 30, 2017. Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren for USA TODAY
A Scandinavian Airlines Boeing 737 lands at Oslo Gardermoen Airport on June 30, 2017. Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren for USA TODAY
A Widerøe Bombardier Q400 taxis to the gate at Oslo Gardermoen Airport on June 30, 2017. Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren for USA TODAY
Norwegian Air's first Boeing 737 MAX is towed into the company's hangar at Oslo Gardermoen Airport on June 30, 2017. Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren for USA TODAY
A flight attendant looks out an open door on a Pegasus Air plane on the taxiway at Stockholm Arlanda Airport on July 1, 2017. Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren for USA TODAY
A Scandinavian Airlines Boeing 737 taxis to the gate at Oslo Gardermoen Airport on June 30, 2017. Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren for USA TODAY
A Norwegian Air Boeing 737-800 receives some care between flights at the company hangar in Oslo Gardermoen Airport on June 30, 2017. Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren for USA TODAY
The sleek shape of the Boeing 787-8 provides a nice view as a Norwegian Air Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner climbs out from Stockholm Arlanda Airport on July 1, 2017. Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren for USA TODAY
Norwegian Air's first Boeing 737 MAX is towed to the company's hangar at Oslo Gardermoen Airport on June 30, 2017. Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren for USA TODAY
Norwegian Air's first Boeing 737 MAX rests at its Oslo Gardermoen Airport hangar on June 30, 2017. Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren for USA TODAY
A Scandinavian Airlines Airbus A330 departs for New York City from Oslo Gardermoen Airport on June 30, 2017. Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren for USA TODAY
Oslo Gardermoen Airport comes into view as a Norwegian Air Boeing 737-800 banks right on July 1, 2017. Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren for USA TODAY
A Norwegian Air Boeing 787-9 departs for the U.S. from Oslo Gardermoen Airport on June 30, 2017. Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren
A Norwegian Air Boeing 737 at Oslo Gardermoen Airport on June 30, 2017. Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren for USA TODAY
A Czech Airlines Airbus A310 lifts off from Stockholm Arlanda Airport on July 1, 2017. Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren for USA TODAY
A Scandinavian Airlines Airbus A340-300 departs Stockholm Arlanda Airport on July 1, 2017. Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren for USA TODAY
Norwegian Air's first Boeing 737 MAX flies over Greenland during its delivery flight from Seattle on June 29, 2017. Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren for USA TODAY
The unique split winglet on Norwegian Air's first Boeing 737 MAX shines in the sun at Oslo Gardermoen Airport on June 30, 2017. Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren for USA TODAY
Read or Share this story: https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/flights/todayinthesky/2018/10/24/tsa-precheck-additions-norwegian-icelandair-and-via-airlines/1748197002/
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'ALF' actor Michu Meszaros dies at age 76
By: Samantha Crook
The actor best know for playing ALF died Sunday at age 76 after health complications following a stroke.
At 2 feet 9 inches, one of Michu Meszaros' most famous characteristics was his height. He performed with the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus before bringing the ALF (alien life form) costume to life.
"The circus is my life, all my life, almost," Meszaros said in a news report.
While the Hungarian actor was the man in the ALF costume for head-to-toe shots, another actor did the voice-overs for the character in the 1980s sitcom.
In addition to "ALF," the actor also had roles in "Freaked," "Waxwork" and "Big Top Pee-wee."
This video includes a clip from NBC / "ALF" and an image from GoFundMe / Michu Meszaros Celebrate Life Fund .
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Selena Gomez - Back To You
Selena Gomez reenacts a sprightly grand theft auto with her dream beau in her highly anticipated music video for “Back to You” from the 13 Reasons Whysoundtrack. Following the premiere of the second season of the Netflix Original series, Gomez -- the executive producer – channels Charlie Chaplin to execute the retro neon-colored clip, out today (June 5).
The “Hands to Myself” singer stands in the corner of a party, wearing a green and purple sequined dress with a guy that can’t quite ruffle her feathered sleeves. Another blonde cutie catches her eye when she asks him privately “Do you want to steal a car?” He agrees, and they sneak away in a romantic getaway style, only to be ruined when he notices, “You know, you sort of look like Selena Gomez.”
Gomez acts out a flurry of emotions – happy, bored, anger, drama and surprised – and scrunches her face in a lineup of emoji reenactments she has teased on her Instagram account. The couple documents their runaway with a vintage Polaroid camera and camcorder. The video switches to filming Gomez on the retro recorder for takes of her running through an open field.
The yellow and orange undertones make the 25-year-old artist pop, but the red convertible Gomez and her beau steal catches ablaze when she lights it on fire to cover up their tracks. “If I could do it all again, I know I’d go back to you,” she sings on the chorus, while sneaking back into the party, inhabiting the same corner, and asking the same guy to do it all again.
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Plentiful sunshine. High around 15F. Winds WNW at 10 to 20 mph..
A few passing clouds. Low around 0F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph.
Belknap Economic Development Council Executive Director Justin Slattery, bottom left, and BPS laborer Jaren Maynard observe the recent demolition of the projection room at the Colonial Theater in Laconia. With the financing for the remaining construction in place, Slattery said the theater will be ready for performances in about a year's time. (Adam Drapcho/The Laconia Daily Sun photo)
Money now in place to refurbish Colonial Theatre
By RICK GREEN, The Laconia Daily Sun
LACONIA — More than four years after the Colonial Theatre refurbishment was first proposed, the money to restore the once-opulent building is now in place.
Justin Slattery, executive director of the Belknap Economic Development Council, announced Monday that the $14.3 million funding package, including $8.1 million from the city of Laconia, has been finalized.
Mayor Ed Engler, the foremost proponent of the project that is intended to spur downtown revitalization, said it is a relief that the money for the year-long construction effort has been assembled.
“It took longer than anyone ever anticipated, but we can’t look back, just forward,” he said. “Time will judge that this was very worthwhile and advantageous for the city to undertake.”
The 750-seat civic auditorium will accommodate a range of civic and cultural activities, including live stage performances and musical acts.
Slattery said that, in addition to the city money, the funding includes $1.7 million raised in a capital campaign, $1.15 million from the Community Development Finance Authority, $2,192,000 from Historic Tax Credits, $500,000 from the Land and Community Heritage Investment Program, and $650,000 from various grants.
The project also will include four storefronts.
Rusty McLear, whose businesses jump-started Meredith’s economy, intends to invest more than $1 million to build at least eight market-rate housing units on the second and third floors of the building.
Work to restore the 105-year-old theater, once home to Vaudeville acts and later to a multi-screen cinema, should be completed next fall, Engler said.
"Government at this level can be defined as what we decide to do together, and with our partners at the Belknap Economic Development Council and many other partners, we have crossed a significant milestone today," he said in a statement.
The Belknap Economic Development Council has been organizing the project.
Slattery and EDC Chairman Chris Kelly released a joint statement expressing appreciation to those who have pushed the proposal forward, including more than 350 businesses and people who have made donations.
“We all should be proud of the collective efforts to develop the Colonial Theatre block in Laconia and build economic and community development,” the statement said.
The city will oversee the theater and its operations.
The 51,000-square-foot project will be one of the largest historic preservation efforts in state history, the EDC said in a news release.
Funding problems created multiple delays.
In 2017, the project was unable to get New Market Tax Credits as organizers worked through increasing cost estimates for the intricate construction work required. Mascoma Savings Bank, which handled the tax credits, ultimately awarded the credits elsewhere.
Mascoma was not included in the next two yearly rounds of allocations.
The New Markets program attracts private capital into low-income areas. Investors receive a credit against their federal income tax in exchange for making investments through community development entities.
The City Council, which had already promised $5.1 million to revitalize the theater, ultimately decided this year to put another $3 million into the project to make it a reality.
Colonial upgrade could start next month
LACONIA — A procedural vote by the City Council on Monday night clears the way for the final steps necessary to get the long-delayed refurbish…
Colonial OK’d, construction expected in fall
Year-long Colonial refurb could begin in October
McLear to invest in Laconia; way forward seen for Colonial
City may consider putting more money into Colonial project
Colonial project takes big hit
City reaffirms backing of Colonial Theatre project
Government shutdown creates another delay for Colonial Theatre
Business owners: Downtown revitalization more than just the Colonial
Destination: Downtown; Revival the goal, but help still needed
Downtown Antique Center to close for winter
Entertainment changed in the decade, but old favorites adapted
Justin Slattery
Ed Engler
State drops drug charges against Patrick Chung
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Three of LASVIT’s Lighting Installations were Shortlisted for the Middle East Hospitality Award
Three of our bespoke lighting installations were nominated for the “Most impressive hotel feature” in the three hotels – Grand Plaza Mövenpick, Address Boulevard, and W Dubai – The Palm. The last mentioned hotel won the cateogry “Hotel Launch of the Year”.
In the W Dubai – The Palm, The Soundwave composed of 1213 components plays with the light and color. The design is derived from the layout of the graphic record created by pronouncing the consonant W. The construction bears around 6,5 tones of hanging glass and metal that spans a full ten meters of the ceiling.
In the Grand Plaza Mövenpick three-storey lighting named The Swoop makes the lobby an instagramable place. A team of 100 people worked together to create this piece, which is the first dynamically illuminated sculpture in a hospitality project delivered to the UAE region by LASVIT.
In the Address Boulevard Dubai, LASVIT installations draw the attention of the visitors in all the key areas. This includes the lounge, ballroom, pre-function rooms, and reception, as well as the breathtaking grand staircase, where a 4-meter installation cascades its facets of crystals.
In other categories of the Middle East Hospitality Awards were nominated other hotels decorated with LASVIT installations. The Edition Abu Dhabi Hotel was nominated for the Hotel Launch of the Year, and the Renaissance Downtown Hotel Dubai was nominated for the best 5* Hotel of the Year.
The awards celebrate the most outstanding properties, projects and people in the Middle East’s hospitality industry.
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Chemeketa Storm rages through Titan home turf
Leave a Comment / Baseball, Featured, Sports / By Christopher Palanuk
Titan runner Cam Russ dives for first base as Chemeketa Storm first baseman Daniel Zavala waits for the ball to hit his glove during the first game of the Lane versus Chemeketa match-up Monday, May 16 at Lane. Russ, a 5′ 9” freshman from Portland, Oregon, successfully made it back to the base but would only have one hit in the game. The Lane Titans would lose both games to Chemeketa Storm 2-11 and 3-6 to finish out the regular season with a 28-12 record.
Titan runner Sammy Silva walks off of the field after being put out at first as the Chemeketa Storm celebrate their victory during the first game of the Lane versus Chemeketa match-up Monday, May 16 at Lane. The Lane Titans would lose both games to Chemeketa Storm 2-11 and 3-6 to finish out the regular season with a 28-12 record.
Titan infielder Austin Vaughn throws his helmet at assistant coach Josh Hogan after Chemeketa Storm first baseman Thomas Ahlstrom catches a pitch in the bottom of the seventh inning during the second game of the Lane versus Chemeketa match-up. The game took place Monday, May 16 at Lane. Vaughn, a 5′ 11” freshman from Clackamas, Oregon, had three times at bat, two hits and one run. The Lane Titans would lose both games to Chemeketa Storm 2-11 and 3-6 to finish out the regular season with a 28-12 record.
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Leadwerks Company Blog
Leadwerks Game Engine 4.6 Updated
A new update for Leadwerks Game Engine 4.6 is available on the default branch. This fixes a physics bug that would cause boxes to float into the air after the player stepped on them.
Leadwerks 3.1 Pre-orders Now Available, Indie Edition coming to Steam January 6th
Leadwerks 3.1 is nearly ready for release! In Leadwerks 3.0, we focused on making a solid cross-platform art pipeline and editor. In 3.1 we're adding graphics that go above and beyond the capabilities of Leadwerks 2. New Features in 3.1 OpenGL 4.0 deferred renderer with up to 32x hardware MSAA. Geometry and tessellation shaders. Support for the Linux operating system, for both the engine AND editor. Leadwerks 3.1 is now available for pre-ordering in the Leadwerks s
GMF2 SDK beta now available
The GMF2 file format provides the fastest possible load times for 3D models. A preliminary specification and SDK for loading and saving files in the GMF2 file format is now available on GitHub here: A Quake 3 MD3 model loader is included as an example. https://github.com/Leadwerks/GMF2
Virtual Texture Terrain
The Leadwerks 2 terrain system was expansive and very fast, which allowed rendering of huge landscapes. However, it had some limitations. Texture splatting was done in real-time in the pixel shader. Because of the limitations of hardware texture units, only four texture units per terrain were supported. This limited the ability of the artist to make terrains with a lot of variation. The landscapes were beautiful, but somewhat monotonous. With the Leadwerks 3 terrain system, I wanted to reta
Leadwerks Game Engine 4.6 Released
Leadwerks Game Engine 4.6 is now available on Steam! This free update adds Steam peer-to-peer networking, lobbies, voice chat, and more. A new multiplayer game template makes it easy to get started with your own multiplayer games, adding new depth and interactivity to the fun. We've also added over 100 bug fixes, making this the most stable release ever to build your game on! New classes: Lobby P2P Voice Other changes: New parameters for bet
Leadwerks Engine 2.43 Released
Leadwerks Engine 2.43 is now available. This version features improved raycast performance, a new DRAWEACH entity callback, and a few small bug fixes. Registered developers can download the update by running the Leadwerks Updater.
Leadwerks Game Engine for Linux Launches on Steam
Following completion of their successful Kickstarter campaign to bring Leadwerks’ game development software to Linux, Leadwerks has announced the release of Leadwerks Game Engine for Linux on the Steam distribution platform. This provides Linux users with a powerful tool to easily create their own 3D games. Over the last year, Leadwerks has focused on desktop Linux as a platform for creating and playing games. For many users, Leadwerks provides the last missing application they need to mov
Leadwerks Standard Edition Brings C++ Game Development to Steam
Following the successful debut of Leadwerks Game Engine: Indie Edition on Steam, Leadwerks Software today announced the launch of Leadwerks Standard Edition. This DLC on Steam adds support for programming in modern C++11 with Microsoft’s Visual Studio 2013. C++ is the game industry’s leading programming language, due in large part to its superior performance and flexibility. However, the language is sometimes considered to be too complicated for indie developers to take advantage of. Lead
Data Loss Announcement
First, so you don't have to read through all my rambling, the website database is set back to November 2010, and there is no way around it. I was working with the forum software on Sunday, 4-17, and I was just very pleased with how things were working. I saw there was an update for the bug tracker application, and the change list just mentioned some bug fixes, so I felt okay installing it. The new version removed custom issue fields, which we use extensively for listing hardware, drivers,
Website refresh and Leadwerks 5
Back around February I started working on a website update that included the following: Responsive design everywhere. SSL everywhere. Visual improvement of website. Updated documentation system. Tutorials for C++ programming basics. Update forum software to new major version. Forum moved to new URL. All of that is now pretty much done. These changes improve the online Leadwerks experience and are independent from the software itself, so it
Leadwerks Game Engine Launches in Ubuntu Software Center
Following completion of a successful Kickstarter campaign to bring Leadwerks’ game development software to Linux, Leadwerks and Canonical have joined forces to make Leadwerks Game Engine available in the Ubuntu Software Center. This provides Ubuntu users with a powerful tool for rapid game development. Bringing Leadwerks Game Engine to Ubuntu also means that existing games can be more easily deployed for Ubuntu. The lineup of featured games on the Leadwerks website covers a diverse range o
Blender exporter for Leadwerks now available
Leadwerks Software has released an official Blender exporter for the Leadwerks model format. This allows Blender artists to export their models to Leadwerks with automatic materials generation and full animation, without going through the FBX format. The Blender exporter comes as the fulfillment of a stretch goal reached during the Leadwerks for Linux Kickstarter campaign, which achieved over 200% its goal of $20,000. The Leadwerks exporter for Blender can be downloaded on the Leadwerks
Leadwerks 5 Beta Rollout
Today I am excited to announce plans for the release of the first Leadwerks 5 beta version. Leadwerks 5 will roll out sooner rather than later, employing an extended beta period during which versions 4 and 5 will live side-by-side, using the same code base, with preprocessor definitions to compile each version. This allows me to fix small problems without forking the code, while I can implement new changes in version 5. The first features implemented will be the use of smart pointers for all
Leadwerks Game Engine 4.5 Released, Enables Easy VR Development
Today we are pleased to announce the release of Leadwerks Game Engine 4.5. Version 4.5 introduces support for VR headsets including the HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, and all OSVR-based hardware, allowing developers to create both room-scale and seated VR experiences. The Leadwerks virtual reality command set is robust yet incredibly simple allowing you to easily convert your existing 3D games into VR titles. To help get you started the source code for our Asteroids3D game has been updated for VR a
Leadwerks Game Engine 3.2 Unveils Steam Workshop
Leadwerks Software today announced the release Leadwerks Game Engine 3.2, the newest version of their game development software on Steam. This update brings integration with Workshop, Steam’s system for user-generated content. The Leadwerks Workshop gives developers a head start by launching with more than 50 free packages of content ready to be used to make games. “Leadwerks was created to give people who love games the freedom to create something of their own”, said Leadwerks CEO Josh.
Leadwerks 3.1 Enters Beta; Heading to Steam Dev Days
Leadwerks 3.1 has entered the beta testing phase on schedule according to our development plan laid out in the Leadwerks for Linux Kickstarter campaign. Supporters who chose the SUPER BACKER reward have been granted access to try the early builds of Leadwerks for Linux. We chose to use the excellent Code::Blocks IDE for Linux development. Beta testers can access the full Leadwerks API to program graphics, physics, and gameplay, along with a few new functions like Camera::SetMultisampleMode
Announcing Leadwerks Game Engine Enterprise Edition
Today we are pleased to announce the release of Leadwerks Game Engine: Enterprise Edition, a standalone version of our popular 3D development software. The Enterprise Edition allows business users to install and use Leadwerks without the need for the Steam client. The new product joins the existing Standard Edition with Lua scripting and the Professional Edition with C++ and Visual Studio support, both sold on Steam. The Enterprise Edition has already been approved for sale through N
Plugins in Leadwerks Game Engine 5
Internally, Leadwerks Editor uses an EventHandler class for every interface in the program. The material editor is a class extended from the EventHandler. So is the little window that has all the controls to calculate normals. So is every viewport. The event handler class has one important function: Event ProcessEvent(Event) Every EventHandler has access to events as they occur. This is how all program actions are handled in the editor. The plugin system will work by hooking int
Procedural Terrain
I wanted to add some default procedural generation tools in the Leadwerks 3.1 terrain editor. The goal is to let the user input a few parameters to control the appearance of their terrain and auto-generate a landscape that looks good without requiring a lot of touch-up work. Programmers commonly rely on two methods for terrain heightmap generation, Perlin noise and fractal noise. Perlin noise produces a soft rolling appearance. The problem is that Perlin noise heightmaps look nothing like re
Leadwerks Game Engine 5 Alpha Zero Released
I'm happy to announce the very first alpha release of Leadwerks 5 is now available. What's New String commands now accept a unicode overload. Add "L" in front of a string to create a wide string in C++. Now using smart pointers. Simply set a variable to nullptr to delete an object. There is no Release() or AddRef() function. Exclusively 64-bit! Global states are gone. There is no "current" world or context. Instead, the object you want is passed into any function
Lightmapping curved CSG objects
I'm a big fan of constructive solid geometry because it allows people without advanced modeling skills to design a game level that looks great. In fact, I originally got my start in game development using the Quake and Half-Life modding tools, making game maps. One of the criticisms of CSG has been that it only allowed creation of faceted objects. (Valve's Hammer Editor has a workaround for this that lets you set smooth groups, but you can't see the results until they are run in the game.)
Leadwerks 3 begins closed beta test
Leadwerks 3 is a new game engine purpose-built for mobile. By building the entire platform on pure native code, Leadwerks aims to bring a new level of performance and flexibility to 3D mobile games. After two years of development, the team is now beginning a closed beta test. Select members of the community will provide feedback and testing so that final bug fixes and refinements can be made. You can sign up to our mailing list for up to date information as we finish up development o
Leadwerks Game Engine 4 Preview Available
A preview build of Leadwerks Game Engine 4 is now available on the default branch on Steam, with a new vegetation management system and other features. We completely rethought how large-scale scene management should work to bring you a one-of-a-kind vegetation system for handling massive amounts of foliage. Instead of storing each instance in memory, our new system uses a distribution algorithm to dynamically calculate all relevant instances each frame for rendering and physics. This allows
Leadwerks interviews Frictional Games co-founder Thomas Grip
Frictional Games is the developer of puzzle horror games like Penumbra and the new Amnesia: The Dark Descent. We sat down with Frictional Games co-founder Thomas Grip to learn more about their development process. Josh: I'm a big fan of the Penumbra series. What can we look forward to in Amnesia: The Dark Descent? Thomas Grip: There is a lot to of new stuff in the game. First of all the game is a more streamlined experience both in terms of general gameplay and interaction. For the gam
Leadwerks Winter Games Tournament Kicks Off
The first Leadwerks Winter Games tournament has begun! How to Enter Submit your playable game to the Leadwerks Games Catalog, before January 15th. You can use any Christmas or non-Christmas related ideas. You can work together in teams or on your own. On the day of January 15th, a review of submitted games will be posted. Prizes Rather than a competition, this tournament is a "co-opetition". The community is encouraged to help one another make fun playable games. Everyone who participat
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Sell Your Practice
Approach to Medicine
Shared Resources & Support
Rob Fetherstonhaugh
Lead Director
Rob is President and Chief Operating Officer of Belvoir Investments Corporation, the holding company for the Paul Desmarais Jr. Family. He was previously Chief Operating Officer and Chief Investment Officer for a prominent silicon valley family. He was also instrumental in helping set philanthropic strategies for this group.
Rob previously served as President of Claridge Inc., the Montreal-based holding company of the Stephen Bronfman family, where he developed investment strategies and set up the Claridge Food Group. Earlier in his career, he was Deputy Chairman and Corporate Secretary for Trader Classified Media in Paris and had served as a Partner at KPMG.
He currently serves on the corporate boards of the McConnell Foundation, the McCall MacBain Foundation, and the Nunavut Trust Fund. He is a Founding Board Member of AppDirect, a cloud solution provider in San Francisco. He is also a director of the Environmental Working Group based in D.C. and San Francisco.
Rob has received the Meritorious Service Medal for his cycling philanthropy efforts and a Fellow CPA recognition for his work in finance. He is a graduate of McGill University and serves on the Board of the Faculty of Management.
Previous Paul Desmarais Jr.
Next Mollie Hoff
You've worked hard to build your successful veterinary practice and deserve to reap the rewards of that dedication. We are incredibly unique when it comes to flexibility in the options available to you. When the time is right to sell your practice, consider talking to us by taking the next steps and filling out the form below.
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Tell us about your practice*
The benefits of working with Lakefield Veterinary Group are vast and include the support of a nationwide company dedicated to improving the lives of animals and their owners. We offer a team environment based on our core values of respect, "Wow!" service, continuing education, always having fun, and doing the right thing for people and animals. Ready to join the Lakefield Team? Complete our form below.
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ALDSC »
CCS »
CCS-7
Innovative co-design of applications, algorithms, and architectures in order to enable scientific simulations at extreme scale
Linn Collins
Deputy Group Leader
Christoph Junghans
Professional Assistant
Erika Maestas
Visualization of a 250-meter diameter basalt asteroid impacting deep ocean water at a 45-degree angle from a simulation run using xRage, a parallel multi-physics Eulerian hydrodynamics code that is developed and maintained by the ASC program at LANL. The visualization shown is a volume rendering of water fraction in blue and white and asteroid fraction in red tones.
Basic and applied research supporting national security science
We are the vanguard for scientific simulations at extreme scale through the co-design of applications, algorithms, and architectures.
Scientific visualization
Programming models
Ben Bergen, Team Leader
Irina Demeshko, Deputy Team Leader
The Co-Design team concentrates on the optimization of entire computing systems--from the application to the hardware. We use an agile co-design process of rapid iteration through the problem space based largely on the use of proxy applications.
Whenever possible these proxy applications are released as open source codes to facilitate collaboration with academic and industrial partners.
Our team members have experience and expertise in
programming models and languages,
runtime systems,
Monte Carlo techniques,
functional languages, and
advanced hardware architectures including
CPUs,
GPUs, and,most notably,
FPGA-based systems.
David Rogers, Team Leader
John Patchett, Deputy Team Leader
Scientific Visualization is an essential tool for understanding the vast quantities of large-scale, time-dependent data produced from high performance computer simulations.
While interaction is recognized as a key feature for useful exploration of scientific data, sufficient speed for interaction is impossible on these large data sets using commercially available visualization software and algorithms. Therefore, an extensive research program is required to meet future requirements.
The nature of the required research spans the areas of traditional computer graphics, scientific visualization and computer systems software.
Future Architectures and Applications
Rob Aulwes, Team Leader
Louis Vernon, Deputy Team Leader
The focus of the Future Architectures and Applications Team is to work with domain scientists and their applications to take the best advantage of current and forthcoming supercomputer architectures and to leverage knowledge of advanced architectures and computing at extreme scales. We work extensively with open science projects through the Institutional Computing Program and with the Weapons Program through the ASC Program, as well as with other computing projects throughout the laboratory. Our goal is to keep science at LANL on the forefront of the rapidly changing supercomputing landscape.
Much of our work is educational in nature. We keep up to date on advanced computing hardware (such as multi- and many-core CPUs, GPUs, and various accelerators) and software (MPI, OpenMP, OpenACC, OpenCL, CUDA, etc.). This knowledge is transferred to code teams and implemented in codes through user group meetings, workshops, and by working directly with project teams. We supply in-depth consulting to applications teams so their applications run efficiently on current and forthcoming computer architectures. Central to this work is understanding and modifying applications to expose parallelism and vectorization opportunities, essential to effective use of modern computer architectures.
Patrick McCormick, Team Leader
Christine Sweeney, Deputy Team Leader
The Programming Models team bridges the gap between underlying hardware architectures and the supporting layers of software available to applications. This includes a range of topics from programming languages, supporting compiler infrastructures, runtime software, and application programming interfaces.
Our overall goal leverages all of these activities with a goal of increasing developer productivity and understanding of the interactions between software and hardware. We are driven by challenging applications in a number of areas ranging from computational physics as well as data-intensive Computing.
Space Architectures
Zachary Baker, Team Leader
The Space Architectures Team spans cutting-edge computer science research, FPGA design, signal processing, modern software engineering, integration of new technologies, and support of hardware-software co-design. Our team bridges the gap between the laboratory’s computer science research activities and the custom hardware application needs of NNSA Defense Programs. Working as the bridge between Applied Computer Science and Global Security we develop new technologies for custom hardware systems, particularly for space applications. Through partnerships with mission application teams we facilitate rapid adoption of modern and cutting edge hardware and software practices and technologies to improve the performance, flexibility and reliability of new systems and missions.
Weapons Applications Research to Production (WARP)
Galen Shipman, Team Leader
The Weapons Applications Research to Production (WARP) spans cutting-edge computer science research, modern software engineering, integration of new technologies, and support of core capabilities in production applications. Our team bridges the gap between the laboratory’s computer science research activities and the production application needs of NNSA Defense Programs. Working with teams in the Applied Computer Science group we develop new technologies for large-scale multi-physics applications. Through partnerships with application teams we facilitate rapid adoption of modern software engineering practices and technologies to improve the performance, scalability, portability, and agility of mission applications in production environments.
Our goal is to maintain long-term partnerships with LANL’s mission application teams to modernize existing applications, develop core software infrastructure for applications, and to provide long-term stewardship and support of critical application technologies.
CCS Division
CCS Groups
Computational Physics and Methods
Statistical Sciences
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Home News Community ‘Iron Dad’ to bring his incredible challenge to Laois this week
‘Iron Dad’ to bring his incredible challenge to Laois this week
The things some people do.
Declan Loy, a native of Newry in county Down, is currently undertaking a serious challenge – attempting to complete a triathlon in ever county in Ireland over 32 days.
It will be a Guinness World Record if he completes it, although it won’t be his first world record having previously done a record 30 70.3 triathlons across the world in 12 months.
It entails a 1km swim, a 100km cycle and a 10km run. And he’s going to be doing it in Laois this coming Tuesday, July 23.
The swim will take place in Portlaoise Leisure Centre followed by two laps of a 50km cycle route that will start in Portlaoise and take in Monasterevin and Portarlington. The run will be then two laps of the ‘block’ in Portlaoise of the Dublin Road, Colliers Lane and the Borris Road.
Sharon Roche from the Portlaoise-based Trilogy Triathlon group is organising the Laois event and they’re looking for people to show their support by coming along and taking part in any way – be it swimming, cycling or running, even a part of the challenge.
“The swim starts at 8am in Portlaoise Leisure Centre and we are inviting people to come along and cheer Declan on in the swim.
“We are inviting cyclists to join us for one or two laps of the route, leaving Portlaoise Leisure Centre at 8:30am. We are inviting runners to join us from 12:30pm roughly leaving from Portlaoise Leisure Centre.
“The IronDad challenge isn’t a race and you can do as much, or as little of the challenge as you would like to! A lot of our own members are using the challenge as a training day but you don’t need to be a Trilogy member to take part, anyone can take part, but we would ask that you are a competent cyclist if you want to take part in the cycle.
“Participation is free of charge and it would be great to see our community out supporting him on his visit to Laois.”
For more information you can email rochesh@tcd.ie or message Trilogy Triathlon Club Laois on Facebook.
Loy is raising funds for a not for profit organisation called Super You, that focuses on supporting, empowering and inspiring young people.
So far, the Super You workshops have reached nearly every county in Ireland North and South and the team have delivered talks to over 5,000 students promoting positive mental health and well-being.
Exercise is something I’m truly passionate about. I believe exercise is a must in order for us to improve and have a balanced, healthy physical and mental well-being.
“Triathlon found me two years ago and I loved it,” says Declan on his website.
“After completing my first few triathlons I decided I wanted to challenge myself further. I wanted to do something that would show my kids they could achieve anything if they put their minds to it. So, after some consideration I decided to attempt a Guinness World Record 30 70.3 triathlons in 12 months across the world.
“And guess what, I did it. Many people believe they can’t do a triathlon, however if I can come from being 16 stone, doing no exercise, to breaking a Guinness World Record in 12 months, anyone can do a triathlon!
The final day of the challenge takes place in Dundalk on Sunday week, July 28.
You can check out the full details of the Iron Dad challenge here.
SEE ALSO – This incredibly impressive effort at a recent Tractor Run deserves a prize
Iron Dad
Trilogy Triathlon Club
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