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Announcements for Jan 3 Pancakes are coming – Sunday, Jan. 10 On Sunday, Jan. 10 the Liverpool United Methodist Men will serve a pancake breakfast from 8:30 a.m. – 11 a.m. in Fellowship Hall. A free-will offering will be collected to help fund the UMM’s tuition assistance for “Maxo” Lucserne, a Haitian student we have been supporting for years. The menu includes pancakes, sausages, apple sauce and beverages. Discover the Bible study begins in January An eight-week discipleship study, Discover the Bible begins, Jan. 17. Discussion groups will meet Sundays at 11 a.m., and Wednesdays at 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. This overview of the Bible helps participants to better understand its contents and grow deeper in their relationship with Christ. Contact the church at 457‑5180 or lfumc@liverpoolfirstumc.org to sign up. All are invited to meet Bishop Webb on Jan. 14 Members of the congregation are invited to meet Bishop Mark Webb at the Crossroads District Day With the Bishop on Thursday, Jan. 14, at Bellevue Heights United Methodist Church, 2112 South Geddes St. in Syracuse, beginning at 6:30 p.m. Meet at Bellevue or ride together on the church bus. Contact the church at lfumc@liverpoolfirstumc.org or by calling 457‑5180 to reserve a seat on the bus. New day for contemporary worship, beginning Jan. 13 The Gathering, a contemporary worship service, will move from its Friday time slot to Wednesday evenings at 6:30 p.m., beginning Jan. 13. Join us for informal worship, contemporary praise music, and fellowship. UMC Market — shopping to support our church UMC Market is an online buying program of the national United Methodist Church that generates donations to our church when you make online purchases from participating merchants. It costs you nothing. You get the best pricing from merchants, and the merchants donate a percentage of your purchase to Liverpool First. This includes travel, shopping and, services. Stop in Fellowship Hall and see demonstrations. Confirmation Information Meeting — Jan. 6 Parent of children age 13 years or older: Liverpool First will partner with the Syracuse Church to offer a Confirmation program. An informational meeting will be held on Jan. 6. Confirmation is an intense time for study of the Christian faith and requires a significant investment of participation that will lead participants to a place where they will define their beliefs and be given the opportunity to commit themselves to Christ and active membership in the Church. They will study, discuss faith issues, and attend road trip experiences. Youth who have previously completed Confirmation may participate as Youth Mentors. We are also planning another Confirmation experience in the autumn of 2016. New year: new directions Are you interested in starting something new 2016? Is there a book you’d like to read and discuss, a Bible study, mission or service project you’d like to start? A new year is a great time to take the steps to make it happen! You’re invited to bring your ideas and a dish to share to Fellowship Hall on Jan. 11. at 6:30 p.m. This will be a chance to meet others who might be interested in similar things (or different things!) and enjoy each other’s company and food. We’ll eat together, talk together and pray together, and determine some next steps. We hope to see you there! Get Delta Sonic coupons while they last See the table in Fellowship Hall for car wash coupons — buy one for $5 and get one FREE! Keep your car looking great this winter. Come to a church dinner on Jan. 23 The Dinner/Fund-raising Committee will serve a chicken and biscuit Dinner on Saturday, Jan. 23 from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Volunteers are needed to serve and help clean up. Cheer on the Orange on TV at noon (SU plays Virginia in Virginia) and then come for chicken and biscuits. Enjoy fellowship and help the church budget at the same time.
This guide will help you navigate the meat department and make the best choices for health, calories and:. Debunking the Turkey Bacon Myth Turkey bacon is often recommended over regular (pork) bacon because turkey is generally lower in fat than pork. However, when it comes to bacon from either source, this is not always true. In fact, turkey bacon often contains more sodium than its pork counterpart. Read labels and choose leaner cuts of bacon for the best balance between sodium, fat and overall calories. For example, three slices of center-cut pork bacon contain 70 calories and 4.5 grams of fat, but just two slices of turkey bacon contain just as many calories and significantly more sodium. See the chart below for a nutritional comparison of various types of poultry. These values are for a single cooked, 3-ounce serving (85 grams), unless otherwise specified. Poultry Cut Calories Total Fat (g) Sat Fat (g) Cholesterol (mg) Sodium(mg) Turkey bacon (1 ounce, 3.5 slices, or 28 grams) 107 7.8 2.3 27 640 Turkey breast, skinless 115 0.6 0.2 71 44 Ground turkey, fat-free 117 2.1 55 50 Chicken breast, skinless, roasted 140 3.0 0.8 72 63 Chicken drumstick, skinless, roasted 158 8.5 110 97 Chicken breast with skin, roasted 167 6.6 1.8 60 Ground turkey, 85/15 percent 212 14 3.5 89 69 Chicken drumstick, with skin, batter fried 228 13.3 73 229.) What About Bacon? Bacon can add a lot of flavor to a dish, whether crumbled in pasta, served over a bed of greens or used as a topping on a sandwich. A few slices (3) of center cut bacon contain just 70 calories and 4.5 grams of fat, which isn’t as caloric as most people might imagine. The bigger issue with bacon, and all processed meats, is portion control. When choosing bacon at the local grocer, look for nitrite-free, uncured, center-cut bacon, and be sure to stick to the recommended serving size (usually 2-3 slices). Use bacon more as a garnish for flavoring foods rather than as a main component of your meal. See the chart below for a nutritional comparison of various types of pork. These values are for a single cooked, three-ounce serving (85 grams), unless otherwise specified. Pork Sodium (mg) Canadian bacon (1 ounce, 1.25 slices, or 28 grams) 52 2.4 .8 16 433 Tenderloin 122 1.0 62 48 Cured ham, extra lean, 95/5 percent 123 4.7 1.5 45 1023 Top loin chop 147 5.0 61 38 Top loin roast 1.6 67 40 Sirloin, chop or roast 151 4.5 56 Cured ham, regular 89/11 percent 7.7 2.6 1275 Bacon (1 ounce, 3.5 slices, or 28 grams) 11.7 3.8 31 647 Low sodium bacon (1 ounce, 3.5 slices, or 28 grams) 288 Fresh ground pork 157 5.3 75 Fresh leg 179 8.0 2.8 80 54 Shoulder 196 11.5 4.1 76 64. Deli or Processed Meat Turkey breast lunch meat 84 .42 42 789 Low-sodium turkey breast lunch meat 99 .75 .28 37 656 Turkey frankfurter (1 link) 100 35 485 Beef and pork frankfurter (1 link) 137 12.4 4.8 22 504 Canned vienna sausage (5 sausages, 5 grams) 186 15.7 5.7 70 782 SPAM 264 23 8.4 1164 Pork and beef lunch meat 300 9.8 47 1099. TIP: Keeping Low-fat Burgers Juicy Worried your burgers will turn into hockey pucks if you cut the fat? Don't be! Try adding ~2 spoonfuls of unsweetened applesauce to one pound of ground beef to help it retain its moisture.. Member Comments
Child Development Center, M.A. Coordinator of the Children's Program - Financial 330-672-0992 jastoll@kent.edu P.O. Box 5190 Kent, Ohio 44242 Child Development Center Since 1972, the Kent State University Child Development Center, a nationally recognized laboratory school, has played a central role in educating and caring for children, professionally preparing teachers, and generating research to inform practice. The Child Development Center is a tuition-based, fiscally independent program that serves approximately one hundred fifty children ages 18 months to six years from a variety of socioeconomic, cultural, and linguistic backgrounds. Children of Kent State University faculty, staff, graduate, and undergraduate students as well as members of the greater Kent community are enrolled in our classrooms. Ten lead teachers, one studio teacher, four associate teachers, and a myriad of interns, student teachers, and field experience students work and learn alongside children and families. History of the School In 1972, the faculty of the University School, a laboratory program for children from age three through the sixth grade, vacated their faculty lounge in order to provide space for a new full day program for young children from ages two 1/2 to five. It became known as the Child Development Center. The Early Childhood Education Department provided support for this endeavor. When the University School closed in 1981, the CDC added a kindergarten to its already expanded program of preschool classes and infant-toddler-parent program. In 1991, the school moved to a new building on the Kent campus designed for young children. Throughout our history, families have been integral to our work. We value the deep relationships that form when children, families, and teachers work to create an environment for learning together.
Peripheral neuropathy (PN) is a general term for damage to various types of nerves, but most colloquially refers to damaged sensory nerves that carry sensation (pain, temperature, vibration, and proprioception—your sense of location in space) from the body to the brain. Damage may result from direct insult to the peripheral nerves, either mechanical (blunt/crush/severing injury) or chemical (diabetes/metabolic diseases, B12 deficiency, medicines, alcohol, toxic chemicals). Additionally, compromised blood supply can damage these nerves (inflammation, autoimmune conditions, certain infections “idiopathic”). When a nerve is damaged, it may constantly “fire”, or signal, the brain as if it were being stimulated. Painful sensations are perceived (sharp pain, pressure, burning, freezing, vibrating, pins/needles, electric, sharp-shooting or swollen sensations), even though the initial irritation/stimulus has been removed (see also, complex regional pain syndrome). Those with peripheral neuropathies must inspect the affected area daily for foreign objects, cuts, etc. in order to avoid progression to serious infection; impact sports are not recommended. Conventional medical treatment depends upon the cause: for example, improved diabetes management prevents further nerve damage. Certain peripheral neuropathies, such as those due to medications like anti-cancer medications, improve or resolve upon discontinuation of the medication. Pain management consists of medications to treat neuropathic pain: medicines in the anti-depression, anti-seizure, anti-inflammatory and opiate classes are mainstays. In the case of clear autoimmune pathology, direct antibody removal (plasmapheresis) is very occasionally used. In the case of localized nerve involvement, surgical or other nerve ablation may stop pain.[1] Body acupuncture, especially when combined with electrical stimulation and Neurological Scalp Acupuncture, can produce expedited improvement in reversible neuropathies, especially recent-onset, toxic neuropathies. Neuropathies due to completely severed or otherwise irretrievably damaged nerves are not amenable to acupuncture. Generally, after about 8-12 visits, the patient experiences a moment when the acupuncture needles suddenly become quite bothersome: this signals maximal pain/sensation improvement from acupuncture.[2 3 4] Neurological Conditions Testimonials Learn more about Peripheral Neuropathy)
This month’s column will continue the discussion of communication through the use of our hands but focus on what we silently say with our handshake. The ancient practice of handshaking is considered to have evolved from a gesture demonstrating that neither party held a weapon, thereby establishing trust. Since the industrial revolution, the handshake became the official method of confirming a commercial transaction. Today, the handshake is most commonly used in greetings and departures. A father may give advice to his son when preparing for a job interview and encourage the son to offer a firm handshake when greeting his perspective employer. “Men like men who have a firm handshake,” the father may offer. “It is a sign of a strong person.” A person that does not have a strong personality may attempt, however, to mask his weaker personality with a strong handshake. Likewise, a weak handshake may not be a sign of a weak or submissive person. Those who use their hands in their professions, such as surgeons or musicians, often have weak handshakes. Since many parishioners are older, and some develop arthritis in their hands, priests have learned to offer weak handshakes to parishioners to avoid causing the recipients of their handshakes any discomfort. Therefore, a weak handshake could simply indicate a courteous or empathetic personality. Though strong or weak handshakes often do not provide reliable insight into a personality, some other types of handshakes are indicative of certain traits. For example, a person who uses both hands to your one in a handshake is often attempting to convey honesty while seeking control. This type of handshake is often not well received as it is unduly physical and can be uncomfortably domineering. The combination handshake with an arm clasp is another type of handshake that is often not well received. Society has given permission for one person to shake another person’s hand, not to touch the forearm. To do so is often interpreted as an unwanted invasion of personal space. Like the two-handed handshake, the handshake with arm clasp usually indicates the seeking of control. It could be intended to convey a feeling of care or concern, but it is often received as an expression of arrogance. A person who pumps the other person’s hand is usually indicating enthusiasm. The enthusiasm could be toward the other person or as the result of anticipation of the forthcoming meeting or discussion. A salesperson will often use a pumping handshake while repeating a greeting such as, “It is nice to meet you, so very, very nice to meet you.” If, during a handshake, a person’s hand turns to the left so that the palm of the hand faces downward, it indicates an expression of dominance. Conversely, if a person’s hand turns to the right so the palm is facing upward, it indicates submission or an accommodating personality. In most handshakes, however, the hands are vertical and equal indicating that neither person is seeking control nor willing to yield control to the other. In early America through the mid 1900s, women would curtsy rather than shake hands. Even today, priests will sometimes encounter ladies who do not offer their hands in greeting but will either curtsy or offer an abbreviated curtsy such as a slight head nod. In most cases today, however, women shake hands in greeting. The same indications described above generally apply to female handshakes except that women seldom offer a firm handshake. Next month’s column will conclude the discussion of the nonverbal ways we communicate with our fingers and hands.
A Chinese man wanted by US authorities for allegedly exporting banned uranium-enriching devices to Iran has been arrested in London. Sihai Cheng is in police custody after being arrested on a provisional US warrant at Heathrow Airport in February, and appeared in court recently. A judge will rule whether to deport him to the US in June. The US indictment alleges that Shanghai-based Cheng conspired with an Iranian to illegally import US-made pressure transducers to Iran through China. The devices can be used in gas centrifuges to produce weapons grade uranium. According to the indictment, the transducers have been photographed attached to gas centrifuge cascades at Iran's Natanz nuclear facility. US prosecuters allege that Cheng began doing business with Tehran-based Seyed Abolfazl and Shahab Jamili and Iranian engineering company Nico Eng. Co. in 2005, and has sold Jamili thousands of Chinese-manufactured parts with nuclear applications. By email, Jamili informed Cheng that the parts were in fact being bought by Iranian company Eyvaz Technic Manufacturing Co, which was in turn supplying the devices to the Iranian government. Cheng subsequently sent parts directly to Eyvaz, which in 2009 enquired about the possibility of Cheng acquiring the pressure transducers. Between April 2009 and January 2011 Cheng ordered more than 1,000 pressure transducers from Massachusetts company MSK Instruments Inc, with a value of more than $1.8 million. Cheng warned Jamili of "critical control condition and boycott by USA government," and ordered the devices in batches of 30 to 100, the indictment alleges. Western powers have accused Iran of attempting to develop a nuclear weapon under the cover of its nuclear energy programme, which Tehran strongly denies. Sanctions imposed by the EU and US in 2012 have hit Iran's oil-based economy hard. Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States plus Germany, which make up the so-called P5+1, hope to reach an agreement with Iran by 20 June, where in exchange for scaling back its nuclear programme, sanctions will be lifted.
Kristen Lanier recently moved to Johns Creek after living in Madrid for five years. However, the area is not as alien to her as one may expect – she grew up in Cobb County, and got introduced to Spanish through school – something nearly all Spanish takers at Northview High School can relate to. Lanier studied abroad, spending a semester of her college career in Spain. After she graduated, she returned to Spain to teach – not Spanish – but English. “I lived in Madrid for a total of five years and I taught English to native Spanish speakers,” Lanier said. Spanish captivated Lanier as a middle schooler when she was first introduced to the language. She recalls being swept away by the beauty of the Spanish culture. “I fell in love with the culture and the language and it came pretty easy to me—so I just took it from there!” Lanier said. Lanier just came back from Madrid during the past summer, and she already misses Spain. Although her family lives close by now, she misses the city life she had grown accustomed to. Lanier wishes there was some way she could have her family close by, but also have the same access to fresh, seasonal, locally grown food she is used to. Another thing Lanier wishes was more easily accessible in America is the public transportation. She recalls how easy it was to just catch a train and be – quickly – taken to the heart of any major city in Spain she desired to visit. Lanier’s love for Spain and the Spanish culture is reflected in one of her students – Ishita Kapur, a sophomore at Northview. The idea of communicating in many different ways appeals highly to Kapur, who already speaks three languages besides Spanish. “I love Spanish because it’s a different form of communication, and I already learned another language when I was in elementary school, and I just like learning different languages—I think it’s interesting,” Kapur said. Kapur also took into consideration the populations she’d most likely encounter a lot in her future when choosing to take Spanish. “There’s a lot of Spanish speaking people in this country and I think it’s helpful to know Spanish. And it’s really fun too,” Kapur said. Connecting with students like Kapur is what brings true joy to Lanier, because as much as she may love Spanish, her love for her job comes from her students. She enjoys connecting with her students in the class and getting to know them. “I love the kids! [They] crack me up everyday, and I smile everyday, almost all day long,” Lanier said. Spanish inspired Lanier so much that she teaches Spanish today in the hopes that some of her students find that their joy and future will be found in Spanish – just how Lanier found her own. “I just love teaching kids language because it opens up so many doors – it opened an entire life for me that I wouldn’t have if I didn’t speak Spanish,” Lanier said. “I love to be able to share that, and hopefully, give other students those same opportunities.”
Housing Tempe Section 8 Veterans Program City of Tempe accepts Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (VASH) vouchers issued by the City of Phoenix 480-350-8950 The Industrial Development Authority of the County of Maricopa Home In Five Advantage - Mortgage Origination Program Qualifying military personnel and veterans would be able to obtain a 30-year fixed rate loan, with a non-repayable down payment/closing cost assistance grant for purchasing a house anywhere in Maricopa County. U.S.VETS - Veterans Seeking Housing Outreach Department 602.757.9723 ewelch@usvetsinc.org With five locations throughout the Salt River Valley, U.S.VETS – Phoenix provides transitional and permanent housing to 260 veterans daily, and provides over 400 veteran families with financial assistance. Cloudbreak Communities Carl Bleyle - cbleyle@cantwell-anderson.com 602-243-2774 Victory Place 850 E. Jones Avenue, Phoenix, Arizona 85040 National Call Center for Homeless Veterans 877-4AID-VET or 1-877-424-3838 If you or someone you know is a homeless Veteran in need of help, you can receive free, confidential support from a trained, VA staff member 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can also get confidential support from the Homeless Veterans Chat.
Thread : So, Your Starter Is just Clicking # 1 August 9th, 2013, 07:45 AM JSoko Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Northwest Georgia Posts: 15,033 Likes : 34 Liked 188 Times in 170 Posts So, Your Starter Is just Clicking Does; using a battery terminal brush will get you down to clean metal. This stops the flow of electricity from the alternator to the battery. Having hidden corrosion is also a problem, which is usually found under the insulation of a new looking battery cable. When you use the battery's reserve, it's gone, no more being put in. If the vehicle does crank with a jump, it will run off the alternator, which ain't good. :-( If cleaning the post and recharging the battery doesn't solve the problem, you may need a new one. Don't run to the nearest parts store and buy a battery. Take your battery to a place that sells batteries and have it checked. Also check the belt/belts Click on This Link Below For More on Cleaning A Battery For Those Who Fought For It... Freedom Has A Taste The Protected Will Never Know. Last edited by JSoko; August 9th, 2013 at 08:03 AM . QUOTE Multi Quote REPLY GOOD POST JSoko Find all posts by JSoko
Disclaimer: Information contained below was accurate as of the date of publication. Due to frequent tax law changes, information may no longer be accurate. For the latest tax information, please contact a member CPA. IT'S NOW EASIER TO BE GREEN by Andrew D. Schwartz, CPA Have you considered purchasing a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) for your next car? Not only are they good for the environment, but they'll also save you quite a bit of money. HEVs combine a combustion engine with an electric motor and currently include the Honda Civic (HEV), Honda Insight, and Toyota Prius. As an incentive for you to purchase one of these environmentally friendly vehicles, the government currently offers you a $2,000 tax deduction if you purchase an HEV by the end of this year. Depending on your tax bracket, this could mean a tax savings of between $200 and $762. To claim the deduction, simply report the $2,000 deduction on line 34 of your 1040, and write the words "Clean Fuel" in the margin. If you're a sole proprietor and use your car in connection with your business, you're allowed to claim this $2,000 deduction on your Schedule C. Anyone considering purchasing an HEV should be aware that the Clean Fuel deduction is slated to decrease by $500 per year starting in 2004, and will be completely phased out on January 1, 2007. You'll also save money with an HEV since they get such great gas mileage. According to the Office of Transportation Technology (), HEVs get about 50 miles per gallon. Let's say you turn in your SUV that gets 15 miles per gallon for an HEV, and you generally drive about 15,000 miles per year. With gas prices approaching $2.00 per gallon, your annual gas bill will decrease from $2,000 to only $600 - a savings of $1,400 per year. So whether you're green (in the environmental sense), or just like your wallet full of green $$$, an HEV might be the car for you. TOP TAX-WISE INVESTING How would you like to get a higher return on your investment portfolio without taking on any more risk? Believe it or not, it's easy to do. All you need to do is set up your various investment accounts to take full advantage of the current tax rules. Maximizing your contributions into your retirement accounts such as IRAs, 401(k) and 403(b) accounts, and self-employed retirement plans is a great first step. Amounts contributed to these accounts are generally tax deductible and always grow tax deferred. That means you won't owe any taxes on the investment earnings until you begin withdrawing money from your pre-tax accounts. And thanks to the recent tax law changes, you can contribute quite a bit of money into these accounts - up to $12,000 into your 401(k) or 403(b) plan this year, or up to $40,000 into your self-employed retirement plan. Higher limits apply if you'll be 50 or older by December 31, 2003. To illustrate the power of tax-deferred investing over your working years, let's assume you have the choice of contributing $10,000 to a 401(k) plan each year for 25 years, or you can take the $10,000 as a bonus, pay the applicable taxes, and then invest whatever's left. If you choose the 401(k) plan route, your account will grow to be worth more than $1,000,000 after 25 years, assuming a 10% rate of return. If you choose to pay taxes along the way, your investment portfolio won't even grow to $500,000 over the same period of time. Next, take a look at your tax-free investment opportunities. These include Roth IRAs for your retirement and Education Savings Accounts (ESAs) and 529 Accounts for your child's education. You don't get a tax deduction for contributions made into these accounts, but you'll owe no taxes on amounts withdrawn, as long as certain conditions are met. If you haven't taken full advantage of these tax-free investment opportunities for 2002, there's still time. You have until April 15th to contribute the maximum of $3,000 ($3,500 if you were 50 years old by December 31, 2002) into a Roth IRA or up to $2,000 per child into an ESA for 2002, subject to certain income limitations., individual stocks, and "tax-efficient" mutual funds. These investments generally pay little or no dividends each year. Remember, while the tax rate on interest and dividends can be as high as 38.1% this year, the long-term capital gains tax rate for most individuals is only 18%, as long as the investment is held for more than 5 years. TOP
Jefferson Parish’s new president, Cynthia Lee Sheng, began her term last week by making history on several fronts. Like New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell, she is the first woman to lead her parish government. Lee Sheng also signaled a new era of diversity by appointing a record number of women and minorities to key administrative posts. On another front, Lee Sheng’s strong relationships with new and returning parish council members will usher in an era of harmony unseen in parish government in the last eight years — at least for the foreseeable future. Under former parish presidents John Young and Mike Yenni, each of whom served four years, relations between council members and the administration ranged from testy to hostile. Council members also clashed amongst themselves at times. No longer, says new District 1 Councilman Marion Edwards, a longtime friend and ally of the late Sheriff Harry Lee and now a political confidant of Lee Sheng. "You are going to see a unified council," Edwards said, echoing similar sentiments from other council members. "We’ll have one goal: to make Jefferson Parish better." Edwards, a retired district court and appellate judge, also administered the oath of office to Lee Sheng — something he had done several times to her late father, the sheriff. The new council is a mix of old and familiar faces. Edwards served for decades in the legal arena, first as a top assistant district attorney and then for more than 20 years as a judge. Likewise, new District 2 Councilman Deano Bonano served several parish administrations in a variety of key positions. Clancy DuBos: 2020 promises Washington-style partisanship on most issues in the Louisiana Legislature Gov. John Bel Edwards likely to have a harder time wrangling Republican legislators than in his first term. New at-large Councilman Scott Walker, on the other hand, joins the council as a first-time public official. Walker is best known for his years as a news anchor at WDSU-TV. The four returning council members include two second-termers: District 5 Councilwoman Jennifer Van Vrancken (also a former TV newscaster); and District 4 Councilman Dominick Impastato. New at-large Councilman Ricky Templet recently completed two terms representing District 1; and District 2 Councilman Byron Lee represented that district for two terms, from 2004 to 2012, then won the seat again in the fall elections. The council and Lee Sheng face a variety of challenges — upgrading the parish landfill and the parish’s aging infrastructure (particularly drainage and sewerage), making sure the 2020 Census counts all parish residents, and creating a sustainable management (and ownership) structure for the parish’s two public hospitals, to name just a few. Looking ahead to those and other challenges, Lee Sheng told me that her first task is “to create a work environment for our employees to do their best work. We have reorganized the organization chart to help facilitate that purpose. I wanted functional groupings so that they are reporting to the same manager, and I wanted to create communication channels that give us the best chance at creativity and innovation.” In the process, Lee Sheng retained — and promoted — some veteran parish workers while also bringing in an unprecedented number of women and minorities. It will be interesting to see how long the political hugs and kumbayas last. For now, at least, Jefferson is off to a good start.
Pastoral Care The well-being of all of our pupils is of the utmost importance to us. All staff provide daily pastoral support, which is overseen by the House Parents and the Assistant Head Pastoral, Mr Jamie Matthews. The Head of Boarding, Miss Angie Wright, and the School Chaplain, Revd Mike Wilkinson, are also on hand to support our pupils, whatever their needs. Concern for every pupil is fundamental to what we do at Kingswood. Our objective is to ensure that all of our students have the opportunity to fulfil their potential, be it through the academic, artistic, sporting or extra-curricular activities on offer. We also educate pupils at Kingswood about a variety of topics, such as online safety, sex education, drugs and alcohol awareness, and eating disorders, both through PSHCE (Personal, Social, Health and Citizenship Education) lessons and through tutorials and assemblies. The House system is at the heart of our pastoral support structure. There are seven Houses, each run by an experienced Housemaster or Housemistress who is supported by a Deputy and a team of tutors. The tutors, who take direct responsibility for individual boarding and day pupils at the School, are the first point of contact for parents. Each student attends regular target setting and review meetings, and communication with home is very much a part of this process as appropriate. In addition to this, Kingswood offers excellent healthcare facilities. The Medical Centre is available 24 hours a day and staffed by three nurses, with doctors in attendance twice a week. There is also a team of counsellors in school that offer an additional level of support should the need arise. The School also employs an independent listener who is in school on one afternoon each week. Every adult member of the school community undergoes child protection training, which is updated on an annual basis. The Deputy Head (Pastoral) is the Designated Safeguarding Lead and can be contacted by phoning 07850 620985. If any parent or pupil has a concern, no matter how small, please be assured that we will handle the matter with the utmost sensitivity and provide help as appropriate. We aim to equip our pupils with a strong set of moral values to guide them through their lives. We base this philosophy on the teaching of our founder John Wesley, that says: "Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can." Chapel The Chapel was opened in 1922 as a memorial to former pupils and members of staff who died in the First World War. It was dedicated by the Reverend Owen Spencer Watkins, a former pupil who was instrumental in establishing the Royal Army Chaplain’s Department and who served as the first Free Church Honorary Chaplain to the King. The Chapel now also holds memorials to pupils who have been killed in action in the intervening years. Today, the Chapel is central to daily life at the School. Pupils attend a weekly morning act of worship in year groups. On Fridays, the School community gathers together for the Whole School Service, which often includes a visiting speaker and always includes pupil participation and musical performance. True to our Methodist heritage, we believe that singing together forms a central part of the service. The service provides an opportunity to reflect upon our Christian belief that following the way of Jesus leads to a flourishing life. Many pupils look back so fondly on their time in Kingswood School’s Chapel that they choose to be married in the Chapel in later life. The Chaplain The Chaplain, the.
FAYETTEVILLE — The tests get more difficult each week as the semester continues for the 20th-ranked University of Arkansas women’s golf team as the Lady Razorbacks travel to Palo Alto, Calif., for the Stanford Intercollegiate. Arkansas faces some of the best teams from the West Region, but head coach Shauna Estes’ team has improved in their first two outings of the season posting back-to-back third place finishes to open the year. The Lady Razorbacks face a tough field that includes top-ranked UCLA, No. 2 Duke, No. 4 Arizona State, No. 8 Arizona and No. 9 California all of whom are in the top 10 in this week’s Golfstat poll. "The competition this week will be the best we see all fall for sure," said Estes. "It is a good mix of the best talent in college golf. It will be the only time this fall we see the top West Coast teams. It will be a great way to see how we measure up." Arkansas measured up well in the early part of 2007. Senior Stacy Lewis has two third-place finishes and junior Lucy Nunn, sophomore Kristin Ingram and freshman Kelli Shean all have top 20 finishes. Sophomore Alex Schulte joins the team again this week rounding out the traveling five. The fall schedule is a tough one for Arkansas with three consecutive weekends of play. The Lady’Backs finished third a the Mercedes Benz Intercollegiate last weekend, take part in the Stanford Intercollegiate this weekend and travel to the UA Ann Rhodes Intercollegiate Oct. 26-28 as the fall season concludes. "I think a quick turn-around is an advantage because we saw some success last week," said Estes. "I want to make sure the team is rested but their games are coming around nicely and I think it is a great thing to be competing alot right now." Arkansas has posted good numbers early. The Lady’Backs carded 285 in the first round at Tennessee – a mark that is the second-best round the Cherokee Golf Course had seen. Lewis had first round 69s in both events this year and was matched by Nunn’s career-best 69 in Knoxville, Tenn. Shean, in her first season of collegiate golf, has qualified and counted for Arkansas in each event. Despite the success, Estes sees potential for even lower scores. "Our strength has been our ball-striking," said Estes. "We are hitting it better than I have seen us hit the golf ball since I have been here. On the other hand, our putters have been a bit cold so I am waiting for us to make some putts and I think that will be fun to see how low we can actually go when we start making some putts." Follow all of the Lady Razorback golf action at LADYBACKS.COM.
04.05.2012 Buyer Beware! A Patient’s Guide to Asking the Right Questions When Paying for Fertility Treatment For many in the United States, advanced treatments for infertility (for example, In-Vitro Fertilization, or IVF) is not covered by their health insurance. This means that those needing advanced treatment have to pay for the related expenses “out of pocket” if they want to build their family. The cost of treatment can range from $10,000-20,000 (USD) and is often the […]
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES (AE) COUNTRY NAME: United Arab Emirates LAND AREA: 83,600 km2 POPULATION: 4.9 million (2010 est.) LANGUAGE: Arabic CURRENCY: 1 UAE Dirham (AED) = 100 Fils ; 1 EUR = 4.92 AED (Nov. 2010) MAIN CITIES: Abu Dhabi (capital), Dubai, Sharjah NATIONAL DAY: 2 December TIME ZONE: Standard Time is GMT + 4 In little more than 30 years the UAE has achieved remarkable progress from a group of small neighbouring communities to a prosperous and modern commercial centre whose continually changing skyline is beginning to rival anything in the Middle East. The and reform of property laws gave a major boost to real estate and tourism sectors. Despite the global financial crisis resulting in an inevitable contraction in 2009, the UAE economy remains robust, shielded by signify cant overseas financial assets acquired during the period of booming oil revenues. Substantial public expenditure, made possible by its assets, combined with strong fundamentals and sound fiscal policies, to minimise the impact of the crisis and receding petrodollar income on the UAE’s economy. It has speeded up its recovery in 2010. In particular, the UAE decided to maintain high investment budgets, especially for core long-term infrastructure projects, in order to stimulate growth and steer the economy away from recession. The UAE has obviously not been totally insulated from the reverberations of the global recession and in this regard cargo handler DP World revealed that business at its ports dropped ten per cent in the fi rst half of 2009 as the shipping industry struggled through the downturn. Oil & Gas The UAE is the world’s third largest exporter of crude oil and, as of February 2009, oil production was 2.223 million barrels a day. Oil reserves were 97.8 billion barrels, the sixth largest reserves in the world. Abu Dhabi holds 92.2 billion barrels or 94% of the UAE total. Meanwhile, natural gas reserves are 6 trillion cubic metres, which is the fifth largest in the world, according to official sources. The UAE is an increasingly attractive place to do business and, despite the global downturn of 2009, considerable opportunities continue to emerge in each of the emirates. Clearly Dubai and Abu Dhabi are the big attractions, but investors are now increasingly looking further afield towards the emerging markets of the smaller emirates such as Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah. Visitors are drawn towards the open, low-tax and robust economy, stable market, the ease of doing business, the essential back up provided by first rate infrastructure, the transparent regulatory system and the legal protection offered in particular to intellectual property rights. Construction Despite the global slowdown, the UAE continued to be one of the most active construction markets in the world with more than 750 active projects in construction and 450 recently completed, according to a report by Dubai-based research house Proleads Global issued in July 2009. Although more than 400 projects with a total value in excess of $300 billion had been placed on hold or withdrawn; the report forecasts stability returning to the sector in 2009 with some recovery in cash flow in 2010. Considerable building activities are taking place across the emirates. Abu Dhabi still has a major shortage of residential units and work on infrastructure projects such as new roads, the metro and Khalifa Port, as well as airports and new industrial areas, has proceeded without delay. Abu Dhabi was considering allowing 100 per cent foreign ownership of some projects, the chairman of the Department of Economic Development stated. “We feel strongly inclined to grant 100 per cent ownership to foreigners in new and old industries as well as other projects,” Nasser Ahmed Al Kuwaiti told Emirates Business on 24 May 2009. Meanwhile, the number of contractors and consultants entering Abu Dhabi increased according to a report issued by the Directorate of Contractors’ Classification and Consultants’ Registration at the Department of Economic Development (DED), which said that the construction sector in Abu Dhabi witnessed a major development during the fi rst half of 2009. The construction sector in Ras Al Khaimah is to be better regulated under a new law issued by H H Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Crown Prince and Deputy Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah.. Provisions of law no 1 of 2009 for regulating buildings in RAK will be applicable to all buildings with the exception of those that come under a special decree or resolution. The law covers a wide range of topics dealing with buildings starting from designs, construction license, architectural standards and specifications, additions, expansions, maintenance and safety and security systems up to penalties for breaching provisions of the law. ICT The UAE compares favourably internationally in terms of its ICT services recording high rates of usage as the country’s ICT sector shows continuing rapid growth. The dynamism in the sector is attributed largely to the introduction of competition, as well as the adoption of international best practices and governance. The UAE ranked first among Arab countries in internet user rate, international internet bandwidth rates, the importance of ICT to the government’s vision of the future, personal computer rates, ICT use and government efficiency; e-government, government prioritisation of ICT, laws relating to ICT, and the number of telephone lines, according to the Global Information Technology Report 2007 – 2008, released in March 2009 by the World Economic Forum and based on estimates of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). The UAE also ranked second among the Arab countries in terms of: high-speed monthly broadband subscription, lowest cost of broadband, the availability of government online services, and secure internet servers. Internationally, the UAE ranked first worldwide on the cost of mobile telephone call and on residential monthly telephone subscriptions. In other areas, the UAE ranks worldwide as follows: fourth on the importance of ICT to government vision of the future, sixth on government success in ICT promotion, seventh on government prioritization of ICT, ninth on ICT use and government efficiency, 10 th on mobile telephone subscribers rate, 10th on business telephone connection charge, and 14th on residential telephone connection charge. Free Zones Each of the emirates now has its own free zones, although the majority are in Dubai. All free zones in the UAE are governed by the independent Free Zone Authority (FZA) which is also the agency responsible for issuing operating licences and assisting companies with establishing their business. Dubai is the home to a majority of the free zones, including the famous Jebel Ali, the Airport Free Zone, Dubai Internet City and Dubai Healthcare City. More specialist free zones are planned catering for specific sectors including textile, energy and design cities. Setting up business in one of the UAE’s many Free Trade Zones (FTZs) is widely seen as an attractive option for foreign investors. The concessions offered to investors in the free zones have led to their success in attracting a large number of companies and foreign direct investment. In turn, this success has had the positive effect of expanding net non-oil exports. Tourism Tourism sector officials in Abu Dhabi reported that the emirate was becoming an important tourism hub in the Gulf and Middle East due to its rich tourism varieties and capability to provide unprecedented entertainment, culture, artistic, musical, fairs and other competitive services in the region. In addition, Abu Dhabi said that it was eyeing a 59% growth in cruise passenger arrivals in the 2009/2010 season. Forecasts by the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA) point to some 199,113 arrivalsin the season, which runs from end of November to beginning of May. Meanwhile, Sharjah, widely seen as the UAE’s cultural capital, was holding its position as a leading destination for cultural, heritage and family tourism worldwide. Agriculture The UAE has demonstrated an increased interest in the development of organic farming in recent years. This is largely because traditional farming methods are widely seen as impractical to meet the needs of the growing population. The first internationally recognised organic farm in Abu Dhabi was certified to European standards in 2007 and since then the sector has been growing. The land under organic cultivation is set to double against the backdrop of increasing support and encouragement from UAE public agencies keen to promote the sector. The total area under organic farming would increase to 3,000 acres as the demand for natural food products is on the rise, said industry experts. They said the focus on organic farming had come at a time when the market for organic and natural food products started picking up in the UAE as well as in the region. According to global data, the Middle East is considered to be the fastest growing market for natural and organic foods. On current estimates, the global market for these green alternatives to conventional food is to the tune of $220bn. The main domestically grown crops in the UAE are dates, tomatoes, melons, cucumbers, lettuce, camel milk, Akkawi cheese, eggplants and celery. The UAE imports most of its basic food needs including sugar, dairy products, meat, rice, tea, coffee, poultry, wheat flour and fruit. Source: Austro-Arab Trade Directory 2011. The mentioned data are subject to modification. No responsibility is taken for the correctness of the details provided. Last modified: 24 January 2011 Webdesign and Programming: Anendo
Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA) award for Demag V-type crane Wetter, Germany, 31. August 2015 - The International Design Excellence Awards (IDEA) is one of the most prestigious international design awards - “Made in Germany” also for product design The outstanding product design of the Demag V-type crane has now also been recognized in the USA: the Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA) has recognized the crane girder as part of its International Design Excellence Awards (IDEA). The V-type crane was awarded Silver as one of the “top winners” in the Commercial & Industrial Products category. The jury evaluated a total of 1,700 entries. Matthew Marzynski from the University of Washington and Jury Chair explains: “When we look at a design, we’re not just looking at what’s trendy or fashionable at the moment. We have the context of that history of that long line of designers that came before us.” Following the iF Design Award, Red Dot Award and other awards, the patented crane continues this success story and has now received another design award this year. Andreas Hambrock, Head of Universal Cranes Business Line at Terex Material Handling, explains: “It is really great that the product design of our Demag V-type crane has been recognized at this level. And the fact that we have now also won an American design award proves that products which are ‘Made in Germany’ can also compete in the design arena.” Characteristic for the crane girder is its V-shaped design with vertical and diagonal struts as well as tapered diaphragm joints. The development engineers utilized bionic principles and based their design on bone structure, which only uses material where it is actually needed. The construction of the V-type crane offers considerable technical benefits compared to conventional cranes that have enclosed box-section girders or I-beam girders. Its innovative design reduces oscillation frequency by 30 percent, cuts its weight by an average of 17 percent and doubles its service life to more than 500,000 changes of load. The new girder concept offers significantly improved efficiency for handling loads and higher handling rates.
Sharing live location in WhatsApp on iPhone and Android phone is finally possible thanks to the latest update. So, if you ever happen to make your loved ones know your whereabouts or where you are enjoying a trip, you can share your real-time live location easily keep them updated. One thing worth mentioning is that the option to share location via WhatsApp has been available for quite sometime. But there was no option to share real time location. Personally, I had been eagerly awaiting this cool feature. Enough talk, let me show you how it works: How to Share Live Location in WhatsApp Quick links - How to Share Live Location from WhatsApp on iPhone - How to Stop Live Location Sharing in WhatsApp on iPhone - How to Share Live Location from WhatsApp on Android Phone - How to Stop Live Location Sharing in WhatsApp on Android Phone Share Your Real-Time Location in WhatsApp on iPhone Note: Before starting off, make sure you have the latest version of WhatsApp on your iPhone. If you are yet to update it, head over to App Store>Updates and hit the Update button that is right next to WhatsApp. Step #1. Launch WhatsApp on your iPhone → Open any group or individual chat. Step #2. Tap on the “+” button. Step #3. Select Location from the available options. Step #4. Now, you have to tap on “Share Live Location.” Step #5. Then, you need to choose for how long you wish to share your real-time location, you may also add the comment. Once done, tap send button. All the persons included in the chat will be able to see your real-time location on a map. In case more than one person shares their real-time Location in the group, all the locations will be seen on the same map. That’s how we can share live location from WhatsApp on iPhone. Let’s check out way to stop it. Stop Live Location Sharing in WhatsApp on iPhone Anytime if you want to stop sharing your live location, you can get it done with ease. Step #1. Launch WhatsApp on your iPhone. Step #2. Open the individual or group chat in question and then tap on Stop Sharing. That’s it. Now, let’s find out way to share live location in from WhatsApp on Android. Share Live Location WhatsApp on Android Phone Step #1. Launch WhatsApp on your Android phone. → Open any group or individual chat. Step #2. Tap on the Pin button. Step #3. Tap on Location. Step #4. Now, you have to tap on “Share Live Location.” Step #5. Enter your comment (optional), enter the duration for the real-time location sharing, and tap on send button. Stop Real-time Location Sharing in WhatsApp on Android Phone Step #1. Launch WhatsApp on your Android phone. Step #2. Open the individual or group chat in question and then tap on Stop sharing. Tap on STOP again to confirm. That’s all. Wrapping up I find live location sharing feature very useful. It’s the easiest way to keep your friends updated about the places you are visiting. Let me know your feedback about it in the comments. You may want to catch up with these posts as well:
Investing in Trust Will Lubricate Business Frictions in China Evidence of friction abounded in conversations on stage and off at the World Economic Forum’s “Summer Davos” held in Dalian, China this week. Whether it was friction around the U.S.-China trade sanctions standoff, or concerns about the ethical boundaries of artificial intelligence, it was clear that business uncertainty may be our new normal, at least for a while. And that’s okay.. Where there is uncertainty in any marketplace, believable information, transparent knowledge sets and collaborative models shine through. Shared knowledge will always be more powerful than walled gardens. As China moves to a more consumer-led economy in terms of its GDP mix, we expect more opportunities to unlock new spending habits and new consumer aspirations. Despite the noise of geo-politics, consumers in China will continue to spend at pace, but we expect the mix of spending to change. More brands, more premium options, more channels through which to purchase, all mean we have expanding opportunities to engage consumer wallets. But to tap into these changing habits, blind spots on changing consumer demand will need to be removed. Our collective jobs is to uncover those blind spots to help fuel this consumer-led cycle of growth. Chinese Premier Li Keqiang told us this week that the government will push to create an equal playing field in the country for all companies. And that is welcome news. Open business models will fuel growth that consumers are demanding of us. We’d be wise to listen to those consumers. We live in a world where consumers are more disloyal to their favorite brands than ever in history. Attributes like price, taste, brand halos and the like will continue to be important, but a growing pile of evidence points to trust as a key attribute to which consumers gravitate. Trust extends to things like ethical supply chains, sustainable business practices and clean ingredients. But, as we heard at the World Economic Forum event this week, it also extends to how data sets are managed in a world where artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning have increasingly bigger roles to play. We saw concerning examples of AI that delivered discriminating outputs; we saw survey results that demonstrated clear concerns around so-called “bad” AI. But we also saw some great examples of good AI, such as providing development paths for hospitals of the future and addressing modern slavery. And there’s the rub. Not all AI is created equal. Good AI requires the highest quality “training data” to provide foundational quality levels that build to believable outputs. The key to unlocking consumer growth in China and, perhaps more importantly, in partnership with China, will be built on a foundation of trustworthy knowledge. Poor quality inputs, or worse, manipulated inputs that tie to agendas, will undermine trust. Independent data sets, where truth is the only agenda, will be the lubrication we need.
About This Guide This is a step-by-step guide to applying for a Tier 5 YMS visa for the UK, while located outside the UK. If you’re reading this post, I suspect you’re considering or are in the process of applying for your Tier 5 Youth Mobility Visa for the United Kingdom. Welcome! Before we get started, please have a look at my Disclaimer page. Last Updated: 7 Jan 2020 Eligibility - Canadian Citizen - Age 18-30 (you can apply at 17, but you must be 18 on or before the visa start date; you can move to UK at 31, as long as you were 30 on the date of the application) - No dependents (children under 18 either living with you or for whom you are financially responsible) - A minimum of the equivalent £1890 (~ $3220 as of January 2020) in your bank account - Not currently in the UK You can apply for this visa if you are not in Canada, as long as you are legally allowed to stay in that country for more than six months and there is a UK Border Agency where you can have a biometric appointment. For example, you are in Australia on the working holiday scheme for one year, then you may apply from Australia and attend your biometric appointment in Sydney. How to Apply for the UK Youth Mobility Visa in Canada This Official Guidance Document will give you information on all of the requirements for your documents as well as the limitations on the work you may do. Read it twice, if not three times. Once you’ve done that, Apply Online Here. What You Need: - Current passport and all previous passports (if you have them) - Dates of all international travel, including travel to the UK - Birth dates and birthplaces of your parents - Accurate UK postcode to collect your Biometric Residence Permit (your permanent work/residence permit) - Credit card to process payment for Visa Fee, Immigration Health Surcharge, and User Pay office (if applicable) - Your proof of funds (do it now and you won’t have to worry later! 🙂 ) Steps 1. Gather the information needed and fill out the application. If you run into information you don’t have – don’t lie! Save the form and get it, or tell the truth (e.g. you lost it, you don’t know, etc.). Make sure your name is filled out exactly as it appears on your passport. I failed to put my middle names on the application, which I was able to amend at my appointment. 2. Fill out the intended date of arrival as accurately as possible. The vignette you receive in your passport is only an entry visa, so you must enter the UK within 30 days of that date or apply for a transfer of visa. See the FAQ for details on the Biometric Residence Permit and the temporary vignette. 3. For the international trips – visiting the USA counts even though there may be no stamps in your passport if you went by car. Put the trips you remember and explain in the comments section at the end of the application. If you forget a trip, don’t sweat! Just mention it in your appointment. 4. Make the payment. The fee for this visa is £244. It is charged in USD because the visa processing office is in New York. 5. You will be directed to pay the Immigration Health Surcharge, which is £300. You must complete the payment and return to the application page within 30 minutes. This link has all of the documents you will need to hand to make the payment. 6. Print out your completed application. Confirm all the information is correct and sign and date where necessary. Write your IHS number on the front page. 7. You will be directed to the VFS Global website to book an appointment at their office in Toronto. Choose the date and time that is convenient for you. If you are not in Toronto, other offices include User Pay Offices in Edmonton, St John’s, Vancouver, Halifax and Ottawa.* There is a $100 USD fee to use these Offices. Print out the appointment confirmation notice. Halifax and St John’s User Pay Offices are only open one or two days a month. Be sure to take this into account when applying. The Visa Appointment I should point out that this is officially what is required – I do not have experience with the VFS Global application service, as I used a Worldbridge office when I applied. Please refer to the comments if you would like to know about other people’s experiences with VFS Global. What You Need: When you attend your appointment, you should bring: Information and Documents - Current passport. It needs to be valid for at least 6 months but your BRP card will be your permanent visa (so you have to keep it on you at all times!). - Proof of funds dated within 30 days prior to the date of application. Refer to the Official Guidance Document above for specifics. For this visa, you need to have the minimum maintenance amount on or anytime within the 30 days before the date of application. Here are some examples of what this means: - A hard copy bank statement showing the balance received before your application (no older than a month); - A letter from your bank on official letterhead stating your balance on the date of your application; - A print-out of your bank summary from the date of your application showing your balance with an official stamp from your bank. - The date of application is the date you paid the fee to the UKBA. Maintenance funds required is £1890 (Canadian Dollar amount is calculated using the rate of exchange from the date of your application). My accounts were a chequing account and my TFSA. You must have access to these funds in cash, i.e. they cannot be held in stocks, assets, or credit cards. Lines of credit and joint bank accounts are okay as long as your name is on them. - Appointment confirmation, visa fee receipt, and VAC (User Pay) service fee receipt. - You no longer require a passport photo as VFS global now takes it. Be sure to double check if you are applying outside of Canada. - Print out of your application form (should be available when the application is complete), signed and dated. - Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) Number - Your hand and your face Steps 1. Arrive 15 minutes before your scheduled appoint to check-in. Someone at the desk will verify you have all the required documents. If you don’t they may have them on hand but you can be asked to come back. The person at the desk will put them in a folder and give you a number. If you have any last-minute questions, the manager can advise you on your application. 2. Sit and wait for your number. Watch the “Visit Britain” video they play on repeat. (I can not confirm that they have these videos at the VFS Global locations 🙂 ) You are not allowed to have any electronics, food or drink. Also, don’t leave your bag unattended – they will treat it as a bomb threat and evacuate the building which almost happened when some guy left his bag on a chair for 20 minutes. 3. When your number is called, you will go see an agent who will look at your documents and then put them in a DHL bag to be mailed to New York. Yes, it’s silly that Canadians get their British visas processed in America…but you know. Budget cuts 4. You have the option of picking up your visa in the office in Toronto or having it delivered to you for US $37. I decided to have it mailed. You can also have someone else pick it up for you with an authorization letter. 5. Sit and wait again. Become British by osmosis. Your number will the called by the person at the desk and your photograph and biometric data will be taken. They scan your fingerprints and take a picture. You are now free to go! 7 Days Later… From applying online to receiving my passport with the vignette, it took a total of 15 days. I applied on a Tuesday, had my appointment the following Wednesday, and had my passports returned to me the week after that on Thursday. I thought this was a pretty fast turn-around, though once I got to the visa stage for my French work permits, it took about a week as well. The visa processing office in New York sends you an e-mail when they receive your documents and then once the visa has been issued (and presumably if you are rejected). I have moved the FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS here. 1,016 thoughts on “Getting a UK Youth Mobility Visa for Canadians”? what was the total cost for everything all said and done? not including the funds in your account, but just the fees for getting the visa? Hi Alyssa; Love your blog. It has helped me so much as a Canadian coming over here to study. Under a work study visa (tier 5) does a taichi instructor count as a sports coach? Thanks! Sam No. Hi Alyssa, I’m wondering if they review the transactions on your bank statement? I read in a forum that they may question spikes in your account and if it is in fact your money. I am a server so typically pay with cash but am now making larger deposits into my account from this money to help with the application process. I’m wondering if they’ll question this? Thanks, Maggie Thank you so much for this blog post! I am awaiting trial for criminal charges (break and enter with intent) for a protest action I took part in. We broke into an abandoned elementary school (had been abandoned because of budget cuts) and moved in a bunch of homeless people, and then squatted it – to protest homelessness in Canada. I am planning applying for my T5 youth mobility scheme visa before my trial – should I just not mention the trial? I don’t have charges yet (and the charges might be dropped). Or should I disclose this? Zoe Hi, This blog was a lot of help, i am about to go through the process now and was wondering how far back i need to go for international travel? Is it since birth or the last 10 years? Thanks, Zara Does anyone know about the last question regarding the sponsorship? Am I meant to answer it as if I’m being sponsored or just say what I’m planning on doing whilst in the uk? I have a question about the “currently not in the UK” eligibility. I am currently in Canada but have already booked my flight to the UK. I live in a part of Canada where the appointments only happen once a month. Is it not possible to get the biometrics etc while in the UK? My boyfriends visa just got refused because he did not receive the points needed by his maintenance funds. He sent a letter from his bank stating that he had a 15k credit line and has had for over 10 years. Has anyone else experienced this or something similar? Or is a credit line just not an acceptable form of funds? Pls help! Lines of credit do not count towards maintenance. That’s clearly stated in the documents. Does it? I honestly can’t find anywhere where it says lines of credit are not acceptable, I can see that credit cards are not 🙁 Also perhaps you should change your blog because you write “Lines of credit and joint bank accounts are okay as long as your name is on them” Hi there! Thank you so much for the blog and ebook – major help! Do you happen to know if there is a max length of time between your application date and the day you attend your biometrics appointment? I live no where near the visa office, so I am arranging to attend my biometrics appointment on my way back from an upcoming trip which will be about a month after my application is submit. Thank you 🙂 I don’t think there’s a limit, but a month is definitely fine! Thanks for the support 🙂 Hi Alyssa, I have a very important to ask you. I am confused with the 30 days vignette sticker and the time you have to arrive in the UK, First of all, I read here in the past that those 30 days are from the intended arrival date which is fine and that you need to apply before you turn 31. I also read here in previous faqs that I can’t find now that you can put as your arrival date up to 6 months after your birthdate is that right? I need to get this answer to this question straighten up because I’m going to England with a Canadian work agency but the lady I’m dealing with she keeps telling me that I have to leave within the 30 days that says on my vignette and that practically I have to arrive in the UK before those 30 days expire but she says that counts from when I get my visa approved and I’m almost sure that is not the case. Where can I see from an official site the 6 months period after my birthday that I am allowed to arrive in the UK? this is very important for me because I’m having this argument over and over but to be honest I only read it here but nowhere else in the official UK government sites but have also not read anywhere that I have to leave before my birthday or such. Please if you have a direct link to this and a straight up answer I will really appreciate it as my application date is approaching since I’m turning 31 in March but I would like to leave sometime end of April if that is even possible otherwise I just have to leave whenever is required. Thanks a lot in advance! Hey! I’m applying from Toronto and was wondering if anyone has any time line info in terms of how long they had to wait for an interview once they submitted their application. Any insight would be greatly appreciated 🙂 Just filling out the application and where it asks what type of work I will be doing and how much I will be making. Do I need to have a job lined up? I plan on waitressing when I get there so can I put that in and then research how much they make a year? I plan to find something upon arrival. No. I read on the official UK government site that every country has a limited number of Tier 5 visa applications they can approve each year. If an application is received after the limit has been reached for that year, the application is denied on this basis. Canada’s annual allocation is 6000 placements/people per year. Has anyone been declined in this situation? Is this common? no, they’re never eevn CLOSE to that number every year. You really have nothing to worry about for that Hi Alyssa, When you paid the health surcharge, did you happen to find out if you are required to pay the health surcharge for both years, or just as many as you intend to stay? For example, it’s 300 pounds/year. If I only want to stay a year can I just pay the 300, and not 600 for the entire visa period? hey jesse, I just applied and I was required to pay for 2 years health surcharge. It doesnt matter how long you intend to stay. Hi, Can I apply when, let’s say I’m 30 years and 10 months old? Thank you in advance! Hello, I am just wondering, can I pay for my tier 5 Youth Mobility visa application, Immigration Health Surcharge, and User Pay office with my debit card? Thank you. Hi Alyssa, I would just like to thank you for creating this blog. It’s super helpful and informative. I’m not sure if you’re still answering questions however, I do have a question: The $1890 GBP that must be in my bank account 30 days prior to me submitting my application. Does my bank have the seize that amount so it stays in my account until I travel to the uk? I’m a little confused about this. once I receive the statement from my bank saying that I have the amount in my bank amount – am I allowed to spend a bit of it or does it need to remain in my account until I travel? hope you’re able to clarify this for me. as you can see I am a little bit confused. Thank you, Hi Alyssa, what do you mean by: “Accurate UK postcode to collect your Biometric Residence Permit (your permanent work/residence permit)?” – I don’t have a UK postcode yet, what should I provide? Hi Alyssa, I hope you’re doing OK in the current climate — I too am a Canadian living in NYC at the moment:) I am nearing the end of my 7-year run in NYC and plan to move to the UK on the YMS in September. My US visa ends in June, and my funds exist in my Chase American bank. Considering all that’s happening at the moment, I’m wondering if you think I still have enough time to apply for the visa from the US? Can I even apply from the US since my current visa isnt valid for 6 additional months? So with that said, do you think it is OK to apply for the visa from Canada, but have a valid bank statement from my American account or do I need to transfer my money to a Canadian account? Thanks so much for all the help you do !! Hi Alyssa, Love this page it really helped me with my visa application process, learning about the proof of funds and needing to have your bank statement dated on or 31 days prior saved my butt! I have one question, at the time of the appointment do they go through your application at all ( I saw in your guide you mentioned adding forgotten trips onto your application ) ? Thank you, Sacha I know that this is an old post, but the experience with VFS Global is not as easy as it was for Worldbridge. I applied for a Tier 5 around the same time you did and had a good experience. I had a visa within 15 days applying online. Lots of detailed info from Worldbridge, including clear info about what to bring, email confirmation that my docs were received by the UKVI and that the visa was issued and en route. The milieu and staff were professional and efficient. Exactly as you describe. Fast forward several years and I am returning to the UK and applying through VFS. Took me over a month to even get a visa appointment. It was a far less professional experience than with Worldbridge. I am not convinced that they won’t lose my passport. There is no way to contact them. Recommendations: -apply way in advance of your expected departure date. -set aside a whole morning or afternoon. I waited over 2hrs past my appointment time even though the processing and biometrics took under 10mins. They seem to deliberately overbook. -hang on to the receipt they give you for your passport. You won’t get any other email confirmation that your things are received by ukvi or are being processed. -in this era of covid, bring wipes. They don’t clean surfaces. There is a computer that is used by applicants to print labels. It is not only cleaned, there is no hand sanitizer nearby.
Dec. 9, 2008 GO GREEN? NO SWEAT, LOCAL LEADERS SAYAS FEDERAL STIMULUS PLAN TAKES SHAPE Charlotte, N.C. ¨C If the federal government wants to help Mecklenburg County in its efforts to become cleaner and greener, local officials have one thing to say: They¡¯re ready. President-elect Barack Obama and federal lawmakers are developing an economic stimulus package that would pump billions into the development of sustainable energy practices. Mecklenburg County has already implemented a variety of green-practices programs ¨C and has many more on deck that are simply awaiting the funding needed to bring them to fruition. Mecklenburg County and the greater Charlotte metropolitan area are not alone. As part of Local Climate Action Week, Mecklenburg County officials and other local leaders are joining local governments nationwide in showcasing initiatives that save energy, reduce waste and emissions, preserve land, and embrace sustainable building practices. Jennifer Roberts, chairman of the Mecklenburg Board of County Commissioners, attended a regional partnership forum recently at which she learned that the Charlotte metropolitan area is particularly well-positioned to retool around alternative energy. ¡°Sustainable development is one of the three target industries the region has recognized,¡± Roberts says. ¡°First, it¡¯s a growing industry. Second, it¡¯s good economics, which comes from job growth. Third, it¡¯s the right thing to do for the environment. We¡¯re working in a 16-county region to identify the resources we have that can be redirected to help us reduce our carbon footprint and increase jobs.¡± Mecklenburg County sustainability initiatives that have already been implemented include: ¡ñ A policy that prioritizes Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver certification or better for all new and retrofitted County facilities, including Freedom Mall, the Medical Examiner¡¯s Office and Revolution Sports and Learning Academy. ¡ñ The Green Permit Rebate Program, which offers incentive for area builders to develop projects in an environmentally sustainable and energy efficient way. ¡ñ Adopted an energy plan with an energy savings goal of 50 percent below 2006 levels. ¡ñ The Fleet Management Program that includes the purchase of low-emission vehicles (including hybrid and electric vehicles). ¡ñ Incentive for employees to reduce their vehicle miles traveled. As a result, the County has been recognized by the Environmental Protection Agency as a ¡°Best Workplaces for Commuters¡± employer. Mecklenburg County sustainability initiatives that are unfunded include: ¡ñ The Grants to Replace Aging Diesel Engines (GRADE) project, which would help businesses replace aging construction equipment, install new engines in old equipment, or retrofit equipment with auxiliary pollution control devices. In fiscal 2008, GRADE funded $400,000 in projects in Charlotte¡¯s ozone nonattainment region. These projects removed 43 tons of nitrogen oxide from our air over five years. ¡ñ Clean Air Works! is a project of the Regional Air Quality Board, in collaboration with the Regional Planning Alliance, the City of Charlotte, Mecklenburg County Air Quality, Charlotte Area Transit System, the Charlotte Chamber of Commerce, the Centralina Council of Governments, and the Catawba Regional Council of Governments. The project would help employers improve air quality by developing employee commute alternatives, and by assisting in retooling operations and maintenance activities to reduce emissions. ¡ñ Greenway trails are an increasingly important part of the County¡¯s transportation infrastructure. The trail networks connect schools, shopping areas, public transit, libraries, parks and retail destinations. Several projects would be viable candidates for federal economic stimulus funding. ¡ñ Toby Creek Greenway, a two-mile trail that would link residents to the UNC-Charlotte campus and the University Place shopping district to the future Northeast light rail extension from downtown Charlotte. ¡ñ Irwin Creek Greenway. Located in western Charlotte, Irwin Creek Greenway will run from West Boulevard to the existing trails off of Barringer Drive. Just more than a mile long, Irwin Creek Greenway will provide access to the new Revolution Sports and Learning Academy (which is currently seeking LEED certification), Revolution Park, Revolution Golf Course, and Clanton Park. The trail would also provide a connection to Barringer Elementary School. ¡ñ Sugar Creek Greenway. Located in southwestern Charlotte, Sugar Creek greenway would link to CityPark, a new pedestrian-friendly development with a mix of residential, retail and office space. This greenway would also offer access to the State Farmers Market and Renaissance Park. Participants in Local Climate Action Week ¨C including many local governments in the Carolinas ¨C have joined with Climate Communities, a national nonprofit, and Local Governments for Sustainability (ICLEI ) to endorse ¡°Empowering Local Government Climate Action: Blueprint for the New President and 111th Congress,¡± a resource for the federal government that illustrates how local governments can contribute to economic recovery while helping save the environment. To read the blueprint, go to.
Services The EDC, funded by both public and private investments, offers investors a wide range of benefits and services including business facilitation and advocacy, referrals through the EDC’s Business Expansion and Retention Program, known as the “BEAR Action Network,” and the opportunity to stay connected in the community through EDC events and publications. Our state-of-the-art website, and mobile website with electronically reported news and features, fosters partnerships and builds relationships among EDC investors, elected officials and community leaders. EDC departments include Corporate Locations and Business Expansion and Retention. CORPORATE LOCATIONS strives to strengthen and expand the EDC’s national and international presence through missions, business referrals and personal connections. THE BEAR ACTION NETWORK is a collaborative partnership program featuring a world-class business support matrix that has enhanced the stability and growth of existing businesses, resulting in increased job creation, and increased capital investment. The EDC continues to be a catalyst of ideas that through collaboration we can put into action. We will continue to make progress in the economic evolution of the region. The EDC is the “Essential Connection” between businesses and the community. It is committed to seeing Fresno County prosper. Invest in the EDC Investing in the EDC gives you large promotional opportunities to expanding businesses in Fresno County. (559) 476-2500or learn more about us. . .
Abstract Joint Models for Extracting Adverse Drug Events from Biomedical Text / 2838 Fei Li, Yue Zhang, Meishan Zhang, Donghong Ji Extracting adverse drug events receives much research attention in the biomedical community. Previous work adopts pipeline models, firstly recognizing drug/disease entity mentions and then identifying adverse drug events from drug/disease pairs. In this paper, we investigate joint models for simultaneously extracting drugs, diseases and adverse drug events. Compared with pipeline models, joint models have two main advantages. First, they make use of information integration to facilitate performance improvement; second, they reduce error propagation in pipeline methods. We compare a discrete model and a deep neural model for extracting drugs, diseases and adverse drug events jointly. Experimental results on a standard ADE corpus show that the discrete joint model outperforms a state-of-the-art baseline pipeline significantly. In addition, when discrete features are replaced by neural features, the recall is further improved.
The societal and academic debate on sustainability is evolving. Whether man-made climate change is occurring is no longer a discussion worth having as there is a 97% consensus supporting this claim. An interesting development in the debate is that we now discuss how to adapt to, or mitigate the effects of, climate change in relation to other problems. There is not just one environmental movement; there is a broad spectrum of people and organisations that consider themselves as being ‘green’. In the year 2016 RUW foundation will focus on the differences and similarities between the different opinions on sustainability, instead of the “old” sustainability debate with opponents and proponents of sustainability. As an organisation with a strong focus on sustainability we like to give students of Wageningen University the opportunity to actively seek for a more refined and nuanced view on sustainability. By organising lectures, excursions, workshops, debates and screen movies we will in 2016 elaborate on the different stances in environmentalism. The realisation that the debate on sustainability needs to evolve is reflected in the year theme 2016: Shades Of Green – What is your colour?, Stichting RUW does not take a position in the debate. Students are however invited to form their opinion and take a position somewhere in the green spectrum, therefore we will ask the question: What is your colour? Operationalization We do not only want to inform what the different shades of green are, we also want to look critically at these different shades, what they mean and how they are interpreted. This will likely lead to controversy as being green is often seen as universally good. It seems that the more green you are the more you care about the world around you. Just like shades of grey, some of the shades of green have ominous, scary and painful aspects and a complicated history. What does it mean to be green? Does it mean that you buy as much green products in the shop as desired by the light-greens or that you oppose capitalism as the deep-greens want you to? Can you still be green if your answer is neither? Or both? The many colours of environmentalism On the 17th of February RUW this theme was launched at our annual opening event. On an event titled “the many colours of environmentalism” we’ve invited three guest speakers from Wageningen to talk about the Shades of Green which resulted in three different and interesting presentations that made us reconsider many assumptions about being green. The first presentation was given by Erik-Jan van Oosten on the history of environmentalism. We learned that the ideas and stories of John Muir, Thomas Malthus, Adam Smith and Rachel Carson still shape the debate about sustainability to a large extent. Linkages have been made between old and new ideas, the most relevant scientific breakthroughs and the political issues that divide the green movement. This peek into the history of environmentalism helped the audience to get a historical context on for understanding where the contemporary greens such as the “ecomodernism” and “Climate Justice” movements come from and what motivates them. Kris van Koppen from the Environmental Policy group presented about the Shades of Green in Nature Protection. How we view and relate to nature is one of the most defining features of one’s green identity. During this presentation the case was made that it is not necessarily our views but our practices that determine how we value nature. There are 3 more or less separate pillars in which we relate to nature: “Dependency”, “kinship” and “enjoyment and awe”. Throughout the presentation historic paintings were used to show how culture and nature related, leading to an interesting discussion between western and non-western views. Despite being highly informative the thought-provoking presentation left us with more questions than answers: Is being green something you are or is it something you do? Is sustainability a practice or an ideology? To contrast the academic perspective from the first two presentations we invited Pim van der Horst to give a presentation about his daily experience as a sustainability consultant at Fruitconsult. He invited the audience to think along with the everyday dilemma’s he faces when advising fruit growers. Is growing organically more sustainable? Is high efficiency or high biodiversity on the farm more important? It is not just that there are trade-offs and considerations that need to be made to get to the right answer: it is impossible to tell the “right answer” without knowing the context. He argued the context of farmers and is often not included in the equation when we talk about sustainable food. Practicalities such as whether the farmer has a successor, whether the focus is on quality or quantity, what the soil and water conditions are and what the neighbouring farms are doing are also important. What sustainability entails needs to be defined on a case-by-case basis for the concept to be meaningful. He concluded that we should no longer seek for one superior colour of green but embrace the diversity of meanings that the word sustainability has. COP21 outcomes: discussing the role for Wageningen. Nila Kamil is a PhD at the Environmental Policy Group and attended the conference as part of the Indonesian delegation. Combined with her research on transparency issues this provided a great insider. Perception, Technology and Application of GMOs: The Role of Intuition in GMO Opposition DWARS & RUW Foundation together organised a lecture about the perception, technology and application of GMOs. The technology of GMO’s was first explained by Stefaan Blancke (Philosopher, Ghent University) in a non-technical way to make sure the audience is on the same level of understanding on the various types of genetic modification. The second guest speaker, Wim Grunewald (Bio-engineer, Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie), covered the social, ethical and psychological aspects of GMO’s and focussed on the framing used by the opposition of this technology. Geert De Jaeger (Biotechnologist, Ghent University & Vlaams Instituut voor Biotechnologie) facilitated a discussion and talked us through the historic development of the GMO technology sector. This event clearly showed the divide between the light-green and dark-green positions in the sustainability movement: Innovation and technology will lead us to a prosperous green world according to the light greens, while the dark-greens see the innovations and technologies as one of the key reasons we now have these environmental problems. During this event a more nuanced view emerged: there is a difference between criticizing GMO technology and criticizing the current way in which this technology is applied. Degrowth Conference Relocalised The Degrowth school of thought is a darker shade of green that is rapidly gaining popularity and developing into a system-oriented critique on the development. The premise of Degrowth is that trough more sharing, more free time, less stuff and new forms of collaborating we can all live an enjoyable and meaningful life within planetary boundaries. RUW Foundation has relocalised the 5-day Budapest Degrowth conference in Wageningen with a live-stream. The sessions were of high quality and many interesting guest speakers shared their views and research with the audience. Remarkable was the diversity of perspectives and backgrounds of the panellists in most of the sessions. Policy makers, feminists, academics, activists, economists and politicians all were given a voice at the many panel sessions. Interesting was the global focus of the conference: periphery and semi-periphery countries, Bhutan, India and Latin America were represented and talked about in great detail at the event. The following three sessions were highlights for us: Firstly, in the introduction lecture the aim was stated to re-politicise sustainability. As everyone today is in favour of sustainability, it is increasingly becoming a meaningless, all-encompassing concept. At RUW Foundation we seek the debate on issues related to sustainability and welcome this approach to diversify and intensify the sustainability debate. The hypotheses that in order to achieve sustainability involves doing less, not more and that infinite growth on a finite planet are impossible formed the starting point for many explorations and keynote lectures. There appears to be a growing consensus on the problems we face such as climate change, ecocide, overpopulation and extreme inequality between race, sex, nationalities and generations. On the solutions to these problems there is less consensus and many guest speakers spoke about solutions that are considered undesirable. This included geo-engineering, technofixes, rigged emission trading schemes, replacing cars with electric cars, sustainable growth, ecological modernisation, offsetting emissions, fracking, GMO’s, quantitative easing, large hydro dams and clean coal. The overall message was that we need localised solutions so it doesn’t make much sense to talk about generally applicable solutions and that we need system change in order to make existing practices such as permaculture, local food, alternative currencies and the sharing economy more viable. A good overview of the current state of Degrowth and the immense potential of this narrative was presented by Clive Spash in his keynote lecture. He does not only talk about the benefits and necessity of a shrinking global economy but doesn’t shy away to challenge the notion of grassroot change. A degrowth system could be very tyrannical and top-down if we let it. Like every ideology it can become dangerous once it becomes dogmatic and fundamentalist. In India the economic situation is different from what we in the west have grown accustomed to. The increase in economic activity does still need to an increase in health, happiness and well-being. In his keynote Ashish Kothari distinguishes different types of economic activity and talks about the neo-colonial aspects of the current development path India aspires. The immensity of this modernist operation is countered by the spiritual and religious aspects that are a key aspect of Indian life. The greatest accomplishment of this talk is making this tension understandable for outsiders with little knowledge on indian culture and widening the scope of Degrowth to include one of the world’s largest nations. Regreening weekend On the 9th, 10th and 11th of September Wageningen’s first Re-Greening weekend took place. This is a collaborative introduction to the many green initiatives, places and people of Wageningen. Key organisers were Wageningen Environmental Platform, Fossil Free Wageningen and DWARS. RUW Foundation took on the role of promotion by creating and distributing the greenactive flyer and hosted the two capacity-building and community mapping sessions. On Saturday the 10th RUW Foundation introduced the green active network to the new students of the Wageningen University and provided an overview of the current state of activities in Wageningen. After giving 8 different organisations 3 minutes to pitch what their initiative does, needs and wants a speed-date session between the new students was hosted. Several organisations have found interested people for their student boards and gained volunteers during this afternoon. On Sunday the 11th of September green and ambitious plans for the next academic year were made at a workshop at Thuis Wageningen. The participants of the Re-greening weekend and representatives of the green organisations all hosted an “open space” in which they were to discuss their ideas for the next academic year. In 4 rounds of open spaces many alliances were formed between people, places and organisations, several ideas for upcoming activities were created and solutions for unsustainable situations were discussed. These sessions formed the reflective part of the weekend and the outcomes from both sessions are collected in a harvest document. The re-greening weekend was well received by both the participants and the organisers and it is intended to make this an annual recurring event that is up to par with the introduction weekends organised by the student associations. RUW Foundation Sustainability Book Club: Laudato Si In 2016 we took a look at one of the most surprising eco-visions: Laudato Si. The catholic pope has written an encyclical on sustainability and the human-nature relationship. Through reading and discussing we discovered that pope Francis has a great scientific understanding of the reality of climate change, as well as a deep ecology approach to development. This small publication is full of ideas, analyses and arguments that fit surprisingly well in both the internal logic of the Catholic faith as well as the goals of environmental movement. The book is freely accessible on the Vatican website. Further reading: Green Manifesto’s We define a shade of green as a coherent set of ideas on sustainability. Many shades of green have well-written manifesto’s that explain the ideas behind them and draw the connection between these ideas. We’ve listed the following thought-provoking, and when compared amongst each other: highly conflicting, documents: - Beyond Sustainability: A Manifesto for Planet 3.0 - The Degrowth Manifesto - The eco-modernist manifesto - The Solarpunk manifesto - The Leap Manifesto: A Call for Caring for the Earth and One Another - The Dark Mountain Project: In search of a new narrative More about green shades: The American Prospect: the shades of green Resilience.org: What Shade of Green are You? Part 1: The Spectrum of a Movement
The Top 5 Reasons Every Pet Parent Should Have Pet Insurance Whether you are the single pet parent, the young couple,… You can download our entire Pet Insurance Guide: Why The Fine Print Matters. Today’s topic: Holistic/Alternative Therapies What is this? Holistic or alternative therapy are treatments that aren’t usually considered conventional, western medicine such as acupuncture, laser therapy, massage, hydrotherapy, chiropractic therapy and more. There are plans out there that exclude holistic or alternative therapies for treating conditions in dogs and cats. How does this affect you? Veterinarians are now leaning toward a twofold approach when it comes to treatments for dogs and cats. If there are alternative treatments that work better, or are more suited to your specific pet, they believe in utilizing those types of treatments. For example, acupuncture is becoming increasingly used to help manage the pain for issues like disc disease, arthritis, cancer and trauma. A session of acupuncture can range between $25 and $225, and depending on the condition, can require several sessions. Which Pet Insurance Providers Do Not Cover Holistic & Alternative Therapies: Where does PetFirst stand? PetFirst does reimburse for holistic or alternative therapies such as acupuncture, acupressure, laser therapy, hydrotherapy, chiropractic care and more, as long as it is performed by a licensed veterinarian or clinic and is for a condition that is covered.. ?
So this is a close picture of a cuticle. So here is the correct way to remove them 1. Wash them with warm water and soap and dry them well. 2. Apply cuticle softener/remover. 3. Use orange stick to push back the cuticle and ensure they are soft enough 4. Use a cuticle cutter to cut your cuticles very carefully. DO NOT over cut. 5. Apply moisterizer. P.S. for the pushing back of the cuticles, try to use orange stick instead of metal sticks cause it is actually better :) This is my #20 nail tip! Do check out the other nail tips. Nail tips will be temporary stopped till further notice. I'll be sourcing for more tips for all of you in the mean time:) Thanks for dropping by :)
Grove Animal Hospital & Holistic Center’s Holistic Veterinary Pet Store features new dehydrated dog and cat food products and treats that are designed to add nutritious benefits to your pet’s existing diet. Treats such as Raw Rewards Wild Caught Salmon are excellent sources of protein and can be fed as a stand alone treat or meal topper. The line by Northwest Naturals offers both cat and dog foods and many flavors of treats that are all dehydrated. You can wet them down or feed them dry. These nuggets provide added Omega 3’s, protein and are clean to feed for pet owners who don’t like the mess and possible contamination of raw meat. If you’re thinking of making your own meal toppers, there are many foods right in your kitchen that could work simply and easily. “Adding the meal topper adds additional whole food nutrition which can help make nutrients in the diet more available which improves digestion of the regular diet. These also make good snacks and training treats,” said Dr. Jim Carlson of Grove Animal Hospital & Holistic Center. Here’s a starter list: eggs, sardines, slightly cooked vegetables, plain canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling), kefir, some baby foods and plain yogurt. “Raw vegetables are difficult for carnivores to digest. Slight cooking makes the vitamins and minerals more available to pets. Steaming them helps them more palatable and easier on the stomach,” said Dr. Carlson. Please stop by the holistic veterinary pet store at Grove Animal Hospital & Holistic Center to see our new office and our evolving line up of veterinary grade holistic products.
Judging Global Supply Chains There are recognized leaders in the global supply chain, but are they really leading? And how do you judge that, anyway? In a relatively lengthy article on the topic, Lora Cecere examines a number of performance dimensions for supply chains and provides some ideas on how to identify the real leaders. Check out her article on the Supply Chain Shaman site HERE.
M.Pharma Courses Master of Pharmacy (M Pharma) in India is offered as post graduate (graduate) course after completion of B Pharma degree. The M Pharma course is normally of two years duration.In some universities it is one-year research and one year theory examination, while some offers M Pharm by research completely leading to doctorate degree. The course focuses on specialisation in the field of pharmacy. The M Pharma courses are offered by pharmacy colleges affiliated to uniee leading to entry into the pharmacy profession.. The Program lead to Specialization in formulation development, manufacturing technology and process development areas, which are essential specialization for manufacturing of traditional and novel drug delivery system. Colleges imparting pharmaceutical education (D.Pharm, B.Pharm, M.Pharm or Pharm D) must be approved by All Indian Council of Technical Education (AICTE) or Pharmacy Council Of India (PCI).
Batch Jobs Overview Batch jobs run non-interactively under the control of a batch script -- a text file containing a number of job directives and Linux commands or utilities. Batch scripts are submitted to the batch system, where they are queued awaiting free resources. The batch scheduler/resource manager for Cori is SLURM. Directives and Commands Batch script directives tell SLURM how to run the job. You specify things like the number and kind of nodes to use and the time your job will run. Directive lines in the script start with the keyword #SBATCH. A minimal set of keywords is shown in the Bare-bones batch script example below. When your job runs, Cori will execute commands in the batch script as if it were a plain shell script (you specify the shell at the top of the script, see example below). These commands will execute serially on a single node (the lowest-numbered node your job is allocated by SLURM). To run anything in parallel, you must use the "srun" command to launch multiple instances of your executable. More information about SLURM directives and srun is available below. Submitting a Batch Script for Execution Use the "sbatch" command to submit your script to the system. It will be placed in a queue and it will run when resources are available. See "Submitting Jobs" below. Bare-bones Batch Script A very simple SLURM batch script to run a job on the Haswell nodes of Cori looks like this: #!/bin/bash -l #SBATCH -N 2 #Use 2 nodes #SBATCH -t 00:30:00 #Set 30 minute time limit #SBATCH -q regular #Submit to the regular QOS #SBATCH -L SCRATCH #Job requires $SCRATCH file system #SBATCH -C haswell #Use Haswell nodes srun -n 32 -c 4 ./my_executable Alternatively, the same script using the long format of SLURM keywords, is below: #!/bin/bash -l #SBATCH --nodes=2 #SBATCH --time=00:30:00 #SBATCH --qos=regular #SBATCH --license=SCRATCH #note: specify license need for the file systems your job needs, such as SCRATCH,project #SBATCH --constraint=haswell srun -n 32 -c 4 ./my_executable The example above contains: - The Shell: SLURM batch scripts requires users to specify which shell to use. In this case we use bash by specifying #!/bin/bash -l. Batch scripts won't run without a shell being specified in the first line. - #SBATCH directives: In the example above the directives tell the scheduler to allocate two nodes for your job, for thirty minutes and with the regular QOS. The "-L" or "--license=" directive specifies the file systems your job needs (More details on requesting file system license can be found here). The "-C" or "--constraint" directive specifies that this job requires Haswell nodes. Directives can also specify things like what to name STDOUT files, what account to charge, whether to notify you by email when your job finishes, how many tasks to run and how many tasks per node, etc. - The srun command is used to start execution of your code on Cori's compute nodes. You may recall that on earlier Cray systems, we used "aprun" rather than srun. Unlike our earlier systems, Cori uses what is known as native SLURM, in which SLURM serves as both a resource manager and job scheduler for the system. - Note that when your job runs, it starts in the job submit directory by default. Also note that to find your executable srun needs either: - An absolute path to the executable (beginning with "/"), or - A relative path to the executable, beginning with "./", or - The executable to be in $PATH SLURM Keywords The following table lists required and useful keywords that can be used in #SBATCH directives. SLURM directives may also be specified on the sbatch command line. Note: if you use both command-line options and script directives, command line options will override the corresponding options in the batch script. An expanded list of sbatch job options and keywords can be found here, but keep in mind that the page describes a generic sbatch implementation and not all options and environment variables are relevant to or defined on Cori. The srun Command It is possible to use a large portion of the options for sbatch with srun due to the nature of native SLURM. For more information on srun, check our page for frequently used srun options, visit the official documentation for srun, or refer to "srun" man page. Selecting the KNL Nodes In the bare-bones batch script above, we selected the Haswell nodes. If we want to instead batch script for running 32 MPI processes across two nodes becomes: #!/bin/bash -l #SBATCH -N 2 #Use 2 nodes #SBATCH -t 00:30:00 #Set 30 minute time limit #SBATCH -q regular #Use the regular QOS #SBATCH -L SCRATCH #Job requires $SCRATCH file system #SBATCH -C knl,quad,cache #Use KNL nodes in quad cache format (default, recommended) srun -n 32 -c 16 ./my_executable Submitting Jobs Once your batch script is ready, you can submit as below: % sbatch myscript.sl. Choosing a QOS When you submit your batch job you will usually choose one of these SLURM QOSs: - regular : Use this for production runs. - debug: Use this for small, short test runs - premium: Use this for high-priority jobs occasionally Additional QOSs are available for a number of special circumstances that are described elsewhere. See Cori Queues and Policies for more information. Job Output Standard output ( STDOUT ) and standard error ( STDERR ) messages from your job are directly written to the output or stderr file name you specified in your batch script or to the default output file name (as slurm-jobid.out) in your submit directory ( $SLURM_SUBMIT_DIR ) and you can monitor them there during your run. Job Steps and Dependencies There is a sbatch/srun option -d(--dependency) . For example, to run batch job2 only after batch job1 is completed: cori02% sbatch job1 Submitted batch job 5332 cori02% sbatch -d afterok:5332 job2 or cori02% sbatch -d afterany:5332 job2 Job steps and dependencies can be used in a workflow to prepare input data for simulation or to archive output data after a simulation. See the Job Steps and Dependencies example in Example Batch Scripts.
- ] - Teaching and Learning [x] - Information Technology Management and Leadership (32) - Open Source (21) - Collaboration (19) - Networking and Emerging Technologies (19) - Instructional Technologies (13) - High-Performance Computing (HPC) (11) - Partnerships (10) - Virtual Community (8) - Advanced Networking (7) - Data Administration and Management (7) - Enterprise Information Systems (7) - Federal Policy and Law (7) - Institutional Management (7) - Policy and Law (7) - Productivity Applications and Systems (7) - Applications Development (6) - Faculty (6) - IT Governance ECAR Study of Undergraduate Students and Information Technology, 2012 - September 17, 2012 Key Findings See the 2012 report for a full list key messages, findings, and supporting data. Blended-learning environments are the norm; students say that these environments best supp… A Model for Highly Leveraged Procurements: The Maryland Education Enterprise Consortium - April 6, 2010 This research bulletin discusses the process and challenges of establishing a statewide education technology consortium and the leveraged purchasing and other benefits that can accrue to member …… Institutional Data Management Survey - February 10, 2009 This February 2009 survey is a critical component of the EDUCAUSE Center on Applied Research (ECAR) study of institutional data management in higher education. For purposes of this study, institu… Happy Families, Good Fences, and Winning IT Collaborations - July 22, 2008 This ECAR research bulletin introduces the Amherst H. Wilder Foundation research on successful collaborative practices in the context of higher education. It details 20 collaborative success fa… Large-Scale Open Source E-Learning Systems at Open University UK - June 10, 2008 This ECAR research bulletin examines the factors leading to the selection of the open source learning management system at the Open University, details the many aspects of development work that h…
of Technology. I brought along with me my three students and we waited with much anticipation on what he was going to discuss (that was after we feasted our eyes on the free stickers that Stallman gave to us) Richard Stallman is the founder of Free Software Foundation. He started his talk with the four freedoms for software: Freedom Zero is the freedom to run the program for any purpose, any way you like. It means that you have an option to run a program or not. Freedom One is the freedom to help yourself by changing the program to suit your needs. You can study the program and change the source code as you please it. Freedom Two is the freedom to help your neighbor by distributing copies of the program. You can make exact copies of the same program and can distribute it as you wish. You can give or sell it to others. Freedom Three is the freedom to support the community by creating an improved or modified version of the program. And as stated in Freedom Two, you can also give or sell it to others. He goes on with his talk with the injustices that proprietary software companies commit through malware. He said that in theory, the people who create these proprietary software and those that create malware are supposed to be different groups, but in practice they go together. Over the years, he has said this to be a known and proved existence of proprietary malware. Stallman also described software Digital Restriction Management (DRM) to be digital handcuffs. The censorship that they provide to their users should be reviewed. Stallman then opened a pandora’s box of comments against large companies or software such as Apple, Google, Android, Microsoft, Ubuntu, Flash players, and Kindle. He even described a computer science legend to be a man who made a tremendous contribution to the world. Lastly, he talked about the difference of his causes in free software movement and that of the open source software movement. In his continuing pursuit to promote the four forms of software freedom and why he is against the open source software movement, he said that “the words that you use will have power in the message that you convey. Freedom is constantly threatened, in order to keep it, you have to fight for it.” After his talk, the participants were encouraged to ask questions then they had a bidding for a limited and large Libre Planet button pin that Stallman brought.
An Alternative to Gun Free Zones It’s not what you think. Do gun free zones really make us safer? Nearly all of the 173 mass shootings [1]in the US so far in 2019 and the innumerable gun incidents that were not mass shootings occurred in gun free zones. Schools, malls, offices, churches and arenas are predominantly gun free zones. Organizations declare gun free zone policies and post signs at entrances often to meet statutory requirements and reduce insurance premiums. But…does this approach really make us safer? The idea of gun free zones seems like a sensible and family friendly approach that increases the safety of everyone in attendance. But….who has the guns? Figuring out which people are carrying guns with a high degree of accuracy and denying admission requires dedicated armed security staffing and expensive equipment. Will you operate an airport-style checkpoint or even a less invasive handheld metal detector arrangement? With armed checkpoints, confidence levels increase but never achieve one hundred percent. Without checkpoints, what is a gun free zone really? Disturbed individuals intent on random killing, as well as, angry persons settling a grudge are unconcerned with no-gun policies. In fact, a 2015 article in the Chicago Tribune suggests that there is evidence that mass shooters have sought out gun free facilities because they will not be exposed to potential interruptions to their quest to kill as many as possible.[2] Many people who are not bad actors also carry guns. Presently, the open carry of handguns is permitted in all but five states plus DC. Concealed weapons are permitted in all states.[3] Absent an armed checkpoint, will you have your on-site resources, who are likely to be unarmed, confronting citizens who believe themselves to be rightfully carrying a weapon? Are local law enforcement resources prepared to respond to these types of events? Walmart, the largest retailer, allows open carry of weapons for properly licensed customers. Target, another large retailer, seems to stop short of outright weapon prohibition by stating ”….. we will also respectfully request that guests not bring firearms to Target – even in communities where it is permitted by law.”[4] CBS News – Unusual places you can bring a gun Concealed guns, state gun carry laws along with inconsistent policies for private property make it very difficult to make sure that gun free zones are actually free of guns. It may be time for a different approach. Gun Detection Zones Almost all states and jurisdictions have laws addressing the improper exhibition of a firearm also known as brandishing a weapon. [5] These laws and their interpretations vary widely across jurisdictions and this information is not offered as legal advice. Very generally, “brandishing” means to display, show, wave, or exhibit the firearm in a manner which another person might find threatening. In some states it’s a Misdemeanor crime and in others a Felony. A security approach that focuses on improper gun display incidents could provide another safety layer for public places. Under this approach close coordination with law enforcement may be easier since they are better prepared to respond to more clearly prosecutable offenses For those who fear prosecution, knowing that security is specifically set up to swiftly detect a brandished gun, summon law enforcement and collect photographic evidence within seconds might be a much stronger deterrent than simply a gun free zone notification. For those intent on killing, rapidly detecting a brandished gun shaves minutes off the law enforcement and EMS response potentially saving lives. Video Gun Detection Austin Texas based, Athena Security, Inc., offers a video weapon detection system that works with most surveillance camera systems that are already in place. The video weapon detection system monitors camera feeds and recognizes drawn guns, knives, fights and slip/falls within seconds of seeing them. Once a threat is recognized, an alert is sent to security resources and can be shared with responders via a smartphone app. To lean more email richard@athena-security.com. [1] Gun Violence Archive. [2] Take a gun to the mall. John R. Lott Chicago Tribune February 2015 ct-mall-of-america-terrorist-threat-perspec-0225-20150224-story.html [3] State and local requirements and restrictions apply including requirements for permits, restrictions on weapon types that can be carried, prohibited facilities and many others. [4]- in-stores [5] “brandishing” or “improper exhibition” or “defensive display” or “unlawful display” depends specifically on your state and jurisdiction. Consult your attorney before acting.
Debugging with IPython IPython is more than a Python shell with syntax coloring, it comes with a variety of useful tools and functions, for instance the %time and %prun commands for timing and profiling any statement: In[1]: %time (1 + 1) CPU times: user 0.00 s, sys: 0.00 s, total: 0.00 s Wall time: 0.00 s Out[1]: 2 There is also the integration with the Python debugger (pdb), but I still need to learn how to use this :) Meanwhile, here is a useful trick I was shown recently: using the embed() function from the IPython module, you can invoke an IPython shell anywhere in your code. The context of the shell will be that of the line where it is invoked, meaning you are able to access local variables with their current values at execution time. This is particularly handy, for instance, to debug exceptions: try: my_dangerous_function() except: import IPython IPython.embed() # spawns a shell within the current context Once you are done with the shell, just exit() it (or Ctrl-D) and the execution will resume from the point it was interrupted at. Note that this feature is only available with recent versions of IPython (0.13.1 on my machine).
It doesn’t really make sense that I subtitled this blog post with R. Kelly lyrics (bun in the oven reference, I guess). But not much about the ‘fourth trimester’ makes sense. When I use the term ‘fourth trimester,’ I’m referring to those first newborn weeks. You have one (maybe two, even three -bless you) newborn baby, but you also have newborn parents. And what helped me as a new mother was to understand that Estella, even though out of the womb, was going to take some time to adapt. She was used to those in-womb rhythms: constant warmth; the comfort of a small, tight, safe place; darkness; noise; and perpetual feeding. That was her world, her life, and who could blame a new tiny person when their needs/demands are the same after birth? Understanding the newborn phase as the ‘fourth trimester’ helped me to empathise with my new daughter, to imagine what she was experiencing. Without that empathy, sleep deprivation and physical demands would have given me more and more irrational thoughts like, “Who is this tiny, selfish creature that’s demanding all of my time and energy!” It’s true, but when you’re sleep deprived, you tend to take things more personally. “Doesn’t she want her mother to get any sleep? What about my needs, huh?!” And then because you can’t take your anger and frustration out on your new, tiny, helpless little human, you take it out on your spouse. Sorry, Frans. Glad we’re over that hurdle (fist pump). (Here is Frans, being a great papa) And it also helps you understand how to care for your new, tiny, helpless little human. It’s a little bit like taking in a refugee. They didn’t ask to be here, but here they are. Their world was very different. It was safe, protected, free from startling light or cold drafts. You’ve taken someone who’s enjoyed constant all-you-can-eat buffets on a warm, tropical island (naked and everything), and asked them to come to (well for me, in Amsterdam) a place that probably feels like Siberia. They’re wearing clothes for the first time. For the first time, their walnut-sized stomach is empty again, and again. It scares them because they’ve never known hunger, but can’t keep more than three or four hours of milk in their belly because their belly is literally walnut-sized. They’re used to sleeping nestled in their island hammock, but you’re asking them to sleep on a flat mattress for the first time. And they don’t speak the language. No wonder newborns either sleep so much (lucky you!) or cry so much (our experience). In the Netherlands, every woman has the care first of the verloskundige, midwife, and then after the baby is born, a kraamzorg. The ‘maternity caregiver’ is a woman less trained or educated than the verloskundige, but she specializes in the first week of a newborn’s life. She’s also responsible for the mother. Depending on your insurance plan, she comes for approximately one week, and spends half a day. She takes your temperature and the baby’s, checks your blood loss, helps you shower if necessary. She takes the baby’s temperature, weighs her, shows you how to bathe her, maybe even fixes you a sandwich and does the dishes. She’s a professional replacement of what in our family experience, was the maternal mother’s business. Our grandmas did that stuff. Here, you get a trained professional. Although I am super impressed by the high-quality kraamzorg experience (our kraamzorg Kirsten was great), I had mixed feelings about this practice. I didn’t want a stranger in my house, professional or no. I wanted my mother. In the end, we were spoiled to have both. (My sweet mama with her third granddaughter (named after her mother) (the sweet kraamzorg Kirsten with Estella) After Kirsten’s time was up and my mother went home, I felt the absence of an older woman keenly. I mourned the ‘good old days’ of a more generationally mixed society. I wished that I lived in a ‘it takes a village’ culture. So much of the fourth trimester I spent trying to figure out what I was doing wrong. My baby cried all the time, breastfeeding hurt like hell, and I was exhausted. It simply wasn’t supposed to be this hard. What was I doing wrong? What was Frans doing wrong? Why were we just all wrong (cue bursting into tears)? The good news is if you’re going through this right now, you’re not doing anything wrong. The first weeks are just hard. Period. Unless you have a very sleepy baby. Then high five each other for your good fortune, and don’t look surprised when friends or family walk into a family dinner bleary eyed and grumpy, staring off into space. And don’t say, really, you’re tired? Little Jack just sleeps all the time! I’m starting to wonder what all the fuss is about. Really. Just keep your mouth closed and bring the new parent some caffeine. Or a pillow. Because these new parents are newborns themselves, and also need care. They’re in love, committed, all-in. They would give their lives for this new little person. They’re giving what feels like 150% but often feeling like failures. They’re just so tired. So they’re sensitive. Advice feels like criticism. What they need most is encouragement, a listening ear. Practical help. Let them hold the baby; you make dinner, clean up, do the dishes, fold some laundry. Never will such small acts of kindness go so far. (Life is can be tough when you’re so small.) In my own experience, I was putting too much pressure on myself. I thought I saw other moms able to do this or that, so I tried to rise to the occasion, giving pep talks to myself. C’mon, Erin. This can’t be that hard. Every mother in the world has done this. Pull yourself up by your bootstraps and just do it. I should have shushed that voice, left the guests to their coffee, and napped while the baby did. Comparison is the thief of joy, new parents. If you’re comparing yourself to what you think other new parents are thinking, doing, or saying, you’re stealing the joy and triumph from the honest hard labor of your first days as parents. And as new parents we need to be more honest with each other. No one tells you it will be this hard. But trust me, there is something about the boot camp moments of the fourth trimester that make you into a Real Parent. Those sleepless nights and days that blur together, that constant care for your THH who can’t even thank you for your sacrifice to their existence and well-being. It MAKES you. You learn way more about love this way. (I think this was the day I realised that she was all ours!) You’ll experience the highest highs and the lowest lows. You’ll feel like quitting and find the strength again. And you’ll never experience so much joy. And…I’ll chime in with the chorus of voices that will tell you, “It only gets better.”
Our newest partner, the Worldwide Fistula Fund, celebrated the opening of the Danja Fistula Center, its first freestanding fistula center last Saturday, February 11, 2012. A state-of-the-art fistula hospital in Niger, the Danja Fistula Center will provide free obstetric fistula surgeries, prevention programming and aftercare for women afflicted by this condition. Founded in 1995, the Worldwide Fistula Fund is a not-for-profit public charity that provides medical treatment for women suffering from obstetric fistula in sub-Saharan Africa. “The goal of the Worldwide Fistula Fund was to always create a freestanding fistula center and use it as a model center that can be replicated,” said Bree Neely, Director of Development for the Worldwide Fistula Fund. “If you can do it in a desolate area you have figured out the challenges and then can move on to create more hospitals in more populated areas.” With the highest rate of maternal mortality Niger is in desperate need of services that will keep mothers and their newborns alive. “We will be doing prevention outreach within a 50 kilometer catch net,” Neely mentioned. “We will spread the message to women that if the sun rises two times during their labor then they need to go to the hospital. We will be working on this from a prevention angle.” The Danja Fistula Center will be open year round save for April through May, the hot season. All services are free for the women. In the first year there will be 400 fistula operations and then will gradually ramp up to 1100 surgeries annually. In addition to performing fistula operations, the Worldwide Fistula Fund will also create curriculum for a social reintegration program. The program will teach women how to read and will also provide micro-financing opportunities. “Most women who have fistulas have been left by their families,” said Neely. “They are full of shame, embarrassments and have no resources. It’s really our responsibility to not just sew up their fistula, but there is a broader responsibility to see if they are OK and can build a life for themselves.”
SentriLock highly values the importance of giving back to the local community. During 2015, SentriLock was involved in several efforts to support our local areas. Through these efforts, we were able to strengthen the bond among team members, grow in new experiences, and give much needed support to charitable organizations and to the individuals who rely on them. SentriLock donated several needed items to charities across the Tri-State over the past year. The Mason Food Pantry received over 300 canned food items for the Pi Day Canned Food Drive, cleaning supplies and over the counter medications for the Giving Drive, and a van valued at $2,400. Dayton organization Shoes 4 The Shoeless and West Chester organization Shoes for H.O.P.E. received donated socks and shoes. SentriLock also sponsored the Boys & Girls Club of West Chester/Liberty “Steak & Burger Dinner” and the Club Kids’ Holiday Party. All SentriLock employees have a company sponsored benefit of Volunteer Time Off to either use to volunteer their time at a local charity or to have SentriLock donate the cash equivalent. In 2015, SentriLock employees impacted our community with this benefit by volunteering at various charitable organizations for 52 hours, donating 32 hours to Susan G Komen for the Cure, 48 hours to Habitat for Humanity, 48 hours to Boys & Girls Club of West Chester/Liberty, and 76 hours to the South Carolina chapter of the Red Cross. We would like to extend a very big thank you to all our employees for logging time and donating money to these wonderful organizations. All of us at SentriLock are very excited to see how much more we can give back to our local communities in 2016!
- Research article - Open Access - Open Peer Review - Published: Eribulin-induced liver dysfunction as a prognostic indicator of survival of metastatic breast cancer patients: a retrospective study BMC Cancer volume 16, Article number: 404 (2016) 1072 Accesses 1 Citations Abstract Background Eribulin is a non-taxane, microtubule dynamics inhibitor that increases survival of patients with metastatic breast cancer. Although eribulin is well tolerated in patients with heavily pretreated disease, eribulin-induced liver dysfunction (EILD) can occur, resulting in treatment modification and subsequent poor disease control. We aimed to clarify the effect of EILD on patient survival. Methods The medical records of 157 metastatic breast cancer patients treated with eribulin between July 2011 and November 2013 at Cancer Institute Hospital were retrospectively analyzed. EILD was defined as 1) an increase in alanine aminotransferase or aspartate aminotransferase levels >3 times the upper limit of normal, and/or 2) initiation of a liver-supporting oral drug therapy such as ursodeoxycholic acid or glycyron. Fatty liver was defined as a decrease in the liver-to-spleen attenuation ratio to <0.9 on a computed tomography scan. Results EILD occurred in 42 patients, including one patient for whom eribulin treatment was discontinued due to severe EILD. The patients who developed EILD had significantly higher body mass indices (BMIs) than those who did not develop EILD (24.5 vs. 21.5, respectively; P < 0.0001), with no difference in the dose intensity of eribulin between the two groups (P = 0.76). Interestingly, the patients with EILD exhibited significantly longer progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) than those without EILD (P = 0.010 and P = 0.032, respectively). Similarly, among 80 patients without liver metastasis, 19 with EILD exhibited significantly longer PFS and OS than the others (P = 0.0012 and P = 0.044, respectively), and EILD was an independent prognostic factor of PFS (P = 0.0079) in multivariate analysis. During eribulin treatment, 18 patients developed fatty liver, 11 of whom developed EILD, with a median BMI of 26.7. Conclusions Although EILD and fatty liver occurred at a relatively high frequency in our study, most of the patients did not experience severe adverse effects. Surprisingly, the development of EILD was positively associated with patient survival, especially in patients without liver metastases. EILD may be a clinically useful predictive biomarker of survival, but further studies are needed to confirm these findings in another cohort of patients. Background Eribulin mesylate is a synthetic analog of halichondrin B, which is a natural product isolated from the marine sponge Halichondria okadai. Eribulin is a non-taxane, microtubule dynamics inhibitor belonging to the halichondrin class of antineoplastic agents [1]. Eribulin was demonstrated to provide significant survival benefits in patients with locally advanced and metastatic breast cancer in a randomized phase III trial that compared the use of eribulin with the treatment of the physician’s choice (TPC) [2], and its use was therefore approved in Japan for breast cancer in July 2011. Currently, it is widely used to treat locally advanced and metastatic breast cancer patients in daily practice. Although eribulin is well tolerated in patients with heavily pretreated disease [2–5], eribulin-induced liver dysfunction (EILD) can occur in daily practice and may result in treatment modification such as dose-delay, dose-reduction, and treatment discontinuation, leading to poor disease control. Therefore, we conducted a retrospective study to clarify the effects of EILD on the survival of patients with metastatic breast cancer. Methods Patients The medical records of 157 metastatic breast cancer patients treated with eribulin at the Cancer Institute Hospital between July 2011 and November 2013 were retrospectively analyzed. This study was approved and the need to obtain informed consent was waived by the Institutional Review Board of Cancer Institute Hospital (2015-1048). Definition of EILD and fatty liver EILD was defined as follows: 1) an increase in alanine aminotransferase (ALT) or aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels more than three times above the upper limit of normal, and/or 2) initiation or dose-escalation of liver-supporting oral drug therapy, such as ursodeoxycholic acid or glycyron, during eribulin treatment. If patients already had transaminase levels more than 3 times the upper limit of the normal range at the beginning of eribulin treatment, and showed a further increase apparently due to eribulin, they were diagnosed with EILD. Fatty liver was defined as a liver-to-spleen attenuation ratio of <0.9 on an unenhanced computed tomography (CT) scan [6]. The mean CT attenuation values of the liver and spleen were determined in the parenchyma of the right and left lobes of the liver and of the spleen by using a 100-mm2 region of interest cursor, avoiding liver metastases and vessels. CT was performed every 2 or 3 months to evaluate the efficacy of eribulin in most cases. Statistical analysis Comparisons between the treatment groups were evaluated using the chi-square test, Fisher exact test, or Mann-Whitney U-test. Progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) curves were generated using the Kaplan-Meier method and compared using a log-rank test. Univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazards models were used to explore the associations of specific clinical variables with PFS and OS. For all tests, differences with P < 0.05 were considered statistically significant. All analyses were performed using the JMP 6.0 software package for Windows (SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC, USA). Results Patient characteristics and EILD status The patient characteristics are summarized in Table 1. The median follow-up duration for our cohort was 43.4 weeks (range, 6.0–121.7 weeks). Among the 157 patients treated with eribulin, the median treatment duration was 16.0 weeks (range, 1.9–112.4), the median age was 56 years (range, 25–81), the median disease-free interval was 2.8 years (range, 0–26.5), and the median body mass index (BMI) was 22.2 (range, 15.8–36.3). All patients had a performance status (PS) of 2 or less. Forty-one patients had comorbid diseases including diabetes (n = 7), hypertension (n = 22), hyperlipidemia (n = 6), autoimmune disorders (n = 6), cardiovascular disorders (n = 6), asthma (n = 1), and Parkinson’s disease (n = 1). However, these diseases had been controlled well during our observational period. Four patients had a history of other malignancies (2 uterine cervical cancer, one renal cancer, and one Hodgkin lymphoma), but they did not relapse during the follow-up period. Total mastectomy was performed in 142 patients, 35 patients underwent breast-conserving surgery, and 6 patients underwent bilateral breast surgery. A total of 93, 95, and 69 % patients, respectively, had been treated previously with anthracycline, taxane, and capecitabine in the adjuvant or metastatic setting. Among 25 patients with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive tumors, 13 patients had received trastuzumab concurrently with eribulin. Therefore, among the 157 patients treated with eribulin, 144 received eribulin monotherapy. Seventy-seven patients had liver metastases at the start of eribulin treatment. EILD occurred in 42 (27 %) patients, including ten patients who required dose-delays or dose-reductions, and one patient for whom eribulin treatment was discontinued due to EILD. Among the patients with EILD, aminotransferase levels were the highest at a median of 21 days (range, 8–154) after the first eribulin administration. The median AST and ALT levels at the beginning of the eribulin treatment were 34 IU/L (range, 17–78) and 23 IU/L (range, 10–65), respectively, and the medians of the highest AST and ALT levels during eribulin treatment were 93 IU/L (range, 39–300) and 91 IU/L (range, 37–268), respectively. The patients who developed EILD had significantly higher BMIs than those who did not develop EILD (24.5 vs. 21.5, respectively; P < 0.0001; Table 1), while there was no difference in the dose intensity of eribulin between the two groups (0.72 vs. 0.72 mg/m2/week, respectively; P = 0.76; Table 1). Interestingly, patients with a good PS exhibited a higher frequency of EILD than those with a poor PS (P = 0.05, Table 1). The development of EILD was not associated with other clinical factors such as patient age, comorbid disease status, history of other malignancy, primary surgical procedure, disease-free interval (DFI), hormone-receptor (HR) status, HER2 status, previous chemotherapy, previous endocrine therapy, type of prior treatment, and liver metastatic status (Table 1). Prognostic value of EILD for patient survival Patients with EILD had significantly longer PFS and OS than those without EILD (P = 0.010 and P = 0.032, respectively; Fig. 1a and b). Interestingly, this difference appeared to be specific for patients without liver metastases. Among the 80 patients without liver metastases, patients with EILD (n = 19) exhibited significantly longer PFS and OS compared patients without EILD (n = 61) (P = 0.0012 and P = 0.044, respectively; Fig. 1c and d). By contrast, EILD was not significantly associated with PFS or OS in patients with liver metastases (P = 0.58 and P = 0.28, respectively; Fig. 1e and f). Progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) analyses. a-b: PFS (a) and OS (b) for patients with and without eribulin-induced liver dysfunction (EILD) among all patients. c-d: PFS (c) and OS (d) for the patients with and without EILD among the patients without liver metastasis. e-f: PFS (e) and OS (f) for the patients with and without EILD among the patients with liver metastasis In order to clarify the prognostic role of EILD, we conducted multivariate analyses of clinically significant factors including age, PS, comorbid disease status, DFI, BMI, HR status, HER2 status, liver metastatic status, and development of EILD. In the whole cohort (n = 157), multivariate analyses identified only PS as an independent prognostic indicator of better OS (P = 0.0039, Table 2), whereas no clinical factors were significantly associated with PFS. In contrast, in the subset of the patients without liver metastases (n = 80), EILD was the only significant independent predictor of PFS (P = 0.0079, Table 3), and no clinical factors were significantly associated with OS. Fatty liver disease during eribulin treatment During eribulin treatment, 18 (11 %) patients who developed fatty liver disease had a median BMI of 26.7, which was significantly higher than that of patients who did not develop fatty liver disease (26.7 vs. 21.7, respectively; P < 0.0001). Eleven (61 %) of these 18 patients developed EILD. Discussion In the present study, we found that EILD occurred with a relatively high frequency, but most patients, except one, did not experience severe liver damage. In this particular patient, eribulin treatment was terminated because the patient’s aminotransferase levels increased to more than ten times the upper limit of normal and PS decreased to and remained at 3 even after aminotransferase levels peaked in the early phase of eribulin treatment. While liver toxicity was uncommon in the global phase III trial of eribulin vs. TPC, in which 93 % of the patients were Caucasian [2], a Japanese phase II trial demonstrated liver toxicity in approximately 30 % of patients [5]. These studies suggest that ethnicity may influence eribulin-induced liver toxicity. To our knowledge, this is the first study to demonstrate that eribulin induces fatty liver disease, and that the development of both EILD and fatty liver disease is significantly associated with higher BMI. These results indicate that eribulin might precipitate liver damage and latent fatty liver in patients with obesity. The main mechanism of chemotherapy-induced liver injury is thought to be secondary to the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), and steatotic livers are more susceptible to chemotherapy-induced injury [7]. Presumably, eribulin might also produce ROS in hepatocytes in a similar manner, resulting in EILD and fatty liver disease. In fact, other microtubule-targeted agents such as paclitaxel and vinorelbine were shown to induce accumulation of ROS in cancer cell lines, and their anti-tumor effects partially depend on this mechanism [8, 9]. Paradoxically, we observed a positive correlation between the development of EILD and patient survival, especially in patients without liver metastases. Therefore, EILD may be a clinically useful and easily available biomarker that can be used to predict the efficacy of eribulin in the early stages of treatment. One possible reason for this finding may be that patients with EILD had a better nutritional status, and hence, they could survive longer. However, previous studies showed that obesity was a poor prognostic factor for patients with metastatic breast cancer [10, 11]. Furthermore, most adjuvant clinical trials showed the same results [12]. Another possible cause of our paradoxical results is that eribulin-induced ROS production might result in the eradication of minute metastases consisting mainly of cancer stem cells (CSCs). The CSC hypothesis has been widely accepted, and CSCs are considered to play an important role in the initiation of tumor metastasis [13–16]. Moreover, ROS have a dual role in cancer progression. Although ROS are thought to play an important role in carcinogenesis initiation, malignant transformation, and cell proliferation, excess ROS production can also trigger apoptosis of malignant cells [17]. Cellular ROS metabolism is tightly regulated by the redox mechanism, and ROS concentrations are maintained lower especially in CSCs compared to non-CSCs [18–20]. ROS elevation by exogenous drugs may be a potential treatment strategy to selectively kill CSCs [21], and in fact, some chemotherapeutic drugs have been shown to elicit such an effect on leukemic stem cells [22–24]. Taken together, these previous evidences described above support our hypothesis. In fact, we found that, among the 70 patients without liver metastasis at the beginning of eribulin treatment who were evaluated for liver metastasis at the final follow-up, the appearance of new metastatic liver lesions was less frequent in those who developed EILD than in those who did not (2 of 19 [10.5 %] and 12 of 51 [23.5 %], respectively). This is consistent with our hypothesis that eribulin-induced ROS production eradicates minute disseminated CSCs in the liver. However, the difference between these frequencies was not significant (P = 0.32); therefore, larger studies are needed to further evaluate this hypothesis. Conclusions In summary, although EILD occurred with a relatively high frequency in eribulin-treated breast cancer patients, it was generally well tolerated in heavily pretreated patients in clinical practice. To our knowledge, this is the first study to show that eribulin may induce fatty liver disease, and that EILD and fatty liver disease occur more frequently in obese patients. We found that EILD was a significant positive prognostic factor for breast cancer patient survival, especially among patients without liver metastasis. EILD may be a clinically useful and easily available biomarker that can be used to predict the efficacy of eribulin in the early stages of treatment. However, our study was limited by its small size, retrospective design, and restriction to a single institute. Therefore, further studies are needed to confirm our findings in other patient cohorts and to elucidate the mechanism of EILD. Abbreviations BMI, body mass index; CSC, cancer stem cell; CT, computed tomography; DFI, disease-free survival; EILD, eribulin-induced liver dysfunction; HER2, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2; HR, hormone receptor; OS, overall survival; PFS, progression-free survival; TPC, treatment of physician’s choice References - 1. Okouneva T, Azarenko O, Wilson L, Littlefield BA, Jordan MA. Inhibition of centromere dynamics by eribulin (E7389) during mitotic metaphase. Mol Cancer Ther. 2008;7(7):2003–11. - 2.. - 3. Vahdat LT, Pruitt B, Fabian CJ, Rivera RR, Smith DA, Tan-Chiu E, Wright J, Tan AR, Dacosta NA, Chuang E, et al. Phase II study of eribulin mesylate, a halichondrin B analog, in patients with metastatic breast cancer previously treated with an anthracycline and a taxane. J Clin Oncol. 2009;27(18):2954–61. - 4. Cortes J, Vahdat L, Blum JL, Twelves C, Campone M, Roche H, Bachelot T, Awada A, Paridaens R, Goncalves A,(25):3922–8. - 5.(6):1441–8. - 6.. - 7. Maor Y, Malnick S. Liver injury induced by anticancer chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Int J Hepatol. 2013;2013:815105. - 8. Thomas-Schoemann A, Lemare F, Mongaret C, Bermudez E, Chereau C, Nicco C, Dauphin A, Weill B, Goldwasser F, Batteux F, et al. Bystander effect of vinorelbine alters antitumor immune response. Int J Cancer. 2011;129(6):1511–8. - 9. Alexandre J, Hu Y, Lu W, Pelicano H, Huang P. Novel action of paclitaxel against cancer cells: bystander effect mediated by reactive oxygen species. Cancer Res. 2007;67(8):3512–7. - 10. von Drygalski A, Tran TB, Messer K, Pu M, Corringham S, Nelson C, Ball ED. Obesity is an independent predictor of poor survival in metastatic breast cancer: retrospective analysis of a patient cohort whose treatment included high-dose chemotherapy and autologous stem cell support. Int J Breast Cancer. 2011;2011:523276. - 11. Jung SY, Rosenzweig M, Sereika SM, Linkov F, Brufsky A, Weissfeld JL. Factors associated with mortality after breast cancer metastasis. Cancer Causes Control. 2012;23(1):103–12. - 12.. - 13. Brabletz T. EMT and MET in metastasis: where are the cancer stem cells? Cancer Cell. 2012;22(6):699–701. - 14. Charafe-Jauffret E, Ginestier C, Iovino F, Tarpin C, Diebel M, Esterni B, Houvenaeghel G, Extra JM, Bertucci F, Jacquemier J, et al. Aldehyde dehydrogenase 1-positive cancer stem cells mediate metastasis and poor clinical outcome in inflammatory breast cancer. Clin Cancer Res. 2010;16(1):45–55. -–21. -. - 17.. -(3):387–400. - 19.(3):316–31. - 20. Kim HM, Haraguchi N, Ishii H, Ohkuma M, Okano M, Mimori K, Eguchi H, Yamamoto H, Nagano H, Sekimoto M, et al. Increased CD13 expression reduces reactive oxygen species, promoting survival of liver cancer stem cells via an epithelial-mesenchymal transition-like phenomenon. Ann Surg Oncol. 2012;19 Suppl 3:S539–48. - 21. Shi X, Zhang Y, Zheng J, Pan J. Reactive oxygen species in cancer stem cells. Antioxid Redox Signal. 2012;16(11):1215–28. - 22.(11):4163–9. - 23.(7198):1072–8. - 24.(6):2516–27. Acknowledgments We would like to thank Editage [] for editing and reviewing this manuscript for English language. Funding This study was supported by a research funding from Department of Medical Oncology, Cancer Institute Hospital. Availability of data and materials The datasets supporting conclusions of this article are included within the article. Authors’ contributions TK conceived the study, analyzed the data, and wrote the manuscript. JT, IF, TS, and NT acquired and analyzed the data, and participated in revising the manuscript. YI, TI, and, SO participated in designing the study and revising the manuscript. ST participated in the overall design and study coordination and finalized the draft of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript. Competing interests The authors declare that they have no competing interests. Consent for publication Not applicable. Ethics approval and consent to participate This study was approved and the need to obtain informed consent was waived by the Institutional Review Board of Cancer Institute Hospital (2015-10., Tomomatsu, J., Fukada, I. et al. Eribulin-induced liver dysfunction as a prognostic indicator of survival of metastatic breast cancer patients: a retrospective study. BMC Cancer 16, 404 (2016) doi:10.1186/s12885-016-2436-5 Received: Accepted: Published: DOI: Keywords - Eribulin-induced liver dysfunction - Fatty liver disease - Metastatic breast cancer
GED CLASSES > MARYLAND > ODENTON Are you interested in getting your GED in Odenton MD? The General Education Development exam is for adults who do not have their high school diploma. The certification that you receive upon completion of the Maryland Maryland. Many GED programs in Odenton MD are offered at: - Odenton Adult Education Sites - Odenton Community College - Odenton Volunteer Organizations - Odenton High Schools
For the last year or so, I've been trying my best to prioritize working on getting old projects finished up or pass them onto someone else. This has been an effort to make things easier for our move, but also to tie up some of my many loose end projects. For the most part, I've done a pretty good job of this. Now that we've been in our new home for six months (whoa), I felt like it was finally time for a shiny new project. When my parents came to visit last month, they brought with them the rest of my vintage pyrex and enamelware collections. I used my stash of vintage sheet fabrics to pack those collections. It worked out great, and made the unpacking really fun and colorful. When I was putting away all my sheets, I kept the scraps and small pieces to the side. I decided my next quilt had to be a scrappy sheet quilt. If you'd like to learn more about working with vintage sheets, check out my post: How to Identify, Shop for and Sew with Vintage Sheets With all these crazy patterns and colors I knew I wanted to keep the piecing simple. I happened to have a small stack of 5" squares already cut, so I built off of that. I decided to make some four patch blocks that finish at 4.5" to go with them. This was great for cutting up smaller scraps. There has been a lot of chain piecing to put this quilt together. The day I started it, I didn't have much of a plan other than the basic design. I didn't know how big it was going to be, how many blocks I'd need, or any other details worked out. I just started cutting and piecing. This is a big deal for me, because I almost never work this way. Usually I have everything figured out and the math done before I even iron the fabrics. It was a nice change of pace. Can't chain piece without my cutting gizmo. I think I was able to comfortably work spontaneously on this quilt because it was super scrappy. I didn't have to work about running out of a particular fabric or color. I did dip into some of my smaller cuts once I ran out of variety in the scraps, which was fine. I ended making the blocks in three batches. I stitched the top together downstairs one evening with my vintage singer featherweight, in front of the tv. It's such a quiet machine, it was perfect! I'm very excited to get this one finished. It has been a great low-stress project for me, and the fabrics are just so cheerful. Happy Quilting! I love the vintage sheets. I just like to use them on my bed because of the texture and weight of them. A quilt made with them would be superb! Agreed, they are so nice, I love how soft they are! Hi Jeni, This is so pretty and colorful and happy looking. The low stress portion of this project is fabulous, don't you think?!! Now, how are you planning to quilt it? I look forward to seeing that soon. Happy Tuesday! ~smile~ Roseanne Thanks! Yes, it is nice to work on something low-stress! I think I will probably just do simple quilting on the diagonal through each block! So pretty ... and it's always so much fun to start something new. It's been really fun! I'm confused. If the 4-patch was 4.5 in. finished did you cut down the 5 in. squares to fit? Because you can't match a 4.5 in to a 5 in. It looks like a pile of squares! Ad the finished top looks great. The four-patch blocks are 4.5" finished, 5" unfinished. So they match up with the charm squares which are 4.5" finished, 5" unfinished. Funny, I recognize one of your vintage fabrics...my husband still uses it as his "camping" pillowcase! The blue/green flowered one on a white background, sorta up front in the basket photo & almost covered up in the next photo. Hah! We're vintage alright! That's so fun! It just seems like a summer project, like a lovely flower bed. Looking forward to seeing this finished. Agreed, they feel so summery to me! I love how you can work with the tv on and on you're very old Singer sewing machine, fab fabrics, I must try something like it as I have a pile of charm squares looking for something to do I love this one...really cheerful! Good to see a post from you. This turned out really really cute. I have a few vintage sheets, very flowery. I love your collection lovely, looking forward to the finish. So cute and very upbeat. Love the Scrappy look. Thanks
My SciELO Services on Demand article Indicators Cited by SciELO Related links Bookmark Revista Cubana de Estomatología On-line version ISSN 1561-297X Abstract ESPINOSA GONZALEZ, Leticia. Changes of lifestyle; their influence on the health-disease process. Rev Cubana Estomatol [online]. 2004, vol.41, n.3, pp. 0-0. ISSN 1561-297X. The quality of life depends directly on the natural environment and its quality. The assessment of health depends not only on the needs and knowledge of the individual, but also on the living and working conditions. Based precisely on the existance of determinants of the health status and on the modification they suffer due to the constant social, scientific and technical development, we propose ourselves to show the social changes of the lifestyle of the population and their relation to the health-disease process, and to prove how these changes help to promote health and to prevent diseases. The changes of the lifestyle determine changes in the conditions and quality of life of the persons and modify the health-disease process. Keywords : Health-disease process; lifestyle; health promotion.
An interesting poll was conducted in the beginning of 2009 to see what America's average populace thinks about evolution. The results were surprising to me and very encouraging. The report about the survey stated: According to the poll, Democrats (82%) and liberals (86%) are even more likely than Republicans (73%) and conservatives (72%) to support the academic freedom of teachers and students to discuss the “strengths and weaknesses of evolution.” The poll also shows a dramatic 9-point increase over 2006 in the percentage of likely voters who agree that “Biology teachers should teach Darwin’s theory of evolution, but also the scientific evidence against it.” Support for that position has jumped to 78%, up from 69% in 2006. The percentage of likely voters who favor teaching only the evidence for evolution suffered a corresponding decline of 7 points, from 21% in 2006 to just over 14% this year. “Clearly, the Darwin-only crowd is losing public support,” said Dr. John West, Senior Fellow at Discovery Institute, “There seems to be a backlash against the strong-arm tactics that have been used in recent years to censor and intimidate scientists, teachers, and students who raise criticisms of Darwin.” Here is how the Poll was conducted: QUESTION:. Statement A 14% Statement B 78% Neither 5% Other/Not sure 2% So apparently Atheists, which represent about one percent (1%) of the population, has influenced 14% of the population to believe their religious dogma. Which still is an accomplishment but understandable with the backing of the media and secular scientists influence. We need to gain that 14% back so the atheistic scientific elite do not "convert" the minds of our nation. Some States are doing the right thing. In the news,. All this in spite of the push, from Atheists, to declare that Intelligent Design is merely a religious doctrine. This claim is, of course, an absurd point. Even some of our founding Fathers did not believe what the Atheists are now claiming. Jefferson did not believe that intelligent design was a religious doctrine. In a letter to John Adams on April 11, 1823, he declared: "I hold (without appeal to revelation) that when we take a view of the Universe, in its parts general or particular, it is impossible for the human mind not to perceive and feel a conviction of design, consummate skill, and indefinite power in every atom of its composition." By insisting that his defense of intelligent design was made “without appeal to revelation,” Jefferson clearly was arguing that the idea had a basis other than religion. What was that basis? He went on to explain: ." In sum, Jefferson believed that empirical data from nature itself proved intelligent design by showing the natural world’s intricate organization from the level of plants and insects all the way up to the revolution of the planets. (Evolution News) UPDATE: Speaking of Surveys apparently God is making a difference in the lives of the Hispanics. Hispanics are becoming more protestant, and believing that a person can earn their way to Heaven is also down. Glory to Christ. The "dogma of Darwinism" exists for the same reason there is "dogma" for 2+2=4, for the germ theory of disease, for astronomy instead of astrology, etc. "“Clearly, the Darwin-only crowd is losing public support,” said Dr. John West, Senior Fellow at Discovery Institute,...." He's been saying that through every poll and study that shows the contrary over the last 15 years. I am sure that you have noticed that WorldNetdaily announces the demise of evolution just about every week. By the way, Creationism and ID are not, repeat, are not scientific evidence, and is not a competing scientific theory, which cancels out ninety nine percent of the intention of this post. Pay attention Dan, Complaining that you do not think a scientific theory has merit, does not a competing scientific theory, make. Got it? It is not the Atheists that are moving the numbers,it is mainstream American Christians. You are their "red haired little cousin," as they say. Your fundie worldview is analogous to the retarded kid that comes to the family reunion, and all the other kids (mainstream Cristians) are required to spend a little time with you, but the other kids don't like it too much. That came from my wife's cousin and he is a Methodist minister. Jefferson was not a scientist, but was a deist. I'm not surprised he felt that way. That does not make his impression any more correct than any other person with a religious belief. ere are a few more things Jefferson said: "Religions are all alike - founded upon fables and mythologies." Thomas Jefferson "Christianity is the most perverted system that ever shone on man." Thomas Jefferson DO you feel his opinion is as valid for these points too? I suggest you also look at multiple resources and previous polls to see what this Zogby poll really says. Let me break it down for you to make it easy to understand. 2009 Zogby Poll "When asked if life developed “through an unguided process of random mutations and natural selection,” a standard definition of Darwinism, only 33 percent of respondents said they agreed with the statement. But 52 percent agreed that “the development of life was guided by intelligent design.” So thats: 33% for Darwin only 52% for Darwin w/ID too. 2006 Zogby poll "69 percent of Americans support the presentation of Intelligent Design, with 21 percent believing only Darwin’s theory of evolution should be part of a high school’s curriculum." so thats 21% for Darwin Only 69% for Darwin w/ID to. Lets see what 2001 says: 15% say Biology teachers should teach only Darwin’s theory of evolution and the scientific evidence that supports it. 71% say Biology teachers should teach Darwin’s theory of evolution, but also the scientific evidence against it. So thats: 15% for Darwin Only 71% for Darwin w/evidence against it too (ID/Creationism in disguise). Hmm, people are getting the message. ID is not science and should not be taught in schools. The numbers tell it all. Personally I wouldn't take the results from a single poll of 1,053 people too seriously though. Also, did you really read these polls? They are are worded poorly and can be interpreted differently by each person. ~Atomic Chimp Chimp, Personally I wouldn't take the results from a single poll of 1,053 people too seriously though. And with that statement you just showed that you do not understand anything about statistical analysis. The probability samples create mathematically sound statistical inferences about a larger target population.. More at questforright.com Dan, You must have missed the rest of my post. When a poll are from a single polling source that that used very poorly constructed set of questions, I don't take the poll very seriously. My point was that you should look at other polls and see their questions and results. Anyway, why are you fighting to support the results? The results show an decreasing support for ID and increasing support for the ToE only in the class room. I can't see how this is good news for you! As for other polls, the Gallup poll shows different figures but does agree with the increase in support for Toe Alone and decline in support for ID. Best of all,the poll shows that as of 2008 50% believe that ToE. Though some believe god pulled the strings, they believe he did it through 'human beings developing over millions of years from less advanced forms of life .' - AKA Evilution! You see Dan, if you look at a variety of polls from different polling sources, with a different approach to the same topic, the picture becomes much more clear. ~Atomic Chimp Atomic Chimp: The criticism of the wording of the poll seems to have merit. However your statement did suggest that you consider 1053 people to be an inadequate sample and that that alone would be sufficient to disiss the poll. The sample size was sufficient to bring the margin of error down to 3 percent, standard for polls, on the assumption that the sample was random and that there were no irregularities. It looks to me that Dan attacked your argument at its weakest link. And, yes, that looks like it was really part of your argument, rather than a snarky add-on. Pvblivs, I'm apologize if in my haste I was no clear with my comment. At no time did I say that the sample size made the results invalid. I meant that I do not take an argument based on the results of a single poll very seriously. My post was meant to point out that Dan's relying only one particular sources results is not an impressive argument, anymore than one particular labs set of results from an experiment. Often when a poll is vague a person assumes the questions apply to their interpretation of them, when those using the results might see the same questions very differently. If you look at other sources you will see some like results, but where the questions were more clear an concise for those answering. The opinions of those who participated in those polls are also unequivocal and thus not as easily misinterpreted or spin doctored. Since it may not be easy to eliminate all possible bias in a poll, by examining the other sources it helps to paint a better picture of what the public's opinion really is. Zogby's poll was very vague and lead to answers that could be made to appear to be favoring the biases of ID supporters. Also, as I already pointed out, if Dan had even looked at results of Zogby from previous years, he would see that the DI's conclusion that ToE only opinion was losing support and insinuating the ID was gaining support, was incorrect. Looking at other sources would further confirm this. ~Atomic Chimp Chimp, Pvb is right, I should of addressed the rest. So, if your data that you presented is indeed accurate, then you are gaining a foot hold on the population that is for sure. The pattern would appear to be linear and we, as Creationist, are in for a real battle. I am not worried though because just one afternoon of Christ coming will change many minds on that subject. Short of that, we don't have a fighting chance in this world. But that by no means we should jump ship or abandon our posts. We will fight until the day we stop breathing this world's air. Biology teachers should teach Darwin’s theory of evolution, but also the scientific evidence against it. Well, if you find scientific evidence against evolution, teach it. I've never seen any. Just some people claiming: "I don't understand how it could have happened, therefore it didn't happen" Dan, you said,"So, if your data that you presented is indeed accurate, then you are gaining a foot hold on the population that is for sure." Did you read the post where I mention the Gallup poll? 2008 50% believe that ToE. Though some believe god pulled the strings, they believe he did it through 'human beings developing over millions of years from less advanced forms of life .' - AKA Evilution! Gallup June 2007 18% believe Evolution is Definitely true. 35 % believe it is probably true. That makes 53% Dan, and the Gallup poll has been showing a consistent increase since 1982. Though both Zogby and Gallup show an increase in confidence in ToE, I feel it would be necessary to review other polls and more details to come to an appropriate conclusion as to where we stand. Polls can be tricky since language and personal interpretation are major ingredients. "I am not worried though because just one afternoon of Christ coming will change many minds on that subject." If your christ made an appearance that could be witnessed by me and verified to not be trickery or a metal delusion, I might believe in him but still see evolution as his method of creating. Only where he tells me differently and explains why the overwhelming amount of evidence seems to point to the contrary, would I change my mind. Until then, I would still consider the bible a collection of bronze age views of their god and the world written by man. "Short of that, we don't have a fighting chance in this world." After thousands of years your god is still no better than Bigfoot, UFOs or the Lochness Monster. Many have asked for evidence and he has not given any. Over time you will begin to realize this and understand that you don't have a fighting chance anymore than many other Christians before you who felt a piece of their dogma being worn away by science and education. ~Atomic Chimp "Based mainly on the findings in the new book Already Gone, Ken presented the disturbing evidence that young people are leaving the church in droves because of the lack of biblical authority. They walk away because the church won’t stand on God’s Word." Even Ken Ham admits that people are abandoning fundamentalism in droves. The literal interpretation of Genisis is the cornerstone of Christain fundamentalism. It being increasingly recognized as a bankrupt, irrational cultural artifact constructed be pre-scientific cultures. It's not the Atheists that are "winning." You are trying to "debunk" atheists when you should be spending your time on the Christian sects that have abandonded the literal interpretation of Genesis. They are the ones moving the numbers, not atheists. Dan, the poll shows most Americans are almost as stupid as you are. Ask biologists what they think about evolution. Virtually 100% of them love it and accept it as proven fact. What god-soaked uneducated non-scientists think about scientific facts is not relevant. It only shows what percentage of a population is retarded. "Biology teachers should teach Darwin’s theory of evolution, but also the scientific evidence against it." Let's see your evidence against evolution. Come on asshole. Show us your evidence against it. Let's have it you fucking piece of shit moron. Bob, They think that not liking the ToE is the "creation science" against the ToE. As you know, there is no Creation research. They merely obfuscate valid scientific research. It doesn't take a scientist though to see what the likes of Eric Hovind, Ham, et al, are doing. They admit that they will not look at any evidence that does not fit a literal bible interpretation. Okay, so each statement assumes evidence exists, either for the ToE (as in Statement A), or against it (as in Statement B). Since the phrasing is suggestive in this regard, the respondent is naturally going to assume that evidence against the ToE exists -- scientific evidence, no less -- when it does not. Thus, the respondent who is unfamiliar with this fact is almost certain to select Statement B, and the poll shows nothing. Also, even if a person were aware that no scientific evidence against the ToE exists, the suggestive phrase is likely even to sway some of these people in the interest of fairness and academic integrity -- that is, if scientific evidence is ever found which actually challenges the ToE, I should think it should be taught and discussed. Again, then, this poll shows nothing. Let's put it to you the other way, Dan, and see what you say. Should the scientific evidence against young-earth creationism be taught in home school environments? Before we wax poetic regarding perspective, however, let us not forget the implicit false dichotomy raised by the Discovery Institute. Insofar as I may agree that any extant scientific evidence against the ToE should be taught and discussed (imaginary as such evidence may now be), I do not think the biblical creation myth should be taught in its place, or even alongside it -- or even at all. Neither do I think that Native American creation myths, nor the creation myth of any other religion/culture. Only the current scientific model, and possibly some emergent models, should be taught, with special emphasis placed on the current model, and the fact that the emergent models are pure conjecture/hypothesis. Note that this inclusion of emergent models in no way endorses a teaching of so-called Intelligent Design. So one must ask oneself, then, whether the Discovery Institute is being intentionally dishonest, or unintentionally dishonest, when they commission a poll which does not mention creationism... or did they, but did they choose not to release that information? What do you think the results would be if they mentioned creationism in Statement C? What if they mentioned the six-literal day creation myth in Statement C, a Native American creation myth in Statement D, and one or two other creation myths in Statements E and F? What if they altered the statements as follows: Statement A: Educators should teach only the theories of the reigning paradigm, and the current reasons for accepting them. Statement B: Educators should teach the theories of the reigning paradigm, but also competing theories under other paradigms, and the reasons for accepting each. This subtle difference would likely be lost on most respondents, but if the results were authoritative, and Statement B above were the clear victor, then Astrology, Numerology, Greek Mythology, Paranormal science, Geocentrism, etc., would all be revived and required teaching -- and there wouldn't be enough time to teach students everything they actually need to know. But, again, let's not wax poetic regarding how the question might have been phrased, or the clear dishonesty of the Discovery Institute, and let's instead ask Dan just what he's implying here. Are you saying, Dan, that you appeal to popularity? Is that not what this poll is all about? Are the masses really your benchmark? Of course they aren't. We should teach what most closely reflects reality. We should teach the theories which are best supported by the evidence, and which have no scientific evidence against them. We should even teach some of the old, failed theories, where they are particularly useful, so long as we are careful to remind students that new data and theories have arisen which disprove those, but that the old ones still hold value (e.g. Newtonian mechanics). Oh, I know. Now is the point at which you claim that the bible "most closely reflects reality," but you know that is hogwash, and you also know that you have no basis for arguing from that sort of perspective without legitimizing the exact same claim from every other religion or denomination in existence. It doesn't matter, though, and you know that, too. Science, the pursuit of knowledge in natural interests, is the best we have, and it clearly shows that the depiction of various events in the bible is wrong. So just because a poll of elementary students shows that they all prefer to have recess all day does not mean we act in accordance with their wishes. Sorry, kids, but you still have to go to school. -- Stan Froggie, As you know, there is no Creation research. Your claim that there is no Creation research is disingenuous at the very least. If funds were not an issue, the Creation scientific community would indeed be performing all the same tests with a different worldview, thus different interpretation of the data throughout the scientific community.. Plus I am sure you remember the Sixth International Conference on Creationism that showcased many things going on in the scientific community dealing with Creation. Stan, Are you saying, Dan, that you appeal to popularity? Ouch, no I guess not. But it goes both ways the secular scientific community, itself, is the appeal to popularity here. The data interpreted is just interpreted with the 'majority' of secular worldviews. Which itself, is not genuine research. It's biased. Should the scientific evidence against young-earth creationism be taught in home school environments? It already is inundated throughout our lives. We cannot avoid it, we just have to address it. In a homeschooling environment it is the opinion of the parent (teacher) that directs the opinion of the curriculum. Same with the secular professors and teachers out there. They direct the teachings with their opinions of the curriculum. What you are saying though is that all public environments should teach only ONE opinion of the data. You are pushing your religion Atheism in a state sponsored forum. That is biased and unconstitutional at the very least. You want a fork for that cake of yours? ." None of these have published in peer reviewed journals. The "research" papers produced by all of these together might add up to a hundred, while millions of peer reviewed papers have been published. Oh, it's a matter of money? What about the 27 million Ham sunck into his folly. If the churches were interested in real research they have plenty of money- Those research papers at AIG are complete nonesens. One doesn't even need a degree in biology to see that. They make totally outlandish claims with no evidence. Same goes for Ric Hovind. Total nonesense. He doesn't have a single piece of data to back up his lame assertions. There is not a scintilla of evidence for "intelligent desighn." Dan, "You are pushing your religion Atheism in a state sponsored forum." Please define religion. Froggie, So you depend on Peer reviewed papers then? By what you said one could conclude that you trust them fanatically? This is starting to sound like Orwellian doublethink. I don't know if you understand this but "The peer review system does not always detect fraud, plagiarism, poor quality or gross error and there is editorial reluctance to correct errors or to publish criticisms of sacred cows or 'controversial' or nonconformist views of skeptics and dissident minorities." Your dependence on such a system is flawed and illogical, but highly understandable. "R.A.T.E. (Radioisotopes and the Age of The Earth). Their 'research' efforts are aimed at discrediting modern geochronologic methods (using flawed experiments as discussed below) and replacing it with some form of miraculous isotopic behavior. So what exactly is the RATE group attempting and who is in charge of the research effort? Point #1: Although the RATE group has undertaken a massive fund-raising effort amongst ye-creationists, none of its members has experience or training in experimental geochronology. Two members, Austin and Snelling have written a number of articles in creationist magazines, but neither has published articles using radiometric dating in the mainstream literaturea. Their IMPACT series articles, IMP326, IMP319, IMP309, IMP307, IMP301, IMP224 along with several 'technical articles' (eg. St Helen's Dacite) attempt to discredit radiometric dating based on 'anomalous' results. **The problem is that the anomalies were all generated via experimental flaws on the part of the investigators or simply misinterpreting technical articles from peer-reviewed scientific literature.*" They don't do research. They take valid research and do a hack job on it. The RATE results have been long ago refuted. Even a layman can see the mistakes they made. The Peer review system is one heck of a lot better than the hackjob lame assertions the creationists spew. Ultimately peer review weeds out the bad stuff. You can easily read about the corrections have been made over the years. Froggie, Your religion is defined already just by name, but it doesn't take any leap that you are religious about your Atheism (no God) religious - extremely scrupulous and conscientious. A United States Federal Court of Appeals has ruled that Atheism is, indeed, a religion, under U.S. law. Speaking of Surveys apparently God is making a difference in the lives of the Hispanics. Hispanics are becoming more protestant, and believing that a person can earn their way to Heaven is also down. Glory to Christ. "A United States Federal Court of Appeals has ruled that Atheism is, indeed, a religion, under U.S. law." Yes, and that is a good thing. They did this to protect atheists from hate crimes. In fact, I kinda like that. A religion based on logic and reason rather than ignorance and blind faith. Dan, peer review isn't perfect, but having your ideas vetted is better than not at all. As bad as you say peer review is, how much worse an organization that publishes all it's own papers and has no fact-checking process. Martin, That is just it. The proclaimed fact-checking process doesn't really happen and is merely skimmed and approved. You know "there is editorial reluctance to correct errors or to publish criticisms of sacred cows" "That is just it. The proclaimed fact-checking process doesn't really happen and is merely skimmed and approved. You know "there is editorial reluctance to correct errors or to publish criticisms of sacred cows" This is total hogwash. There might be some obscure facts slide but peer review is a very serious business among scientists. When important new papers are published they not only get peer reviewd by the editors, many other scientists comb these papers for mistakes or corrections that need to be made. Dan, do you have some evidence that the fact-checking process doesn't really happen? Yea Martin, I linked to it. Dan seems to think that scientists are a tight Knit litle cock/ cunt licking community. All of them in cahoots. I will tell you that never has there been a more critical community than scientists. As an engineer, I worked with those guys and I will tell you one thing for sure, they aren't doing anytng that the research and data do not support. If you feel like injecting a supernatural constant into their work, feel free to do so. Martin said: As bad as you say peer review is, how much worse [is] an organization that publishes all it's [sic] own papers and has no fact-checking process. Dan responded: That is just it. The proclaimed fact-checking process doesn't really happen and is merely skimmed and approved. You know "there is editorial reluctance to correct errors or to publish criticisms of sacred cows" Now, I'm confused. Are we talking about the secular peer review process, or are we talking about Answers Research Journal? From ARJ's site: [ARJ] will be a professional peer-reviewed technical journal for the publication of interdisciplinary scientific and other relevant research from the perspective of the recent Creation and the global Flood within a biblical framework. Hmmm... Sounds an awful lot like no sacred cows will be harmed in this process... Answers Research Journal will provide scientists and students the results of cutting-edge research that demonstrates the validity of the young-earth model, the global Flood, the non-evolutionary origin of “created kinds,” and other evidences that are consistent with the biblical account of origins. Yep. Complete transparency there, eh, Dan? I wonder just how many "criticisms of sacred cows" will be published in there, don't you? Still not convinced? Papers can be in any relevant field of science, theology, history, or social science, but they must be from a young-earth and young-universe perspective. (emphasis added) While you may still insist that there is a conspiracy at work to stifle the publication of creation-friendly articles, you must admit that the alleged conspiracy is nowhere explicit. The agenda of the fiendish conspirators must be determined based on a review of the papers and articles chosen for publication. In ARJ, however, everything is clearly above-board. That is, their agenda is explicit -- no paper submitted from a perspective not in agreement with young-earth creationism will be published under any circumstances. Never mind the quality of the work, or the rigorous nature of the research, if it says 8-day creation, it will get round-filed. Just who are you kidding here, anyway?. From the Astrophysical Journal: Papers published in the journals of the American Astronomical Society (AAS) present the results of significant original research that have not been published previously. Manuscripts submitted to the journals should meet this criterion and must not be under consideration for publication elsewhere, and any manuscripts which reference "God," "Jesus," or which support a six-literal-day creation story will be dismissed, and the submitting author will be blacklisted. From Nature: In general, to be acceptable, a paper should represent an Evolution-friendly advance in understanding likely to influence thinking in the field. There should be a discernible reason why the work deserves the visibility of publication in a Nature journal rather than the best of the specialist journals, and under no circumstances will a Nature journal publish any papers which promote or grant legitimacy to Intelligent Design. Lastly, from Science: Science is interested in a wide range of manuscripts presenting original research and commentary in all areas of science. For original research, the common thread is that the work should reveal novel concepts of broad importance to the scientific community, and whenever possible any submitted manuscript should mock or insult creationist morons like Ken Ham and Dan Marvin. As I said, I was surprised and disappointed. I humbly apologize to Dan for ever doubting the truth of his claims. -- Stan. Stan, that can't be for real, even Science would have used "halfwit" instead of "moron". Stan, I'm glad you brought up how Dan's appeal to popularity. I've been trying to read through the "Evolution Exposed: Deconstructing False Science" link Dan provided with this Blog post, and one of the first things they do is give a list of fallacies used in Evilutionists arguments. The 4th mentioned is, "Appeal to the People: Using the general public as a basis for proving a hypothesis, instead of relying on relevant evidence." So dan, do you actually read the things you link to. as I read through just the fists two parts all I saw were many of the failed arguments that have been well refuted here already. The failed arguments include but are not limited to: - ToE violates cause and effect. - ToE violates laws thermodynamics. - Many straw men- propped up. - Chemical, Stellar(Big Bang) and planetary sciences are also part of Darwin's ToE. - Survival of the fittest is circular reasoning -ToE is not a theory -Very outdated or already refuted quote mining. I love the quote by Colin Patterson he uses. It was from a Keynote address at the American Museum of Natural History in 1981. In a letter the following year, Mr Patterson mentioned how upset he was that creationists were taking his point out of context. He said,"I was putting a case for discussion, as I thought off the record,and was speaking only about systematics, a specialized field." He was upset by how Luther Sutherland had used this in an article. Patterson went on to say, "In short the article does not fairly represent my views. But even if it did, so what? The issue should be resolved by rational discussion, and not by quoting 'authorities,' which seems to be the creationists' principal mode of argument." Though Patterson explained his point and asked that the quote mining of his comments would stop, Luther continued to circulate this misinformation. The author spend a lot of time telling us over and over that he's going to show how flawed the scientist reasoning is and that, "Many are so important that disproving even one causes the entire theory to collapse." Its like some kind of mantra he is using to drive this into our heads and pad his failed arguments. Dan, due to my busy schedule I have only skimmed the surface with the things I've mentioned, and I still have 5 sections to read. I will be on vacation after today and will enjoy reading the rest of it on the plane. ~Atomic Chimp In the statement of faith at AIG it says, "By definition, no apparent, perceived, or claimed evidence in any field, including history and chronology, can be valid if it contradicts the Scriptural record." Dan, I cant understand how you trust sources like AIG and others mentioned here, when they clearly show in their policies that they have already come to their conclusion and that any evidence, no matter how apparent or overwhelming, is wrong. I like how any future evidence or conclusions are rejected even before they even exist. BTW, the paper you linked to showing how the peer review system is flawed and needs improvement, IS an example of self correcting that goes on in the science community. Nobody ever claimed that science is flawless, thats why the science community understands the value of being their own worst critics. ~Atomic Chimp Dan, Can we see more arguments for the existence of God in the coming blog entries? I tire of evolution. Its truth does not entail that even fundamentalist Christianity is false, and its falsity does not entail that Christianity - or even theism - is true. This blog is called "Debunking Atheists," and although it's your right (of course) to write about what you want, you're not debunking atheists with this business at all. You're debunking evolutionists. There are theists in the evolution camp and nontheists (like Berlinski) in the anti-evolution camp. This is a red herring; let's see the real meat of debunking atheism - proofs of God! Froggie, Your reprehensibility is quite obvious. Be ashamed. Finding some moral groundings would be a benefit. There are woman that frequent this blog so please show a hint of chivalry please. Stan, That was hilarious and witty. How can I compete with that humor. I need to step up my game evidently. A tip of my hat from this halfwit (a scientific label). Chimp, You caught me. I haven't read the link to evolution exposed as of yet. I will try to find time also to do so. In the statement of faith at AIG it says, "By definition, no apparent, perceived, or claimed evidence in any field, including history and chronology, can be valid if it contradicts the Scriptural record." I am sure it's no great surprise but I absolutely agree with that statement and boldly stand on that guiding principle. I just know they are wrong when countering scripture, even if I cannot show it at the time. I do take in to account, however, that my understanding of scripture may be flawed also. It all depends on the claim. Old universe? A reluctant, possible. Evolution? No way! Plus AIG has a sensible approach to Science as I highlighted in that past post. BTW, the paper you linked to showing how the peer review system is flawed and needs improvement, IS an example of self correcting that goes on in the science community. Nice job and valid point. Darrin, ...you're not debunking atheists with this business at all. You're debunking evolutionists. You cannot be so naive to believe that evolution has nothing to do with an atheistic worldview can you? Incidentally, I would enjoy it a great deal if someone would show me an atheist that believes in Creation...Please! Also, remember what Sye said. "As far as science goes, science is dependent on the uniformity of nature, or no scientific prediction could be made. Problem is, no atheistic worldview can account for the uniformity of nature, the very foundation of science." let's see the real meat of debunking atheism - proofs of God! Now, bear in mind that anyone who claims science "proves" anything as "true" misunderstands the basic tenets of the scientific method. Darrin, We can also discuss the question, Does the Theory of Evolution promote atheism? Also, remember what Sye said. "As far as science goes, science is dependent on the uniformity of nature, or no scientific prediction could be made. Problem is, no atheistic worldview can account for the uniformity of nature, the very foundation of science." Dan, I'm glad you bring this up. This was my point earlier. The uniformity of nature is what drives evolutionary science, NOT atheism. We all know that eyes do not pop into existence fully formed from thin air. Therefore, how did they get there in a way that stays within the laws of nature? THAT'S the question evolution asks. NOT "how did it get here without God" but "how did it get here staying within the laws of nature?" Martin, NOT "how did it get here without God" but "how did it get here staying within the laws of nature?" That is just it. The worldview of methodological naturalism is in itself an atheistic presupposition. Agree? THAT'S the question evolution asks. Wrong, that question is what evolution answers with wild assumptions and frauds. It takes the presupposition that God is not involved and goes from there. Evolutionary theory artificially rules out a kind of cause before it has a chance to speak by the evidence. The cause of intelligence. A tip of my hat from this halfwit (a scientific label). Don't tip me, tip the veal, and have a waitress. (I'll be here all week.) Seriously, though, I'd guess you can tell where I "subtly" inserted anti-creationist speech into those submission criteria quotes, but you also realize that I did not alter the statements from Ham's "journal," right? Like I said, you can claim conspiracy, but even if we grant for the moment that such a conspiracy exists, at best you are left with the fact that anti-evolution or pro-biblical-creation articles can ostensibly be accepted to any of these journals, whereas explicitly no article which challenges the literal-genesis framework will even be considered for publication in ARJ. You quoted an article's abstract as saying, "there is editorial reluctance to correct errors or to publish criticisms of sacred cows or 'controversial' or nonconformist views of skeptics and dissident minorities," and clearly cited it as an attack on the scientific peer review process, by claiming that no anti-evolution article would be published due to this "reluctance... to publish criticisms of sacred cows." Really? REALLY? He who lives in a glass house oughtn't throw stones. The major point of my admittedly humorous post was that ARJ explicitly states that it will not endure criticism of its sacred cow(s). If that's really your guidon, if that's really the flag behind which you'll rally, then you should move to North Korea or Iran, where the state-sponsored media follows the same model. Seriously. Get out. You have a level playing field with truly scientific journals, it's just that your camp's "submissions" are non-existent, or utter trash (really, I don't think they even try), and they are outnumbered a thousand-to-one by far more worthy manuscripts. Maybe I played this wrong, though. Perhaps I should've challenged you to denounce any journal which would explicitly deny an article which criticized a so-called "sacred cow." Would you then have unwittingly denounced ARJ? Will you now? There are no sacred cows in real science. If a legitimate study is done, repeated, and verified, which compellingly challenges the reigning paradigm, its voice should be heard. This applies not just to the alleged anti-Christian journals you so loathe, but also to the pretentious pricks behind ARJ and the journals you so often cite in support of your claims. I bet I can find an article published in a major journal which challenges evolution, Big Bang cosmology, or something to which you would also object, but I guarantee that you cannot find anything of the sort in ARJ, or any other pro-Christian "journal" with an explicit statement denying challenging viewpoints. Who are you kidding, anyway? -- Stan That is just it. The worldview of methodological naturalism is in itself an atheistic presupposition. Agree? Do not agree. Methodological naturalism is not a worldview. It's a METHOD that ASSUMES the laws of nature remain consistent. I don't understand why for you God = breaking laws of nature. Wrong, that question is what evolution answers with wild assumptions and frauds. It takes the presupposition that God is not involved and goes from there. No, it takes the presupposition that the laws of nature are never broken. Evolutionary theory artificially rules out a kind of cause before it has a chance to speak by the evidence. The cause of intelligence. It does not rule out intelligence. It only assumes that the laws of nature remain consistent. Stan, If a legitimate study is done, repeated, and verified, which compellingly challenges the reigning paradigm, its voice should be heard. What do you think the Creation Model does? The paradigm is evolution. So you agree then ID should be discussed and welcomed in the discussions? So you are part of the Statement B 78% crowd? A miracle in itself I would say. Now we are getting somewhere. Incidentally Science has to be repeatable, verifiable and testable, if you don’t have those three things then it’s not science. Tell me how Macro evolution is testable, repeatable, and verifiable? Please just show me the data. I don't want something on the microscopic level either. Bacteria mutations is not the same as a crocoduck (couldn't resist). Please show me the testable, repeatable, and verifiable data that links us to apes. Not presuppositions and data interpretation but real evidence, and keep in mind that a bucket of fossil bones are not testable evidence. Martin, I don't understand why for you God = breaking laws of nature. God is nature, and the intelligence behind all of creation. How is that difficult to understand. I don't have a beef with evolution because evolution is obviously true in many respects. Micro is testable and verifiable. We all see humans of different shades and shapes just like dogs and cats. But the Neo-Darwinian groups of today teach in our schools and universities that man came from apes with wild assumptions and no verifiable data. "Things take too long" is not a valid excuse for lack of said data. Show me the evidence please. Now I certainly will not claim that my presuppositions will be altered in any way but if you want to to take things seriously then you must show the evidence behind the belief that I came from some ape ancestry. ...if you want me to take things seriously... AC: Until now, I had to contend with two plausible alternatives. One was that the quote was genuine but that it was not considered important enough to be reflected in media I consider more trustworthy -- as far as I was able to find. The other was that creationist sources invented the quote to further their cause. Both were entirely plausible. You, AC, have ruled out the second alternative. You have confirmed that the quote is genuine. The quote is quite damaging. If there is relavent context, I would like to see it. But it doesn't matter if he was speaking about only one class. One class is one class too many. That he thought it was off the record doesn't really help either. It means he didn't want the general public to know his position. Indeed, it suggests the possibility of a covert policy. It casts new light on the statement that no one with appropriate credentials disputes large scale evolution if people are denied those credentials, regardless of academic merit, if they heretically dispute or even doubt the idea. Dan, Please show me the testable, repeatable, and verifiable data that links us to apes. Not presuppositions and data interpretation but real evidence, and keep in mind that a bucket of fossil bones are not testable evidence. Humans and chimps share seven of the same endogenous retroviruses in the same order in the same place on their genomes. ERVs attack the genome randomly, and if they become part of the germ line cells they can ONLY be inherited: link Humans and chimps share several transposons on their genomes in the SAME place in the SAME order. Transposons are like viruses with no coat protein, so they cannot leave the genome. They can ONLY be inherited: link Humans, chimps, and primates all have a faulty vitamin C gene and so they must get their vitamin C from food. Guinea pigs also have a bad vit C gene. However, the mutation that renders this gene faulty is the exact same mutation in all primates, including humans, while a different mutation deactivates it in guinea pigs. I'm sorry, Dan; somewhere in there did you admit that your accusation of refusing to criticize sacred cows was baseless, and better suited toward your own camp? Concession, please. What do you think the Creation Model does? The paradigm is evolution. So you agree then ID should be discussed and welcomed in the discussions? You think the creation "model" is compelling? You think it has any repeatable, testable, or verifiable aspects to it at all? News flash: the creation "model" was the reigning paradigm, and it was challenged and usurped by geology, evolution, and cosmology -- in that order. The universe is not "young." Period. The evidence and scientific nature of evolution is compelling. Period. Your camp refuses to even consider that it may be wrong. Period. Yeah, I'm in "Statement B," as the question is written and with the caveats I noted in my first post on the issue, so no, that doesn't mean ID has an automatic seat at the table. It's still at the kiddie table with creationism, voodoo, and sun-worship. If you think otherwise, take me up on my challenge regarding an article in a scientific journal which criticizes a "sacred cow," versus an article in a creationist "journal" which promotes Big Bang cosmology or evolution. I'm well aware that evolution and Big Bang cosmology are the reigning paradigms today, and I look forward to the day on which they are shown to be in error. Right now, though, they are by far the best models we've come up with, and as such I tentatively throw my hat in with them, and that fateful day has not yet come, despite all the ramblings of Ken Ham and company. -- Stan Pvblivs, from what I understand, Colins was talking about the specialized field of systematics. The point of bringing it up was for the purpose of discussion and he in no way doubt the validity of evolution. Also, he did not support the creations effort to alter science curriculum. I wish I had more detail or could find more to better understand what the true context of his point was, but I have had no luck. The point of mentioning it though is the fact that once again, the person being quoted spoke out about how his words were taken out of context and asked that those who used this deceitful tactic would stop. Now over 20 years later, the creationist continue to promote this deceitful quote mining of many like Colins as some form of evidence in their favor. The thing I find very sad is that not only are they being dishonest, they're also applying the logical fallacy of "Appeal to authority". ~Atomic Chimp Stan, Dan; somewhere in there did you admit that your accusation of refusing to criticize sacred cows was baseless, and better suited toward your own camp? Concession, please. Baseless? Nope. Papers have been written stating the same accusations. They are indeed happening. Do I do the same? Probably so. I can admit that I too have a sacred (Creator) paradigm. So basically you are saying you believe in evolution until something better comes along? Slut much? You put your faith and trust in, and defend "something" that may, or may not, be true? Hmm, where have I heard that accusation before? I wonder why you don't believe the Creation Model as the "best model we've come up with" then? Occam's Razor says it sure is. Why not you? Like I said, I really don't have a problem with Micro evolution. We could all get along just fine if the mentality would change the discussion from abiogenesis and Macro Evolution to a Creator Possible model (ID) and then attempt to falsify that paradigm. Contrary to popular belief, that is what is going on behind closed doors. Micro Evolution is verifiable and provable...see that wasn't too hard. Now we just need to work on the baseless assertions (abiogenesis and Macro Evolution).? It's the wild leaps that we have a problem with. I should have said I suspect that is what is going on behind closed doors. Baseless? Nope. Papers have been written stating the same accusations. So you retreat to your conspiracy "theory"? They are indeed happening. You mean papers are written which make baseless accusations? I believe you. Do you instead mean that papers are written which criticize the sacred cows, and for that reason alone they are rejected? Then I kindly require evidence, including any such manuscript. Do I do the same? Probably so. "Probably so"? Don't you mean explicitly so? I'm pretty sure I showed conclusively that of the four journals I checked, only ARJ is explicitly guilty of denying an article based solely on its conclusion. That's the concession I seek. I can admit that I too have a sacred (Creator) paradigm. Which makes you guilty of precisely the accusation leveled (by you) at scientific journals, and the scientific community at large. You're stuck between a rock and a hard place here, since you're guilty on the one hand of the Tu Quoque fallacy, and on the other of unfounded accusation (which is ad hominem) -- unless, that is, you have evidence to back up your allegations, in which case, you're still guilty of Tu Quoque. So basically you are saying you believe in evolution until something better comes along? Slut much? Wow, such uncharacteristic harshness... Yeah, I accept evolution as an extremely well-confirmed theory which fits the data, and agrees with the timescales of various other sciences, with the expressed caveat that I understand it to be incorrect, at least in part. Does this make me a slut? Then so be it. Before heaping libelous accusations upon me, however, I wonder just what your position is regarding the limitations of solid-state physics. Are you a d-symmetry kind of guy, or an s-symmetry kind of guy, when it comes to high-T(c) superconductivity? ...or are you a slut? What about gravity? Are you a Newtonian kind of guy (GMm/r^2), or an Einsteinian kind of guy (General Relativity), or a Quantum kind of guy? Were transitional scientists between Newton and Einstein all sluts too? You put your faith and trust in, and defend "something" that may, or may not, be true? Ahh, no. I accept that the current models are incomplete, but nonetheless building toward completeness, and believe it or not, I actually hope we don't achieve completeness -- then I couldn't aspire to become a scientist, but a lowly engineer, or worse. So the difference here is that I know our current models are incomplete and/or outright wrong, yet still far closer to reality than the nonsense from your spiel. Not only that, but I embrace the fact that there are problems, as it gives a reason to pursue more and greater knowledge. I wonder why you don't believe the Creation Model as the "best model we've come up with" then? Erm... because it isn't. Anyway, which one? Occam's Razor says [it] sure is. Why not you? You really don't understand the principle of Occam's razor, do you? First, you will have to explain all of the many anomalies which surface when we accept a given creation model -- you know, like the apparent age of the universe, distant starlight, geological columns, apparent relatedness of all species, etc. Remember: you must use the simplest explanation that supports the data, for each individual phenomenon. So saying "goddidit" is well and good for one phenomenon, but saying it for a second is a second instance -- a second explanation. Second, you must identify which creation myth we should accept, and rule out the others also using Occam's razor -- that is, if you apply a criterion to oust one such myth, you must apply that same criterion to all such myths. Third, when you're done, you must sift through the rubble to see what remains, and compare it with my version, which is devoid of the interaction of any god, and simply assumes static natural processes were in play. What's that? Mine is better, according to Occam? No way. Okay, well, then I guess that's settled. Dan is now a theistic evolutionist, and admits that his sacred cow makes really good steak. I'll take the Filet Mignon. -- Stan (It's funny to me that a guy who admits to having at least one surprise offspring due to his consorting with loose women, whores, or prostitutes, has the audacity to call me a slut for expecting better science to emerge.)? Dan, these are molecular studies of genes, not "baseless assertions." This is the same kind of evidence used to prove paternity. They are distinct fingerprints. The facts, minus the presuppositions of "no God," are that we and chimps have the same ERVs in the same place on our genomes, the same transposons, and the same mutation that makes vit C non-functional. The proof is not that "vitamin C disproves a creator" but that genetic fingerprints are shared amongst some animals and not others, and therefore are genetically related. These fingerprints can ONLY be passed genetically. And these aren't mere functions common to all life, like breathing or digestion, where you might be able to make a case that a creator simply used devices that work, but SPECIFIC genetic FINGERPRINTS that can ONLY be explained through common inheritance. AC: Obviously, the best way to convince me that a quote was taken out of context is to produce the original context. He has not done this. If anything, he has hidden the original. This does not bode well. I am quite aware of the deceptive tactics used by christians. But this is not holding up the cold light of truth. I am a little cynical. I notice the anomoly in not being able to find the true context. Now, perhaps the intended scope was limited, and perhaps he was overruled in the ultimate decision. But there is the definite air of a cover-up. Obviously, the best way to convince me that a quote was taken out of context is to produce the original context. Obviously, but just as obviously, this is not necessarily possible on the part of the person alleged to have made the quote. Rather, the person holding and publishing the quotation has the responsibility to provide the entirety of the document/speech from which the quote was taken, in an effort to establish veracity of context. He has not done this. See above. If anything, he has hidden the original. Whoa! Why jump to that conclusion, unless you mean to apply it to Sunderland or the creationists who use the quote? When politicians are caught in a contradiction or outright lie, they are not required to provide context, but the news media making the allegation is. This is effectively the same scenario, regardless of guilt or innocence. Patterson was recorded clandestinely, a transcription was produced, and only excerpts of that transcription are readily available. Should Patterson be as Nixon and record everything to appease your allegation bandwagon? This does not bode well. I agree the context-less quote seems damning, but in the interest of resolving this little dispute I simply Googled the guy's name, and found reasonably acceptable answers, even though the entire transcription was not in the results of that search. I am quite aware of the deceptive tactics used by christians. But this is not holding up the cold light of truth. I'd recommend reading the guy's own words on the subject before hurling accusations against his integrity, and I'd start with any of the following: Some background, and some direct testimony to the issue at hand. A commentary on the issue with a separated passage by Patterson. Some further information, and the likely source of AC's information on the issue. The audio or a transcript of the exchange available with a donation. (Note: the site is poorly designed, such that a novice could easily hack the donation amount to a mere penny, and the site will allow this. I've no idea if the hack would be noticed, or if they'd take action against it -- it is a donation, after all, but if you really want the transcript, it's potentially cheap.) If you don't want to support ARN, or just want a free and immediate version of the transcript, try here. Now, read it and formulate an informed opinion of the matter, whatever the outcome may be (I haven't read it yet). -- Stan AC: "Whoa! Why jump to that conclusion, unless you mean to apply it to Sunderland or the creationists who use the quote?" My thoughts, which I conveyed perhaps inadequately, were that either he has done nothing to restore the original context or that he has actively sought to have the quote buried and unknown. (I did a search based only on the quote itself and could come up only with creationist sites. That's why I considered the possibility of "he never said it at all," until you confirmed that it was not invented of whole cloth.) "I'd recommend reading the guy's own words on the subject before hurling accusations against his integrity..." It is a matter of fact that this is not holding up the cold light of truth. His integrity has nothing to do with that. If, for example, he has forgotten what he actually said, he would be unable to hold up the cold light of truth. But, him saying it was a quote mine, and them saying it was not is a he-said-she-said scenario, not cold light of truth. Dan, This is good bye kiss** You come off as some wannabe survivalist at one moment, militiaman the next; a Glen Beck Groupie the next. I bid you adeiu with, good luck. You are definitely going to have your hands full hiding the reality of life from those five kids of yours. You are going to have some very difficult decisions to make. And the reason why is that you are going to lie to them. Bye. But, him saying it was a quote mine, and them saying it was not is a he-said-she-said scenario, not cold light of truth. I rather agree, but after reading his own words, rather than the words thrust upon him by unhappy cheerleaders from either side of the court, I'd say he didn't figure it would much matter what he said in way of explanation, and I suspect he's correct. In any event, the transcript is now there for our enjoyment, whatever help or hindrance it proves to be... -- Stan I'm with Darrin - the evolution stuff just doesn't do it for me. I've never been taught it, I don't really care about it, and I'd rather see some arguments for the existence of God! :) Hi Sarah, That is easy just go to here for arguments for the existence of God. Or we can just go back and revive our past discussions (although I was more of an observer at that post, there was a competent driver for that one) Yes, I did mean to apply what I said to creationist or Sunderland. No matter what the context was, my point about appeal to authority is still correct. I believe I have a copy of Colin's speech but it will take time to find. It took me a while last time to find this text so luckily I saved it, but lost it in my own vast pit of stuff. Unfortunately I never got around to taking the time to read through it since it seemed rather long a little confusing. I'm flying out early this morning so it might be a while before I can find it. Once settles in at Las Vegas, I can VPN home and do a search through my vast catalog of research I've archived. If I find it, I will see if I can post it online and send a link, or I'll find the original link I found it at and post that. Hopefully we can make sense of his quote or get a little bit better idea of its context. ~Atomic Chimp The Patterson misquote is discussed here. This comment has been removed by the author. Dan +†+ said... Hi Sarah, That is easy just go to here for arguments for the existence of God. Or we can just go back and revive our past discussions (although I was more of an observer at that post, there was a competent driver for that one) You don't mean circular Sye, do you? Thanks Stan for posting those links. The one with the full text is where I had gotten my copy from. I downloaded it again but haven't had a chance to read it again. Though the usage of the quote, no matter what context it is, is still an appeal to authority, I will rea the entire thing whe I get a chance and see if I can put it to rest, for myself at least, if the context Colin said that differs from what Sunderland, and other quote miners, were trying to suggest. ~Atomic Chimp. Reynold said... This isn't really on topic, but I notice that on Dan's "letterhead" it says: "We are Christians, ministers, theologians, and apologists for the Christian faith" Oh! Didn't you know? The "we" refers to the fact that Dan carries a turd in his pocket. Hope that helps. not a bad idea any scientific idea should be challenged constantly. as long as they do it scientifically without involving scriptures. I really, really, really, really hope the Chinese space program eventually rouses the US from this awful slumber. I mean if they land someone on the moon maybe we'll start caring about science again. Here's where we stand compared to other Western countries: Great, just ahead of Turkey. America, WAKE UP 何彦宏, I (we) love science. How you equate evolution with science is beyond me. Science is observations that are verifiable, testable and repeatable. How did they observe from apes to humans that was verifiable, testable and repeatable? If it is not verifiable, testable and repeatable then it is not science. Evolution is not science, it is the current paradigm and that makes science polluted with bias and presuppositions. Francis Bacon is turning in his grave when people call evolution, science. Karl Popper disagrees with you See section CA200 here in general: Since you are new I will be gentle. Talk origins is the most presuppositional evolution website on the planet. Its the same if people goes to wiki for fact finding. It just is bad research. "Oh look someone at talk origins agree's, I must be right then" This is how I, as a YEC, view that website. Try Trueorigins.org that talks briefly about Popper. As many know I will read just about anything that contradicts my claims but long ago I drew the line at the blatant presuppositions and bias at talk origins. A lot of Atheists that I speak to rely heavy on them and believe it to be the gospel and that just isn't the case, many times. Dogma? Yup. Truth? Nope. Stretch a little farther then talk origins, and find better sources. Its the same if I quote scripture to you. We can make a deal, you give me a talk origins link and I will quote the verses that counter what you claim. Deal? Genesis 1:1 says talk origins is wrong. Stalemate? Your links talk very briefly about Popper indeed. They don't even directly quote him or anything, just attribute stuff to him out of context The reason t.o. exists is because most creationist arguments are old stock memes that merit old stock answers. It's just that simple. Now did you even read my link? In a word, Nope. You know old stock answers. Yawn Of course not. Why you probably don't even know that the micro/macroevolution distinction is essentially meaningless and that speciation has been observed.
Before you can go out to the golf course, you should know exactly how far you hit the ball with each club in your bag under normal weather. (Such as 70 degrees fahrenheit) If you do know, then you can expect your ball to fly a little bit further or less depending on the weather conditions. Remember, in the cold weather, the ball will not fly as far and in hot weather, the ball will fly further. Another thing is that in the cold weather, your ball will not stop as quickly on the greens while your ball will stop a lot more quickly in warm or hot weather. But again, you need to know the exact yardage for each shot that you know how to hit whether that be a 1/2 swing sand wedge or full driver. Even though specific clubs are designed for long shots and other clubs were made for shorter ones, the distance that different players can hit the very same club will vary tremendously. This is why so many beginner golfers do not get the results they want from a club that is supposed to hit the ball in a certain way. The best way to learn specifically what you can accomplish with each golf club is to find a large field that is big enough to handle the travel distance of your longest drive. Make sure that there are no windy conditions that day, and of course be positive that the field is empty for obvious safety reasons.
More than 80,000 people working 3 million hours in one week is cause to celebrate. Express Employment Professionals, one of the nation’s largest privately held staffing companies, announced today that its associates at more than 550 franchise locations in theUnited States,CanadaandSouth Africaworked 3 million hours in one week for employer clients across various industries. “Regardless of the struggling economy and lackluster job market, said Lee Fossett, owner of the West palm Beach Express office. “We’ve managed to find jobs, put people to work and help employers who need qualified, temporary staff on hand.” In reaching this milestone Express set a new company record. This is the first time in the companies’ 28-year history this many hours were worked in one week. “To put this into perspective, 3 million hours is equivalent to the time it would take to build three more Brooklyn Bridges to spanNew York City’s East River or 103 CN Towers to preside over the city ofToronto,” Fossett said. “And, in just one week, Express put more than 80,000 people to work at companies across North America andSouth Africa. “Express is proud to help so many people find jobs,” Fossett said. “We are seeing companies start to hire as productivity increases, and we are hearing from clients that their business is picking up.” $1.9 billion in 2010.
IBM Cloud Authors: Elizabeth White, Liz McMillan, Roger Strukhoff, Pat Romanski, Sematext Blog Related Topics: @CloudExpo, Java IoT, Microservices Expo, IBM Cloud, Containers Expo Blog, Agile Computing @CloudExpo: Article The contained and referential approaches Rapid not all, of the desired configuration as well as the logic to apply that configuration. For instance, if a solution were to deploy a virtual image in the contained model, the virtual machine would have the necessary information and logic embedded to configure itself upon start up. It would not necessarily need to contact external systems or wait for instructions from other actors. - Referential: In the referential deployment model, PaaS solutions deploy environments using a minimal base package. At some point during the deployment process, the deployed environment communicates with a third party in some fashion to procure the necessary configuration information. Going back to the example above, if a virtual image were deployed in the referential model, the virtual machine would start up and then communicate with a third party service (either by initiating a request or waiting for instructions). This third party service would send down the configuration information and instructions for the environment hosted within the virtual machine. When comparing the two approaches, it is helpful to understand the advantages and drawbacks of each. A closer look at the contained model reveals an obvious benefit: speed. In this model, the deployment package contains most of what it will require in order to fully configure itself. It does not rely on contacting an external service and having to pull down the necessary binaries and configuration information. This advantage comes with an obvious drawback: management burden. By building more and more into the deployment package, you are increasing the amount of content that must be maintained and updated in said package. While it is not a huge concern if you only have a handful of discrete packages, you may not be able to rely on that luxury. You may expect that after some amount of time, the number of permutations to support necessitate spending an inordinate amount of time updating deployment packages. If this is the case, you can easily end up in a situation where the benefits of rapid deployment are negated by increased administrative costs. The referential approach avoids the above pitfall. In this model, the deployment package remains fairly skeletal. Instead of packing in all of the content like in the contained model, the deployment packages in the referential model know just enough to integrate with an external system to get the right configuration information (think Chef and Puppet). This means that you only need to update and maintain configuration data and configuration actions in a single location instead of in each and every deployment package. As the number of different required environments increase, this approach can mean a significant reduction in management burden. There is a flip side to this coin of course. The referential approach typically results in longer deployment times - dependent on the time required to install and configure content for your environments of course. Since the deployment packages contain very little content at deploy-time, they must pull or otherwise receive that data at some point during the deployment. This may or may not be a big issue for your particular use case, but it is a potential drawback worth considering. So which approach is better? It is my opinion, one derived from numerous user experiences, that there is no way to generalize the answer to that question. In cases where content is infrequently updated and the number of environmental permutations is fairly well constrained, the contained deployment model can be extremely effective and efficient. On the other hand, in cases where content is dynamic and ever-changing, the referential deployment model is a virtual requirement. From a user's standpoint, I strongly suggest pursuing solutions that support both kinds of deployment models. Tools should not dictate your approach. Your requirements for a particular usage scenario should! Published May 19, 2012 Reads 12,9.
Facing a lawsuit is a challenging, oftentimes frustrating and sometimes even unnerving experience. The thought of a lawsuit going to trial only magnifies these emotions. Additionally, even if you feel you have a strong case, any time you face a trial and jury you run the risk of a judgment being entered against you. Therefore, you may decide to settle your dispute. A key element of a negotiated conclusion of your case is a settlement agreement. There is a specific procedure in place to write a settlement agreement. Negotiate the basic elements of a settlement of the dispute with the other party. Prepare a letter of agreement summarizing the points of the oral agreement reached. Because a settlement agreement takes time to draft, you do need to get the general points in writing immediately. Use the letter of agreement as the outline to draft the settlement agreement. List the parties to the contract in the first paragraph of the settlement agreement. If there is a lawsuit pending, include the caption from the case as well as the case number. Set forth the specific items of agreement negotiated between the parties. Place each point of agreement in a separate paragraph in the document for clarity. Include a clear statement that the settlement document is the entire agreement between the parties. Include individual signature blocks for all parties to the agreement. Execute the settlement agreement. Both parties need to sign the document. A notary public is not legally required. The parties can elect to sign the document in front of a notary public if they so desire.
. All birds, including flightless species such as kiwis and penguins, have an evolutionary history of flight. Flying species, which includes all parrots (psittacines) except the kakapo, have a range of adaptations that allow rapid, sustained flight. Avian metabolism operates at a much higher rate and higher temperatures than in mammals, meaning that birds have warmer blood than we do. Avian body temperature is around 40 degrees Celcius; the resting heart rate of medium-sized birds ranges between 250 and 450 beats per minute. During flight, when the bird flaps its wings, its heart rate more than doubles. Respiration is also both more complex and more efficient in birds than other animals. Birds have a unique air-sac breathing system—by rapidly shunting air around the various air sacs in their bodies, birds have a continuous flow of oxygen-rich air passing across the lungs in one direction. In flight, the movement of the pectoral muscles during flapping assists breathing effort by expanding and contracting the chest cavity. Parrots typically fly at between 35 and 40 miles per hour, so wild birds are able to exploit much larger habitats than those accessible to other creatures. The birds’ high metabolic rate means they have to eat more than mammals of a similar weight, but food is digested very rapidly. Birds cannot get effective exercise merely by walking and climbing around. For significant aerobic exercise, they need to be able to fly, so that they can use their air-sac breathing system to some effect and raise their heart rate. In captivity, flying birds are more likely to be fit, and fit birds are better able to resist illnesses and remain healthy. A bird that is able to fly every day in an enriching environment may also be less likely to engage in stress-related behaviours such as self-harming. Flight deprivation Wing-clipping—cutting the primary flight feathers to make a bird incapable of flight—is still done to many parrot-like birds, though the practice appears to be much less common in the U.K. than in the U.S. Typically, clipped birds will have some or all primaries on one or both wings cut short, reducing their length by approximately 70 percent. This clipping prevents the bird from gaining height indoors, where the air is usually still. It does not necessarily prevent lift outdoors, since lift is gained in proportion to the wind speed over the bird’s wings. A clipped bird, rendered incapable of lift indoors, could still gain height outdoors in a wind and fly away. There are both physiological and behavioural implications associated with wing-clipping. Since flight is used as a bird’s key form of escape from stressful situations, clipped birds may become more fearful if they cannot take evasive action immediately and remove themselves from frightening stimuli, or simply if they know they cannot escape such things. Flying birds have no adaptation to being flightless; a flightless wild bird is at imminent risk of death. Also, clipped birds are at risk of damaging any new “blood” feathers when these appear during the moult. This is partly due to the nature of the moulting sequence in psittacines, which differs from most birds. Figure: The anatomy and nomenclature of a bird’s wing feathers Parrots commence their flight feather moult from a central, not proximal primary (Juniper and Parr, 1998). Typically this is primary number 6. The moult progresses in both directions along the primary web, until feathers P1 and P10 are replaced last. Since the moult starts with a central primary, the new feathers on clipped birds have no older adjacent, full-length feathers to protect the blood feathers as they grow, so they are liable to break and bleed should the wing strike against any hard surface. Bleeding occurs from the damaged feather shaft, not blood vessels, and can continue for some time. This is difficult for owners to address. Although in theory wing-clipping has only a temporary effect, flightlessness can become a permanent disability if feathers are consistently damaged and fail to grow. I have measured flight feather growth rates in several species of parrot and found it to be between 3 and 5 mm per 24 hours. This fairly uniform growth rate explains why small birds can complete a moult in a few weeks, whereas larger parrots can take many months to complete the same process. At the rate of 4 mm per day, for example, it takes a grey parrot or Amazon nearly seven weeks to grow one primary feather measuring 190 mm. Parrots may moult two, and occasionally three, flight feathers at a time. During this time, each new feather on a clipped bird remains vulnerable to damage and bleeding. Avian vets can repair a bird’s clipped wings by imping. This is where donor feathers from the same species, are glued and splinted onto the shafts of the clipped feathers. This protects any growing blood feathers and can restore flight immediately. I have a collection of feathers for imping the most commonly kept parrot species; if you would like some, send me an email. Why some birds are still clipped The most common reasons I have heard stated for clipping are: - To prevent the bird flying away should it escape outdoors - For “safety,” so the bird won’t harm itself by alighting on unsuitable places in the home or crashing into things - To make it easier to train and handle the bird while it is out of the cage These issues can all be addressed with appropriate management and training. In the U.K., according to John Hayward who runs the lost and found service with the Parrot Society, most of the escaped birds they come into contact with have been clipped. Owners of clipped birds can have a false sense of security, thinking their bird cannot fly off when outdoors. However, where re-growth of two or three primaries occurs unnoticed by the bird’s carer, then the bird can easily gain height in a light breeze and fly off. When a bird does escape, but cannot fly, it is more vulnerable to attacks from raptors, dogs, and cats, or being killed by road traffic. By teaching a bird some basic flight requests (see the winter 2017 issue of the Journal) and introducing it carefully to potential hazards such as a windows and mirrors, indoor flight can be very safe. Flying at liberty, outdoors I am sometimes asked about flying parrots at liberty, outdoors, and if this can be done safely. This is a complex and controversial issue; I do have some experience with liberty flight in a few species of parrots (and some passerines). There are many issues to consider before thinking of liberty flight. Parrots do not usually fly alone, but in pairs or as a flock of birds. Being social animals, they get considerable security from group flight; this is something we cannot usually provide. So, if a lone bird experiences fear-inducing events, recall may not work and the bird can become lost. Parrots often respond to the calls of wild passerine birds and know their functions better than their keepers. Few bird keepers know the difference between a passerine’s warning of a hawk, or how this differs from warning of ground-level threats, or a mere contact call. Some wild birds’ distress calls may be inaudible to humans but very clear to parrots. Again, these can induce panic in flight, overriding the keeper’s attempts at recall. Parrots may also land on other people’s property, and it may be impossible to get to them if they do not return voluntarily. Falconers commonly fly their birds with radio transmitters fitted, so their location can be traced should they become separated from the falconer. Raptors usually accept their transmitters easily, and they do not have the crushing strength in their beaks to destroy, remove, or ingest them. Parrots, however, can easily remove such devices from their bodies. Liberty flight may be feasible where the bird’s owners have trained their bird to as reliable a recall as one can get. But such flying needs to be done in a suitable place where access to the bird can be had at any time. It is vital that the bird’s carer has a very good understanding of all the things that might spook their bird, and know how to avoid these. Generally, the better alternative to flying outdoors is to have a large, naturalistic aviary. This can be a permanent housing for the bird (with shelter, heating, etc. provided as needed), or used for flying during the day, with the bird being brought indoors before nightfall. Regular daily flight is what parrots are adapted to do, and flying is one of their essential behavioural needs. Providing for flight is vital for their physical and mental well-being. More people are now realising this, so it is hoped that birds will no longer be deprived of this most necessary aspect of their lives as highly active animals..
Breaking Into the Business: How to Manage Capital Funds, Learn How to Network and Gaining the Right Mindset Tom Latourette from M3 Learning discusses how to stop networking to gain sales, Mark Grens from RCM discusses how to get venture capital funds, and Dan Sullivan from L Street Collaborative discusses why using an entrepreneur mindset for any business is the best way to go. 1 Comment
Even with the many variations of bloggers beauty-centric, streetstyle, lifestyle, foodies, DIY-ers, etc. How to Create High Quality Instagram Content That Grows Your Account Gregory Davalos, fashion influencer, gregorydava. I get the gender divide. Click on the Add to next to any video to save to your queue. Are you addicted to Instagram? Do you love fashion, style, clothing, accessories, and beauty? How To Start A Fashion Blog With Instagram: What You Need To Know in 2018 Mar 26, – An Instagram influencer is not necessarily a blogger unless he or she to visit in your town, fashion, food, cars, parenting, fitness, beauty, etc. Jun 26, – Blogging can be a great way to share your opinions, showcase your creativity, your blog name on all social media accounts (Instagram, especially!), to go buy a whole new wardrobe to become a plus size fashion blogger. Jul 21, – These days, fashion blogging is more than just a hobby — it’s a users to upload shoppable, affiliate-based images from your Instagram. Engaging in the requisite small talk, I asked an attendee what they do for a living.. So naturally, when presented with the chance, we asked her to tell us everything she knows about getting a good photo. From tech bloggers, to food, decor and fashion bloggers, the millennials today are choosing creative career paths over the conventional 9 to 5 jobs. Instagram, with its users increasing by the day, has become a popular social channel for brands to market on. It has also given the opportunity to people to start their pictorial mini-blogs and showcase their work to the world. Are you as addicted to fashion blogs as we are? Thought so. Have you ever considered starting your own , though? From tech bloggers, to food, decor and fashion bloggers, the millennials today are choosing creative career paths over the conventional 9 to 5 jobs. After all, what better way to show off an OOTD than to photograph it from multiple angels and add a flattering filter? What does fashion look like on Instagram? With London Fashion Week almost upon us, every fashion blogger is making sure their outfit is on point to make their Instagram feed look even glossier than usual — and more importantly, to be papped for those all important street style snaps. Sharethrough Mobile. How to become a fashion blogger on instagram. Account Structure Tips for Fashion Bloggers Blogger and Influencers have been a major assets for brands looking to expand their reach, spread their brand awareness, and increase sales. Ready to take your Instagram to the next level? From high fashions inspo to bargain shopping tips, these bloggers and influencers share with us personal tips for perfecting their fashion-forward feed and cohesive aesthetic. You can try asking a question to spark engagement with your followers. I promise, it will pay off! Give yourself a little schedule and stick to it. In the long run, it is worth it. The one question above all others that I am most frequently asked, is how to become a fashion blogger. Done the right way, becoming a blogger allows you to be creative with your fashion, inspire others with your outfit choices, and perhaps one day even make a living from it. If you prefer to watch this post, click here , but the blog post has a LOT more information. I also have a quiz on there to help you figure out what niche you should be in! Developing a strong social media foundation for your fashion blogging brand is a key method for increasing traffic to your blog and creating a community of invested followers. Make it easy for them! Upon their first look at your social media account they should be able to easily discover at least 3 special things you care about. Forever oozing style and simplicity, the ever-chic Nadia Anya sat down with us to share her story on how she started out. Introduce yourself and tell us how you started. They stand out from the pack, thanks to their one-of-a-kind sartorial sense and sharp business acumen. Explore the various types of fashion bloggers such as personal style bloggers, fashion news bloggers, lifestyle bloggers etc. I used to read some of the best stylist blogs and follow top fashion blogger Instagram channels wondering how in the world these people get so many followers and get paid. Actually, figuring out the millions of followers was easy once I learned more about how Instagram worked. Done right, it can be the ideal way to be creative with your fashion, inspire others with your looks, and maybe, just maybe, make a living from it. So you are asking yourself how to become a fashion blogger? I usually suck at remembering dates and anniversaries but somehow I manage to recollect this one just in time — as of April , Purushu Arie fashion blog completes 7 years! Developing a strong social media foundation for your fashion blogging brand is a key method for increasing traffic to your blog and creating a community of invested followers. Make it easy for them! How to become a fashion brand ambassador for clothing in seven simple steps. Rent your next mid to long-term housing online. This is a step-by-step process on how to start a fashion blog and become an Instagram influencer with a large following. Her sense of style is effortless, understated and consistent and she wears a printed wrap dress like no other. Now, aged just 22, the Belgian law student has over , followers on her Instagram, over 25, likes on Facebook, and was once invited to meet Ed Sheeran. A simple snap of Marnette sipping coffee in her hometown of Brussels, or posing on an airplane in a baseball cap, or sitting on a wall will attract thousands of like and reams of adoring comments. Recently she was called on by Cartier to work on a project, after being contacted by brands including Yves Saint Laurent. Fashion and beauty are two of the fastest growing influencer niches. When you say you want to start a fashion blog or a fashion Instagram, people might try to discourage you. Fair tbh. So you are asking yourself how to become a fashion blogger? Here it is everything you need to know about it. Instagram became a huge part of life for many million s of people in a short period of time. Instagram is a good way of promotin g oneself. The world of fashion uses it actively. There are areas where Instagram is a main platform for promotion. This is an area of fashion blogging. Today we asked the teacher from Italian E-Learning Fashion School to tell you about how fashion bloggers can earn this money and become popular i n Instagram. Instagram should become a real tool of promotion in your business. It means that all pictures and posts that you make o n Instagram should have a good quality and be interesting for your audience. Peco Tetsuko Okuhira Fashion blogs are blogs that cover the fashion industry , clothing, and lifestyle. Many fashion blogs could also be categorised as shopping blogs, similar to the content of fashion magazines. Some retailers in the fashion industry have started blogs to promote their products. Some blogs focus more on fashion advice, featuring how-to articles for the lay reader. While top Instagrammers make thousands per post on the photo-sharing platform , even those with a smaller-but-engaged following of have the potential to start making money. Watch the full course inside Shopify Academy. Login Signup. Dmitry Y. Like the fact that a lot of the cash you earn actually comes through your blog. They buy a dress from Asos or even a Gucci handbag — ensuring it is available to buy online — then just post the picture and wait for the commission to roll in.
Fire Spotting CCTV Fire Camera System F-Cam Fire Camera Argos Fire Protection Ltd offer a range of F-Cam Fire Cameras from Spotfire Ltd which can be linked directly to fire alarm panels and/or used with a central F-DVR and control suite. They can also be used as part of a remotely monitored CCTV system. Able to work both inside and out, these cameras offer a real alternative to traditional large area detection (beam detectors in warehouses etc.) as well as providing a totally new way to detect fire in external areas. The F-Cam Fire Spotting CCTV Camera is ideal for use in Factories, Recycling Plants, Commercial Laundries, Transport Depots, Oil Refineries, Warehouses, Building Sites, Marinas, plus numerous other applications. The F-Cam is now being specified by insurance companies for these types of risk – many in which fire detection has previously been impossible. The F-Cam Fire Camera can detect a small flaming fire at up to 100 metres distance, as well as providing large area coverage from a single point. The cameras can detect smoke as well as flame, and can be set up to match the particular environment. The F-Cam can detect most fires within 4-20 seconds, which is potentially significantly quicker than the response from traditional large area detection systems – especially where there are high ceilings. Long before the smoke has reached the ceiling and formed a plume dense enough to trigger an optical beam detector, the F-Cam has raised the alarm – saving lives, saving property and saving money. The F-Cam flame detection is immune to false alarms from ovens, sunlight, hot processes etc – it needs a live flickering flame to generate an alarm. The smoke detection module can be tuned for each individual environment to help eliminate false alarms from dust, fog and mist, and has market-leading pseudo-steam rejection. Unlike optical beam detectors, the F-Cam is immune from items blocking the beam (birds, bats, fork-lifts, racking etc). F-DVR Controller As well as providing a live CCTV camera feed, each fire camera can trigger a fire alarm panel via volt-free contacts (using an I/O module), or if used with the F-DVR Digital Recorder / Controller, can also trigger a centralised alarm – as well as showing a visual indication of the detected phenomena on a suitable display screen. As well as providing early detection of fires to minimise damage and risk, recorded footage of a fire starting is invaluable after any fire event – to establish the cause and prevent recurrence. Each fire camera can cover the same area as numerous beam detectors – or countless point detectors – and can be used in hostile enviroments as well as outdoors.
Health and Medicine Newsroom UCLA Blum Center brings together Latin American health experts to discuss solutionsDate: 05/02/2014 Contact: Letisia Marquez Health ministry and other government and community officials from 10 Latin American nations will attend a two-day international conference organized by the UCLA Blum Center on Poverty and Health in Latin America. The conference, which takes place Tuesday, May 6 and Wednesday, May 7 at UCLA, provides a forum for international stakeholders to exchange information and build networks among institutions, organizations and individuals on research and programs aimed at reducing poverty and improving health throughout Latin America. Speakers in some sessions will also release data on health inequities in Latin America as well as data on the success of a results-based financing model to promote health in the region. Conference speakers who are available for media interviews include Dr. Michael Rodriguez, professor of family medicine and director of the UCLA Blum Center; Dr. Ferdinando Regalia, chief of the social protection and health division with the Inter-American Development Bank; and Dr. Emma Margarita Iriarte, executive secretary of the Salud Mesoamérica 2015 Initiative, who can discuss the importance of investing in maternal and child health. Full schedule for the conference titled "Connecting International Partners to Strengthen Health Systems and Respond to Health Inequities." Read a story about graduate students presenting at the conference. Media wishing to cover the conference can contact Enrique Rivero, UCLA Health Sciences Media Relations, erivero@mednet.ucla.edu, (310) 794-2273; cell, (310) 597-5768 on the day of the event.
From The Columbus Dispatch For the first time, Ohioans can pursue public records complaints against state agencies and public universities without filing costly court cases. Ohio Auditor Dave Yost announced today the creation of a “Sunshine Audit” program to field complaints about governmental entities failing to turn over public records or violating other provisions of open-records laws. Yost’s lawyers will determine if violations occurred and, if so, issue non-compliance audit findings against public employees or agencies that potentially could be enforced in court if records still are not made available. The auditor’s office also will issue findings involving local governments and public and charter schools if those complaints were first heard by, and not resolved, by Attorney General Mike DeWine’s public-records mediation program. “Lawsuits cost too much, take too long and are not a realistic option for the average citizen,” Yost said at a news conference outside the Statehouse. “It’s fundamentally wrong we can have a situation in Ohio where government can stonewall” the release of records and escape accountability unless Ohioans can afford tens of thousands of dollars in legal fees to pursue a lawsuit, Yost said. Yost said he has no authority to enforce the findings of a “Sunshine Audit,” but that his office’s audits have the legal presumption of validity and would allow a person to ask a judge to order their enforcement to obtain records.
Hyderabad is the common capital city of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh in South India. It is the fourth most populous city in India. The city was established by Muhammed Quli Qutb Shah in 1591. The Charminar and Golconda fort are major landmarks of Hyderabad . The distinct cuisine of Hyderabad which includes Hyderabadi Biryani and Hyderabadi haleem reflects of its legacy. Hyderabad was historically known as pearl and diamond trading centre and it continues to be known as The City of Pearls. City’s traditional bazaar includes Laad bazaar, Begum Bazaar and Sultan bazaar. One can get a deep insight of the local culture by visiting Hyderabads’ various bazaars and outlets. Hyderabad is famed for its pearls embellished with gold and silver. Basra pearl is the most popular pearl. Bidriware (a unique metal wear) is another of Hyderabad ‘s specialty. Bronze and silver goods are also of high standard in Hyderabad, and aside from ornaments, all manner of goods crafted from these metals can be found. Locally embroidered textiles is also one of the must buy items from Hyderabad.
African economies are jostling among the best on the planet. The World Economic Forum ( WEF ), in its recent report entitled “The Global Competitiveness Report 2017-2018”, lists the 137 most competitive economies in the world. Among them, 10 African countries have managed to climb to the top 100. On the African podium, Mauritius once again won the palm (45th place). It is followed by Rwanda (58th) and South Africa (61st) which complete the top three. Botswana (63rd), Morocco (71st), Algeria (86th), then Namibia (90th), Kenya (91st), Tunisia (95th), and Egypt (100th) close the Top 10. The most competitive economies in the world were selected on the basis of a number of indicators, including quality of infrastructure, innovation, quality of education, health system performance, business climate and the situation of the private sector ; supported by surveys of 14,000 entrepreneurs in 137 countries. In Africa, in particular, the World Economic Forum noted a stability or a good progression for the economies of North Africa. Although Morocco retains its status as leader, it is closely followed by Algeria and Egypt which marks important leaps. Sub-Saharan Africa, however, is doing much worse, with the exception of Senegal (106th), Ethiopia (108th), Seychelles (107th) or Ghana (111st). Countries such as Cameroon (116th), Nigeria (125th) or the DRC (126th), economic pillar in their different regions still seek a place in the sun. Côte d’Ivoire, although classified as one of the most dynamic economies in West Africa, has not even been included in the ranking. The ECOFIN agency pointed out that the political uncertainties experienced or experienced by several of these countries have had an impact on African trade. In addition, the World Economic Forum promotes “necessary reforms to underpin competitiveness and boost productivity”, but also “strengthening flexibility and protecting the workforce from digitization economy”. These exit routes, says Klaus Schwab, chairman of the Davos Forum ( WEF’s annual meeting ), are the guarantee of the most competitive economies of tomorrow. Globally, Switzerland seems to be experiencing this recipe for success. For the ninth consecutive year, the country leads the pack. He shares the trio with the United States and Singapore. Chad (135th) and Mozambique (136th) are the two African countries that close the ranking, followed by Yemen (137th).
With a background in both systems therapy and family mediation, I am in a unique position to help families in distress. Below are just some of the issues I've helped families overcome. If you want more information or have a question about something not specifically mentioned here, just get in touch. Parenting Challenges As children grow, so do the challenges that come with raising them. Sometimes, families reach a point where things just aren't working anymore. There's more yelling and tension at home than love and respect. If your family is starting to sounds like what I just described, you don't have to continue down that road. I work with the whole family, together and individually as needed, to everyone get back on track. You can have a happier home and a happier family.". Blended Families Marriage, by its nature, requires a lot of learning and adjustment. When step-children are part of the mix, it can get complicated fast. Conflicting hopes and expectations about the role and responsibilities of a step-parent (by both the adults and children) can lead to feelings of frustration, jealousy, and resentment. The dream of a close, loving family can quickly dissolve leaving adults and children distant, lonely, and unhappy. Whether you are considering the commitment to join a blended family or are already part of one, those and other issues need to be addressed. Working with me to address these issues and develop strengths will be one of the best and longest-lasting investments you can make in your new family. Multigenerational Issues Parents don't always know how to be the parent of a young adult. Young adults don't always know how to handle parents who want to keep being "parents." When a spouse or grandchildren enter the picture, that parent-grown child relationship can be complicated further. Don't leave these issues unresolved where they invite resentment, anger, and family disconnect. When your extended family sits down with me in therapy, we're able to work together towards the common goal of a healthy family life that is fulfilling for parents, grandparents, and the children. Parenting Your Parents One of the most difficult transitions for families to make is when parents can no longer care for themselves. When physical or mental health begins failing, it often falls to the grown children to begin making decisions on the parents' behalf, starting with the decision of whether the time to intervene has come. Health issues, medical treatment, finances, and other life areas where decisions must be made open the door to arguments, hurt feelings, discouragement, and emotional distance. As your parents enter this stage of life, I can help your family face these emotionally charged areas. Together, we are able to establish and maintain the delicate balance of preserving your parents' dignity, respecting their remaining independence, and ensuring their care and safety.
For the record, porpentine is pretty much my feminist role model. Her work completely subverts, inverts and retrofits just about every aspect of femininity in a way that’s radical, gloriously violent and supremely empowering because, not in spite of, its being feminine. She shoves her glittercoated spandex-clad postfuturistic cyborg grubmother identity down your throat, and you will love it. Yet I’ve never seen her trying to shove what you should be down your throat, and any broadly sweeping statements she makes are presented in a deliberately playful way that allows you to co-create with her, and decide what you make of them. She’s interpretive art, not a textbook. She’s not about defining other people. She’s about defining herself, while providing a path for other people to seek joy. And she’s fucking marvellous.. See Porpentine’s piece in the Emoji issue of Womanzine or click for more. Trashweaving And Slimespinning With Porpentine - Indie Statikindiestatik.com I arranged to speak with Porpentine about her work, specifically her games at first, but upon starting the discussion it was clear that there was a lot interview about slime, twitter, thecatamites, trash, SHODAN, games(?) Freeware Recommendations (Twine edition) Often, I find free games that are good, but for whatever reason do not warrant a full review. They may be too short or too prone to spoilers to review separately, but are still interesting and worth a playthrough. Occasionally, I like to do these with a theme - all of today’s picks have been made with the simple text game making software Twine! All are playable in your browser, so check them out: Hidden Maze City (Mike Leisz & Miles Simon) - Those who know my taste in games know I value interesting above almost all else, and interesting is what Mike Leisz does. He and Miles Simon created this game for Porpentine’s Big Chaos Twine Jam. Going above and beyond the typical text-only stuff that most people make with Twine, these guys added distorted pixelated visuals and electronic music loops. Many Twine games are good stories, but have no traditional game elements, and this game reverses that. There are legit branching paths and win/loss conditions, but the story is more a series of images than a cohesive narrative. Overall, this is one of my favorite Twines yet. (Plus, honestly, any game with a reference to Outkast’s “ATLiens” is clearly worth playing.) The Body of the Moon (footling summers) - This was also made for a game jam, but is much more traditional Twine fare. It is a choose-your-own-adventure story that allows you to traverse an alien, fantastical world in first person. There are definitely solid gameplay choices that you can make with this game, but I think its strongest aspect is imagery. The author was able to really put you there through it all, and there is a great sense of place that even some graphically advanced games can’t manage. I love games that aren’t just something I’ve done, but a place I have been, and that’s what this one is for me. What’s in a Name (Gaming Pixie) - This one is the most linear of the bunch, and also the most personal. It is about the author’s experience discovering she is bisexual and dealing with a less-than-welcoming GLBT community. For those of us who have never had the pleasure, it is eye-opening, and the fact that she manages to get her experience across with humor and a minimal amount of snark is fairly amazing (I don’t know that I would have the same restraint). If looked at as a game, this one has shortcomings, but it is valuable as a mini-memoir and inspiration to others dealing with similar issues. Live Free, Play Hard: The Week's Finest Free Indie Gamesrockpapershotgun.com Over at Rock, Paper, Shotgun, Porpentine runs down a bunch of weird, interesting and completely free indie games out right now. Go check them out! Legend of Frog (Porpentine) “EVIL FROG MAGE TERRORIZES HAPLESS VILLAGE WITH INSANE MAGIC SPELLS WILL NO ONE STOP HIM” — Feburary 25, 2012 Noyb’s remarks: “Dichotomous gameplay where the player first takes on the role of an evil frog wizard, then a civilian helpless to her magical wrath. Reversal of expectations: acting in the wizard’s best interests and choosing the more powerful fire spell makes the second act that much harder for yourself, a difficulty select screen fully situated within the world’s fiction. Mechanically, the second act is that old game of dodging random projectiles, but it’s worth powering through for the reward: fresh Porpentine prose.” FINE IF SAILOR MOON WON'T GIVE ME TRON LINES I'LL DO IT MYSELFdolldivine.com A CENTURY AFTER CRYSTAL TOKYO ESTABLISHES DOMINANCE OVER EARTH CYBER-GIRL SOLDIER IS BORN Gynoids appropriated as a way for the female body to redefine itself. Robots as riot-grrl revolution. Cyberflesh as a canvas for sisterhood. The pattern of circuitry beneath torn skin doesn’t have to be inherently demeaning. Trace it down, down, and see those entrancing lines of light end in a metal fist. In the name of the moon, you will be punished. And not in a way you enjoy. “When everyone is creating, we’re destroying the dollar sign.”—Porpentine, “Creation Under Capitalism and the Twine Revolution” [antibesnice1562 is a quarter-centaur minivan siphoner from the Horrible Ice Zone.] From Porpentine’s PorpyRPG random generator. I picture a hooved thing swaddled in rags loaded with hose shuffle-galloping from one frozen vehicle hulk to another, trading frozen gasoline slurry for horseshoes and hotdogs Creation Under Capitalism and the Twine Revolutionnightmaremode.net “Raised to believe that a select few create and the rest are just fans. Rich white people create and we suck it up. This is an extremely profitable.” This is a brilliant article by Porpentine. It’s about making games using Twine but the fascinating thing about it is the philosophy she has injected into this. The above quote is the most pertinent in my opinion (not that the rest of the article isn’t! not by a long shot!) because it speaks to something that I’ve long since noticed but have had trouble trying to get other around me to agree. Maybe I wasn’t articulating the message clearly or maybe some simply weren’t listening to what was saying because they saw me as a hipster (or both) but I’m glad that someone has written this down like I haven’t been able to. The quote is also something that strikes a chord with me on a personal level because after spending years studying art I feel like the only thing I learned is the established “correct” process for art. All of my attempts to challenge this have been met by my peers and mentors with simple preference/being comfortable within the traditional way at best and with attempting to invalidate my intelligence and educational background for daring to ask questions at worst. Artists, professors and students in universities love to tout how open minded they are compared to the peoples of various points in history because their definition of what art is seems more expanded than that of the historical persons but the truth is that they are not open minded at all and, dare I say, they should feel bad. The instant that anyone mentions something contrary to what their formal education has taught them they tend to regard the idea as either not being art or being less than the work that they are currently creating, which 8 times out of 10 happens to be cookie cutter due to their need to assimilate with the things that they are being taught. Granted the attitude that I described in the last paragraph isn’t literal. It’s not like people actually go around saying things like “I’m more open minded than Leonardo hwa hwa hwa!!!” but the attitude exists on a subtle level that makes itself present enough to be observed but invisible enough that those involved do not notice that this kind of culture exists. "7 Thoughts on Women in Games", by Porpentine And trans people, and queers, and everyone else who feels this. I. When I think of visibility, renown, people liking my work–the first thing that comes to my mind is that I have less chance of being doubted when I talk about abuse and harassment. Less chance of suffering in silence. I resent seeing everything as part of a power dynamic. I resent this fixation on survival. It dominates my vision, makes my eye sick. II. Women are turned against other women. I feel sick when I think about it. I second-guess every disagreement I have with other women. I wonder how to disagree with other women in a culture where we’re encouraged to bully and undermine each other. I feel disgusted and ashamed. III. Communities should demonstrate safety from the outside. It doesn’t matter how safe they are if their exterior doesn’t prove itself to people with previous bad experiences. For example:”. Some public reviews were angry, condemning, moralistic, censuring. At the same time, people like Emily Short reached out to me, talked about my work in a different light. I found other reviews that left me teary-eyed, in a good way. The reality was more complex, both negatively and positively, than my fears. The point is that I almost didn’t participate at all. We should think about how permeable we are to outsiders, not just physically but emotionally. Communities aren’t “just friends”. Sure, they’re often groups of friends based around a common interest, but when a community of friends overlaps or encompasses technical resources, they must take responsibility. We all have contextual power, even if we are marginalized in other ways. IV. The future of commenting is no-dignification, wordless deleting. Avoid the fallacy of fair and balanced. Providing equal status to both sides of the issue is harmful when the other side hates women. That isn’t a stance, that’s violence. In fact, don’t dignify anything that wastes your precious time. They’re just radios mindlessly regurgitating the propaganda of their culture. They haven’t examined their own opinion. Why should you? V. Women’s shit test for men (or any marginalized person’s shit test) exists for a reason. Don’t call it rudeness. Don’t call it arrogance. Call it intelligence. When half the world is socialized to manipulate, despise, and step on you, one gets a little wary. We’re sick of the false camaraderie that snaps and turns to rage, mockery, hurt feelings. Sick that all it takes to be betrayed is to assert the most basic tenets of our existence. It feels fucking weird and queasy to try and smile along with someone you suspect has no stake in your reality and will toss you under the bus for any old reason. It feels terrible because you want to smile too. You want to get along. But you know better. You know they aren’t along for the long ride. It would destroy us to encounter constant betrayal. We need a filter. We weed out those who will hurt us. We preempt heartbreak. The truth is many of us have great relationships and friendships with the proverbial straight white dude, and it’s because they earned a degree of trust instead of making a big deal about the fact that we’re acting on instincts finely honed by a lifetime of violence and harassment. Don’t begrudge people their instincts. VI. Women in games. We are a crucible. It is not that we seek to fight, but that our existence as women making games, talking about games, and occupying the sphere of play in general, is a threat to power structures. Women are told they mustdiefor making personal little games on their own time, for writing about their experiences, or simply for existing. (Even our whispers, a small game or poem circulated among close friends, are deafening to these men.) And when they are not told directly, they are made to feel like they want to die. One of the greatest challenges of this time is not blatant misogyny (an easy target for outrage anyone can participate in) but the crypto-misogynist, whose fear is concealed behind language that sounds basically okay to everyone but the women it is intended to harm. They’ve figured out they can’t call us bitches, so they resurface under a thin veneer of patronizing “civility”, neutralizing our energies with mindless, boring semantics. They will find endless ways to intellectualize their discomfort. They are terrified by our joy They project that terror on our alien bodies We become stewards of this terror, nurturing it off our own bloodstream, off the very air in our lungs We become intimidated Even doing basic work in the games industry, whether it be in a mainstream or indie capacity, becomes filled with chronic ambient terror Those outside this terror dimension, by virtue of their privilege, do not see this terror Why are the women agitated Why is that woman so sad all the time Why did that woman lose her job Why did that woman disappear in a burst of ash MUST HAVE BEEN LIGHTNING This heightens our sense of unreality The feeling that we are insane That we are helpless to stop our punishment for being a woman that is our birthright and indeed our inevitable doom Endless micro-aggressions and macro-aggressions pile up Until our voices crawl back inside our bodies And die And rot And poison us VII. I have come to believe over and over again that what is most important to me must be spoken, made verbal and shared, even at the risk of having it bruised or misunderstood. That the speaking profits me, beyond any other effect. I was going to die, if not sooner then later, whether or not I had ever spoken myself.. When I read those words, I cried. I cried because I’d been afraid for so long. I cried for all the times I was too terrified to reach out to others. I realized that I had been delaying my existence in a world where death exists. The temptation, of course, is to horde the scraps of power we’re given, like a guard recruited from the prisoners standing watch over her fellow inmates, grateful to hold a gun in her hand, never even considering that she has agun. Join your power with other women. Fight for them. Exercise your white-hot fierceness and free your fucking sisters from the silence, the doubt, the terror that they, that we, that I have fall into, time and time again. I have never felt so alive as when another woman told me she would fight for me, that she would stand with me, that shebelievedme. Bullets can’t read audience feedback forms.. The idea is to fight for our friends. The idea is to fight for our not-friends. We all project a bubble that extends x feet from our body in every direction and in that bubble we can have that better world any time we want. There is no singularity, no utopia, just how you treat the people around you. I don’t need assurances of survival. I don’t need to know my actions will result in a perfect outcome. It is enough to act, and in doing so, feel the sunlight on my limbs. I basically want this plastered everywhere, so here it is on Tumblr as well; Porpentine’s “7 Thoughts on Women in Games”, a massively inspiring manifesto and call-to-arms.
Chiba is located east of Tokyo and is not far from Narita Airport. Much of Chiba city is residential and forms part of the greater urban area of Tokyo. The followings are sightseeing spots in Chiba which are good for a half or one day tour. ■ Chiba Castle Chiba Castle is a reconstructed castle located in the center of Chiba city. The original castle was built in 1126 by the lord Tsuneshige Chiba, who owned this region. The prefecture name “Chiba” came from his family name. It was attacked and then abandoned in the mid-1400s. The current castle is actually a reconstruction from 1967. It now houses the Chiba City Folk Museum. The exhibits are mainly related to the Chiba Clan. You’ll find all sorts of artifacts like swords, guns, and other samurai weapons. There is a small tea house beside the castle. You can rest, drink tea, and eat Japanese sweets there. ■ Chiba shrine The Chiba shrine is a Shinto shrine originated in 11th century. Shinto is indigenous religion of Japan. It is based on the worship of nature and ancestors. The shrine is dedicated to the Shinto deity Myoken who is believed to offer protection from bad luck and bodily harm. The shrine buildings are painted brilliant orange in a way that makes the surroundings seem peaceful.There are picturesque Japanese gardens around it.You can feel sacred atmosphere. ■ Sogo Chiba department store The Sogo Chiba is the largest department store in Chiba Prefecture and is located near the Chiba station. It offers a wide range of quality products including traditional Japanese artwork, food and many more. Many famous food shops are located on its food floor with a lively atmosphere. Some foods are cooked on site. The smell of freshly baked bread or the sound of tempura being deep-fried attract customers. ■ Chiba City Monorail The monorail runs at an elevated height of 30m above ground level. This monorail was registered in the Guiness Book of World Records as having the longest running distance (15.2 km) of any suspended monorail. ■ Tour to Chiba castle and shrine So, Chiba city is worth visiting. If you are interested, please see this site. --
The number of arrests made for online hate speech in West Yorkshire has almost doubled over the past five years. They jumped by 45 per cent from 162 in 2012/13 to 236 in 2016/17, according to figures released under the Freedom of Information Act. Last year’s total marks a slight fall in arrests under section 127 of the Communications Act after a significant rise in 2015/16 when they peaked at 257 – the equivalent of almost five every week. As with other forms of hate crime, it is an offence to make comments online which are perceived by the victim, or any other person, to be motivated by a hostility or prejudice based on disability, race, religion, sexuality or gender identity. Assistant Chief Constable Catherine Hankinson, of West Yorkshire Police, said the force had undertaken work to encourage the reporting of hate crimes and to improve the way they were recorded by the force. “A number of sub-categories for the recording of faith and disability hate crimes are being introduced to get a better understanding of the impact of national and international events on local communities and improve and target services for victims,” she said. “As part of our commitment to making communities safer and feel safer, West Yorkshire Police is committed to engaging with communities to increase the under-reporting of hate crimes and hate incidents.” The force employs specialist hate crime co-ordinators in each district to help investigating officers identify perpetrators, providing after-care support for victims and increase awareness in communties. They also work alongside other organisations such as local councils, Victim Support and the numerous community-based third party Hate Incident Reporting Centres (HIRCs) such as the Reginald Centre in Chapeltown and the St George’s Centre in Middleton. Anyone with information about a hate incident should call 999 in an emergency or 101 in a non-emergency, or visit the West Yorkshire Police website. Almost Done! Registering with Yorkshire Evening Post means you're ok with our terms and conditions.
By Angel Utset Suastegui In accordance with weather switch tests, much less precipitations and better temperatures might be anticipated within the Iberian Peninsula and different Mediterranean zones. along with, an increment in droughts and different severe occasions may be anticipated to boot. Such weather conditions require an attempt to optimise irrigation applied sciences and to enhance water administration potency. There are presently to be had water-use and crop-growth simulation types, which are mixed to weather situations and climate turbines with the intention to suggest, via many simulations, the main trustworthy irrigation administration. The initial evaluation of the affects in Spain as a result results of weather switch and the nationwide Plan for variation to weather switch suggest using such simulation instruments in Spanish climate-change effect checks. these instruments, despite the fact that, haven't been used but to help irrigation decision-making in our state. In that experience, the EU-funded suggestion AGRIDEMA, leaded by way of Spain, has been addressed to introduce such instruments, connecting the instruments 'providers' from Universities and high-level learn centres, with their 'users', positioned in agricultural technological or applied-research centres. AGRIDEMA comprised classes and Pilot purposes of the instruments. neighborhood researchers knew within the AGRIDEMA classes tips on how to entry to GCM information and seasonal forecasts, they obtain additionally easy wisdom on climate turbines, statistical and dynamical downscaling; in addition to on on hand crop versions as DSSAT, WOFOST, CROPSYST, change and others. approximately 20 pilot exams were performed in different eu international locations in the course of AGRIDEMA, using the modelling instruments specifically instances. The AGRIDEMA effects are commented, pointing out quite the Pilot exams that have been held in Spain and within the Mediterranean sector. additionally, numerous 'users' opinion in regards to the to be had weather and crop-growth simulation instruments also are mentioned. these critiques can be utilized as vital suggestions through the instruments 'developers'. An illustrative instance on how modelling instruments may also help to regulate Sugarbeet irrigation lower than current and destiny weather stipulations in Spain can also be proven. numerous destiny learn instructions are mentioned, as from the proven instance and the AGRIDEMA effects. these learn instructions accept as true with the activities steered within the Spanish nationwide Plan for version to weather swap, in addition to within the ecu and overseas instructions. Stakeholder will undertake climate-change mitigation techniques provided that they comprehend the reliability of such thoughts on their particular situations. to accomplish this, the 'users' of the modelling instruments needs to strengthen neighborhood demonstration proposals, aimed to version calibration and validation, and so forth. rather, a few demonstration proposals can be aimed to suggest effective and effective irrigation water administration lower than the hostile weather stipulations that Spanish farmers will ultimately face within the subsequent years. Read or Download Support Water-Management Decision-Making Under Climate Change Conditions PDF Best environmental & natural resources law books The Law of Energy for Sustainable Development (IUCN Academy of Environmental Law Research Studies) (v. 1) In November 2003, the fee on Environmental legislations (CEL) of IUCN (International Union for the Conservation of Nature and common assets) introduced a brand new scholarly community of environmental legislation colleges and professors: the IUCN Academy of Environmental legislation. The IUCN Academy, a consortium of specialised learn facilities in college legislations schools around the world, constitutes a realized society interpreting how legislation advances a simply society that values and conserves nature. The Jordan River and Dead Sea Basin: Cooperation Amid Conflict Court cases of the NATO complicated examine Workshop on Water assets and Infrastructure in components of clash and severe stipulations, Masada Ein Gedi, Israel, November 2007 Environmental Geophysics: A Practical Guide Utilized geophysics have been built to discover the uncooked fabrics wanted through civilization. this day it really strengthen a greater knowing and considering the cumulative affects of a number of common source improvement tasks. Cumulative affects at the moment are the most urgent, yet advanced demanding situations dealing with governments, undefined, groups, and conservation and normal source execs. - Renewable Energy Policy and Politics: A handbook for decision-making - Multilevel Governance of Global Environmental Change: Perspectives from Science, Sociology and the Law - The Endangered Species Act: History, Implementation, Successes, and Controversies - Crimes Against Nature: Environmental Criminology and Ecological Justice Extra info for Support Water-Management Decision-Making Under Climate Change Conditions Sample text However, despite of the considerable public concern about climate change, European stakeholders and farmers are not yet using these scientific results for agricultural decision-making. Actually, the most reliable climatechange mitigation options depend on each specific situation. access to such tools is quite limited due to several reasons, as financial issues or lack of user-friendly design of tools. Experts from regional agriculturaloriented research centres, advisers and farmers). According to these objectives, several tasks or “work packages” were scheduled. The tasks can be seen in Figure 1. e. “Identifying and Contacting developers”, “Identifying and contacting users” and “Courses on climate and crop-growth modelling tools”. 1 Identifying and Contacting Developers The AGRIDEMA consortium created an initial list of which developers should be contacted. The list was based mainly the partners experience and previous contact. Besides, several students and researchers from BOKU, Austria, were in the courses too. com) shows all the details of Courses held in Vienna; as the lectures program, time schedule, invited developers, participant users, etc. The courses on Climate tools comprise lectures on climate change scenarios, dynamical and statistical downscaling, as well as weather generators. The details and work-performance of quite known cropgrowth models as SIRIUS, DSSAT, CROPSYST and WOFOST; among others, were shown too.
IDC Government Insights Technology Spotlight: Delivering End-to-End Election Modernization Roadmaps It is exciting to see Scytl recognized as the leader in the election modernization space. Years of R&D, industry alignment, and close interaction with customers are proving beneficial for the election technology industry. - Pere Valles CEO, Scytl Barcelona & Tampa (PRWEB UK) 23 September 2013 Scytl, the worldwide leader in secure online voting and election modernization, continues receiving electoral and industry expert recognition for its end-to-end election modernization technology and electoral roadmap implementation approach from organizations such as IDC, Ovum and ACEEEO.. Election modernization views from leading industry experts: - IDC – In the recently published IDC Government Insights Technology Spotlight: Delivering End-to-End Election Modernization Roadmaps, sponsored by Scytl, leading analyst firm IDC highlights Scytl´s value proposition and benefits: a comprehensive solution for the entire election process, the ability to deliver specific election modernization roadmaps for individual electoral bodies enabling an “evolve as you need” approach, in depth and specific experience in providing online voting capabilities (18 out of 20 countries that have implemented online binding public elections) and a full range of security options. - Ovum - Scytl´s background, experience and penetration in online voting based on a strong security framework ensures not only leading edge functionality and tailoring required for different election processes in different regions, but also end-to-end security,. - ACEEEO – As a result of Scytl´s interactive seminar during ACEEEO´s 22nd Annual Conference “Electoral Modernization: Innovation Roadmap and Best Practices,” leaders from election commissions from over 20 countries across Europe, Asia and Africa came away with the foundations of a personalized election modernization roadmap, paving the way for the implementation of tactical and strategic elements of their electoral strategy. “It is exciting to see the evolution and increase in coverage of election modernization technology by industry experts and even more exciting, seeing Scytl being recognized as the leader in this space as a key provider of innovative, secure and transparent election modernization technology. Years of R&D, industry alignment, and close interaction with customers around the globe are proving beneficial not only for us as a company, but for the election technology industry as a whole,” concludes Pere Valles CEO of Scytl.
Encryption is the process of scrambling communication to avert cybercriminals from deciphering a piece of information. Data encryption is used to translate the information in another form, referred to as ciphertext; so that only the authorized people having access to the ‘key’ can decode or decrypt it, thus ensuring data security. Data encryption is used everywhere these days from online banking to instant messaging apps to secure the users from giving out vital and personal information over the Internet. Currently, encryption is one of the most popular and efficient methods used by business organizations to ensure data security. The end-to-end encryption ensures that none other than the sender or the receiver can view the information. For instance, popular instant messaging platform, WhatsApp applies end-to-end encryption as the data travels through servers on its way to the end user. In simple terms, if we exemplify data protection through a safe, then encryption relates to giving out the data access to whoever possesses the key. Alternatively, end-to-end-encryption specifically cites that only the sender and the receiver of the information have the access to the data. Types of data encryption There are three broad categories of encryption that are used to protect user’s data: Symmetric, Asymmetric and Hashing. Symmetric encryption: This is a linear way of taking the original data and scrambling it with the help of key and decoding it again with the same key when needed. It is a speedy way of providing data encryption and there is an array of symmetric encryption methods available in the market. Asymmetric encryption: This kind of encryption uses a different key for encoding and decoding process. The keys are usually known as the private key and the public key. The sender of the message usually retains the private key and the public key is circulated among the authorized recipients to decode the information. Hashing: Hashing is not a typical form of encryption but it uses the method of cryptography. It is also a permanent form of encryption and the encoded data can never be reversed. The most common usage of hashing is to protect passwords. For instance, when someone types a password, it is converted through the process of hashing. Same data always creates the same hash. While authenticating the password, the system will try to match the encrypted data with previously ‘hashed’ codes and provide access to the user. Trupath - A New Approach to Network Monitoring White Paper... Importance of Metadata Cataloging in Research White Paper... Lastline Advanced Malware Detection White Paper By: Lastline Today’s sophisticated malware is a major culprit in many of the rampant cybersecurity incidents. Unfortunately for organizations, advanced malware is getting harder to detect. Malware assaults are so common that many IT managers admit that their enterprise networks are likely to experience a cyberattack at some point because their conventional security systems cannot effectively... The Specops Password Report: Safeguarding Passwords Against Data Breaches White Paper......
::: YOurmOod KiteCup ::: water session 22 to 28 August 2011 Nazaré - Portugale Disciplines: Freestyle et Waves Press release n.º5 August 2011 The Yourmood Kitecup summer version will be held soon in 10 days in Portugal, host of stars, among them a Portuguese rider Nuno Figueiredo, certainly one of the best riders in the world waves. Who better than a local rider can tell us about the conditions of his country? Here are some questions to Nuno: Nuno, lots of person considered you one of the best waves riders in Portugal and maybe in the world. Why? Can you define yourself? Really? Just can say that my goal is to make the most of each session. It makes me grow and be on the edge of kiting in the waves. What do you think about Nazare? Nazare is a well known high surf performance spot. Big waves and atlantic power combined in one beach. Barrels and broken boards make a normal office day. And the Kite Cup? Let´s hope for a strong north wind (“nortada") to have a great show. Huge bet that´s deserves to be won. Do you think that your performance on snow will be as good as on the water? I don’t make snowboard yet. Maybe in one year I can reply better to this question. Final comments: Enjoy Portugal! And indeed, the riders for sure will enjoy the country thanks to the official hotel of the event, the Miramar (). Situated at Pederneira, in a prime location overlooking the sea and the Village, the Miramar Hotel has 40 rooms including 5 suites, the Mar Aberto wineBar Restaurant, outdoor swimming pool, recreation area with pool, table TV, computer with internet access for guests and a Health Club. To stay in shape, the Health Club has at your disposal a gym with several exercise equipment where you can practice maintenance or relax in the Sauna, Turkish bath or in the Jacuzzi. Between relaxation and physical fitness, Hotel Miramar, a beautiful 4-star hotel, will be the perfect place to take care of our athletes. A more appealing, combining sporting performance, riders meetings and discover a wonderful country, awaits you, from August 22 to 28, in Nazare. For additional informations and registrations please contact: Cette adresse email est protégée contre les robots des spammeurs, vous devez activer Javascript pour la voir. Thanks to all the sponsors and supporters to make this event possible.: MAIN SPONSOR – Mood; HOST CITY & PARCEIROS INSTITUCIONAIS-finder, Things About Kite (Tak)
Explore Help Help, You Is Kind, and more! Explore related topics The Help, help indeed. Trying to figure out how to incorporate young adult novels into your teaching? Whether you are starting literature circles, looking for mentor texts your students can relate to, or just want to add to your classroom library, these reviews of young adult literature will help you do just that. I suggested this book to a friend who finally read it... rather reluctantly. It's now her favorite book. You will gain a lot of insight from reading this and really start spending more time considering how your life intertwines with the lives of the people you meet, if only in passing. Who have you met today and how could you have changed their life? Think about it. for June 2011... Love You Forever - this is the greatest book. My mother in law gave a copy to my husband and she still can't read it without getting choked up.. Understanding Asperger Syndrome. Tuesdays_with_Morrie_book_cover Wonderful Story.. Lots of history.. Great Read
Welcome to CLASS Academy! We are excited to have you and/or one of your students join our family! Below you will find several forms in two categories: PARENTS, and SCHOOL DISTRICTS. For PARENTS: If you would like to accelerate the intake process, please print and complete the forms listed under PARENTS & STUDENT FORMS. All forms will need to be completed by the parents prior to enrollment. No student can be admitted into the program with all of the necessary forms completed. If you are unable to print and complete these forms, we can walk you through them at the official intake meeting. For SCHOOL DISTRICTS: If you would like to accelerate the intake process, please print and complete the forms listed under SCHOOL DISTRICT FORMS. All forms will need to be completed by the parents and school districts prior to enrollment. No student can be admitted into the program without all forms completed. Please ensure you have completed the AEDY Referral Form as well. This form needs to be filled out in its entirety. NOTE: As of April 1, 2016, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania has issued a NEW AEDY Referral form. No students can be admitted into the CLASS Academy program if an old form is used; all students must come with the NEW AEDY Referral form. You can find this under Alternative Education for Disruptive Youth AEDY Referral Intake Form link. If you have any questions about the forms, please feel free to contact Jeremy Angus at (724)869-2222 x230or by e-mail at j.angus@thepreventionnetwork.org. Parent & Student Forms P.1.1_Emergency Contact_Forms P.2.6_Vandalism and or Destruction of Property_Forms P.3.6_School Meal Application Agreement_Forms P.4.6_Probation Officer CYS Caseworker Information_Forms P.5.6_Photographic Waiver_Forms P.6.6_Counseling Awarness_Forms P.7.6_Vehicle Passenger Consent Waiver Release_Forms P.8.6_Computer and Internet Usage_Forms P.9.6_Personal Items Consent Parent Behavior Checklist Photographic Waiver Forms School District Forms Alternative Education for Disruptive Youth AEDY Referral Intake Form M.1.1_Enrollment Information_Forms M.2.2_Behavorial Goal_Forms Manifest Determination Paperwork
The initiative for graduate students studying in the US will grant a $15,000 scholarship. Runner-up will receive a grant worth $5,000 and there will be two $1,500 honourable mention awards. BAFTA Los Angeles is providing the scholarship for a guaranteed three years starting in the 2012/13 academic year. The programme is open to British graduate students studying any of the disciplines associated with the moving image at an accredited graduate school in the U.S. For applications visit the official website.
Hey all! This past Sunday, February 28th we had our bible study on Matthew 5. We had a lot of familiar faces with us that we haven’t seen in awhile, which was amazing!!!! It’s always good to see so many wonderful people on such an early morning. :) One thing that I really wanted to use this blog for was to share bible study notes with those of you that were unable to make it, so you can stay caught up and connected. Of course I don’t mean this as a substitution for bible study, since it really means more if you are there to discuss and interact. With that being said, this past Sunday we had some awesome conversation that actually didn’t allow us to finish reading Matthew 5, so we will try to finish it next Sunday morning. Here is some of what we did discuss this past time though: Matthew 5 bible study notes: first section in this passage talks about the Beattitudes. In latin, beattitudes means to be supremely blessed &/or happy! My question to the group was what do you think the purpose of this sermon (this is known as the Sermon on the Mount) was? The group came up with a couple things.....first, they believed that these verses’ purposes were related to hope and encouraging us to stay hopeful. We also came to the conclusion that this was Jesus’ way of showing and telling us how we can be happy in life. We just have to follow these words.... Something that was pointed out in reading these verses was how they are all seemingly contradictory to each other, but perhaps this is to remind us of how God’s ways are typically contradictory to the world’s. Do you find this to be true as well??? How so?? The next section of the passage..... Salt &. First of all, salt was used as a metaphor, because it was something that everyone listening would be familiar with. Why?? ...can you guess??? the Dead Sea!!!! (it’s FULL of salt)! Here are some questions for you: - What does this part mean? Who is the salt of the earth? (Some in our group believe Jesus is talking about us, people). Do you agree? -What does it mean in regards to if we lose our saltiness we will no longer be good? -How do we lose our saltiness? During our discussion we decided that if we made no effort to affect the world around us, we’re doing little to no use to God. We’re not helping spread His word or His love, and perhaps this is what is meant in losing our saltiness? Losing what makes us good to God? What do you think? Also, what does it mean to be the light of the world? We came up with that we should live so that others will see God in what we do and will then praise God for his wonderfulness. We should be active in our faith and try to not "hide the light". In fact, if we love our lives for Christ and grown like lights, we’re showing others what God looks like! So how can you personally show people in our life what God looks like????? It was at this point that we got onto the topic of being "happy" with our religion. So, I want to ask everyone reading (and this is something between you and God) are you happy with your religion? First, is it the man-made religion and other Christians that you might not be happy about? Or is it God you’re not happy with. I think it’s extremely important to know the difference before you can go further. Then, you need to ask yourself and figure out if you’re not happy, why is that? What’s the cause? It’s ok to doubt–everyone does! But it’s what you do with your doubt that can make or break you. Doubting and just giving in to the I don’t know will only hurt you, but doubting and searching for answers (turning to God, to the Bible, to leaders in the church) that is the healthy way to go about it. As your youth pastor, my main concern is for you and your well-being (spiritually, emotionally, physically, etc.). I decided that I want to take more time one-on-one with each of you, my youth members and talk to you about God, your relationship with Him, and our relationship as youth pastor and youth. :) So look through your calendars and let me know what you have open on Sundays or Saturdays!!! I want to start setting up times for us to hang out and get to know each other even more. We’ll be talking more about this Sunday and start setting up times!!! :) As always, I love you all, because He loved me first!!! Your youth leader, kellie (and please feel free to email me for anything you need/want– no question is too big or too small! My email is: kellz0505@gmail.com)!!! Tuesday, March 2, 2010
An intriguing area of study that’s only emerged over the last few years concerns the physiological correlates of flow. If we could find out what’s going on in the body during mental flow, it would make it easier and less intrusive to measure when people are in such a state (at the moment, researchers have to nudge someone absorbed in an activity to ask them how it feels, with the risk of spoiling their flow, or they have to ask them about the experience afterwards). Even more exciting, discovering the physiological correlates of flow could lead to new bodily means by which to help ourselves achieve the zen-like state. A promising candidate is heart rate coherence - when the rhythm of the heart attains a smooth, sine-like waveform over time. Like flow, it too has been linked with positive emotions and superior performance, including more focused attention and speeded reaction times. Brenda Mansfield and Roger Couture at Laurentian University in Canada and their co-workers have looked directly for the first time at the relationship between coherence and flow. They invited dozens of undergrads to undertake three different tasks: answering a batch of learning style and happiness questionnaires; playing a bio-feedback game in which a hot-air balloon on a screen rises and falls in line with heart-rate coherence; and completing a Playstation 3 game, inspired by Csíkszentmihályi’s theory, which is designed to trigger a flow state in players as they guide an aquatic creature through an underwater world. The researchers monitored the participants’ heart-rate coherence through all three tasks via a device attached to the earlobe, and the participants also completed a measure of their state of flow after each task (example items included “Things just seemed to be happening automatically”). The study’s key question was whether coherence and flow would fluctuate in tandem, indicating that the former is the physiological marker of the latter. Unfortunately, and to put it bluntly, the results were a mass of contradictions. On the questionnaire task (which triggered a surprising amount of flow), heart-rate coherence tended to be lower in students who reported more flow – a negative correlation. During the coherence-inducing hot-air balloon task, flow and coherence did correlate with each other positively, but overall flow was low, perhaps because the students found the task too frustrating. Finally, the Playstation flow game succeeded in inducing flow as you’d expect, but there was no correlation between flow and coherence. The researchers admitted their results were “puzzling” and they said more research was needed. “We discovered that coherence and flow, however mutually beneficial to optimal experience, can occur and/or be induced independently of one another,” they wrote. “Our results provide evidence of a dissociation between the concepts, as we can turn them on separately.” Perhaps it was overly optimistic to hope that the psychological construct of flow would map neatly onto the physiological state known as coherence. Life is often more complicated than this. Assuming that flow itself is a unitary concept, which is far from established, it’s more likely that it is associated with a number of different kinds of physiological state. But this is a new field of study, and Mansfield’s team carried out an important first test. _________________________________ Brenda E. Mansfield, Bruce E. Oddson, Josee Turcotte, and Roger T. Couture (2012). A possible physiological correlate for mental flow. The Journal of Positive Psychology DOI: 10.1080/17439760.2012.691982 Post written by Christian Jarrett for the BPS Research Digest. 4 comments: Perhaps interested readers are also interested in a paper on a pilot study on the clinical use of heart rate variability in 7 clients with psychopathology, published last year. It can be found here: Note: we applied HRV biofeedback as exposure/mindfulness training, not to create flow. Its a great article and well written I like your writing stuff also want to say there is having great information i must want to share with you my experience i think for good health positive emotions are so important that one day i had sad mood then i start to search then i found one media player about positive emotions there are great info about positive emotions and that media player is totally change my mood such a great experience i had you can find media player nice posting.. thanks for sharing. Note: only a member of this blog may post a comment.
The oil-free compressor is used where no oil leakage into the airbags or air compressed air can be leaked in any way. The oil-free piston compressor has no classic plates, to prevent excessive friction, a thin plate with a special temperature and weatherproof seal is attached to the connecting rod. The compressed air supplied by this compressor does not contain oil vapor and is suitable for food, restaurants, brewing, aquarium, healthcare and laboratory equipment. For the construction, it is limited in performance, but if the oil-free compressor is properly over-sized, it will last as well as its oil version.
Illinois Digital Archives At its annual meeting each year, the Midwest Region of the College and University Professional Association of Human Resources (CUPA-HR) recognizes the achievements of its members and presents awards in both institutional and individual activities in a variety of areas. This year at its annual meeting held in Dearborn, Michigan, the State Universities Civil Service System was presented with the Midwest CUPA-HR “Best Practice” award for their web-based electronic pre-employment testing program (E-Test). The Midwest CUPA-HR is dedicated to the practice of human resources at institutions of higher education. Their organization is comprised of human resource professionals from approximately 395 member institutions including. The Midwest region offers unique networking and professional development opportunities custom designed to meet the needs of practitioners in Midwestern colleges and universities. This award is presented to an individual or team who demonstrates creativity, process improvements, excellence, or professional achievement within a functional area of human resources (either an entire HR unit or smaller subunit). A single significant project or a pattern of smaller projects were considered. Nominations were submitted by various institutions throughout the Midwest Region with the State Universities Civil Service System E-Test program selected by a panel of judges as the recipient of this year's award. Specific criteria utilized in making the selection for this award focused on the following questions: What was the original need/problem/dilemma/idea? Why was it important to the functional area of human resources or the institution? How was it approached, i.e., what new approaches or methodologies were used? What was accomplished or achieved? How did the individual or team know they were successful? The web-based, electronic E-Test program was implemented in September 2005 and will replace the old, inefficient paper-based classification plan and testing process utilized for the past fifty years. Current web design and electronic information processing technologies are utilized in the delivery, management, and security of this new system. Utilization of this system has resulted in significant efficiencies at the institutional level and has improved customer service and applicant processing. Executive Director, Tom Morelock, and IT Manager, Bob Curry, attended the recent Midwest CUPA-HR Conference held in Dearborn, Michigan onApril 23-26, 2006 and were presented with a plaque to recognize this accomplishment. Volume 4 Issue 2 2006 Illinois’ Public University System Support Resource and Advocate 02 Insider 05 Boards and Committees 06 What’s New 08 Congratulations The SystemNews 10 University Spotlight Midwest CUPA-HR Honors System Office with ‘Best Practice’ Award Lewis T. (Tom) Morelock, Executive Director
Thanks so much to those of you who made it to yesterday’s second workshop in our Project Management Summer Series – What is a Project Manager? We know it’s a particularly tough time of year to commit a half day to a workshop, and we’re so grateful for the time and energy you’re giving to co-creating project processes and culture in IS. We’d be very glad to see you at our final workshop, What is a Project and What does it Mean for Us?, on Wednesday, August 8th. We’re just going to do one session this time, beginning with lunch at 12:30 followed by the workshop from 1:15-4:30. We’re looking forward to bringing everyone together for a single discussion. Sign up by August 1st. Please note we’re meeting in Campus Center 200, not the Gateway Conference Room this time! And finally, our PMO website is growing! We have lots of new resources to add following yesterday’s discussions including workshop materials, simple tools for project managers, additions to the glossary, and more best practices. We hope to have these up on this page sometime next week. Thanks again and we look forward to seeing you at the final workshop!
(Logo:) With rapidly expanding global operations and customers in the marine, automotive, truck, off-highway/construction, RV/caravan, consumer electronics, computer hardware, and industrial enclosures industries, Southco manages more than 100,000 stock keeping units (SKUs) for 70,000 customers in 65 countries. The company sought an enterprise resource planning (ERP) solution to support its lean six sigma initiatives, increase managerial visibility and maintain responsiveness as it competes against smaller local and regional providers across the world. "We are on track to double in size over the next five years, and as one of the few players in our industry with an aggressive global expansion strategy, we need a partner that can support us in international markets, with the confidence in a solution that can scale with our growth," said Brian McNeill, president & CEO, Southco. "Our team really hit the pavement in the evaluation process, and other global vendors couldn't measure up with the same combination of solid solution road map, proven success at customer sites, and the ability to provide effective solutions and support them with training and skilled workers in markets like China." A 2006 study of midsize enterprise growth strategies commissioned by SAP from the Economist Intelligence Unit highlighted international expansion as a key focus for growth among businesses worldwide. In the study, midsize enterprises cited the threat of competitive advantages -- such as the ability to execute on changes in strategy, maintain deeper customer relationships and sustain robust innovation -- eroding as they grow. These respondents see IT as critical to their ability to expand and retain flexibility while they are growing. (See Feb. 8, 2006 press release, titled "Increasing Power of Larger Rivals Threatens to Stifle Midmarket Growth"). Southco will implement applications from mySAP(TM) Business Suite to support lean processes for managing product life cycles, import, export and trade. As part of the integrated business management platform, the company also will deploy mySAP(TM) Customer Relationship Management to support its sophisticated client model and present a single face to the customer across its entire global operations. "Southco is a great example of the world of new markets and opportunities opening up to midsize enterprises and how technology will be the equalizer that allows them to compete with agility against both smaller and larger enterprises," said Bill McDermott, president & CEO, SAP Americas. "We are pleased to add Southco to our expanding base of midsize customers and look forward to helping them manage global operations and achieve aggressive goals for lean operations and growth." Next Major Events: SAPPHIRE(R) '06 Orlando and SAPPHIRE(R) (R) applications to accelerate innovation and energize growth at SAPPHIRE(R) ., SAP Press Office, +49 (6227) 7-46315, CET; +1-610-661-3200, EDT; Torrey Fazen, Burson-Marsteller, +1-617-764-0146, CONTACT: Jim Dever, +1-610-661-2161, Press Office, +49 (6227) 7-46315, CET, or +1-610-661-3200, EDT; or Email Contact, both of SAP AG; or Torrey Fazen of Burson-Marsteller, +1-617-764-0146, or Web site:
. /ITAR-TASS/. The Russian government has approved the rules for granting federal budget subsidies in the form of asset contribution to the Russian Scientific Fund (RNF), the Cabinet’s official website reports. The federal law stipulates that federal budget outlays, as well as other federal property, under the government’s decision, are transferred to the RNF as asset contribution. The Federal Law “On the Federal Budget for 2013 and Planning Period of 2014 and 2015” provides for budget allocation of one billion rubles to the Russian Ministry of Education and Science for 2013. The Federal Law “On the Federal Budget for 2014 and Planning Period of 2015 and 2016” provides for the specified purposes allocations of 11.4 billion, 17.2 billion and 19.1 billion rubles, correspondingly. The contribution is made by granting the RNF a non-profit organization’s subsidy. The signed resolution approves the Rules, which establish the order of provision from the federal budget of the annual subsidy for the formation of the RNF assets, including their monetary part. According to the Rules, the subsidy is provided in accordance with the agreement concluded between the RNF and the Russian Ministry of Education and Science. The Rules determine the basic provisions of the above agreement, the order of the transfer of funds, accounting, control over the targeted use of the subsidy, as well as other rights and obligations of the parties. The Russian Scientific Fund was established for the financial and organizational support of basic research and exploratory research, training of scientific staff, development of research teams, occupying the leading position in a particular field of science.
Pakistan Gurdwara invitation for Guru Nanak Dev 541st birth anniversaryOctober 22nd, 2010 - 9:18 pm ICT by ANI By Ravinder Singh Robin Amritsar, Oct. 22 (ANI): To mark the 541st Birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev, the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbhandhak Committee (PSGPC) is celebrating the occasion at Guru Nanak Dev’s birthplace, Nankana Sahib, situated in Sheikhupura district of that country. PSGPC has invited devotees from all over the world to participate in the functions to be organised to mark this occasion from November 19 to 28.The main religious function would be held at Gurdwara Nankana Sahib from November 19 to 21. According to Sham Singh, President of the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbhandhak Committee with the help of Pakistan Evacuee Trust Property Board (PETPB) has made all the necessary arrangement to celebrate the event . According to the PSGPC program, the visiting devotees would arrive in Pakistan and will directly go to Nankana Sahib. Later, the Sikh delegations would visit Gurdwara Sacha Sauda at Farooqabad, Panja Sahib at Hassanabdal, Gurdwara Dera Sahib, Lahore and Gurdwara Rorri Sahib at Eminabad before returning to India on November 28. About 172 historical Sikh Shrines are in Pakistan but the Government of Pakistan allows Indian devotees to visit just a dozen of them. (ANI) - 3,000 Sikhs to visit Pakistan on Baisakhi - Apr 04, 2012 - 1200 Indian Sikh pilgrims to celebrate 541st Guru Nanak birth anniversary in Pak - Nov 19, 2010 - Pakistan to provide three-tier security cover to Sikh Jathas - Oct 13, 2009 - Delay in acquisition of land for proposed Guru Nanak Dev University in Pakistan - Nov 20, 2010 - Guru Nanak's birth anniversary celebrated with fervour (Lead) - Nov 21, 2010 - 3,000 Indian Sikhs to visit Pakistan - Apr 11, 2011 - 4,000 Sikhs reach Pakistan for Nanak's birth anniversary - Nov 19, 2010 - Devotees visit Amritsar's Golden Temple on Baisakhi - Apr 14, 2011 - Prayers, devotion mark Gurpurab in Punjab, Haryana - Nov 10, 2011 - Akal Takht announces new martyrdom day for Guru Teg Bahadur - Nov 23, 2010 - Sikh bodies ask Govt to include Kartarpur Corridor in Indo-Pak talks - Mar 03, 2011 - Sikhs appeal to Pak to ease visa norms for pilgrims - Mar 03, 2011 - Punjab celebrates Gurpurab - Nov 21, 2010 - 200 Sikhs leave for Pakistan for Guru Arjun Dev martyrdom anniversary - Jun 09, 2009 - Sikh bodies divided over change in Guru Tegh Bahadur martyrdom date - Nov 24, 2010 Tags: amritsar, birth anniversary, delegations, devotees, government of pakistan, guru nanak dev, invitation, lahore, nankana sahib, panja sahib, ravinder singh, religious function, returning to india, sacha sauda, sham singh, sikh gurdwara, sikh shrines, trust property
I’d like to start off by clearly stating that I am NOT against romantic relationships. I DO NOT think that chivalry is dead and that all romantic relationships are destined for failure. In fact, I am the complete opposite. I am the type of girl that only goes to the movie theater when Nicholas Sparks turns one of his heart wrenching novels into a sappy chick flick. I walk into the theater armed with a box of tissues and bag of candy or popcorn; prepared for the waterfalls that I am bound to unleash. I am the girl that engulfs herself in the words on the screen. The girl who empathizes with the characters and embodies the emotions and experiences before her. Yes, I am the girl who cries at the large romantic gestures and heartwarming words that the characters disclose in a private moment. And I am the girl who walks out of the theater with her eyes all red and puffy, hoping that I too will find the love of my life when I turn the right corner. Yet despite all that, I wrote two papers in my first year of undergrad about why romantic films are ruining our relationships. And here’s why: 1. Romantic films emphasize four unrealistic ideals: love at first sight, soulmates, love conquers all, and idealizing one’s partner. Romantic films provide viewers with unrealistic expectations of how quickly relationships begin and evolve. In films, couples meet and a spark is instantaneously developed. Their relationship magically blossoms in a couple of minutes and they seem to live in the ‘honeymoon’ stage for the majority of the film. If an argument does break out, the couple’s love is strong enough to overcome the challenges and they are immediately back to the ‘honeymoon’ stage. Unfortunately, these aforementioned stages are not the reality of relationship development and maintenance. Films do not depict how one actually overcomes the challenges and difficulties that arise. In reality, love alone can not sustain a relationship. Films also emphasize the idea of soulmates and how each person is destined to find their one true love. Hate to bare the bad news, but according to the laws of attraction, you can easily attract a person if you have multiple commonalities, are in close proximity to each other, and if you are familiar. Therefore, attraction can be deceiving and misleading; especially because it can be possible to have more than one soulmate throughout one’s lifespan. Films also emphasize the idealization of one’s partner, or overlooking flaws because of the deep love between the couple. As people like to say “love is blind!” 2. We enter relationships thinking that the other person will complete us. Many times people enter relationships thinking that their partner will complete them. They try to use the relationship as a way of filling the void of a need they want fulfilled. However, healthy relationships involve two complete people growing and expanding together. No one can make you feel whole or complete except yourself. If you are looking for someone to fulfill a void in your life, then you may not be ready for a relationship and will end up greatly disappointed when your partner does not successfully fill your void. 3. We give up on our relationships too easily. When the going gets tough, we bail out. Many times people think that the relationship is destined for failure when things start to go awry. Instead of actively working toward changing the situation or determining the root cause of the conflict, people choose to either ignore the challenges and hope they goes away or immediately leave the relationship, thinking that there was no way to salvage it. 4. We fear commitment. Nowadays casual dating has become a popular phenomenon. People do not easily commit to their partners until several months of “talking” or casual interactions. I personally feel as though this is an unhealthy way of starting a relationship as there is little trust and intimacy between partners. It also almost always results in one partner taking the relationship more seriously than the other – leading to agony and heartbreak. 5. Our friends and families are too involved. Relationships are no longer between two people; they are no longer intimate. Today, if you are in a relationship, you are not only in a relationship with your partner but you are also in a relationship with their friends and family. Nowadays, people share messages between themselves and their partners with everyone. We get into large groups and analyze the text message, asking for advice on how to reply, how long they should wait, or if they should even reply. The privacy and intimacy between the couple suddenly vanishes as 5 or more people share their opinions on how the couple should proceed – thus turning a simple conflict or conversation into a tangled web of unnecessary thoughts and opinions. This of course doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t seek advice from your friends – just maybe limit your advisory committee to one or two trusted sources. Of course these reasons do not apply to all people! Some people have strong and successful relationships; it’s honestly all about your mindset! If you have a growth mindset and believe that there is room for change, then your relationship is more likely to succeed than if you have a fixed mindset and believe that everything is set in stone.
Makino aims at up to 3-fold increase in aftermarket business Mumbai, May 28 (PTI) Component maker Makino Automotive is targeting an up to three-fold increase in its aftermarket business over the next five years through both organic and inorganic growth, a senior executive has said. The Uttarakhand-based firm makes automotive clutches and brakes for two, three and four-wheelers. "From the aftermarket standpoint, we want to double or triple our business in the next five years. We are opening ourselves to the global players to partner with us," Makino Automotive chief executive officer Faisal Matin told PTI. Makino is looking at growing business and increasing market share in the OEM, with more focus on the aftermarket segment, he said. The fast growing domestic two-wheeler aftermarket, which is estimated to be around Rs 700-800 crore at present, is growing at 10-15 per cent annually, according to industry estimates. "I think the two-wheeler market has been growing consistently beyond 12-14 per cent this year. Going forward, it's going to grow at the same pace, or more," he said. The USD 75-million company recently partnered with R K Tagasako, an OEM supplier to auto majors such as Honda, Kawasaki, Yamaha, Suzuki, KTM and Triumph. Matin said the industry has added close to 20 million bikes in the last five years and this is the kind of opportunity which the two partners want to cash on. As part of the tie-up, Makino Automotive will leverage on RK Takasago's expertise in technology to provide services to the two-wheeler automotive aftermarket segment in India. The two partners have launched a motorcycle chain last week in Malaysia for the domestic market. "At present, the Indian market is almost equal to the rest of the world, and hence we aim to capture a share in this sizeable market. The business in the Indian market can easily help our group grow by around 20 per cent," said Lee Thian Chai, managing director, RK South Asia. Matin said Makino will look at similar partnerships to expand its network and base. PTI IAS SS SS SS SS
Developed. BG FIT is a comprehensive fit system that creates the perfect marriage between bike and body. Through an opening interview, 20-step fit assessment, detailed equipment adjustments and a thorough follow-up, Specialized’s BG FIT technicians can adjust your bike to fit your body so that you can be one with your bike. A BF FIT begins with an interview to discuss your goals and your ride and injury history. A pre-fit assessment evaluates your flexibility, strength and body structure. Once on the bike, we can determine your ideal riding position for your biomechanics. Improving the quality of people’s lives through BG Fit. ~ Andy Pruitt You don’t have to be a professional athlete to appreciate the benefits of a proper fit. Anyone who is looking to get years of enjoyment on their bike will appreciate the advantages of a properly fitting bike – through the miles and over the years. Specialized’s BG FIT is designed to make you more comfortable, more efficient and more powerful on your bike. With a proper fit, you will know that you are working efficiently on your bike without causing yourself harm over time and miles. Bike Radar found the BG FIT “a system that’s of greatest benefit to endurance riders.” Is it time to improve your life via your ride? Ask us about Specialized’s BG FIT at Higher Gear. Need Help? Have Questions? Highland Park \| 847-433-2453 Wilmette \| 847-256-2330
Ceva Logistics agreed to a $1.75 million settlement in a class action lawsuit that alleged the company violated the California Labor Code. The plaintiffs claimed that Ceva: In addition, the class members said Jacksonville, Fla.-based Ceva failed to compensate them for all hours worked, overtime hours, and full wages upon departure from the company as required by California Labor Code. Marilyn L. Huff, judge for the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California, gave final approval to the settlement on Oct. 23. The class consisted of 65 truck drivers, including plaintiff William Cifuentes. According to the original complaint filed in August, the plaintiffs accused Ceva of maintaining “policies and procedures, which created a working environment where drivers are routinely compensated at a rate that is less than the statutory minimum wage.” The complaint alleged that Ceva paid drivers a fixed rate for each customer delivery and that drivers typically work 12-14 hours per day. “After completing their assigned routes, Ceva requires their drivers to return to the warehouse to submit their delivery logs and drop off the customer’s old products,” the complaint stated. “This is true, even if the driver is not scheduled the following day. Consequently, the time that drivers are required to work off the clock is dramatically increased. “In addition to the long hours, there is a considerable amount of deductions made by Ceva to the drivers’ paychecks. Deductions include items, such as uniforms, rental trucks, insurance, damaged merchandise, incomplete routes, in-home damage to customer property, rental truck tires, and merchandise claims, among other items.” Classified as independent contractors, the drivers also paid for such costs as diesel, maintenance, licensing, permits, and tolls. “Between the lengthy routes and work days, substantial deductions, and the need to pay for other necessary costs out of their own pockets, drivers often work for wages that fall below the minimum wage,” the complaint said.
I. I. King Silver Flair 2055S Getzen 770 SG Gold Series Bundy Series II cornet Music is a more potent instrument than any other for education. -Plato You might try Adam Rapa. He has a new online teaching system called ibrass. Check it out at. Also, check out some of his youtube content. He is amazing. Also, your first lesson is 1.5 hours and the cost is only $75! Good luck. $50 an hour? Is this for the first one to make sure you are committed, or are they all this expensive? Equipment - Getzen 300 Series Bb - ZeuS Guarnarius Polished Copper Bb - Wick 3C, GP - 1918 Conn New Wonder Cornet Bb/A - NYTC Stage 1 California C Silver I can't speak for him. I am just relaying information I saw on his web site a couple days ago. You should check it out for yourself, but my understanding is that all lessons are $75 and the first one has an extra 30 minutes built in to deal with technical problems and to get aquainted. visit his web site at and check out the ibrass tab to get all of your questions answered. Also, you will get lots of video clips of him performing and a really cool bio. All I know about him is that he is a MONSTER player. I don't know about teaching, but I'm sure he's great. But wow is he a great player. I have his album. he has some cool relaxation drill I have been trying out for the past 3 days. I have not been playing steady for quite some time so I am REALLY out of shape. It sux! (anyone have a good get in shape routine?) I found a couple links on youtube of Rapa demonstrating these drills. Here are some links: [ame=]YouTube - Adam Rapa - Mouthpiece buzzing[/ame] [ame=]YouTube - Adam Rapa - Halfstep Bends[/ame] [ame=]YouTube - Adam Rapa - Play Down As You Go Up[/ame] Here is another link to an amazing performance: [ame=]YouTube - Adam Rapa - Song for Jozak[/ame] The drills have really helped me. When I first broke out my horn I barely had a crappy sounding high C. Now it sounds really good and I have a weak D. When I get in a little better shape (at least a G (thats where I got to in college bfore I quit school to chase after the mortgage industry)) I am going to start w/him or Lynn Nicholson (1.5 hour drive). My high school trumpet teacher just had a lesson w/Nicholson last week. He said it blew his mind. That guy is SICK! Anyways... enjoy the clips and good luck. (hmm, maybe I should start doing thiss again )) Equipment - Getzen 300 Series Bb - ZeuS Guarnarius Polished Copper Bb - Wick 3C, GP - 1918 Conn New Wonder Cornet Bb/A - NYTC Stage 1 California C Silver Nothing against Adam, but finding a LOCAL teacher is the only beginning that makes any sense. The internet is great when you have most of the important stuff down. There is nothing that equals on on one together in the same room, ears working in both direction, not over some scrawny PC microphone and speakers. Whenever I feel blue, I start breathing again. I agree with Robin... also, $50 an hour is pretty inexpensive... my teacher gets $60 per or $35 for a half, and he is VERY competitive in this area. ~Mike~Mike "Education is what remains after one has forgotten everything he learned in school." ~A. Einstein I don't know of Adam so I am not saying yea or nay, but remember there are other teachers in the Nashville area. Call the university see who the trumpet teacher is and call them. If they can't teach you possibly they can make a more educated recommendation, as they are in the Nashville area and probably know more teachers that can help you. I would also call the Nashville symphony or look on their website for one of the players with them. Very possibly they teach as well. Our principal here in Indianapolis also teaches high schoolers. Yes, lessons are not cheap with these folks, but as with instruments you get what you pay for. There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)
Shower Safety Each year, thousands of people end up in hospital emergency rooms due to shower falls and other bathroom related injuries. According to a report published by the CDCP (Center for Disease Control and Prevention), the figure stands around 235,000 people per year. Over one in three of these hospital visits were caused during bathing or showering and 14% resulted in hospitalization! If you aren’t ready for a walk-in tub, how about a walk-in shower? Stepping over the side of a tub to utilize a shower can be difficult and dangerous for some people, especially those with mobility issues. With one of our walk-in showers, there is little to no barrier to step over, making getting in and out of the shower much safer! Our showers can also accommodate wheelchairs! This easy access entry and exit creates a much safer bathing environment for the elderly, disabled, or mobility challenged individual. There is also a fold-down shower seat that can be installed to assist someone who may struggle with standing for long periods of time. We can also custom install grab bars to fit your needs, to ensure you have a safe place to hold on to when entering and exiting your shower!
Sara Czyzewicz earned a computer science degree at Rhode Island College and a new-media certificate from imedia, proved her Web design skills at the Westin Providence and a local firm — and then promptly left the state, as have thousands of ambitious 20-somethings have before her. She worked for the ad agency Crispin Porter & Bogusky in Miami, then in Boulder, Colorado, where she thrived on the vibrant tech entrepreneurship culture. In April, she co-founded a startup, Weavemet, to develop a social networking tool called DandyID. Almost immediately, there was an acquisition offer on the table, and then a cash infusion that will allow the firm to employ five or six people through next summer. But here's the twist: DandyID won't be based in Boulder. It's moved to Providence. "There is a whole new level of energy here that doesn't exist in a lot of other places," Czyzewicz says. "Boulder seems a little more geared toward technology entrepreneurs and business, whereas Rhode Island also has that artistic, design, creative side." She adds, "You are who you hang around with." In Providence, "people feed off one another's energy, and that has helped us tremendously." DandyID is the kind of startup that excites local techies and economic development leaders alike: young people on the cutting edge of technology and social trends, with an idea likely to make it big, and a commitment to grow in Rhode Island. Czyzewicz, a Pawtucket native, is part of a growing wave. In the last few years, a slew of new technology firms have emerged here, from Web and mobile application designers, to biomedical informatics and engineering experts, to military contractors, to companies that leverage IT to more efficiently sell insurance, run wellness programs, and more. This, many believe, is the future of Rhode Island, and what Saul Kaplan, the head of the state Economic Development Corporation until last December, envisioned: a vibrant knowledge-based economy fueled by startups, good-paying jobs, academic spin-offs and public-private collaborations. But Kaplan is out, and since he stepped down, some have suggested that he was ineffectual at the EDC, too caught up in blue-sky ideas to grasp what the state needs today. His interim replacement, Michael Saul, is a finance expert whose focus at the EDC has been, by his own description, "the more traditional" side of the economy. And while no one has said that technology and innovation will be dropped as EDC priorities, Governor Donald L. Carcieri has said this an opportunity to "take a look" at the state's economic strategy. None of this should come as a surprise, given the depth of Rhode Island's recession, with unemployment at 10 percent and even such onetime stars as Fidelity Investments and American Power Conversion having cut jobs. To revitalize the economy, the state will likely need to build on multiple sectors — strengths such as health-care, higher education, arts and hospitality, as well as on weakening, but still-important areas, including manufacturing. And it will have to address serious problems with housing, workforce preparedness, and growing poverty. See all articles by: MARION DAVIS All Slideshows
This is an archived page. Since this article was first published, some features and interface elements have been changed. Please, visit our Knowledge Base for an updated version. How can the WIP Limit runtime policies improve your efficiency? If your aim is to apply the Kanban method, in the true sense of the approach, within your team during the scope of a long-term or short-term project, keeping to your predefined WIP limits is essential. They represent one of the tenets of Kanban and must be encouraged and obeyed throughout the course of the work to truly achieve your collective goal of maximum productivity. These new runtime policies, in their automatic and immediate response to events related to WIP in the account, help to add visibility to the process of keeping work in progress limits and make the breach of a limit an actionable instead of a passive event. When it comes to encouraging the rules of Kanban, whether you’re a project manager or a team leader, it’s simply not enough to talk the talk, you have to set up the runtime policy to back it up as well. Policy #1: WIP Limit is Reached Performance boosting automatic actions you can set up using this runtime policy include: - getting an email and in-app notification if a WIP limit somewhere in the account is reached - block last card added to the column when WIP limit is exceeded - move last card added to the column to requested when WIP limit is exceeded (this essentially prevents the column from accepting any further cards until the ones that are already there have been completed and moved to done) Policy #2: WIP Limit is Exceeded The second new policy is a higher stakes version of the first. It supports the idea that a WIP limit might be reached without the need for intervention or rearrangement, however, when exceeded, the WIP limit has the potential to point out significant problems in the work flow.
Dan and I are Book People. Book People get really excited at the sight of a bookstore or a library. There's something about shelves of books that trigger the joy center in their brains. They become ecstatic at the opportunity to talk about a book, especially if it's a book they love. They lack the "I'm sharing too much" switch that would allow them to stop talking about the book when their audience is bored, because why would you be bored in a conversation about books? That doesn't make sense. Book People become perplexed when someone says that they don't read. They become visibly agitated when a film based on a book comes out and people see it WITHOUT reading the book. (I had a really hard time even typing that sentence, to be honest. It's so wrong.) Book People rarely go anywhere without a book because they know that sometimes you have to wait for appointments, or the network goes down, or you have a lunch break and nothing fills that time better than a glorious book. Book People open a new book and inhale the smell of paper, ink, and glue with a look on their face that is euphoric. We're Book People, and we knew there were MORE Book People out there. A lot more. We wanted to connect with them because -- well, it has started to seem as though the Book People population might be shrinking. We can't have that. So we made Afterwords and the Afterwords Facebook page. We wanted to make a place where we could connect with other Book People. Where we could reach out about the books we like, and places we like to buy books, and the pros and cons of some things (like e-readers! And used bookstores! And independent bookstores!), as well as introduce indie authors that we know and love. We also want to interact with writers, have giveaways and contests, and generally do the kinds of things that Book People think are super fun. We think that there need to be more places for Book People to congregate. More places to find reviews of books that are written by other people who love to read -- not people who are critics, necessarily, but people who love words and books and stories. More places where Book People can chill and chat and interact with other Book People. We hope to make this that space. It's for us, but it's also for our tribe. Won't you join us?
Kraus & Naimer offers cam switches from the DH, DHR, DK and DKR series designed for universal application as control switches, instrumentation switches and circuit interrupters. The DH, DHR, DK and DKR series control switches feature different contact designs, contact materials and terminals allowing their use in electronic circuitry as well as in aggressive environments in accordance with IEC 60947-3, EN 60947-3 and VDE 0660 part 107. Optimum protection from dust and other contaminants is enabled through the provision of fully enclosed contact chambers. The stage is the basis for all switches and can be supplied with a maximum of two contacts while the terminals are accessible from the side. While all control switches in the series are supplied with open terminals, the DH and DK series can be alternatively supplied with integrated quick connect terminals with each terminal accepting one 6.3mm or two 2.8mm quick connect lugs. Key features of DH, DHR, DK and DKR type control switches: - Supplied with open terminals - Finger-proof according to VDE 0106, part 100 (VBG 4) - Captive plus-minus terminal screws and integrated screwdriver guides facilitate wiring - DH and DK series can be alternatively supplied with integrated quick connect terminals - DHR and DKR series available for connection with ring type terminals - DHR and DKR switches supplied with large open terminals, allowing for connection without removing the screws
Overview You will learn: how to build an app that displays feature layers in a 3D scene. Applications can access and display feature layers that are hosted on FeatureLayer class can use the URL to access and draw the point, line, or polygon features in a map. If properties such as the renderer or pop-up have not been pre-defined for the hosted feature layer, the map will use default symbols and pop-ups will not be enabled. To learn how to enhance the visualization and behavior of feature layers, visit the Style feature layers, Configure pop-ups, and Filter a feature layer tutorials. In this tutorial, you will add the Trailheads, Trails, and Parks and open spaces hosted feature layers to the map. Explore the feature layers in the 3D scene below. Steps Create a starter app Open the JavaScript Starter App on CodePen. In CodePen, click Fork and save the pen as ArcGIS JavaScript Tutorials: Add layers to a 3D scene. Add a layer to the map In the requirestatement, add a reference to the FeatureLayer module. require([ "esri/Map", "esri/views/SceneView", "esri/layers/FeatureLayer" ], function(Map, SceneView, FeatureLayer) { At the end of the code in the main function, create a new FeatureLayer and set the url property to the Trailheads (points) feature service. Add the feature layer to the Map. // Trailheads point feature layer var featureLayer = new FeatureLayer({ url: "" }); map.add(featureLayer); Run your code to view the map with the trailheads layer. Add the Trails and Parks and Open Space feature layers Add the Trails (lines) and Parks and Open Spaces (polygons) feature layers to the map. Use the URLs below and the addmethod with 0to add the layers to the beginning of the collection so they draw in the correct order: polygons, lines, and then points. // Trails feature layer (lines) var trailsLayer = new FeatureLayer({ url: "" }); map.add(trailsLayer, 0); // Parks and open spaces (polygons) var parksLayer = new FeatureLayer({ url: "" }); map.add(parksLayer, 0); Run your code to view the map. You should see all three layers. NOTE: The Trailheads, Trails, and Parks and Open Spaces feature services do not have styles associated with them, so the feature layers are using default symbols to draw them in the map. To learn how to improve the visualization of the feature layers, try the Configure layers tutorial to apply styles on the server-side and the Style feature layers tutorial to apply styles on the client-side. Congratulations, you're done! Your app should look something like this. Challenge Explore the hosted feature layers Go to each hosted feature service URL endpoint to learn more about the meta data, data and the functions that are supported. Each link will display the layer type, geometry type, extent, drawing information, fields and more. At the bottom of each page look for "Supported Options" and try using the Query functionality to find and return records in each dataset. A FeatureLayer uses these functions behind the scenes to get data and draw it on the map. Learn more about working with feature layers in the Import data and Explore layer data tutorials. Set properties on a feature layer Additional properties can be set on a feature layer to change how it draws and behaves. Set the definitionExpression to only draw trails with less than 250 ft of elevation gain, a renderer to draw the trails in green, and a popupTemplate to show the trail name and the all of the fields in the pop-up. Run the app again and click on trail features. // Trails feature layer (lines) var trailsLayer = new FeatureLayer({ url: "", //* ADD // definitionExpression: "ELEV_GAIN < 250", // ADD // renderer: { type: "simple", symbol: { type: "simple-line", color: "green", width: "2px" } }, // ADD // outFields: ["TRL_NAME","ELEV_GAIN"], // ADD *// popupTemplate: { // Enable a popup title: "{TRL_NAME}", // Show attribute value content: "The trail elevation gain is {ELEV_GAIN} ft." // Display text in pop-up } }); Learn more about working with layers in the Filter a feature layer, Query a feature layer, Style feature layers, and Configure pop-ups tutorials.
Gelotti/Lowry Earn Hall of Fame Distinction; Seven Inducted into Hall of Honor Matt Gelotti came to Southwestern after an illustrious high school career at St. Thomas High School via Creighton University in the fall of 1996 and became one of the most decorated baseball players in the history of the University. Dr. Weldon Crowley was bestowed the honor of reading Gelotti’s citation and introduction, recalling that he never remembered a hitting slump in his four-years at Southwestern and that Gelotti was always good for the big hit needed to seal up a win. And winning games is just what the Pirates did as Southwestern won three SCAC conference championships in the four-years Gelotti competed for Southwestern. In his acceptance speech, Gelotti referenced numerous times the important role his teammates played in his success, including calling pitches from the first base coach’s box. He also reflected on the impact Coach Jim Mallon had on him and could only sum it up in one word, "awesome", while holding back tears.. Dr. Carla Lowry’s legacy has touched many lives and blazed a trail for women like few before her. A standout athlete at Wayland Baptist, Dr. Lowry’s influence began in her playing days on the court as a member of the Flying Queens. Jody Conradt, University of Texas at Austin women’s basketball coaching legend, honored Dr. Lowry in her introduction and reading of the citation. She stated that Dr. Lowry “left the ladder” for her to excel in athletics and coaching as she followed closely behind Dr. Lowry in her professional years after guarding her on the basketball court. Though just an inch taller, Conradt felt as if Lowry was “6’5” out there on the court and really showed me just how much work I needed to do”. Many firsts can be credited to Dr. Lowry including Southwestern’s first female Director of Athletics and Chair of the Department of Kinesiology and taught many the importance of Title IX. She also led Southwestern through the transition. As a. Even more impressive than her resume is Dr. Lowry’s humble demeanor. Even after all the numerous accolades and remarkable stories, Dr. Lowry shared few words about herself in her acceptance speech, instead using the time to thank others that have been so impactful in her life. Prior to the induction of Gelotti and Lowry, Southwestern Associate Director of Athletics and Director of Athletic Training Services Glenn Schwab recognized seven student-athletes who have reached the national level either in the classroom or on the playing field with the Hall of Honor inductions. Those individuals included Amanda Ambrose (softball), Sarah Ayers, (swimming), Lyndsy Maus (softball), Christina Nicholls (volleyball), Lindsay Thompson (volleyball), Taylor Turpin (softball), and Lauren Zearfoss (softball). Immediately following the ceremony the inductees had their picture taken with their plaques on the Hall of Fame/Hall of Honor walls in the Corbin J. Robertson Center. Video of the Hall of Fame and Hall of Honor ceremony will be available on the Southwestern University YouTube page, shortly. Dr. Carla Lowry Induction and Slideshow Matt Gelotti Induction and Slideshow
Alfred Mordecai (1804 - 1887) Some American Jews have left an indelible, if now nearly forgotten, mark on the nations history. Alfred Mordecai was one such individual. He introduced scientific methods into the development of pre-Civil War American military munitions. The outbreak of the Civil War placed Mordecai, a native Southerner, in an untenable moral and emotional dilemma. In 1861, when the U. S. government was in dire need of his expertise, rather than take either side Mordecai retired from the Army and in effect dropped out of subsequent US military history. Alfred Mordecai was raised by Orthodox parents in Warrenton, North Carolina. His father, Jacob, a merchant of middling success, built a reputation as a Biblical scholar. The Mordecai family kept a kosher home and observed the holy days. When a bad investment in the tobacco wiped out the tobacco business, Jacob and his wife Rebecca opened a nonsectarian girls boarding school that established a reputation as one of the best in the South. Young Alfred received his education in the liberal arts as the only boy at his parents boarding school and at home, where he learned Hebrew language and Jewish subjects. Mordecai was particularly brilliant at mathematics and, at age 15, entered the United Sates Military Academy at West Point, the one public institution in the U.S. where a young man could receive a scientific education. As the only Jew then at West Point, Mordecai found it difficult to maintain his religious practice. With the other cadets, Mordecai was forced to attend Presbyterian chapel each Sunday. Kosher food was unavailable. Despite the stresses, Mordecai graduated in 1823, at age 19, at the top of the class. He continued at West Point as an instructor, then supervised construction of fortifications along the Atlantic Coast and was eventually stationed in Washington, D.C., armys." Mordecai instituted scientific testing of munitions and new weapons systems. In 1841, he authored the first-ever ordnance manual for the USais career. He traveled to Europe to observe the use of weaponry in the Crimean War. His report, written on his return, is considered a classic of American military science. Falk asserts that Mordecais." Mordecais military career seemed made, at least until April, 1861, when South Carolina troops fired on the Federal military garrison at Ft. Sumter in Charleston Harbor and Civil War erupted. Mordecai had spent his career his entire adult life in the United States Army. In 1861, his son Alfred, Jr., graduated from West Point and accepted a commission in the Army. At the same time, all of Mordecais siblings lived in the South and sided with the Confederacy. Fighting against them, or even helping to make arms to be used against them, was anathema to Mordecai. He sought a U.S. Army post in California, away from battle. His request denied, Mordecai had no choice and resigned his commission. The Confederacy offered him a post, but he declined. A proud career military man, Mordecai watched the war from the sidelines, teaching mathematics at a private school and living, in effect, on his daughters income. At wars end, Mordecai declined to return to the military and worked as an engineer for the Imperial Mexican Railroad. In 1866, he moved to Philadelphia, where he lived modestly for another 20 years as treasurer and secretary for a canal company until his death in 1887. Today, the United States military possesses the worlds most sophisticated weaponry: laser guided "smart" bombs, shoulder-launched nuclear weapons and bullets that penetrate tank armor. American ordnance is the envy of the world and a source of its military hegemony. The little remembered Alfred Mordecai laid the groundwork for scientific development of ordnance that undergirds Americas current world leadership. Sources: American Jewish Historical Society
A Music Lover’s Reaction To DSD and Blue Coast Records A Music Lover’s Reaction To DSD and Blue Coast Records By Dennis Wade As far back as I can remember I have had a love affair with music. I was fortunate to develop an approach to music that did not limit me to any particular genre, and because of this I quickly discovered artists and songs that ran the range from country to jazz, classical to rock. I have always been of the opinion that music has the power to transform our mental and emotional states easier than anything else, and have personally experienced the ability of music to alter my state of consciousness quicker and more effectively than any mind alerting drug or even a religious experience has ever done. And so as I grew older and became aware of the audiophile world it seemed quite natural for me to seek out the best equipment and recordings in order to experience music played back at its best. Unfortunately, my personal income has for the most part kept me in the lower ranks of what I could afford, with the “ultimate sound” always being kept far out of my reach. I often felt like a penniless child peeking in through the candy shop window at all of the delights within that he knew he could not have. I was constantly being teased and tantalized with reviews in audiophile magazines that spoke of equipment that had the ability to make you feel like the performers were right in the room with you. I tried with what equipment I could afford to achieve this wonder, and found that I could at least touch this, but the true riches always seemed to stay far out of my reach. However, a few months ago all of this changed. No, I did not win a lottery, gain a higher income or come into an inheritance. Rather, I discovered a new format that was just starting to appear in the digital world . . . DSD. For some time now I have been keeping my music in digital files on my computer, mostly because of a lot of moving from place to place, and physical cds and records were much too hard to keep packing up. I quickly recognized the limits in quality of mp3s and strove to keep my music in FLAC and later in 24/96, using ausbdac and headphones. This was much easier for someone who was a constant mover, and with the right dac and headphones, music could be a very moving experience. My criteria for music equipment has always been that the sound must be able to involve me emotionally. I have had the experience of listening to expensive equipment at audio trade shows that was very clear and even presented an amazing soundstage, but failed to make me feel like I just wanted to keep listening. I began to encounter references to DSD recordings and how they sounded more like analog than most digital recordings did, and my curiosity was stirred. Eventually I landed on the website of Blue Coast Records and began to listen to the samples that they offered from their albums. Now, these samples may have been recorded in DSD, but they were not being played back in that resolution from the website. However, even at the lower resolutions I immediately recognized the quality of the recordings, and was drawn into the performances in a way that only a handful of my extensive personal music library had allowed me to experience. I was hooked! I immediately bought a new dac online that could play DSD and bought a couple of albums. When I played the recordings back in their native DSD, it felt like the owner of that candy shop I had spent so much time wishing I could get into had thrown the door wide open for me and had given me permission to choose whatever I wanted! Right away I noticed how much more engaging the music was. It didn’t feel like a reproduction. Instead, it felt alive, and I could sense the presence of the performers so much more than before. I have attempted to find words to express what I kept experiencing, and the best analogy I can come up with is that it is the difference between 2D and 3D. I feel like I step into the music more, and get a strong sense of being in the actual room where the performance happened. Now, I’m not a technician, nor am I familiar with all of the terms that audiophiles use to describe the qualities of their gear or recordings. But I do know when I am being emotionally involved with music, and I can honestly say that that only analog and high digital resolutions have this ability to draw me in in this way. Yes, it also depends upon the quality of your audio gear to be able to faithfully pass this involvement unto the listener, but it has to be in the recording to begin with. And we now live in a golden era of audio where more and more equipment at a lower price range has the ability to do this. Right now, because I move a lot, my personal equipment consists of my laptop with my music files, a good usbdac that can play DSD and lower resolutions, Sennheiser HD650 headphones and a tube headphone amp, and I can honestly say that these DSD recordings draw me into the music in a way that I have ever rarely experienced before, with the exception of a good live performance. And all of this occurs at a financial range of less than $2000 for the equipment! Would it sound better when played back on $20,000 amps and $30,000 speakers? Undoubtedly it would, and if I ever win the lottery I will let you know! But the thing that amazes me over and over again with these recordings is that I am experiencing my music with a higher level of involvement than I was able to achieve up to this point, even with my very modest dollar investment! So, what have I learned from all of this? Well, there has been an audiophile saying that has come up consistently over the years that it all begins with the source. For the most part, I always took this to mean whether you chose analog or digital, or the equipment you chose to play the recording back on, such as which turntable or cd player you used. But now, my experience with DSD and Blue Coast Records has given me a new definition of what is meant by “source”. To me, “source” now consists of a few essentials: it begins with the performer. You need to be recording someone who has the talent and the ability to emotionally involve you within the performance. Then, you need someone who knows how to record well. And in most cases, I would say that this means someone who knows how to record live performances where the musicians are playing together and listening to each other naturally, without headphones. Most studio recordings seem to miss this. And finally, you need to be recording in a format that has the ability to capture all of this and play it back in a way that can pass this unto the listener. When you have all of these, then you can produce musical magic! And Blue Coast Records does this in spades! I have yet to hear an album from them that doesn’t immediately grab my attention and draw me in! My hat is off to them, and I am so thankful for their hard work and passion for music that makes this all possible. One last note, before I close: there is something else I have found about DSD. I was fortunate to purchase a dac that uses computer software to up-sample all of my formats to DSD and by consistent comparing of song after song I have found that I like having my music up-sampled regardless of the resolution it was recorded at. Now I know that this is a personal thing and that many others prefer to listen to the music played back at the same resolution that it was recorded in. But this has not been my experience. Whenever I compare the same music played at different resolutions I immediately experience a greater sense of openness and 3D effect at DSD, so much so that I now pretty well play all of my music in DSD regardless of its original resolution. This leads me to say to you, the reader, that if you have been hesitant about moving up to DSD, please go out and sample it like I did. It may well help you to experience your music in a more involving way than before. I know it sure has for me! END........................................... For more information on Blue Coast Records visit the website at: http:bluecoastrecords.com
New Hanover Prep Reaching Out In a self-centered world, we need to learn to teach children to care and reach out to others. We can start by fostering empathy in our children. To develop empathy at New Hanover Prep School we try to encourage our children to become aware of others’ feelings and to see situations from alternate points of view. We do this by trying to make a difference in our local community, visiting old age homes and schools in the area. Our community outreach programmes and events not only build goodwill but this time we also gained a chance to promote the benefits of physical activity by having a fitness focus. We invited our neighbouring school, Fortmann Spruit, for a fun-filled day where we played a variety of games and physical activities. We then enjoyed ice lollies and doughnuts together and ended off the morning playing soccer. There was a great sense of comradeship and many new friendships were developed.
Written Response on Animal Farm Animal farm, known as one of the great anti-totalitarian novel during the World War II by George Orwell, successfully conveys his criticism upon Communism. George Orwell was the pen name of an English writer, Eric Blair. His first book, Down and Out in Paris and London, was published under his pseudonym in 1933; largely autobiographical in nature, it told about living among the poor. Since the book was not a financial success, he supplemented his writing income by teaching school. His next two published books were novels. Burmese Days, published in 1934, was based upon his experiences in Burma, and A Clergyman's Daughter, published in 1935, was based upon his teaching experience. By 1935, Orwell had essentially become a political writer and novelist and was largely able to earn a living from his literary efforts. A novel, 1984 attacks the idea of totalitarian communism by painting a terrifying picture of a world in which personal freedom is nonexistent. Animal Farm deals with similar themes but in shorter and somewhat simpler format. He uses animals on an English farm to tell the history of Soviet communism. Certain animals are based directly on Communist Party leaders: the pigs Napoleon and Snowball, for example, are figurations of Joseph Stalin and Leon Trotsky, respectively. The novel is set in Herefordshire, where Orwell lived, wrote, tended his garden, and kept poultry. Though the setting is the South of England, it is not stressed in the story, but serves only as a background. The farm lends a perfect rural, pastoral, and nostalgic backdrop for Old Major's dream. The novel starts with a description of Mr. Jones. The owner of Manor Farm, has not been a very responsible farmer. Of late, he has taken to drinking and tends to neglect his...
- . Greta Quotables- Igniting Minds, Inspiring Action The 24th of May 2019 might be remembered as one of those historical days, when an estimated 1.8 million young people in 2350 cities marched for climate action in 125 countries. Certainly, the 16-year old who inspired each of these youngsters must rank among the greatest influencers in human history. Greta Thunberg’s nomination for the Nobel peace prize, whether she wins or not at her tender age, is a harbinger of hope for the environmental movement and for the Earth. Surely, it can’t be long before our leaders are forced to take decisive action and save our planet from cataclysmic collapse. The unprecedented weekly mobilization of students started as the intrepid girl’s silent protest outside the Swedish Parliament. In less than a year since she started her school strike, the Swedish teenager has emerged as the articulate voice of the youth of the world, demanding action. The ‘School Strikes 4 Climate’ and ‘Fridays for Future’ are now global movements that governments cannot ignore. Greta has walked the course on climate change and her actions have been complimented by erudite words of wisdom and vision. At the World Economic Summit in Davos, Greta was hailed for telling the global elite to their face, “.” That was not the only time she was blunt; the big and the powerful left speechless by a small girl is a rallying factor, alongside the fear of extinction, for her success in galvanizing the youth of the world. The best way to understand her mission, and indeed, the anxiety of her generation, is to read and re-read her speeches. This compilation of her ‘Quotables’ will engage people of all ages for a long time to come. “…Everyone keeps saying that climate change is an existential threat and the most important issue of all, and yet they just carry on as before. I don’t understand that. Because if the emissions have to stop, then we must stop the emissions. To me that is black or white. There are no grey areas when it comes to survival. Either we go on as a civilization or we don’t. We have to change.” “Some people say that we are not doing enough to fight climate change. But that is not true. Because to ‘not do enough’ you have to do something. And the truth is we are basically not doing anything.” .” “For 25 years countless of people have stood in front of the United Nations climate conferences, asking our nation’s leaders to stop the emissions. But, clearly, this has not worked since the emissions just continue to rise..” “You only talk about moving forward with the same bad ideas that got us into this mess” “We cannot solve a crisis without treating it as a crisis.” “Instead of looking for hope, look for action. Then, and only then, hope will come. We can’t save the world by playing by the rules, because the rules have to be changed. Everything needs to change, and it has to start today.” “You say you love your children above all else and yet, you’re stealing their future in front of their very eyes.” “We must hold the older generations accountable for the mess they have created…and say to them you cannot continue risking our future like this.” “The climate crisis has already been solved, we already have all the facts and solutions, what we have to do is wake up and change.” “In a way, it’s the most complicated issue that exists and it will require an incredible amount to stop it. But the solution is still so easy that a 5-year-old can understand it. We must stop the emissions. It’s black and white.” “We do need hope. Of course, we do. But the one thing we need more than hope is action. Once we start to act, hope is everywhere.” “The politics needed to meet the Paris agreement does not exist anywhere today. Not one single political party to my knowledge is even close to approaching the solutions required for the IPCC 1,5. But that is about to change. We, the people, have started new movements. Join in!” “I ask you to stand on the right side of history. I ask you to pledge to do everything in your power to push your own business or government in line with a 1.5C world.” “.” While accepting a special German Golden Camera award, one of the most recognized media awards at Berlin few weeks back, she came up with another of her eminently ‘quotable’ lines, which defines the emergence and importance of her leadership, “We live in a strange world, where children must sacrifice their education in order to protest against the destruction of their future.” Rituraj Phukan
\| This week, the 17th season of the National Choreographer’s Initiative (NCI) was scheduled to convene on the UC Irvine campus. Alas, like many other things this year, it has been canceled. Artistic director Molly Lynch recalls the first year of NCI when she thought, “Well, we’ll give this a try and see if this sticks.” Seventeen years, 56 choreographers and over 100 dancers later, it’s safe to say that the annual choreographic workshop has demonstrated its staying power. But before there was NCI, there was the Pacifica Choreographic Project under Ballet Pacifica. Lynch brought that program to life in 1991 with the intention of fostering the development of new choreography within the ballet vocabulary. When the Irvine-based company closed, supporters urged Lynch to continue the project independently. “Our community, our dance audience, gets the exclusive opportunity to see choreographers, in the mid to early part of their career, right here,” said Lynch. She feels NCI fills a role that is not met by the other major performing arts centers in Orange County. “NCI is about providing a space for new, up-and-coming choreographers,” said Lynch. “We’re able to bring new dance voices to Orange County.” Each year, four choreographers are chosen to workshop new material on UC Irvine’s campus where Lynch is a professor and chair of the department of dance. With dancers and studio space freely given, and the pressures of deadlines and commissions removed, the choreographers are given ample opportunity to create. Photo courtesy of NCI Brett Sjoblom and Julia Eisen, both with Nashville Ballet, perform “Arnalds Studies” by choreographer Alan Hineline at the 2019 National Choreographer’s Initiative. “It’s such a breath of fresh air to have time to experiment and explore,” said Eva Stone, a choreographer based in Seattle who was scheduled to participate in NCI this July. “It is terrifying and exciting, all at once, but what a brilliant idea to give artists who are seasoned and driven, but don’t have the luxury of exposure, a chance. It is such a gift.” Stone and the other choreographers selected for the 2020 season will not be participating this summer due to the coronavirus pandemic. Their invitation to participate in the workshop will be honored next year in July 2021. On March 13th, when the coronavirus pandemic was declared a national emergency, Lynch knew she needed to start making some decisions. “We held on as long as we could, but we were tied to UC Irvine for housing and studio space and to the Irvine Barclay Theatre for the performance. I had to take cues from these partners and for a while we were all just waiting,” said Lynch. With dancers housed two to a room, and many people expected to fly in from other parts of the country, the odds were not in Lynch’s favor. “The thought crossed my mind to go virtual, but the choreographic process is such an in-person event. It felt like forcing something just to have something,” said Lynch. Though the world transitioned to online operations fairly quickly, it was not without its logistical challenges, especially for dance. Pirouettes on carpet and jetés in the kitchen are mostly unsuccessful. “In the case of us dance makers, artists, performers, as well as all those on the technical spectrum working in the theater, the rug has just been pulled out from under our feet,” said another soon-to-be NCI choreographer Kate Skarpetowska. “Aside from losing our livelihoods, we lost the ability to engage with others, which is a vital part of our creative processes. In our work, we depend on collaboration with others, we thrive in situations where we can be physically together. Ours is not an insular art form.” With the decision made and choreographers called, Lynch now says she is in a holding pattern until next year. The advantage, for her, is that NCI is project-based, and while the disappointment of canceling is great, there is no staff to keep on salary and no rent due on a permanent facility. In lieu of the 2020 event, NCI has spent the month of July sharing a retrospective of the past 16 years. The blasts from the past start can be found on NCI’s Facebook, Instagram and YouTube accounts with videos and photos dating back to 2004. The three-week event will reconvene next year, on July 24, 2021. “Having NCI to look forward to has given me permission to dream and play, and a solidified return to choreography and the United States,” said choreographer Mari Meade, who recently moved to France. “It has been an anchor in a time of unknowns. I haven’t started to choreograph yet, but I know the weight of these times, the pandemic, the leadership, and important movements like Black Lives Matter, will affect how I come back into the studio … In a time of waiting and waiting and waiting … I can’t wait for next summer!” Lynch, too, has high hopes for the anticipated return to the studios. Much like the success of NCI, which was born out of the closing of a revered local ballet company, she feels good will come from this difficult time. Said Lynch, “I get the sense that people are feeling the need for art. People get a little complacent for it in the good times. And I know there will be some devastation, but it may open doors for other organizations to start.” Even through the current crisis, hallmarks of National Choreographer’s Initiative — creativity and reimagination — remain key. It’s about looking for new opportunities, not rushing to put everything back together exactly as it was before. Kaitlin Wright is a contributing writer for Arts & Culture at Voice of OC. She can be reached at [email protected].
GCP is a space for creation, discussion and a meeting place for artists where the intersection point is the interest on transdisciplinary practices as a methodology of research. We conduct thinking laboratories where various disciplines converge, in our aim to flourish as a knowledge exchange network, with the purpose of generating a dynamic of appropriation with various technical and practical resources for the sake of the arts. Please get in contact with us if you need further information regarding our projects and artists. Send
William David Kernan Professional Background Educational Background Ed.D., Health Education, Columbia University Teachers College M.S., Health Education, Columbia University Teachers College M.P.A., Public Health Administration, Marist College B.A., Biology and English Literature, State University of New York, Potsdam CHES, Certified Health Education Specialist Scholarly Interests Selected Publications 2009 1. Kernan, W.D., & Lepore, S.J. (2009) Searching for and making meaning after breast cancer: Prevalence, patterns, and negative affect. Social Science & Medicine, (in press). 2008 2. Kernan, W.D., Wheat, M.W., & Lerner, B.A. (2008). Linking learning and health: A pilot study of medical students' perceptions of the academic impact of various health issues. Academic Psychiatry, 32(1), 61-64. 3. Kernan, W.D. & Wheat, M.W. (2008). Nursing students' perceptions of the academic impact of various health issues. Nurse Educator, 33(5), 215-219. 4. Kernan, W.D. & Lepore, S.J. (2008). Searching for and making meaning after breast cancer; Prevalence, patterns, and negative affect. Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 35(1s); 1-232. 5. Lepore, S.J. & Kernan, W.D. (2008). Positive outcomes in the context of serious illness: An expanded social-cognitive processing model. In Medical Illness and Positive Life Change – Can Crisis Lead to Personal Transformation?; Park C., Lechner, S., Stanton, A, & Antoni, M, Eds. American Psychological Association. 2006 1. Graham, M.J., Kernan, W.D., Wright, L., & Drusin, R. (2006). Regulatory focus effects on medical students’ study strategies within an honors-pass-fail grading system: A longitudinal study. New Investigators Session, Division 1 (Professional Education). Annual Conference of the American Education Research Association: custom course list HBSS 4120: Topics in health education Review and synthesis of current knowledge on a selected topic related to health, such as teenage suicide, child abuse, violence, teenage pregnancy, and mental health. HBSS 4141: Health and illness in cross-cultural perspective Examination of the role of healing and medicine, both historically, and cross-culturally and of the utility of considering cultural practices and beliefs when designing health education programs. HBSS 5000: Health promotion in higher education This course will explore the complex issues and challenges facing those working to enhance the quality of student health and student learning at college and universities. HBSS 5.
Service in Davie Village Customer service satisfaction is important and will be a given in any service-oriented company. Satisfying a customer with quality service ensures that the plumbing company who provided the service will be hired to work on a future project for that customer. Word of mouth advertising and stories from happy clients are the most effective tools for a business to accumulate more customers and clients. Naturally, when you receive exceptional service from an organization, you eventually recommend them to someone else like an acquaintance or perhaps a relative. This principle is applicable whenever you hire the likes of any plumbing company to put in all the plumbing needs of a building or house. Remember, plumbing systems are not limited to basic plumbing fixtures or the installation of pipes. It includes water heating appliances, the whole kitchen and bathroom installations, which includes the sink as well as the shower and tub. Other areas that a plumbing service must offer includes cleaning plugged pipes, fixing waste disposal units and fixing broken pipes. Many plumbing companies include gas and heating maintenance plus equipment installation as a part of their services. Every aspect of a plumbing service is important as you enjoy the comfort of your home. The Benefit of Recurring Business When good work is provided, the recipient is pleased. In most cases, this person will talk to a friend about the quality of service they had, thereby perpetuating word of mouth advertising, which is the most beneficial lead any business will get. This having been the case, any plumbing service who values their reputation and have a yearning to serve the community for a long time will be consistent with the quality of their work. State Plumbing Code and Regulations Plumbing contractors and what they offer are bound to different regulations specific to the place where it is located. This ensures service quality and safety from contractors or individuals who perform these services . The industry needs to be regulated to assure the government that only licensed plumbing contractors operate in the area. Whenever you want to hire a plumber, search online for testimonials on local companies and try to determine if they are the right fit for your needs. Many people believe they can fix their plumbing problems. However, they should remember they are governed by the identical regulations and laws that adheres plumbers. When you are trying to do it yourself, you might be putting yourself, your family and the entire building into more danger than when you hire an expert perform the work for you. Therefore, hire a pro to do the work. Saving a little money on licensed service may not be beneficial when you risk trying to do something you are not skilled services we are the logical choice. Recommended by your friends and neighbors as their go-to 24 hour emergency
Hey everyone, now that I am done with all my exams, I can finally come out of my cave again and share some amazing stuff with you. I was recently awarded the Blogger Recognition Award and the Liebster Award. I feel incredibly honoured and would like to thank Mind and Love () and Charli Dee’s Blog () for reading my blog and supporting me so much. I would like everyone to check out their blogs as well, they post great content and you really would miss out on some amazing stuff, so give it a try! For today I decided to start with the Blogger Recognition Award, so here are the basic rules, for everyone, who does not know how exactly it works: - Thank the person who nominated you and give a link to their blog, so your readers can check out their posts - Write a post about the award and upload it on your blog (to display that you already received it and to remind yourself what you already achieved of course😊) - Describe how you started your blog - Give some advice to new bloggers (preferably two pieces) - Nominate 15 other bloggers that you deem worthy of this award - Notify your nominees and provide them with a link to your blog post How everything started I only have been blogging since the end of January, so I remember very well how I started my blog, but it isn’t that much of a story actually. I can recall that one Saturday I was quite bored (something that barely happens to me) and did not really know what to do with myself. I started wondering what I could do and got really inspired when I watched a video about writing blogs. I don’t know how I got there, but I immediately wanted to start one as well. I was not sure about which topic my blog should be dedicated to, so I decided to sleep over my idea for a night, because I also did not want to rush anything. However, the very same evening, I came to talk to my mom about the book, I was planning to write one day and she suggested that I already get some practice, because one cannot just write a book from nothing. She came up with the idea of starting a blog and I really had to pull myself together to not start laughing. I decided that I would set up the blog the next day when I had decided on something that I enjoyed writing about (I mean, there is literally so much). I figured that there was one topic that seemed to be in need of recognition: Mental Health. Nevertheless, I did not want to restrict myself to that. I also wanted to write about everything else that I felt was underrepresented or worthy of more attention. The name “Home of Understanding” comes from the notion that everyone is okay as they are and that they will be understood (whether it is on this blog or somewhere else, there will be someone who feels similar like you do). I would like to create a safe space for everyone that feels misunderstood or just needs company and assurance. I am looking forward to the journey I am going to make on this blog together with you and the people that may join in the future. So, I think that’s it for the beginning, I guess I wrote more than usually would be necessary, but I just enjoy sharing my story, so there you go :,D. Two pieces of advice I don’t know how useful this will be, since I would not consider myself really experienced yet, but I guess that I can point out a few things you should pay attention to. First of all, don’t expect too much too quickly. Writing a blog is nothing that you do once and that will turn you successful. It is a slow process of transformation and development, also of yourself. Growing your readers will take a long time and you need to be patient. If you are only in it for money, it won’t work out. This is something you need to do with your heart and soul and that needs a lot of dedication in order to blossom. Secondly, I would advice you on believing in yourself. Of course, this is very useful in general, but it is especially important that you don’t get discouraged when you don’t get the return or responses you wished for. I always try to put it this way: Do the writing for yourself. It is great when someone else reads it, but if not, at least you created value for yourself that you can always refer back to. Also, writing itself can be really therapeutic as well and often helps me when I am in a bad mood or not feeling very well. Therefore, keep going and do what you love, no matter what, you are amazing! And here come my nominees: - Fluxing Well – - Norma Linnet – - Becca’s Love for Life – - Ingredients of Living – - The Tinker Bug – - Pages, Places & Plates – - The Patchwork Fox – - Being and Niceness – - W.D. Herstun – - Treat yo Brain – - The Infinite Project – Mallory’s fight – - Of a Glasgowgirl – - Casestreetx – - I Wish I Was A Lifestyle Blogger – - Same Gal, Different Day – Check all their blogs out and give them your support, they are amazing people and deserve all the attention! 8 thoughts on “Blogger Recognition Award” wedding memory box ideas So well deserved! You have such a wonderful blog! Thank you very much. I am happy to hear that LikeLiked by 1 person Congratulations Nadine and all the nominees. Roger Mind and Love Thanks again 🙂 LikeLiked by 1 person Thank you so much for nominating me! Those are two pieces of very solid advice. Looking forward to writing this up myself! You have got an amazing blog, so you definitely deserve this! I am looking forward to reading your post 🙂
The.” According to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, eight of the 10 richest people in the world are from the U.S. Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos lost nearly $9 billion in wealth in 2019, according to Bloomberg, but he will still likely end the year as the richest man in the world with a total net worth of $116 billion. The analysis comes as 2020 Democratic presidential candidates, particularly Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), have made tackling inequality a key component of their policy platforms. Warren has proposed an annual two percent tax on assets over $50 million and a three percent tax on assets above $1 billion. Sanders, who has said he does not believe billionaires should exist, is calling for a wealth tax that would slash the fortunes of U.S. billionaires in half over 15 years, according to his campaign. “A small handful of billionaires should not be able to accumulate more money than they could spend in 10 lifetimes,” Sanders said in September, “while millions of Americans are living in poverty and dying because they can’t afford healthcare.”
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Identify questionable practices in online auctionsFeb 16, 2018, 16:58 PM byIf considering bidding online, read service terms carefully (and check them again periodically). Identify favorite sellers, ignoring others with questionable practices and patronizing ones with decent practices.I have been bidding on the internet portal Proxibid for more than seven years, but increasingly have noticed fewer decent auctions there with good potential buys. How do I define “decent”? A buyer’s fee of 15 percent or less, with no opening bids, desirable consignments and reasonable shipping. I can tolerate buyer’s fees approaching 18 percent. Anything over that must be accompanied by sharp coin photography, great customer service, alluring consignments and inexpensive shipping. I still recommend Proxibid for buyers without extensive numismatic knowledge because of its excellent customer service department and Unified User Agreement that holds buyer and seller alike accountable. I used to bid on a dozen or more Proxibid auctions per month. Now I patronize only a handful. My motive is to find raw coins and holder and consign them, sharing what I learn with you. I break even most of the time, bidding in Weaver Coin and Currency Auctions, Silver City, Rolling M, Capitol Coin, McKee Coins, Hampton House, Blue Diamond and a few occasional others. Of the 100 or so hosted sessions at Proxibid, several by the same company at any given time, I am seeing these questionable practices: - · Auctioneer or employee bidding. - · Auctioneers seeing maximum bids. - · High shipping and handling fees. - · Lots listed with retail opening bids. - · Poor numismatic photography. - · Buyer's fees above 20 percent. I do not bid in auctions that allow the auctioneer or employee, seller or agent to place bids. Thankfully, Proxibid requires them to post a notice, assuming you read the terms of service. I also do not bid anymore on auctions that see maximum bids. That’s just not fair nor in the spirit of an auction. Again, Proxibid also requires a notice be posted about that practice in a company’s terms of service. And then there is shipping. One auction company that schedules several sessions per month on Proxibid charges a minimum of about $60 per coin shipment. Another company charges a high handling fee of $12.95 per item with a 19.75 percent buyer’s premium. Even one of my previous favorite sellers has increased his buyer’s premium to 21 percent; I can understand that if his margins are too low and Proxibid fees too high (in his opinion). But now he also typically opens each lot at wholesale “Coin Dealer Newsletter Greysheet” values. With buyer’s fees added on, totals reach retail values. If you’re charging high premiums, open lots at zero or $1. And then there are several sellers that charge 15 percent buyer’s fee with no opening bids and reasonable shipping. But you waste time bidding on their lots, only to see they were sold “onsite.” If so, those buyers must also be consignors because those very lots later appear in auction by the same company. I’ll do a future post on “no-reserve auctions that aren’t.” The lesson here is to read service terms carefully (and check them again periodically) and identify favorite sellers on Proxibid, ignoring others with questionable practices and patronizing ones with decent practices. 1922 Peace dollar in MS-66 sells for almost $9KFeb 5, 2018, 15:58 PM byFor some reason, 1922 Peace dollars tone — and sell — well. On Jan. 25, 2018, this 1922 Peace Dollar with rainbow toning sold with an $8,812.50 bid, more than $8,400 above its $400 retail price, according to PCGS. Peace dollars do not tone the way Morgan dollars do, in fantastic rainbow and circus colors. So any Peace dollar that contains rainbow toning, like the one that sold for almost $9,000 at Legend’s Regency Auction XXV, is sure to attract bids. Before the auction, Legend estimated the value at $750 to $850, writing: “You have likely NEVER seen a Peace dollar of any date toned like this! At the top of the obverse a narrow band of rainbow iridescence then blends to wider bands of violet, gold and light blue. The luster is about as brilliant as can be expected for a 22 Peace and the strike sharp and complete throughout. …” Impurities in silver can trigger patina. Some 270 million Morgan dollars were melted according to tenets of the 1918 Pittman Act, with about 11 million melted silver dollars used to generate U.S. coinage, including Peace dollars. Perhaps that mixture had something to do with general lack of toning in the 1921 to 1935 series. But as an observer of online auctions, I can tell you that, for the Peace dollar, the issue most likely to tone well is from 1922. I have seen several, though not as spectacular as the Legend coin. I even own a toned MS-65 1922 example, which you can view here. You can usually find toned Peace dollars in online estate sales, especially if those coins were kept in albums. I just won two 1922 coins and one 1923 in such an auction for less than $200, and PCGS just slabbed them at MS-63 and MS-64. Though not as lovely as the Legend specimen or my gem 1922 coin, these surely will bring a premium when I consign them in auction, especially since they will have TrueView imaging — a good investment if you keep your coins in a bank box like I do. Photoshopping whizzed coinsJan 25, 2018, 16:34 PM byPoor numismatic photography or alteration of photos remains an online bidding risk, as this whizzed 1880-O Morgan dollar, photoshopped and offered as Uncirculated, demonstrates. Once a potential condition rarity, its surfaces were "improved," degrading any value to that of its silver content alone.Someone with too much time on their hands or with little numismatic knowledge decided to insert a brush into a drill and “whizz” an Almost Uncirculated coin to make it look Mint State. Take a close look at the photo on the left. It’s difficult to tell that this coin was doctored. The fields look clean and there is ample luster. Now compare it to the photo on the right, and you can see the effects of dipping (or chemical alteration) combined with whizzing. I can verify that this coin was doctored in such fashion because I was the unlucky buyer. I paid less than $60 for the coin, but in my opinion, its value is silver melt. This is yet another example of how risky it is to bid online, unless you know what you are doing, and even then, as with this example, there is a steep downside. If I had seen this coin at a show, or shop, I would not have given it a second glance and would have told the seller to mark it as doctored. But you cannot do that in online auctions. All sales are final, no matter what the seller says about the coin. In this case, the seller—an estate auctioneer—was courteous enough to call me at home after I informed him that the coin had been whizzed. He explained that he could not verify grades but would take back the coin anyway, if I wanted, as I was a first-time buyer on his site. I explained that I knew the auction rules and would not return the coin, primarily because it probably would be re-introduced as Uncirculated, only to go to another disappointed hobbyist. As for the numismatics of the topic, the 1880-O Morgan is allusive in Mint State. It has a mintage of 5,305,000 and is a condition rarity: prices at MS-63 are in the $400s but at MS-64, more than $1,400. There are bargains out there on this date and mint, but obviously, mine wasn’t one. Grading key to big online winsJan 19, 2018, 15:02 PM byAny serious Morgan aficionado knows not only that the 1889-O is a condition rarity in high Mint State but also must know how to grade, to determine what the coin in high Mint State grades looks like. In October 2017, I reported in this post on an uncertified 1889-O Morgan dollar I won with a $330 realized bid on the portal Proxibid. With only a tenth of the 11,875,000 examples of the coin struck that year surviving today, few such coins are preserved in the relatively high Mint State that this particular coin appeared to be in. I predicted that this coin would grade as Mint State 64 or MS-65. As you can see from the PCGS certification number, the dollar graded MS-64+, making it worth $1,250 retail. In Uncirculated grades, prices go up dramatically, from about $300 in MS-62 to more than $4,000 in MS-65. The coin fell short of gem condition because of a typical weak strike and a faint scuff mark on the obverse at about 10 o’clock. The reverse is an easy MS-65, but PCGS pays more attention to the obverse in Morgan dollars, so a clean field was necessary for the premium grade. To score big in online auctions, you have to know grading standards, not only for specific coins, but also grading criteria of your preferred holdering company. PCGS, for example, defines MS-64 or Proof 64 as suitable for a coin with an “average or better strike with scattered marks or hairlines, though none severe,” while coins earning an MS- or PR-65 grade will have “above average strike with minor marks or hairlines, mostly out of focal areas.” My scuff was in a focal area, explaining the 64+. You also should know that big wins such as this happen infrequently. In the whole of last year, with my bidding on hundreds of coins (mostly failing to win, as I never bid above current auction prices, available on PCGS CoinFacts), I can claim only a dozen or so such numismatic prizes. Those were offset by bad bets on coins, typically caused by poor photography by sellers. It goes without saying that the best way to ascertain condition is to hold the coin, in person, by the rim in good lighting at a coin shop or show. Thus, bid wisely! The $50-bid ruleJan 10, 2018, 16:54 PM byRules may be "made to be broken," but sometimes breaking one reminds you just why you made the rule in the first place. Hopefully you don't lose too much in the process.Recently I violated my $50-bid rule, which cautions against placing a bid in an online auction on any coin worth less than that minimum amount. Essentially, the rule eliminates most common-date Uncirculated Peace dollars and lowball Morgan dollars, and a host of other denominations, especially cents. Here’s the reasoning behind the rule: If you win one item, you’re going to pay fees to receive it, including buyer’s premium and shipping. Some auctions require as much as $25 minimum to ship, and a few even more than that, charging for their “labor” and packing materials, even though the materials they use are free via the U.S. Postal Service. So if the lot is worth $25, and you win it, you’re going to pay double what you could for the same coin if you purchased it for its retail price at a local or online coin shop. Every now and then, though, I am tempted to break that rule. I did that this month with a modest $20 bid in a Hibid.com auction, winning the 1903 Indian Head cent depicted above. I bid on this along with several other high-priced lots, losing the latter and winning only this one coin. I broke my rule because the description read “toned coin,” with the photo showing what looked like magenta hues. The photo wasn’t great, but I have seen that toning on Uncirculated cents before when they have been kept in envelopes, so I thought the risk was worth breaking the rule. It wasn’t. The coin is cleaned and Almost Uncirculated, not Mint State, and the toning is dull. The lot is worth about $3 (if that). Thankfully, the auctioneer only charged $3 for mailing. I know some auctioneers that would have charged a much larger amount. Still, my loss was more than $20 — my bid plus fees. Rules are meant for breaking. That is true. When you create a rule, you do so because you have learned from experience about bad buys. When you break that rule, you’re reminded why you created it in the first place. It’s all about continuing numismatic education! Another swapped-out Tidy House Peace dollarDec 21, 2017, 13:56 PM byThis 1923-D Peace dollar was offered recently in an online auction, displayed in packaging that identifies the former occupant as a Morgan dollar. See enlarged text in next image. Last year I blogged here about a toned Peace dollar in a Tidy House cardboard holder and cautioned viewers to be careful about swapped-out coins, in this case, replacing a Morgan dollar. The Tidy House advertising states: "DID YOU KNOW ... that your uncirculated SILVER DOLLAR is the famous "MORGAN" SILVER DOLLAR, named for its designer George T. Morgan?" As you can see, the coin being auctioned in the Tidy House holder above is a 1923-D Peace dollar, which was not designed by Morgan but by Anthony de Francisci. Peace dollars do not tone well, when they do tone at all. Tidy House Morgan dollars, in their original packaging, interact with those cardboard holders, causing many to tone in spectacular colors. Most of these dollars are common-date 1880s coins, often from the New Orleans mint. In the 1960s, Tidy House got its coins from U.S. Mint, purchasing $1,000 Morgan dollar bags at cost for an advertising premium. Tidy House also had promotions for the 1964 Kennedy half dollar, and those also tone well. Unethical sellers take out those toned halves, too, and replace them with untoned or damaged ones for resale. Why would someone tamper with a Tidy House coin package? The motive may be money. They can take out the colorful Morgan and replace it with an artificially or questionably toned Peace dollar. They keep or sell the toned Morgan and count on hobbyists being willing to pay high prices for a potentially rainbow-toned Peace dollar, because they are so scarce. Coin World often covers toned Peace dollars that sell above their condition value, as when a 1926 toned example at MS-65 sold for $1,292.50 at a Stack’s Bowers Galleries’ 2015 Baltimore Expo auction. When I wrote about swapped-out Tidy House coins in 2016, the example I featured was also a 1926 Peace dollar. This time it is a 1923-D example. To be fair, I do not know if the Peace dollar depicted above is artificially toned. But it’s questionable. On the bright side, perhaps a collector took out the Morgan and replaced it with a Peace dollar and the cardboard genuinely interacted with it over a number of years. Someone will take the bait, I’m sure. I’m also sure that I won’t bid on it. Slabbing and consigning Littleton setsDec 8, 2017, 16:08 PM byDepicted at top is an image of a coin, now graded, from the Littleton set presented below, showcasing rainbow toning. The graded coin is the coin at left in the set.Last month I wrote about “Swapped Out Littleton New Orleans Morgan Sets,” noting how desirable original sets are, primarily because of the toning that typically occurs when the silver interacts with the velvet casing. In that column I cautioned online buyers to make sure that the coins were toned and Uncirculated, because unscrupulous collectors take out the toned coins, replacing them with inferior circulated ones dated 1883-O, 1884-O and 1885-O. I provided a photo of such a tampered set. You can purchase original sets from the Littleton company for $345, but you also can find good buys in Internet auctions. The photo above shows an original set on the bottom and a recently holdered coin from that set, graded Mint State 63 by PCGS. I won the set with a $140 bid, or $165 with shipping and buyer’s premium. The coins were beautifully toned. All three graded a very conservative MS-63, although the 1883-O depicted in the photo here looks MS-64+ or even MS-65, in my view. I was disappointed in the PCGS grades. It looked like a quick job without much deliberation, which sometimes happens. Clearly, the 1883-O was much finer with fewer marks than the 1884-O and 1885-O. In retrospect, I should have cracked it out and resubmitted. But I wanted to get the coins to market. If you think that is the opinion of a hobbyist, the market decided who was right, PCGS grades notwithstanding. Consigned to eBay, the 1883-O coin sold for $100, the 1884-O for $67.85, and the 1885-O for $77. It could have been a bigger payday if the grades were MS-64, but you have to take into account slabbing fees. So in the end, my $160 Littleton set, with holdering and mailing fees added, came to about $200. After paying my eBay consignment fees, my net profit was a meager $15. But at least several hobbyists got great coins at bargain online prices. Ignoring some online auctionsNov 30, 2017, 16:49 PM byRead terms of service before bidding, or pay the piper (auctioneer). Dozens of coin auctions are available each week on Proxibid, HiBid.com, eBay and other portals, which I visit almost every day, to see the selections available via Internet. But I routinely ignore several of those auctions. For example, seldom, if ever, will I patronize auctions on Proxibid that warn with these disclaimers:. You never know if the auctioneer is running up a bid primarily because he sees your maximum and is allowed to shill bid. At least Proxibid tells you that in the terms of service for each seller. HiBid.com does not. That’s a risk you take if patronizing online auctions on that portal. I routinely question auctioneers about what they see and do during online sessions. They don’t like that. But that’s too bad. And I rarely bid aggressively on online auctions that charge a 20 percent buyer’s premium. These auctioneers will never learn. Consider the math: 15 percent of $1,000 is $150; 20 percent of $700 is $140. Your chances of sparking a bidding war at 20 percent are considerably less. And I have a bone to pick with coin dealer auctions that charge 20 percent premiums but do not provide descriptions of what is cleaned or otherwise damaged. Say what? You charge 20 percent, and I know you. I know you can grade and provide a reliable numismatic description, but you’re not doing that. What could be your motive? Perhaps that hobbyists will bid according to their skill level, and you’re hoping they will overbid for a problem lot? I say it’s better to bid on Heritage, Great Collections, Legend, or Stacks. At least they tell you what you’re getting for your money. Then there is shipping. A few Proxibid sellers have outrageous shipping charges. One warns that you’ll pay a “minimum approximately $60.00” for a small package. Another warns in all capital letters: “IMPORTANT- YOU MAY NOT COMBINE PURCHASES TO SAVE ON SHIPPING; HOWEVER, SOME ITEMS MAY BE SHIPPED TO YOU IN THE SAME MAILING PACKAGE.” I won’t bother looking at their catalogs. Some Internet auctions on HiBid.com do not ship and will not allow bidders to contract with a third-party shipper. No shipping. Period. When I inquired why, the auctioneer emailed, “Too many mail scams out there.” Why, then, are you selling on an Internet portal if you cannot ship, “no exceptions?”! Another HiBid.com seller requires wire transfers, with the buyer paying both banks. Nope. Then there are coin dealer auctions that never sell lots below wholesale gray sheet. They claim an onsite buyer bought the lot, but then will recycle the same coin in a future auction. Nice. I only bid here if I really want the coin. I have several favorite auction companies that sell on Proxibid and HiBid.com. I won’t share those with you. But they have this in common: 1. A buyer’s premium below 20%. 2. Reasonable or inexpensive shipping. 3. Accurate numismatic descriptions. 4. Real auctions where maximum bids are not seen and shill bidding is not allowed. Always check the buyer ratings on eBay before bidding. Risky online buys: boxed Proof setsNov 13, 2017, 15:29 PM byThis box set lacks the dime and has been tampered with. I like to bid on 1950 to 1955 Proof sets packaged in boxes, as the photo above attempts to depict. You can find them regularly in online auctions on such portals as Proxibid, HiBid.com and eBay. The set’s coins, each thinly wrapped in cellophane, as depicted above, often sport vivid toning within the cardboard that houses them. Every now and then, though, I come across a box that has been tampered with, as was the case with this 1950 set (depicted above), won with a bid of $495 plus 15% buyer’s fee. When I got the box, I was disappointed. The contents had been tampered with. The most expensive coin, the half dollar, which when slabbed can be worth hundreds of dollars, had been replaced with a lesser Proof half that had a pin scratch. Same with the quarter. How could that be, you ask? Someone used a razor to slit the cellophane, took out the original half dollar and then put the impaired one in its place. The quarter had the same damage and slit cellophane. Worse, as you can see (or more likely, can’t see) from the auction screenshot above —look closely there—the dime was missing. This is one of the drawbacks of online bidding. You can only discern so much from non-numismatic photos and must go by descriptions. Even so, when a coin product has been tampered with and you cannot see it but win it, all sales are final. That said, the cent was spectacular, and I collect rainbow Proof cents. So I telephoned the auction company, PPI, out of New Jersey, and explained the situation. I did not blame the consignor. These sets have been kicking around for decades, and it would have been unfair to level such a charge. And I have done business with PPI before and respect the company, which contacted the consignor, who had another 1950 box set, which I offered to buy, for $450, providing there was no buyer’s fee and the company shipped to my location for free. This was agreed upon, and I soon should get the replacement set. The lesson here is difficult. It was so easy to miss the missing dime from the photo, and who would have guessed that someone would have slit and replaced two Proof coins? The upside, however, is the auction company. I buy only from ethical, trusted dealers. PPI falls into that category. I’ll report on the new set when I receive it. Swapped-out coins in Littleton setsOct 27, 2017, 16:43 PM byOver the years, the Littleton Coin Company has sold many sets of silver dollars, with one of the most popular being the New Orleans Silver Collection. Of the two sets depicted above, one is a swapped-out set (background), while the other is the real deal.. Scoring big in online auctions — maybeOct 20, 2017, 16:17 PM byA winning $330 realized bid on this 1889-O Morgan dollar may have been worth risking. Of the coin's generous mintage of 11,875,000, only about a tenth survived, and most circulated. That makes gem examples, like this one seems to be, difficult to locate, and pricey when certified.. 1890-CC Morgan, Tailbar $1 usually an online bargainOct 10, 2017, 12:27 PM byThis 1890-CC Morgan, Tailbar dollar with a deep die gouge demands a premium.. You bought that coin … TWICE!Sep 15, 2017, 14:34 PM byWinning back a coin from a different seller, months after you consigned it elsewhere, is a particular kind of experience — numismatic déjà vu. I collect toned silver American Eagles. Avidly. In fact, I have one of the finest collections assembled, some 50 coins, many of which I have posted on the PCGS showcase site. Photos are important because, while I keep my collections at the local bank, this way, I get to visit them regularly. I also consign my doubles on Proxibid and eBay. That’s when I get into trouble. For instance, I consigned a rainbowed 1998 silver American Eagle to Great Toning, whose seller lists on eBay. It was bought and then relisted a few weeks later by another eBay seller. I saw it online, didn’t make the connection that I once owned it, and—you guessed it—got it again. So back it went to Great Toning and to another seller. Buying back your own coins rather defeats the purpose of consigning. And it gets expensive, too, with fees and shipping. The experience just happened again! The silver American Eagle depicted above is back on Proxibid with one of my favorite sellers. A few months ago, I consigned the coin. Bought back the coin. And now I am consigning again. In the event that you consign a coin and accidentally bid on and win it, you are obligated to pay both buyer and seller fees in addition to shipping. And of course, you should never bid on your own coins intentionally, because that is prohibited by many sellers and online auctions. In the end, winning back a coin from a different seller — months after you consigned it elsewhere — is a particular kind of experience. I call it numismatic déjà vu. Bad online auction buysSep 7, 2017, 16:41 PM byWhy bid on these questionable lots?Every week, I see lots that virtually guarantee a bidder will lose money by placing almost any bid. I’ve written before on excessive opening bids, hyped lots in self-slabbed holders and fake California gold. You can find all of these regularly on Proxibid, eBay and HiBid. In today’s post, I will share bad auction buys that do not necessarily fall into those categories. Click and expand the above photo of silver quarters, Bison currency, no-date nickels and a gold flake vial. Take a close look at those quarters, purportedly silver. They very well might be, but then you’ll pay shipping and buyer’s premiums and be tasked with removing paste and paper. In general, if you want to buy silver, consider reputable dealers such as Apmex and buy in bulk for a few dollars over the spot price at time of order. Always put silver in a bank box if you are considering a bulk order. Home insurance usually doesn’t cover precious metals. The 1901 $10 Bison note, a coveted piece of currency, also is depicted in the photo above. This example has been put through the wringer, literally. It appears to have been saturated with water, probably in a flood, and has ink stains, wrinkles and rust. Yes, you might be able to snare this for $100-$150 rather than paying between $800-$1,000 for an authenticated one in Very Fine condition. But when you show this note to others, especially non-hobbyists, they will exclaim, “What happened to it?” General rule: Avoid damaged coins and currency that prompts that question. When the damage is greater than the design, however beautiful, the lot usually is not worth a bid. Save up and buy the one you really want in presentable condition. Then we have no-date buffalo nickels. The ones in the photo also have PVC damage from being stored in soft vinyl flips. Why bid on these when you can get buffalo nickels with dates for a few dollars at any coin shop or antiques store? I’ve written before about rip-off vials of gold flake that typically hold no gold or low-grade gold flaked so thinly that the metal disappears in an acid test or disintegrates to near nothing if melted. But increasingly I am seeing these vials in online auctions. Often, they are offered for $8 per vial while containing only about 20 cents of low-grade gold. That’s a nifty profit for the seller and a bad buy for you. The best advice is to bid on lots you really want, save if you cannot afford them at the moment, and remember that other auctions are coming online daily with desirable coins and currency. Descriptions, certifications sometimes baffleSep 7, 2017, 15:57 PM byThis one lot caused a lot of online constern. Beware of ‘removed from jewelry’ goldAug 22, 2017, 16:32 PM byThis 1859 $3 gold coin has telltale jewelry marks, reducing its value.. Pay attention to charges in online auctionsAug 22, 2017, 15:34 PM byThis round can cost you much more than the single ounce of silver that it contains and is truly worth: Whether you read them or not, you'll have to pay what you agree to according to the auctioneer's terms. At this writing, an ounce of silver was worth $16.12. The Morgan Dollar round (notice it’s not a coin, but is a bullion piece that imitates the Morgan dollar’s design) in this Proxibid auction has an opening bid of $30, almost double the value of its precious metal. That’s not all. Assuming you bid on this item and that the auctioneer didn’t bid you higher, as he or she legally can do by having notified you about that possibility in the terms of service, you would still have to pay much more than $30. This particular auction company charges a 20 percent online buyer’s premium, so you’d be paying $36 for this item. However, shipping is going to cost you $15, about as much as the item’s intrinsic value. I’ve read this firm’s shipping terms several times and am unsure whether this company actually charges a $60 handling fee for small items such as coins. I would have to contact the company’s customer service to ask about that. But at this point, there’s no point in even asking, because already the price is excessive. Yet the auction company estimates the retail value at $45 to $55. If you agree to the company’s terms, without reading them, you are establishing a contract and are liable for all charges. The terms do allow you to return the item, but minus the buyer’s premium. You would have to pay for shipping costs, too. You can buy the same bullion round at APMEX for $18.97. You’ll see much more data about your purchase, too, including the current silver price and specifics about the round. To be clear, the auction company can set whatever terms it wants. This post is not about that. The goal is to remind you: When bidding in online auctions, read the service terms carefully and use the Internet, as I did, to see if you can purchase the item for less money elsewhere. Dealing with non-dealer online sellersAug 4, 2017, 16:32 PM byProbably not the best way to display a coin.. Cracks in Redfield holdersJul 28, 2017, 17:29 PM byImage of this Redfield holder shows obvious cracks. They are not always this visible on both sides, and the uncracked side may be the only one featured in an online auction lot. Surprise. But you can get some nice toning.. Filed rims are hard to spotJul 21, 2017, 14:39 PM bySpotting the hint of glare that indicates a filed rim above the T of UNITED in this image would be even tougher if you were also peering past email and advertising pop-ups. One of the dangers of bidding in online auctions is the reliance on photographs. It is one thing to inspect a coin in your hand at a show or shop and another to view it online, with all the distractions that occur in an age of social media and insistent email and texts. This is why I seldom use a mobile phone when bidding online. I use a desk-top screen and shut off all social media, phone and other applications. I always enlarge the photo to look for flaws. I usually inspect coins in a clockwise manner, starting at the rim, where you can spot rim bumps, dings, bends, bezel marks and, as in this coin, the dreaded file marks. Filed rims are unfortunate. A file here and there might add up with silver content from a coin sneak. In other eras, the file was a test mark to see if the coin, indeed, was silver. In the past year, I have missed two filed rims in my bidding. The auctioneers didn’t mention it, and I didn’t catch it. In one case, I made the mistake of relying too much on an expert seller who writes insightful descriptions about each lot. He missed it, too. I accept the blame for not looking closely enough at the rims. When you get a filed rim, you might not want to holder the coin. Graders at PCGS, NGC, ANACS and ICG are sure to catch it, and you will have wasted more money. In the end, the typical filed rim does not detract much from a coin with good strike and luster, so you might keep it in your collection. But if you do spot it after a sale, you can leave feedback on Proxibid or eBay about the overlooked flaw. Some eBay sellers take returns. Auctioneers on Proxibid and HiBid rarely do so, however. Proper response on fake fractional goldJul 6, 2017, 13:55 PM byAlthough there were 18 bids on this brass-plated replica, the auctioneer showed integrity in pulling the lot after being informed that the offering was incorrectly described.Upon seeing this fake fractional gold piece in Power Auction on Hibid.com, I emailed auctioneer Dave Gregory, stating: “This is a $1 plated modern souvenir replica. Not gold. Not from California. Not anything in the description.”. Beware of replaced coins in Double Mint setsJun 23, 2017, 14:04 PM byTwo eBay screenshots show suspect and authentic 1948 Double Mint sets. Would you be able to identify which is which? Last year I blogged about being on the lookout for missing half dollars in Double Mint sets, which the U.S. Mint produced between 1947 and 1958. I reported how coins in those sets were housed in cardboard folders often with green flimsy paper that caused the coins inside to tone. I also promised to write about other ethical issues concerning Double Mint sets at a later date. I will do that here, but want to summarize content about missing halves. Some collectors remove one pair of half dollars without reporting that in descriptions, relying on the buyer to know what should be in original sets. That’s not as simple as it sounds. In 1955 and 1956, no half dollars were struck at Denver because of lack of demand for the denomination. The San Francisco Mint closed in 1955, reopening a decade later. For these reasons, you will legitimately find only two half dollars in Double Mint sets from 1955 and 1956. A bigger issue concerning Double Mint sets involves unscrupulous sellers removing toned half dollars and other coins from those sets and replacing them with dipped or lower grade ones minted in the same year. Often those suspect sets come with original U.S. Mint and U.S. Post Office envelopes, for which many hobbyists pay a premium. Those envelopes are no barrier to lesser value coins being inserted in the cardboard folders, fooling the inexperienced buyer. True, all coins do not tone in Double Mint sets. But more often they do, because of the chemical interaction of the cardboard and paper. As these are pricey sets, often exceeding $1,000 for the years 1947 through 1952, you want to secure an unmistakably original, toned set. Look at the photo above from 1948 sets. One panel shows untoned coins and the other, toned ones. Each set was offered on eBay for $1,500+. If I wanted to buy such a set, I not only would go for the toned coins, I also would check recent prices on the Internet. PCGS Price Guide pegs the retail value of such a set at $1,300. As always, be skeptical and buy cautiously when bidding online. Distrust deep mirrors in lesser holdersJun 16, 2017, 15:23 PM byCompare surface reflectivity between Proxibid and Heritage examples.Many hobbyists pay high premiums for deep mirror prooflike (DMPL) Morgan dollars because of their eye appeal and affordability, as genuine Proof examples typically exceed most budgets. For example, an 1888-S coin with a mintage of only 657,000 is a semi-key in the series, with DMPLs going for about $1,000 in Mint State 63. An 1888 Proof coin graded PR-63 with a mintage of a mere 800 (and estimated survival rates of about 235 in all grades) goes for about $3,000, with cameo counterparts selling for thousands more. In the past I have written about how to tell deep mirror from polished Morgans. A true DMPL coin is likely to have bag marks because they occur easily against the glasslike surface, whereas no such marks are evident on a polished coin. Also, DMPLs should have mirrors that reflect 6 inches or more on both sides of the coin. Look at the 1888-S in the photo above in the National Numismatic Certification holder. It seems devoid of any mirrorlike effect, although the reverse of the coin might pass for prooflike, reflecting about two inches. Compare it to the Heritage coin in the PCGS holder. You can see the mirror in the latter but not in the NNC holder. Admittedly, it is difficult to tell deep mirror coins in online auctions. But this particular Proxibid auctioneer, Weaver Signature Coin and Currency Auction, takes sharp photos that rank among the best on the portal. So I can judge the NNC coin lacks the required mirror qualities of a true DMPL. Again we encounter the argument that grading is subjective. What passes for DMPL at one holdering company might fall short at another. That’s fine. However, if you choose to bid on a coin in a lesser-known holder, you should not value the coin at prices listed for PCGS, NGC, ANACS and ICG, generally considered to be the best grading companies. PCGS- and NGC-graded coins often sell sight unseen because of the grading consistency and standards of those companies. Bidding online is a risky venture, especially when consignors list raw coins as DMPL. If you are viewing inferior photos or have not dealt with the seller before, my advice is to go with major auction houses and bid in online auctions hosted by Heritage, Stacks Bowers, Legend, Goldberg and GreatCollections. Ask online sellers questions before placing bidsJun 5, 2017, 16:28 PM byIs that a carbon spot or damage? A trustworthy seller will provide the answer.Earlier this year I profiled one of my favorite Proxibid sellers, Brad Lisembee, who operates Capitol Coin Auction out of Evansville, Indiana. In that blog post, I explained how much I valued his descriptions because he knows coins and how to grade them.. Overbidding mistakes: they happen, you learnMay 25, 2017, 16:18 PM byI always wanted a Wells Fargo gold coin, and several were slabbed in old green PCGS holders at high grades. I finally got one, and it is now safely tucked in my bank box. But there is a story here from which you might learn … at my expense. One came up on auction from a seller I trusted, and so I placed a high bid, thinking no one would match it and I just might steal the coin in an online estate venue where many gold buyers treat collectible coins like bullion. They look up the bullion price and bid retail. I admit I checked auction and eBay values for the coin pictured above and bid $2,250. I made two errors. Gold does fluctuate in value, and you have to take that into account when checking sale prices on Coin Values or Heritage Archives. I admit, in this case, I didn’t do that. I just looked at retail value and did a quick check on eBay, seeing recent sales of the No Motto Wells Fargo Saint Gauden’s coin above $3,000. Here’s an example. The 1908 No Motto Saint is a fairly common coin with a mintage of 4,271,551; but the Wells Fargo hoard provenance and the old green holder add a premium. The 9,900 coins found in one of the company’s Las Vegas banks were spectacular coins, with PCGS grading 101 of them as Mint State 68 and 10 at MS-69. See David Hall’s description in PCGS CoinFacts. Here’s the second mistake: I didn’t check coin retailers like APMEX where a similar coin at the same grade in the coveted old green holder retailed at $2,295 (by check) and $2,390 (by PayPal). Well, you guessed it. Someone at the online auction wanted the coin almost as much as I did and probably had the same strategy in mind, but I won it with my top bid. Now add the 18% buyer’s fee, and the price of my coin totals $2,655. In other words, by not checking bulk and wholesale coin dealers before placing my bid, I lost $360. This is what happens when you make a mistake (or two) in online bidding. Learn from mine. Consignor hype and online auctionsMay 18, 2017, 16:42 PM bySometimes I marvel at values that consignors assign to coins that they (a) don’t know how to grade, (b) try to pass off as rare, and (c) get auctioneers to list as estate “finds.”. Finding raw coin bargainsMay 4, 2017, 17:46 PM byThis 1901-S Morgan dollar was won with a $410 bid.It takes a lot of skill, patience and acumen to score big on raw coins in online auctions, primarily because so many of the coins in those lots are cleaned or have other problems preventing them from being holdered by top companies. I won the 1901-S Morgan dollar coin pictured with a $410 bid plus 15 percent buyer’s fee, for a total price of $471.50. If I add my slabbing fees, the overall cost is about $500. I sent it to PCGS and it graded Mint State 62, worth $725 retail. Recent auction prices at that grade are about $600-625, so the effort was worthwhile. But what, specifically, does it take to win such a coin in online auctions? First, you have to trust the seller. I won this in a Feb. 17, 2017, Hibid.com session conducted by Auctions by Wallace. Sheena Wallace is one of the best auctioneers in the business. I have been bidding in her auctions for several years and whenever I have a question about condition, she consults with a local numismatist and gets me an answer. Second, you need to see clear photos. You can tell from the auction photo above that Ms. Wallace provides excellent pictures so you can identify any flaws. Third, you must check auction prices for the coin on PCGS CoinFacts or other venue. You must never bid retail on a coin by guessing the grade, even when viewing clear photos of obverse and reverse. I bid $410 on this coin because that is what MS-60 coins go for in auctions on eBay, GreatCollections and Heritage. I knew the coin was Mint State, but I also detected some marks along the chin. But I needed this coin for my collection, so I placed an informed bid and won it. Uncirculated 1901-S Morgan dollars are rare finds in raw state. The mintage of 2,284,000 is low, making it a semi-key. Value rises dramatically in MS-64, with recent auction prices well above $1,500. Beware of shill bidding (both legal and illegal)Apr 27, 2017, 09:23 AM byThis screenshot shows the same bidder initials alongside every placed bid — a sign that someone is seeing maximum bids and bidding up lots.. Best private online coin auction sellerApr 18, 2017, 16:56 PM byFew private online coin auction sellers write as expert descriptions and include such quality photos as Brad Lisembee does. You can learn much about grading merely by visiting his Capitol Coin Auctions listings, and he has two sales upcoming, April 20 and May 4 on Proxibid.Brad Lisembee, owner of Capitol Coin Auctions, Evansville, Ind., is one of the best sellers—if not the best—in online coin estate auctions. Apart from numismatists in large houses such as Heritage Auction and Stacks Bowers Rare Coins, few small-company sellers or coin dealers take the time to write accurate descriptions with highly detailed photos that often are superior to anything on the web.. ICG spelling error on labelApr 13, 2017, 16:57 PM byThe coin looks perfectly graded and attributed, but “seperated” is a misspelling.. Resist junk auctionsMar 30, 2017, 14:45 PM byScreenshot of typical junk auction on Proxibid. You can lose a lot of money bidding in online coin auctions, especially if you do not know how to grade — a topic we have covered before. But one of the biggest money wasters is patronizing junk auctions, which typically offer poor-condition Wheat cents, copper-nickel Eisenhower dollars, State quarter collections (some plated with “gold”) and face-value low-ball Mint sets. To be sure, coin junk saturates eBay, but after a while, sellers there realize the cost of listing a brown, Fine, cleaned 1909 V.D.B. cent that sells below or near the shipping cost. Here’s an example. Junk auctions appear regularly on Proxibid and HiBid. Often, estate auctioneers are clueless when it comes to selling coins. (Example: They don’t list Mint marks — a surefire way to identify a clueless auctioneer.) They may not realize that a long-time collector found his low-grade Buffalo nickels, Mercury dimes and Walking halves in the 1950s and 1960s on a paper route and that photographing each lot for online bidding is not going to bring much by way of commission. Then there are coin dealers trying to unload crates of near-face-value Mint sets from the 1980s and 1990s. You’ll see a lot of these. For example, a 1995 Mint set retails for under $4 with $1.72 worth of coins inside. But win that lot for $4 at auction and pay buyer’s fee and $5 shipping, and that sets you back plenty. In the past some bidders thought they could scam the Proxibid seller by bidding 1 cent on such a lot. Sometimes they would do this for 100 or more junk lots and then win some of those, only to discover that the terms of service state that U.S. coins cannot be sold for less than face value and that all winning bids must meet a $5 threshold. Big-time loss there after buyer’s fee and shipping. Many Proxibid auctioneers don’t allow this anymore. They simply put all opening bids at $5, even when the retail value falls under that. Another big risk is buying American Eagle silver dollars at $25 a pop, when the silver spot value is $17 or $18. Add buyer’s fees and shipping, and you could have bought two Eagles at a coin show or shop for the price of that one purchased online. I have nothing against buying junk. It keeps us in the hobby. I do have problems with over-bidding online, because sooner or later that depletes the funds you should have at your disposal for coin collecting. Proxibid and Hibid photo comparisonMar 21, 2017, 12:54 PM byThis dual screenshot tells it all: a photo of coins vs. no coins.Some blog posts do not need a lot of words to describe the problem with online bidding in coin auctions. This screenshot is worth a thousand words; I sent about 50 words to Proxibid in its “report the item” link without effecting any change in the lot that lacked photos of the coins inside the depicted album.. ‘No Reserve’ v. ‘Opening Bids’: Don’t be fooledMar 16, 2017, 14:44 PM byWith the 18% buyer’s fee, these coins, which were advertised as having "no reserve" but had high "opening bids," actually are selling close to and over what their retail price would be. These are not bargains.When browsing auctions of online portals such as Proxibid or HiBid, don’t let the promotional words “no reserve” in ads for an Internet session fool you into believing you may get coins below retail. Take a close look at the photo above. I have listed the retail prices of opening bids in this slate of coins from Proxibid. Most egregious is the 1941-S Lincoln cent, MS-63 brown, which has a retail value of 6 cents and an opening bid of $100. Another unfortunate example is the opening bid of $75 for a Roosevelt dime graded Proof 67 whose retail value is about $45. Other examples from this sequence of lots are close to retail at the hammer price, assuming no one else bids on the lot; with the 18% buyer’s premium, they, too, are selling at, close to, or above retail. Why do online auctioneers do this? In their defense, sometimes consignors demand certain reserves for coins, and nothing kills interest faster than the words “Reserve Not Met.” Often, when a bidder sees this, he or she just goes on to the next lot or auction. So charging at or above retail to meet a hidden reserve is one way to counter that effect. Also, if lots do not sell at the high opening bids, then Proxibid doesn’t charge for a percentage of the sale price. The worst sessions to bid on, in my view, are auctions that tout “no reserve” and then open with retail bids. Those really are not auctions; they are online coin shops masquerading as auctions. Then again, these types of high opening-bid lots often attract the uninformed newbie who doesn’t know the difference between opening bids, reserves, auction values (as documented by PCGS and NGC on their websites), and retail prices. And we’re only talking about coins slabbed by top companies, such as PCGS, NGC, ANACS and ICG. Pay no attention to grades assigned to raw coins or ones in lesser slabs. Those are often inflated on coins with problems, such as cleaning or tampering. Before I place a bid on a top-holdered coin on Proxibid or HiBid, I check the certification and then the latest auction prices. I factor buyer’s premium and shipping and then place my bids 10% below the latest auction values. Because I mostly patronize PCGS, I go to PCGS Certification to see whether the coin is genuine and if so, from there, hit the link that goes to PCGS CoinFacts for the latest auction values. You can do the same on the NGC site. Check an NGC certified coin’s certification here, and from there you can go to their values site as well. Smartphone glitz causes glitchesFeb 28, 2017, 13:45 PM byThis is what an attempt to place a bid using a Samsung Galaxy 4 looks like.Increasing use of smartphones is beginning to undermine numismatic bidding platforms too slow to adapt to the vagaries of mobile technology. The issue is digitally complex. New phones incorporate the latest apps with an array of functions. All that glitz causes glitches, frustrating online bidders.. ?Distracting auctioneer brands ‘brand’ photosFeb 22, 2017, 14:58 PM byWater. Inequalities of lesser-known slabsFeb 7, 2017, 16:50 PM byThis author's advice: Do not bid based on grades unless coins are holdered by a top tier firm with a good market reputation, such as PCGS, NGC, ANACS or ICG. For example, the 1882-S "MS-68 DMPL" Morgan dollar coin privately slabbed in the photo at left above is no gem of a coin. It is cleaned, stained, finger-printed and maybe About Uncirculated 58, but no deep mirror. In other words, it is basically silver melt.). ?Toned Peace DollarsFeb 6, 2017, 11:06 AM byThis beautifully toned Peace dollar was won with an $80 bid on Proxibid.. Old-holder crossoversJan 26, 2017, 11:06 AM byThis ANACS Very Fine 35 1889-CC Morgan $1 crossed over at VF-20 when submitted to the Professional Coin Grading Service. The conventional wisdom holds that modern-day third-party grading is inflated. I have always been suspicious about that conjecture because it is based on individual anecdote. I have always held that grading in the latter 1980s was, instead, inconsistent. There are over- and undergraded coins, with the rest graded to today’s standards. Sometimes it seems all that we remember are today's over-graded coins. Most undergraded pieces have been resubmitted to the major holdering companies, leaving slim pickings for hobbyists. Case in point: As you can see from the photo above, an 1889-CC Morgan graded VF35 in an old ANACS holder crossed over to PCGS with a minus 15 points, decreasing value from about $1,500 to $850. I still made a profit, as I scored the ANACS coin for about $600. When I got it, I saw that it was overgraded, but I took my chances anyway, hoping for a VF30. Here’s an example of what that looks like in a PCGS holder. Such a coin is worth about $1,000 according to recent auction prices. Still, I felt sure my coin would grade at least VF-25. Wrong. When the coin was returned graded even lower than that, I conceded that PCGS was probably correct, preferring the more conservative grade. The coin does have significant wear. I won’t crack it open and resubmit. I share this as an example of not believing the conventional wisdom about old-holder grading. Small ANACS holders contain some of the earliest graded coins, and those often are overgraded. If you keep in mind that inconsistency is part of the subjective grading process, you won’t get your hopes up when the grading is down. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but not the holderJan 9, 2017, 13:59 PM byDo not judge coins by claimed numerical grade alone. Self-graded postings proclaiming grade in head violate rules of website and often defy accepted grade parameters. Viewers of this blog know that I support Proxibid as a top auction portal for coins. If you know numismatics, especially grading and values, you can score rare coins here for a fraction of the retail cost. For about a year now, Proxibid has put in play some very important eBay-like rules. I wrote about that last year in this post. As I have noted, these rules protect the bidder as does the Omaha-based company’s Unified User Agreement: 1. Coin lots cannot display a value greater than $2,500 unless certified by NGC, PCGS, ANACS or ICG. 2. Coins slabbed by these companies can be listed with numerical grades; coins holdered by other companies cannot. 3. The numerical grade cannot appear in the title, description or item details. Some auctioneers still violate these rules, perhaps unintentionally. Bidders can use a Proxibid link to report the oversight. Take a close look at the photo above. You can see the vast different in condition between a PCGS-holdered 1879-O Morgan dollar graded MS-66 and the one in the holder on the left with a Proxibid title that includes the numerical grade and the description “Beautiful coin.” Beauty may be in the eye of the beholder but not in the holder, according to the UUA. The subjectivity of “beauty” is not the problem; the numerical grade is. There may be another problem. Last month I questioned how many online auction portals hobbyists really need. I have noticed several Proxibid sellers also listing on HiBid.com and other portals that lack unified terms of service protecting the buyer. Perhaps those sellers believe that if other portals do not share the same rules as Proxibid, why adhere to those rules at Proxibid. Of course, that is only speculation. The real lesson here concerns your ability to grade. Grading is part art, part science. It is subjective, but only to a degree. I encounter the same argument about “subjectivity” in my work as director of a journalism school. Truth, students say, is subjective. Not when truth is defined by fact. Unfortunately for me and other journalism educators, we’re operating in a post-fact era. Facts do what we want them to. And that’s what is troubling about numerical grades in lesser-known or even self-slabbed holders that suggest a potentially silver-melt coin is worth hundreds or thousands of dollars. Unless the coin is holdered by a top grading company, use your numismatic knowledge to determine grade and value. If your knowledge is not fully developed, read numismatic publications like Coin World, join local coin clubs and attend coin shows. The decision to crack down on hyped descriptions, often involving self-slabbed coins, came in light of a Texas federal court decision that awarded to a fraud victim’s estate almost $2 million. You can read about the decision here.
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Have you been thinking about hosting a fundraiser or special event so that you can help grant wishes throughout Suffolk County? Choose Make-A-Wish® Suffolk County as the beneficiary of your event and you can help grant the fondest wish of a child with a life-threatening medical condition! For more information and to get started on your fundraiser, please contact Angela Sinclair, Community Relations Manager, at nfvapynve@fhssbyx.jvfu.bet or at 631-585-9474 ext. 312. Frequently Asked Questions about Fundraising for Make-A-Wish Suffolk County: Q. Who can run an event to benefit Make-A-Wish Suffolk County? A. Anyone! Any individual or group (employees of a corporation, school/university organization, religious group, etc.) can host an event as long as it is approved by the Director of Community Relations., which we will supply. We ask that you allow one week for the office to approve your event. Q. What kinds of events do people hold? A. Individuals and groups hold all sorts of events from golf outings to bowl-a-thons, holiday parties, sports tournaments, regattas the Foundation. Q. I want to publicize this event through media outlets in my community. Is that okay? A. All publicity materials (posters, invitations, email announcements, press releases, etc.) need to be approved by Make-A-Wish Suffolk County prior to print and distribution. This is so we can make sure that the terminology used to describe the mission of the Foundation and those we serve is correct. Q. Can I solicit organizations, companies, stores, etc. outside Suffolk County for donations, auction items or sponsorships for my event? A. We ask that you refrain from soliciting organizations/companies/stores whose corporate offices are headquartered outside of Suffolk County. This is due to the fact that there are chapters of Make-A-Wish throughout the United States and we do not want to impede on the territories of other chapters, thus distracting them from their fundraising abilities. Q. Can Make-A-Wish help me get a celebrity to attend my event? A. As wonderful as it would be to have a celebrity attend all of the events that take place to benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Suffolk County, we reserve the contacting of celebrities for Wish Granting purposes in the hopes that they will donate their valuable time to make our children’s wishes come true. Q. Where do our event proceeds go? A. The proceeds from your event go directly toward our mission of granting wishes to children with life-threatening medical conditions here in Suffolk County. If you would like to "adopt" a wish, we can provide you with a specific wish child for whom the proceeds can go directly toward. The average cost of a wish is $7,200. For more information contact Joanne McGiveron at wbnaar@znxrnjvfu-fhssbyxal.bet or at 631-585-9474 today! and help give hope, strength and joy to a child fighting a life-threatening medical condition.
What are the benefits of using best virtual tour software for real estate sales? Learn how Robert Paridis ( Laing+Simmons,Bondi Junction, Sydney, Australia ) is using vr tour software to support his Real Estate business and how he benefits from using 360 virtual tours. If you need some extra answers to your questions ask us in comments and we will make sure to answer them. I’m Robert Paridis from Laing+Simmons Bondi Junction. I’ve been using virtual tours now for six months / nine months. And it’s been a great tool for my business, I use the 360 panorama software for my sales listings and the property management listings. The benefits from the virtual tours creator is if people haven’t got time to go and see the property they can see it online with the virtual tour. If they like what they see then they give you a call and then make an inspection. So it’s a pretty valuable tool, it’s good. Very affordable. it’s quick, it’s good but the only thing I can say is you got to do every room which sometimes takes a little depending on how big the house is. It could take a little bit longer than normal but other than that it’s an excellent tool for my marketing. Quality of the images is second to none, it’s excellent. I had a couple of interstate owners, couple of landlords and a vendor. I did the vr walktrough and I sent them the virtual tour. They hadn’t seen the property for I think a good six or nine months and they saw it, liked what they saw and I put it on the net and clients love it because they can see what it’s like before they even get there. I have picked up management business because I gave clients a virtual home tour. It’s something that in Sydney at the moment not many people are using and I use it as a tool that I can win business. Yeah, I’m. happy for you to show it to Leanne and Jacks and then if they want to send it to anybody around the Laing and Simmons franchises I haven’t got an issue with that. They can call me as well if they like.

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