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Home » Two in a Row for Townend at Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event
Two in a Row for Townend at Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event
Great Britain's Oliver Townend performed under pressure to clinch a repeat win at the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event, presented by Mars Equestrian, while Boyd Martin finished as runner-up.
By Emily Daily | April 28, 2019 | 6 minutes read
Great Britain's Oliver Townend pulled off a repeat win with Cooley Master Class. Amy K. Dragoo/AIMMEDIA
After a nail-biting show jumping day at the Kentucky Horse Park, Great Britain's Oliver Townend pulled off another victory with his 2018 partner Cooley Master Class.
As the last to go, Ollie didn't have a rail in hand, as he was just 2.6 points ahead of second-placed Boyd Martin. After Boyd and Tsetserleg had a clear round, much to the delight of the U.S. fans packed in the Rolex stadium, the pressure was on. But Ollie masterfully pulled off a faultless round, and once again, finished his week at the top of the leaderboard. New Zealand's Tim Price and Xavier Faer held onto their overnight position to round out the top three after their clear round.
Ollie thanks Cooley after their double-clear round Amy K. Dragoo/AIMMEDIA
After his win, Ollie joins an elite club of just three other riders) (Michael Jung, Kim Severson and Bruce Davidson, Sr. who have pulled off back-to-back wins here in the event's 41-year history.
Over, $420,000 in prize money was on the line, with the winner getting the lion's share with $130,000, second getting $62,000 and so on. After his victory, when asked what was going through his mind after winning his second straight victory at the Kentucky Horse Park, Ollie said, "Uhh…. 130 grand!"
Ollie has partnered with the Angela Hislop's 14-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding (by Ramiro B) for years, slowly producing him through the level. "It's been a huge team effort," said Ollie. "The horse is pure class. It's just my job to press the buttons at the right point in time. He delivered again and I couldn't be more proud for the horse and the whole team."
"The round went to plan. I had a little rub at the Land Rover water tray but again, he's a very good jumper and in general when he touches a fence, he touches it very, very lightly and then apologizes for the next six. He's just a very cool horse. It's the most pressurizing round I've ever ridden under him. I was just very happy with how he performed for me and I didn't muck it up for him."
"I'm obviously very happy with Cooley. He's a fantastic jumper and really, really careful. As always he's tried his best for me today. It's a bit of a different situation because I came from behind last year, and it's a lot nicer going in third place, merrily jumping a clear round and letting the rest of them be under pressure.
"I know Tim's horse for most of its life and I saw Boyd's horse outside [in the warm-up]. Boyd must've really done well to say the least," he joked, about Tsetserleg's less-than-ideal warm-up. "Because when I heard the crowd go wild and obviously I didn't have a fence and I didn't have a time fault [in hand], I thought, my God, you must've done some job, Boyd. Well done!"
For their second place finish, Boyd Martin and Tsetserleg earned the U.S. Equestrian CCI5* National Championship. Amy K. Dragoo/AIMMEDIA
After Boyd and Christine Turner's Tsetserleg, a 12-year-old Trakehner gelding (by Windfall), earned their incredible clear round, the crowd was on its feet cheering, hopeful that the event would finally be won by an American–a feat that hasn't occurred since Phillip Dutton won in 2008. As the top-placed U.S. rider, Boyd takes home the trophy for the US Equetrian CCI5* National Championship.
"I was thrilled with my bloke today. He doesn't give you the most confidence in the warm-up," said Boyd, who mentioned that "Thomas" was jumping all over the place and twisting a bit. "I had these two over here giggling at me," he said, pointing to Tim Price (who finished third) and Ollie.
"But he's a brilliant little horse. He gets in the ring and spooks just that little bit. I do think he loves a bit of atmosphere and the crowd. He tapped the first fence a bit and I thought, oh crap, this could be a long round. But then at the second fence, he really tried, so I thought we really had a shot here."
"He's been difficult in the combinations. He can usually jump in really, really big over the first part and get too close to the second part. I felt like I had to really come in slow and short to Fence 4AB, and once he cleared that I knew I had a chance for a clear round.
"All in all, I couldn't be more happy and satisfied…though it'd be great to win one of these. Christine Turner owns him and bought him as a young horse, and he went through a few riders. We've had a few ups and downs with the horse–obviously, last year was a bit of a disappointment year and this year he's come out blazing. I just have a big sigh of relief that he exceeded my expectations. I think he's only going to grow and get better from this event."
New Zealand's Tim Price and Xavier Faer finished third. Amy K. Dragoo/AIMMEDIA
Tim Price's double-clear with Xavier Faer, who he co-owns with Trisha Rickards and Nigella Hall, solidified his third-place finish. "You're never quite sure what you're going to get until you get out there. He's spooky, but in a way he's quite simple to work with because I know [the spookiness] is going to be there, it's just a question of how much it's going to be there."
Tim mentioned that the 13-year-old British Sport Horse gelding (by Catherston Dazzler) takes a dislike to liverpools. "The whole middle of the arena was like an ocean of water trays and liverpools. It felt like something we really needed to overcome and I was hoping for the best there.
"I could feel him looking at the odd fence, but he was maintaining a good technique, and I think that's what helped us out on a day like today. He jumped beautiful–he's just a lovely, big, honest scopey horse and I really enjoy riding him."
After a devastating injury last year, Xavier Faer is back in prime condition. "He came out of 2017 and he was out with the pony he's been with since he was a young horse but it kicked him in the forearm and he had a hairline fracture," said Tim. "So, he had a very quiet year last year. But it also means I was able to start his progress into this event earlier than you typically would. It was October when I started building up to this. The fitness came along and here we are."
When asked if Tim ever thought the horse would make it back to the CCI5* level after his injury, he said, "You just don't know until you know and the best thing you can do is to make a good, patient plan."
"He's come out of the event, touch wood, better than expected again," said Ollie.<|fim_middle|> he was four years old. He's going to be the pet of the yard for the rest of his life, hopefully. And let's hope he wins another one."
"I was thinking he could go alright if he went to Burghley or the Pan American Games," said Boyd. "We'd probably want to get an older group of horses, because we need to get qualified for the Olympics."
Tim sees Xavier Faer as a good Burghley horse. "He's never going to be right up there on the flat with the dressage, but I do think there's room for more improvements. If he comes out of this competition well, which is looks like he is, then the focus will be hopefully Burghley."
Each year, in addition to the $420,000 prize money that's given out to the top-placing riders, other special awards are presented as well. Lillian Heard, owner won the highest-placed sole owner/rider. Chris Talley was the highest-placed youngest rider and Phillip Dutton's groom Emma Ford won the groom's award.
Follow along with Practical Horseman's coverage of #KY3Day19 on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest. Special thanks to our sponsors, Absorbine, Dublin and Kent Nutrition Group/Blue Seal Feeds for their support!
Posted in Competitions, Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day EventTagged #KY3Day19, 2019 Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event, Boyd Martin, Eventing News, Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event, Oliver Townend, Tim Price
The Interview: 2023 FEI World Cup Finals
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Coyle Takes FEI Jumping World Cup™ North American League Lead
Milestone First World Cup Win for Lillie Keenan
Coyle Cruises at Toronto's Centennial | "Let's just hope that he makes it back next year to try and defend his title again. We shall see. But look, he owes us absolutely nothing. He'll be our pet–he's been our pet since | 45 |
A critical meditation on Chung Sang-Hwa: Seven Paintings
The Korean born artist Chung Sang-Hwa's solo exhibition, Seven Paintings at the Lévy Gorvy Gallery in London comprises a series of recently produced works, each measuring approximately 130 x 97cm, whose 'white' monochrome gridded surfaces have been realised through sustained additions, subtractions, re-applications and sgraffito-like scorings of acrylic paint on canvas. The resulting nuanced colour/tonal variations and 'crunchy' textures of Chung's work are drawn out to some effect by the colour of the gallery's walls, which have been painted an almost vanishingly contrasting light greyish-white. Despite their initially starkly monochromatic appearances and resistance to exact photographic reproduction on<|fim_middle|> sense of life), historically considered the defining desideratum of traditional Chinese ink and brush and, by extension, other technically related forms of East-Asian landscape painting. The term qiyun shendong was first established in the fifth century by the Chinese historian Xie He in the preface to his book The Record of the Classification of Old Painters, as one of 'six principles to consider when judging a painting' (huihua liufa), the other five of which are: 'Bone Method' (Gufa yongbi), referring both to the physical quality of brush strokes as well as to their significance as indexes of a painter's personality; 'Correspondence to the Object' (Yingwu xiangxing), depiction of form in terms of shape and line; 'Suitability to Type' (Suilei fucai), application of colour; 'Division and Planning' (Jingying weizhi), formal composition and its relationship to the depiction of space and depth; and 'Transmission by Copying' (Chuanyi moxie), learning through copying from life and paintings by past masters. Qiyun shendong combines the notion of yun (resonance) as a locus of pictorial-symbolic representation involving a sequential-interactive relay between nature and artist, artist and artwork, and artwork and viewer first set out by the neo-Daoist Confucian philosopher Wang Bi during the early Six Dynasties period (220–589) with that of qi (literally 'breath') upheld by pre-Daoist and Daoist texts as the cosmological condition of the possibility of all being. As Zhang Dainian makes clear, qi, which supposedly manifests itself through an entirely spontaneous (natural) interaction between cosmic opposites signified by the pairing yin-yang—respectively that which turns receptively away from the light (female principle) and that which turns assertively towards the light (male principle)—is conventionally understood as having no absolutely definitive ontology.
In popular parlance qi is applied to the air we breathe, steam, smoke and all gaseous substances. The philosophical use of the term underlines the movement of qi. Qi is both what really exists and what has the ability to become. To stress one at the expense of the other would be to misunderstand qi. Qi is the life principle but is also the stuff of inanimate objects. As a philosophical category qi originally referred to the existence of whatever is of a nature to change. The meaning is then expanded to encompass all phenomena, both physical and spiritual. It is energy that has the capacity to become material objects while remaining what it is. It thus combines 'potentiality' with 'matter'. To understand it solely as 'potentiality' would be wrong, just as it cannot be translated simply as 'matter'.9
In short (and at risk of undue abstraction), qi is a non-rationally intuited condition of reciprocal interaction (resonance) between 'being' and 'non-being' that is simultaneously categorically neither and both as well as continually open to transformation while remaining in some sense resolutely unchanging. As Jason Kuo explains, the Chinese term 'Kong (emptiness), a synonym of xu, is often regarded as the appropriate mental preparation for artistic creation'. Kuo goes on to quote not only the poet Sushi, who states '[i]f you wish to make the words of your poetry subtle and miraculous, never tire of emptiness and stillness', but also the poet Lu Ji, who asserts, '[w]e [poets] struggle with Non-being (xu wu) to yield being (you); we knock upon silence for an answering Muse.'10 In other words, as the central principle of traditional East-Asian painting qiyun shendong can be understood to correspond with a wider cosmological metaphysics of supposedly spontaneous non-desiring creativity.
Such thinking has undeniable structural affinities with the similarly non-rational Derridean conception of différance as a pervasively deconstructive locus of the possibility of all linguistic signification, insofar as both envisage continual interaction between otherwise opposing terms as a condition for articulations of being. However, it is important to grasp that while différance can be understood to demonstrably suspend all supposedly authoritative meanings through its non-rational actions, qi is party to an ultimately metaphysical cosmology and therefore the two should not be conflated. Oh Kwang-Su states that, in South Korea '[d]econstruction and experimentation with materials were the rage during the early seventies' and that 'they were supplanted by the Monochrome Movement with its sharp focus on the problem of structuring the plane'.11 It is therefore possible to register not only a desire on the part of the Monochrome Painting Group to secede from a then dominant western avant-garde's deconstructive use of collage-montage/assemblage12 and, indeed, non-figuration (as Yves-Alain Bois has argued, the resolutely non-figurative works of Robert Ryman can be interpreted as involving an extreme post-Greenbergian self-reflexivity that effectively derails any settled interpretation13), but one that in focusing 'sharply' on pictorial construction involves a reversion to the traditional principles of Gufa yongbi and Jingying weizhi. Moreover, although Chung's work clearly deviates from traditional modes of East-Asian ink and brush painting in terms of its decided non-figuration, use of modern materials and demurral from any overt personal expression associated historically with Gufa yongbi, there is an abiding sense, in relation to its openness to shifting interpretation and a consequent engendering of complex aesthetic feeling, of a trace relationship both to a meditative relinquishing of self and to the reciprocal principles signified by the combination of qi and yun.
From the perspective of deconstructivist theory/practice this reversion to tradition is necessarily to be placed under suspension (sous-rature) as unduly metaphysical; as are assertions of any essential correspondences between traditional Chinese ink and brush painting and a civilization-specific East-Asian cultural identity/habitus. It is nevertheless possible to uphold the durable relevance of traditional thought and practice to an understanding of painting in East-Asian cultural contexts; that is to say its ineluctably deconstructive differing from-deferral to (différance from-to) traces of prior linguistic significance. As a consequence, in addressing the significances of Chung's work we are left to shuttle between two structurally similar but ultimately differing interpretative frameworks.
Chung Sang-Hwa: Seven Paintings. Installation view, Lévy Gorvy, London, 2017.
1. The term 'division on a ground' as part of sixteenth and seventeenth century European music composition refers to constructions of successively higher and faster parts onto a repeating bass-line. The term is paraphrased here as analogous with Chung Sang-Hwa's accretive painterly technique. As such it is intended to signify the openness of Chung's painting to shifting cultural perspectives. A further relay of associations is implied in relation to the contemporary composer Michael Nyman's interpolation of the compositional device of division on a ground—as exemplified by the seventeenth century composition Another Division upon a Ground by Mr. P.B. (presumed to be Paul Banister)—into his soundtrack to Peter Greenaway's film The Draughtsman's Contract (1982), a quasi-deconstructive meditation on the uncertain significance of visual perception/representation. An associative rhyming of (Michael) Nyman with (Robert) Ryman extends that relay still further with regard to Chung's 'minimalist' approach.
2. Robert Storr et al., Robert Ryman, Tate, London and Museum of Modern Art, New York, 1993.
3. Frances Morris and Tiffany Bell eds., Agnes Martin, Tate, London, 2015.
4. Pamphlet accompanying the exhibition, Chung Sang–Hwa: Seven Paintings, Lévy Gorvy Gallery, London, 2017, not paginated.
7. Dominique Lévy, Chung Sang–Hwa, ex. cat. Greene Naftali, New York, 2016, p.7.
8. Anon., Chung Sang–Hwa: Seven Paintings, ex. cat., Levy Gorvy Gallery, London, 2017, p.7.
9. Zhang Dainian, Key Concepts in Chinese Philosophy, Foreign Languages Press, Beijing and Yale University Press, New Haven CN and London, 2002, pp.45-46.
10. Jason Kuo, 'Emptiness – Substance: Xushi', in Martin. J, Powers and Katherine R. Tsiang (eds.), A Companion to Chinese Art, Wiley Blackwell, Oxford, 2016, p.331.
11. Oh Kwang-Su, 'Pure Plasticity-the Art of Lee Seung-jio', in Chung Moon-jo (ed), Lee Seung-jio, ex. cat., Total Museum of Contemporary Art, Seoul, 1996, p.18.
12. Gregory L. Ulmer, 'The Object of Post-Criticism', in Foster, Hal (ed), Postmodern Culture, Pluto Press, London, 1985, pp.83-110.
13. Yves-Alain Bois, Painting as Model, MIT Press, Cambridge MA, 1991, p.16.
Chung Sang–Hwa: Seven Paintings, was shown at Lévy Gorvy Gallery, London
24 May – 17 August 2017. See https://www.levygorvy.com/exhibitions/chung-sang-hwa-seven-paintings/
Lynne Howarth-Gladston is an artist, curator and independent scholar with a PhD in critical theory from the University of Nottingham. She has exhibited her painting internationally. Paul Gladston is Professor of Contemporary Visual Cultures and Critical Theory and Director of the Centre for Contemporary East-Asian Cultural Studies at the University of Nottingham. He has written widely on contemporary Chinese art. | the Gallery's website, when viewed at first hand Chung's paintings reveal themselves, over time, as visually complex and aesthetically compelling. They are formally reminiscent of works by the internationally better known minimalist painters Robert Ryman 2 and Agnes Martin, 3 and in particular a series of grid paintings produced by the latter during the 1960s. However, when viewed in relation to the historical circumstances of painting in East-Asia their significances can be understood to diverge from those conventionally associated with western minimalism.
Chung Sang-Hwa was born in Yeongdeok, Gyeongsangbuk-do, Korea in 1932 and graduated from the oil painting department of Seoul National University in 1956; after which he adopted the assemblage-like informel style of abstract painting—a localised variant of European taschisme—then prevalent among progressive artists in South Korea. Chung moved to Paris in 1967 before relocating to Kobe, Japan, where, as the pamphlet accompanying the exhibition indicates, 'his distinctive process of the repeated application and removal of paint from the canvas was conceived and refined'.4
In 1992, Chung returned to South Korea, establishing a studio in Gyeonggi Province where he continues to live and work. He is a leading member of the loose-knit art collective known as the Monochrome Painting Group (Tansaekhwa), active in South Korea since the early 1970s. As the exhibition pamphlet also indicates, together this group developed a 'blending of tradition and innovation' that not only has intellectual/practical 'ties to Minimalism', but also 'Taoism [sic], Neo-Confucianism, and Buddhism'.
A desire to combine the formal innovation of western modernism with traditional East-Asian cultural thought and practice has not only been an aspect of the work of artists from East Asia and related diaspora, but also European, North American and other western artists, including Georgia O'Keeffe, Yves Klein, Brice Marden and Bill Viola. Chung's work is thus part of a trans-cultural tendency that seeks to mediate artistic practice as an expression of modernity through East-Asian cultural perspectives.
Artists from east and west have sought to align themselves with East-Asian cultural thought and practice—including that associated with Daoism, Confucianism, Chan/Zen Buddhism and the Korean variant of Zen known as Daam—because of their perceived consonance with notions of transformative transcendentalism and otherness espoused from its very beginnings by western high-modernism (specifically, the work of Hilma af Klint, Wassily Kandinsky and Kazimir Malevich). In the particular case of artists from East Asia this alignment also imputes continuity with traditional modes of artistic practice and therefore localised cultural identities. Historically ink and brush painting and poetry/calligraphy in East Asia have been strongly informed by notions of aesthetic resonance, spontaneity and meditative non-desiring definitive of a combination of Confucian thought with that of Daoism and Buddhism. A blending of western modernism with East-Asian cultural tradition consequently carries with it traces of localised cultural differences resistant to the hegemony of a purely western modernity.
Chung primes his canvases with water soluble glue size to which he adds Kaolin clay; a combination that provides the artist with a surface durable/malleable enough to accept repeated scoring and scraping. The grid patterns of Chung's paintings are first drawn on the reverse of the canvas support. He then folds the canvas before stripping 'the hardened material [size] from the surface in narrow bands'. He subsequently 'fills the [resulting] segments of bare canvas with acrylic paint'.5 On the basis of this studied preparation Chung is able to pursue an extended process described by the critic Oh Kwang-Su as 'taking off/removing and re-painting',6 resulting in resolutely non-expressive multi-layered surfaces. While those surfaces are at first sight unforgivingly monochromatic (with the variegated imposition of sgraffito-like grids), on extended looking, they give rise to a multitude of subtly differing tones/hues susceptible to shifting perceptions in relation to changing conditions of light and proximity—white is never simply made white (on the day of our visit to the gallery Chung's paintings at times took on a distinctly blueish caste). His non-expressive accretive approach may be interpreted as culturally resonant with Buddhist meditative practices used as a means of achieving enlightenment through suspension of the desiring self; a reading also applicable to the work of other Korean painters, such as Yun Hyong-Keun, and supported by gallerist Dominique Lévy's description of Chung's patient application of technique as 'a modality of being with the world rather than acting upon it' that is both 'meditative and physical',7 as well as a further description of Chung's paintings in the exhibition catalogue as involving a 'long engagement with ritual and process'.8
Arguably, what is also crucial to a localised understanding of Chung's work is the concept of qiyun shendong (vital energy resonance engendering a | 1,074 |
<|fim_middle|> Feb. 27. | The Dora Falcons, now ranked fourth in the state by Maxpreps.com in Class 1 boys basketball, improved their record to 18-5 with a nail-biting double-overtime victory against the Hartville Eagles Friday, Feb. 2. The team – with its four freshmen, including Isaac Haney and Dora head coach Rick Luna's triplet sons Bryson, Mason and Auston – continues to garner southwest Missouri attention for its success in Class 1 basketball.
The Falcons, avenging a previous loss to Hartville in the championship round of the Mountain Grove tournament, were led by Haney, who racked up a game-high 33 points against the Eagles.
Bryson Luna scored 14 points, followed by Mason Luna with 11 and Auston Luna and Brent McKemie with 5 each.
The Falcons traveled to Walnut Grove Tuesday; details of that game were not available at press time. They will host Lutie on Friday, Feb. 9, and will end their regular season with a road game at Bakersfield on Tuesday, Feb. 13, before heading into the Class 1 district tournament | 236 |
Offices can be noisy and distracting. This helmet design looks to cancel noise and give you a distraction-free work environment.
Offices can be noisy, especially if you work in one of those trendy open-concept environments. Sometimes you can go through a roster of productivity habits -- meditation, isolation, setting a timer -- and still get sidetracked. One company from Ukraine developed a helmet that will certainly help even the most distracted workers.
Design company Hochu<|fim_middle|> a microphone, Bluetooth capabilities, and a camera for virtual meetings. It even has room for your smartphone.
The most potentially dangerous part of the Helmfon? It can play movies and videos or other personal VR uses. Because of its soundproof nature, no one will tell the difference between a user making a Skype appointment or catching up on the latest Game of Thrones episode. While distractions outside of the helmet will be diminished, distractions inside the helmet could be just as prevalent.
The company noted it would "allow you to be in two worlds just sitting on your chair in the office, in a meeting or everywhere you feel like just wearing your helmet." The name itself comes from combining "helmet" and "phone" -- the perfect mix between the two key design features. The fiberglass shell keeps the polyethylene cloth interior safe. The nitro paint is an added bonus.
The company created Helmfon as a project for a local company. In September 2016, Limelight Networks approached Hochu Rayu needing more meeting rooms in an already small office. According to Hochu Rayu, these effective meeting spaces would be 3 m x 3 m areas for Skype calls per one employee.
"We did the interior design for that company a half year before, so we know how much space was taken by this type of meeting rooms and didn't want to fill the space in this useless way anymore," the company noted on its website.
"[The Company] decided to look further into this problem, suggesting a new way to organize the office space and started working on creating the tool, which will allow a person to make Skype calls just sitting in his/her space without disturbing colleagues... We aimed to create a thing which would help concentrate on working processes and use office time efficiently."
It also saves a company time and hassle in organizing a meeting room. Helmfon gives multiple employees the ability to branch out with various calls rather than all committing to one meeting room with one client.
The helmet went through testing at Ukraine's largest IT event called the IT Arena. Hochu Rayu executives noted in a press release that several companies approached them to get the helmets in their own offices. Several investors are also testing the helmets as part of virtual meeting spaces.
Would you invest in one of these helmets? What gadgets do you use to cancel noise and focus? Leave your answers and suggestions in the comments section below! | Rayu invented the Helmfon, your own compact isolation chamber. The helmet itself looks eerily similar to Marvin the Paranoid Robot in Douglas Adams's Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy. However, it's more than a noise-canceling tool. It comes equipped with | 54 |
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So Much Things to Say: The Oral History of Bob Marley
Roger Steffens
An oral history of the legendary reggae singer, drawn from interviews with more than seventy-five friends, business managers, relatives and confidants?many speaking publicly for the first time.
<script src="//lithub.com<|fim_middle|> whim, whose every decision doesn't feel freighted with potentially world-historical significance ... Steffens generally resists hagiography ... In contrast to other popular Marley books, in which every detail merely anticipates the singer's eventual breakthrough, Steffens's contribution is his nerdish monomania...Steffens is largely here to direct traffic. But his authority derives from exhausting every possibility.
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Marcus J. Moore
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Gustavus Stadler
Mozart: The Reign of Love
Heart Full of Rhythm
Ricky Riccardi
150 Glimpses of the Beatles
Craig Brown
What did you think of So Much Things to Say: The Oral History of Bob Marley? | /b/v1/bookmarks.js?ver=1.3"></script> <div class="bm-reviews" data-isbn="978-0393058451" data-width="auto" data-link="true"> </div>
Positive Touré,
A rich new oral biography called So Much Things to Say, by the reggae scholar Roger Steffens, narrates the life of Marley from cradle to grave through interviews Steffens has collected over the years from Marley, his mother, his wife, his last girlfriend, several of his children, his musical partners Bunny Wailer and Peter Tosh, and many more. Steffens has been on the Marley case for decades, and he's a crucial voice in this epic chorus ... The book digresses at times into trivia for the superfans — we learn that Marley's favorite meal was Irish moss, a form of seaweed — but there's a lot that's illuminating.
Positive Jason Rhode,
There is an immediacy to related experience that casts rumor and exaggeration into distorted shadows. How many words have been written about 'No Woman, No Cry,' and how pale do those stories look when the actual circumstances of its composition are related? The outlines of Marley's well-known life history are present in this book. But here, like in a historical novel, we discover new details. Marley is not a demigod here, but an unwanted boy who fell upon the gift of brightening the world ... So Much Things to Say reveals a Marley of flesh and blood who passed too young in a world that was never too old to learn. 'In the abundance of water, the fool is thirsty,' the singer said, and there is water aplenty here. Drink and be satisfied.
Positive Hua Hsu,
What emerges isn't a different Marley so much as one who feels a bit more human, given to moments of diffidence and | 399 |
Projects Educational Institutions NJSDA Elementary School #3 Design-Build
Waste Classification
Health and Safety Plan (HASP)
Storm water Management Recommendations
Design Vent System
Contaminated Material Handling Plan
Grading Plan
Geotechnical and Environmental Related Design Support Services
Site-Civil Engineering
Site Utilities and Lighting
Site Permitting: Site Plan, SE&SC, Sewer Connection and Treatment Work Approval
QA/QC Plan
Drainage Plan
New Jersey Schools Development Authority
1 West State Street
Dobco, Inc./RSC Architects Design-Build Team
Project Cost: $185,000
The New Jersey Schools Development Authority (NJSDA) retained the Design-Build Team of Dobco, Inc. and RSC Architects (Dobco/RSC) to construct a new Elementary School #3 facility in Jersey City. Distinct Engineering Solutions, Inc. (DESI) was part of the Dobco/RSC Team to provide comprehensive Site-Civil and Environmental Engineering services. DESI prepared plans for grading, drainage, stormwater management, utilities and lighting. DESI provided waste classification of soils, prepared a Health & Safety Plan, Material Handling Plan, and QA/QC Plan. DESI also obtained permits required, including for the site plan, sewer connection and Treatment Works Approval, and Soil Eros<|fim_middle|>011 Capital Portfolio. The 2.8-acre site for the new school was formerly home to industrial buildings. The new 122,000 square foot elementary school facility was designed to educate approximately 775 students from pre-kindergarten through fifth grades. The school is the fourth new building constructed by the NJSDA in Jersey City to relieve overcrowding in the district. | ion & Sediment Control.
The NJSDA selected Elementary School #3 for advancement as part of its 2 | 23 |
Infused Performing Arts Half-Time Show
Added by Indo American News on April 7, 2016.
Photos by Murali Santhana
Click here for Photo Collage
By Vanshika Vipin
HOUSTON: There was a wonderful surprise in store at the Houston Rockets vs. Oklahoma City (OKC) game on Sunday, April 3. The Infused Performing Arts Bollywood Dance Company & Dance School presented their 4th halftime performance, wherein 30 talented artists represented the best of Bollywood.
The dazzling medley included classical, folk, Bollywood, hip-hop, bhangra, and kuthu styles of dance featured in just 5 minutes. The spectacular performance had amazing lifts and stunts by Infused Dance Company, which is also known for the largest group of male dancers in Houston. Naturally, the songs had to be a super-hit mix, and the list included current favorite Pinga with other popular numbers like Apsara Aali, Malhaari, BannoTera Swagger, and a Fast Beats Medley.
Apart from the superb dancing, the audience was equally taken in by the colorful vermillion-and-blue shaded costumes of the dancers. The performers looked resplendent in their bright costumes, with their hair done and make-up done in the typical traditional manner, with an addition of gorgeous flowers in the hair.
It was interesting to see artists of all ages perform in unison, with the younger ones doing as well as the more experienced members.
The incredible lighting by Balu Madhu and Kiran Asokan, which was done for the first time by a Bollywood Dance Company, ensured that the entire Toyota Center was blacked out and the focus was only on the center stage. And why not? It's not every day you get to see a Bollywood medley with superb dance, music, choreography and costumes.
The energetic dancers set the stage on fire, and added that extra zing by not limiting themselves to the stage and making the performance interactive.
Incidentally, the verdict of the basketball game was: Rockets beat OKC 118 to 110. Was it thanks to Infusion doubling up as a lucky charm? We certainly think so! The Infusion luck has always worked as every time Infused performed the halftime show (this is their 4th year in a row), Rockets have beat different opponents at EVERY game.
Infused Performing Arts provides Bollywood dance classes and custom choreography for special occasions and competitions, for all ages at their studios in Stafford, Pearland, Katy, and Dallas. Choreographers Kiron Kumar and Tina Bose, a husband-wife-duo, are highly experienced, well-trained professional performers and dance teachers, who also directed and choreographed this act.
After the game<|fim_middle|> their 6th Annual Production 'INFUSION 2016' will be held on November 19, 2016 at Stafford Civic Centre. Mark your dates, Bollywood fans!
For further details contact them at 724-638-7338 or visit www.infusedperformingarts.com
You can watch the performance video at: https://vimeo.com/161491325
Photography: Murali Santhana
Videography: AUME Motion Arts | , a visibly overjoyed Tina said: "We have been practicing for two whole months! I am so happy with the performance. The lighting and cheering by the audience while and after our performance, added to my joy. Our hard work has paid off! I'd especially like to thank Rathna Kumar of Anjali Center and Vipin Kumar of India House for giving us space for our practices."
For those who want to enjoy some of their upcoming shows, their 3rd Bollywood Blast Production 'Kaleidoscope' will be held at Miller Outdoor Theatre on Sunday, September 4. Dancers who wish to be a part of their troupe can attend auditions for the same that will be held at Anjali Centre on May 8 (5-7pm). Also | 160 |
City National Bank Launches Power Project Finance Team
Experienced bankers to offer comprehensive financial solutions for renewable energy projects
City National Bank, America's Premier Private and Business Bank®, announced today that it has launched a power project finance team. Led by industry veteran Craig Robb, the team will provide City National's full range of financial solutions to businesses and entrepreneurs developing and managing energy projects, with a focus on renewable energy projects nationwide.
"The U.S. power market is evolving and seeking intelligent, sustainable energy solutions," said Aaron Cohen, executive vice president and manager of City National's structured finance division in Los Angeles. "City National is forming this new team to service the many banking needs of this growing and changing market. We're so pleased to have such an industry expert with strong connections in the field like Craig Robb join City National."
City National has a long history of successfully financing specialized industry areas such as entertainment, restaurant franchises, food and beverage, and the legal and healthcare industries, among others.<|fim_middle|> to join this outstanding institution," said Robb. "The legacy of unique, customized customer service and solutions here at City National is well suited to all those involved in the development and ownership of renewable energy projects."
Robb has nearly two decades of financial services experience. Prior to joining City National, he spent more than 16 years at Zions Bancorporation, most recently serving as managing director of Zions Energy Link.
Robb is a CPA, holding a B.S. in accounting from Arizona State University. He plans to remain active in various Arizona-based civic and community organizations.
To see an image of Robb, go to https://www.cnb.com/publishingimages/Craig-Robb.jpg
To see an image of Bouvet, go to https://www.cnb.com/publishingimages/Jonathan-Bouvet.jpg
To see an image of the team, go to https://www.cnb.com/publishingimages/Robb-Bouvet-Photo.jpg | This new initiative is expected to be just as successful in part because of opportunities from legislation passed last year that commits California to 100 percent clean electricity by 2045. Senate Bill 100 requires the state to power its electricity from clean sources like hydropower, wind and solar.
Robb's team includes Jonathan M. Bouvet, who previously served as vice president at Zions Energy Link, a subsidiary of Zions Bancorporation that specializes in the sustainable energy finance sector. Bouvet is a vice president and credit officer and reports to Robb. They are both based in Phoenix.
"With City National recently celebrating its 65th year anniversary of success and strong growth, I am so pleased | 147 |
Artful Diplomacy: 80,000 stockpiled tons of frozen chicken for F-16s?
Ben Berkowitz wrote a special report on weapons and the art of diplomacy here. I'm sure this would make for some uncomfortable reading out there. And for diplomats who had to rope in sponsors contributors for the official USG 4th of July receptions, this is the answer begging for questions.
But the thing about F-16s and 80,000 stockpiled tons of frozen chicken sure gets your attention.
I must say that had this deal went through, some lucky guy would have been put in for the Charles E. Cobb, Jr. Award for Initiative and Success in Trade Development which recognizes outstanding contributions toward innovative and successful trade development and export promotion for the United States, including "energy and imagination in assisting U.S. manufacturers, retailers and distributors, banks investment firms, venture capital organizations, travel agents, airlines, and other exporters of U.S. goods and services." The award includes a certificate signed by the Secretary and $5,000.
Or the Herbert Salzman Award for Excellence in International Economic Performance for outstanding contributions in advancing U.S. international relations and objectives in the economic field. This award includes a certificate signed by the Secretary and $5,000.
Or who knows? Perhaps even the Secretary's Distinguished Service Award. This one is presented at the discretion of the Secretary in recognition of exceptionally outstanding leadership, professional competence, and significant accomplishment over a sustained period of time in the field of foreign affairs. Such achievements must be of notable national or international significance and have made an important contribution to the advancement<|fim_middle|> Thai government didn't want to pay cash. Instead, it proposed trading 80,000 stockpiled tons of frozen chicken.
"By the time I was retired from the Foreign Service, which was 1998, things had changed fundamentally and being an active participant in the commercial program and promoting trade using the prestige of the ambassador and receptions held at the embassy or at the ambassador's residence was an important part of what I did," said Tom Niles, the former U.S. ambassador to Canada, the European Union and Greece.
"We might have been a little bit late to the game. The Europeans understood the crucial role of foreign trade in the growth and development of their economies before we did," Niles said.
Wahba, the former UAE ambassador, concurred.
"Oftentimes European ambassadors, that's all they're there for," she said, adding it would be hard to see the reason otherwise for some countries to have embassies in the first place.
Read this pretty interesting report in full here. Sorry, I still can't get my head around the 80,000 tons of frozen chicken, can you? I mean — would we have known if that chicken in the local grocery store was swapped for F-16s? Most probably not. It's not like that's the best c'mon to pitch stockpiled frozen chickens.
In How to Run the World Parag Khanna writes, "It's only a matter of time before an uber-corporation issues its own passport with pre-negotiatied visa-free access to countries large and small." You think? Note the "new diplomacy" and the corporate logos here?
A native of Los Angeles, California, Ambassador Grossman graduated from the University of California, Santa Barbara and later received an MSc. in International Relations from the London School of Economics and Political Science. As a result of his outstanding service to his country, Ambassador Grossman is the recipient of numerous honors and awards. He attained the Foreign Service's highest rank in 2004 when the President appointed him to the rank of Career Ambassador; he received the Secretary of State's Distinguished Service Award the following year.
As promised, we are launching a diplomatic surge to move this conflict toward a political outcome that shatters the alliance between the Taliban and al-Qaida, ends the insurgency, and helps to produce not only a more stable Afghanistan but a more stable region.
Now, of course, we had always envisioned Richard Holbrooke leading this effort. He was an architect of our integrated military-civilian-diplomatic strategy, and we feel his loss so keenly.
But Richard left us a solid foundation. Over the past two years, he built an exceptional team and a strong working relationships with our allies and regional partners.
And today, I am pleased to announce that the President and I have called back to service Ambassador Marc Grossman, a veteran diplomat and one of Richard's most esteemed colleagues, as our new Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan. Ambassador Grossman's first tour in the Foreign Service was in Pakistan. He knows our allies and understands how to mobilize common action to meet shared challenges. He played a crucial role in the Dayton talks, and Richard described him in a memorable book that Richard wrote as "one of the most outstanding career diplomats." Ambassador Grossman has followed in Richard's shoes before when he served as Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs in the '90s, and I am absolutely confident in his ability to hit the ground running.
Now, Ambassador Grossman and the rest of his interagency team will marshal the full range of our policy resources to support responsible, Afghan-led reconciliation that brings the conflict to a peaceful conclusion, and to actively engage with states in the region and the international community to advance that process.
As I said, important groundwork has already been laid, both by Richard and his team, and by the Afghans themselves.
Michael O'Hanlon, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institute who specializes in national security and defense issues, says the administration first and foremost wanted someone with established diplomatic credentials.
Senior administration officials confirmed to "The Washington Post" and "The New York Times" that among the candidates considered were Nicholas Burns, former undersecretary of state for political affairs under President George W. Bush; Strobe Talbott, former deputy assistant secretary of state under President Bill Clinton; former U.S. Ambassador to Egypt Frank Wisner; and former Clinton Chief of Staff John Podesta.
O'Hanlon says Grossman has "probably as many [attributes for the job] as you're going to find in any one person" and says his deep knowledge of how the State Department works is going to come in handy as he tries to integrate the various government bureaucracies that come into play in the White House's Af-Pak strategy.
So why does he think Grossman said yes when others said no? "It's exciting to be engaged in some of the most challenging and yet some of the most important foreign policy issues we face today, to be in a position of leadership on those issues," he says.
It'll be interesting to see who follows Ambassador Grossman to the Af/Pak interagency team. When the late Richard Holbrooke put together his group, the then DCM at the US Embassy in Manila, Paul Jones (now US Ambassador to KL) was pulled into Af/Pak and became his number #2 and other guy at the SCA bureau. Ambassador Grossman had nearly 30 years with the State Department. He worked with a good number of folks. Ambassador Ricciardone who is on a recess appointment in Ankara was previously Grossman's DCM there. Another old Turkey hand, Scott Kilner, now Consul General in Istanbul was Grossman's Econ Counselor in Ankara.
I'm sure we'll see some new faces in that interagency team.
Pamela L. Spratlen, of California, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Kyrgyz Republic.
Sue Kathrine Brown, of Texas, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to Montenegro.
David Lee Carden, of New York, to be Representative of the United States of America to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, with the rank of Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary.
Eric G. Postel, of Wisconsin, to be an Assistant Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development, vice Jacqueline Ellen Schafer, resigned.
The United States, and the entire world, continues to be outraged by the appalling violence against the Libyan people. The United States is helping to lead an international effort to deter further violence, put in place unprecedented sanctions to hold the Qaddafi government accountable, and support the aspirations of the Libyan people.
We are also responding quickly to the urgent humanitarian needs that are developing. Tens of thousands of people —- from many different countries —- are fleeing Libya, and we commend the governments of Tunisia and Egypt for their response, even as they go through their own political transitions. I have, therefore, approved the use of U.S. military aircraft to help move Egyptians who have fled to the Tunisian border to get back home to Egypt. I've authorized USAID to charter additional civilian aircraft to help people from other countries find their way home, and we're supporting the efforts of international organizations to evacuate people as well.
I've also directed USAID to send humanitarian assistance teams to the Libyan border, so that they can work with the United Nations, NGOs and other international partners inside Libya to address the urgent needs of the Libyan people.
Going forward, we will continue to send a clear message: The violence must stop. Muammar Qaddafi has lost the legitimacy to lead and he must leave. Those who perpetrate violence against the Libyan people will be held accountable. And the aspirations of the Libyan people for freedom, democracy and dignity must be met.
The American Forces Press Service reported that Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates has ordered the U.S. Africa Command to take the lead for defense planning regarding the situation in Libya. The report estimates that 180,000 people have fled Libya, many gathering along the border with Tunisia and states that DOD will continue to work in close coordination with the State Department and other agencies as needed. | of U. S. national interests.
NEW YORK (Reuters) – When Lockheed Martin wanted to sell C-130 military transport planes to the government of Chad in early 2007, the U.S. embassy in N'Djamena was ready to lend a hand.
The embassy in Chad is hardly an outlier. A review of thousands of pages of diplomatic cables from the last decade, obtained by WikiLeaks and provided to Reuters by a third party, paints a picture of foreign service officers and political appointees willing to go to great lengths to sell American products and services, and to prevent similar sales by other countries.
"The U.S. Government has broad, though not unlimited, discretion to promote and assist U.S. commercial interests abroad. We, of course, cannot do so in contravention of local laws," a State Department spokesman said in response to queries on a series of cables.
Seasoned diplomats point to a shift in the early 1990s, after the introduction of what was sometimes referred to as a "Bill of Rights for U.S. Business" by former Secretary of State Lawrence Eagleburger. A career foreign service officer, Eagleburger wanted corporate America to have a say in matters of interest internationally — a big change from how things had been done.
Marcelle Wahba, the career diplomat who was ambassador to the United Arab Emirates at the time, said such interactions were what was expected of American diplomats by the turn of the 21st Century.
One cable that underlines the persistence of U.S. diplomats trying to close a deal involves weapons and lots and lots of frozen chickens.
In 2005, the Thai government started shopping for new military fighter jets among Lockheed Martin, Russia's Sukhoi and Sweden's Saab.[…] For the embassy in Bangkok, winning achieved two goals: helping Lockheed and keeping the Russians from selling planes. There was, however, a small complication with the terms — the | 396 |
Williams-S<|fim_middle|> calling for earnings of $4.60 per share at its midpoint guidance, ahead of the $4.47 per share that Wall Street predicts. The company sees its salted at around $5.67 billion to $5.84 billion, compared to analysts' $5.74 billion.
WSM stock is up 2.6% after hours Wednesday following the strong quarterly results. Shares had been up 0.2% during regular trading hours in anticipation of the company's results.
Article printed from InvestorPlace Media, https://investorplace.com/2019/03/williams-sonoma-earnings-wsm-stock-2/. | onoma (NYSE:WSM) posted its quarterly earnings results late in the afternoon today, accruing a strong profit that helped to lift WSM stock after the bell–an encouraging guidance for the new fiscal year also played a role in shares gaining.
The San Francisco-based kitchenware and home furnishings business tallied up a fourth-quarter income of $2.10 per share, ahead of the $1.96 per share that the Wall Street guidance predicted. Revenue was also ahead of the mark at $1.84 billion as analysts saw the company raking in sales of $1.8 billion.
Both figures were also above Williams-Sonoma's fourth-quarter guidance — which it shared during its third-quarter report in November — that predicted earnings of $1.88 to $1.99 per share. The company also saw revenue as reaching somewhere between $1.73 billion and $1.83 billion.
Consensus Metrix predicted that the business' sales would be higher by 1.1% when compared to the year-ago quarter, and the company shattered this projection as its comps gained 2.4%. This metric was up 0.1% at Williams-Sonoma brand stores, down 0.4% at Pottery Barn, as well as up 11.1% at West Elm.
Analysts saw Williams-Sonoma stores as bringing in a comps gain of 1.1%, up 0.8% at Pottery Barn and gaining 6.9% at West Elm.
For its fiscal 2019, the business is | 328 |
Physicists and engineers at the University of Leicester and the<|fim_middle|> is based at Goose Green, a remote community which was the site of a famous battle during the 1982 Falklands conflict.
More information on the UK's contribution to SuperDARN can be found at www.superdarn.ac.uk. | British Antarctic Survey (BAS) have installed a radar system on the Falkland Islands to monitor the upper atmosphere activity which creates the 'Southern Lights'.
The University's Radio and Space Plasma Physics Research Group already operates radars in Iceland and Finland which measure activity in the Arctic region. Now, in partnership with BAS, they are able to do the same in the Antarctic. The radar station itself is a group of 16 fifty-foot aerials which can bounce radio signals off charged particles in the ionosphere.
The new radar joins a network of 22 such radars, the international Super Dual Auroral Radar Network or SuperDARN. Data from SuperDARN is made available across the internet in real time, monitoring the upper atmosphere to understand its link with the lower atmosphere, where our weather is, and the impact of the Sun's 'solar wind' on our environment.
Solar wind particles are carried to Earth where our planet's magnetic field focuses them towards the poles where they collide with atmospheric particles, creating the spectacular light effects of the Northern Lights (aurora borealis) and Southern Lights (aurora australis).
The Falklands radar is funded by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC).
It is a collaboration between the University of Leicester, which supplied the masts, and BAS, which provided the electronic equipment.
The radar station was built with the aid of engineers from Leicester and BAS over several weeks at the start of this year and went operational on 14 February. It | 302 |
Okay, this is made without any peeks at other ideas, so I don't know if I am copying someone and if so, sorry.
Anyway, Antithesis (or whatever name would be appropriate) is the literal opposite to Goddess. He is a being of the Void, the most pure form of Shadow. His appearance is that of a massive<|fim_middle|> also cause a darkening of the hero's vision, so he cannot be spotted easily.
So, yeah. Tell me what you guys think. Is he too complicated? Too much reliance on environment? Too generic? Or just plain too terrifying for a game like this? | hooded being, easily twenty times the size of a Trovian. Purple eyes glare out from the hood of the cloak, and smoke of the same color pours from said eyes. His very purpose is to corrupt or destroy all that is good in the world. Sunlight is incredibly harmful to him and he wishes to see the sun itself snuffed out so he can walk the earth and gaze upon his new kingdom.
Now, for mechanics. Antithesis floats over a pit of darkness, where Shadow Knights endlessly spawn until their master is defeated. Thankfully, the Goddess herself is able to shine upon our heroes if they can find a way to open up the arena to the sun. Perhaps a complicated series of mirrors can act as a way to weaken the titan of shadow. He does take damage from ranged attacks, and focuses his might on those who damage him the most. Melee users will be able to fight off the Shadow Knights and search for the switch or mechanism needed to bring the Void-walker to the ground. Whenever the sun shines on him, the pit he floats over is revealed to be a portal of his own design, and the sunlight banishes the portal while it shines upon him. This is the time to strike, as he will be defenseless as he builds up enough power to smash the mirror or light-bringing mechanism to pieces. Even then, if enough light is put on him, it would cause him to be unable to retaliate.
That is, until he reaches his final form. If he is enraged enough, he will destroy any possible way of bringing light to the room, and enter a second phase. Black tentacles sprout from the bottom his cloak, and his gleaming claws are revealed. If he is brought to this state, he will no longer summon Shadow Knights, but instead attack by himself, flying very quickly and swiping all around the arena. This is where the abilities would come in.
Shadow Slash: An incredibly quick series of slashes with his claws and tentacles, damaging anything in front of him.
Void-roar: This attack signals that Antithesis is getting close to death. It will push everyone away from him in a desperate bid to confuse the heroes. It will | 447 |
>Irish Journal of Psychological Medicine
>Profiling third-level student mental health: findings...
Irish Journal of Psychological Medicine
Profiling third-level student mental health: findings from My World Survey 2
Ciara Mahon [Opens in a new window] ,
Amanda Fitzgerald [Opens in a new window] ,
Aileen O'Reilly [Opens in a new window] and
Barbara Dooley
Ciara Mahon
School of Psychology, University College Dublin, Dublin 4, Ireland
Amanda Fitzgerald
Aileen O'Reilly
School of Psychology, University College Dublin, Dublin 4, Ireland Jigsaw, The National Centre for Youth Mental Health, Dublin 2, Ireland
Barbara Dooley*
Address for correspondence: Dr B. Dooley, PhD, Dean of Graduate Studies and Deputy Registrar, School of Psychology, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland. (Email: Barbara.dooley@ucd.ie)
This study aimed to identify risk and protective factors for mental health across student cohorts to guide mental health provision.
Cross-sectional data from the My World Survey 2-Post Second Level (MWS2-PSL) were used. The sample consisted of N = 9935 students (18–65 years) from 12 third-level institutions (7 out of 7 universities and 5 out of 14 Institute of Technologies (IoTs)) across Ireland. Key outcomes of interest were depression, anxiety and suicidality. Risk factors included drug/alcohol use, risky sexual behaviours and exposure to stressors. Protective factors included coping strategies, help-seeking, resilience, self-esteem, life satisfaction, optimism and social support. These factors were profiled by degree type (undergraduate, postgraduate taught, postgraduate research), access route, and institution type (IoT, university). Chi-square tests of Independence and one-way ANOVAs compared groups on key risk and protective factors.
A total 71% of respondents were female, 85% were aged 23 or under and there was a 2.2% response rate in IoTs versus 10.6% in university students. Undergraduates demonstrated higher levels of depression, anxiety, self-harm and suicidal ideation than postgraduates. Undergraduates showed higher risk and lower protective factors than postgraduates. Students attending Institutes of Technology reported higher levels of depression and anxiety, lower protective and higher risk factors than university students.
In this sample of students, undergraduates, especially those attending Institutes of Technology, were at increased risk of mental health difficulties. Findings suggest the need to tailor interventions to meet cohort needs, and consider the differing vulnerabilities and strengths across student cohorts. Due to limitations of this study, such as selection bias, further research is warranted.
Student mental healththird-levelrisk and protective factorsstudent cohortdepressionanxiety
Irish Journal of Psychological Medicine , First View , pp. 1 - 9
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/ipm.2021.85[Opens in a new window]
© The Author(s), 2022. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of The College of Psychiatrists of Ireland
Globally, the prevalence, severity and complexity of mental health issues among students in higher education institutions (HEIs) have increased in the last decade (Lipson et al., Reference Lipson, Lattie and Eisenberg2019). HEIs are struggling to meet growing demands for mental health services (Xiao et al., Reference Xiao, Carney, Youn, Janis, Castonguay, Hayes and Locke2017; Fox et al., Reference Fox, Byrne, Surdey, Team, Woods and O'Donovan2020). A World Health Organisation (WHO) report found that 35% of first year university students screened positive for at least one psychological disorder, with anxiety and depression the most common conditions reported (Auerbach et al., Reference Auerbach, Mortier, Bruffaerts, Alonso, Benjet and Cuijpers2018). Anxiety and depression are often associated with suicidality and self-harm, which are also prevalent in university students (Mortier et al., Reference Mortier, Cuijpers, Kiekens, Auerbach, Demyttenaere and Green2018).
Although higher education can offer opportunities for growth and maturation, it can expose individuals to stressors including living away from home, managing increased social and financial independence, balancing work/family/student responsibilities, experimenting with drugs/alcohol/sexual behaviours and experiencing pressures to succeed in competitive job markets (Bewick et al., Reference Bewick, Koutsopouloub, Miles, Slaad and Barkham2010; Cleary et al., Reference Cleary, Walter and Jackson2011; Auerbach et al., Reference Auerbach, Mortier, Bruffaerts, Alonso, Benjet and Cuijpers2018). It is therefore unsurprising that third-level students generally demonstrate higher levels of psychological distress compared to non-university age-matched peers (Houghton et al., Reference Houghton, Keane, Houghton and Dunne2010; Karwig et al., Reference Karwig, Chambers and Murphy2015; Evans et al., Reference Evans, Bira, Gastelum, Weiss and Vanderford2018). This is problematic, not only because of the adverse psychological and socioemotional outcomes associated with mental ill health, but also the negative influence that poor mental health has on course completion and academic performance (Collins & Mowbray, Reference Collins and Mowbray2005; Lipson et al., Reference Lipson, Lattie and Eisenberg2019).
HEIs may be well placed to address students' mental health concerns as they constitute single settings that integrate many important aspects of students' lives including academic and social life, health/support services and residences (Hunt & Eisenberg, Reference Hunt and Eisenberg2010). Efforts to promote student mental health need to be guided by robust and comprehensive data on risk and protective factors across various student cohorts (Orygen, 2017).
Established risk factors for poorer student mental health include being female (Bayram & Bilgel, Reference Bayram and Bilgel2008), younger (first year undergraduate student; Dyson & Renk, Reference Dyson and Renk2006), an international student (Hefner & Eisenberg, Reference Hefner and Eisenberg2009), socioeconomically disadvantaged (Stallman, Reference Stallman2010), having a disability/mental health difficulty (Association for Higher Education and Disability [AHEAD], 2018) and belonging to a sexual or gender minority (Smithies & Byrom, Reference Smithies and Byrom2018; Horwitz et al., Reference Horwitz, McGuire, Busby, Eisenberg, Zheng and Pistorello2020b). Alcohol and drug use (Lanier et al., Reference Lanier, Nicholson and Duncan2001) and risky sexual behaviours (e.g., unprotected sex) are also associated with poorer mental health outcomes in students. Peer risks include experiencing non-consensual touching/sex (Pinsky et al., Reference Pinsky, Shepard, Bird, Gilmore, Norris and Davis2017), while family risks include having a parent with a mental health difficulty and/or addiction (Bennett et al., Reference Bennett, Brewer and Rankin2012).
Less research has focused on protective factors among students, which are assets that can support an individual's capacity to successfully respond to life's stresses (Monteiro et al., Reference Monteiro, Pereira and Relvas2015). However, resilience (Hartley, Reference Hartley2013), optimism (Morton et al., Reference Morton, Mergler and Boman2014), life satisfaction (Renshaw & Cohen, Reference Renshaw and Cohen2014), self-esteem (Ni et al., Reference Ni, Liu, Hua, Lv, Wang and Yan2010), social support (Hefner & Eisenberg, Reference Hefner and Eisenberg2009), low avoidance coping and high problem-focused coping (Ni et al., Reference Ni, Liu, Hua, Lv, Wang and Yan2010) have been identified as protective factors in third-level students. Help-seeking behaviour is another protective factor, yet many students fail to disclose disabilities/mental health difficulties, and as many as half of students fail to seek help for their mental health concerns (Thorley, Reference Thorley2017). Therefore, identifying ways to enhance protective factors for mental health is important for directing preventative action in the area of student mental health (Shortt & Spence, Reference Shortt and Spence2006).
While many risk/protective factors have been identified, little research has investigated how these factors profile across different student cohorts. Given the diversification of the student profile in recent years due to national policies endorsing equity of access to higher education, and the putative role of diversification in the growth of student mental health issues (Said et al., Reference Said, Kypri and Bowman2013; Hill et al., Reference Hill, Farrelly, Clarke and Cannon2020), it is important to document mental health across cohorts, so that service provision can accurately address students' mental health needs and target more "at risk" groups (Fox et al., Reference Fox, Byrne, Surdey, Team, Woods and O'Donovan2020).
There is an emerging body of research examining differences in mental health, risk and protective factors across student cohorts, including undergraduates, postgraduates, "at risk" student groups and students attending varying institution types. There is some evidence to suggest that postgraduate taught (PGT) and postgraduate research (PGR) students exhibit greater help-seeking behaviours than undergraduates, but they are less likely to disclose mental health difficulties. Postgraduates also experience particular stressors such as poor work-life balance, unsupportive relationships with supervisors and high workload/expectations, but their ability to cope with stressors tends to exceed that of undergraduates (Wyatt & Oswalt, Reference Wyatt and Oswalt2013; Evans et al., Reference Evans, Bira, Gastelum, Weiss and Vanderford2018). A finding by the Higher Education Authority (HEA, 2015), suggests that in Ireland, students on access routes that facilitate admission to higher education among students from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds (Higher Education Access Route; HEAR) and students whose disabilities have impacted their second-level education (Disability Access Route to Education; DARE) are at increased risk of mental health difficulties. Additionally, mature students, defined by the HEA as students aged 23 years and above, are a cohort that may face additional pressures of managing their studies alongside family/caregiver responsibilities and finances (Tones et al., Reference Tones, Fraser, Elder and White2009). Furthermore, there is evidence internationally that students in community colleges report more severe psychological concerns than traditional university students (Katz & Davison, Reference Katz and Davison2014). Therefore, it is worth investigating whether there are differences in risk and protective factors for mental health between the two main third-level institution types in Ireland – universities and Institutes of Technology (IoTs) – which differ in educational aims, student profiles, size, culture, resources, strategic priorities, models of care and supports for student mental health (Harvey et al., Reference Harvey, Sheils, Carroll, Frawley, Patterson and Pigott2020; Hill et al., Reference Hill, Farrelly, Clarke and Cannon2020).
The literature cites an emerging "crisis" in student mental health and the extent of mental health problems in undergraduates versus postgraduates is widely contested (Evans et al., Reference Evans, Bira, Gastelum, Weiss and Vanderford2018), yet there are little robust data to inform these debates (Metcalfe et al., Reference Metcalfe, Wilson and Levecque2018). Current studies also fail to incorporate a wide range of risk/protective factors together in a single study and provide a less comprehensive understanding of the range of factors involved in mental health (Shortt & Spence, Reference Shortt and Spence2006). Finally, data on student mental health in Irish universities and IoTs are limited (Hill et al., Reference Hill, Farrelly, Clarke and Cannon2020) and little is known about the risk/protective factors for mental health relevant to potentially vulnerable student cohorts including HEAR, DARE or mature students.
This study sought to address these gaps by profiling a wide range of risk and protective factors for mental health across degree type (undergraduate, PGT, PGR), access route (HEAR, DARE, mature, traditional entry) and institution type (universities, IoTs) in a large sample of third-level students in Ireland.
This was a convenience sample of 9935 students aged 18–65+ years, drawn from the post-second level subset of the national cross-sectional study My World Survey 2 (MWS2-PSL). Data from the MWS-PSL were collected from 12 third-level institutions across Ireland, including 5 out of 14 IoTs (37.5%) and 7 out of 7 universities (100%).Footnote 1
On receiving ethical approval from the researcher's host institution, Registrars (or equivalent) of all third-level institutions were contacted about the research. If the Registrar was agreeable to the study, a designated member of staff within the institution was appointed to send an email to all registered students informing them of the study and inviting them to participate. The email contained a weblink to the information sheet, consent form and survey, which was administered using Qualtrics software. Participants were required to provide consent before proceeding to the survey and were debriefed and thanked on completion.
College and socio-demographic factors
Participants were asked to indicate their institution status (university or IoT), degree type (undergraduate, PGT or PGR) and access route (HEAR, DARE, traditional entry or mature). Participants were also asked to provide their gender, age, ethnicity and sexual orientation.
The Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS; Lovibond & Lovibond, Reference Lovibond and Lovibond1995) measures the frequency and severity of participants' experiences of negative emotions in the past week. The depression and anxiety subscales of the DASS were used. Frequency ratings are made on a 4-point Likert scale. Recommended cut-off scores classify participants as displaying low, mild, moderate, severe or very severe levels of depression and anxiety. The DASS has consistently been found to be reliable and valid (Crawford & Henry, Reference Crawford and Henry2003; Tully et al., Reference Tully, Zajac and Venning2009).
Suicidality was measured using three items (see supplementary materials), that assessed whether participants had ever had thoughts that life was not worth living, engaged in self-harm or had made a suicide attempt.
The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT; Saunders et al., Reference Saunders, Aasland, Babor, De La Fuente and Grant1993) is an 11-item scale that screens for hazardous alcohol consumption. Responses are indicated on a 4-point Likert scale ranging from 0 "never" to 4 "almost daily". Recommended cut-off scores classify alcohol behaviour as low-risk drinking (<8), problem drinking (8–15), harmful/hazardous drinking (16–19) or possible alcohol dependence (≤20). The reliability and validity of the AUDIT has been demonstrated in numerous studies (Reinert & Allen, Reference Reinert and Allen2002).
The Drug Abuse Screen Test (DAST-10; Skinner, Reference Skinner1982) assesses drug use in the past 12 months. Items require a "yes/no" response. Recommended cut-offs are (0) no problems, (1–2) low-level problems, (3–10) moderate/severe problems. The DAST has moderate to high levels of validity, sensitivity and specificity (Yudko et al., Reference Yudko, Lozhkina and Fouts2007).
Additional risk items
A series of single-item questions assessed risk, including top stressors, cannabis use, sexual coercion, risky sexual behaviours, numbers of days absent from college/university in the last month, presence of a long-term mental and/or physical health difficulty and parent mental health/addiction status (see supplementary materials).
The Adapted Coping Strategy Indicator (CSI-15; Amirkhan, Reference Amirkhan1990) assesses dimensions of coping strategies using a 6-point Likert scale ranging from 1 "never" to 6 "always". Two subscales, problem-focused (regarded as a positive method of coping) and avoidance coping (regarded as a negative method), were used. The CSI shows good test–retest reliability and construct validity (Clark et al., Reference Clark, Bormann, Cropanzano and James1995).
The Brief Resilience Scale (BRS; Smith et al., Reference Smith, Dalen, Wiggins, Tooley, Christopher and Bernard2008) is a 6-item scale that measures resilience. Responses are indicated on a scale of 1 "strongly disagree" to 5 "strongly agree". Higher scores indicate greater resilience. A methodological review of resilience measures rated the BRS as having one of the best psychometric ratings (Windle et al., Reference Windle, Bennett and Noyes2011).
The Life Orientation Test-Revised (LOT-r; Scheier et al., Reference Scheier, Carver and Bridges1994) measures dispositional optimism using a 5-point Likert scale ranging from 1 "strongly disagree" to 5 "strongly agree". The LOT-r demonstrates good test–retest reliability (Carver & Gaines, Reference Carver and Gaines1987).
The Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSE; Rosenberg, Reference Rosenberg1965) assesses self-evaluations of worthiness using 4-point Likert scales ranging from 1 "strongly disagree" to 4 "strongly agree" Studies have found the RSE to demonstrate strong psychometric properties (Schmitt & Allik, Reference Schmitt and Allik2005).
The Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS; Diener et al., Reference Diener, Emmons, Larsen and Griffin1985) measures global cognitive judgements of one's life using a 7-point Likert scale where responses range from 1 "very strongly disagree" to 7 "very strongly agree". Higher scores indicate greater satisfaction. The five-item scale demonstrates good psychometric properties (Arrindell et al., Reference Arrindell, Heesink and Feij1999; Di Fabio & Gori, Reference Di Fabio and Gori2016).
Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS; Zimet et al., Reference Zimet, Dahlem, Zimet and Farley1988) is a 12-item scale that assesses perceived social support from family, friends and a significant other. Responses are given on a seven-point Likert scale. Higher scores indicate greater levels of support. The scale's construct validity has been supported and internal consistency and test–retest reliability are considered good (Zimet et al., Reference Zimet, Dahlem, Zimet and Farley1988).
Additional protective items
Several single-item questions assessed protective variables including help-seeking (intentions and behaviours), disclosure of mental health difficulty to college disability services, receipt of college educational supports, perceived coping capacity and presence of a supportive adult (see supplementary materials).
Separate student mental health profiles were produced for 1. Degree status (UG, PGR, PGT), 2. Access route (HEAR, DARE, mature, traditional entry) and 3. Institution type (University, IoT). Participants who fell into overlapping categories (e.g., HEAR and DARE; n = 154) were removed to facilitate analyses. Initial analyses were conducted using both full and random samples adjusting for unequal sample sizes in different cohorts. Statistical outcomes did not differ using these sampling procedures. Therefore, full cohorts are reported. Comparisons across institutions were conducted for undergraduate students only, given the smaller number of postgraduate responses from IoT students. Data were not missing completely at random and level of missingness per item ranged from 2.2 to 22.2%, with percentages of missingness increasing towards the end of the survey, possibly indicating response fatigue. We have included information on item-level response missingness for variables included in the analysis in supplementary materials. One-way analysis of variance tests (ANOVAs) were used to identify significant differences in continuous variables across student cohorts and Scheffe post-hoc tests identified the source of these differences. To control for type 1 error in multiple comparisons, only values of p < 0.01 were reported as statistically significant. Chi-square tests of Independence were conducted for categorical variables and standardised residuals were evaluated to indicate sources of significance. Only Chi values of p < 0.01 and standardised residuals ± 2 were reported as significant. Given the potential moderating role of age, gender and international status on student mental health, Analysis of Covariance tests (ANCOVAs) controlling for the effects of age, gender and international status were also conducted to determine whether potential differences between cohorts remained significant. The statistical outcomes observed when controlling for these variables did not largely depart from the outcomes seen when these covariates were not controlled. To ensure parsimony, analyses without controlling for covariates are presented, except for analyses by degree type, where ANCOVA controlling for age is presented, given age differences between postgraduates and undergraduates. Analyses were conducted using SPSS version 26. Reliability analyses for standardised scales and Chi-square analyses are presented in supplementary materials.
Socio-demographic characteristics, depression, anxiety and suicidality for the overall sample are summarised in Table 1. The sample contained 1276 IoT students (2.2% response rate) and 8657 university students (10.6% response rate); 71% of the sample were female, 85% were aged 23 and under. For each cohort (degree type, access route, institution type), mental health variables will be presented, followed by risk and protective factors.
Table 1. Characteristics of study sample (N = 9935)
LGBAP = Lesbian, gay, bisexual, asexual, pansexual; PGT = postgraduate taught; PGR = postgraduate research; HEAR = Higher Education Access Route; DARE = Disability Access Route to Education.
Undergraduates exhibited significantly higher levels of depression and anxiety (see Table 2), and were more likely to have engaged in self-harm (χ2 = 41.51, p < 0.001) and suicidal ideation (χ2 = 12.53, p < 0.001) and had more days absent from college (χ2 = 181.32, p < 0.001) than PGR and PGTs.
Table 2. Summary of one-way analysis of covariance for continuous variables across undergraduate, postgraduate taught and postgraduate research students
UG = Undergraduate; PGT = Postgraduate taught; PGR = Postgraduate research.
Undergraduates demonstrated higher levels of alcohol use than PGRs and PGTs and higher drug use than PGRs (Table 2), but PGR and PGT students were more likely to have engaged in risky sexual behaviours (χ2 = 36.25, p < 0.001) and to have been forced/pressured to have sex against their will (χ2 = 24.69, p < 0.001). Postgraduates also experienced more cumulative stressors (χ2 = 127.64, p < 0.001): PGTs were more likely to be highly stressed about their current financial situation (χ2 = 19.22, p = 0.004) and to rate the future, finances and their job as top stressors. PGRs reported the future as a top stressor, while undergraduates were more likely to report exams and friends as top stressors (see supplementary materials).
As Table 2 shows, PGR and PGT students exhibited higher levels of resilience, self-esteem, social support, problem focused coping, life satisfaction and lower avoidant coping than undergraduates. With regard to help-seeking, PGR and PGT students were less likely to report a long-term health difficulty to college disability services (χ2 = 74.91, p < 0.001) and PGRs were less likely to seek professional help for mental health problems, even when they felt help was needed (χ2 = 21.22, p = 0.002). Nonetheless, PGR and PGT students reported that they were more likely to report intentions to talk about (χ2 = 38.88, p < 0.001) and avail formal supports for mental health concerns, particularly doctors/General Practitioners (GPs) (χ2 = 105.37, p < 0.001) and psychiatrists (χ2 = 48.22, p < 0.001).
Access route
HEAR and DARE students exhibited significantly higher levels of depression and anxiety (see Table 3), greater likelihood of self-harm (χ2 = 94.78, p < 0.001) and suicidal ideation (χ2 = 49.99, p < 0.001), and higher absenteeism from college (χ2 = 41.96, p < 0.001) than mature and traditional entry students. HEAR, DARE and mature students were more likely to report having made a suicide attempt (χ2 = 221.74, p < 0.001).
Table 3. Summary of one-way analysis of variance for continuous variables across traditional entry, HEAR, DARE and mature access routes
Trad Entry = Traditional Entry; HEAR = Higher Education Access Route; DARE = Disability Access Route to Education; N/A = not applicable.
Traditional entry and DARE students exhibited greater alcohol use than other access routes (see Table 3), but mature students were more likely to have smoked cannabis (χ2 = 46.04, p < 0.001). Mature and HEAR students were more likely to report that they had engaged in risky sexual behaviour (χ2 = 162.77, p < 0.001) and to have been forced/pressured to have sex against their will (χ2 = 31.11, p < 0.001). HEAR and mature students reported greater exposure to cumulative stressors (χ2 = 414.06, p < 0.001) and were more likely to be highly stressed about financial pressure (χ2 = 67.35, p < 0.001). HEAR students also reported greater pressure to work outside of college (χ2 = 36.23, p < 0.001). Although all groups reported college, exams and finances as top stressors, traditional entry and DARE students were more likely to report friends as a top stressor, while HEAR, DARE and mature students were more likely to report family as a top stressor and to have a parent with a long-term mental health and/or addiction problem (χ2 = 206.71, p < 0.001; see supplementary materials).
As Table 3 shows, traditional entry and mature students scored higher than HEAR and DARE students on resilience, optimism and scored lower in avoidant coping. Traditional entry students scored highest on life satisfaction and social support, while mature students scored highest on self-esteem and problem-focused coping. In terms of help-seeking, mature and DARE students were more likely to avail of college educational supports (χ2 = 935.19, p < 0.001), and seek professional help for mental health difficulties when needed (χ2 = 200.87, p < 0.001), from doctors/GPs (χ2 = 233.77, p < 0.001) and psychiatrists (χ2 = 178.00, p < 0.001). Mature and DARE students were more likely to report having a long-term mental health difficulty (χ2 = 10005.20, p < 0.001), and DARE students were more likely to disclose this to college disability services (χ2 = 3256.21, p < 0.001).
Students attending IoTs showed higher levels of depression and anxiety (see Table 4) and were more likely to have made a suicide attempt (χ2 = 12.49, p < 0.001) than university students.
Table 4. Summary of one-way analysis of variance for continuous variables across university and institute of technology students
Uni = University; IoT = Institute of Technology.
University students showed higher levels of alcohol use, but there were no observed differences in drug use across institution type. IoT students reported greater financial stress (χ2 = 67.35, p < 0.001) and pressure to work outside of college (χ2 = 36.23, p < 0.001). IoT students were also more likely to have a parent with a mental health and/or addiction problem (χ2 = 31.13, p < 0.001) and to have engaged in risky sexual behaviours (χ2 = 34.23, p < 0.001).
University students scored higher than IoT students across all protective factors, except for resilience and avoidance coping where no significant differences were observed (Table 4). Analyses indicated there were no differences in the likelihood of using college educational supports or in the reporting of long-term health difficulties to college disability services, but IoT students were more likely to report having a long-term mental/physical health difficulty (χ2 = 13.29, p < 0.001). There were also no observed differences in the likelihood of reporting help-seeking, but for help-seeking intentions, IoT was students less likely to avail of all sources of support/information for mental health, except for Jigsaw and college lecturers (see supplementary materials).
Poor student mental health is globally recognised as a pervasive and problematic issue (Hunt & Eisenberg, Reference Hunt and Eisenberg2010; Auerbach et al., Reference Auerbach, Mortier, Bruffaerts, Alonso, Benjet and Cuijpers2018). Aligning with international research, our findings concur that many Irish students experience mental health difficulties, with about one-fifth experiencing severe/very severe depression and anxiety and over 10% reporting a suicide attempt. It is important to note that these data were collected before the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic in March 2020. Research conducted since the pandemic indicates further deteriorations in student mental health (Copeland et al., Reference Copeland, McGinnis, Bai, Adams, Nardone and Devadanam2020). This underscores the importance of identifying ways to effectively support student mental health through the comprehensive identification of risk and protective factors.
Consistent with some previous research, PGT and PGR students exhibited lower levels of depression and anxiety, self-harm and suicidal ideation than undergraduates (Eisenberg et al., Reference Eisenberg, Gollust, Golberstein and Hefner2007; Wyatt & Oswalt, Reference Wyatt and Oswalt2013). This finding might be anticipated, given that mental health difficulties tend to peak in late-adolescence/early adulthood – a time which coincides more so with undergraduate education (Kessler et al., Reference Kessler, Amminger, Aguilar-Gaxiola, Alonso, Lee and Üstün2007). Additionally, while postgraduates reported greater exposure to stressors, they evidenced lower absenteeism from college than undergraduates, scored higher across all protective factors and exhibited more adaptive coping. Of note, undergraduates were more likely to score in problematic ranges for alcohol consumption. Given associations between maladaptive coping and alcohol use (Metzger et al., Reference Metzger, Blevins, Calhoun, Ritchwood, Gilmore, Stewart and Bountress2017), findings suggest that undergraduates may not have developed the coping resources to deal with stressors in the same way postgraduates have (Towbes & Cohen, Reference Towbes and Cohen1996).
Consistent with the literature on help-seeking, while postgraduates were more likely to use mental health supports, they were less likely to report mental health difficulties to college disability services. This was particularly evident for PGRs, who were less likely to seek professional help for problems even when they felt it was needed; this has been attributed to the academic culture of high achievement which often impedes help-seeking among this cohort (Metcalfe et al., Reference Metcalfe, Wilson and Levecque2018). Other differences between postgraduate cohorts were minimal, except that PGRs had fewer financial concerns than PGTs, which might be expected given limited scholarship funding available for taught postgraduate programmes.
Analysis of access routes indicated that DARE students were a particularly vulnerable group. They demonstrated higher levels of depression, anxiety, self-harm, suicidal ideation and were more likely to have made a suicide attempt. DARE students also scored lowest on protective factors and tended to score in harmful ranges for alcohol use. This might be expected given that mental and/or physical disabilities increase the risk of mental health difficulties (Coduti et al., Reference Coduti, Hayes, Locke and Youn2016; AHEAD, 2018). Research suggests that stressors including stigma or negative attitudes towards disabilities and fewer psychological or environmental supports/accommodations may also contribute to heightened psychological distress of students with disabilities (Coduti et al., Reference Coduti, Hayes, Locke and Youn2016; Seidman, Reference Seidman2005). However, on a more positive note, DARE students were more likely to report that they would use formal supports for information/support regarding their mental health when needed, which supports previous findings that students with greater distress are more likely to know about and use services when needed (Rosenthal & Wilson, Reference Rosenthal and Wilson2008; Yorgason et al., Reference Yorgason, Linville and Zitzman2008). Considering this finding, it is important to note that as DARE students are linked up with college support services on enrolment, this may make accessing ongoing or future mental health supports easier or more acceptable.
Students on the HEAR access route were also vulnerable, as they were more likely to be in the severe ranges for depression and exhibited elevated levels of self-harm and suicidal ideation. They reported high levels of financial concerns and pressures to work outside of college, which can negatively impact mental health (McLafferty et al., Reference McLafferty, Lapsley, Ennis, Armour, Murphy and Bunting2017; Stallman, Reference Stallman2010). Additionally, HEAR students exhibited greater cumulative stressors, which may be indicative of the broader risks associated with lower socioeconomic status and not just financial pressures alone (Horwitz et al., Reference Horwitz, Berona, Busby, Eisenberg, Zheng and Pistorello2020a). HEAR students were also less likely to talk about or seek help for problems, even when they felt professional help was needed. This is consistent with the literature which finds that students from lower socioeconomic status groups tend to be less financially resourced, receive less familial support and exhibit poorer help-seeking (Thomas, Reference Thomas2014).
The literature suggests that mature students may be at increased risk of poor mental health because of pressures associated with balancing college work with family/work responsibilities (Tones et al., Reference Tones, Fraser, Elder and White2009). Although mature students in this study experienced greater numbers of stressors, they appeared to successfully manage those stressors through help-seeking and adaptive coping. Mature students were more likely to be in normal ranges for depression and anxiety and less likely to self-harm or have suicidal ideations. They also tended to score in low risk ranges for drug and alcohol use and to score highly on protective factors. Nonetheless, financial and family concerns, which were rated as top stressors in this study, are consistently reported to negatively impact on the mental health of mature students and should be taken into consideration (Creedon, Reference Creedon2015; Tones et al., Reference Tones, Fraser, Elder and White2009).
Students attending IoTs were more likely to have a mental or physical health difficulty, to score in severe ranges for depression and anxiety and to have made a suicide attempt than university students. IoT students also experienced greater numbers of stressors and with the exception of self-esteem, they scored lower across all protective factors and were less likely to avail of most mental health supports. Although research has not directly compared mental health status of Irish students across institution type before, findings are consistent with international literature, where students at community colleges have more severe psychological concerns than university students. This has been attributed to differences in student demographics, cultural issues, motives for attending community college and institutional mental health resources which are somewhat reflected in this study (Katz & Davison, Reference Katz and Davison2014).
Limitations and future directions
Compared to national data provided by HEAs in the Irish Student Survey (2020), this sample contained an overrepresentation of females (71% of our respondents were female, while nationally 53% of students are females) and younger students (85% of our participants were aged 23 and under, while 56% of all students nationally are aged 23 and under) which may have introduced selection bias. There were also disproportionately fewer IoTs (we sampled from 5/14 IoTs; 37.5% response rate) than Universities (we sampled from 7/7 universities; 100% response rateFootnote 2) in this convenience sample. Findings may be particularly impacted by the over-representation of females who are at increased risk of mental health difficulties (Bayram & Bilgel, Reference Bayram and Bilgel2008). Additionally, the inferences that can be drawn about IoT students may be limited given their disproportionately low representation in this sample (12% IoT versus 87% University students). Furthermore, as these data reflect a response rate of 11% for University students and 2% for IoTs, findings might not be generalisable to the entire Irish student population despite the large sample. The data were self-report and contained missing data, particularly towards the end of the survey, which may have also introduced elements of bias into the study.
There were other demographic differences between student cohorts which may have increased the risk of mental health difficulties; for example, HEAR students were more likely to belong to ethnic minority groups and DARE students were more likely to belong to gender and sexual minorities which have been associated with increased risk of mental ill-health (Hefner & Eisenberg, Reference Hefner and Eisenberg2009; Smithies & Byrom, Reference Smithies and Byrom2018). Further research is required to parse out the intersection of relationships between disability, socioeconomic status, ethnic and gender identities and mental health outcomes. Future research should also incorporate institutional factors (e.g., institute culture, academic requirements, service availability) which were not captured by this study but can influence mental health outcomes (Wyatt & Oswalt, Reference Wyatt and Oswalt2013). Additionally, study findings were largely descriptive, but future work could extend these findings by building models that predict the extent to which these risk/protective factors contribute to mental health outcomes, such as depression and anxiety. Further research on IoT student mental health is also required to build on our exploratory findings. Recruiting IoT students to participate was more challenging because of structural differences in how IoTs centralise data and communicate with students versus universities, therefore future studies should adopt diverse sampling strategies to recruit representative samples from IoTs. Finally, the cross-sectional nature of the data limits causal relationships or time trends to be established. Further waves of data collection are required to develop a robust evidence base and to track trends in student mental health over time.
To support student mental health, it is important to consider the risk and protective factors salient across degree type, access route and institution type. While supporting the mental health of all students is important, findings suggest that students attending IoTs and those on HEAR and DARE admission routes are particularly vulnerable groups that may need to be prioritised in terms of services to support student mental health. As noted in the National Suicide Prevention Framework (Fox et al., Reference Fox, Byrne, Surdey, Team, Woods and O'Donovan2020), there is a need not only to provide universal mental health supports for students, but also to establish systems to support students with more acute needs. Findings also point to the protective role of adaptive coping strategies and highlight the potential benefit of stress management and self-regulation skills workshops that teach ways to reframe unhelpful thoughts and cope effectively with stress (Saber et al., Reference Mahmoud, Staten, Hall and Lennie2012; Shigeto et al., Reference Shigeto, Laxman, Landy and Scheier2021). Continued signposting of student mental health supports, help-seeking campaigns and provision of education/training on student mental health to academic staff and supervisors could also help improve help-seeking and disclosure of mental health concerns among students (Wyatt & Oswalt, Reference Wyatt and Oswalt2013; Metcalfe et al., Reference Metcalfe, Wilson and Levecque2018).
This research has comprehensively profiled risk and protective factors and detailed levels of mental health difficulties and suicidality across student cohorts. Findings suggest that differing vulnerabilities and strengths across student cohorts need to be considered to ensure effective student support and service provision.
We would like to acknowledge Dr Cliodhna O Connor and the research assistants involved in data collection.
The authors assert that all procedures contributing to this work comply with the ethical standards of the relevant national and institutional committee on human experimentation with the Helsinki Declaration of 1975, as revised in 2008. The study protocol was approved by the ethics committee of the host institution. Written informed consent was obtained from all study participants.
This project was funded by Jigsaw – The National Centre for Youth Mental Health (CHY 17439) and the ESB Energy for Generations Fund.
To view supplementary material for this article, please visit https://doi.org/10.1017/ipm.2021.85
1 Note: At the time of data collection, TU Dublin had not been formally ratified as a university and we sampled from seven out of a total seven institutions that did have university status at this time.
2 Note: At the time of data collection, TU Dublin had not been formally ratified as a university.
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Mahon et al. supplementary material
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Ciara Mahon (a1), Amanda Fitzgerald (a1), Aileen O'Reilly (a1) (a2) and Barbara Dooley (a1)
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A bronchoscopy is a procedure to examine the windpipe (trachea) and large airways of the lungs (bronchi). It is done using a bronchoscope, which is a type of endoscope. Doctors most often use a flexible bronchoscope that can bend to reach further inside the lungs. In rare cases, a rigid bronchoscope that is straight and stiff may be used.
A bronchoscope may also be used during some other diagnostic tests or cancer treatments so that the doctor can see the airways and lungs.
A bronchoscopy is done in a hospital operating room as an outpatient, so you can usually go home the same day. You may be sleepy after the test is done, so someone will need to drive you home.
Your healthcare team will tell you how to prepare for a bronchoscopy. You will be told to not eat or drink anything for 6 to 12 hours before the test. Tell your healthcare team about all prescription and non-prescription medicines you are taking. You will need to take dentures out if you have them.
If you are having a flexible bronchoscopy, the healthcare team may give you a drug to help you relax during the procedure. A local anesthetic is used to relax the throat muscles and numb the mouth, throat or nasal passages. If the local anesthetic is sprayed in the throat, it can taste bitter and might make your tongue feel thick. It's normal to want to cough or gag.
The flexible bronchoscope is put through the mouth or nose, down the throat, through the windpipe and large airways of the lungs, and then the lungs. The bronchoscope can also be inserted through a special tube that is placed in your throat to keep the breathing passages clear during surgery (called an endotracheal tube) or tracheostomy.
While the bronchoscope tube is being inserted you may feel pressure or tugging. You will be able to breathe, but it may feel like you can't. If you are uncomfortable during the test, let your doctor know.
For a rigid bronchoscopy you will be given a general anesthetic, which means you will be asleep during the procedure.
The doctor examines the airways of the lung and takes tissue samples during the procedure. Sometimes a salt (saline) liquid will be put through the bronchoscope. This flushes out the lungs, and samples of cells from inside the tiny air sacs of the lungs (alveoli) can be collected.
A bronchoscopy usually takes between 30 and 60 minutes. You will be in the recovery room for 1 to 3 hours after it is done.
You can't eat or drink anything for a few hours after a bronchoscopy. You will need to wait until you can swallow without choking.<|fim_middle|> tube or trach tube) is placed through the stoma to create a new path for air to reach the lungs. Doctors may perform a tracheostomy if the upper airway is narrowed or blocked, or as part of surgery to remove the larynx (voice box). | Your throat may feel sore and scratchy for a few days after the procedure.
The doctor will decide whether you need further tests, procedures, follow-up care or more treatment.
Being prepared for a test or procedure can reduce anxiety, increase cooperation and help the child develop coping skills. Parents and caregivers can help prepare children by explaining to them what will happen, including what they will see, feel, hear, taste or smell during the test.
Preparing a child for a bronchoscopy depends on the age and experience of the child. Find out more about helping your child cope with tests and treatments.
A small growth on a mucous membrane, such as the lining of the colon, bladder, uterus (womb), vocal cords or nasal passage.
Most types of polyps are non-cancerous, but some have the potential to become cancer.
A surgical procedure to create a stoma (artificial opening) in the trachea (windpipe) through the neck.
A tube (tracheostomy | 202 |
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This earth-toned velvet watch shimmers in gorgeous tones of green in the sunlight. Although it is more<|fim_middle|>, a very fashionable and trendy colour, this timepiece is very versatile and works well with lots of colours, specially monochrome black or white looks, denim and pastels. Whether you want to brighten up a winter outfit or to wear it with denim shorts in the summer, this watch is easy to dress up or down, depending on the occasion.
Strap Material: Top layer 100%PL Velvet material. Bottom layer genuine leather. | subtle in colour, our green Patoo shines its own light. Its golden case and bright white dial add a touch of elegance to this more earthy strap, making it a dream combination for any style, day or night.
In a shade of khaki green | 52 |
1950s BREWERS GREAT VISITS PIRELLI
Nigel Powlson
ONE of the early Burton Albion greats came to check out the current generation of Brewers stars at the Pirelli Stadium on Saturday.
Dave McAdam, a resident at the Mount Pleasant Care Home in Burton, made 238 appearances for the Brewers during the 1950s making the left half position his own.
Born in 1923, Dave was on the books at Leeds United and Wrexham, gaining Football<|fim_middle|> most accomplished. He brought skill, ball control and vision to the left half berth which he more or less made his own in eight seasons with the club."
Dave's career is also documented on the Leeds fans' site www.thirkersleeds.co.uk.
It states: "During the war, Dave served with the 1st Battalion Wiltshire Regiment in India, Burma and on the North West Frontier. He played football at battalion level and on demob in 1946 worked at the Branston Ordnance Depot. He joined Stapenhill WMC and was spotted – within months he was in the Leeds first team."
Dave was joined at the Rochdale match by other residents and staff from the Mount Pleasant Care Home who after the game met Burton Albion players and manager Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink. | League experience, before joining Albion for the 1951-52 season.
He stayed at Wellington Street until 1960 and was given a benefit match against Charlton Athletic for his services.
After the Brewers, he played for Matlock Town in the Central Alliance.
In his book Wellington Street to Wembley, Rex Page described Dave as "a true sportsman and gentleman on and off the field".
Rex adds: "Of the early breed of Albion player, Dave was one of the | 106 |
Olafur Eliasson's solar light-based project Little Sun is a work<|fim_middle|> a global impact. | of art that works in life. With Little Sun, light becomes a vehicle to affect change in the everyday lives of people across the globe, providing a way to live independently outside the electrical grid system. Eliasson worked with engineer Frederik Ottesen to develop the Little Sun solar LED lamp in order to get clean, affordable light to the 1.2 billion people worldwide without electricity, living in 'off-grid' areas. Little Sun is at once a global project, a social business, and a way of connecting the world through sharing light while making solar energy accessible to everyone.
As a social business, Little Sun handles its distribution in a sustainable way that benefits off-grid communities, creates local jobs, and generates local profits. Little Sun works with off-grid entrepreneurs to build their own small businesses selling Little Sun lamps, providing them with business starter kits and micro-entrepreneurial training.
An accessible introduction to the functions of solar energy made easy and personal, Little Sun is a tool educating users about energy access, utilising natural resources, and how individual action can make | 215 |
Because the results of your laser vision correction procedure depend upon the skill of your surgeon, selecting the right doctor is imperative.
Andrew M. Barrett, MD is the Director of Refractive Surgery Services of Delaware Ophthalmology Consultants and Medical Advisor to Laser Management Group, Inc<|fim_middle|> of Refractive Surgery, the American Medical Association and the Delaware Academy of Ophthalmology.
Among the first surgeons in the region to perform LASIK, Dr. Barrett has been affiliated with Delaware Ophthalmology Consultants since 1993. He has successfully performed thousands of Laser Vision Correction procedures. | . He is widely recognized as the leading refractive surgeon in Delaware. Named a "Top Doc" in a 2014 poll of physicians conducted by Delaware Today Magazine, Dr. Barrett also serves as Associate Section Head of Ophthalmology for Christiana Care Health Services.
Dr. Barrett, a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, also graduated from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. He completed his Residency training in Ophthalmology at the Jonas Friedenwald Eye Institute, where he was selected Chief Resident. Dr. Barrett went on to complete Fellowship training in Cornea and Refractive Surgery at Bethesda Eye Institute. Dr. Barrett has served as an Instructor of Ophthalmology at both St. Louis University School of Medicine and Temple University School of Medicine. Dr. Barrett has lectured throughout the United States on refractive surgery topics and has published several articles and abstracts in the field of vision correction.
Dr. Barrett is a Diplomat of the American Board of Ophthalmology, a Fellow of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, and a Member of the American Society of Cataract & Refractive Surgeons, the International Society | 237 |
Tell Project | Jade Leader Corp.
The Tell property is located approximately 140 kilometers east of Mayo, Yukon and is contiguous to Strategic<|fim_middle|>2 kilometers to the NW of the Tell gossan was traced to a discrete, active metal bearing cold stream or seep near a ridgeline. This seep contributes metal rich brines which precipitate extensively for over 2 km along the creek bed in a red to blue to whitish crust, locally over 10's of centimeters thick. As the seep is at the headwaters of the creek, and in close proximity to the ridge top, it is expected to be proximal to the bedrock from which metals are sourced. A sample from this precipitate near its source returned highly anomalous values of 3.83% Zinc (38,300 ppm), 0.6% Nickel (5,970 ppm), 0.28 % Cobalt (2,780 ppm), and 0.42% Barium (4,170 ppm) as well as an anomalous elevated Copper value of 280 ppm.
Of additional interest, a leached sample of sub cropping rock near the point source also returned assay results of 0.29 % Zinc with elevated copper and barium, indicating that mineralization, while not exposed at surface due to overburden and vegetation cover, may be sub cropping in this area. The leached rock was composed of an iron oxide coated black shale dominated polymictic synsedimentary breccia, such as locally observed in core in the Main Zone during the 2014 drilling, in excess of 2.2 kilometers to the west-south west and along strike.
Data collected during the programs conducted until 2015 continues to support that mineralization at Tell is likely sediment hosted and potentially related to an extensive exhalative event within a sedimentary sequence with evidence of minor volcanic components, such as expected within the SEDEX/VMS environment. Surface data obtained to date also confirms that mineralization may be related to an extensive metal rich unit within a sequence documented over 3 kilometers of strike length. | Metals Ltd.'s Goz claims and ATAC Resources Ltd.'s Rau claims. The property consists of 235 claims covering an area of 4,900 hectares.
The property was initially staked in 2005, following the identification of large natural, strongly gossanous areas with unknown sources.
Early geochemical results confirmed that the Crystal Springs, Ash Springs and Area 51 natural spring gossan discoveries on Tell are strongly mineralized. In addition, follow-up work on these gossans led to the discovery of three additional natural spring gossans: Majestic, Corona and Roswell. The presence of mineralized gossans is considered significant as the Ocelot discovery by ATAC Resources Ltd., within its Rau Trend, was made by targeting a natural spring surface gossan with associated strongly anomalous zinc and lead sample results.
Soil and rock samples collected from the Tell, Crystal Springs, Ash Springs, Area 51, Majestic and Corona natural spring gossan discoveries have returned highly anomalous zinc, nickel, lead, arsenic and numerous other gold pathfinder element values. The Company believes the identified gossans to be significant due to the number of successful drill discoveries made on similar gossans in the region.
In 2012, the Company conducted an induced polarization ("IP") ground geophysical survey, defining an 800 meter long subsurface conductivity anomaly correlating well with surface gossans.
The Company completed a multi phase exploration program during 2014. A Phase 1 program was completed in June and included surface sampling, detailed mapping and prospecting, and further refining of drill targets. The second Phase of work was conducted between July 17, 2014 and August 18, 2014 and consisted of a diamond drilling program that saw 673 meters of drilling completed in 4 drill holes. Results of the drilling program were outlined in News Release 14-11, dated September 22, 2014. Notable drill intervals included 220 meters grading 0.12% zinc and 3.16 ppm silver (DDH 14-02) as well as 68 meters grading 0.24% zinc and 3.54 ppm silver with a subsection grading 0.7% zinc and 1.60 ppm silver over 2 meters (DDH 14-3). Thick exhalative barite units were intersected in 2 of the drill holes.
The 2014 drilling demonstrated the presence of a large, previously unrecognized, mineralized exhalative system such as related to other significant Yukon deposits and which supports the potential for both VMS/SEDEX massive sulphide exploration models. As zinc can often form a large low grade halo around higher grade massive sulphide bodies, and given the extent of the target, further work to vector into potential higher grades within the system may be warranted.
A tight space ground geophysical magnetometer grid was conducted over the main area covering the Tell, Crystal Springs, Ash Springs, Roswell, Area 51, Majestic and Corona Gossans. The magnetic survey outlined responses that are consistent with current geological understanding in terms of the property's underlying geology and stratigraphic composition, as well as highlighted that known gossans and gossanous cold springs appear related to fairly discrete contrasts between zones of higher and lower magnetic responses. In its discussion of results from the survey to the Company, the contractor, Apex Geosciences Ltd. of Edmonton, Alberta, comments that the "relationship may be significant, representing the possibility of a continuous metal-rich layer contained within a specific section of the magnetic low region".
A historical stream anomaly previously identified approximately 2. | 792 |
There was some press regarding an economic working paper produced by one half of Freakonomics and a couple economists at Uber about ... Uber's surge pricing. This gets into some really gray areas in the center of the Venn diagram of journalism, advertising, and science. I will leave that alone for now. Anyway, here is the story on Freakonomics.
And I thought for the first time, "what really is a demand curve?" And I thought to really bring it to life, I think I have to find one, I have to show one to the students. And I looked around, and I realized that nobody ever had really actually estimated a demand curve. Obviously, we know what they are. We know how to put them on a board, but I literally could not find a good example where we could put it in a box in our textbook to say, "This is what a demand curve really looks like in the real world," because someone went out and found it.
... we looked and looked and in the end<|fim_middle|>uchin monkey study from my father, who was always learning new things, and who I took as a role model for being curious about the world. He passed away suddenly earlier this year; I will miss him terribly. | we didn't really have a very good example.
It's the extra happiness/utility/joy/willingness-to-pay that a consumer derives from being able to purchase a good at a given price.
That assumes the demand curve derives from a utility maximization problem, though. However you can derive the same demand curve from an entropy maximization problem (as economist Gary Becker does in his paper on random "irrational" agents), in which case it is just related to the size of part of the economic state space. And the demand curve just arises from properties of the state space, not the actions of agents in it. Gary Becker and most economists call the economic state space an "opportunity set".
The entropy explanation makes it easier to understand why capuchin monkeys also respond to markets with the same demand curves as intelligent humans: it has nothing to do with the monkeys or the humans, but rather the opportunity set. And it makes sense of why an aspect of human behavior can be encompassed by a simple mathematical law: it's because that law isn't a result of human behavior, but rather a result of an abstract mathematical object (the opportunity set).
It's a nice coincidence that the Freakonomics interview also references the capuchin monkey study.
Gary Becker's argument was that random "irrational" agents (capuchin monkeys) would potentially be found anywhere in the opportunity set defined here as a budget constraint (P1 Q1 + P2 Q2 < B) and two goods: Q1 = Uber rides and Q2 = Jell-O (in honor of the monkey study). We'll take it to be the average location (which also would be the result of a causal entropic force) in the center of the triangle bounded by the budget constraint. That's the first graph. If you change the price of one good, that changes the budget constraint line (second graph) and those changes sweep out a demand curve (third graph). Once you have a demand curve and a "normal" equilibrium price, you can find the consumer surplus (the blue shaded area in the fourth graph).
And there we have a demand curve and consumer surplus from random, irrational agents.
I originally learned of the cap | 448 |
February School<|fim_middle|> Families learn about majestic birds of prey with licensed raptor rehabilitator Julie Collier. Meet a glorious golden eagle, a tiny owl, a red-tailed hawk, a falcon and other magnificent raptors. Shows at 10AM, 11AM, 1PM & 2PM; recommended for ages 3 and up.
Paper Caper Wednesday, February 20 • Thursday February 21 10AM – 4PM Kids fold and crease paper to create whirligigs, design gliders and fashion other fabulous flying contraptions – then send them soaring!
Mad Science Friday, February 22 11:30 AM, 1PM & 2 PM Explore the magic of science in this mind-bending interactive show, which challenges audiences to help a Mad Scientist investigate the scientific method by observing, hypothesizing and experimenting. See paper disappear in a flash, witness objects floating in mid-air, create a bubble shower, conjure up a foggy storm and more! Shows at 11:30 AM, 1PM & 2PM; recommended for ages 3 and up
All school vacation programs and performances are free with Museum admission of $9 per person; always free for Museum members. For more information, visit www.ChildrenMuseum.org.
Providence Children's Museum – play is powerful! The Museum is located at 100 South Street in Providence's Jewelry District. September through March, open Tuesday through Sunday and Monday school holidays, 9 AM to 6 PM, and selected Fridays until 8 PM. April through August, open 7 days. Museum admission is $9 per person; always free for Museum members. Call (401) 273-KIDS or visit www.ChildrenMuseum.org. | Vacation at Providence Children's Museum
Providence Children's Museum is the BEST place for school vacation fun! The Museum is open during vacation, Monday, February 18 – Friday, February 22, from 9AM – 6PM. Families can explore ThinkSpace, a major new exhibit exploring spatial thinking, and enjoy these special programs and performances:
Keith Munslow Monday, February 18 11:30 AM, 1PM & 2PM Popular children's singer and storyteller Keith Munslow entertains families with a lively participatory performance packed with tinkling piano tunes, tongue-twisting poems and funny fast-paced rhymes. Shows at 11:30 AM, 1PM & 2PM; recommended for ages 3 and up.
Wingmasters Tuesday, February 19 10AM, 11AM, 1PM & 2PM | 186 |
Q: Reformat links in string with PHP I have text with a number of links. I want to reformat the text such that each url occurs after the name of its corresponding link and is wrapped in parenthesis - and all tags are removed (I'm writing this to CSV)
So for example,
<a href="http://test.com">TestWebsite1</a>
Becomes...
TestWebsite1 (http://test.com)
The approach I'm thinking is a bit tedious:
get index of each occurrence of "<a"
use regex to get all text following that up to next occurrence of ">"
find next occurrence of <
insert text at that index
str_replace "<a href=" with "("
etc
I'm wondering if there's a better way...
A: You perhaps should<|fim_middle|>href'));
}
| look at markdown converter. and just use that format.
https://github.com/erusev/parsedown
A: Please use a proper HTML parser:
$html = <<<HTML
<a href="http://test.com">TestWebsite1</a>
HTML;
$doc = new DOMDocument;
$doc->loadHTML($html);
$xpath = new DOMXPath($doc);
foreach ($xpath->query('//a[@href]') as $anchor) {
printf("%s (%s)\n", $anchor->textContent, $anchor->getAttribute(' | 112 |
THE ROCKAWAY TIMES First and Free
Boyleing Points
Between The Bridges
Tubular Views
Be Well Be Happy
Ideas for Smarter Transportation
The Lazer Speaks
Between The Groins
Rockaway Ol`times
We Get Email
Recipe Swap
Life And Privacy
2020 HINDSIGHT - A YEAR IN REVIEW
A Blurry Year
A Fresh Start on Beach 127th
A Matter of The Bladder
A Plunge on 101
A Special Night at The Little North Pole
About Fish Oil
Armed With Facts
Information and Inspiration Fill 100th Precinct Meeting
By Katie McFadden
Previous<|fim_middle|> speaker series with specialists in different fields every Wednesday. Those who are interested in learning more can contact Lavin at 718-368-5079 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Deputy Inspector Ronald McCall of Transit District 23 followed and shared some good news. "We had a pretty busy year. We didn't take too many crimes, but we solved a lot of them. We haven't taken a crime since September 3," he said. So instead, he used his time to go deeper into his background as an amateur boxer, which Chief Fox had mentioned earlier.
Captain Fabara spoke next and announced that Community Affairs officer Claudio Diaz was moving on, following Captain Louron Hall to the 104th Precinct. "A lot of times when people get promoted or move, they take their best people with them and Captain Hall definitely did that," Fabara said, but he added that there are very promising prospects being interviewed to fill Diaz's shoes.
Fabara then gave a breakdown of recent crimes in the last 28-day period, bringing mostly good news. "We're down in murder, rapes and robberies," he said. Though, there has been an uptick in felony assaults, burglaries and grand larcenies, but grand larceny auto is down. He said the felony assault uptick is due to domestic incidents and there have been arrests in four of the five cases. Of the grand larcenies, Fabara said they mostly involve phone scams and advised people to be aware of such scams.
The floor was then opened to questions. Darrell Wilson, vice president of the Hammels civic, spoke about quality of life issues with people lingering and drinking in the shopping plaza where CVS and Popeye's is. The captain assured him that they are on top of it. "People are hanging out there, drinking and being disorderly in general. It's a priority for me and I've been taking enforcement actions over there. Our enforcement is up and it's going to continue to be up," Captain Fabara said.
The Rockaway Times brought up a recent claim from Whitney Aycock of Whit's End, who posted on Facebook that an employee was given a summons before the holidays for playing music on his phone. Fabara said he was not aware of such summons. "That's not something we would do, but that location has been problematic for us," he said, adding that they have responded to numerous complaints at the business. "We've taken enforcement action in accordance with the law," he said.
Next, a woman brought up a recent article featured in Gothamist, which claimed Captain Fabara was promoted to his position as captain despite having 57 complaints filed against him in his 21-year career, and asked him to address it. Fabara said he can't speak much on the matter and referred the person to the NYPD press office, DCPI, but did offer some explanation. "Sometimes we deal with situations that are enforcement encounters and even in those situations, we can always have a pleasant interaction as long as the person is cooperative and not combative. Sometimes we have to change up how we're addressing an incident based on the circumstances but we're really looking to have a close working relationship with everyone who is willing to work with us," he said. As Chief Fox is retired, he offered more insight into complaints and defended Fabara, saying that in many instances, 11 different complaints can come from just one incident, and that Fabara has long worked in high enforcement fields including anti-crime and narcotics, where officers make multiple arrests in their careers. "Carlos did not get to the point where he was recommended as a commanding officer without his superiors considering a lot of factors," Fox said.
As the community council will take a winter break, the next meeting will be Wednesday. February 24 at 7 p.m. Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for login info.
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130 Kids Receive Free Bikes
Fun Times at the Graybeards Family Fun Run
Playoffs In Full Swing
SPOTTED: Globetrotting!
St.Camillus / St. Virgilius Basketball Registration
75th STREET (PARK AVE) and RBB - 1912
Contest is in the works. We'll have details in the next couple of weeks. The finalists will have their photos... | Article Shivering In the New Year
Next Article A Fresh Start on Beach 127th
The latest 100th Precinct Community Council meeting was a source for information and inspiration. Just ahead of the new year, on Wednesday, December 30, the 100th Precinct Community Council held its monthly Zoom meeting, which featured guest speaker, retired NYPD Chief Joe Fox, who after a 38-year illustrious career, now serves as life coach and motivational speaker.
Fox opened by thanking Reverend Joyce Dugger, Pastor of the First Congregational Church of Rockaway, for the impact that churches have on communities. He then thanked 100th Precinct Community Council President Kathy Heavey for holding a moment of silence for TJ Curley, a 12-year-old boy who tragically died in a fire on December 7, 2017, as TJ was a neighbor of his. "TJ was a special kid who never failed to yell 'Hi Chief' no matter how many times I told him to call me Joe," he said. He then thanked the 100th Precinct Community Council for all that it does. "We don't police the community, we police with the community," Fox said. Fox also recognized some of Rockaway's local NYPD leaders, Captain Carlos Fabara of the 100th Precinct and Deputy Inspector Ronald McCall of Transit District 23.
Fox then spoke about his own experiences and his work as a motivational speaker before providing some words of inspiration to the group, though he said motivation really comes down to the people. He stated that it's up people themselves to feel motivated and inspired and to feel good about their lives. He spoke of the importance of having strong leaders in the NYPD, but also rooting out the bad apples. "You can try to build all the morale you want and be wonderful…but if you are not taking care of a cancer, someone bringing the command down, then none of that other stuff matters," he said.
Fox spoke about some of the challenges he faced in his 38-year career, from seven officers who died on the job to facing 9/11 as an officer and how his work never finished despite retiring. "Many have told me I failed at retirement," Chief Fox said. His role as a motivational speaker took on even more meaning through the Covid pandemic as people sought help and through a time when morale was down in the NYPD. In response, he teamed up with Thank You NYPD to make visits to precincts across the city, giving them meals and words of inspiration. The Chief stressed that the people who are supportive of the police should continue showing it as the officers are appreciative.
The Chief himself says he has found a secret to staying a happy person. He repeats to himself: "I am ever mindful of the purposefulness of the purposeful moments of my purposeful life" as his mantra. "Whatever your method of accessing your mindfulness, we should all access those purposeful moments," the Chief advised.
Chief Fox was followed by Crime Prevention Officer Lauren Haber, who spoke about holiday scams and avoiding drinking and driving on New Year's Eve. Susan Lavin followed up by letting the community know about My Turn college classes, which are available to those 60 and older, for free, virtually through Kingsborough College, plus a guest | 694 |
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About Shamon
Buyer/Sellers
Shamon 310.713.4492 Sara 310.386.7828
Sotheby's International Realty®
Home » West Los Angeles
Surrounded by Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, the ocean and the Santa Monica Mountains is the city of West Los Angeles, known for its 1920s, mid-century and contemporary architecture. With its rolling hills and proximity to the ocean, West Los Angeles was originally developed as an upscale community and is still considered one of the most desirable areas to live in Los Angeles today. With its central location between Los Angeles and the ocean, West Los Angeles has attracted<|fim_middle|>'s International Realty. All rights reserved. Sitemap | Real Estate Website Design by Agent Image
Sotheby's International Realty® is a registered trademark licensed to Sotheby's International Realty Affiliates LLC. Each Office Is Independently Owned And Operated. | a diverse range of commercial development to add to its 1920s through mid-century and contemporary architecture. The area is also home to some of the world's finest shopping along the famous Wilshire Boulevard.
SHAMONKI LUXURY PROPERTIES
SOTHEBY'S INTERNATIONAL REALTY Shamon Shamonki
Sara Shamonki
saracherrie(at)hotmail(dotted)com
© 2021 Shamonki Luxury Properties. Sotheby | 99 |
Home/Finance News/Inventory futures are rising as traders shake off an ongoing surge in coronavirus circumstances
Inventory futures are rising as traders shake off an ongoing surge in coronavirus circumstances
A pedestrian will pass in front of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York, USA, on June 3, 2020.
Michael Nagle | Bloomberg | Getty Images
Stock futures rose on Sunday night trading as Florida investors saw a record surge in coronavirus cases.
Futures on the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 65 points, indicating a 90 point gain when opened on Monday. The S&P 500 futures and the Nasdaq 100 futures rose 0.2% and 0.4%, respectively.
Florida reported 15,299 new coronavirus cases on Sunday, the highest total number of individual days since the pandemic started in a US state. Meanwhile, the United States has reported more than 60,000 new cases a day for three days in a row, which, according to Johns Hopkins University, results in a national total of more than 3 million cases.
"COVID remains a major problem with cases, hospitalization and deaths," said Adam Crisafulli, founder of Vital Knowledge, in a note on Sunday. "The market continues to receive all of this information relatively well, and this appears to be a function of vaccine hopes, lower death rates compared to March / April, avoiding wholesale locks, and the lack of a resurgence in the northeast (especially in New York) ). "
The Dow and S & P 500 posted two consecutive weeks of earnings, while resilience in technology stocks brought the Nasdaq to a new record after three positive weeks. In July, the Dow and S & P 500 rose 1.0<|fim_middle|>After the best quarter of the S&P 500 in more than 20 years, the comeback rally of the broad market has slowed amid fears of a worsening pandemic. Nevertheless, the stock benchmark has only fallen by 1.4% since the beginning of the year, which is around 6% below its February record.
Subscribe to CNBC PRO for exclusive insights and analytics, as well as live business day programs from around the world.
Massive Tech switched from development shares to Wall Avenue's authorities bond substitute throughout the corona virus
Shares that make the largest strikes after hours: Salesforce, Slack, Field, and extra
Citigroup wins contract to supply Wayfair bank cards, displacing rival Alliance Knowledge Techniques
That is the way you enhance your incomes potential
Jamie Dimon says JPMorgan Chase ought to positively be much less afraid of fintech threats | % and 2.7%, respectively. Tech-heavy Nasdaq outperformed 10.7% this month as Amazon, Apple, Netflix and Alphabet hit new highs.
"The overall rally is still very tight … and some of the soaring mega-cap stocks are being overbought (and overvalued)," said Matthew Maley, chief market strategist at Miller Tobacco, in a note on Sunday. "Therefore, we HAVE to wait to see if the key S&P resistance level has actually broken up before we can confirm that another rally leg has started on the broad stock market."
The winning season starts this week with major banks and others reporting their quarterly results. JPMorgan, Citigroup and Wells Fargo are expected to report on Tuesday. Pepsi will report earnings on Monday before the market opens.
Corporate earnings are expected to decrease 44% in the second quarter. This would be the largest drop in quarterly earnings since the fourth quarter of 2008, according to Refinitiv. However, the market could shake off the sharp drop in earnings as long as companies signal a recovery on the horizon.
| 224 |
Delivering large and complex mobile infrastructure projects is what we're good at.
Thanks to our expertise we were awarded the Mobile Infrastructure Project (MIP) by the Department for Media, Culture and Sport (DCMS) in May 2013. The Mobile Infrastructure Project was initiated to bring 4G mobile coverage, to premises across the UK that previously had no mobile coverage at all.
We caught up with Paul Stonadge, Director Product & Technology, Mobile to learn more about it.
What's the status of the Mobile Infrastructure Project?
The MIP will end in March 2016 at the end of the UK financial year. The Culture Secretary has publically stated that the project will deliver 40 masts, bringing 4G coverage to premises that previously had no mobile coverage. Arqiva is confident that we will exceed this number as we have made good progress in getting sites into the build phase over the past few weeks.
What milestones has Arqiva achieved?
In the first year, Not-Spot data was validated and Radio and Transmission plans completed. Since then, we have surveyed more than 500 locations as potential sites for masts; and as at August '15 we had moved into the site acquisition phase on more than 200 locations, of which, 127 Planning Applications have been submitted to Local Planning Authorities<|fim_middle|> what Arqiva does; and this project will not only bring 4G coverage to rural parts of the UK, but it will help to drive the economy in local communities, as well as helping out the emergency services – and this is what we are proud of. | . As at early-October, Arqiva has 41 sites in the build phase. The current objective is to achieve as many planning consents and legal completions as possible by the end of October, to allow time to get them on air by the end of the project in March 2016.
How is the Mobile Infrastructure Project funded?
The DCMS has funded both the sites constructed by Arqiva and the radio and transmission equipment used by the MNOs. The contract is structured so that the Government only pays Arqiva for work once completed, with the bulk of the payment issued in the final build phase of each individual mast project.
What is Arqiva most proud of?
We're most proud that the project is the first of its kind in Europe. To extend 4G coverage to remote and rural coverage Not Spots is a complex task that requires technical innovation, a pioneering attitude, time and tenacity. Throughout this project, Arqiva has learned many lessons that can be shared with the industry and can be used as a blue print for best practice in rolling out such challenging projects.
You mentioned innovation. Can you give some examples?
Arqiva has used a number of innovative and new methods and technologies to design, verify and deliver mobile mast sites. For example, it has used helicopter-based laser and high resolution photographic surveying to confirm the Line of Sight (LoS) transmission connections, and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles to take panoramic pictures at antenna heights, which prevents the need for accessing the candidate location with a more traditional 'pump-up' mast.
MIP has been about securing the right sites, at the right price, for the public purse. Due to the rural and remote location of the sites, there have been significant challenges in validating MNOs transmission capacity at a large number of sites, thus limiting the number of achievable site options. Also, local communities have an important part to play in supporting sites being built in their areas, and getting their approval for the build of a tall mast that reaches 25 to 30 metres can be an extremely challenging task.
That said, we have successfully worked with communities and planning authorities to make the case for MIP in National Parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, or where the visual impact of a mast is of concern. We have undertaken significant engagement with local communities and parish councils at the pre-planning stage. In fact, we have been praised by multiple stakeholders for our ability to achieve planning consents at the speed we have.
In the coming months we'll provide an update on how the Mobile Infrastructure Project is developing. Connecting people for an enriched and safer life is at the heart of | 545 |
The NFL is doing just fine. To believe otherwise is to make up a story in your head, or perhaps blindly listen to a certain critic who likes ripping the league.
For all the disingenuous talk about the NFL's television ratings, money always talks. And the money is still flowing into the NFL<|fim_middle|> told Rovell more than 99 percent of season-ticket holders renewed for the 2018 season and the waiting list is 135,000.
The NFL will do what it can to avoid any slippage in revenue. A summer of NFL news that had little to do with football might create some more fatigue among fans. Ratings might continue to go down, because ratings everywhere are going down. But the NFL is still moves television ratings in America like nothing else can, and that should continue for a while even though critics will cherry-pick certain numbers and predict the NFL's demise.
The NFL is still healthy. Just remember, when you hear certain people bloviating about the league and its problems this fall, that the NFL just cut $8 billion in revenue checks to its teams.
Frank Schwab is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at shutdown.corner@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter. | , more than ever.
The NFL tries to keep its financials a secret, but the Green Bay Packers are a public team and have to divulge certain information. According to the Green Bay Press-Gazette, the Packers reported record revenue for 2017. Included in that windfall was $255.9 million in national revenue, a share that every team gets. Simple math says that's more than $8 billion in revenue distributed to the 32 NFL teams.
If the NFL is dying, just about every business in America would love to be dying at the same rate.
How much did revenue increase in the NFL?
While there's a misguided hysteria over television ratings, the bottom line for the NFL is improving.
ESPN's Darren Rovell said the national revenue the Packers reported is a 4.9 percent increase over last season. It's hard to make billions and still increase revenue, especially when so much of the revenue is based on television money. Across the board, television ratings have decreased with cord-cutting and a shift in how people consume media. The NFL felt the effect too, although at a slower rate than some other shows and networks.
The money kept rolling in. Rovell credited it to an escalator in the NFL's television deals and a bump in the "Thursday Night Football" package.
The Packers are coming off a disappointing season. Star quarterback Aaron Rodgers missed nine games with a broken collarbone, and the Packers missed the playoffs. Yet the overall revenue for the fiscal year, which ended on March 31, was $454.9 million according to the Press-Gazette. That's a $13.5 million bump from last season. The Press-Gazette said the Packers, who have by far the smallest market in major American pro sports, rank eighth or ninth among NFL teams in total revenue.
If interest is waning for NFL football in Green Bay, it's not showing. Packers president Mark Murphy | 402 |
Brookfield Asset Management to Spend $5 Billion Bailing Out Retailers
It is a matter of self-preservation to ensure its tenants survive.
Rich Duprey
(TMFCop)
Rich has been a Fool since 1998 and writing for the site since 2004. After 20 years of patrolling the mean streets of suburbia, he hung up his badge and gun to take up a pen full time. Having made the streets safe for Truth, Justice, and Krispy Kreme donuts, he now patrols the markets looking for companies he can lock up as long-term holdings in a portfolio. His coverage reflects his passion for motorcycles, booze, and guns (though typically not all exercised at the same time), but his writing also covers the broader sectors of consumer goods, technology, and industrials. So follow along as he tries to break down complex topics to make them more understandable and useful to the average investor. Have a story idea? Contact Rich here. I may<|fim_middle|>5.9% in November
Why Brookfield Asset Management Stock Slumped 10.1% in October
Brookfield Makes Massive $2 Billion India Real Estate Investment
Brookfield Asset Management to Spend $5 Billion Bailing Out Retailers @themotleyfool #stocks $BAM $SPG $BPY Next Article | not be able to respond to every suggestion, but I do read them all! Think an article needs a correction? Reach Rich here.
The fate of retailers and shopping malls is becoming even more inextricably linked as mall owner Brookfield Asset Management (NYSE:BAM) announced it is establishing a $5 billion fund to take non-controlling interests in ailing retailers.
With its Brookfield Property Partners (NASDAQ:BPY) unit, which typically holds Brookfield Asset's mall investments, already taking stakes in Aeropostale and Forever 21 to help forestall the ravages of the retail apocalypse, this latest effort deepens the relationship between landlord and tenant.
Facing the future hand in hand
Brookfield Asset Management is funding the program through its internal resources as well as those from its institutional partners.
Brookfield managing partner Ron Bloom will oversee the investment program and said in a statement: "This initiative is being designed to assist medium sized enterprises in getting back on their feet. We believe this is a critical component to getting the economy moving again, and we would like to partner with companies and entrepreneurs that can draw on our capital and expertise to stabilize and grow their business."
Yet it's also a matter of self-preservation. As retailers close doors and create mall vacancies, it disincentivizes consumers from visiting, leading to additional retailers closing.
That was the rationale behind the retail investments Brookfield Property made in partnership with fellow mall owner Simon Property Group (NYSE:SPG) and brand management firm Authentic Brands Group. Forever 21, for example, represented a significant presence in its malls, accounting for approximately 2% of its base rents.
The new program will focus on retail businesses with $250 million or more in revenue and at least two years of operation.
Brookfield Asset Management Inc.
Simon Property Group, Inc.
Brookfield Asset Management Offers to Buy the Rest of Brookfield REIT for $5.9 Billion
The J.C. Penney Sale Is Complete -- Now the Hard Work Begins
Why Brookfield Asset Management Stock Rocketed 3 | 424 |
Since the 1990's, the City of Kamloops has been an advocate for community accessibility. Over the last twenty years, many projects have been implemented within the city to understand community priorities related to accessibility and inclusion.
The City recognized that, while there has been a lot of great work done to<|fim_middle|> take to promote and transform Kamloops into an ever more inclusive and accessible community. | address accessibility and inclusion, there needed to be a formalized policy to support future planning for improvements and resources for access and inclusion.
The City of Kamloops received an age-friendly planning grant to partner with the Tamarack Institute to implement a community engagement process with staff and the community to help shape the development of an accessibility and inclusion policy for the city. The community conversations looked at the scope of municipal initiatives achieved to date related to improving accessibility for all residents.
Secondly, the City, sought to prioritize the outcomes of those initiatives into policy and procedures throughout the city.
community should | 116 |
I love to go for walks in forests, and when I do, I sometimes take photos of things that capture my attention. Don't expect high quality photography or anything, it's just a collection of odd images I find amazing. Enjoy!
What is truth?<|fim_middle|>amp, shady basin.
Impressions captured on a brief walk from Dosrius to Cardedeu in February 2018. | What is important? What defines you?
How many years since you found yourself staring at an endless sky?
On the last days of October 2018 I walked from Fontmartina to Aiguafreda through rainy forests, bleak, foggy plains and into a spectacular sunset at the end of the day.
A walk through the Vall d'Olzinelles on a sunny day in December 2017. In the morning, the land was still in the cold grip of the first frost.
Que l'esforç fet, la pau trobada i la llum que t'omple penetrin el teu cor.
My first visit to this place was in November 2016. The landscape was still marked by the strong rains from the previous day.
When I walked here in October 2018 from LLinars del Vallès, strong rains had fallen in the previous weeks, which caused a humid climate and an abundance of mushrooms and water all around.
Water underfoot, heat above, under the green roof of leaves the air is heavy with evaporation, nothing to hear but flies and birds. The path is crossed by an ancient stream that has carved a tiny passage into the stone over the ages. A mushroom grows by the everd | 261 |
Memo to America: Not everyone wants to be like you
Raising the profile of animal law to match the stakes
Walt warns of foreign policy overreach in 'The Hell of Good Intentions'
By John Laidler Harvard Correspondent
Date November 6, 2018 November 6, 2018
When the Cold War ended, the U.S. stood as the world's pre-eminent power and looked forward to a new age of peace and prosperity. But a foreign policy overly focused on spreading American values dashed that promise, argues Stephen M. Walt in his new book, "The Hell of Good Intentions."
Walt, the Robert and Renée Belfer Professor of International Affairs at the Kennedy School, says that failures linked to a strategy of "liberal hegemony" championed by Washington's foreign policy elite have undermined the goal of advancing ideals like democracy and free markets and diminished the nation's power and influence.
The Gazette spoke to Walt about his critique of U.S. foreign policy and his belief that the remedy lies in a more restrained approach.
Stephen M. Walt
GAZETTE: How do you define "liberal hegemony" and why has it been such a destructive foreign policy approach for the United States?
WALT: Liberal hegemony refers to a strategy that seeks to use American power to spread liberal values far and wide, and in a sense try to transform the world in America's image. So it's not "liberal" in the sense of being left wing. Rather, it is about spreading the classic liberal ideals of democracy, human rights, rule of law, and markets all over the world. These are wonderful principles that Americans rightly defend. The problem is that trying to spread them around the world doesn't work very well, as we've seen for the past 25 years.
First of all, non-democracies are threatened by this strategy and they resist in various ways, and sometimes quite effectively. Second, when we succeed in toppling a dictatorship and then try to create a democracy, it turns out to be an extremely difficult task, as we've seen in Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, and other places. So instead of spreading our values, we end up with failed states, insurgencies, and terrorism. Third, this project involved the United States committing itself to protect countries all over the world, which meant we took on more and more security burdens without having more resources to accomplish those aims. This policy allowed allies to get a free ride and in some cases act recklessly under the protection of the United States.
Liberal hegemony also involved spreading financial markets rapidly and trying to get more and more countries into our trading order, and rapid globalization just didn't deliver as promised. We ended up with greater inequality here in the United States, stagnant lower and middle-class incomes, and eventually a major financial crisis.
Stephen Walt. Harvard file photo
GAZETTE: What is some of the evidence for your argument? And was there a pivotal moment when the mistakes began?
WALT: The pivotal moment is really the end of the Cold War and the beginning of the unipolar era. The United States was really on top of the world in the early to mid-1990s, and it was an era of great optimism. Our relations with the major powers were good, including Russia and China. Democracy was spreading in Eastern Europe and Latin America. Markets were expanding. Iraq had been disarmed in the first Gulf War, and Iran had no nuclear enrichment capability. The Oslo peace process had begun. So there was this widespread belief that American ideals were going to spread around the world and that this was going to be relatively easy to do.
But if you look at the situation we face today, relationships with Russia and China are quite poor, and those two countries are now cooperating quite closely against us. Democracy is in retreat in many parts of the world and under threat in places like Poland and Hungary. Even worse, American democracy itself is increasingly dysfunctional. India, Pakistan, and North Korea have all tested nuclear weapons in this period. The Oslo peace process was a complete failure and the two-state solution that we favored is further away than ever. And countries like Iran are now on the threshold of being nuclear weapons states if they decide they want to be. So given where we were in the early 1990s and where we are today, it's pretty clear that American foreign policy didn't accomplish what we thought it would. We are not solely responsible for all of those negative trends, but our fingerprints are on a lot of them.
GAZETTE: Instead of relentlessly seeking to spread American values, what should the nation be doing<|fim_middle|> would have left us and much of the world in better shape today.
Interview was edited and condensed.
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WALT: We should be focusing our foreign policy on trying first and foremost to make Americans safer and more prosperous here at home and to defend those core American values here in the United States. We should continue to stand up for these values and encourage other countries to embrace them, but primarily by setting a good example, by showing that these values work well in the United States. In terms of foreign policy I argue for a strategy that is sometimes termed "offshore balancing," where the United States commits itself militarily only when there are threats to the balance of power in critical strategic regions like Europe, Asia, or the Persian Gulf. If no one is threatening to dominate these areas, the United States can stay "offshore" in terms of its military deployments, while remaining engaged around the world economically and diplomatically. Today, the only serious great power rival to the United States is China, and therefore the United States should focus most of its attention on maintaining a favorable balance of power in Asia so that China does not dominate that region. Offshore balancing is a much more restrained foreign policy than we have been following, but it is not isolationism or disengagement.
GAZETTE: Is there a danger that if the U.S. shifts to a more restrained foreign policy, the vacuum would be filled by nations that do not support liberal values?
WALT: I think that idea is mistaken. The United States has not been able to dictate politics in many parts of the world, despite repeated and sometimes costly efforts. As powerful as we are, we don't control the evolution of local politics and political alignments in most of the world. We have some influence, but we have not been able to dictate what happens in the Middle East, we can't determine the fate of Afghanistan after 17 years of war, we have not been able to steer the politics of a country like Hungary or Poland, which are moving in an illiberal direction. If the world's most powerful country cannot do that, then other countries are not going to be able to do that either. We can do a lot to shape the balance of power in critical areas, but our ability to mold the politics of these regions and tell other countries how to organize their societies is very limited.
GAZETTE: Had the U.S. followed the collapse of the Soviet Union with the policies you advocate, what would the world look like now?
WALT: We would not have expanded NATO eastward in an open-ended fashion and our relations with Russia would be substantially better. In fact, over time, we would have slowly drawn down our commitment to Europe and encouraged Europe to take greater responsibility for its own defense. I think if we had done that beginning in the 1990s Europe would be in better shape today. The United States would not have adopted the strategy of dual containment in the Persian Gulf in the 1990s, which required us to keep troops in Saudi Arabia to deter Iran and Iraq simultaneously. Our presence there was one reason Osama bin Laden decided to attack the United States, so Sept. 11 might not have happened. Had we adopted a more even-handed approach during the Oslo process, we might have actually gotten a two-state solution. Needless to say I would not have invaded Iraq in 2003. And a more measured approach to globalization would have made sense as well. I'm not suggesting a different policy would have produced a foreign policy nirvana, but it's pretty easy to see how a less ambitious and more realistic approach to foreign policy | 720 |
Customer relationship management (CRM) systems help organizations manage all their interactions and relationships with clients and prospects. Used to the fullest, a CRM increases profitability, as users can do more selling and less administration.
CRMs accomplish this by consolidating all of an organization's data in one place and making it easily accessible and meaningful. Think emails, phone calls, social media, websites, and events. When you roll it all together and add intelligence, the CRM can make predictions and identify warmer opportunities.
Powerful CRMs like Salesforce have so much to offer. And they can do a lot more when you customize them to fit your business processes.
Most organizations can get so much more out of their CRM. The problem is not the CRM itself. What many forget is that technology cannot succeed by itself. It needs two other things: people and processes.
Get the biggest bang for your CRM buck by doing these four things. They will pay for themselves and then some.
Salesforce adoption begins at the top. When C-levels and managers want to see reports from Salesforce, it compels employees to use it. Make it a part of the company culture. Organizations that have successfully adopted Salesforce embrace it from top-down<|fim_middle|> replacement – this is not merely office equipment.
The SFA does more than making sure Salesforce is in tip-top shape and create useful reports. When anyone has a question or problem with Salesforce, the admin is the person to call. It may be tempting to give the role to someone in IT. But this role is not pure IT.
Take everything you know about systems administrators and throw it away. Salesforce administrators are a unique breed. They are a cross between a business analyst and a database administrator.
A customer-oriented Salesforce administrator devoted to all things Salesforce can help bring everything together for your business. Anytime anyone has a question, the SFA stands by ready to answer. If something is not working right or you want to create a new report, the administrator can take care of that, too.
The good news is that you can either hire or contract a Salesforce administrator. The route to take depends on your needs.
If you have a CRM that is collecting dust, try these four things. Not just one or two, but all four. And your CRM will thank you by doing its job and delivering beyond expectations.
You want your Salesforce CRM to do its job well, of course. To make sure it does, you will need to invest in a Salesforce administrator to keep the CRM healthy. The questions in this guide will help you find an SFA who has the best set of skills and experience to meet your requirements.
Salesforce Admins are in high demand. Use this guide to help you find the right person to take care of all your Salesforce needs. Just fill out the form and the guide will arrive in your inbox within a few minutes. | .
Companies that do not use Salesforce to the fullest have employees who keep using spreadsheets for reports. Salespeople may not be recording information because it takes too many clicks. Management can turn this around by requiring reports and data to be in Salesforce.
Besides, the too-many-clicks excuse is gone thanks to the refreshed user interface in Lightning Experience.
One component critical to increasing Salesforce user adoption is training. Employees are not likely to take the initiative to learn a CRM on their own. They need formal training to show them what is possible. Yes, training can take time away from duties. However, the payoff for your investment in time is a knowledgeable, skillful staff, rather than a sales team stumbling their way around the CRM and missing a lot of valuable features.
You get the most for your money when everyone uses Salesforce to the maximum. Think about it this way: Salespeople who have been trained on Salesforce enter all sales-related data. They will not be flailing, playing guessing games, or missing out on features.
Another major benefit of Salesforce is that it tells the sales team which opportunities have the highest percentage of closing. Instead of wasting time on opportunities less likely to convert, the sales team focuses on the ones with the greatest chance of converting. They close these faster and boost the organization's revenues. The sales team knows how to do this because they had the training to show them how to enter data and act on the information they get from Salesforce.
Management benefits from the sales team's data entry because they can easily pull up dashboards and reports to see the sales team's progress. These reports can make predictions and pinpoint areas for improvement.
One of the superpowers of Salesforce is its ability to be customized to accommodate your organization's processes and way of doing business. Any organization that uses Salesforce with zero customization is not getting the most from their CRM investment.
Salesforce reports may provide enough information for management to function adequately. But add customization and they gain valuable insights that help them make faster, smarter decisions. Most organizations have several mission-critical systems. When you integrate Salesforce with those systems, productivity will soar.
The right Salesforce administrator (SFA) knows the CRM inside out. The SFA takes care of Salesforce as if it were the company's child. After all, the system holds something no one else has: the company's irreplaceable data. If the system dies and no one knows how to save it, the company cannot simply go out and buy a | 496 |
Northumberland Estates continues to support a wide range of sports clubs. In 200<|fim_middle|> and social events. | 3 the Estate donated land to Northumberland County Council for the construction of the Willowburn Leisure Centre in Alnwick. This brought a much needed new swimming pool, sports halls and other facilities to the town. Land was also donated at Longhoughton where the Longhoughton Rangers Football Club and new Football Academy now stand as well as providing significant financial support to the local football club, Alnwick Town and its juniors over many years.
Plagued by flooding, the management committee at Rothbury Golf Club approached Northumberland Estates with an idea to move the Club House to a better site and extend the course to 18 holes. Northumberland Estates, owners of the course, not only agreed to support the scheme, but also to finance the cost of building the new club house. Today it is not only the golfers who are benefit from the upgraded facilities. The golf club has become a community facility used by the whole community for everything from birthday parties and weddings to club meetings | 200 |
Women's Hockey Goaltender Lindsay Holdcroft '14 'Plays Big'
At 5 foot 4, Lindsay Holdcroft '14 is one of the smallest starting goaltenders in Division I women's college ice hockey. As such, the Pittsburgh, Penn., native has always focused on "playing bigger than I am." Apparently she's succeeded, because Holdcroft is just the fifth goalie in the history of Dartmouth women's hockey to register 50 wins, and she ranks second in career saves with 2,421.
Big Green co-captain Lindsay Holdcroft '14 is a biology and psychology double major who plans to attend medical school. (Photo by Eli Burakian '00)
On February 21 and 22, she anchored the Big Green to two crucial wins against Brown and Yale, helping Dartmouth secure its fifth straight ECAC Hockey Tournament appearance. The Big Green face top-seeded Clarkson in the tournament's opening round on Friday, February 28, in Potsdam, N.Y. The winner of this best-of-three game weekend series will then advance to the semifinal.
Dartmouth Peak Performance Yields Success in Many Ways
Dartmouth Clinches Postseason Berth in Win at Yale
Mark Hudak, who registered his 205th career head coaching victory in the team's 2-1 win over Yale, describes the Big Green's co-captain as "the hardest working kid on the team<|fim_middle|> have at least two more games to play. "We're a young team, but we've really stepped it up and matured a lot," says Holdcroft, who co-captains the team with Ali Winkel '14.
"You always want to peak at the end of your season going into the playoffs, and I think our team's definitely done that. Clarkson will be a tough opponent for sure, but we're not just happy to have made the playoffs. We're going in to win this weekend."
Bonnie Barber
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The geographers are recognized for significant contributions to the field. | , and incredibly competitive. She's had a couple of games this year where she really kept us in the game with some incredible saves. Against Brown and Yale, where we needed to win these games to get into the playoffs, she faced 42 or 43 shots and only gave up one goal, which is an awesome save percentage."
Holdcroft ranks fourth among Dartmouth goaltenders, with a .911 save percentage, and she also ranks first in minutes played with 6284:27.
Holdcroft says she felt well prepared for the demands of college hockey after playing varsity high school boys' hockey. "Playing with the boys, they've got the hard shots; they skate fast, and move the puck well, so that made the transition much easier."
Lindsay Holdcroft '14 is the fifth goaltender in Dartmouth women's hockey history to register 50 wins and she ranks second in career saves with 2,421. (Photo by Doug Austin)
A biology and psychology double major, she plans to go abroad after graduation to work in a clinic or to teach before applying to medical school. During an off-term last spring, she interned at a Johns Hopkins University-affiliated adult psychiatric rehabilitation program, and the clinical work she performed there sparked an interest in mental health.
As her college hockey career winds down, Holdcroft says, "It's been a pretty amazing four years at Dartmouth. The coaches really work on developing us as players and leaders, as well as being good teammates, and the faculty has been wonderful. And DP2 (Dartmouth Peak Performance) and the academic and athletic support they provide to student-athletes have been really incredible. I'm definitely sad to see it end."
But in the meantime, she and the team | 367 |
Last week I posted Part I of Luck and Career Success, which focused on your inner game of luck. In this post, I discuss how to use the outer game of Luck.
By outer game I mean being ready and taking action to prepare for that lucky opportunity that is coming your way.
Let's say you're ready for a new job. By revising your resume or beginning to research job openings you're sending out a message that you're "ready for an opportunity." Taking action starts creating momentum for opportunities to start coming your way. Just make sure its the right kind of action and that the steps you take are heading in<|fim_middle|> to land your satisfying job, to up your energy and to achieve your career and life goals. | the direction you want.
If you aren't sure what kind of job you want, or begin sending out resumes with no target or plan, your efforts can produce opportunities. If they are not the kind of opportunities you want, you're just wasting your time.
Get clear. Release what's holding you back and show the universe you're ready for that lucky opportunity that is just waiting for you by taking targeted, focused action.
One way you can release what's holding you back is to clear away anything that keeps you stuck in the old. If you have any reviews or rejection letters you're holding on to, get rid of them they belong in the past. You need to clear a path for new ideas, strategies and lucky opportunities to come your way.
Being lucky starts with being ready and ends with taking action to grab the opportunities that will come your way. Are you ready? Contact me if you're ready to accelerate your success.
When you look back over your job history what has brought you the most luck in your career? Please leave a comment. I'd love to hear.
Linda Hardenstein, MPA, PCC is a certified coach and accomplished career strategist with extensive experience serving hundreds of professionals by helping them find their authentic career path. She provides the tools you need | 257 |
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The Indestructible Leader
The Indestructible Leader
By Susan Steffen-Kraft
The young George Washington learned much from these French-Indian wars. Exposed to the raw realities of life he was learning to give clear concise orders and transcribe them, organize supplies, commanding and dispensing military justice, building forts and dealing with subordinates. All of this would prepare him to become the leader and man he needed to be for the hard road that lay ahead. These lessons in the military would help him when the Revolutionary War began.
Under his leadership, the Revolutionaries succeeded eventually in wresting control from the tyrant King George despite the fact that the Continental army was ill-equipped and outnumbered. The army might have rebelled under anyone else, but General Washington with his moral strength, his presence which was charismatic to say the least, and his political knowledge and maneuvering kept the army intact and under control.
After the war, he was asked to head the Constitutional Convention and his presence was needed there also. He could have become a dictator but choose not to. In fact, he handed military control to the United States Congress which in itself speaks to his high moral character which is sorely lacking today among most of our politicians. It is one of the few times in history that someone declined power when it was practically handed to them on a silver platter and chose to walk away.
His Awards and Honors as follows:
1. Congressional Gold Medal
2. Thanks of Congress
3. General of the Armies of the United States
4. The first President of the United States
Some George Washington quotes on Leadership:
"Associate with men of good quality if you esteem your own reputation; for it is better to be alone than in bad company."
"Be courteous to all, but intimate with few, and let those few be well tried before you give them your confidence."
"Discipline is the soul of an army. It makes small numbers formidable; procures success to the weak, and esteem to all."
"Friendship is a plant of slow growth and must undergo and withstand the shocks of adversity before it is entitled to the appellation."
"It is better to be alone than in bad company."
"It is better to offer no excuse than a bad one."
"Nothing can be more hurtful to the service, than the neglect of discipline; for that discipline, more than numbers, gives one army the superiority over another."
"Truth will ultimately prevail where there are pains to bring it to light."
"We should not look back unless it is to derive useful lessons from past errors, and for the purpose of profiting by dearly bought experience."
In his wisdom, he also eschewed party politics. Would today that the wisdom of what he told us was manifested in our politicians of the United States Government! In the video below you will hear his warning.
Sources: www.foxnews.com/story/2010/05/10/glenn-beck-founders-fridays-george-washington.html, www.mountvernon.org/george-washington/french-indian-war, http://www.americanfounding.blogspot.com/2008/07/leadership-qualities-of-george.htm, http://gwpapers.virginia.edu/history/articles/george-washington-genius-in-leadership/, The Bulletproof George Washington by David Barton
Washington never acted afraid for sometimes he would take on the British alone. There never seemed to be fear of death or injury. At least on 67 occasions, during the Revolutionary War he said the cause of independence for America would have been disastrous if not for God's direct intervention. Did Mr. Washington believe in God and the help that was given in forming this country; you bet he did! After he was elected to be president he said and I quote, "No people can be bound to acknowledge and adore the invisible hand which conducts the affairs of men more than the people of the United States. Every step by which they have advanced to the character of an independent nation seems to have been distinguished by some token of providential agency." This does not have the tone or ring to it of a non-believer. After a prophecy such as he heard that day he really had to see and know that the hand of God was with him.
Indestructible, indispensable, and a born leader. This sums up who George Washington was. He wanted to be a farmer and surveyed land for his country. It seemed like somebody always needed him and instead of complaining he always answered the call. For him, the most important thing was doing the right thing. That is what made him a leader; a great leader.
In his early 20's he was an aide to Gen. Braddock of the British army. The general was a very proud man who felt he could win against the Indians fighting the style the British always fought in Europe by directly marching against an enemy that hid behind trees and rocks. That did not work out so well at what was called the Battle at the Monongahela. Washington had warned the British that the Indians fought ambush style in true guerrilla warfare. The British were mowed down and were powerless against the attack.
George Washington wrote to his family the next day after the battle and said, "I don't know why I'm still here. It must be the hand of Providence that had preserved me. I've got bullet holes in my hat, through my clothing. I've had two horses shot out from under me."
Despite losing 977 British soldiers, Governor Dinwiddie hailed George Washington as a hero and gave him the ranking of Colonel and that gave him command of 1,200 men in the Virginia regiment.
Fifteen years after the battle, a great old and respected chief approached Washington and a close friend of his who were travelling towards the western territories and exploring uninhabited regions. The chief had heard that George Washington was coming that way and wanted to personally meet Mr. Washington. Near a junction of the Great Kanawha and Ohio river, they met and through an interpreter, the chief spoke to George Washington.
"I am a chief and ruler over my tribes My influence extends to the waters of the great lakes and to the far blue mountains. I have traveled a long weary path to see the young warrior of the great battle. On the day when white man's blood mixed with the streams of our forest I first saw this chief (Washington). I called to my young men and told them "mark yon tall and daring warrior? He is not part of the red-coat tribe and he has the Indian's wisdom and he and his warriors fight as we do. He himself is alone, exposed so quick, let your aim be certain and he will die. Our rifles were leveled, rifles which, but for you, knew not how to miss; twas all in vain for a power mightier far than we shielded you. You were under a special guardianship from the Great Spirit so we stopped firing at you. I am old and shall be soon with my father; but, I must speak a prophecy. Listen! The Great Spirit protects that man (And he pointed to George Washington) and guides his destiny. He will become the chief of nations, and a people yet unborn will hail him as the founder of a mighty empire. I come to pay homage to the man who is a particular favorite of Heaven and who cannot ever die in battle." This I somewhat paraphrased for easier reading, but the idea and most words are there.
Dr. Glenn A. Phelps wrote a book entitled George Washington and American Constitutionalism. He speaks of Mr. Washington's vision for the future of an American constitutional republic that was on a continental scale. This would be according to the hand that Providence would allow. People looked up to him because his views and leadership were already established. He believed that Congress was to be the main authority responsible for creating domestic policies and laws. The President was to be the caretaker of the policies and enforcer of those laws. He believed that developing foreign policy and that included treaties, were to be the President's responsibility. Thus, he observed the role and authority of Congress while standing by the role and authority of the President. His genius was in the use of the power he had.
The Watchmen on the Wall
The Mission: To bring about less government, and with the help of God a better world. To bring about more personal responsibility and with education and leadership to teach others to embody the principles of the Constitution.
The Mission: To endorse the timeless principals of the Declaration of Independence and seeking to educate about this great document.
The Mission: To expose the forces of darkness and warn against those who seek to destroy the United States of America. This can be done by taking our Independence and by undermining our personal liberties and national Independence and thus, by doing so. creating a One World Government!
The Mission: To awaken the apathetic people of this country to the designs of those who seek to destroy this Republic.
Where did the name of our group come from? The John Birch Society was named after a Baptist missionary who served in WWII and was killed by a bullet 10 days after the war was over. The cover-up of how John Birch was killed was finally exposed by Calif. Senator William Knowland who got access to a file on this incident marked TOP SECRET and after 10 years of cover up by our government. Had there been no cover up the relations with China and North Korea would have been so different.
As to the man who founded the JBS. Robert Welch wanted to preserve freedom and prosperity for future generations.
What prompted the attacks on the JBS? Why the hatred and the lies directed their way? In the fall of 1960 the Communist Party started working hard on a bill that was to be introduced as soon as Congress convened in 1961 in Jan. This bill would take away the funds of the House of UnAmerican Activities and as that would allow the Communists to now go uninvestigated, this was a pretty popular bill with them. The Communists had for years made this committee their project to be destroyed. And now was their chance.
Then the JBS went to work along with other conservative groups. All through the Christmas vacation they made this their priority. And they succeeded. This bill was defeated by a vote of 412 to 6 and both Democrats and Republicans came together to defeat it. The Communist Party was angry. Word went out that the Birchers had to go.
Nikita Khrushchev himself gave the speech that officially ordered all Communists to "resolutely unmask this anti-scientific and purely false ideology" of false ideology!" He then claimed that "Bourgeois propaganda is assuming an increasingly cunning nature. Its main weapon in the struggle against the Socialist camp and the Communist Parties is anti-communism. (Analysis of the Khrushchev Speech of January 6, 1961, Senate Judiciary Committee Report, June 16, 1961, p.74)
At that point, a Communist Newspaper called the Daily Peoples World published the word that we were a "secret Fascist Society setting up cells across the country". Now as you might suspect that this paper had little to no distribution which obviously would do little damage.
However the next week TIMES magazine came out with this:
Among the U.S. brotherhoods dedicated to the fight against Communism, nothing is quite like the John Birch Society. Except for an elite corps of leaders, its members shun personal publicity and their names are held by the society in strictest secrecy. Its cells, of 20 to 30 members apiece, take orders from society headquarters, promote Communist-style front organizations that do not use the John Birch name. Carefully avoiding normal channels of political action, the society accepts the hard-boiled, dictatorial direction of one man who sees democracy as a "perennial fraud" and estimates that the U.S. is 40-60% Communist controlled. In other times, other places, the John Birch 'Americanists' — as they call themselves — might seem a tiresome, comic opera joke. But already the society admits to cells in 35 states, and its partisans have made their anonymous and unsettling presence felt in scores of U.S. communities.(Time magazine, post dated March 10, 1961, pp. 21-22)
Oh yes, they said it and that was within one week of the Communist Newspaper saying it. From that point on favorite Communist terms started appearing all over the American Press about us. From Extreme Rightists to Patriotic Extremists, from Super Patriots to Lunatic Fringe! Sound familiar? Yet many do not get the big picture.
Welch was criticized for exposing Eisenhower who allowed unnecessary gains of Communism and that they were involved in outright Communist duplicity. Now that did not go over well. This, of course, happened before the JBS was organized. And some John Birchers later did not agree with him although they agreed with most everything else. Whether Eisenhower was duped or used or knew and participated in this is a moot point. The Eisenhower administration backed Castro as if he were the 2nd coming of the Lord and or George Washington reincarnated.
We are not racist contrary to what some think. We are anti-Communist and Communists declare in their manifesto that they are against racism. In fact, they clash with racists and Nazis as in for example at the Greensboro massacre.
"The Greensboro massacre occurred on November 3, 1979 in the city of Greensboro, North Carolina, United States. The "Death to the Klan March" and protest was the culmination of attempts by the Communist Workers Party to organize mostly black industrial workers in the area Communist organizers publicly challenged the Klan to present themselves and "face the wrath of the people". During the rally, a caravan of cars containing Klansmen and members of the American Nazi Party drove by the housing projects where the Communists and other anti-Klan activists were congregating. By the time this was over, 5 were dead. The five were not members of the Klan or the Nazis. Thus in conclusion since we are anti-Communist it just shows we are not racist or we would support Communism being as that is one area they are correct on.
We are called Ultra Conservative, but that is high praise if it means this; "to support and retain the original institutions of the U.S. Government. That includes the rule of law under the Constitution and the political doctrines which our founding fathers espoused pertaining to individual rights and freedoms". This is what the great country of the United States of America is about.
In ending this, I tell you we gave the warning despite being mocked, laughed at, and lied about but you did not listen. The watchmen told the truth and you chose to ignore it. U are now living with the consequences of your actions.
"The U. S. Founding Documents sat on a wall, the U.S. Founding Documents had a great fall, and all the kings horses and all the kings men couldn't put the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution back together again.".
Sources include The John Birch Society, www.ourrepubliconline.com, wikianswers.com, Wikipedia
For the Love of Freedom
In mid-2006, Edward Snowden landed a job in IT at the CIA. In 2007, the CIA sent Snowden to Geneva on his first foreign tour to Switzerland; he was 24 and a young man on his way up. His job was to maintain security for the CIA's computer network and also to monitor computer security for US diplomats. He was also a telecommunications information systems officer! His political views at that time were most closely matched to Ron Paul whose 2008 bid for the Presidency he supported.
In 2009, he quit the CIA and went to work for the NSA facility in Japan on a U.S. military base there. At that point, the intelligence task for private contractors was booming and Dell was one of those companies who were on the receiving end of some of those tasks. Edward Snowden was working for Dell. Between 2009 and 2012, he has stated that he found out just how intense the NSA's surveillance activities are: "They are intent on making every conversation and every form of behaviour in the world known to them."
The next stop was Hawaii and while he was still with Dell his new job was at the NSA's regional cryptological centre (the Central Security Service) on the main island of Oahu, near Honolulu. He arrived there not with the plan to spill secrets wholesale but to find a select group of reporters and turn over some select material to them to let them use their editorial judgment and let them go from there. But his plan to leak stuff did not work out.
His next step was to move from Dell to a company called Booze Allen Hamilton in early 2013. This company was going to have a goldmine of information. According to an NSA staffer who talked to Forbes magazine Edward Snowden had turned down an offer to be part of the agency's special access operations, which if you joined them were a bunch of elite hackers.
He logged on an April night when most of the staff had gone home for the night. At that point, he could remotely reach into the NSA's servers. Four weeks into his new job he told his bosses he was not well. He said he wanted time off and requested unpaid leave. On May 20th, he dropped out of sight.
Guardian editor columnist Glenn Greenwald received an anonymous e-mail in Dec. 2012 from someone who made the offer "I<|fim_middle|> and pay attention. HEY you in the back put the damn spit balls away. | have some stuff you might be interested in."
Snowden tried a different route a month later. Her name was Larua Poitras. She was a friend of Greenwald's and a leading critic of the US security state for good reasons; she herself had been detained by the DHS every time she tried to enter the country.
Snowden's email to Poitras bluntly stated that "This won't be a waste of your time." Intrigued she listened and albeit nervous as she was sure she herself was under surveillance.
Then came the stunning revelation that said he had got hold of "Presidential Policy Directive 20, a top-secret 18-page document issued in October 2012.
It said that the agency was tapping fibre optic cables, intercepting telephone landing points and bugging on a global scale." He claimed he could prove all of it. At that Poitras said, "I almost fainted!" Snowden informed her he wanted the target to be on his back.
Again he contacted Glenn Greenwald telling him he had been in touch with his friend Laura and at that point Greenwald did talk to Snowden for two hours and Snowden sent him material to read. Mr Greenwald now was intrigued enough to agree that he and Laura and a third person by the name of Ewen MacAskill.
When they finally met up with Snowden they were not expecting him to look the way he did. They had imagined someone older. Then his age and looks seemed to not matter anymore because he had in his possession "tens of thousands of documents taken from NSA and GCHQ's internal servers. Most were stamped Top Secret. Some were marked Top Secret Strap 1 – the British higher tier of super-classification for intercept material – or even Strap 2, which was almost as secret as you could get".
Only a few restricted security officials had ever laid eyes on this material. After all that, it was decided he was the real deal and everything moved quickly. After some drama with the NSA and the Whitehouse at 7 o'clock pm the Guardian US went ahead and ran the story.
Snowden now declared his intention to go public and the video of him being interviewed went public on Sunday June the 9th. When the video exploded on every network and then online it was the most viewed video in Guardian history! What was Edward Snowden's reward for exposing all? He is now one of the most-wanted men on the planet!
He wants to come home but cannot unless amnesty is granted. All this for exposing that our government that was trampling on the Bill of Rights! The whistleblower, Edward Snowden sacrificed his freedom and possibly his life for our freedom. He has not seen his family or girlfriend in several years because of what he did.
"I don't want to live in a society that does these sort of things … I do not want to live in a world where everything I do and say is recorded. That is not something I am willing to support or live under," a disillusioned Edward Snowden said.
"Any analyst at any time can target anyone. Any selector. Anywhere," Snowden stated in a video on the Guardian's website. "I, sitting at my desk, had the authority to wiretap anyone, from you or your accountant to a federal judge to even the president if I had a personal email."
The 4th Amendment is an amendment to the United States Constitution and part of the Bill of Rights. It prohibits unreasonable searches and seizures and requires any warrant to be judicially sanctioned and supported by probable cause. The definition of the word espionage means giving secret or classified information to the enemy. Edward Snowden shared his information with the American people, his indictment for espionage could reveal that the US Government views you and me as the enemy.
Former Representative Ron Paul believes the government operates largely in secret while seeking to know everything about our private lives - without probable cause and without a warrant. The government does not need to know more about what we are doing. We need to know more about what the government is doing," he said. "We should be thankful for individuals like Edward Snowden and Glenn Greenwald who see injustice being carried out by their own government and speak out, despite the risk. They have done a great service to the American people by exposing the truth about what our government is doing in secret.
Edward Snowden whom some call a traitor and some call a hero. I will not call him either because I believe he loved his country and wished to reveal the truth. I will call him patriotic and since when is it a crime to expose a crime? He did the right thing as this is what our forefathers would have done and if neither the right, the left or anyone else wishes to acknowledge that then they do not know the Constitution and Bill of Rights.
The foundation of our freedoms enshrined in the Bill of Rights still remains under threat. We have come a long way, but the threat to our privacy still remains. Edward Snowden stated recently that "we have learned that our government intentionally weakens the fundamental security of the Internet with "back doors" that transform private lives into open books. Metadata revealing the personal associations and interests of ordinary Internet users is still being intercepted and monitored on a scale unprecedented in history: As you read this online, the United States government makes a note."
Snowden is prone to being hopeful since Senator Rand Paul and others in the U.S. Senate that are civil rights advocates who took a stand and forced Section 215 of the Patriot Act to expire and that a federal judge ruled that the NSA's collection of phone metadata is illegal. In the month of June 2015 on a Thursday he stated to the New York Times
that "We are witnessing the emergence of a post-terror generation, one that rejects a worldview defined by a singular tragedy. For the first time since the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, we see the outline of a politics that turns away from reaction and fear in favor of resilience and reason.
With each court victory, with every change in the law, we demonstrate facts are more convincing than fear. As a society, we rediscover that the value of a right is not in what it hides, but in what it protects," Snowden said.
In reaction to the federal judges ruling he also said, "This is significant and the importance of it in the United States' legal and policy communities really can't be overstated."
Perhaps with any luck Edward Snowden can come home to a society that has defeated the NSA monster and the Bill of Rights has prevailed.
Lincoln Chafee who is the ex-governor and senator of Rhode Island said in a speech he prepared to announce his bid to run for President in 2016, "Our sacred Constitution requires a warrant before unreasonable searches, which includes our phone records....Let's enforce that and while we're at it, allow Edward Snowden to come home. "Our sacred Constitution requires a warrant before unreasonable searches, which includes our phone records… Let's enforce that and while we're at it, allow Edward Snowden to come home."
Sources: www.the guardian.com/world/2014/feb/01/edward-snowden-intelligence-leak-nsa-contractor-extract, www.newsmax.com/The Wire/edward-snowden-nsa-prism/2013/06/10/id/50900/, usnews.nbcnews.com, https://answers.yahoo.com, www.campaignforliberty.org./, rt.com/usa/drone-snowden-government-paul-592/, www.washingtonpost.com, www.politico.com/story/2013/06/ron-paul-thankful-for-edward-snowden-92524.html, truthinmedia.com/snowden-the-balance-of-power-is-beginning-to-shift/?utm__source=newsletter&it,__medium=text&utm__campaign=nl, www.nytimes.com/2015/06/05/opinion/edward-snowden-the-world-says-no-to-surveillance.html?__r=1
I am " Professor Granny Susan. I brook no foolishness in my classroom so sit down | 1,684 |
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« Conference & CLE Calendar | Main | Court Report »
Roche's Mircera® Remains Off the Market (For Now<|fim_middle|>31, 2008 at 07:40 AM | )
By Kevin E. Noonan --
Last Friday, the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts (Judge William G. Young, presiding) granted a preliminary injunction to Amgen against Hoffman La-Roche, preventing Roche from selling its Mircera® drug product, a form of recombinant EPO that has been covalently linked to polyethylene glycol. Last November, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted approval for Roche to market Mircera® (it has already been approved in Europe and is sold in Austria, Sweden, Germany, the United Kingdom, and Norway). Roche had moved for the Court to permit it to launch (offering Amgen a 20% royalty), and there has been industry speculation that Roche might decide to launch at risk (see "Roche Plans to Launch Anemia Biologic Miceria [sic] in U.S. Despite Court Setback"). Neither of those options are available to Roche in the face of Judge Williams' injunction.
The Court's injunction is pursuant to a jury judgment on October 23, 2007 that Mircera® infringed several Amgen patents. That verdict found Roche's Mircera® infringed Claims 3, 7, and 8 of Amgen's U.S. Patent No. 5,547,933 (claim 12 was found not to be literally infringed but infringed under the Doctrine of Equivalents); claims 1 and 2 of U.S. Patent No. 5,441,868; and claims 6 through 9 of U.S. Patent No. 5,618,698. (Amgen's infringed claims were directed to recombinant methods and recombinant EPO protein.) In addition, the jury found that Roche had not sustained its burden of establishing that any of Amgen's asserted claims were invalid (see "Amgen Survives Another EPO Challenge").
In its injunction order, the Court analyzed whether Amgen was entitled to an injunction using the four-factor test set forth by the Supreme Court in eBay Inc. v. MercExchange, L.L.C. The District Court relied upon the jury verdict that Amgen's asserted claims were infringed and not invalid; in addition, the Court found that Amgen's injury would not be adequately compensated merely with money damages, and that the balance of the hardships weighed in favor of granting the injunction. The most difficult prong for the Court to establish was the public interest, particularly in view of Roche's representations of the advantages of its Mircera® product over Amgen's version of EPO (including inter alia less frequent dosing; see "Long-Acting Drug for Dialysis Anemia Equivalent to Weekly Agent").
The Court did not make the injunction permanent, however, and announced that it "may modify" the injunction in 30 days, unless the Federal Circuit exercises jurisdiction by accepting an appeal (presumably from Roche). The District Court did indicate that it would impose the following conditions if it were persuaded (presumably by its considerations of the public interest) not to make the injunction permanent. First, Roche would pay Amgen a royalty of 22.5%; on February 20th, Amgen rejected an offer for a 20% royalty from Roche (see "Amgen Rejects Roche's Micera [sic] License Payment Offer"). Second, Roche could be introduced to the Medicare patient population at a cost no less than the average sales price of Amgen's EPO products (sold under the names Epogen® and Aranesp®) (a requirement that would prevent Roche from passing its royalty obligations onto patients, but would not prevent Roche from selling Mircera® at a bargain price relative to Epogen®). Third, Roche would have to provide clinical evidence to permit the Court to determine a "dosage conversion factor" between Mircera® and Epogen®. Fourth, Roche must pay for an independent agency to monitor sales and determine royalty payments owed to Amgen. Finally, Roche must agree to supply Mircera® to any patient needing it, at or below the authorized price (presumably, this is a provision that would prevent Roche from abandoning the Medicare market once it has entered it).
The Court also denied the various post-judgment motions (for judgment as a matter of law and a new trial) by the parties.
Posted at 10:47 PM in Patent Litigation | Permalink
Frankly, I feel that Roche has taken responsibility for creating a new drug that can help the lives of millions of people suffering from renal disease. Amgen wants to block the market from any company wanting to help others in a timely and cost efficient manner. Amgen has made millions on its drug and has also killed many people doing it. Amgen charges much to much for it's drug (we cannot afford it) and does not have a program to help patients with the cost. Physicians receive monetary kickbacks for putting their patients on Amgen's product, not caring if it kills them. The FDA should remove Amgen's product and market Roche's instead. This is strictly a political move on Amgen's part - as they would stand to lose millions (as would the doctors prescribing the medication). The government should realize that children are dying from renal disease and anemia that is a cause from it. Development of newer and SAFER anemia drugs should be developed and soon.
Posted by: Susan Friedman | July | 1,156 |
Arctic Foxes: The Unintentional Gardeners
Predators are an integral component of any healthy ecosystem. Their influence can even be felt at the botanical level via what are called top-down controls. Either through direct predation or through altering their behavior, predators influence the herbivores in any system, which usually<|fim_middle|> plant diversity.
In total, the mere presence of spiders was enough to set in motion these top-down ecosystem effects. It's not that spiders eat more grasshoppers, it's that they are changing the behavior of grasshoppers in a way that results in a more diverse plant community overall. This is a radically different narrative than what has been observed with examples such as the reintroduction of wolves to the greater Yellowstone ecosystem yet the conclusions are very much the same. Predators have innumerable ecosystem benefits that we simply can't afford to ignore.
Photo Credits: [1] [2] [3]
Further Reading: [1] [2]
In Ecology Tags plant diversity, Biodiversity, predators, spiders, grasshoppers, Pisaurina mira, nursery web spider, Solidago rugosa, goldenrod, old fields, fields, monoculture, top-down control, trophic cascade | results in healthier plant communities. This method is rather indirect but new evidence shows that in the Arctic tundra, a top predator is having quite a direct influence on plant communities.
What's not to love about Arctic foxes? All anthropomorphic views aside, Arctic foxes are important predators in this ecosystem. Although the food web complexity on the tundra is largely driven by limits to plant productivity, a paper published in 2016 shows that these little canids can have profound effects on vegetation. This doesn't have to do with predation directly but rather their reproductive behavior.
Arctic foxes live, give birth, and raise their young in underground dens. Without these subterranean homes, the foxes would be much more vulnerable to other predators as well as the harsh Arctic climate. Dens don't happen overnight either. Suitable sites are tended for generations and some dens may well be more than a century old. All this equates to a lot of activity in and around a good den site.
With an average litter size of 8 - 10 pups per female, one can imagine the food and waste buildup must be considerable. Like all predators, Arctic fox food and waste are rich in nitrogen and phosphorus compounds, the necessary building blocks of life. Many an onlooker has noticed that, unsurprisingly, plant growth around Arctic fox dens is much more lush than on the surrounding landscape. Until recently though, such differences have hardly been quantified.
By examining the soil and plant characteristics around Artic fox dens in Canada and comparing these data to surrounding sites without Arctic fox dens, a team of researchers put the first comprehensive numbers to the effects of Arctic foxes on tundra plant communities. They found that soils from in and around Arctic fox dens contained significantly higher levels of nitrogen and phosphorus than did the surrounding control plots. What's more, these levels varied throughout the year. In June, for instance, soil nitrogen and phosphorus levels were 71% and 1195% higher than non-den soils. These levels seemed to switch later in the summer. In August, soil nitrogen from fox dens were 242% higher and soil phosphorus levels were 191% higher.
As you can probably imagine, all of these extra nutrients caused a change in vegetation around the dens. Den sites were far more productive in terms of vegetation. The team found that, on average, Arctic fox dens supported 2.8 times more plant biomass than did the surrounding area. The authors note that these were conservative estimates and that the true values are much higher. Taken together, these results demonstrate that far from simply being top predators, Arctic foxes are true ecosystem engineers, at least on local scales. This is especially important in such a demanding ecosystem as the Arctic tundra.
Photo Credits: [1] [2]
Further Reading: [1]
In Ecology, Conservation Tags arctic foxes, foxes, fox, plants, tundra, arctic circle, arctic tundra, tundra plants, predators, top down ecosystem control
How Spiders Increase Plant Diversity
If healthy ecosystems are what we desire, we must embrace predators. There is no way around it. Because of their meat-based diets, predators can have serious effects on plant diversity. Generally speaking, as plant diversity increases, so does the biodiversity of that region. It's not just large predators like wolves and bears either. Even predators as small as spiders can have considerable impacts on not only plant diversity, but ecosystem processes as well. Before we get to that, however, we should take a moment to review some of the background on this subject.
The way in which predators mediate plant diversity falls under a realm of an ecological science called top-down ecosystem controls. In a top-down system, predators mediate the populations of herbivores, which takes pressure off of the plant community. It makes a lot of sense as a numbers game. The fewer herbivores there are, the better the plants perform overall. However, ecology is never that simple. More and more we are realizing that top-down controls have less to do with fewer herbivores than they do with herbivore behavior.
Herbivores, like any organism on this planet, respond to changes in their environment. When predators are present, herbivores often become more cautious and change up their behavior as a result. Such is the case of grasshoppers living in fields. Grasshoppers are incredibly numerous and can do considerable amounts of damage to plant communities as they feed. Picture swarms of locusts and you kind of get the idea.
Given the choice, grasshoppers will preferentially feed on some plants more than others. Such was the case when researchers began observing grasshopper behavior in some old fields in Connecticut. The grasshoppers in this study really seemed to prefer grasses to all other plants. That is unless spiders were present. In this particular system lives a spider known as the nursery web spider (Pisaurina mira). The nursery web spider is an effective hunter and the fact does not seem to be lost on the grasshoppers.
In the presence of spiders, grasshoppers change up their feeding behavior quite a bit. Instead of feeding on grasses, they switch over to feeding on goldenrod (Solidago rugosa). Although the researchers are not entirely sure why they make this shift, they came up with three possible explanations. First is that the goldenrod is much more structurally complex than the grass and thus offers more places for the grasshopper to hide. Second is that goldenrod fills the grasshoppers stomach in less time thanks to the higher water content of the leaves. This would mean that grasshoppers had more time to watch for predators than they would if they were eating grass. Third is that the feeding behaviors of both arthropods allows the grasshopper to better keep track of where spiders might be lurking. It is very likely that all three hypotheses play a role in this shift.
It's the shift in diet itself that has ramifications throughout the entire ecosystem in question. Many goldenrod species are highly competitive when left to their own devices. If left untouched, abandoned fields can quickly become a monoculture of goldenrod. That is where the spiders come in. By causing a behavioral shift in their grasshopper prey, the spiders are having indirect effects on plant diversity in these habitats. Because grasshoppers spend more time feeding on goldenrods in the presence of spiders, they knock back some of the competitive advantages of these plants.
The researchers found that when spiders were present, overall plant diversity increased. This is not because the spiders ate more grasshoppers. Instead, it's because the grasshoppers shifted to a diet of goldenrod, which knocked the goldenrod back just enough to allow other plants to establish. It's not just plant diversity that changed either. Spiders also caused an increase in both solar radiation and nitrogen reaching the soils!
In knocking back the goldenrod, the habitat became slightly more open and patchy as various plant species of different shapes and sizes gradually established. This allowed more light to reach the soil, thus changing the environment for new seeds to germinate. Also, because goldenrod leaves tend to break down more slowly, they can have significant influences on nutrient cycles within the soil. As a more diverse set of plants establish in these field habitats, the type of leaf litter that falls to the ground changes as well. This resulted in an overall increase in the nitrogen supply to the soil, which also influences | 1,529 |
Allentown, PA — Muhlenberg College<|fim_middle|> | takes a stroll down the runway and into drag ball culture, as the Muhlenberg Theatre & Dance Department presents Tarell Alvin McCraney's "Wig Out!," March 30 – April 2. Rarely produced since its 2008 premiere, "Wig Out!" offers an outlandish and high-style glimpse into the tight-knit world of Harlem drag balls. Muhlenberg theater professor Troy Dwyer directs.
"Wig Out!" focuses on the intense personal connections of "houses," the family units at the heart of drag culture — families that typically include a mother, a father, and a group of "children," while also upending traditional nuclear family roles in favor of something richer and more complex. At the core of "Wig Out!" is the fictional House of Light, with mother Rey-Rey (Cameron Silliman) and father Lucian (Alan Mendez).
Drag balls trace their roots to Harlem in the 1860s, flourishing during the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s and '30s. Today's drag ball culture took shape in the 1960s, as black drag queens began hosting predominantly black drag events. In 1990, the drag scene achieved mainstream recognition with the release of the documentary film "Paris Is Burning," along with pop star Madonna's drag-inspired hit "Vogue." The balls themselves are extravagant competitions, in which contestants "walk" and are judged on a specific set of criteria, including the "realness" of their drag, their movement and dance abilities, and their fashion choices.
"Wig Out!" was first produced at the Off-Broadway Vineyard Theatre in New York City, and the same year at the Royal Court Theatre in London. It has been fully produced only once since, in any venue.
Playwright McCraney's film "Moonlight" received 2017 Academy Awards for Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay. The film was written by McCraney and director Barry Jenkins, based on McCraney's unpublished semi-autobiographical play. McCraney was also recently appointed chair of playwriting at the Yale School of Drama, beginning in July. His plays have been produced by Steppenwolf Theatre, Manhattan Theatre Club, and the Royal Shakespeare Company, among others.
McCraney got together with the Muhlenberg production's cast and creative team in February, via Skype. He shared some insights, answered questions, and engaged with the actors' responses to the play.
Dwyer has surrounded himself with an accomplished creative team — which he says has somewhat allayed his concerns as a white director about taking artistic leadership of this project, in which most of the characters are people of color.
The production team includes managing dramaturg Dr. Sharrell Luckett, a Muhlenberg theater professor; accomplished costume designer Andy Jean; and Broadway wig and hair designer Bobbie Zlotnik. Samuel Antonio Reyes, who choreographed last summer's acclaimed Muhlenberg Summer Music Theatre production of "In the Heights," and a veteran of the ballroom scene himself, has created the show's extensive choreography.
The show also features makeup design by Joe Dulude II, who designed make-up for the Tony Award-winning Broadway productions of "Wicked" and "Beautiful: The Carole King Musical." Dulude is the Baker Artist-in-Residence for the 2016-17 academic year, thanks to a grant from the Dexter F. & Dorothy H. Baker Foundation. He says his own involvement in the drag scene heavily influences his approach to the work.
Muhlenberg Junior Evan Brooks, who plays Ms. Nina/Wilson, one of the children of the House of Light, says the production is a vital performance opportunity for theater students at Muhlenberg.
Dwyer says the show's second act will feature a drag ball performance for which audience members will be invited onstage to serve as the crowd for the ball. The production also will feature a lobby display about the history of drag, coordinated by Luckett, and a uniquely interactive intermission.
"Wig Out!" plays March 30 – April 2. Showtimes are Thursday through Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. Regular admission tickets are $15. Tickets for youth and LVAIC students and staff are $8. The production is recommended for mature audiences.
Tickets and information are available online at muhlenberg.edu/theatre or by phone at 484-664-3333. Performances are in the Baker Theatre, Trexler Pavilion for Theatre & Dance, Muhlenberg College, 2400 Chew St., Allentown.
Founded in 1848, Muhlenberg College is a highly selective, private, four-year residential college located in Allentown, Pa., approximately 90 miles west of New York City. With an undergraduate enrollment of approximately 2,200 students, Muhlenberg College is dedicated to shaping creative, compassionate, collaborative leaders through rigorous academic programs in the arts, sciences, business, education and public health. A member of the Centennial Conference, Muhlenberg competes in 22 varsity sports. Muhlenberg is affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
Muhlenberg offers Bachelor of Arts degrees in theater and dance. The Princeton Review ranked Muhlenberg's theater program in the top twelve in the nation for eight years in a row, and Fiske Guide to Colleges lists both the theater and dance programs among the top small college programs in the United States. Muhlenberg is one of only eight colleges to be listed in Fiske for both theater and dance. | 1,191 |
COVID-19 and gender in the workplace
08 April 2021 | Story Nonsindiso Qwabe | Photo Sonia SMall
How has COVID-19 further widened the gender inequality gap in the workplace?
This was the central question addressed during the first instalment of a webinar series on Gender and Social Justice hosted by the Unit for Institutional Change and Social Justice at the University of the Free State (UFS). The webinar, which was hosted on the UFS Qwaqwa Campus on 29 March 2021, featured Prof Pearl Sithole, Qwaqwa Campus Vice-Principal: Academic and Research; Advocate Nthabiseng Sepanya-Mogale, Commissioner at the Commission for Gender Equality (CGE); and Tholo Motaung, skills trainer, moderator, and gender activist at the Vaal University of Technology as panellists.
Prof Sithole said COVID-19 revealed the disparity that still exists between men and women in the workplace. "COVID-19 has been the magnifier. We've modernised quite a lot, but we're still unequal in terms of gender. Why are we not progressing in terms of women moving forward towards equality when there has been so much progressive thinking in the political space, social justice space, as well as in the kind of feminism we have had in academia? Why are we actually not winning the battle of just regarding each other as equals?"
Women hardest hit by COVID-19 lockdown
Advocate Sepanya-Mogale said the lockdown<|fim_middle|> that is hardly talked about. A lot of women have experienced resistance from industries they had been serving diligently," she said. She said women were often faced with the burden of integrating their work with increased care responsibilities for their children and sometimes also the elderly as primary caregivers. The double responsibility placed on women continues to re-enforce gender roles in our societies and further pushes away the success of closing the gap on gender equality prospects in our society.
Advocate Sepanya-Mogale said women were the hardest hit in most industries. In the beauty and tourism industry; air transportation; informal trading; and healthcare sector to name a few, women bore the brunt the most. "Women are the biggest employees on all economic levels in South Africa, especially the low-income and unskilled levels," she said.
She said as the spread of the virus was likely to continue disrupting economic activity, all sectors of society needed to get involved and play their part.
"As disease outbreaks are not likely to disappear in the near future, proactive international action is required to not only save lives but to also protect economic prosperity. Academic institutions are authorities in terms of opening up new discussions, leading new debates, and putting critical issues at the centre of the table. Let us all do what we can so that we empower our people relevantly for the times we're living in."
Largest number of CUADS graduates at UFS
During the mid-year graduation ceremonies at the
University of the Free State (UFS), the Centre for
Universal Access and Disability Support (CUADS) saw
the largest number of students with disabilities graduating.
Photo: Johan Roux
During the mid-year graduation ceremonies at the University of the Free State (UFS), the Centre for Universal Access and Disability Support (CUADS) saw the largest number of students with disabilities graduating.
For the first time since being established in February 2001, a total number of 30 students graduated, of which seven were postgraduate students.
Accomplishing your dreams as a student
Martie Miranda, Head of CUADS, says that one cannot help but become emotional with joy and happiness. "The feeling of satisfaction we feel with the graduates is so valuable, because it's a reminder of their abilities to accomplish their dreams just like any other student."
CUADS aims to ensure that the UFS creates opportunities for students with disabilities, aiming to become a higher-education institution recognised for its efforts in human reconciliation. Together with the Exam Division, CUADS coordinates alternative assessment with an accessible test and examination facility housed at CUADS. This accommodates students with concessions, amanuensis, specialised equipment, and accessible formatted papers.
Changing the challenges you experience
Miranda continuously encourages students to keep going. "If being successful is important to you, you will find a way to change the challenges you experience into opportunities. Either to learn something about yourself or teach someone else something."
Below are the number of graduates from each faculty:
• Faculty of Law: 2
• Faculty of Economics and Management Sciences: 4
• Faculty of Education: 4
• Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Science: 9
• Faculty of the Humanities: 11 | revealed the gender gap mostly through the significant impact it has had on South African women.
In 2020, 34% of the country's workforce comprised women – a sharp decline of 9,8% from 43,8% in 2018.
"This decline is alarming and a clear indication of who becomes the first victims, but | 75 |
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Burg Square Tours & Tickets
Historic Centre of Bruges (Historisch Centrum van Brugge) Tours & Tickets
Canals of Bruges (Brugse Reien)
How to Spend 1 Day in Bruges
How to Spend 3 Days in Bruges
Nord-Pas de Calais
Things to do in Belgium
With its maze of cobbled streets and squares, striking old buildings, and network of scenic canals, the UNESCO-listed Historic Centre of Bruges is undeniably picturesque. A boat trip down the romantic canals of Bruges is at the top of the bucket list for many Belgium visitors, and there's no better way to experience this beautiful city than from the water.
A Bruges sightseeing excursion isn't complete without a canal tour. Boat tours typically last about 30 minutes, cruising around the historic center and passing landmarks such as the Groeninge Museum (Groeningemuseum), Old St. John's Hospital, and Basilica of the Holy Blood. Even if you choose not to spend the night in Bruges, the city is small enough to explore on a day or half-day trip from Antwerp, Brussels, Ghent, or even other European destinations such as Paris and Amsterdam.
Boat tours leave from the city's four main quays, or piers—Tanner's Square (Huidenvettersplein), Nieuwstraat, Wollestraat, and Quay of the Rosary (Rozenhoedkaai).
Most boats are open-air, so dress for the season's weather.
Many boat cruises offer wheelchair access, but it's best to check in advance with the tour operator.
Bruges (Brugge) is located in Belgium's West Flanders province, roughly an hour by train from Brussels, where the closest international airport is located. Many day trips offer coach transportation to Bruges from nearby cities such as Paris, Amsterdam, and Brussels.
Most boat tours run from March through November, but winter cruises are sometimes possible depending on the weather. It's best to book ahead, especially during the busy summer months, when lines can be long.
Photographing the Bruges Waterways
The most memorable photographs of Bruges focus on the city's canals, and there are plenty of opportunities for budding photographers to capture the waterways on camera. Head down to the waterfront at sunrise or sunset for the most impressive light, or set up a tripod at night to capture glittering reflections on the water. Notable photo spots include the swan-filled waters by the Begijnhof building, the Church of Our Lady gardens, the tree-lined promenade of the Quay of the Rosary, and the Meestraat Bridge.
More Tours in Bruges
Things to do near Bruges
Things to do in Nord-Pas de Calais
More attractions near Bruges
Church of Our Lady (Onze-Lieve-V | 661 |
The Cardinal DVM 194 series has been launched, a cost-conscious modular range of devices to enable automated standby activation for conference and training room systems.
The Cardinal DVM 194 series has been launched – a cost-conscious modular range of devices to enable automated standby activation for conference and training room systems.
It can be used both as a fully closed system and as an open solution with free interfaces. The devices are intelligent and will recognise each other within the<|fim_middle|> established using 24V system power supplies, and can also be mounted into the SYSBOXX frame. | network. All devices can be fully assimilated into the IP environment, have a LAN link out for structured wiring – a built-in 2-port 100 Base-T switch – and are based on the same controller platform.
The use of variable instruction sets ensures full compatibility with most common devices on the market, said the company, as well as with large media controllers, building technology BUS systems, displays and beamers.
Set-up can be quickly achieved without programming skills through the integrated web interface.
Functions across multiple rooms or even buildings are very easy to programme, said the company. Sommer Cable suggested a typical scenario where the system could put all displays and beamers in an entire building into stand-by mode.
A pre-programmed plug and play solution is also available. Maintenance and surveillance can also be remotely controlled via this IP interface, which also facilitates a fast and efficient troubleshooting process.
The devices are mechanically fully compatible with DIN 41494 and can therefore be integrated into the company's SYSBOXX housing system. A 2RU frame will accept up to four devices with an installation depth of 140mm.
The voltage supply for the entire Cardinal DVM 194 family can be | 244 |
A thesis (also known as a dissertation) is an academic paper written for pursuing an academic degree or qualification. The aim of the paper is to show the results of the author's research. Some universities denote that thesis works are written for pursuing a master's degree, while a dissertation is written for a PhD (doctoral) degree.
This kind of paper is a valuable part of scientific work and shows your interest in a particular field of science. Academic papers of this level are a method of communication in academic society. The thesis serves as a tool for sharing your findings with a larger community and audience.
In this article we are going to walk you through all the steps of the thesis writing process. Here you will find out how to do a thesis, what is expected in the thesis, and what you need to do starting from the very beginning to the final part of your thesis.
A mater thesis is a work with which you will show your qualifications. Don't think that you need to invent another wheel – you don't need to make a scientific breakthrough. A thesis should highlight a new point of view on an existing issue or new decision. Meanwhile, it may be hard to find a new approach to the existing findings, but if you have a strong desire to get a degree, be aware that the thesis writing process may be a little tricky.
Most students that face thesis writing have experience in academic writing, but this new task may confuse you, as it has a great list of requirements. Maybe, it will be the biggest paper you have ever written. A thesis is not a book or article;<|fim_middle|> all visual materials look good with the text. Check the page numbers, table of contents, appendix, and numbering of tables and figures. If your department gives a template, just apply it to your paper. Make sure that your text (including the reference list) corresponds with the required format.
Proofread the text. Make sure that your text has a logical flow and all sections are connected with topic sentences. It may sound obvious, but your paper should not contain any spelling or grammatical errors. We recommend putting off your thesis for some time to reread the text with fresh eyes.
Ask your advisor or anyone else qualified for such work to check your paper and make observations. But before sending your work to your advisor, make sure that you have edited all errors. Each improvement of the text raises your chances to create a well-written thesis and successfully submit it.
Look through citations. Make sure that you have properly cited text from original sources. It should be easy to identify who is the author of a particular citation. Avoid using citations too much. A thesis with a large number of citations gives the impression that the author has poorly researched the question. Use sources as a basis, and it will be better to rewrite someone's ideas than to include a voluminous citation. Check your paper in the available plagiarism checker to make sure that your text is unique. All quotes and other used material should be properly cited throughout the document. If you have used information from your previous works, make sure that you haven't overused it.
Does the layout give a good impression?
Has the student properly researched the existing literature?
What research questions were raised?
Has the study answered the stated research questions?
Are thoughts and ideas clearly stated?
A finished thesis should give answers to the research questions or hypothesis, show evidence from existing researches, give an overview to the methods used in the research, show clear results, and give a proper analysis of received data. The text of the thesis should be organized within the requirements and correspond with academic standards. The thesis should be complete, from introduction to conclusion. Submit your thesis as soon as you feel that you have done everything to make it great.
We have created a thesis sample to show you how this type of paper should look. Please note that it is only a part of a thesis. You can see what style the author uses in the text and how his or her own point of view is represented. Don't copy this sample to your work to avoid being accused of plagiarism. Check out other thesis paper examples on our website for more ideas.
Use your personal experience if possible. Adding reflections from your professional experience will be a big plus for the thesis. You can find many experts for a particular topic, but your own point of view also counts.
Build the writing process in such a way so the research questions will always reflect the points of your research question.
Create a space in your room where you will comfortably place all needed materials and the computer.
Try various writing strategies to get an optimal result. New writing strategies will help you write more effectively and avoid writer's block.
Check out the written parts as soon as you finish them. It will be easier to check small pieces instead of the whole work.
Use open questions to generate more ideas during the writing process.
Try to work in writing groups with other students that are involved in thesis writing, and see how other students build their writing process.
More is not always better. Make sure that every word in your thesis counts. Also, make your sentences short.
Work systematically. This will keep your motivation and guarantee that you will write your work on time.
Don't forget that you have a life outside of writing a thesis. Some fresh air and a walk with a friend will only benefit the writing process.
Don't disrespect your advisor. Such an attitude may have serious consequences for your degree.
Don't underestimate the collaboration with your advisor. Frequently share the thesis progress with your supervisor to achieve high results.
Don't overuse abbreviations in the text, as it will be too difficult to read the text.
Don't split tables, diagrams, and charts. Use your imagination and try to fit it on one page.
Don't plagiarize. Avoid both self-plagiarism and skipping proper citations for used sources.
Don't send your draft to your advisor without preliminary proofreading and editing.
We hope that this article will help you understand how to create a great thesis. Along with our guide and tips, we advise you to read "How to Write a Thesis" by Umberto Eco. This work gives great writing advice in a friendly manner. Knowing the steps you need for completing a thesis and considering university or college requirements will ease the writing process. The best formula for writing any academic paper is to think, plan, write, and revise. So, plan your time and don't wait too long – start writing right now! | it shouldn't contain long descriptions and narration. Thesis writing will require from you self-motivation, concentration, and wise time management. For example, an essay is like running a 100-yard dash, while a thesis or dissertation is like running a marathon. Wise planning and knowing all the parts of the writing process will dramatically raise chances for success.
The best way to write a thesis is knowing what to expect during the writing process. Our guide will help you find the best strategy to start writing, create a well-structured plan, and evaluate your own writing. We will show you the key stages that you need while writing and help you generate the text of your thesis. It may be challenging to keep motivation throughout all the steps of thesis writing, but we believe that this guide will be your guiding star in such a heavy and important moment of your program.
The very first step you need to do on the way to writing your thesis is a thesis proposal. It is a paper that highlights the main idea, methods, and research questions that you plan to write about in your future thesis. In this guide it is expected that you have already written this paper, so if you need to know how to write a thesis proposal, check another guide on our website dedicated to the research proposal.
1. Choose a thesis advisor.
This person may become a great helper for your research and writing. Even if you plan to write everything by yourself, don't undervalue the role of an advisor in your academic life. This person may become a great friend, mentor, and advisor all in one. Usually, it is a challenge to pick the right supervisor, as you do not know this person well. All you can do is take a course with a potential candidate, get information about the fields of study that interest the perspective supervisor, and interview him or her if possible. Also, ask former students that have already graduated for advice.
Don't be upset if the advisor won't take active participation in your research. If you will find an ideal advisor, show your enthusiasm and demonstrate the writing progress. Collaborate with your advisor as much as possible, as this will help you create good relationships and increase your chances that the advisor will pay more attention to your work. It may be hard to keep the balance between your wishes and the advisor's requirements, so be patient.
2. Come up with the topic.
You can choose the topic by yourself or ask your advisor for help. When the topic starts to take shape, simply use the internet to see how much research has been conducted on this topic. Don't choose a boring topic or a topic that has a lack of information. In the first case, you will be bored and lose motivation, while the second will be too hard and time consuming. Write down a list of possible topics and ask an advisor to help you with the choice. The best topic is a topic connected with your professional experience or previously conducted researches. Formulate good research questions, as this is the best background for your future thesis. You will find the answers later. The chosen topic should be manageable and accessible.
Note. A topic that is too broad will take you away from the particular issue. Don't be afraid to pick a narrow topic, as it will be better to expand the topic than to aim at something that needs years for research. Here is a list of thesis topics in education that may help you.
One of the most important steps to creating a thesis is collecting data and information. Use all available sources to find relevant information about your topic. If your university library provides access to academic databases, use this opportunity to find interesting information and theses samples. Collect all available information from libraries, internet, journals, and other sources to have everything at hand. Use your critical thinking skills to link the existing works with your topic and find gaps that should be investigated.
Write down ideas while reading. Write summaries of what you have read and keep the annotations to easily find the needed document. All ideas, numbers, and pictures should be recorded while they are fresh in your mind. Keep the information in one place to have access to the needed information with ease. Such actions will help you form your thoughts easily and efficiently.
Note. Use available software that will help you keep information in one place: websites, citations, books, names of authors, etc. This will help you to find the necessary source at any stage of writing.
As soon as you finish working with sources, construct a well-structured plan. Think how many pages each chapter will take and what you are going to talk about. Use thesis argument maps, mind maps, and other methods to structure your ideas. In the early stages of writing the research project, such maps will give an image of where you are going and what you will need to get there. Make sure that your structure will support your research question(s).
If you will find that a certain paragraph doesn't fit in, think about where it should be placed. Maybe you will need to make it as a subsection of a particular paragraph or cut it and make a separate publication. We advise you to visit an available source with published theses to have a better understanding of what good structure looks like. Look how each section relates to the research question, how the structure supports the central argument, how the author uses background information, etc.
Note. If you can't decide what type of study you need to do (quantitative or qualitative), don't panic. The idea will emerge after reading existing studies and coming up with research questions.
5. Get closer to the requirements and use an academic tone.
Learn the principles of academic writing and standards applied in your area of science. If it is possible, read several completed theses in your specialization or department. Mention what kind of language authors use (make a vocabulary with the nouns, verbs, linking phrases), how they present arguments and debates, how they structured information, and what style and format they have applied. Read the list of requirements from your department and college or university guidelines for thesis writing. All this will tune you into the writing and you will easily apply an academic tone and format during writing. Also, read more books connected with your topic. In these books you will find necessary phrases, words, and terms which are very important for maintaining a proper style of writing.
6. Develop a work plan.
Fueled with enthusiasm, you can write several pages a day, but after some time you will feel that your productivity decreases. One of the reasons why it happens is having a poor timetable. To make your writing effective it is advisable to make a plan that will include all stages of research and writing in one place with certain time limits. You may find it difficult to set a realistic plan at once, but you don't need accuracy. Along with writing, you will be able to calibrate your timetable taking into account the time you have spent on certain actions. Set goals and look at how much time and effort you spend on their completion. Will you be able to finish writing on time with the current pace? Make sure that you will do the work on time while staying healthy.
For your convenience, we advise you to use applications like Trello or Google calendar, where you can mention all the needed tasks and turn on reminders when it's time to move to another part. This will help you consider all necessary points and get focused on a particular task.
How to start a thesis? The first step is the hardest. Many students think that they need to generate ideal sentences and present brilliant ideas from the very beginning, so they spend too much time on thinking and worrying. If your fingers refuse to work when you start to imagine how many pages you need to write, don't fall into despair! Try the free writing technique to get tuned into writing. You have already read tons of information about your topic, so all you need is to write several phrases about what you found interesting in the sources. Set a certain time interval and start writing without paying attention to spelling, structure, or grammar. This will help you create a basis for more profound writing.
Introduction. First thing that you need to know before writing the introduction is to start writing it when the main section is finished. You won't be able to write a good introduction without first conducting all experiments and coming up with a conclusion.
Firstly, tell why you have chosen this particular topic. Mention why this topic needs profound research and why it is worth attention. Your aim is to convince the reader that your topic is important. Highlight the problem that you will be discussing in the following paragraphs.
Secondly, tell what researches have already been conducted and what points were already researched. Reveal the basic position of other authors, but present only facts without describing their researches. Highlight only those moments that directly refer to your topic. Depending on the existing gaps, you can summarize the existing findings on the topic from various scientists, or describe one research work in more detail.
Thirdly, describe how you are going to present information in the next paragraph and how you have structured the research.
Lastly, write the research questions that you are going to investigate in your paper. A research question is like a thesis statement for an essay – it is a core idea for the paper, an issue or problem that needs to be answered and solved.
Literature review. In this chapter you need to write about the most significant works and researches related to your topic. The aim of this section is to validate the importance of your work as a researcher. Here you inform the reader with the basic information needed to understand your further investigations. A literature review proves that you have analyzed the existing information and defined gaps and weaknesses, which have become the basis for your own research. Your topic may have several areas of research, so make sure that you will cover articles related to each area of research.
The scope of this section shouldn't be too long. All information that you highlight in this section should strictly relate to the research question(s) and give a concise analysis of the key sources.
Note. The body sections of your paper may vary. They will depend on your topic, field of science, and recommendations from your advisor. Each section should be detailed enough so the outside reader will be able to understand your work. Every table and image should be explained and connected with the context.
Methods. In this chapter you need to inform the reader about the methods you have used in your study and explain why you have chosen these methods for your research. Add a detailed description to each method so the reader can clearly understand all aspects of your research. Mention the validity of data received with these methods. This chapter may include information about where the research took place, participants, type of experiment, materials used, type of measurement and data analysis, list of procedures, etc. Make sure that the chronology is clear and readers or other researchers will be able to replicate your research.
Results. The aim of this chapter is to present the received data to the reader. You can use narrative, numbers, tables, diagrams, and other materials to clearly show what you have discovered. The method of presentation will depend on the your study method. Use several forms of presentation, as it will be boring and uninformative to read ten numerical tables without descriptions. Pay attention, and include only the results that are relevant to your research questions. Add primary evidence that you did not highlight in this section in the appendix, so the reader can read it if needed.
In humanities, this chapter is usually divided into categories or themes. If you have conducted interviews and other field studies, it is advisable to add a short description of participants. Insert quotes from interviews to support your conclusions.
Discussion. This section should analyze the results of your study in relation to already existing knowledge about the topic. This section will relate the results of your study with the literature review and follow the outcomes in the results section. Usually, this section is the longest, so we advise you to break it down into several subsections. Use mind mapping to structure your thoughts and come up with new ideas. Show how your results are connected with each research question, demonstrate how you have considered limitations, and set the results in the context of existing knowledge. In the end, explain how your study can be used by researchers in practice and briefly summarize your findings.
Conclusion. This part will sum up all your findings from the main body. Some theses don't need a conclusion, as it is enough to sum up the findings in several questions. If your thesis gives a definite answer to the research question, make sure that you will highlight the most important and strongest statement after conducting the study.
Clearly state what research was conducted and what results you have received.
Provide brief answers to research questions stated at the beginning.
Tell what prospective studies can be conducted and what perspective the current issue has.
Think how your research can be applied in a different perspective or by applying a different aspect. Show how other researchers can use your findings in new projects or areas of science.
Make sure that your paper corresponds with the required academic standards. You don't need special skills to apply the needed format for your paper, so read the requirements attentively and apply the requirements to your paper. It is all about word limits, spacing, citation style, etc.
Check the requirements. Make sure that you have written all required sections and have applied the required layout. The right font, as well as clear headings and margins, will please the eyes of the committee, as it makes your text visually attractive. Make sure that | 2,732 |
Italian brands Fiat and Smeg have joined forces to create the Smeg 500 fridge.
Making its world debut in Paris at the Colette concept store in Rue Saint-Honore, the Smeg 500 fridge celebrates an historic<|fim_middle|>, assisted by Smeg. | collaboration between Fiat and Smeg that goes back to the 1950s.
Built around the shared design concepts of enticing the eye, raising a smile, and "applying the passion of creativity to the rigour of technology", the Smeg 500 is aimed at expanding the Fiat 500's appeal "into the bars and living rooms of the entire world".
The retro front-cut fridge, which keeps food and drinks chilled under its bonnet, is part of the Fiat 500 Design Collection that already includes exclusive Fiat 500-inspired products such as a sofa, a table and a console table.
Fiat and Smeg are spruiking their historic connection, with the two brands coming together following the Fiat 500's Turin presentation on July 4, 1957. The duo says the meeting led to the Italian car maker expanding its production to include refrigerators | 189 |
Dimly lit faith: Lucinda Williams' Ghosts of Highway 20
John J. Thompson • February 23, 2016
On Ghosts of Highway 20, Lucinda Williams wavers between utter darkness and non-denominational Gospel light.
There may be no artist better qualified to serve as a plumb line for the continually evolving Americana music scene than Lucinda Williams. As such, it is no surprise that in this era of digital singles and streaming playlists, the newly independent troubadour has released The Ghosts of Highway 20, the second of two consecutive double albums. It is an excellent collection of sparse, dimly lit musical gems that breathe in the dust of life and exhale world-weary grace and candor.
After recently launching her own imprint, Williams seems to have hit a prolific streak. In fact, she has released more new songs in the last two years than in the previous 10 combined. The songs on Ghosts feel as if they are a continuation of the work begun with 2014's 20-song set, Down Where the Spirit Meets the Bone. Yes, at 63 Lucinda Williams is most certainly in the zone. Her lyrics and her voice blend into a seamless unit that effortlessly moves from lazy and decrepit to collar-grabbing swagger. As a writer and a vocalist, she has never sounded better.
Williams' frequent Gospel incantations are simple, urgent and utterly believable, if not resoundingly evangelical. Hers is a theology of survival, with little room for minutiae. Her world is full of users, abusers, crooks and cons, all hitchhiking through a creation gone sideways. In the background, however, the tiniest flicker of light casts off the overwhelming darkness. With Williams, the darkness and light, the spirit and the bone, the junkie and the judge, are all locked into a slow, lilting dance. As she sings these stories of pain and determination, her band crafts lush, spacious, musical backdrops. You can hear the air moving around the instruments. Jazz guitarist Bill Frisell never hits a cliché lick as he weaves his magic. If Buddy Miller and Daniel Lanois were able to become one person for a couple of hours, they could not create anything better than what Frisell pulls off here.
Williams' world is full of users, abusers, crooks and cons, all hitchhiking through a creation gone sideways
It's no surprise to find the songs here wavering between utter darkness and non-denominational Gospel light. Such has been the case for Williams since the very beginning. Rarely, though, has one of her albums been as relentlessly bleak as Ghosts. Even the eschatological blues stomp "Doors of Heaven" paints Heaven as little more than the final destination for a world-weary pilgrim who just can't take any more that this world has to offer. Broken relationships, pointless religious superstition, addiction and even suicidal ideations are dreary clay in this master's hands. The resulting body of work, however, is dogged<|fim_middle|>"JJT" has been chasing the thread dangling between eternal truths and temporal creative experiences for nearly three decades. He is a writer, a businessman, a father, an artist and a seeker. Read more about him at 33andathird.
More Articles by John J. Thompson
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Austin Channing | ly redemptive. Her voice creeks and groans as it simultaneously catalogs death and celebrates life. Her most desperate contemplations of her own mortality ring with echoes of future glory.
The near 13-minute closer, "Faith and Grace," sums it up well. "When it seems like every door is locked," she sings, barely above a whisper, "he will always hear you knock. You will always be standing right, when you're standing on the rock." Frisell's lead electric guitar slithers through caverns of tone at a lethargic pace. It's no barnstormer, to be sure, but more of a gothic mantra, chanting the essence of the first few verses of Hebrews 12 and plenty of Psalm 40 over and over again, just begging to be believed. "A little more faith and grace is all I need to run this race."
Sometimes the Good News is really that simple.
Topics: Music, Culture At Large, Arts & Leisure
| 207 |
A few years ago I was taking photos for a family that was new to the area at Sandbridge Beach. We got to talking and she said she was a exceptional children's teacher, so of course I told her about Carysn. She said they were involved in the Best Day Foundation where they lived before moving here and wanted to start a new chapter locally.
Best Day Foundation is a volunteer organization that helps children with special needs build<|fim_middle|> M.M.PeerFilms on Vimeo.
It really was the best day ever! Now I am counting down the days until next years Best Day Foundation Event. Check here to see if there is a local chapter near you. | confidence and self-esteem through safe, fun, adventure activities like surfing, bodyboarding, kayaking, snow sports, and more. Please join us in creating special days for children with Autism, Down syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, blindness, cancer, spinal cord injuries, and other physical and developmental challenges.
In June, Carsyn was able to participate at the Outer Banks right by Jennette's Pier. I can't tell you how happy it made me to see him surfing. He had a blast. We couldn't have asked for a more gorgeous day. The weather was amazing and the waves were the perfect size.
Dustyn and Prestyn had fun playing in the sand too. Here is a little slideshow I made with the photos from Whitney Norko Photography.
Best Day Foundation made this amazing film which makes me tear up every time I watch it.
BestDayOBX from | 179 |
Big Freedia Is a Dick Clark New Year's Eve Host from New Orleans
By Tat Bellamy-Walker
Big Freedia has been added as a host to this year's ABC New Year celebration from Dick Clark Productions.
Twitter/ @BigFreedia
Although 2020 has been hard,<|fim_middle|>31 at 8 p.m. Eastern time and 7 p.m. Central time on ABC.
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LGBTQ Films, Actors Shine at Oscars
Stops and Starts
Savion Glover's Steps, Though Not His Feet
I Remember Mama | queer rapper Big Freedia is hoping to make ringing in the New Year a little sweeter.
The Big Easy rapper is among dozens of artists who are hosting and performing at "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest."
Viewers can expect a countdown in Times Square leading up to a ball drop at midnight. Because of COVID-19 restrictions, some performances are virtual, and the area surrounding the ball is closed to the public reversing a tradition of gargantuan crowds going back many decades.
Big Freedia and R&B artist PJ Morton, who plays keyboards for Maroon 5, are performing from New Orleans, playing "Auld Lang Syne" to bring in the New Year in the Central Time Zone.
"We are beyond excited that Big Freedia and PJ Morton, two of New Orleans' brightest musical lights, will be shining for our city and before the entire world as we ring in the New Year, " said LaToya Cantrell, the mayor of New Orleans, in a press release. "Even though we won't be watching this performance in person, we will be watching from the safety of our homes."
Their performance will employ nearly 70 local crew members, many of them have lost their production jobs because of the pandemic, Cantrell added.
Jennifer Lopez is headlining the event from Times Square. "Pose" star Billy Porter is also one of the evening's hosts. Los Angeles will also host performances on the West Coast. This will include artists like Brandy, Doja Cat, Ella Mai, Megan Thee Stallion, and several others.
The five-and-a-half-hour-plus event is expected to run until 2 a.m. The show is produced by Dick Clark Productions. The New Year's Eve celebration airs on December | 362 |
Home›Staff and Student Profiles›Caleb Hickmott
Caleb Hickmott
"One thing I have learned in my time both here at UCOL and in the music industry itself, is that the more employable you can make yourself, the more work you can gain. That employability comes from being more than a one-trick-pony."
The Palmer<|fim_middle|> Applied Management graduate
Moana Heremaia says studying at UCOL built her confidence and gave her the tools to take her career to the next level.
Meet Moana | ston North local musician and sound engineer grew up loving music and knowing it was what he wanted to do with his future.
"Coming to UCOL helped me to broaden my understanding of what it means to be a successful artist. I first studied the Certificate in Music in 2012 and that's where I discovered that in order to be a musician, I needed to know how to create opportunities and that the relationship strengthening I could do through working alongside my lecturers on projects would open up doors."
Caleb finished his certificate and went on to work in the music business for five years with his previous band, 'Seconds Notice', who opened for acts such as Katchafire, I am Giant, The Black Seeds and Benny Tipene. They even went on to win the Wellington Battle of the Bands and received funding from New Zealand on Air.
"In 2019 I returned to UCOL to complete my Diploma in Creativity (Music) and learn how to sound engineer so that I could record the music for my band, which has been a huge success, with one of our tracks being picked up by a producer in New York. My lecturers here have also recently introduced me to the world of Musical Theatre and since then I have worked 5 musicals this year."
Alongside creating music and sound operating, Caleb also makes the music videos for his band, has mastered the world of Apra and music rights and dabbles in design to promote his work.
"Next year I'm heading into design, also here at UCOL. I see this as an opportunity to build on my creative career. You really do have to be able to master many aspects of the industry in order to promote your art and that's one thing I'm throwing myself into. That would also be my advice to any future creative students here. These courses are what you make of them, you only get out what you put in, so seize every opportunity. Do the mahi, get the treats."
Discover more about Creative Programme
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Heidi Macaulay
Bachelor of Applied Management student
Heidi Macaulay's passion for planning events and projects led her to enrol in UCOL's Bachelor of Applied Management.
Meet Heidi
Moana Heremaia
Bachelor of | 461 |
From The TV IV
Premiere October 1<|fim_middle|>rieved from "http://m.tviv.org/w/index.php?title=77_Sunset_Strip&oldid=2565123"
Warner Bros. Television
1958 Premieres
1964 Finales
Content is available under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License. | 0, 1958
Finale February 7, 1964
Network ABC
Style 60-minute crime drama
Company Warner Bros. Television
Distributor Warner Bros. Television
Episodes 206
77 Sunset Strip is a crime drama that aired on ABC.
Based on a series of stories by Roy Huggins, the show featured Stuart Bailey and Jeff Spencer, two detectives who worked out of a stylish office on the title street. Suzanne was their telephone operator; tagging along for the ride was Roscoe, a racetrack fancier, and Gerald "Kookie" Kookson, a P.I. wannabe who worked as a valet next door at Dino's nightclub. Gerald and Roscoe provided many of the show's lighter moments.
Edd Byrnes (Kookie) left the show in 1959 following a contract dispute (he had become something of a pop icon with his catch phrases and a record by Connie Stevens--"Kookie, Kookie, Lend Me Your Comb") but returned a year later as a member of the firm. At the very onset, Warner Bros. was embroiled in an ownership dispute over the show and characters with its creator, Roy Huggins.
Edd Byrnes would turn up again in late 1974 auditioning to be the host of NBC's new game show Wheel of Fortune. But when they spotted him inebriated and trying to commit the alphabet to memory, he would be replaced by Chuck Woolery when the show hit the air.
3 In-Depth
4 DVD Releases
5 External Sites
Main Cast 1 2 3 4 5 6
Efrem Zimbalist, Jr. Stuart Bailey * * * * * *
Roger Smith Jeff Spencer * * * * *
Edward Byrnes Gerald "Kookie" Kookson III * * * * *
Louis Quinn Roscoe o * * * *
Jacqueline Beer Suzanne Fabray o * * * *
Richard Long Rex Randolph *
Robert Logan J.R. Hale * *
Orange/Red/o indicates a recurring or guest role during that season.
Dark Green indicates top billing during that season.
Supporting/Recurring Cast 1 2 3 4 5 6
Byron Keith Lt. Roy Gilmore * * * * *
Joan Staley Hannah *
Season One October 10, 1958 May 29, 1959 34
Season Two October 2, 1959 June 10, 1960 36
Season Three September 16, 1960 June 9, 1961 39
Season Four September 22, 1961 June 29, 1962 41
Season Five October 12, 1962 June 14, 1963 36
Season Six September 20, 1963 February 7, 1964 20
At a Glance: Additional information about the series
There are no DVD releases for this show.
opening creditson YouTube
Ret | 672 |
Randolph County substation damaged by gunfire weeks after similar attack in Moore County
by: Emily Mikkelsen, Dolan Reynolds, Justyn Melrose
RANDOLPH COUNTY, N.C. (WGHP) — An EnergyUnited substation was damaged by gunfire on Tuesday morning, according to a statement released by<|fim_middle|> states.
Three men pleaded guilty to a 2021 plot in February of 2022, and several men were indicted by the Eastern District of North Carolina in a 2020 plot. Both of these cases involved groups planning attacks on substations in different states, primarily using high-powered automatic weapons.
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Officials with the Randolph County Sheriff's Office got a call around 10:40 a.m. reporting the damage to the substation at 6968 Post Road.
Duke Energy says 'no decisions' yet on how company will handle costs from Moore County substation attack
Crews were able to keep the power on for EnergyUnited customers.
RCSO Investigators responded to collect evidence at the site, according to an RCSO news release.
The FBI and the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigations were also told about the incident. The FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force responded to conduct a parallel investigation.
"The FBI is working with the Randolph County Sheriff's Office to investigate after gunfire damaged an EnergyUnited substation on January 17, 2023," the FBI told FOX8 in a statement on Wednesday. "At this time, it is too early in the investigation to determine whether this case is connected to the ongoing investigation in Moore County."
Investigators recovered evidence from the scene and canvassed the surrounding areas to gather additional information. Based on the information gathered, investigators believe the incident happened around 3 a.m.
"While the Governor is grateful there were no power outages any attack on infrastructure is a serious crime and needs full investigation," the office of Gov. Roy Cooper said in a statement. "Similar attacks nationwide show the importance of smart investments to make the energy grid and its systems resilient and capable of recovering quickly from any damage."
The full statement from EnergyUnited is provided below:
EnergyUnited officials responded to an alarm that notified personnel of an equipment issue at its Pleasant Hill Substation early Tuesday morning. Crews were dispatched to assess the situation and discovered damage to the substation transformer from an apparent gunshot. The damage was quickly assessed and contained to mitigate the impact to members in the Pleasant Hill area and law enforcement officials were notified. EnergyUnited members who are served by this substation did not experience an outage as a result of the cooperative's swift response.
'EnergyUnited continually strives to deliver safe, reliable energy to its members,' said Steve McCachern, vice president of energy delivery for EnergyUnited. 'While we are glad that our members did not experience any service interruptions, we take this matter very seriously and are currently investigating the incident.'
Staying ahead of any challenge is a collaborative effort. EnergyUnited is collaborating with electric cooperatives, industry partners, peer organizations, as well as federal, state and local officials to share information that improves member service and strengthens critical systems. Additionally, EnergyUnited encourages community members to share information with the cooperative and local officials whenever suspicious activity is observed near any of its substations or facilities.
Feds order review of power-grid security after attacks
The Randolph County Sheriff's Department had recently increased patrols at all substations after a similar attack in Moore County.
On Dec. 3, unknown suspects attacked two Duke Energy substations with high-powered rifles in Moore County.
"An attack on our critical infrastructure will not be tolerated," said North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper after the Moore County attacks. "I appreciate the coordinated efforts of law enforcement to leave no stone unturned in finding the criminals who did this, and I thank Moore County and Duke Energy for matching the state's reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible."
There had also been an act of vandalism on a power substation in eastern North Carolina three weeks before the attack in Moore County when Cartaret-Craven Electrical Cooperative equipment was intentionally damaged near Maysville, leaving 12,000 customers without power for a few hours.
While law enforcement has not identified an ideological tie to these attacks, a neo-Nazi banner flown over U.S. 1 in Moore County appeared to reference the attacks.
The banner, first of two, included the language "bring it all down" with a link to a Telegram channel for the neo-Nazi group National Socialist Resistant Front. The channel includes graphics with the same language imposed over a graphic of a power substation. Both this and the second banner included the number 1488, a known white supremacist symbol.
North Carolina men were among at least two groups of men with neo-Nazi ties awaiting sentencing in connection to plans to attack power substations. The plots were uncovered in 2020 and 2021 and covered numerous | 876 |
Tom Brady on facing Saints: 'Continuity is key in the NFL'
Published: Jan 14<|fim_middle|>, but that doesn't mean their play wasn't markedly improved, particularly for the 43-year-old QB. After much was made regarding his deep ball during the early stages of the season, Brady began connecting down the stretch. TB12 led the NFL in completions (17), pass yards (594), and pass TDs (7) on deep passes in Weeks 12-17.
Even as they've improved over the course of one campaign, Brady knows it won't come close to the chemistry, and mind-meld Payton and Brees have on the opposite sideline.
Brady also quipped that he has to overcome the age difference between himself and Brees, who turns 42 years old on Friday.
"He's a lot younger than me," Brady deadpanned. "He's 18 months younger than me. Eighteen months ago, I felt a lot better."
The old man's still got jokes. | , 2021 at 04:22 PM
Kevin Patra
Around the NFL Writer
For 20 years, Tom Brady played for the same organization, for the same head coach in New England. The six-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback knows what having that sort of permanence means for a team playing in January.
"I've always said continuity is key in the NFL," Brady said Thursday, via Scott Smith of the team's official website.
After years of being on the side with greater depth of continuity, TB12 finally finds himself on the other side of the coin. Drew Brees and Sean Payton have been together for 15 years. Brady, meanwhile, is attempting to make a postseason run with a new club, coaching staff, and weapons for the first time in his lengthy career.
Brady noted that it's impossible to prepare for every situation all week. Having continuity and experience together allows clubs to adjust on the fly without missing a beat.
The Bucs have noticeably improved down the stretch. As expected, given Brady is new to the operation and there was no offseason due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it took time for the QB and his weapons -- Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Antonio Brown, Rob Gronkowski, et al. -- to build chemistry.
Yes, the Bucs didn't face great defenses down the stretch | 279 |
Now Open: Applications for 2018 NLGJA Excellence in Journalism Awards
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 3, 2018
PRESS CONTACT: Dillon Lewis
Press@nlgja.org or 202-588-9888
Washington, DC – NLGJA – The Association of LGBTQ Journalists is now accepting online applications for its 2018 Excellence in Journalism Awards. The Excellence in Journalism Awards are open to anyone, including NLGJA non-members and journalists who do not identify as LGBTQ.
This year's Excellence in Journalism Awards program has been expanded to include three new categories: Excellence in Food Writing, Excellence in Long Form Journalism and Excellence in Queer People of Color (QPOC) Coverage.
"The Excellence in Journalism Awards program is one of NLGJA's oldest and most recognizable programs," said NLGJA Executive Director Adam K. Pawlus. "We are delighted to expand the program this year to be more inclusive of the diverse work our members and friends are producing, and to better recognize the work being done to shed light on underrepresented corners of our community."
The NLG<|fim_middle|>About NLGJA – The Association of LGBTQ Journalists:
NLGJA is an organization of journalists, news executives, media professionals, educators and students working from within the news industry to foster fair and accurate coverage of LGBTQ issues. NLGJA opposes all forms of workplace bias and provides professional development to its members. For more information, visit www.nlgja.org. | JA Excellence in Journalism Awards were established in 1993 to foster and recognize excellence in journalism on issues related to the LGBTQ community in addition to highlighting the exemplary achievements of LGBTQ journalists. Last year's winners included journalists from outlets including Buzzfeed, San Francisco Chronicle, ESPN and NPR.
Work originally broadcast or published in 2017 may be submitted through March 12 for the 2018 NLGJA Excellence in Journalism Awards in the following categories:
Sarah Pettit Memorial Award for the LGBTQ Journalist of the Year
Excellence in Feature Writing, Non-Daily
Excellence in Food Writing
Excellence in Long Form Journalism
Excellence in Newswriting, Non-Daily
Excellence in Profile Writing
Excellence in Student Journalism
Excellence in Travel Writing
Digital Awards:
Excellence in Blogging
Excellence in a Digital Edition
Excellence in Digital Video
Editorial Awards:
Excellence in Column Writing
Broadcast Awards:
Excellence in Podcasts
Coverage Awards:
Excellence in Bisexual Coverage
Excellence in Health or Fitness Coverage
Excellence in QPOC Coverage
Excellence in Transgender Coverage
The Al Neuharth Award for Innovation in Investigative Journalism
Additional information on submission requirements and applications for Excellence in Journalism Awards are available online at www.nlgja.org/awards. The awards recognize work initially published or broadcast between January 1, 2017 and December 31, 2017. The awards are open to any journalist not directly involved with the administration or selection of awards. The awards will be presented throughout the 2018 NLGJA National Convention, September 6-9 in Palm Springs. For more information on the National Convention, visit www.nlgja.org/2018.
| 385 |
Feline aggression is a very common cat behavior issue seen by animal behaviorists, second only to litter box problems. While an aggressive kitten might seem less harmful than an aggressive adult cat, aggression isn't something to take lightly. You will want<|fim_middle|> little too rough, do not run from her or try to block her movements. This action can intensify her actions and possibly cause him to become aggressive.
Your time with your kitten is precious. They grow up so quickly. While there is absolutely nothing wrong with a fun game of hide and seek and engaging in play with your kitten, just be aware of any signs that your kitten might need some direction on what is acceptable and what isn't when it come to playtime. | to understand what is triggering your kitten's aggression and work to diffuse and prevent this behavior.
Aggression is complicated and refers to a variety of behaviors that are triggered for different reasons under diverse circumstances. Feline aggression is threatening behavior towards another cat, human or other animals. This behavior can range from cats who hiss and avoid the target of their hostility to cats who full on attack their target. For this reason, you will want to understand your kitten's body language and be on the lookout for the tell tale signs of the buildup of aggression in your kitten.
Feline body language is subtle and is made up of facial expressions, body postures and the position of cats' ears, tails and even their whiskers. Understanding what your kitten's body postures mean will help you manage problems more effectively, and this will lead to a better relationship with your kitten into adulthood.
Aggressive behavior can be either offensive or defensive. A cat on the offensive tries to appear larger and more intimidating. A defensive cat does just the opposite by trying to appear smaller.
Offensive postures can include: upright ears, rotated slightly forward; fur standing on end, including a puffed out fat tail; and stiffened rear legs with the rear-end raised and the back sloping downward toward the head. A cat on the offensive will have a direct stare, constricted pupils and be directly facing and possibly moving toward the target. You might hear growling or even yowling from your cat in this heightened state of offensive aggression.
A defensive cat will be crouching, head down with her tail curved around the body and tucked in. Her eyes will be wide open with pupils dilated and her ears will appear flattened sideways or backwards. Defensive cats will turn sideways to their opponent with open-mouthed hissing. Her whiskers may be retracted or may be out and forward to help judge the distance between the danger zone and herself. Your defensive kitten may strike out with her front paws with exposed claws.
Kittens are of course going to play, so rough play is natural among kittens and adolescent cats of less than two years old. Kittens learn through play with each other to suppress their bites and sheathe their claws when roughhousing with each other. They quickly learn when play is too rough and causing pain to their playmates — the result is retaliation, and play time will stop. Kittens who were orphaned or weaned early might never have learned to temper their play behavior.
Play aggression can be spotted in your kitten's body posture. Her tail will be lashing back and forth, her ears flat against the head and her pupils will dilate. This behavior might develop after a normal play session that escalates into biting and scratching. Kittens who stalk or hide and then jump out and attack you as you pass are also exhibiting a form of play aggression.
If you leave your kitten alone for long hours at a time without any opportunity to play, she may be bursting with energy and play extra rough when you interact with her. This is more than likely just play and doesn't mean that your kitten is aggressive. Kittens typically play quietly. If your kitten is growling or hissing, this is a sign things are getting too aggressive.
Our Gracey was orphaned at only a few weeks old, so she did not have the opportunity to learn how to inhibit her biting and claws. She loved to leap onto my back from the top of the furniture when I walked by. Sometimes it truly scared the dickens out of me, and her little claws digging into my back was a bit painful. To overcome Gracey's ninja maneuver, I increased our play time together. I used a wand toy to encourage Gracey to chase and pounce on the moving target. She also loved batting about a simple aluminum foil ball. I would throw the ball ahead of me while walking so she chased the ball instead of attacking me.
I was spending a lot of time at my office and thought she must be getting lonely, so as a perk of owning my own business, I began to take Gracey to work with me. This solved the leaping kitten attacks, and I must say I liked having her keep me company in the office as well. You might not have the option of taking your kitten to work with you, but do try to schedule plenty of playtime with your kitten when you are home together. Don't encourage your kitten to bat at your fingers or toes, but rather redirect him away from you with a wand toy or by throwing a foil ball.
Make sure to provide a variety of cat toys for your kitten to chase and pounce on like prey. One of our other cats, Eddie, likes little fake mice that rattle, and he has a stuffed lion toy he carries with him everywhere. Our Annie likes to stalk and chase, so the wand toys are ideal for her. We make sure to engage in play sessions that run her until she tires out.
Try to keep the novelty factor with the toys you provide by rotating them. Keep out a few of their favorite toys and place others in storage for a while. Then change the toys out to keep your kitten's interest. New objects don't have to be expensive or complicated; a paper bag and a cardboard box are often just the thing to occupy your playful kitten.
You might consider adopting two kittens to keep each other company. If you can, choose a pair that has already bonded; perhaps they were kept in the same cage at the shelter or are from the same litter.
When your kitten starts to bite or scratch you, end the play session by leaving the room. This is a kitty time-out. Your kitten will learn that when she is too rough, play time ends. This will teach her not to be so aggressive. Do not try to pick up your kitten and put her in another room for her time-out as this might elicit more bites.
Don't use toys that train your kitten to play with your fingers, like a glove with balls dangling from the fingers. This type of toy only tells your cat it is OK to direct her play at your hands, and she will not understand that it is only OK to attack your fingers while you are wearing the toy gloves. Don't encourage your kitten to play with your feet or toes. You might find this behavior amusing when she is a tiny kitten, but you won't think it is as much fun when your kitten grows up and her play becomes painful and possibly dangerous.
Never punish your kitten for rough play. If you slap your kitten or tap her nose, she may think of this action as play and retaliate even rougher. If you physically punish your cat, she might become afraid of you and respond by avoiding you, or worse, her play will turn into true aggression. When your kitten is playing a | 1,377 |
Akamai vs public DNS servers | Frank DENIS random thoughts.
Fact: these claims are true.
Apple uses Akamai, a popular CDN. The whole point of a CDN is to make your downloads faster: CDNs have servers at multiple locations, and when you request some content, CDNs are supposed to serve it from the closest (<|fim_middle|> for Akamai.
Fortunately, adding exceptions is easy. So you can totally work around CDNs that don't support a DNS mechanism that was designed for them, and still enjoy the benefits of fast and reliable DNS services in order to access content served by other services. | and hopefully fastest) location.
There are different ways to achieve this, but a very common one, that Akamai also relies on, is to leverage the DNS system.
When your client wants to resolve www.apple.com, Akamai DNS servers are going to give different replies according to the source IP address.
But what source IP address? Yours? Not always. What Akamai consider is actually the IP address of the DNS resolver hitting their servers. If you're using a local resolver, that's cool. Akamai will know your exact IP address, and hopefully redirect you to the closest server.
If you're using your ISP's resolver, this is the IP Akamai will consider in order to pick the server that will process your query. The result may be the same as if you had used a local resolver. Or not. If the DNS resolver is on a different subnet, Akamai can get confused and you can be redirected to a server that actually is way off base.
If you're using OpenDNS, Google DNS, Norton, Level 3, any other public DNS service, or any other remote DNS resolver (for example, through a VPN connection), Akamai will see the source IP address of your remote resolver, too. Nor yours.
And the server they will redirect you to would probably be an excellent choice if you were Google or OpenDNS. But the very same server can be a very poor choice for you.
From the same origin, packets can take a totally different route in order to reach Google, OpenDNS and Akamai. DNS queries sent to Google or OpenDNS from Paris to Amsterdam can be super fast. But then, downloads from Paris to an Akamai server in Amsterdam can be super slow. Just because the routes can be totally different.
How come this problem occurs with Akamai but not with other CDNs?
Some other major CDNs don't have this problem because instead of considering the resolver IP address, they actually pay attention to the actual client network, in order to pick the closest/fastest server.
OpenDNS and Google DNS have been supporting the edns-client-subnet extension for a long time. This mechanism was designed by Google specifically to address this problem. And it works beautifully. CDNs can send a redirection to the best server no matter what resolver you use.
Unfortunately, Akamai still don't support this mechanism.
It's totally possible to use Google, OpenDNS or any other public DNS service and still avoid being redirected to a slow server by Akamai.
If you happen to run OSX, your operating system already provides a way to use specific DNS resolvers in order to resolve specific domains.
Replace a.b.c.d and e.f.g.h with your ISP's resolvers. You can have as many resolvers as you want, and as many exceptions as you want. Just create files as needed. One per domain name.
If you're running another operating system, you should be running a local DNS cache. The Windows DNS cache is a total joke and most Unix-like systems don't provide any cache at all.
Running a cache like Unbound is the best way to reduce latency due to DNS queries, even if queries are forwarded to Google or OpenDNS. In addition to caching queries, modern resolvers have nice features like the ability to automatically prefetch records before they expire. For CDNs and social networks using stupidily low TTLs, it can really make a difference.
Once you are running a cache, and it has been configured to forward queries to OpenDNS, Google, or anything else, you can configure exceptions.
The edns-client-subnet mechanism has been around for quite some time now, so all modern CDNs are eventually going to support it, and manually adding exceptions won't be required any more.
But as we speak, this is still required, at least | 780 |
Continuous Hit Music: Graham Nash – Songs For Beginners
categories: Continuous Hit Music, music
<|fim_middle|> » | Continuous Hit Music – a weekly exploration of vinyl finds in 2012. Read 'em all here.
Artist: Graham Nash
Title: Songs For Beginners
Original Release: 1971
Store: Landspeed Records, 30 Garema Place Canberra ACT 2601
Poor Canberra. There doesn't seem to be much going on in terms of records. It used to be quite a place – until many of it's indie stores sold up, and JB Hi-Fi rolled into town. It seems like the only place to get decent records is the last indie shop in town – Landspeed Records.
Landspeed is quite a cool shop. They do more than just CDs and records – they have clothes and some merch. It's kind of the way of the future for music retail. There's not a big collection of records, but there is some nice second hand stuff. It is pretty much the only record stop in Canberra.
And poor Graham Nash. I used to love this record but it hasn't dated well. I saw Crosby, Stills & Nash live a few years ago, and it descended into parody. Outdated 60s ideals – still peddled. It was an oldies show. It sounds pretty good, but Military Madness, We Can Change The World and Chicago have dated badly. He's stuck in the 60s, and it's too bad.
But then there's Sleep Song. A classic. So very Graham Nash. I would say it's his best song. It's yet another song he wrote for Joni Mitchell. And I love Joni and Graham together. I think they inspired the best out of each other. Probably the best two people have ever inspired eachother in the history of music.
The tender moments on this record are still great. Rightly so, this was Nash's biggest solo album, and came right at the peak of his career. He never really achieved solo success again after this, and rolled happily into the plomp and bombast of endless CSN reunions.
It's not a terribly uncommon vinyl find, but an original European pressing, with the classic Atlantic label, is definitely worth the $10.
Graham Nash, Joni Mitchell, Landspeed Records
« Continuous Hit Music: The Big Chill – Soundtrack
Continuous Hit Music: Charlie Rich – Behind Closed Doors | 484 |
Zac tells the world: 'Guess what everyone I have no cancer'
By Dominic Robertson | Telford | Health | Published: Mar 9, 2019 | Last Updated: Mar 10, 2019
£500,000 was raised to pay for the four-year-old's specialist treatment in America.
Zac Oliver celebrates the news in Broseley
"Guess what everyone, I have no cancer."
Zac Oliver's message is what supporters from across the country have been waiting to hear.
The Broseley youngster revealed the amazing news in a video on his Facebook page where he also thanked everyone who had helped raise the £500,000 to pay for his pioneering treatment in America.
Zac Oliver is cancer free
Zac's mum, Hannah Oliver Willets said they were still overwhelmed at the support from friends, strangers, and people across the country in the bid to raise the money to save her son.
She said<|fim_middle|> family and strangers to help Zaccy.
"There is nothing more beautiful than someone who goes out of their way to make life beautiful for others."
More than £500,000 was raised for Zac
Hannah explained how the colour in her son's cheeks had started to let her hope for the best.
She said: "He has amazing rosy red cheeks which he has not had for such a long time.
"As a mother I know every single blemish on his body, as a parent you know when something is not right, the colour is not right, and he looks so healthy now, and the colour of his cheeks makes such a difference."
Hannah said she will struggle to ever find adequate words to thank people for all they have done for her son.
Zac was treated in Philadelphia
She said: "I wish there was a better word for saying thank you, I honestly do. I wish there was something that gave it more power, that there was a more powerful word for thank you because it does not feel good enough. They have given us potentially the gift of life, you cannot ask for anything better than that.
"That one deed, one donation to a cake sale, donating a pound or volunteering, that one deed, you put it together and suddenly you have got a life wrapped in a box you are about to give a parent.
"You cannot get any more powerful than that. One moment in someone's life when they decided to get a pound out of their pocket or get up on a Saturday morning to put up a fence or they were going to play with their band on one occasion, and suddenly you put it all together.
"There are no words really.
"It is very emotional and very touching that people did what they did. To think they have given a boy the opportunity of growing older, they should be very proud of what they have done."
Zac's mum Hannah has thanked everyone who helped raise the money to treat her son
Four-year-old Zac has now returned home from Philadelphia where he underwent treatment for Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia – an extremely rare form of child cancer.
The revolutionary treatment saw immune cells taken from his own body, modified to fight cancer, and reinfused.
More on this story:
£500k appeal for Telford youngster to have lifesaving treatment in America
WATCH: Simon Cowell backs Zac with £50,000 donation
£500,000 target reached as mystery donor gives £100,000 to appeal fund
'You've all been amazing': Zac's family overjoyed as he flies to America
Tears and relief as poorly Zac, 4, starts his treatment in America
The treatment, which was unavailable on the NHS, was carried out at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, and was only possible after an incredible fundraising campaign saw the country unite behind Zac's cause and donate £500,000 to pay for it.
People across Shropshire held events, collected sponsorship, donated pocket money, and took part in a Wear Red for Zac day to push towards the total.
Zac has told the world he is now cancer free
The fund also received a donation from X Factor creator Simon Cowell before a mystery donor pledged £100,000 to reach the target.
Zac will return to Philadelphia at the end of April for another bone marrow biopsy to see if he remains in remission, and then at three-monthly intervals for the next year.
In the meantime, he will receive intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) once a month to prevent infection.
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@DRobertson_Star
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Dog on the mend after beind found buried alive, swollen and sunburned | : "Throughout this very difficult journey, we have been lucky enough to have witnessed the most astonishing and selfless acts by friends, | 26 |
Jindie Nails Holly has a clear base with matte white, green and red glitter and green sparkle. I used 2 coats of Holly over 2 coats of Tip Top N<|fim_middle|>ishing" for glitter was required. The color is great and I love that Jenn, the creator of Jindie Nails, used the colors of Santa's suit for inspiration!
You can find all 3 of these great polishes on Jindie Nails' etsy store here. Make sure to like Jindie Nails on Facebook here and find her on Instagram here.
These products were sent for review, all opinions are my own.
1000 Facebook Likes Giveaway Winners! | ails Jitterbug Lime (post here) and no top or base coat.
The formula of Holly was perfect! It dried quickly and even without a top coat only had a very small "bumpy" feel to it. I did have fish around for the matte red glitter, but the polish is supposed to resemble a holly plant and only have a limited amount of red. I love the color and it does remind me of a holly plant, so it's perfect for the holidays!
Noel is neon green, white and red matte glitters and green sparkles densely packed in clear base. All fingers are 2 coats of Noel with no base coat and top coat of Seche Vite.
Similar to most matte glitter polishes, it was a little thick but no trouble to work with at all. If you are used to using other polishes composed of matter glitters, think Floam or BeTrixed, the formula is the same. Noel dried quickly and I didn't need to "fish" for any glitter, in fact I to try not to get so much glitter on the brush a few times! :P Again with most matte glitter polishes, it will need a top coat to help smooth out the surface. The color is really unique, I love the added sparkle it added to it!
Santa Claws is described as a matte white, black, red and green square glitters in clear base. The polish was created to resembled Santa's outfit with black squares representing his belt buckle, how cute! I started with 2 coats of Tip Top Nails Bright spark and added 3 coats of Santa Claws. I used no top or base coat.
Again, another great formula! I only used 3 coats of Santa Claws to pack my nails with glitter, 1 or 2 coats would have sufficed otherwise. ;) Like Holly, there was small "bumpy" feel with no top coat but it's wasn't anything I felt need to be smoothed out with top coat. It dried quickly and as you can tell, no "f | 420 |
Residential Design Magazine: Suited to a T
The new national magazine, Residential Design, chose to publish our T-House (see the T-House in our portfolio) in their second-ever issue! We couldn't be more pleased with the article, which so accurately captures the essence of our town and our firm. This project was great fun and our enjoyment of the design and process is reflected in the final product.
Editor Claire Conroy wrote, "Although much new building in the area evokes the "Lowcountry" look without a thoughtful understanding of its practical aspects and pleasing proportions, several local firms are mining these antecedents in fresh, appealing ways. Frederick + Frederick is one of the best examples. Jane and Michael have a deep knowledge of the climate, sensibilities, and sensitivities of the place they call home and headquarters for the firm. They understand the traditions of the Lowcountry, and the subtle ways to honor and elevate them at the same time."
The issue focuses on small houses. Conroy commented "A small house is like a poem. Each design choice must fit the rhythm perfectly. It's often as much about editing out what's not essential as it is about choosing what to include."
Check out the article from Residential Design Magazine here.
AIA South Carolina 2017 Firm Award
The AIA South Carolina Board of Directors awarded Frederick + Frederick Architects with the 2017 Firm Award at their annual awards banquet on April 21, 2017. The Firm Award is the highest honor that the American Institute of Architects South Carolina Chapter can bestow upon a South Carolina architectural firm. The award is given in recognition of design excellence and contribution to the profession of architecture that has made a lasting influence on the practice of architecture in South Carolina.
Kate Schwennsen, Director + Professor, Clemson School of Architecture, wrote in her nomination letter, "Frederick + Frederick is unquestionably a Small Firm with Big Impact, and a firm that many other firms look to for exemplary practice. The design excellence of their body of<|fim_middle|> uniquely important about Frederick + Frederick, the raison d'etre of their success, and the thing from which other firms could learn the most, is their innovative and supportive firm culture. They are a family-owned business that sincerely treats their employees like family. Jane and Michael moved to Beaufort to enjoy the lifestyle there … [and] so they do."
Principal Jane Frederick said that they are humbled and thrilled to be recognized by their peers. "We would not be where we are today without all the fantastic clients who have made our work possible." The Firm Award was first conferred in 1993 and Frederick + Frederick Architects is the tenth firm to receive the recognition in the awards 24-year history. Frederick + Frederick is honored and delighted to be the 2017 AIA South Carolina Firm Award Recipient.
Frederick + Frederick Architects specialize in custom homes for hot, humid climates. The Beaufort, South Carolina, firm was established in 1989 by the husband and wife team of Jane and Michael Frederick.
Jane to be the 2020 AIA National President
NEW YORK – June 22, 2018 – The American Institute of Architects (AIA) announces three new leaders to its Board of Directors, which were elected at the AIA Conference on Architecture 2018 (A'18).
At the meeting, AIA delegates elected:
Jane Frederick, FAIA of AIA South Carolina as the 2019 first vice president/2020 president-elect; Jason Winters, AIA of AIA Chesapeake Bay/AIA Maryland as the 2019-2020 secretary; and Jessica Sheridan, AIA of AIA New York as the at-large director.
From 2016 to 2017, Frederick served as an at-large director of the AIA Board of Directors while chairing the Board Public Outreach Committee and serving on the Board Visibility & Engagement Task Force. Previously, she served as the regional director of the South Atlantic Region from 2012 to 2015. Frederick also chaired the Small Firm Round Table's Executive Committee in 2014 and served as president of AIA South Carolina in 2010. She has been a principal at Frederick + Frederick Architects since 1989 and received her B.Arch. from Auburn University.
"To create a future with better buildings, better communities and a better world, we have to be flexible, nimble and seize opportunities to turn dilemmas into advantages," Frederick said. "As architects, when we are at our best, we don't talk about the future—we create it." | work has been widely recognized … But perhaps what is most | 11 |
Are Your Shoppers Getting Mixed Messages in Produce?
The produce department is so vital to winning store selection, generating trips, putting shoppers in a buying mood, and positioning a banner as a health and wellness destination - and to reach you, the retail dietitian. Especially when backed by nature imagery, water sprayers and bountiful displays, people feel uplifted by the department's colors, aromas, freshness and possibilities. And when they<|fim_middle|> too aggressively? Merchants may think they do no harm with 10-foot sets of salad dressings, or opportunistic displays of croutons, shortcake, whipped cream and other processed foods in certain seasons. Yet these tactics, which were clever years ago, are overdone today. Consumers overwhelmingly want to eat healthier and focus on selecting the best available produce without distraction.
Dietitians who are involved in merchandising, need to keep the team honest and determine what their goal is. Will they use produce as their stores' key to freshness and wholesomeness, or as an opportunistic place to get people to buy other products?
Shoppers definitely need help with creativity, and showing off salad dressings that are healthy and tasty is beneficial to everyone involved but stores need to hold back and carefully rethink the balance line that allows related items into produce without contradicting the department's primary reason for being – or diluting the transformational impact produce has on shoppers as they enter the store.
The more retailers do to excite people about produce, the better. This could include tactile displays, a focus on local farmers, health benefits, easy recipes, and signage and Web content about specific items arriving soon as their seasons roll around. These are exciting for shoppers and great talking points for dietitians to help get the conversation started around freshness and nutrition. | choose fruits and vegetables from this section of the store, they know they're making a beneficial decision for the health of their household.
That's all good. So why are so many supermarkets weakening this impact by cross-merchandising | 47 |
By Nick Waddell Published on April 24, 2019 Last Updated on April 24, 2019 Filed under: All posts, Cannabis Stock: cl
Cresco Labs is still very attractively priced, Beacon says
Following the company's fourth quarter results, Beacon Securities analyst Russell Stanley is maintaining his "Buy" rating on Cresco Labs (Cresco Labs Stock Quote, Chart CSE:CL).
This morning, Cresco Labs reported its Q4 and fiscal 2018 results. In the fourth quarter, the company posted EBITDA of $13.7-million on revenue of $17-million, a topline that was up 411 per cent over the same period last year.
"We completed 2018 with another quarter of positive pretax income that reflected continued strong execution across all areas of our operations," CEO Charles Bachtell said. "We continue to successfully enter new markets with beneficial regulatory structures, increase our production and<|fim_middle|> building Cresco Labs' leadership position in the cannabis industry. The definitive agreement signed with Origin House earlier this month is a transformational deal for Cresco that creates a cannabis industry powerhouse with the premier distribution platform in the United States serving the greatest number of dispensaries in the country. Combined with our recent entrance into the Florida market, Cresco has built the largest and most strategic footprint of any cannabis company in the United States. We anticipate that 2019 will be a highly productive year in establishing Cresco as the first national brand in the cannabis industry, capitalizing on the strong growth we are seeing in large markets across the country, and creating additional value for our shareholders."
Stanley says Cresco bested his expectations on both the top and bottom line. Despite this, he says the stock is still attractively priced.
"As of writing, the stock is up 11% on the back of these results, but we still see considerable upside," the analyst says. "The proposed acquisition of Acreage Holdings by Canopy Growth Corporation has highlighted the massive valuation disconnect between companies focused on Canada (trading at an average of 42x 2020E EBITDA) and those operating in the United States (trading at 14x, an 67% discount to their Canadian cousins). CL is now trading at approximately 22x our 2020E EBITDA forecast. This is in line with the 22x average for the broad peer group, but a significant 42% discount to the 38x average for companies with a C$1B+ market capitalization. Potential catalysts include the upcoming release of Q1/19 results, which should feature meaningful growth in pro forma revenue, closing of the OH and VidaCann acquisitions, and additional M&A activity."
In a research update to clients today, Stanley maintained his "Buy" rating and one-year price target of $24.00 on Cresco Labs, implying a return of 33 per cent at the time of publication.
The analyst thinks the company will post EBITDA (net NCI) of $62-million on revenue of $319-million in fiscal 2019. He expects those numbers will improve to EBITDA of $220-million on a topline of $771-million the following year.
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Cresco Labs adds timely acquisitions, Beacon Securities reports
Beacon Securities analyst Russell Stanley continues to be impressed by Cresco Labs (Cresco Labs Stock Quote, Chart, News, Analysts, Financials... | processing capacity, and expand the distribution for our unique and sophisticated house of brands. Our ability to offer compelling products to all major segments of the cannabis market and achieve high levels of market penetration is generating strong growth in revenue and significant improvement in our gross margin. Building on our momentum from 2018, we have already made incredible progress this year in | 71 |
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NSSF Innovation Strengthens Social support to Kenyans
The events of the past eighteen months have cast a spotlight on the ability of states to support vulnerable citizens during times of crisis.
In Kenya, the official state agency responsible for social security chose SAP to support its growth, enable the expansion of its services to a greater share of the population, maintain the highest standards of quality controls across its operations and enable new customer-centric innovation.
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Copyright Ⓒ 2021 - BrandArena Communications. All right reserved. Simple theme. Powered by Blogger. | of Kenya CEO Dr. Anthony Omerikwa, the lack of integration due to disparate systems across its 61 physical locations created internal challenges. "Initially, each of our 61 branches had their own system, with no integration between departments. We chose to implement an ERP system to bring consistency across all our operations and support our growth as we expand access to our services to a greater share of the population. In light of the challenges created by the pandemic, we also introduced new mobile money payment options to reduce customer travel to banks."
The National Social Security Fund (NSSF) is a Kenyan government agency that is responsible for the collection, safekeeping, responsible investment and payment of retirement benefits members/employees in both the formal and informal sectors of the Kenyan economy. The NSSF guarantees its members basic compensation in the case of permanent disability, basic assistance to needy dependants in case of death, and a monthly life pension upon retirement.
Following an external review conducted by KPMG and commissioned by the NSSF board, a number of gaps were revealed in the organisation's audit controls. "As a vital part of Kenya's social security for both the formal and informal sectors, we needed to improve our governance, risk and compliance controls across our growing membership base and expanding national footprint. We opted for an SAP deployment as it would be an extension of our existing system."
The NSSF currently serves five million members and receives KES15-billion in annual collections. The organisation had implemented an SAP enterprise resource planning solution between 2012 and 2013, which included SAP financial modules, supply chain modules, human capital management and payroll modules as well as integration to the broader state social security system.
Following the latest ERP implementation, the NSSF has gained real-time reporting capabilities across the organisation, with improved risk controls and greater alignment with its broader enterprise risk strategy. "We have also improved our ability to detect and prevent anomalies to reduce risk and prevent losses. Our overall financial performance has improved and our board audit committee has real-time access to the total performance of the organisation across all our operations."
In 2020, the organisation partnered with Safaricom and Kenya Commercial Bank to enable customers on the NSSF Tenant Purchase Scheme (TPS) to make rent and service charge payments through M-PESA. "With this cashless payment solution, members no longer have to travel or queue at banks to make payments, reducing their health risks and delivering greater convenience to our customers."
According to Dr. Omerikwa, the NSSF Strategic Plan required greater alignment with business operations to ensure ease of doing business with all stakeholders. "The new TPS payment process has reduced traffic into banking halls and NSSF offices, increased service efficiency and customer convenience, reduced turnaround time on service delivery and lowered our operational costs. In addition to payments, the service integration also provides NSSF with the functionality to reconcile tenant accounts and generate reports and statements. Overall it has been a hugely successful project that has enabled us to better serve our customers and meet our important mandate."
Pedro Guerreiro, Managing Director for Central Africa at SAP, says the NSSF's use of technology to improve the delivery of services to citizens bodes well for the organisation's growth ambitions. "By putting technology at the core of its operations and leveraging the latest solutions to improve quality controls, the NSSF is well on its way to building intelligent enterprise capabilities that will support the delivery of essential services to Kenya's formal and informal sector for the benefit of all its citizens."
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I make it a point to learn a few new recipes everytime I visit Mangalore. In the past I used to collect plenty<|fim_middle|> some occasions even have them made in front of me. Then I would return back home and try them once again in my own kitchen before posting the recipes on the blog. This year too I managed to learn a couple of recipes, I came across something that I had never heard of before – Pajey Madpela, a term in the local language Tulu which roughly translates to 'rolled up carpet'. We had been to the Butterfly Park in Belvai, Moodabidri on a Sunday morning and enjoyed the scenic beauty en route. We started our journey pretty early as we intended to get to the park by 9 a.m., supposedly the best time to catch a glimpse of the several varieties of butterflies that live unrestricted there. The kids had a great time and thankfully the weather was great although it did drizzle during the journey. On our way back we stopped for lunch at a lovely seafood joint and I was introduced to the Pajey Madpela which we ordered along with Neer Dosa (plain rice crepes) and Pundi (rice dumplings).
Pajey Madpela is an absolutely simple rice bread that involves only two ingredients – rice and salt and some banana leaves cut into squares. The smoothly ground batter is thinly spread over the leaves and rolled up like a carpet (or a roulade if you please!). These leaf rolls are then steamed, cooled, unrolled and the delicate breads are served with a a curry of your choice.
I made these after I got back to Dubai and served them with some chicken curry. The thinner you spread the batter, the better the taste of the rolls. If you are able to find some banana leaves where you live, do give this recipe a try!
1. Wash the rice in a couple of changes of water and soak it in plenty of water for 3-4 hours. Drain the water.
4. Place sufficient water in a steamer and bring it to a rolling boil.
6. Cover the pan and steam for 18-20 minutes. Remove the rolls and let them cool completely before unrolling them to serve.
7. Serve with any veg or non veg curry of your choice.
Seems simple and easy. Getting banana leaves may be something to think about… 'Wonder if some coconut can be ground to make the batter or will it change the texture? Thanks for sharing Shireen.
wow! I am from Udupi and after being there for so many years I never heard about this. Really interesting and seems to be easy too. This is a must try. Thank you shireen.
Thanks Shireen. Never heard of these before. But they look so tempting enough to try as soon as I catch hold of some banana leaves. Is the spreading of the batter similar to the spreading done in Haldi Kolyancho Patoleo?? Esp. with reference to the thickness of the batter?
@ Louis Sequeira: Thanks for your appreciation! Yes, this should be called as kelmbe kollyacho patholeo in Konkani!
@ HermanNoreenMachado: You could add a little coconut for the taste, but make sure everything is finely ground so that you get the right texture and consistency required to make the batter spreadable!
Can you tell me which type of rice should be used? like ukdo or kolam?
You need to use ukdo (boiled white rice) for this recipe! | of recipes and on | 4 |
Inmarsat's Global Xpress network delivers seamless, high-speed broadband around the world, connecting everyone, everything, everywhere.
As well as the bandwidth required for today's data-hungry digital society, GX offers a whole new world of innovative, content-rich applications.
Global Xpress (GX) has been delivering seamless, high-speed broadband connectivity all around the world since December 2015.
The GX constellation is now made up of four Ka-band, high-speed mobile broadband communications satellites, following the launch of Inmarsat-5 F4. Each I-5 satellite is expected to have a commercial life of 15 years.
I-5 F3 – launched on 28 August 2015 to serve the Pacific Ocean Region.
As part of Inmarsat's US$1.6 billion programme commitment, the fourth Global Xpress satellite (I-5 F4) was launched from Cape Canaveral in Florida, USA on 15 May 20<|fim_middle|> shipping and smart cities to connected aircraft and connected cars, we will provide the best networks and the best solutions to shape the new digital world. | 17 to provide additional capacity.
A fifth Global Xpress satellite constructed by Thales Alenia Space will boost GX capacity even further across the Middle East, Europe and the Indian subcontinent and is targeted for launch in 2019.
The I-5 satellites operate with a combination of fixed narrow spot beams that enable Inmarsat to deliver higher speeds through more compact terminals, plus steerable beams so additional capacity can be directed in real-time to where it's needed.
Operating in the resilient Ka-band, while integrating seamlessly with our proven L-band network, GX allows customers across aviation, maritime, enterprise and government sectors to have reliable and assured access to high-throughput communications.
With Cisco, we have also developed the Inmarsat Gateway to deliver a whole new world of innovative, content-rich applications – developed by our Certified Application Partners – tailored to meet GX users' needs.
Global Xpress represents an important step in Inmarsat's transformation from a satellite operator to a digital services enabler. Ever innovative, we are going beyond connectivity to power the emerging global digital society. From smart | 219 |
Looking for the perfect entry level keyboard to start you, or a loved one<|fim_middle|> find the 574 instrument voices and 165 backing accompaniment styles from musical genres all over the world fun and interesting to explore.
For those who prefer to keep it simple, just press the portable grand button for a classic grand piano voice.
The PSRE-363 is made for learning with built-in step by step lessons and Touch Tutor to help develop feel and expression. There is also a songbook available for download, to accompany the onboard song list. Duo mode splits the keyboard in half, making it ideal for lessons at home with a private tutor.
Conclusion: There are cheaper keyboards out there, but none we know of with touch sensitive keys and so many features as the Yamaha PSRE-363.
If you want a simple keyboard without all the "fancy bells and whistles" that more closely resembles the experience of playing a real piano, the Yamaha NP32 is for you.
With 76 keys it's only 12 short of a standard piano, more than enough for beginners to intermediate players to hone their skills. And the piano tones, sampled from a Yamaha concert grand piano, sound rich and sweet.
It's also light enough to be carried in one hand and runs on batteries, so you can take it anywhere and play all the time!
The NP-32 features a "Graded Soft Touch keyboard" with keys in the bass register having a heavier feel while the high notes are lighter. It's amazingly natural and expressive.
Conclusion: For a simple, portable and sweet sounding starter piano, the Yamaha NP32 can't be beat. | , on a musical journey?
The Yamaha PSRE-363 gives beginners everything they need, starting with a 61-note touch sensitive keyboard and a big range of features, at a very affordable price. It's also lightweight, portable and can run on batteries.
Kids will | 57 |
As Dwyane Wade winds down his 16 year NBA career, every Miami Heat postgame becomes a tribute to the man.
It was the Golden State Warriors players' turn to gush over Dwayne Wade after the two teams played on Sunday.
After the Warriors narrowly beat the Heat 120 – 118, Stephen Curry exchanged jerseys with Dwyane Wade<|fim_middle|> Green said. | .
After the game, Curry suggested that Wade has enough quality to play for a few more years after this season.
"It seems like he's got a lot more in the tank," Curry said.
"That's what I told him after the game. 'Are you sure? I know you got a lot of stuff going on off the court with your family and stuff. Are you sure you don't have a couple more years left in there?' Obviously, with him going to every road arena one more time, it's a different energy for sure.
Warriors forward Draymond Green paid tribute to Wade's enduring quality in the twilight of his career.
"Everything he has done for that organization, it's been amazing," Warriors forward Draymond | 149 |
Not all learning happens in the classroom. In today's global context, it is evident that in order to become the best possible versions of themselves, young people must develop the necessary life skills needed to face life's increasingly complex issues with resilience and determination.
The Duke of Edinburgh's International Award equips young people for life. It is the world's leading youth achievement award. In 2016 more than 1.3 million young people around the world took part in the award, in over 130 countries and territories.
Since its launch 60 years ago, the foundation has inspired millions of young people to transform their lives. By creating opportunities for young people to develop skills, get physically active, provide service and experience adventure; the award can play a critical role in development outside the classroom. It also allows their achievement to be consistently recognised worldwide, giving young people unique international accreditation through their experiences.
The Duke of Edinburgh's International Award is transforming individuals, communities and societies around the world. Young people who become engaged in achieving the award are more confident and resilient, and develop skills in areas such as communication, problem solving and leadership. This in turn impacts on their communities with improvements in areas including employability, health and well-being, and educational attainment.?
As a product of the award myself and having witnessed the substantial impact it has on young people's lives from different cultures all around the world, I am a firm believer in its framework for young people to achieve their full potential. Here are some of the participants from Singapore National Academy in Surabaya.
Don't live life as it is meant to be lived. Change its course through harsh conditions to see the wonders of life. I honestly can not remember when I first read these words, but they are ingrained in my thoughts.
I am actively involved in school life and doing the Duke of Edinburgh's International Award is one of the most enriching elements for myself. I have to admit that I am very excited about doing physical activities since I love sports such as basketball, swimming and gym. However, I was never really compelled to do any service in my community. This all changed when I realized I could follow my passion and use my skills when I am also helping others.
I had the opportunity to join a basketball coaching programme at my school. After volunteering for the award, I became more involved in the community, teaching youngsters on the basketball court and making new friends. I became a lot more confident and strove to be a better coach day by day. Also, it was great to see the players improve their basketball skills along with their attitude. Nowadays, I can tell stories and give them advice about not only being a better basketball player, but also about being a better child for their parents.
For myself, the award was a learning journey out of the classroom, which taught me the values and qualities to become an impactful human being. I believe the activities you follow might provide you with motivation and incentive to divulge in many new experiences. Most of all, as young people, we have the opportunity to discover many first-hand experiences that can help us to make important choices in our future.
Along the journey to the first bronze level, I found myself learning a lot; in<|fim_middle|>, but it turned out to be so much more. Having set off for more than four journeys, there is also training and a practice before the actual qualifying one. We came across different challenges that the team needed to overcome.
You learn to survive in the wild, sleep in and set up tents while walking more than 15 kilometres with full hiking gear to defy the storms and cold of the mountainous region.
There was one case where one of my hiking teammates dealt with torrential rain crossing the "Sea of Sands" at Mount Bromo. I learnt a lot about myself and my friends that day!
In the end, it is more than just about surviving. It embeds leadership and cooperation as a group, so that's why I'd recommend it to youngsters like myself.
About a year ago, I proudly volunteered for the Duke of Edinburgh's International Award. I have completed my Bronze Award and I am currently onto my silver. I had no idea that doing my International Award would be one of the best experiences in my life. Throughout my journey, I have done a variety of things that are out of my comfort zone and therefore challenged me to strive for the best. I've also met new people and developed life skills. My accomplishments through obtaining the award provide an opportunity for self-reflection since I have to upload progression logs and my reflections as evidence for its completion.
Recently, I began scuba diving for physical recreation. Frankly, it is something I never thought I would do. However, I have overcome my fears and built confidence and courage from trying an activity that previously seemed terrifying. Scuba diving is not merely a sport; it is a breath-taking experience where I indulge in a whole new world, and my horizon is broader than ever. To be submerged in a completely different environment is exciting, and new experiences like this give me a sense of myself and the career path I aspire to take in the future. "Can I be an astronaut?" I ask myself, a question I would never have asked before. The award is definitely a life-changing opportunity that has shaped me and is a golden ticket to a bright future.
I can still remember the day I first enrolled for the Duke of Edinburgh's International Award since I was thrilled to have the diary with me. I have completed my bronze and silver levels, and I am currently working on the gold award.
My prime reason for getting enrolled in the award was to figure out what my real passions are. I didn't really think that it would be something I may be doing for my future. However, I can proudly say that with the help of following the award, I've gotten closer to my future major in university from real experiences.
The various aspects of the Award have unleashed the potential in me. The skills section, which I am so thankful to have done, has been working in a radio station as an announcer at DJFM, airing once a week for three hours on a Saturday. Working on my own has taught me the value of being independent and I have gained an awareness of the hardships of life while the challenges posed at every step have helped me change my habit of complaining.
Also, most importantly, it has helped me a lot as I am focusing on my career path. I've enjoyed every step of the way since taking the microphone, the interviews and meetings with public figures such as Mr. Jordon Clarkson, a professional NBA player from the Los Angeles Lakers.
Overall, from time management to holistic development, the award has made me a completely new person and with regards to my future, has helped me excel at broadcasting for which I am passionate about. | particular, the "Adventurous Journey" section. At first, I thought it was just the normal boring camp that most schools provide | 27 |
https://www.chron.com/sports/astros/article/Astros-trade-Blue-Jays-Roberto-Osuna-Ken-Giles-13117676.php
Astros trade for Blue Jays closer Roberto Osuna, give up Ken Giles
By Chandler Rome, Houston Chronicle
Updated 9:17 am CDT, Tuesday, July <|fim_middle|>/GregRajan/lists/tweeting-the-astros | 31, 2018
PHOTOS: An updated look at players still available and players already gone before the upcoming non-waiver Trade Deadline
The Astros traded Ken Giles, left, to the Toronto Blue Jays in a package for Roberto Osuna.
The Astros traded Ken Giles, left, to the Toronto Blue Jays in a package for Roberto
Photo: Karen Warren/Houston Chronicle; Associated Press
SEATTLE — One enigmatic closer was exchanged for another.
The Astros acquired embattled Blue Jays closer Roberto Osuna on Monday, one day before the non-waiver trade deadline and while the righthander finishes a 75-game suspension for violating Major League Baseball's Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Child Abuse policy.
In return, Houston shipped Ken Giles, once its unquestioned closer who in the last nine months underwent a drastic, precipitous fall from grace, along with David Paulino and Hector Perez.
Osuna was charged with assaulting a woman in May and pleaded not guilty. Details of the case are unavailable.
BAD BLOOD? Osuna, Carlos Correa get into stare down over controversial ending | Correa calls out Osuna (July 2017)
On June 22, Major League Baseball handed him a 75-game suspension, which ends Aug. 4,. He is eligible to pitch for the Astros on Aug. 5 — their final game of a three-game series at Dodger Stadium — and will join the team there.
Osuna is under team control until 2021.
In a statement, Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow called the "due diligence" done by the organization's front office "unprecedented" while vetting Osuna. Luhnow added the 23-year-old "will fully comply with our zero tolerance policy related to abuse of any kind."
"If anything happens going forward, we absolutely will adhere to our zero tolerance policy," Luhnow said on a conference call a few hours after the trade was made official. "But in addition to that, we do believe in second chances. Roberto has served the penalty that MLB felt was appropriate for the information that they had about what he had done and we believe that this environment — the Houston Astros clubhouse, players on our team, staff we have, support system that we have, the influence that we can have moving forward and our community in general — is an environment that can hopefully turn this from a negative story into a positive outcome."
Luhnow was not with the team in Seattle. Manager A.J. Hinch said the general manager will accompany Osuna to Los Angeles this weekend and intimated a team meeting will take place with everyone present.
Three hours before Monday's series-opener against the Mariners, Hinch held a closed-door meeting which he thought was "well-received."
CREECH: Astros' zero-tolerance policy murky after acquisition of Osuna
"We're going to get together as a family would and talk about how this all came together and what the steps are moving forward to incorporate him on our team and give him a second chance," Hinch said. "I wanted our team to hear that from me before the day started and it was well received."
One of Luhnow's "preconditions" before completing the deal was to speak with Osuna. The Blue Jays granted permission. Luhnow said the conversation — of which he declined to provide specific details — was "enlightening."
"All the things I was looking to hear from him, I did and I was very happy with that conversation," said Luhnow, who said he also reached out to "several members" of the Astros' coaching staff and active roster.
Shortstop Carlos Correa said Jose Altuve was contacted by the front office. Altuve, on the 10-day disabled list, was not in Seattle with the club while he tended to what Hinch called a "personal matter."
Neither Correa, Justin Verlander nor Collin McHugh said they were contacted in advance by the front office. McHugh is the team's player representative to the MLBPA.
"This is a baseball operations decision," Verlander said. "It's (Luhnow's) decision to make. I think it's pretty typical that they wouldn't inquire with roster moves like this, ask all the players their opinions. This is his decision."
To reinforce the "zero tolerance policy" the club touts, Luhnow cited the case of former Astros prospect Danry Vazquez, who the club released days after he was arrested on domestic assault charges in 2016.
Video was uncovered in March of Vazquez beating a woman in the stairwell of Whataburger Field — the home of Class AA Corpus Christi. Both Verlander and Lance McCullers Jr. reacted on social media to the videos.
Verlander tweeted a middle finger emoji and wrote "I hope the rest of your life without baseball is horrible. You deserve all that is coming your way!" McCullers wrote "this is the reality of domestic violence. It's always brutal, always sickening. We must fight for the victims, video or not. He should be in jail. If you need help, find it. People care."
Verlander stood by his stance on Monday, hours after his club acquired Osuna.
"I think the thing for us to remember here is that the details haven't come to light. We don't know the whole story," Verlander said. "Obviously, I've said some pretty inflammatory things about stuff like this in the past, and I stand by my words. But I think with an ongoing case as is this one, we'll see what happens. It'll be interesting."
Osuna was to participate in "a confidential and comprehensive evaluation and treatment program supervised by the Joint Policy Board," Major League Baseball said. Osuna's next court date is scheduled for Wednesday in Toronto.
"I want to make it clear, there is no admission of guilt by Roberto Osuna with respect to what happened with Major League Baseball," Osuna's attorney, Domenic Basile, told Sportsnet shortly after the suspension was levied.
Osuna has thrown just 15 ⅓ innings this season.
He was an All-Star in 2017, when he collected 39 saves, and finished fourth in American League Rookie of the Year voting in 2015. He throws four pitches — a four-seam fastball, sinker, slider and cutter. He struck out 83 batters in 64 innings last season.
ON TEXAS SPORTS NATION: How Roberto Osuna fits the Astros
"I am excited to join the Houston Astros and move forward with a fresh start to my career," Osuna said in a statement. "The positive character of my new teammates is a big reason for their success and I look forward to bringing a positive contribution to this great group of guys as we work towards many more winning seasons. I thank Jeff Luhnow and the entire Astros organization for believing in me – I will not let them down."
Osuna's familiarity with and success against the American League East — particularly the Yankees and Red Sox — made him a logical target for Luhnow, who said in June he'd focus the club's deadline moves on postseason matchups.
In his four-year career, Osuna has held Yankees hitters to a .343 OPS in 108 plate appearances Last season, the Red Sox mustered just a .639 OPS in 35 plate appearances.
"From the baseball side of it, it's hard to argue that there's a young reliever who has been as dominant in his career and has been as good at the back end of games," Hinch said.
Still, another dimension lingers.
"We know what he can do on the baseball field and we know what his track record is as a ballplayer and specifically what he can help on this team and help in this bullpen," McHugh said. "But as far as all the other stuff around it, there's so much uncertainty around it that we're reserving judgement and making sure we're taking care of the business we have to take care of right now."
More Astros News
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Possible trade targets for Astros at trade deadline
Tweets from https://twitter.com | 1,743 |
We live in a time where all people are being over polluted with messages from advertisers and brands vying to gain their attention. Attention is a vital currency to a brands success. Many advertisers using Facebook have become deeply upset that Facebook has updated their algorithm so that fans see less of their posts. On average about 5% to 10% of a pages' followers will see any given post in their feed.
I can understand why Facebook has taken this course of action in controlling the newsfeed. People unequivocally<|fim_middle|> your audience. Then subsequently begin working to get them to convert over into your email list. Getting someone to hand over their email is a privilege and not an easy thing to accomplish. That being said, once you've converted someone over into doing that, you've essentially gained their trust and opened the door for them to start becoming your advocate.
The Facebook newsfeed learns what users want to see and if they interact with your content on a frequent basis, that will teach the social media platform that your content is important to them. Additionally, if you're creating good content that people engage with then Facebook will allow more and more users to see that specific post. This is how you can raise the bar on the 5% to 10% who see your posts on average. Facebook advertising is a way to promote and target specific groups online to see your content. It's important to learn and fully understand how to use this advertising platform to achieve high success. | don't like seeing their newsfeed polluted with irrelevant messages, ultimatley they use Facebook to interact with family and friends. If Facebook allowed every promoters message into the newsfeed, the users would become quickly unhappy with the Facebook platform. The move by Facebook to alter its algorithms is actually also in the best interest of advertisers in order to preserve the platform.
This is why it's extremely important that, as advertisers, that we take every step to target the right audiences and build trusting relationships. It's not about the quantity of people that we connect with, but rather the quality of contacts we make with people. Facebook is an extremely powerful tool in understanding and reaching people of interest to a certain brand. It's so powerful, that we can segment out a certain audience to hear a specific message that will matter to those select individuals. More likely, this method will attract people to your brand who have a genuine interest in your content. And if they have a genuine interest, then they're more likely to become an advocate for you, which makes your social power that much more enhanced.
We have a client that has done a good job with this to date, even before we took over their social media. Over the years, this individual, has been developing their following with people who are like-minded and have high propensity to become strong advocates. This makes pushing new content and graphics much simpler out into the social sphere. These advocates are much more likely to engage with our content and share with their friends.
A good place to start in cultivating these advocates is by collecting them into an email list. Use social media platforms, like Facebook, to target and message those who resemble | 332 |
G.K. Chesterton on Morality and Truth
Men do not differ much about what things they will call evils; they differ enormously about what evils they will call excusable.
Illustrated London News (ILN), 10/23/09
It's not that we don't have enough scoundrels to curse; it's that we don't have enough good men to curse them.
ILN, 3/14/08
There is a case for telling the truth; there is a case for avoiding the scandal; but there is no possible defense for the man who<|fim_middle|>20
What we call emancipation is always and of necessity simply the free choice of the soul between one set of limitations and another.
Daily News12-21-05
There are some desires that are not desirable. Orthodoxy In the struggle for existence, it is only on those who hang on for ten minutes after all is hopeless, that hope begins to dawn.
The Speaker 2-2-01
Modern broad-mindedness benefits the rich; and benefits nobody else.
"The Church of the Servile State" Utopia of Usurers
It is the main earthly business of a human being to make his home, and the immediate surroundings of his home, as symbolic and significant to his own imagination as he can.
The Coloured Lands
Posted: 23-Jan-07 | tells the scandal, but does not tell the truth.
The whole truth is generally the ally of virtue; a half-truth is always the ally of some vice.
Truth is sacred; and if you tell the truth too often nobody will believe it.
Civilization has run on ahead of the soul of man, and is producing faster than he can think and give thanks.
Daily News, 2/21/02
It is not bigotry to be certain we are right; but it is bigotry to be unable to imagine how we might possibly have gone wrong.
The Catholic Church and Conversion
There'd be a lot less scandal if people didn't idealize sin and pose as sinners.
The Father Brown Omnibus
All men thirst to confess their crimes more than tired beasts thirst for water; but they naturally object to confessing them while other people, who have also committed the same crimes, sit by and laugh at them.
ILN 3/14/08
Idolatry is committed, not merely by setting up false gods, but also by setting up false devils; by making men afraid of war or alcohol, or economic law, when they should be afraid of spiritual corruption and cowardice.
I say that a man must be certain of his morality for the simple reason that he has to suffer for it.
ILN 8/4/06
To the humble man, and to the humble man alone, the sun is really a sun; to the humble man, and to the humble man alone, the sea is really a sea.
Heretics, CW I, p128
Great truths can only be forgotten and can never be falsified.
ILN 9-30-33
The voice of the special rebels and prophets, recommending discontent, should, as I have said, sound now and then suddenly, like a trumpet. But the voices of the saints and sages, recommending contentment, should sound unceasingly, like the sea.
T.P.'s Weekly, Christmas Number, 1910
All science, even the divine science, is a sublime detective story. Only it is not set to detect why a man is dead; but the darker secret of why he is alive.
The Thing. CW. III 191
Most modern freedom is at root fear. It is not so much that we are too bold to endure rules; it is rather that we are too timid to endure responsibilities.
What's Wrong With the World
If we want to give poor people soap we must set out deliberately to give them luxuries. If we will not make them rich enough to be clean, then empathically we must do what we did with the saints. We must reverence them for being dirty.
The world will very soon be divided, unless I am mistaken, into those who still go on explaining our success, and those somewhat more intelligent who are trying to explain our failure.
Speech to Anglo-Catholic Congress 6-29- | 612 |
TBR Schedules Four Open Committee Meetings Sept. 7
Four open committee meetings – Audit, Committee Chairs, Ad-Hoc Capital Outlay & Capital Maintenance, and Personnel & Compensation – will be held at the Tennessee Board of Regents central office in Nashville on Wednesday, Sept. 7.
The Audit Committee meeting will begin at 10:30 a.m. CDT. The agenda includes:
I. Informational reporting
Review of Comptroller's Office audit reports
Review of internal audit reports
Review of FY 2011 fourth quarter expense summary for the chancellor and presidents
Review of risk assessments for universities and community colleges – indicated major processes
II. Review of internal audit plans and status reports
Review of internal audit year-end status reports for FY 2011
Review of internal audit plans for FY 2012
The Committee Chairs meeting will begin at 12:45 p.m. CDT. The following agenda will be discussed:
Status on University of Memphis- Lambuth campus
Finance and business issues
Tenure upon appointment
Revisions and repeals of facilities use policies
Status on the director's search for the TTC at Whiteville
Review draft of the September board agenda
Immediately following, the Ad-Hoc Committee on Capital Outlay & Capital Maintenance will review and act on the 2012-13 Capital Budget Request. The Personnel & Compensation Committee will conclude the day's meetings when it addresses the recommendation of appointment for the<|fim_middle|> contact Monica Greppin at monica.greppin@tbr.edu or 615-366-4417 before 9 a.m. CDT Wednesday, Sept. 7, so building security clearance can be arranged.
The Tennessee Board of Regents is the nation's sixth largest higher education system, governing 46 post-secondary educational institutions. The TBR system includes six universities, 13 two-year colleges and 27 technology centers, providing programs in 90 of Tennessee's 95 counties to more than 200,000 students. | position of Vice Chancellor of Community Colleges and considers a faculty request for permission to appeal.
All four meetings are open to the public and the press with the exception of the non-public executive session of the Audit Committee. Those planning to attend any of the meetings should | 51 |
Hopes for ailing church
By ROBYN BRISTOW
Waiau's All Saints Church, left battered, broken and forlorn after the November 2016 earthquake, may be returned to its former glory.
The threat of demolition has hung over the landmark since the quake. Now, its future lies in the hands of a few individuals keen to see it preserved, restored and returned to the Waiau community.
The church, built of river stones, is fenced off, with its bell tower leaning precariously, its base split in two directions.
While the project is in its infancy, a purchase offer has been made with the desire to, firstly, preserve the church from further deterioration and then, over time, carry out the restoration.
Amuri Co-operating Parish Minister Colin Price says the individuals, who have requested privacy for now, propose forming a trust as a vehicle for the restoration work.
He says if a sale is finalised, matters around the trust, time-frames, resources and fundraising would become clearer.
The Anglican Church Property Trustees (CPT) hold the building in trust and its final approval is needed before there can be any sale, Mr<|fim_middle|> Parish Council recommendation to sell the property and building "as is, where is" to a trust seeking to restore it.
The public meeting will follow on August 8, at the Waiau Community Hall at 7.30pm.
If the sale is completed, the Amuri Co-operating Parish will cease to have any formal involvement with the property.
"We are supportive of the proposal as it would be the best outcome for the community," Mr Price says.
The church, designed by architect Cecil Wood, was dedicated in 1925 and built with a "lot of love, time and effort".
It did not have any natural disaster insurance because, after the 2010-2011 quakes, natural disaster insurance became prohibitively expensive for church buildings.
Previous articleProduction hits right note
Next articleThe world's a stage for Dave | Price explains.
Meanwhile, two meetings have been called to kick-start the rescue mission – a congregational meeting, which is required by the CPT as part of the process before any sale, and a public meeting to keep locals informed.
The first will be held on August 5 at the Rotherham Church after the 10am service.
Parishioners will be asked to vote on a | 81 |
Archaeologists use a wide array of tools and equipment on site and some of them are familiar to us while the others are more specialized. We have listed the tools necessary for Archaeology and brief descriptions about them. These will be the tools you will see on a field session.
Trowels are very useful and they are also the most iconic tool for archaeology. It is the tool that masons employ in applying mortar to a brick wall, but it is used in archaeology to excavate in an area where the space can no longer be dug up by a shovel.
There is actually a long-standing debate within the community of archaeologists regarding which trowel is better, either the square-ended or the pointed ones. Op<|fim_middle|> and forth in order to let the lighter soil fall through the mesh. The heavier artifacts, if there is any, will remain within the screen box.
Hand brooms and dustpans are utilized by archaeologists because they are also efficient in moving soil out. The hand brooms are the ones that keep the surface of the unit clean especially when it is time to take pictures. Dustpans help move the soil at a quicker pace when trowels are being used. The excess soil will be gathered into the dustpan and contents will then be dumped into the bucket. This is more sensible than moving soil using only a trowel which is much smaller in size.
Tape measures, like how most people use them, are being utilized by archaeologists to measure the depth and size of a specific unit. They are extremely useful in the creation of maps.
Plumb bobs and line levels are primarily used to map excavation units. A plumb bob is used in conjunction to the measuring tape in order to give a more precise location to artifacts or feature boundary that are in the floor or walls of a unit. On the other hand, line levels, which are attached to strings, measure the depth of any level an artifact where it is found.
Digital cameras are important for documentation purposes. Archaeologists release official images of the walls and floors of all of the excavation levels, plus there has to be pictures of the found artifacts. Occasionally, archaeologists take candid shots of themselves, too, with the rest of the crew as they work on the site.
These are the most common tools and equipment you will find in an excavation site. Archaeologists use only the highest quality tools and equipments due to the fact that excavation sites are usually away from civilization.
Our gratitude goes out to Precision Window Tinting Tyler. Thanks for your terrific support! | inions vary a lot among archaeologists, but it would still boil down to personal preference.
Shovels, may it be square or rounded, are used as a primary excavating tool especially in units that has no artifacts or features to be discovered. Shovels are an essential tool because they are efficient in moving soil from a particular area to another.
Soil is being shoveled either into 5-gallon sized buckets which will then be carried into a screen, or it is shoveled directly unto the screen.
A screen is used to sift through the shoveled soil that comes from a particular unit. This process is necessary for searching and spotting artifacts. There are a lot of screen varieties, but the most common are the box or personal and the tripod screen.
The soil is being poured down into the screen from a bucket or shovel, and then shaken rapidly back | 174 |
Philip Morris<|fim_middle|>1 Monat vor) • Edgar (US Regulatory)
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Weitere Philip Morris International News-Artikel | Nachrichten
PM abonnieren
Philip Morris International Inc. to Host Webcast of Presentation at Barclays Global Consumer Staples Conference
01 September 2021 - 04:32PM
Regulatory News:
Philip Morris International Inc. (NYSE: PM) will host a live video webcast of the company's remarks and question-and-answer session with Emmanuel Babeau, Chief Financial Officer, at the Barclays Global Consumer Staples Conference at www.pmi.com/2021barclays on Wednesday, September 8, 2021, at approximately 8:00 a.m. ET.
The webcast will be held in a virtual format and provide a live video of the entire PMI session.
Presentation slides will be available on the same site.
An archived copy of the webcast will be available at www.pmi.com/2021barclays until 5:00 p.m. ET on Thursday, October 7, 2021. The video webcast can also be accessed on iOS or Android devices by downloading PMI's free Investor Relations Mobile Application at www.pmi.com/irapp.
Philip Morris International: Delivering a Smoke-Free Future
Philip Morris International (PMI) is leading a transformation in the tobacco industry to create a smoke-free future and ultimately replace cigarettes with smoke-free products to the benefit of adults who would otherwise continue to smoke, society, the company, its shareholders and its other stakeholders. PMI is a leading international tobacco company engaged in the manufacture and sale of cigarettes, as well as smoke-free products, associated electronic devices and accessories, and other nicotine-containing products in markets outside the U.S. In addition, PMI ships versions of its IQOS Platform 1 device and consumables to Altria Group, Inc. for sale under license in the U.S., where these products have received marketing authorizations from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) under the premarket tobacco product application (PMTA) pathway; the FDA has also authorized the marketing of a version of IQOS and its consumables as a Modified Risk Tobacco Product (MRTP), finding that an exposure modification order for these products is appropriate to promote the public health. PMI is building a future on a new category of smoke-free products that, while not risk-free, are a much better choice than continuing to smoke. Through multidisciplinary capabilities in product development, state-of-the-art facilities and scientific substantiation, PMI aims to ensure that its smoke-free products meet adult consumer preferences and rigorous regulatory requirements. PMI's smoke-free product portfolio includes heat-not-burn and nicotine-containing vapor products. As of June 30, 2021, PMI's smoke-free products are available for sale in 67 markets in key cities or nationwide, and PMI estimates that approximately 14.7 million adults around the world have already switched to IQOS and stopped smoking. For more information, please visit www.pmi.com and www.pmiscience.com.
Philip Morris International Investor Relations: New York: +1 (917) 663 2233 Lausanne: +41 (0)58 242 4666 Email: InvestorRelations@pmi.com Media: Lausanne: +41 (0)58 242 4500 Email: Iro.Antoniadou@pmi.com
Philip Morris (NYSE:PM)
News Philip Morris International
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Initial Statement of Beneficial Ownership (3)
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Philip Morris to redeem 2.625% notes due 2022
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Montag 13 Dezember 2021 ( | 880 |
It is once again the time of year when we<|fim_middle|>0. Entries can also be sent by email to showcasecontest@fosters.com.
Any questions? Call Paul "Buzz" Dietterle, Showcase Editor, at 742-4455 x 5611, or send an email to showcasecontest@fosters.com. | at Foster's turn our thoughts to the annual Showcase Magazine Holiday Art and Writing Contest. This year's deadline for entries is Friday, Nov. 18 at 4 p.m.
To make submitting entries easier, we have created the form below, which can be clipped and stapled or taped to the back of submissions. Entrants and their teachers or parents are welcome to make copies of the form and distribute them freely. Use of the form is optional, but ALL information requested on the form is required. This information MUST be written on the back of the entry if the form is not used. The same information must be provided with electronic entries as well submitted to showcasecontest@fosters.com. If the requested information is not included, the entry will be disqualified. It is especially important that we be able to contact the parent or guardian of any entrant that is chosen as a winner.
The contest, which seeks stories and artwork about the spirit of the holidays, is open to New Hampshire and Maine students in grades 1 through 12. The winning entries will be published in the Thursday, Dec. 22, edition of "Showcase Magazine," Foster's weekly arts and entertainment publication. Winners will be honored at a special awards reception in late January or early February. Parents, family members and teachers of the winners are invited.
1. In order to publish submissions and to contact winners for the award ceremony, it is important students write their address and phone number on their work in addition to their parents name(s) and their own name, grade, age and school. Winners will be notified as to the date, time and place of the award ceremony.
2. Stories and drawings must be original ideas, not copied or traced. A story should be no longer than 550 words. There is no minimum length. Grade school entries should be legibly written; all others should be typed, double-spaced.
3. The contest is open to New Hampshire and Maine school age children (except kindergarten). Children may submit their work through their school classes or on their own. All entries must be clearly marked with name, address, school, grade of entrant and home phone number or email address. Students in Grade 5 and older should include a word count on their entries.
4. Judging of stories is in five categories: Grades 1-2; Grades 3-4; Grades 5-6; Grades 7-8; Grades 9-12. Artwork and writing will be judged separately.
5. For artwork, only original work is accepted. Artwork must be no larger than 8.5 inches by 11 inches. No photography entries and no Computer-assisted art will be accepted.
6. Entries must be received by 4 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 18: They can be mailed or hand-delivered to the Foster's office at 150 Venture Drive, Dover. Entries can also be submitted to showcasecontest@fosters.com. Artwork submitted by email should be scanned at a resolution of 300 dpi or higher. It is highly recommended that entrants do not wait until deadline day to deliver their work. No late entries will be accepted.
7. Students can submit no more than one entry in each category. A student can enter once in writing and once in artwork.
8. Because of the number of submissions, we cannot return entries.
9. Members of the immediate family of Foster's Daily Democrat employees are ineligible for participation in the contest.
Drop off or mail entries to Holiday Writing and Art Contest, Foster's Daily Democrat, 150 Venture Drive, Dover, NH 0382 | 751 |
Creating a good poster for advertising an event series can be tricky. Last year, I designed one for the Computer Club's Spring Talk Series. It worked well,<|fim_middle|>.
The generator takes in a JSON file describing the important parameters of the talk series. From the start date, it calculates out the date for each talk, on the basis that they occur at the same time every week. Talks are color-coded to fall into up to four categories, allowing the Club to suggest the grouping of similar talks on the schedule.
The poster is output as an SVG file, which makes it easy to apply minor tweaks after the fact, if necessary, without having to work with a heavier software package such as Adobe Illustrator. Fonts are linked from the Google Web Font directory, ensuring consistency across platforms.
The Talk Series Poster Generator is part of the TAPP project. You can check it out on GitHub. | and as I was graduating and leaving no one with significant design background in the Club, I wrote a generator to produce new versions of the poster for future talk series | 32 |
Winthrop mourns student's sudden death
Kelsey Stoneton, 17, was captain of the high school field hockey team and excelled academically.
By Michael ShepherdKennebec Journal
WINTHROP — The community is reeling after the sudden death of 17-year-old Kelsey Stoneton.
The Winthrop High School junior, a standout field hockey player and the daughter of Joel Stoneton, the high school and middle school's<|fim_middle|>Michael Shepherd can be contacted at 370-7652 or at:
Twitter: @mikeshepherdme7
Obituary: Kevin B. Simmons
Obituary: Gerald Clayton Philbrick
Obituary: Lillian Ann White
Obituary: William "Will" Warren
Obituary: Kenneth Warren Sylvester Jr.
Browse more in News
Read the ePaper
Get updates on our complete local & national coverage to wrap up your day. | athletic director and dean of students, died early Saturday at Maine Medical Center in Portland after collapsing Friday because of a pulmonary embolism, her mother, Kimberly, wrote on Facebook.
Kelsey Stoneton
Kelsey "had everything going for her," Joel Stoneton said in an interview Saturday. She was a pretty girl, was top five in her class and was captain of the field hockey team," he said. "She meant everything to us."
Kelsey is survived by her parents and a younger sister, Haley. The family didn't take visitors on Saturday but asked for notes of remembrance to be left outside Joel Stoneton's home at 96 Green St. in Winthrop.
Jarod Richmond, an assistant coach of the football team that Joel Stoneton coached until recently, opened the locker room at Winthrop High School on Saturday for those looking for a place to be with friends and family.
In a text message, Richmond said players and coaches declined interviews, "other than to say we are deeply saddened" at Kelsey's death and "our thoughts and prayers are with the Stoneton family."
Condolences poured in on social media after Kelsey's death, with one person calling her "one of the most beautiful people I've met" and another telling Joel Stoneton "your community is here to support you through this impossibly difficult time."
"She was always smiling, always smiling, and she brought that to our family," Joel Stoneton said. "I'm not just saying that because she was my daughter, too. She was such a happy girl, a joy to be around all the time.
"She's going to be missed."
| 333 |
We are growing the 'Nature Generation'
Aix-Marseille-Provence Metropole has been actively engaged in combating climate change for many years and is a driving force behind the momentum generated by the IUCN World Conservation Congress. This major event for the preservation of biodiversity, to be held from 4 to 11 September at the Parc Chanot (free admission) with many organised highlights (conferences, exhibitions, workshops, etc.), will generate decisions that will influence<|fim_middle|> in energy (6 wind turbines), the "zero emission" vessel will circumnavigate the Antarctic twice in 3 years. The crew will be changed every 2 months. Research will mainly focus on atmosphere-ocean exchanges, CO2 absorption, inventory of plankton by imagery and fauna by acoustics, calibration of satellite measurements, and anthropogenic impacts. It is expected to be launched at the end of 2023.
The ALBATROSS instrumented mooring line, together with the DYFAMED, LION and Nice sites, is part of the EMSO ERIC regional installation for the Ligurian Sea. The complete infrastructure will enable the study of hydrogeological changes and biogeochemical properties in the Mediterranean Sea linked to climate forcing and anthropogenic impacts.
BathyBot (Follow me! @bathybot)
A multi-sensor crawler robot operated via the internet! Its immersion to a depth of 2500 metres from the oceanographic research vessels the Pourquoi Pas? and the Nautile, 40 km off the coast of Toulon, is planned for January 2022. It will provide continuous observation of oceanographic and biogeochemical parameters in order to obtain rare data on the abundance and dynamics of particles and living organisms at these depths. BathyBot will thus make it possible to observe the deep marine environment so as to learn more about this still virtually unknown environment.
BathyReef
A bio-inspired cement coloniser was designed and built by the scientists of the BathyBot programme in collaboration with the Tangram architectural firm and VICAT SA, a French cement company. BathyReef will allow BathyBot to observe an area from a position slightly above the sea floor, monitoring the colonisation of organisms at depth over several years.
Bioluminescence x9
In each porthole, discover bioluminescence, the production of light by living organisms.
Bioluminescence: "bios," means life in Greek and "lumen" means light in Latin.
¾ of all organisms in the ocean possess this bioluminescence capacity.
Most of the ocean is immersed in darkness, so emitting light is an asset for organisms living there.
Strong bioluminescence phenomena have been discovered at a depth of 2500 m in the Mediterranean Sea through the scientific work carried out by the MIO.
Some jellyfish and fish can emit their own light, as can bacteria such as the Photobacterium phosphoreum species that you can see here, and small luminous algae called dinoflagellates.
Bacterial bioluminescence is continuous, unlike most other light-emitting organisms.
Attracting prey, dazzling a predator... not all the ecological reasons for marine organism bioluminescence are known as yet.
A night swim in the wake of a boat, or isolating luminous bacteria from fresh fish... in Marseille, there are many opportunities to observe bioluminescence!
Niskin bottle : sea water sampling bottle from between the surface and the bottom of the oceans, deployed from oceanographic research ships".
Plankton net : a net for collecting planktonic organisms larger than 35 microns from between the surface and 200 m, deployed from oceanographic research vessels".
BETWEEN LAND AND SEA
Wild: animal podcasts
Ambre, a wildlife reporter, takes you on a journey to discover the species that inhabit the Aix-Marseille-Provence Metropole. Keep your ears open and enjoy this immersion in sound from the midst of nature!
Ten-minute podcasts produced by Urbanprod with the financial support of the Aix-Marseille-Provence Metropole. Adult and children's versions. Available - alongside other productions - on all download platforms.
# A night with the bats
# The butterflies of Sainte-Victoire
# Salin de Fos: the little paradise of the pink flamingos
# Meet Europe's largest and most mysterious bird of prey: the Eagle Owl
# A trip out to sea with puffins, whales and corbs, the singing fish!
# The Crau Cricket: a unique, mysterious and endangered species
# Otters and beavers: the return to our shores of semi-aquatic mammals # The Southern Shrike: an astonishing species, typical of Mediterranean environments and threatened by extinction
# Bonelli's Eagle: an exceptional bird of prey in our Provençal massifs
# An evening in the rain with the Natterjack Toads
Discover the processes that shape our landforms with the interactive sandbox! Come and explore the formation of landscapes, rivers and mountain erosion with this augmented reality sandbox from the European Centre for Environmental Geosciences Research and Education, and enjoy a virtual walk with "Virtuafield", an educational app to observe and learn about geology.
Explore the area to discover its fauna, flora and natural habitats. This exhibition reveals the beauty as well as the fragility of the local biodiversity. An exceptional natural heritage to be (re)discovered... so as to better protect it.
Consult the exhibition boards
A rich environment in the heart of our nature areas Water is a key link between the back country - the streams, rivers, ponds - and the sea. Preservation and recovery of the environment, flood prevention, enhancement of natural resources and development of economic activities: every effort has gone into making the coastline more attractive while respecting the environment.
The fabulous destiny of waste. With the Aremacs association, you'll know everything there is to know about recycling waste! Come and explore the infinite lifecycle of waste on your own or with the family.
The zero-waste apartment. Adopt the R3FLEX to reduce waste and discover what you can do on a day-to-day basis. Objective 2035: a zero-waste, waste-free urban community!
Play now! With the "Biodivalise" games from the Science Observatory (Observatoire des Sciences de l'Univers Institut Pythéas) and from Tela Botanica mediated by the Seasons Observatory at the Mediterranean Institute for Marine and Terrestrial Biodiversity and Ecology (Observatoire des Saisons Provence de l'Institut Méditerranéen de Biodiversité et d'Écologie marine et continentale). | global environmental policies for decades to come.
The World Conservation Congress is held every four years and draws together environmental experts from all sectors. Its goal is to work towards nature-based recovery and the protection of biodiversity.
More information on the World Conservation Congress
AIX-MARSEILLE-PROVENCE METROPOLE AND THE BOUCHES-DU-RHÔNE DEPARTMENT RESPOND TOGETHER TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL EMERGENCY
The World Conservation Congress also attracts and mobilises the general public. In particular, "Nature Generation Spaces" help raise awareness and get people involved so that together we can pass on a healthier environment to future generations.
At the heart of the event, Aix-Marseille-Provence Metropole and the Bouches-du-Rhône Department have designed a joint 200 m² stand, a venue that is open to all, where people can talk to experts and take part in educational and fun workshops to get a better grasp of today's and tomorrow's environmental issues.
VISIT OUR STAND
You can find all the information available on our stand, classified by theme.
Take a walk on 67P, or the Churyumov-Gerasimenko comet! The Astrophysics Laboratory of Marseille (LAM) is a key player in the design of the OSIRIS/NAC camera on the Rosetta probe. The teams have adapted the scientific images taken by the camera to offer you an augmented reality tour of the comet's surface.
Discover phytoplankton and zooplankton with researchers from the Mediterranean Institute of Oceanology! Essentially made up of organisms invisible to the naked eye, marine plankton plays a fundamental role in the life and climate of our planet.
Microscopic observation of zooplankton and phytoplankton
Discovering plankton through the augmented and virtual reality of the Planktomania project
Discovering polar plankton on board the POLAR POD
POLAR POD, EXPLORATIONS OF THE SOUTHERN OCEAN
Due to its remoteness and harsh sailing conditions, the Southern Ocean surrounding Antarctica remains largely unexplored. However, it needs to be measured over the long term, especially during the Antarctic winter.
To stay in the "furious fifties" all year round, the naval engineering office, SHIP ST, designed the POLAR POD, a vertical platform that is extremely stable in high sea conditions. Weighing 1000 tons, it is 100 metres high, with 75 metres under the water for ballast.
Driven by the Antarctic Circumpolar Current and self-sufficient | 538 |
"I'm here to tell anyone going thru a similar situation that it is not over and God has the last say."
This week on Love & Hip Hop, Remy Ma and Papoose went through one of the worst things a couple can endure — the loss of a pregnancy. Worse still, Remy was told that due to her ectopic pregnancy and the emergency surgery she needed as a result, she would not be able to carry another pregnancy to term, shattering her dreams of having a baby with her husband.
R<|fim_middle|> lives with you all.
In an emotional video recorded from her hospital bed, she explains further that she was so excited to start her pregnancy journal that she bought a pregnancy journal and already started filling it out. "I never for one second thought it would end like this," she says in the video. Remy has always been a fighter, and we love her for that, but nothing can prepare you for the loss of a child or a pregnancy. We love her and thank her for sharing her story. | emy took to her Instagram page to thank fans and loved ones for their condolences and explaining why she chose to share their story.
First, thank you to everyone that sent their congrats as well as condolences?? This was a hard time for me & my husband & we thought long and hard before deciding to share this part of our | 65 |
Welcome to Great Magazines, the home of some of the biggest and best magazines in the UK. If you're looking for the most in-depth coverage of music magazines, film magazines, photography magazines, fashion magazines, gardening magazines and more besides, we have something for you.
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Great<|fim_middle|> our very best to make sure your order goes through smoothly and we're always on hand to manage your order at every step of the journey, including changing your address, renewing your subscription and much more.
Not only does Great Magazines offer a variety of magazine subscriptions, we also offer a range of brand products, such as previous magazine issues, special edition issues and digital back issues.
Stuck for gift ideas? Visit our dedicated subscription gifts page for inspiration. | Magazines is the official magazine website for Bauer Media UK, so we're a website you can trust! We own some of the best UK magazines around, such as Empire, Grazia, Mojo, CAR, MCN, Practical Photography, Modern Gardens and many more. We'll always do | 58 |
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New Curcumin and Lutein Ingredient Blend Supports Cognitive- and Eye-Health Applications
Jennifer Prince
A company representative from Verdure says that Neuralum, a blend of the company's Longvida curcumin ingredient and Lutevida lutein eye-health ingredient, was developed to "harness the synergistic opportunities in support of brain and eye health."
Verdure Sciences (Noblesville, IN) recently launched a new ingredient targeting the eye- and cognitive-health markets. The ingredient, Neuralum, is a blend of two of the company's existing ingredients-Longvida, a curcumin ingredient, and Lutevida, a lutein-based eye-health ingredient. Kristen Marshall, marketing coordinator, Verdure, tells Nutritional Outlook that Neuralum was developed as a way to "harness the synergistic opportunities in support of brain and eye health."
Neuralum benefits from the combination of Longvida and Lutevida in a couple of key ways, says Marshall. For one thing, both Longvida and Lutevida are formulated using Verdure's patented solid lipid particle technology (SLP), which Marshall says boosts bioavailability and absorption in the body. In addition, she says, the clinical and preclinical science backing Longvida and Lutevida's independent eye- and brain-health benefits would indicate that Neuralum is an ideal ingredient for both retinal and cognitive-health applications.
Cognitive health continues to be an area of growing interest, with research shedding new light on the connections between eye health and cognitive health. For example, Marshall says, Verdure's research1 on Longvida as a "natural, cost-effective, non-invasive retinal imaging tool" indicated that it was able to bind the amyloid plaques, which are early indicators of Alzheimer's disease, in the retina. In the study, the authors wrote that Alzheimer's patients exhibit a myriad of retinal pathologies. Marshall explains how an ingredient like Neuralum can help.
"The patented SLP technology allows the uptake of free curcumin and lutein through the lymphatic system by delivering to target tissues via chylomicrons," Marshall explains. "This allows the curcumin in Neuralum to cross the blood-brain and retinal barriers and illuminate the amyloid plaques, opening up a number of possibilities for early detection of retinal and cognitive pathologies, as well as screening, assessing progression, and monitoring response to therapy."
Marshall adds that it's becoming increasingly important to develop natural solutions that support both eye and brain health. She points to a 2017 study2 which analyzed the prevalence of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in Europeans. The results from that study indicated that the number of those affected by AMD is set to increase considerably over the next two decades. In North America, Marshall adds, roughly 11 million people have a form of AMD, and that number is projected to reach 196 million by the year 2020.
"When one combines this knowledge with recent evidence that the eye serves as a biomarker for brain health, it is all the more important to address both the eye and brain when seeking ways to support healthy function," Marshall says.
Eye-Health Ingredient Research Update
2018 Ingredient Trends to Watch for Food, Drinks, and Dietary Supplements: Curcumin
Smart Ingredients for Brain Health
1. Koronyo Y et al., "Retinal amyloid pathology and proof-of-concept imaging trial," Journal of Clinical Investigation Insight, vol. 2, no. 16 (2017).
2. Colijn JM et al., "Prevalence of age-related macular degeneration in Europe: The past and the future," Ophthalmology, vol. 124, no 12 (December 2017): 1753-1763.
Herbs & Botanicals | Brain Health | Science | Trends | 922 |
RIM better watch out. The company-more formally known as Research in Motion-and its BlackBerry device have long led the corporate mobile e-mail category. Its crown seems secure for now, but serious competition is emerging seemingly on a daily basis. It can't help that<|fim_middle|> the company to keep it from looking like it is slipping. Despite a move into the consumer sector, its core customers still are business folks with low tolerances for bad performance, whether it is real, imaginary or a combination of the two. | , nor can it help the fact that users want far more than e-mail in their mobile devices.
But what it can do something about is high-profile outages, and it doesn't help that the company has experienced two in less than a week.
The first outage, on Dec. 17, impacted non-enterprise BlackBerry subscribers to all four major U.S. carriers and Rogers, the largest Canadian carrier. This PC World story describes the problem and highlights incidents in 2007 and 2008. The story provides reasons for the earlier two outages-a new software routine (2007) and problems with capacity expansion (2008).
Last week's incident, according to PCMag, impacted BlackBerry Messenger and was related to two new versions of the Messenger software. RIM urged those who upgraded Messenger after Dec. 14 to switch to version 5.0.0.57. Texting and call functions weren't affected, the story says.
Both recent outages, as well as those that occurred in 2007 and last year, may be explained in a way that makes sense to engineers. The explanations may not shine a poor light on RIM. But the "optics" are bad, as the political pundits say when something justifiable occurs that leaves a bad perception nonetheless.
BlackBerry may be the gold standard for enterprise e-mail, but it is surviving on a reputation that was built in another day when there was less stress and less competition. That day was before the iPhone, before the Palm Pre and before the Droid and other highly functional Android and proprietary devices.
I am not an engineer and cannot say whether RIM's game has slipped or not. The reality is, however, that most of the people making ultimate buying decisions aren't engineers, either. It behooves | 375 |
Discover the life of Roberto Clemente through art
Arts , Community ,
Artist Salina Almanzar
A blazing sun and a gentle breeze accompanied the day when the mural "De Boriken, al Mundo" (English translation: From Boriken, to the World) was raised on the Hispanic Center located at 520 East 4th Street in Bethlehem in June 2022.
"De Borinken, Al Mundo" is<|fim_middle|> reading:
"Any time you have an opportunity to make a difference in this world and you don't, then you are wasting your time on Earth."
And make a difference he did. During his time in the Major Leagues, Clemente made history multiple times by defying systemic racism and cultural discrimination while becoming the first Latin American and Caribbean player to win a League MVP Award in 1966 and a World Series MVP Award in 1971. His charitable nature showed its quality when a natural disaster devastated Puerto Rico and surrounding countries in 1972. Clemente personally arranged for several planes full of essential aid and supplies to be delivered to survivors, and he boarded one of these flights to Nicaragua to ensure the aid was not confiscated by the corrupt Nicaraguan government. In a tragic twist of fate, the plane's engine failed shortly after takeoff. Clemente, only 38, lost his life in the subsequent crash.
In 1973, posthumously, Clemente became the first Hispanic person to be inducted into the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame.
Sponsored by Wind Creek Bethlehem
carawalker
Cara Walker | the 36th addition to SouthSide Bethlehem's Urban Arts Trail, a sprawling 2.75 mile walk through a collection of public artworks created by artists within the community and from around the world. The SouthSide Arts District is thrilled to highlight the contributions of Bethlehem's Latin community with this vibrant and culturally enriching work of art.
The mural was commissioned by the Hispanic Center of the Lehigh Valley with support from Richard and Helen Anderson, Patrick and Diane Bower, Capital Blue Cross, and St. Luke's University Health Network. It was created by Puerto Rican and Dominican artist Salina Almanzar. The artwork honors the life of Roberto Clemente. Clemente was a world renowned Pittsburgh Pirates baseball legend and humanitarian who was born and raised in Puerto Rico; however, he spent much of his professional life in Pittsburgh, a workingclass steel town quite similar to Bethlehem.
The mural depicts Roberto Clemente swinging a baseball bat emblazoned with the flag of Puerto Rico, with an American flag patch prominently embroidered on the sleeve of his baseball uniform. Surrounding him are the maps of Puerto Rico and Pittsburgh, which represent the connection between the two places that were influential in his life. Multicolored Flor de Magas, Puerto Rico's national
flower, burst from the bottom left corner. And in the background, blueprints of a Bethlehem steel furnace symbolize the kindredness between the working class and immigrant communities of Pittsburgh and Bethlehem. Twenty-three different Latin American and Caribbean countries' flags, representing the Bethlehem community's diversity, adorn the base of the mural and were painted by students, seniors, and other community members. Clemente was a naturally charitable and caring man, and his personal philosophy is boldly inscribed on the mural, | 351 |
The Peter Schoenhofen Brewing Company was an American brewery established in 1861 by Peter Schoenhofen and Matheus Gottfried in the Pilsen neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois. The company is notable for producing and selling the popular Edelweiss brand of American beer<|fim_middle|>.
References
Beer brewing companies based in Chicago
1861 establishments in Illinois
1951 disestablishments in Illinois
American companies established in 1861
Defunct companies based in Chicago
Defunct brewery companies of the United States | and the Green River brand soft drink.
History
In the 1850s, Prussian immigrant Peter Schoenhofen began working in the Illinois brewing trade, first with the Mueller Brothers brewers in Lyons; then with Conrad Seipp in Chicago, driving that brewer's single beer wagon. In 1861, he formed a partnership with Matheus Gottfried to establish a brewery at the intersection of Jefferson and 12th Streets in Chicago. They produced approximately 600 barrels of beer per year until 1867 when Schoenhofen bought out Gottfried, moved production to a newer facility constructed at the intersection of 18th Street and Canalport Avenue, and renamed the company after himself. The next year, output had increased to over 10,000 barrels. Over the following decades, the facility was expanded continuously, culminating in the 1902 construction of the powerhouse building, which was designed by Hugh Garden and made use of a natural spring for brewing water. By 1910, the brewery was producing over a million barrels per year. Edelweiss beer was their most popular brand, and accounted largely for their strong growth.
In 1919, Richard C. Jones, who had developed the Green River brand of soft drink sold the recipe to Schoenhofen Brewing. Schoenhofen began producing the beverage, which became popular and is credited with helping the company survive Prohibition. During Prohibition, certain buildings of the complex were reorganized as grain warehouses to serve the nearby train yards.
After the repeal of Prohibition, Schoenhofen was purchased by the National Brewing Company and resumed producing Edelweiss beer as well as continuing production of Green River. The brewery was purchased again in the late 1940s by Atlas Brewing, who in 1951 ended production of Edelweiss in favor of Drewry's Beer and the Schoenhofen name ceased to exist.
In 1978, the remaining buildings at the site were added to the National Register of Historic Places as the Schoenhofen Brewery Historic District | 443 |
Eko Raises $65 Million in Series C Funding
Eko wants every patient with chronic cardiovascular disease to be one click away from their doctor.
Eko Raises $65 Million in Series C Funding to Close the Gap Between Virtual and In-Person Heart and Lung Care
Eko, a cardiopulmonary digital health company, today announced $65 million in Series C funding led by Highland Capital Partners and Questa Capital, with participation from Artis Ventures, DigiTx Partners, NTT<|fim_middle|> Hospital. "The stethoscope is used in almost every in-person patient exam. But its absence from telehealth leaves us as providers unable to thoroughly examine our patients. Eko closes that gap between virtual and in-person care. With Eko's AI-powered insights and telehealth, providers are now able to offer care for patients in-clinic and at home, manage disease earlier when the cost is typically lower, and contribute both to higher patient and provider satisfaction."
Eko Team
Content & Press
press@ekohealth.com | VC, 3M Ventures, and other new and existing investors. The new funding will be used to expand in-clinic use of the company's platform of telehealth and AI algorithms for disease screening, and to launch a monitoring program for cardiopulmonary patients at home.
Eko was founded to improve heart and lung care for patients through advanced sensors, digital technology, and novel AI algorithms. The company reinvented the stethoscope and introduced the first combined handheld digital stethoscope and electrocardiogram (ECG). Eko's FDA-cleared AI analysis algorithms help detect heart rhythm abnormalities and structural heart disease. Eko seeks to make AI analysis the standard for every physical exam.
This funding comes on the heels of collaborations the company announced this year with AstraZeneca and 3M, as well as the achievement of product milestones including FDA clearance of its AI suite and the launch of its telehealth platform.
As part of the investment, Corey Mulloy and Ryan Drant from Highland Capital Partners and Questa Capital, respectively, will join the Eko board of directors.
"We are thrilled that our new investors have joined our journey and our existing investors have reaffirmed their support for Eko," said Connor Landgraf, CEO and co-founder at Eko. "The explosion in demand for virtual cardiac and pulmonary care has driven Eko's rapid expansion at thousands of hospitals and healthcare facilities, and we are excited for how this funding will accelerate the growth of our cardiopulmonary platform."
The tidal shift to virtual care is enabling chronic disease patients to access care without the complexities of an in-office visit. Eko wants every patient with chronic cardiopulmonary disease to be one click away from their doctor.
"The massive market need for telehealth is not going away," said Rob Toews, principal at Highland Capital Partners. "Regulatory and reimbursement changes have been underway to support this growth. Eko is uniquely positioned in this space because their technology addresses crucial clinical needs that other companies cannot satisfy, and Eko's platform is very easy to deploy and scale. We are excited to partner with Eko in this next phase of their growth."
"Now more than ever, telehealth is playing a critical role in caring for patients," said Dr. Ami Bhatt, director of Outpatient and TeleCardiology at Massachusetts General | 470 |
It Will Give You Cancer. It Will Make Your Children Stupid. It Will Break Your Bones. The Fluoride Controversy Continues
By Jeannette DeWyze, Oct. 2, 1997
Image by Sandy Huffaker, Jr.
Hillcrest dentist David Kennedy recently posed the following question to several friends with whom he was dining: What would you do if you knew that a toxic substance was going to be added to San Diego's water supply — a substance that would lower children's IQs, increase the cancer incidence, double the rate of hip fractures among the elderly? Kennedy has become convinced that fluoride causes all those ills and more. But the consensus of his affluent, well-educated dinner companions "was that they would buy bottled water," the dentist relates. "That hurts my heart."
No one is yet adding fluoride to the city's drinking water. But two years ago, the state legislature passed a law ordering California communities with 10,000 or more households to start doing so on January 1,1997. The lawmakers didn't provide money to pay for this, so compliance has been slow. Its imminence, however, has driven the local dentist to charge into the latest battle of a war that's now more than 50 years old. Kennedy has filed a petition to place a measure on a statewide ballot that would prohibit fluoridation everywhere in California. October 15 is the deadline for collecting the roughly 750,000 signatures he needs. Should the measure qualify, a monstrous fight will unfold. Should the petition drive fail and fluoridated water begin to flow through the taps of San Diego households, what then?
Anti-fluoridation brochure
Ask Ellie Nadler and she'll tell you that San Diego residents will begin to reap enormous benefits. "This is the most researched, the most studied public health program ever, and its effectiveness is equated with the pasteurization of milk, the purification of water, and immunization against communicable diseases!" says Nadler, coordinator of the San Diego Fluoridation Coalition. "Fluoridation is extremely effective at reducing tooth decay. That's been proven over and over and over. Then you have to ask: Is that terribly important?" Nadler answers her own question by pointing out that 95 percent of Americans get one or more cavities at some point. "It's a very costly disease in terms of time, discomfort, disfigurement, and money. And it's highly preventable."
Kennedy was raised with this philosophy. His father was a dentist who "painted my teeth with fluoride [gel] when I was eight or nine." The senior Kennedy served on the Lawrence, Kansas, city council in the early 1950s, when the town faced the question of whether fluoride should be added to its drinking water. "Dad still remembers the public health officials who came and basically shouted down the opposition. They said, 'It's known to be safe. It's been proven by hundreds and hundreds of studies.' And blah, blah, blah. They had uniforms, and they were from the government. This was just after World War II. Dad had served in the military and fought to save this nation. And when somebody from the government came and made these kind of claims, you didn't question them."
How fluoridation by 1950 had come to be official U.S. government policy is a story that begins right after the turn of the century. According to Dentistry, Dental Practice and the Community ("the Bible for public health dentistry," in the words of one local fluoridation advocate), a Colorado Springs dentist by the name of Frederick McKay noticed that many of his patients had "a curious blotching of the enamel," and he decided to investigate the extent of Colorado Brown Stain, as the condition was known. Over the next 20 years, McKay found the spotted teeth to be endemic in many Midwestern states, and he began to suspect that the spotting was caused by something in the affected communities' drinking water. In 1931, an Alcoa chemist named H.V. Churchill (to whom McKay had sent suspect water samples) determined that each of the samples contained the chemical fluoride.
"The immediate reaction of the scientific community to the identification of F [fluoride] in drinking waters was one of concern, because F in high concentrations was known to be a protoplasmic poison," Dentistry, Dental Practice and the Community records. The Journal of Dental Research, for example, published an article that saw "no alternative except to discard fluorine-bearing water supplies and substitute others that are fluorine-free." The federal government in 1931 appointed a U.S. Public Health Service dentist named H. Trendley Dean to further investigate the mottled tooth enamel.
By the mid-1950s, Dean was using the term "fluorosis" to refer to the condition, and he reported that in communities whose water contained as little as 1.0 parts per million (ppm) fluoride, 10 percent of the population had "mild or very mild" fluorosis. Any alarm that Dean felt about this, however, was mitigated by his growing conviction that drinking fluoridated water had another important consequence. Many of the people whose teeth were mottled also seemed to have a lower rate of tooth decay than people living in communities where drinking water contained less fluoride, Dean came to believe. By 1942, he had published what's now known as the "21 Cities Study." Based on analyses of the teeth of 7257 twelve- to fourteen-year-old children living in five Midwestern States, he concluded that the incidence of cavities dropped as the concentration of fluoride in the water approached 1.0 ppm; then it leveled off above<|fim_middle|> Forsyth Research Institute for wrongful termination, and in May of this year she accepted a settlement from her former employer. Since leaving Forsyth, she has regained her appointment at Children's Hospital in Boston, but she says she hasn't yet set up a lab there because no one will fund her to do additional fluoride studies.
If her own research has ground to a halt, Mullenix says other disturbing information about fluoride's impact on the central nervous system has come to light in the last two years. Two Chinese epidemiological studies have suggested that children drinking fluoridated water may wind up with lower IQs than their counterparts in un-fluoridated areas. And Mullenix last year was jolted by the contents of some just-declassified U.S. government documents. They show that toxicologist Harold Hodge, who had served as the chief pharmacologist on the Manhattan Project, had expressed concerns about fluoride's effect on the human central nervous system back in the mid- and late-1940s. But Hodge was ordered not to carry out experiments that would investigate those effects. When Mullenix joined the staff of the Forsyth Research Institute, Hodge was working in her department, and she says he took a keen interest in her fluoride/ rat work. "He came up to my lab on a daily basis!" But Hodge never mentioned his long-standing concerns about how fluoride might affect the human brain. "It's maddening," Mullenix now says. "I don't know who knew what and when."
Back in 1984, David Kennedy knew nothing about fluoride's effect on the central nervous system; Mullenix hadn't yet begun her rat studies then, let alone published the results of them. Kennedy still believed (as he continues to believe today) that topical use of fluoride (as opposed to ingestion of it in drinking water) reduces tooth decay. But his research for his fluoridation chapter had convinced him to toss out his fluoridated rinses and fluoridated toothpaste. "You don't prevent dental disease by nuking kids with poisonous sub-stances," he says. "You do it by keeping the scum off the teeth, and if the scum does develop, you kill it with something like baking soda or salt. You can put those kinds of things in the cookies, and the kids won't die. If you put fluoride in the cookies, the kids will."
After he made that decision, Kennedy says he gave little thought to fluoride. "Fluoride wasn't a problem." With a few exceptions such as the San Francisco Bay Area and Beverly Hills, "California isn't fluoridated," Kennedy knew. "California cities had rejected it something like 78 times! So here I was, minding my own business, when somebody called me up and said, 'Did you know that they're going to mandate fluoridation for the whole state?' " He describes his reaction as "appalled."
Kennedy learned that the proposal for mandatory fluoridation had come from Jackie Speier, the Democratic assemblywoman from Burlingame (which has fluoridated its water since 1955). Speier reportedly got the idea for her bill after her children began spending time in (un-fluoridated) Sacramento, and their pediatrician recommended giving them a fluoride supplement. She was "stunned" to learn how many of the state's residents were missing out on fluoridation's benefits, according to subsequent news reports. Jubilant at the prospect of a legislative champion, the California Dental Association (CDA) pledged $110,000 to help her get a bill passed. Speier rounded up four coauthors, and on February 22 of 1995, she introduced her bill.
"I initially thought that Jackie Speier was someone who was confused," Kennedy says. He says his first response to the news of her bill was to do whatever he could to dispel that confusion. He flew up to attend the Assembly Environmental Health and Toxics Committee hearing, and he also paid the travel expenses of another anti-fluoridation activist from Ohio, John Yiamouyiannis. For that first committee meeting, Speier "brought in the big guns," according to an analysis of the California fluoridation campaign published in the California Dental Association Journal this past January. "She presented videotaped testimony from former Surgeon General C. Everett Koop, who said fluoridation was an important benefit for poor families who lack proper dental care." Koop pointed out that of the 150 large U.S. cities that do not fluoridate their water supply, 87 were in California, including Sacramento, Los Angeles, and San Diego, according to the journal. The article added that the chair of the California Fluoridation Task Force "urged the committee to look beyond the emotional hysteria presented by the anti-fluoridationists, who packed the hearing room." (The CDA Journal article also compares opponents of the bill, to the mindless followers of the Grateful Dead and to the members of the Flat Earth Society.)
Speier's bill passed that first committee by one vote, and it "squeaked its way through the Assembly Appropriations Committee by the same narrow margin," according to the CDA Journal. Kennedy flew up for the Finance Committee meeting too, but he was beginning to grow discouraged. "They would decide on a Monday that a committee meeting was going to be on Wednesday. Well, how do you get to Sacramento if you've got an appointment book that's full of patients? Three different times I canceled everybody, left my staff working (because otherwise it wouldn't have been fair to them), and raced up to Sacramento — where they'd give me two minutes or something."
The assembly passed the bill on June 2, and Kennedy says he pinned his hopes on the meeting of the Senate Health Committee, chaired by Diane Watson of Los Angeles. Kennedy says Watson's chief aide assured him "that the committee would provide unlimited time and give a fair, balanced, and unbiased hearing of the scientific issues." So Kennedy and a half dozen scientists opposed to fluoridation prepared to speak at the meeting. There Kennedy says Speier talked at length, along with representatives from the state dental hygienists' society and the public health service, as well as various other proponents. In contrast, "What we got basically boiled down to about ten minutes," Kennedy recalls. On top of that, only three (of the nine) committee members were present. "Finally they grabbed two other members who had been out in the hall and voted five to zero in favor of the bill," Kennedy says.
"It was a done deal," he declares today. "And when I realized that, my question was: What am I doing here? Why did I buy a late ticket on Southwest, which costs $230 instead of $90, cancel $3000 worth of treatment in my office — all to tell these fools what they don't want to hear? It was an exercise in stupidity," according to an analysis of the California fluoridation campaign published in the California Dental Association Journal this past January. "She presented videotaped testimony from former Surgeon General C. Everett Koop, who said fluoridation was an important benefit for poor families who lack proper dental care." Koop pointed out that of the 150 large U.S. cities that do not fluoridate their water supply, 87 were in California, including Sacramento, Los Angeles, and San Diego, according to the journal. The article added that the chair of the California Fluoridation Task Force "urged the committee to look beyond the emotional hysteria presented by the anti-fluoridationists, who packed the hearing room." (The CDA Journal article also compares opponents of the bill to the mindless followers of the Grateful Dead and to the members of the Flat Earth Society.)
"It was a done deal," he declares today. "And when I realized that, my question was: What am I doing here? Why did I buy a late ticket on Southwest, which costs $230 instead of $90, cancel $3000 worth of treatment in my office — all to tell these fools what they don't want to hear? It was an exercise in stupidity."
The full senate passed the bill 22 to 10, and Governor Pete Wilson signed it on October 9, 1995. Since then, un-fluoridated communities have been responding in a variety of ways. In Los Angeles, the city has decided to pay for the costs of fluoridating (even though L.A. residents passed a law banning fluoridation in 1975). Here in San Diego, where the 1954 ban is still on the books, the city attorney's office has issued a report concluding that it would be illegal to spend local funds to carry out the mandate. But "they're going to find a way around that," Kennedy says. "It's a temporary roadblock."
He says he decided that an initiative was the only hope of averting a statewide catastrophe. He also concluded that his proposition should ask voters to ban fluoridation outright (since allowing communities to decide for themselves still might force fluoridation on individuals such as infants and the elderly who are particularly susceptible to fluoride's toxic effects). In the hope of getting the measure on the November 1996 ballot, Kennedy filed the necessary paperwork in January of that year. He was preparing to organize a statewide grassroots signature-collection effort when he learned that the attorney general's office was estimating that banning fluoridation would cost California taxpayers "about $15 million per year after five years." A summary of this estimate would go on each petition form.
"That is absolute malarkey!" Kennedy exclaims. "In [the legislative analyst's] fiscal estimate of Speier's bill, they said that mandatory fluoridation would cost up to $60 million in year one alone — including up to $45 million to buy the equipment and up to $15 million to buy the chemicals. So my initiative should save $60 million, right? No, it's going to cost $15 million because we're going to have all this added tooth decay that's going to immediately skyrocket up."
Around this time, Kennedy gained an ally in the form of Jeff Green, a management consultant who had worked with the Hillcrest dentist for almost 20 years. Green grew up in San Diego County, and he says he'd never realized that any harmful effects were linked to fluoridation until he heard about Kennedy's efforts to launch the initiative petition. Skeptical at first, Green says he started reading, and the weight of the evidence against fluoridation convinced him that the statewide mandate was a terrible thing. He committed himself to helping Kennedy, who was trying to get to the bottom of the loathsome fiscal estimate.
Kennedy learned that the summary had been written by a dentist named Robert Isman, a fluoridation advocate who had previously worked as a county health officer in Oregon. There Isman and a number of other county officials had been sued for using public funds to lobby against a Portland anti-fluoridation initiative. Isman had later moved to California and now works for the state's Department of Health Services. To estimate the costs of banning fluoride in California, he had relied on a few small studies done in Europe, Kennedy and Green learned. In the European studies, "There were no controls of any of the other variables [affecting tooth decay rates]," Kennedy says. The researchers "didn't determine whether the people brushed with a fluoridated toothpaste. They didn't look at the total daily intake of fluoride. On and on and on."
"I have never seen a study that controlled for all these other factors," Isman says today. He says that researchers instead study subjects selected at random "to try to control for all those things that you, can't control. The purpose of the random sample is to remove any kind of bias that might be introduced by those things that you don't know about." In the studies that he used, subjects were chosen at random, Isman says. From the study results, he concluded that banning fluoridation in California would cause a 40 to 67 percent rise in dental-treatment costs statewide. And as a result, taxpayers would pay millions of dollars more in Denti-Cal costs.
Looking at these calculations, Green says he and Kennedy wondered why state officials hadn't compared the Denti-Cal costs for fluoridated versus un-fluoridated California communities. To make such a comparison themselves, they obtained the records showing what the state pays for indigent dental care in each county. They then related this data to each county's fluoridation status and found "no rhyme or reason at all," Green says. Non-fluoridated Napa County, for example, in 1995 paid $66.72 for dental costs per eligible Medi-Cal recipient, while Contra Costa County (99 percent fluoridated) paid $127.80 per person. Los Angeles County (5.2 percent fluoridated) paid $143.52 — almost the same as 100 percent fluoridated San Francisco, which paid $ 144.84. When Kennedy and Green had the figures weighted (to even out the size differences between the various counties) they found that in 1995 the average annual Medi-Cal cost per eligible recipient was $110.06 in non-fluoridated counties. The tab was slightly less ($107.26) in counties that were .5 to 10 percent fluoridated, but it climbed to $125.27 in the three counties that are between 90 and 100 percent fluoridated.
Isman argues that these figures are meaningless because they fail to take into account all the factors that influence tooth decay rates. But Kennedy nonetheless used them as evidence in a lawsuit that he filed against the state attorney general. Among other things, he asked that the fiscal estimate be deleted. The judge responded that even if he did this, Kennedy would have only 60 days left to collect all the required signatures (since the court proceedings had already consumed three of the five months allotted for signature gathering). The judge suggested that Kennedy refile the initiative and start the clock over again. Kennedy says the defendants' lawyers pledged that any future fiscal estimates would not be biased, and the judge promised to schedule a hearing within 24 hours if a biased summary were prepared a second time.
"Suffering from a bloody nose and a damaged ego, I waited a while," Kennedy says. "Then in January of 1997 I refiled it in the hopes that they would keep their word." But when the attorney general's office released the fiscal summary this past April, it was almost identical to the one the San Diego dentist had sued the government over the previous year. "There aren't three words different," he says.
He says the judge did keep his word and gave him an immediate hearing. But then he "basically ruled against us," decreeing that if one authority agreed with the attorney general [that banning fluoridation in California would cost state taxpayers millions of dollars], the summary could not be considered "arbitrary and capricious." Since Isman, the summary's author, could be considered an authority, the summary passed that test.
Kennedy says at that point he and Green resigned themselves to proceeding in spite of the biased language. If their initiative qualifies for the ballot, "We'll have another chance to get [the cost summary] removed," Kennedy states. He explains that the standard for bias in a ballot argument is tougher than that for one on an initiative petition. "It's the reasonable-man test," Kennedy explains. "Would it be reasonable to include studies from a foreign country, rather than looking at the record of what has already happened in California?"
Since April, Green and Kennedy have been directing the petition drive. In order to do this, Green has put his management-consulting business on hold, and Kennedy says he tried to sell his dental practice. "But I found you can't do that at a moment's notice, so I decided to devote every spare moment I had. Everybody's got spare time." Kennedy says he sees patients three days per week. "That leaves me four days to do something else. Many people go surfing or sailing or golfing. What I do is to sit at the computer and work till 10:00 p.m." The dentist also estimates that he's funneled perhaps $100,000 of his personal savings into the fight.
That's not enough of a war chest to hire professional signature-gatherers (the route taken by the vast majority of successful initiative sponsors and one that can cost up to $500,000). But Green and Kennedy claim that a small army of volunteers has materialized. "We have more than 5000 names of people who have called up and are circulating the petition," Green says. Around 70 of those are dentists, according to Kennedy. A powerful ally also has been nutrition authority Julian Whittaker, who in August mailed the petition to each of his 75,000 California subscribers, pleading for their help. Other supporters have come from a broad-political spectrum. Kennedy says, "I was at one meeting the other day where a former president of the Environmental Health Coalition was sitting across from a lifelong member of the John Birch Society. There was also a past president of the Women Volunteers in Politics along with representatives from the Christian Coalition. They're all in agreement that we do not need to poison the children."
More moral support came this summer from a more distant source: the union representing all the scientists who work at the federal Environmental Protection Agency headquarters in Washington, D.C. A dozen years ago, this group protested when the EPA management decided to raise the maximum contaminant level for fluoride to 4.0 parts per million. The union even tried to join in a subsequent lawsuit filed by the National Resources Defense Council against the EPA management, citing "fraudulent alterations of data and negligent omission of fact to arrive at predetermined Agency political positions regarding fluoride."
This past July 2, the union took the further step of voting — unanimously — to cosponsor Kennedy's California Safe Drinking Water Initiative. Fluoride, the scientists' union stated, is "a chemical substance for which there is substantial evidence of adverse health effects and, contrary to public perception, virtually no evidence of significant benefits." The statement continued, "Our members' review of the body of evidence over the last 11 years, including animals and human epidemiological studies, indicates a causal link between fluoride/fluoridation and cancer, genetic damage, neurological impairment, and bone pathology."
Asked about the union's stance, Nadler of the San Diego Fluoridation Coalition replied, "I don't know very much about the union at all." She also reiterated that "there are no valid studies in existence that corroborate" the EPA scientists' assertion that fluoridation has adverse health effects. "I don't know that I can make sense of [such opposition] because I don't think it's sensible. It's not sensible and it's not beneficial."
Kennedy, in contrast, has a ready explanation for the force behind the fluoridation juggernaut. He says, "The short version is that there are 11 reasons why fluoride has been put into the water supply of this nation. And they are: money, money, money, money, money, money, money, money, money, money, money." First and foremost, he contends, a national fluoridation policy solves a huge problem for many segments of American industry: disposing of what would otherwise be a toxic waste. If fluoridation is good for us, then companies "don't have to clean up their smokestacks," the dentist says. "Or they can pour their effluent right down the drain into the city sewer plant." On the other hand, if everyone acknowledged fluoride to be a pesticide and a hazardous waste material, disposal could cost as much as $50 billion a year, by one estimate. "It's used to crack gasoline," Kennedy says. "It's used to etch glass and circuit boards. It's used in 100 different processes where you need a caustic chemical."
Supporting fluoridation has also enriched the American Dental Association, Kennedy asserts, pointing out that the ADA has accepted a lot of money over the past 37 years in exchange for endorsing fluoride-fortified products such as Crest toothpaste. Among the rank-and-file dentists and public health workers, he sees ignorance and inertia. "Dentists follow dictates blindly," he says. "They're taught in school that it's good, and they get sucked into it."
As for the average citizen, Kennedy acknowledges that it's easy to shrug, like his friends, and stock up on bottled water. "But if you allow the dumb dentists to put rat poison in the water supply because they claim it's going to reduce tooth decay, if you just sit back and let that happen, are you willing to lose your country?" he asks. "Because that's what will happen. If you dumb down the children, create learning disabilities and an inability to read and write, you'll end up destroying the foundation of this country — an educated, intelligent populace. It's a bigger threat to America than Russia ever was."
Kennedy argues that the fall of the Iron Curtain revealed "a bunch of puky little Third World countries that are struggling to make a living. They never were a reason for Ronald Reagan to spend hundreds of billions of dollars on armaments. We were told they were. And yet the real threat is we have children dying of cancer.... What's going on? It's that we are living in a country with a government that is run by industry. It should be run without the government involved in your life. It shouldn't be involved in medicating you. If you want to take fluoride, you can go to the store and buy it. But the government shouldn't be deciding that you need X amount of fluoride in your water today."
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The danger of swallowing toothpaste — June 8, 1995 | that amount. Data from the study led "to the adoption of 1.0 to 1.2 ppm as the appropriate concentration of F in drinking water for temperate climates, a standard that remains in place today," according to Dentistry, Dental Practice and the Community.
The first real-world tests of fluoridation began in early 1945, as the cities of Grand Rapids, Michigan, and Newburgh, New York, began adding fluoride at a rate of 1.0 parts per million to their water supplies. (Public officials assumed that no health risks were involved because people in other communities had been drinking water containing higher levels of fluoride without suffering any obvious harm other than the tooth-spotting.) Both studies were to last for ten years, after which tooth decay rates among children in Grand Rapids and Newburgh were to 0 be compared with those of kids in un-fluoridated Muskegon, Michigan, and Kingston, New York, respectively. But after only a year and a half, reports of the experiments' success began to appear, and by 1949 Dr. Francis Bull, Wisconsin's state dental health director, was telling the U.S. Congress that "municipalities should not wait for the completion of present large-scale control tests" before starting to fluoridate. By the following year, both the U.S. Public Health Service and the American Dental Association (ADA) had endorsed fluoridation, launching what would soon become a juggernaut.
From the very beginning, the drive to fluoridate America's drinking water met with fierce opposition. Some naysayers voiced concerns about the safety of consuming even a highly dilute version of what had theretofore been used as a rat poison. In response, Bull in 1951 advised his fluoride-promoting peers to "lay off [the question of toxicity] altogether. Just pass it over. 'We know there is absolutely no effect other than reducing tooth decay,' you say and go on.' " Other fluoridation opponents bristled over the loss of their freedom to choose whether they wanted to consume the controversial compound. Film director Stanley Kubrick lampooned this camp in his 1964 film Dr. Strangelove, in which the deranged General Jack D. Ripper rants about precious bodily fluids and the Communist plot to contaminate them through fluoridation.
It didn't take long for San Diego to become embroiled in the fracas. Despite hearing some concerns about the long-term health effects of fluoride consumption, in 1951 the city council voted five to one to add the compound to the local water supply, and on the morning of November 11, 1952, fluoridated water began flowing to homes in East San Diego, University Heights, Mission Valley, and Pacific Beach; it reached other communities soon thereafter. Opponents sued the city but lost all the way up to the state supreme court. They then launched a successful petition drive to put the issue before the electorate, and on June 8, 1954, 53 percent of the voters agreed to forbid the addition of fluoride to San Diego's drinking water.
Just two days later, the city council was instructing the city manager "to look into ways and means of getting [the proposition] on the ballot again," the San Diego Union reported. Although the council backed down from this aggressive stance, public health officials continued to press for another vote throughout the 1960s. In 1968, proponents succeeded in getting a measure on the ballot to overturn the 1954 ban. But this proposition lost by a narrow margin.
Similar scenarios have played out in so many other California cities that today only about 17 percent of Californians consume fluoride in their drinking water. That compares to roughly 62 percent of the rest of the United States. Fluoridation nonetheless is much more prevalent in California than in Europe, where less than 1 percent of the continent's population drinks fluoridated water.
Today the fluoride level in San Diego's drinking water averages about .26 parts per million. That's only a third of the amount (.7 to .8 ppm) that fluoridation proponents consider to be optimal for warm climates. (Elsewhere the optimal amount is thought to be 1.0 ppm [the equivalent of 1 milligram per liter], but proponents assume that people in warm climates drink more water.) These recommendations derive from the estimates of the 1940s but have "never been determined scientifically," a 1995 article in the Journal of the American Dental Associationreminded readers. Nor has the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ever evaluated the safety or the efficacy of adding fluoride to the water supply in order to reduce cavities; Nor has a formal dosage level ever been established, according to Herschel Horowitz, an independent dental consultant formerly on the staff of the National Institute for Dental Research. "That research has not been done," Horowitz stated in a recent telephone interview. "Coming up with a number for how many milligrams per day individuals of various ages and sizes should ingest is just not known. We do know that where water is fluoridated at 1.0 parts per million, at least in the traditional studies, there's maximum caries prevention with only minimal amounts of very mild or questionable fluorosis."
The question of appropriate dosage tops the list of things that bother Kennedy about fluoridation. "The fact is that you cannot put a medication in the water supply and expect a reasonable consistency of dose at the human level," he says. Some people drink only 4 cups of water per day (the quantity that early fluoridation proponents seemed to assume was the standard). But many drink 8 to 12 cups, and five out of every hundred drink more than 16, according to one study. About half of the fluoride taken into the healthy human body is excreted in urine, but people with kidney disease retain far more of the compound. In 1993, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services stated in its Toxicological Profile on fluoride that "subsets of the population may be unusually susceptible to the toxic effects of fluoride and its compounds. These populations include the elderly, people with deficiencies of calcium, magnesium, and/or vitamin C, and people with cardiovascular and kidney problems...." Given fluoridation, that means "there are groups of people in our community who will have to abandon the public water supply or suffer the toxic effects of fluoride," Kennedy says.
If you look beyond the drinking-water supply, the question of dosage becomes even more complex. In the 1940s, when the 1.0 ppm guideline was established, drinking water constituted the main source of fluoride; the food supply contained only negligible amounts. But this has changed, both opponents and supporters of fluoridation concur. Today beverages produced in places where the water is fluoridated (beer from Milwaukee, for example) wind up being fluoridated. Crops sprayed with fluoridated water also absorb some of the compound. A far more important influence on America's food supply has been the proliferation of pesticides and fertilizers containing fluoride. Exposed in this way, different foods retain differing amounts of the chemical. One 1996 study of juices and juice-flavored drinks (published in the Journal of the American Dental Association) found that the mean concentration of fluoride in orange juices was only .13 parts per million — only half the concentration found in San Diego's (low-fluoride) drinking water. On the other hand, the same study found that some of the white grape juices had fluoride concentrations of up to 2.8 parts per million. A child who drinks just one 250-milliliter box of such juice would get .7 milligrams of fluoride — the amount contained in four cups of water fluoridated to the level recommended for warm climates.
Modern dental products provide us with still more fluoride. Manufacturers impregnate dental floss with it. They lace mouthwashes with it. They cram it into toothpaste formulas. Kennedy points out that the average family-sized tube of most major toothpaste brands contains about 260 milligrams of fluoride. By some estimates, that's enough to send a 110-pound adult to the hospital or to kill a child.
Few adults may swallow their toothpaste, but a lot of small children do. And so in 1991 toothpaste tubes began to carry warnings such as "Do not swallow—use only a pea-sized amount for children under six." This year the Food and Drug Administration decided even those words weren't strong enough. The agency ordered all manufacturers shipping fluoridated toothpastes as of April 7 to print a warning on their tubes advising parents whose children swallow more than a pea-sized amount to contact a poison control center at once.
Proponents of fluoridation have downplayed this embarrassing turn of events. "We think the FDA overreacted," says Clifford Whall, director of product evaluations in the American Dental Association's Council on Scientific Affairs. He says poison control centers do receive perhaps 4000 to 5000 calls a year from parents concerned about their toothpaste-eating offspring, but these calls "don't have any serious outcomes." That is, the children don't get seriously ill or die, Whall says. Toothpaste contains other ingredients that induce vomiting, he adds, a fact that tends to limit further harm from the contents. Nadler of the San Diego Fluoridation Coalition concedes that when San Diego's water does become fluoridated, there may be a danger that young children who use fluoridated toothpaste could consume too much fluoride. She suggests that parents might thus want to raise the age at which they allow their children to brush with the stuff. "It's a matter of education," Nadler says. "It's a matter of parental supervision."
Kennedy says he already encourages his patients to clean their teeth in alternative ways. When they tell him they can't find an un-fluoridated dentifrice, he says he tells them, " 'Oh, you've been going to those drugstores. Don't you know that you're supposed to say no to drugs? Listen up! You're supposed to go to a place where you can find health, a place that has health in the name.' " Besides health food stores, kitchen cabinets are another source of cheap, nontoxic alternatives, he advises. "You'll find me using herbs or baking soda or salt."
Kennedy says it wasn't until the early 1980s that he turned his back on the conventional teeth-cleaning armamentarium. Under his dentist father's supervision, he grew up brushing his own teeth with Crest and Colgate and the like, and he continued doing so when he went to college and got a degree in comparative biochemistry and physiology. He says he entered the University of Missouri's dental school in 1967 with very traditional ideas. "I'm a kid from Kansas. We slice cows up and eat them." Though he joined the U.S. Navy Reserve that year, his politics were liberal. "While other people were protesting the Vietnam War by throwing firebombs and burning flags, I was walking precincts for George McGovern. Because I believed in the political process, and the only way I could get a student deferment was to join the Navy."
The first jolt to his orthodox assumptions about dentistry came his freshman year, Kennedy recalls. The occasion was a lecture on preventive dentistry by an Illinois dentist. "In an all-student assembly with over 400 professors and students, he asked this question: 'How many dentists in the room this morning flossed?' You know how many hands went up? None. Not a hand." The lecturer went on to talk about the role of something called plaque. "You know the term?" Kennedy asks. "We didn't. We'd never heard of flossing. We were never instructed in how to stop dental disease. We were instructed in how to cut holes in teeth surgically. Look at the degree: Doctor of Dental Surgery. You are cutting out disease. That's what they do with lasers, drills, knives, spoons, excavators. You cut it out. It's a surgical approach to bacterial infection, whereas [the lecturer] was talking about a biological approach." Although the upperclassmen sitting on either side of Kennedy reacted with hostility and skepticism, these ideas rocked the first-year student from Kansas.
As he thought about the concept of preventive dentistry, Kennedy began to take stock of his own health practices, a subject that had never been at the forefront of his consciousness. "When I did the dietary analysis of myself as part of our nutrition class, I found that the majority of my vitamin C was coming from potato chips." But he was beginning to think that "preventive dentistry is not about the teeth. It's about health!" As he discovered such health gurus as Nathan Pritikin and Ken Cooper, he says, "I began to change every single aspect of my life."
He says when he graduated from dental school in 1971, he was already thinking about writing a book about preventive dentistry. But other tasks also consumed his time. As part of his military service, he moved to San Diego and served on active duty at the Naval Training Center. After two years, he left the service to start his own private dental practice. From its inception, Kennedy says he placed heavy emphasis on teaching his patients how to limit the amount of bacteria in their mouths. In 1983 he began to use a microscope to help achieve that goal. "Before that, I was flying blind," he says. "What you're trying to do is remove gook from the teeth." But with a microscope, you can identify the specific pathogens that constitute that gook and target them with the antibacterial agents that will best eradicate them. Moreover, "you can tell when you're successful and when you're not," Kennedy asserts.
By the beginning of the 1980s, he was also making progress on his preventive dentistry book. He says he always intended to include within it a chapter on the role of fluoride, which he believed to be one of the keystones of modern preventive dentistry. "My sister-in-law likes to point out that in the '70s I wrote a prescription for my nieces and nephews to have fluoride drops." He did the same for patients. The chapter that he produced extolled the benefits of drinking fluoridated water and brushing with fluoridated toothpaste. It also urged patients to consider using fluoride supplements and rinses. To review its accuracy, Kennedy sent the manuscript to a physician friend in Florida. "And he sent it back with a big red scrawl and a note saying, 'I think you need to check your references!' "
Startled, Kennedy dug out his fluoridation file, the one he'd set up when some of his patients had questioned the value of using fluoride and he in turn had sought supporting literature from the American Dental Association library. "They had sent me a stack an inch high of what they said were the pivotal papers...." Kennedy says he had skimmed the abstracts and thumbed through the data and accepted the conclusions without question. But the critique from his physician friend made him go back and scrutinize the contents of the file, and he concluded "that the pivotal papers are garbage!" He learned, for instance, that for his famous "21 Cities Study," H. Trendley Dean had not selected the target populations in a blind or random manner, a significant failing considering that decay rates vary a great deal from city to city. Rather, Dean had chosen his cities after surveying a much larger number of communities. "He was allowed to pick the data that he tells you about," Kennedy says. "It's an un-blinded study that set out to prove a predetermined point."
The San Diego dentist asserts that in other cases, study statistics were manipulated to paint a false picture. He cites the landmark Grand Rapids/Muskegon study as one example. Today fluoridation advocates state that "For each of the seven youngest age groups [studied in the two cities], advantages for Grand Rapids over Muskegon ranged between 214 and 450 percent." That sounds overwhelming, as does the claim that the five-year-olds in Grand Rapids had 73 percent fewer cavities after drinking fluoric dated water for five years, compared to the five-year-olds in un-fluoridated Muskegon, whose cavity rate had increased by 133 percent. But look instead at the decay rates in both cities, and the picture changes. At the conclusion of the study, five-year-olds in Grand Rapids on average had .03 decayed, missing, and filled permanent teeth (DMFT) per child, versus an average of .14 decayed, missing, and filled permanent teeth in the Muskegon five-year-olds. That's a difference of barely one-tenth of one cavity per five-year-old. In some age categories, the DMFT rate fell more among the un-fluoridated Muskegon kids. Overall, the Grand Rapids children — who had a slightly lower rate of tooth decay to begin with — had 5.14 decayed, missing, and filled permanent teeth per child at the conclusion of the study, whereas their un-fluoridated counterparts had 5.81. And Kennedy also points out that the study authors failed to take into account any of the variables such as diet, oral hygiene, dental care, and parental educational level, which are now recognized to "have a profound effect on tooth decay."
Today the Hillcrest dentist has come to believe that none of the pro-fluoridation studies are sound. That assertion, echoed by a number of fluoridation opponents, outrages advocates. "There is absolutely no doubt [fluoridation] reduces cavities," declares Nadler of the San Diego Fluoridation Coalition. "It's been proven over and over and over again." The ADA's booklet Fluoridation Facts calls the effectiveness evidence "overwhelming" and refers to some 113 studies done in 23 countries that have shown favorable results. Kennedy concedes that he hasn't read and critiqued every one of these, but he believes they all suffer from design flaws ranging from small study size to examiner bias, a charge reiterated in an article published earlier this year in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health. "Of the many studies used by proponents of fluoridation to claim that there are enormous benefits from fluoridation, not one is a randomized, controlled trial," assert the authors, who include a former Australian federal health minister and a former convenor of the New Zealand Fluoridation Promotion Committee, both of whom became disillusioned with their pro-fluoridation counterparts. This article goes on to state that "hardly any of the many small-scale studies by enthusiasts of fluoridation are 'blind' and, in the rare cases when they are, the so-called control was selected from a known high-caries area.... Many other studies have had no controls."
Kennedy adds that one of his fellow fluoridation opponents once offered $100,000 to anyone who could disprove the assertion that no large, broad-based blinded studies of permanent teeth have demonstrated a decline in tooth decay in response to fluoridation. "Nobody ever collected the money," Kennedy says. In contrast, he says, "We [fluoridation opponents] have five major broad-based studies. One with 80,000 children. Another with 39,000 children. Another with 25,000. Huge studies that show there's absolutely no [beneficial] relationship between fluoridation and tooth decay." These have all been published in scientific and dental journals within the last 17 years, he adds.
In turn, fluoridation boosters have quibbled with aspects of the design of those studies. It's enough to make the neutral observer despair of ever getting to the bottom of the effectiveness question. However, whether drinking fluoridated water cuts the tooth decay rate may not matter if Kennedy and other fluoridation opponents are right about the harmful effects of consuming the chemical.
Let's start with dental fluorosis — those spots on the teeth that caught McKay's attention nearly 100 years ago. Kennedy explains the condition in this way. "Say you're a cell, and you're going to make enamel. What you do is to lay out a perfectly beautiful crystal in long ribbons that you can almost see if you look at a tooth very carefully." The material is crystalline hydroxyapatite, and "it's a beautiful opalescent color," Kennedy continues. "It reflects light. But when that cell is sucking too much fluoride into itself in making the crystal, it becomes poisoned. So instead of laying out good straight ribbons of enamel, it lays down a little tangle. In some cases it gets so sick it doesn't make it at all, and you have a hole. That is dental fluorosis."
In its mildest forms, the spots are small and white, rather than brown. Like many biological processes, the development of dental fluorosis can be affected by several factors. Children who drink lots of milk are less susceptible because the calcium in the milk binds with fluoride and inhibits its absorption. Magnesium, vitamin C, and selenium have a similar limiting influence, Kennedy says. Recent studies (published in such conservative organs as the Journal of the American Dental Association) estimate the incidence of dental fluorosis in fluoridated American communities today at 15 to 65 percent.
But this is no big deal, the fluoridation supporters insist. "At the optimum fluoride level, only the mildest forms of dental fluorosis occur, most of which is barely observable," writes Stanley B. Heifetz, a professor at the University of Southern California's School of Dentistry in Los Angeles. Even the larger, uglier brown spots seen in more severe cases represent a mere cosmetic problem, rather than a health concern, the proponents say.
"Only a dentist could believe that this amount of poisoning could go on and it would affect the teeth alone," Kennedy says. "We know that if you skinned [people who have dental fluorosis] and looked at their bones, the same thing is happening to them."
Even ardent advocates of fluoridation do concede that exposure to enough fluoride over time can wreak havoc with human bones. The damage takes the form of something known as skeletal fluorosis. Endemic in India and other parts of Asia and the Middle East where water fluoride levels are high, people drink a lot of water, and nutrition tends to be poor, this condition involves crippling of the spine and major joints, calcification of the ligaments, wasted muscles, and other deformities. Fluoridation defenders say that almost no one gets skeletal fluorosis in America: The critics retort that American doctors aren't trained to diagnose the early phases of the disease, which have much subtler symptoms such as joint pain and stiffness. They add that it can take decades for symptoms of skeletal fluorosis to develop, as fluoride builds up in bone over time. Since fluoridation of America's drinking water only began in the mid- 1940s, Americans may be harboring a time bomb, Kennedy asserts.
How much daily fluoride consumption can cause skeletal fluorosis? The ADA's pro-fluoridation pamphlet Fluoridation Facts states that the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) "found that daily intake required to produce symptoms of chronic toxicity after years of consumption is 20 to 80 milligrams or more depending on body weight." If that's correct, then someone drinking tap water with 1 part per million of fluoride in it would seem to run little risk of contracting the disease, even if he or she were also swallowing some toothpaste and downing a few boxes of white grape juice every day. But how did the National Academy of Sciences derive those numbers? When a Michigan housewife named Darlene Sherrell began asking that question in 1989, the NAS program director overseeing recommended daily allowances referred her to the work of a European researcher named Roholm. Sherrell discovered that in 1937 Roholm wrote that consuming .20 to .35 milligrams of fluorine daily per kilogram of body weight for 11 years would probably cause skeletal fluorosis, and she also learned that a famous toxicologist named Harold Hodge in the early 1950s had used Roholm's work to derive the figure of 20 to 80 milligrams for 10 to 20 years. But Sherrell says when she tried to duplicate Hodge's arithmetic, it didn't add up. "I finally figured out that Hodge must have made the mistake of multiplying by pounds instead of kilograms," Sherrell recounts today. Correcting for that, the dangerous dose falls to 10 to 20 milligrams over 10 to 20 years. Sherrell also discovered that Hodge himself changed his figures in a 1979 book on fluoride, a fact that she made known to the NAS. In 1993, the NAS's National Research Council stated that "Crippling skeletal fluorosis might occur in people who have ingested 10-20 mg of fluoride per day for 10-20 years."
Though that still might sound like a lot of fluoride, Kennedy points out that if you think about ingesting fluoride over a longer period, say 40 to 80 years (as children living in fluoridated cities will do), then the dangerous dose falls to as low as 2.5 to 5 milligrams a day, an amount consumed by many Americans now.
Kennedy says a growing body of evidence has already linked fluoridated water consumption to higher rates of hip fractures among the elderly. At least eight reports of such a link have appeared in the last seven years in well-respected journals. On the other side of the fence, fluoridation boosters point to four studies that have shown no such link, leading them to conclude that "fluoridation neither increases nor decreases hip fracture risk," in the words of Heifetz, the use dental school professor.
In a statement on the "Benefits Versus Concerns on Fluoridation" written earlier this year, Heifetz writes that "More than 50 credible epidemiologic studies of large communities with sizable populations. . .have found no evidence of a relation between fluoridation and an increased cancer risk as determined from standardized mortality rates."
Fluoridation opponents, on the other hand, point to epidemiological studies that have found such a relationship. They also talk about the results of a clinical study conducted by the National Toxicology Program and made public in 1990. According to Kennedy, the independent testing agency hired to do the study concluded that laboratory rats given fluoridated water became "awash with disease. They had kidney failure. They had cancer of the lips, tongues, throat, bone, and liver. Gosh, that doesn't sound too good," the San Diego dentist comments. He says the U.S. Public Health Service thereupon "downgraded" the cancers found in the rats—reclassifying them as less serious conditions. Kennedy says the Public Health Service gave a summary of the study results (including the reclassified cancers) to an expert committee that declared that the cancer findings were "equivocal." William Marcus, the senior science advisor for the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Office of Drinking Water, was so disturbed by this and other aspects of the study findings that he publicly protested the irregularities. The EPA fired him in response, but Marcus filed a lawsuit under the Whistleblowers Act. In 1993 Secretary of Labor Robert B. Reich found that the reason for the firing was "retaliation" and ordered that Marcus be given back pay, legal expenses, and $50,000 in damages.
Laboratory rats are at the heart of yet another area of concern to the fluoridation opponents: that of the impact of fluoride on the human brain. The key scientist who has worked in this area is Phyllis Mullenix, a neurotoxicologist with extensive academic credentials. Mullenix was working at Boston's Children's Hospital in 1982 when she was asked by the head of the Forsyth Dental Center (an affiliate of Harvard Medical School) to join the Forsyth Research Institute. The next year she was asked to establish a toxicology department there. "They wanted me to look at the environmental impact of various substances used in dentistry, things such as nitrous oxide, mercury, and fluoride," Mullenix explained in a recent phone interview. Exposing rats to various substances and then seeing if the exposure has changed how the animals act lies at the heart of much toxicological research, but one drawback to this approach is that it requires subjective judgment. Mullenix says her first project at Forsyth was to develop a system of using computers to recognize and classify rat behavior patterns, something that had not been done before. It took her and her collaborators almost five years to get a reliable pattern-recognition system working, and then, at the urging of her boss, she began to use it on rats exposed to fluoridated drinking water.
Up to then, "fluoride hadn't meant anything to me," Mullenix insists. "Prior to 1987, I don't think I'd ever uttered the word. Certainly I didn't understand or appreciate the whole political background." In the first three years that she exposed the rats to fluoride and analyzed their behavior, however, she began to view the substance with concern. "Some of the effects that we were seeing were quite disastrous." She explains that rats exposed to the fluoride prenatally became markedly hyperactive (compared to control animals). Exposure after the rats were born appeared to have the opposite effect, creating what Mullenix calls the "couch-potato syndrome." Mullenix also found that rats exposed to fluoride had significantly higher levels of fluoride deposits in their brains.
When she showed her preliminary data to her boss in 1990, she says he shared her concern and dispatched her to give a seminar on her results at the National Institute of Dental Research (NIDR) outside Washington, D.C. She says she was waiting to do so in the lobby of the institute's main hospital, when she happened to notice a big display on the walls about "The Miracle of Fluoridation." Only then did she begin to suspect what effect her presentation might have. Probably 25 people from a variety of federal agencies attended the seminar, and "they did look at me with absolute horror," she recalls. "At one point I made some joke about The Miracle of Fluoridation, and I was struck by the fact that no one laughed."
Mullenix wasn't condemning fluoridation. "I said the data was disturbing, too big of a concern for me to just walk away from it. But all I was asking for was to do more studies." She felt encouraged a few weeks later when the director of the NIDR wrote a letter to her boss at Forsyth, praising the computerized pattern-recognition technology and suggesting various ways for Mullenix to get funding for additional work. But though she followed the suggestions, no research money came from any of them, she says. "They were all dead ends." By working on a shoestring, Mullenix nonetheless continued doing additional fluoride studies. (For example, she was able to work with animals being studied by a dentist who had a grant to study dental fluorosis.) She says by 1992 some of her colleagues at Forsyth had started to express their disapproval of her work. "I heard comments to the effect that I was jeopardizing funds that they receive from the NIDR." Undeterred, Mullenix in 1993 decided it was time to write up her results from studying 532 rats. In March of 1994, she sent a manuscript describing her research to the peer-reviewed journal Neurotoxicology and Teratology. In May, the editor accepted it (with some revisions), and that same month, Mullenix was dismissed from the staff of the dental research institute.
Mullenix's article reached print in February of 1995. By then she had sued the | 6,774 |
News: Harworth Estates back at MIPIM
By Tom Austen
Rotherham-based Harworth Estates, one of the largest property and regeneration companies across the North of England and the Midlands, will be back at MIPIM in March this year, as part of the delegation from the Sheffield city region (SCR).
Held annually in Cannes, MIPIM is the world's property market and brings together the most influential players from all international property sectors - office, residential, retail, healthcare, sport, logistics and industrial. It attracts 20,000 visitors including 4,300 investors and 3,000 CEOs.
A specialist in brownfield regeneration, the Harworth Group, which is based on its own flagship Waverley development, manages around 31,370 acres across some 200 projects, with consent for 8,000 new homes. It was created through the complex restructure of what was UK Coal.
It is one of a number of private sector businesses and organisations that are sponsoring the trade mission which has a commitment from the LEP and local authorities for senior level presence at MIPIM to support the private sector.
Verdion, Nabarro, CTP, Harworth Estates, The University of Sheffield, Arup, HLM, Coda and Bond<|fim_middle|>011 (64) August 2011 (57) July 2011 (69) June 2011 (66) May 2011 (61) April 2011 (44) March 2011 (75) February 2011 (73) January 2011 (59) December 2010 (46) November 2010 (68) October 2010 (75) September 2010 (77) August 2010 (57) July 2010 (46) June 2010 (55) May 2010 (49) April 2010 (54) March 2010 (50) February 2010 (55) January 2010 (45) December 2009 (49) November 2009 (60) October 2009 (65) September 2009 (49) August 2009 (43) July 2009 (65) June 2009 (31) May 2009 (45) April 2009 (42) March 2009 (61) February 2009 (46) January 2009 (52) December 2008 (53) November 2008 (74) October 2008 (76) September 2008 (67) August 2008 (52) July 2008 (74) June 2008 (59) May 2008 (59) April 2008 (58) March 2008 (46) February 2008 (54) January 2008 (51) December 2007 (30) November 2007 (19)
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The SCR is set to showcase assets and opportunities based on the key themes of Innovation, Urban Renaissance and Northern Specialisation, in addition to highlighting the city region's part in the Northern Powerhouse.
One of the proposals set to generate interest is the Sheffield-Rotherham Advanced Manufacturing Innovation District (AMID). Recognising that high value manufacturing can be key to driving innovation, productivity and exports, civic leaders have committed to the idea of "supercharging" the areas of advanced manufacturing in the Sheffield-Rotherham Economic Corridor. Based around the Advanced Manufacturing Park (AMP) in Rotherham and surrounding Enterprise Zone, the aim is to develop Europe's largest research-led advanced manufacturing cluster.
The £600m investment opportunity was included in the Northern Pitchbook, lauded by the chancellor, George Osborne as he sought investment from China.
Counter Context has been appointed to manage SCR's presence at the world's largest property and investment show.
Simon Collingwood, associate director at Counter Context, said: "Counter Context is delighted to be supporting Sheffield city region's presence at MIPIM. The SCR's offering at MIPIM will be a fantastic opportunity for the city region to showcase itself to investors. This is an important moment for the city region, building on the activities currently in the pipeline. Importantly, it is a partnership between the public and the private sector working to achieve a good outcome for the city region."
Sheffield City Region website
Images: SCR LEP
Labels: Advanced Manufacturing Park, commercial property, Harworth Estates, Innovation District, Local enterprise partnership, Rotherham, Sheffield City Region, Waverley
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HydroPeptide Hydrostem+6 - Available at Tru Glo Medspa!
This powerful age-defying treatment unites rejuvenating peptides with six antioxidant-rich botanical stem cells that guard against free radicals and create more radiant, ageless-looking skin. High performing hydrators nourish and restore moisture balance. Skin clarity<|fim_middle|>-aging results. 6 botanically-derived hydro stem cells including a Firming stem cell, Hydration stem cell, Antioxidant-boosting stem cell, Rejuvenation stem cell, Smoothing stem cell and Skin Clearing stem cell provide superior free-radical protection and nourishment.
Multi-Performance Peptides, Pineapple Ceramide, Chilean Boldo Tree Extract. Target all visible signs of aging and quench dry skin with this ultra-rich moisturizer that includes a blend of peptides, antioxidants and skin brighteners. | and luminosity immediately improve while the appearence of fine lines and wrinkles diminish. 5 peptides including Volumizing Peptides, CoQ10 Activating Peptide and Preservative peptides for superior anti | 41 |
For more information, call or visit the Robeson<|fim_middle|> all men and women from all military branches that have died in service. | County Veterans Services Office:
Lumberton:
Courthouse outside front at 500 North Elm Street – Granite Monument to Civil War Veterans
Courthouse outside back at 500 North Elm Street – Granite Monument to Col. Thomas Robeson and Gen. John Willis
Courthouse inside at 500 North Elm Street – Bronze Plaque to World War I Dead
Robeson County Public Library Garden at 101 North Chestnut Street – Granite markers to World War I, World War II, Korea and Vietnam Wars
Maxton:
Maxton Historical Society Museum at 201 W Graham St – Granite Monument to World War II
St. Pauls:
Town Square at 100 Broad Street – Granite Monument to World War I, World War II, Korean War, Vietnam War and Global War on Terror, Dedicated in 1997.
The National Guard Armory -Granite Monument "In Remembrance" of PFC Adam L. Marion 171 Engineering Company Baghdad, Iraq.
Rowland:
Rowland Depot – bricks on the ground in front with the names of men from Rowland area who fought in WWII. They have a board that reads "Dedicated to the Veterans of the Rowland Community" The board has 758 brass plaques with the veteran's names. It has all the decals for military branches and the board was placed on 11/11/2011.
Red Springs:
Town Hall – Main Street – World War I, World War II, Korean War and Vietnam War – granite memorial
Pembroke:
Veterans Memorial Park located across from University of North Carolina at Pembroke, in front of Burger King. Park consists of brick walkway with dedication of veteran's names from Robeson County who are deceased and living. There is platform with all five military branches of service bronze plaques United States Marines Corp, United States Army, United States Navy, United States Air Force and Coast Guard. There also is memorial wall made of granite that displays names of | 416 |
...and welcome to the world of delicious<|fim_middle|>as tea is like nothing I've experienced before! They're so good!
The tea was light, refreshing and hit the mark when I needed a little pick me up at my desk. I'm now converted and I'm getting the rest of my office to do the same!
Such delicious and fresh-tasting tea - it's so smooth that it's equally good with or without milk.
We are proud to design and make our teas in the UK in exclusive small batches, as well as supporting British businesses and up and coming British talent. | full leaf blends for the tea lovers, the foodies, the adventurers, the explorers, the creators. Made from high quality ingredients carefully sourced from around the world - full of flavour and personality.
Your teatime will never be the same again.
Here at Nauteas not only do we make delicious tea, but we also do our little bit to improve gender equality, one cup at a time. We give away a portion of our profits to create scholarships for girls in India, so when they grow up, they too can change the world for the better.
I just wanted to say how much I am enjoying your teas - they are absolutely delicious.
Honestly the strength and flavour that comes through Naute | 142 |
Old equipment and inefficient workflows could be costing you more than you realize! With a little creative problem solving, new processes, and updated print devices you can get your print environment and infrastructure under control and dramatically reduce your print expenses.
Time to Replace Those Old Printers – Older printers might still work but what are they really costing you? Any device that's seven years old or older won't have the functionality or energy efficiency of newer models. They can require more frequent<|fim_middle|> how we can help get your print environment under control! | repairs and use more energy to operate. When you invest in new technology you get improved functionality and the efficiency can more than make up for the cost.
Get Purchasing Under Control – Improper purchasing can result in a roomful of toner and paper. Uncoordinated purchasing between departments can add up to unnecessary expenses every year. If you don't have a dedicated print manager, designate a member of your staff as a point person to coordinate purchasing and keep track of stock.
Automate Workflows – Digital document systems make managing your print environment more efficient and can eliminate unnecessary printing, reducing waste. Not only is a digital solution cost effective it can help enhance document security.
Go Paperless – A digital document solution reduces your use of toner, paper and other consumables saving your money. While it may not be a practical solution for every department, if a document can be digitized or a process automated, it should be. Small steps can return big savings!
Reduce IT Support Calls for Print Problems – Calling IT to fix a paper jam might reduce employee frustration, but it's also taking IT away from addressing critical issues. Avoid dealing with productivity killers by identifying potential problem areas in your print infrastructure. Then take steps to address problems with digital solutions. If you need help identifying problem areas, hire a professional who can help.
Professional help managing your print infrastructure and creating digital solutions can make day-to-day operations run more efficiently while helping to get print costs under control. If you'd like to learn more, just give us a call. Talk to one of our experienced team members and let us show you | 320 |
Indie Music Album Reviews
Között - Között
self-released; 2014
By Ted Rogen
Között is a musical project of Gábor Tóth. He enlisted a number of supporting musicians for his recent self titled release. The album contains five instrumental songs which rely on guitar, bass, and drums. According to Tóth the artistic goals was to "m<|fim_middle|> It's fun simply focusing your attention on one instrument or trying to consume the entirety of the song.
The first track "Amiről nem beszélhetek (What i can't talk about)" starts with a lone guitar playing harmonics and individual strings. The timing at which he plays is engaging and it doesn't take to long for the bass and drums to enter. It feels jagged and juxtaposed but in a good way. The song evolves over the eight plus minutes while Tóth implements a copious amount of changes.
Arguably the most ambitious track is "Földalatti vizek (Underground waters)" which is a dynamically rich song which gets closest to fulfilling his ambitious goal. I especially enjoyed the jazz inspired guitar on this song. Között has some inspired moments and applaud Tóth for keeping the instrumentation simple and letting the songs breath. Recommended.
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We are dedicated to informing the public about the different types of independent music that is available for your listening pleasure as well as giving the artist a professional critique from a seasoned music geek. We critique a wide variety of niche genres like experimental, IDM, electronic, ambient, shoegaze and much more.
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© Divide and Conquer 2019. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. | elt together moods which are considered to be opposite, but sometimes occur in life simultaneously: sadness, loneliness/ joy, disturbance, inner aggression/ peace etc". In all honesty I'm not sure how much I felt this dichotomy of emotions he tried implementing in the music but what I do notice was a good amount of creative and technical skill.
I listened to Között the same way I would a jazz album. Között relies on the subtleties and nuances in the music rather than building up walls of sound. The instruments are separated properly within the mix making it a pleasure to listen to on a nice pair of headphones.
Között is by no means a pop album. Tóth doesn't present many melodies that will get stuck in your head. Thats being said it doesn't mean it's not enjoyable to listen to. | 171 |
One of our finest British traditions is deliberately not being very good at certain things.
Every year, while our rock bands sell out stadiums around the globe, we submit a Eurovision Song Contest entry carefully calculated to receive nul points, freeing us from the burden of hosting the competition the following year.
<|fim_middle|> want you to realise straight away that it's a budget laptop.
There is no danger of mistaking the Aspire 5 for anything else. It is what it is.
A portable computer with a screen that, while just about bright enough to see clearly, covers so little of the sRGB colour range it would be rude to mention it (alright, 53 per cent); and on the inside, an SSD that's undeniably faster than a hard drive, but slower than most other recent SSDs.
Unlike more upmarket, slimmer laptops, however, the chunky chassis accommodates plenty of ports (pictured left), a removable panel for memory upgrades and a 2.5in drive bay (albeit empty in this instance), while the tile-style keyboard includes a full numeric keypad.
And, like Eddie 'The Eagle' Edwards, the Aspire 5 has hidden depths. Eddie may have taken off from the Calgary ski jump at a lower velocity than any other competitor, but he hit the ground harder.
The Aspire 5, in this configuration (several are listed by Acer), contains a heftier Intel processor than we've seen before at this price.
The quad-core Intel i5-8250U achieved embarrassingly high scores in our benchmark tests, making it almost as powerful as some desktop PCs.
Yet its battery lasted more than nine hours 45 minutes in our video-playback test, meaning this deceptively impressive machine will travel well. At 2.1kg, however, you'll need some British bulldog spirit to get it off the ground. | We invest heavily in winning dozens of medals at the Summer Olympics, while at the – let's be honest – less prestigious Winter Games we settle for a handful (albeit 2018 was our best ever).
Our national ability to lose at those sports we invented ourselves is nothing short of legendary.
This kind of calculated incompetence may help to explain certain companies' success in the field of industrial design, which isn't always about making things that look and feel amazing.
Sometimes the plan is quite the opposite – to ensure products that are intended to sell at the lowest prices aren't accidentally brilliant.
After all, if a laptop with an eighth-generation i5 processor and Full HD screen had the same sleek minimalist appeal as a MacBook Pro, none of us would bother paying over a thousand pounds anymore.
So maybe we shouldn't mock the Acer Aspire 5. True, the last time you saw something made of black plastic that looked so basic, you were wheeling it down the garden path on bin day.
But this is no accident on the part of the Taiwanese company.
When they make a budget laptop, they | 223 |
Dates: May 5 - 6 , 2020
Days until show: 106
Doors Time: 7pm
Keith Urban brings his first UK tour<|fim_middle|> UK soil for well over a decade.
With nine full-length studio records, including his most recent GRAFFITI U, four GRAMMY® Awards, and millions of albums, songs, and tickets sold worldwide, Keith Urban is renowned for his electrifying, unpredictable, and 'no holds barred' live shows. A composite musician, singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, Keith has wowed fans all over the world with his high-energy, hard-rocking, live shows and the Keith Urban Live tour will be no exception. Keith is set to play some of his biggest hits including Parallel Line, The Fighter, Drop Top and Never Comin Down when he hits UK shores in May, kicking off in London at the Eventim Apollo on the 4th May.
* Service and handling fees are added to the price of each ticket | in over 12 years to Eventim Apollo on 5 and 6 May 2020.
The 13 date tour, which will see him play at London's prestigious Eventim Apollo, follows his hugely successful headline slot at C2C in March and a one-off special club show at O2 Forum Kentish Town, his first shows on | 74 |
Why was the SMOKING VEHICLE program established?
The SMOKING VEHICLE Program was established to reduce visible exhaust from vehicles traveling in the basin.
District's SMOKING VEHICLE program depends on public participation. Residents can call the District's toll-free number (1-800-55-9<|fim_middle|>ING VEHICLE program made a difference?
On average, more than 40% of the vehicle owners who receive an advisory letter return their completed compliance forms to the District, stating that they have attended to their vehicle, either having it checked and if warranted having any needed repairs made. | 9-AIR) with a complaint about a smoking vehicle they have seen traveling the basin's roads and freeways.
How does SMOKING VEHICLE program work?
Drivers who spot a vehicle emitting excessive amounts of exhaust smoke can call the District's toll free number (1-800-55-99-AIR) and report it.
the date, time and location of the observation.
Using the Department of Motor Vehicle's database, District retrieves the owner's registration information and mails an advisory letter to the owner informing them that a complaint has been filed against their vehicle. All information involved in the program remains confidential.
What does the advisory letter say and what must the owner do after receiving one?
The letter advises smoking vehicle owners that their vehicle was reported to be smoking and recommends they have it repaired to eliminate excessive emissions.
The letter also alerts the owner to the fact that excessively smoking vehicles violate the State of California Motor Vehicle Codes (Sections 27153 and 27153.5) which carries a fine of $100 to $250, -- depending on the type of vehicle -- for first time offenders.
After owners make the necessary repairs, they are asked to complete the Smoking Vehicle Compliance Form attached to the advisory letter and return it to District.
Can District impose fines on vehicle owners who have been reported through the SMOKING VEHICLE program?
No. However the California Highway Patrol (CHP) can cite passenger vehicles as well as big rigs and buses for excessive smoke and if warranted impose a fine.
Can District's toll free number be reached anytime, day or night?
Yes. Residents can report a smoking vehicle to District's 1-800-55-99-AIR 24-hours a day, seven days a week.
Has District's SMOK | 370 |
/WWG
Sonic The Hedgehog Posters Released
By Matthew Aguilar - April<|fim_middle|>
Pokemon Sword and Shield Edition Nintendo Switch Lite Announced
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GhostWire: Tokyo Takes Place in The Near Future | 30, 2019 09:30 am EDT
Fans are still trying to process the first trailer for Sonic the Hedgehog, and now Paramount has released two new posters to go with the new footage. The first poster features Sonic running up the side of a building with his blistering speed leaving an electric trail of blue behind him. He's running from several of Dr. Robotnik's drones that we see attack him in the trailer, though the expression on his face does'st make it seem like he's too worried about them. I mean, he is Sonic after all.
The second poster features Sonic rushing in atop of a building flicking a gold ring. You can see the cityscape below and the blue trailer of lightning that he left in his wake, which goes over buildings and around them as he weaved his way through the city. You can check out both posters below.
The new trailer featured our first look at not only Sonic but also Dr. Robotnik. Jim Carrey's version of the villain is brought in by the military to hunt down the speeding blue hedgehog, though he looks a bit more normal towards the beginning. As we've seen in other images though, Carrey will look a lot closer to his game incarnation by the end of the movie, and we can't wait to see the metamorphosis happen.
(Photo: Paramount)
Sonic The Hedgehog is directed by Jeff Fowler and is written by Patrick Casey, Josh Miller, and Oren Uziel. The film stars James Marsden, Ben Schwartz, Tika Sumpter, Natasha Rothwell, Neal McDonough, Adam Pally, and Jim Carrey. The official description is included below.
"SONIC THE HEDGEHOG is a live-action adventure comedy based on the global blockbuster videogame franchise from Sega that centers on the infamously brash bright blue hedgehog. The film follows the (mis)adventures of Sonic as he navigates the complexities of life on Earth with his newfound – human – best friend Tom Wachowski (James Marsden). Sonic and Tom join forces to try and stop the villainous Dr. Robotnik (Jim Carrey) from capturing Sonic and using his immense powers for world domination. The film also stars Tika Sumpter and Ben Schwartz as the voice of Sonic."
Sonic The Hedgehog hits theaters on November 8th.
Have you subscribed to ComicBook Nation, the official Podcast of ComicBook.com yet? Check it out by clicking here or listen below.
In this latest episode, we go all in on Avengers: Endgame! This is the spoiler-filled discussion you've been waiting for after coming out of the movie and we cover a ton of ground. Make sure to subscribe now and never miss an episode!
Fans React to the Nintendo Switch Lite | 572 |
At some point you will encounter and consider various filters that can be screwed onto the front of your lens. Many of these filters are designed to achieve special effects or provide specific correction capabilities while giving you a new creative tool.
From a beginning photographer standpoint, there is one filter that you should consider a MUST every time you purchase a new lens. This filter is called a UV filter. It does perform a photographic function -- decreasing the amount and impact of UV light that enters your camera and reducing the haze effect common in landscape scenes. But these<|fim_middle|> sell their own line of filters. In addition, Tiffen and Hoya are two popular makers of photographic filters. Spending extra to buy a higher quality UV filter will ensure that the glass and coatings on the glass will have minimal impact on overall image quality.
Tip: Always purchase and install a UV filter when you buy a new lens.
Enough said. I will provide more entries on filters and their specific photographic use. However this safety information deserves to be posted alone and first. | considerations are secondary due to the UV elimination built-in to modern DSLRs.
However, this relatively cheap filter performs an even more critical safety function. This nearly clear filter protects the investment you made in your lenses. It shields the front element of your lens from fingerprints, destructive elements in the atmosphere that can act on the sensitive coatings of your lenses, water/rain and any accumulation of dust and dirt.
A UV filter (shown above on right) will protect your lens and your investment.
Notice the 58mm notation on the barrel of the lens. This is the size filter this lens requires.
Filters come in a multitude of sizes and there will be one just right for your lens. The size of the filter required is usually engraved on the lens barrel. If the filter gets dirty, lens cleaner and tissue will bring it back to new.
Major camera manufacturers | 172 |
Of course he was the headline in baseball one last time on the morning of baseball's All-Star Game. George Steinbrenner died Tuesday morning, died less than two weeks after his 80th birthday on the 4th of July, died of a massive heart attack after being in failing health for years. The story in baseball now wasn't the game always known as the Midsummer Classic. It was him. A different kind of classic, good and bad but never indifferent, from the day he first showed up in town nearly 40 years ago.
A classic. Classic Steinbrenner, upstaging the All-Star Game. Not just the back page of the New York papers this time, the guy who really made that notion - The Back Page! - part of the conversation of New York and newspapers more than anybody ever had before him. Like the back page was one more part of the town he wanted to own. Like it was more real estate.
Just not as valuable as the real estate in the Bronx, on 161st St., where the Yankees were.
At the age of 80, he wasn't just the back page of the New York papers Tuesday morning. He was the front page everywhere. The first stories, before it became official that Steinbrenner had died around 6:30 in the morning, immediately described him as legendary. The old man would have loved it.
In passing, with the Yankees back on top one more time even if you wondered how much he was able to enjoy that last year, he was even more than just what he wanted to be when he first showed up in New York in the '70s, which means the biggest guy in town. He wasn't just a back-page story in New York, a story about him and Billy Martin or Reggie Jackson. Or Dave Winfield and Howie Spira.
He was the whole story in sports on this day and night.
He had not run the Yankees for a while, he had turned the team over to his sons two years ago, he hardly ever showed in New York anymore, or at the new Yankee Stadium. There were would be statements from him, through his P.R. man, the kind that was issued after Bob Sheppard, a legend himself as the Yankees public address announcer, when Sheppard died at 99 this past Sunday.
But those statements did not sound anything like Steinbrenner, not the guy who made himself into the loudest, most famous owner in the history of American sports, the guy who put up less than a million dollars, whatever it was, of his own money when he bought the Yankees from CBS and built the Yankees back up into what they are now: A baseball team worth more than a billion dollars, a team back to being the biggest brand in sports.
I asked him one time, a thousand years ago, in his old office at the old Stadium with that big desk, one of those times when we were talking to each other, how much HE thought the Yankees were worth.
"That only matters if you're selling," he said that day, "and I'm not selling."
He never did. Oh, he came close. There was the time several years ago when it looked like he might sell to Cablevision, which off what the company has done with the Knicks and the Garden might have meant the end of the Yankees. The story at the time was that he wanted to sell a controlling interest but still be able to run the Yankees. No one knows what the conversation was really like between him and Charles Dolan. Maybe only the old man knew how close he came. It never happened.
The Yankees stayed in the family. On the morning he died they still belonged to him. He brought in Joe Torre and saw Torre manage the Yankees back to the top of the baseball world and was still in the room when Torre rejected the Yankees' last contract offer and walked out the door. And before that, after the Yankees lost in the first round of the playoffs to the Tigers in 2006, the last loud roar from Steinbrenner was when he nearly fired Torre himself, before he backed down.
After all the managers he had fired, after the ones like Martin that he kept firing and rehiring, he couldn't bring himself to fire one more.
The Yankees won 11 pennants and seven World Series while they were Steinbrenner's Yankees. While they were the Yankees of Boss Steinbrenner. It was a nickname<|fim_middle|> moment in it came two years ago, another All-Star Game, this one at the old Stadium. "The field is for the players," he had told me once. Not on this night. The old man was driven onto the field at Yankee Stadium, sitting in a golf cart next to his daughter Jennifer and his son Hal, and a son-in-law, Felix Lopez.
Yogi kissed him on the cheek that night. Reggie was there. The old man cried. The people cheered. In all the big ways, the symbolic ways, that was his real goodbye, the place looking as if it had been built around him. | given here as a joke. But he liked it. And it stuck. He understood the possibilities of free agency before anybody else did, and used free agency, with Catfish Hunter and Reggie back in the day, to get the Yankees to start winning the World Series again.
More than that, he understood the value and the power of a team like the Yankees having it's own television network. And even before that, the first huge money he got from the Madison Square Garden network, he saw how television money could give the Yankees a financial advantage over the rest of the field.
And he got convicted of a felony for improper campaign contributions before Ronald Reagan pardoned him. He was the only owner in the history of the sports kicked out of his own sport twice, first because of the felony and then because it was discovered that he had paid a man named Howie Spira money to dig up dirt on Winfield.
That was Classic Steinbrenner, too.
But he came back and the Yankees came back and won four World Series in five years with Torre managing them. Then came all the years when they didn't win. He got old. The guy who loved the spotlight more than anybody who ever owned an American team began to back away from it.
His last real | 257 |
As a young girl I took piano lessons, and I will admit, it was not the greatest joy of my life. A timer would have to be set for me to sit down for even 30 minutes to practice, and even then I would get up from time to time to check and see how much more time I had to play. So, no, I was not someone who found joy in playing; however, when my mom would sit down and play and let the notes ring melodically throughout our home, I thoroughly enjoyed listening. We still have that piano, and from time to time I will get the opportunity to hear her play and watch her fingers dance across the keys. There is a tranquility that is shared when such harmonious tunes without lyrics are played. To my ear, it is quite peaceful. Perhaps that is why as well, I am drawn to jazz, as I do prefer music without lyrics when I am working, relaxing and simply going about my day. I enjoy bringing my story to the notes, rather than hearing someone else's. Perhaps that is a lack of imagination on my<|fim_middle|> they are positive."
The irony his book points out is that for some time the belief has been accepted that we must work hard in order to attain success and then we will be happy. But studies have flipped this false notion on its head. Rather "we become more successful when we are happier and more positive". At about the same time I was reading Achor's book I heard a quote shared on Headspace during one of my meditation sessions, "When the mind is calm, there is clarity; with clarity, there is contentment; with contentment, there is compassion." The progress toward happiness (contentment) comes from knowing where we wish to go, what we wish to do and the qualities we wish to develop. The journeys with each of these realizations is just that, a journey, but when we are clear about our choices, we find contentment and thus we are able to step toward success. The truth about individuals, I have found, who embody this awareness is that there is a sincerity about the work they produce, the lives they live and an indifference toward seeking approval. The work they do and the life they live is their conscious choice made by them and them alone. When someone who is striving toward a life they think they should have, a goal they think they want, but not enjoying the journey, eventually this truth is revealed in the work that is offered forth, the engagements with others along the way and mood they bring to the process. The magnetism is absent or false, the energy is flat and the passionate flame is nowhere to be found. As we know, our lives have expiration dates, so why not stop chasing what you think will make you happy when you finally reach it and create a life right where you are that you enjoy living?
"Waiting to be happy limits our brain's potential for success, whereas cultivating positive brains makes us more motivated, efficient, resilient, creative and productive, which drives performance upward." | part, but when there are no words, the rhythm is mine to dance with and let my mind wander. Having always loved jazz since I was a teenager, I have since begun to welcome more classical music into my life and regularly beginning this past fall as I shared in this post (episode #187). Many of my students over the years have been actively involved in the symphony and orchestra, and successfully so, so I do find myself learning from them as I am by no means savvy when it comes to music.
If you find listening to classical music relaxing, then it can reduce your stress levels. Upon listening to classical music, your body releases "pleasure-inducing dopamine and inhibits the release of stress hormones, all of which generates a pleasant mood". Now, the key is to understand what you find relaxing, make it a regular practice and observe your body and mind relax which will then enable you to think more clearly and thus make better decisions.
The Mozart Effect, as it was coined in 1993, was discovered by Dr. Gordon Shaw of the University of California-Irvine to cause a temporary spike in an individual's IQ after listening to Mozart. While the findings need to be clarified: no, listening to Mozart doesn't make you smarter, but it does, Shaw states, "warms up the brain's ability to think abstractly".
In 2001 Southern Methodist University shared their findings of their study revealing participants were more "expressive and effusive with their comments, [and] . . . more forthcoming as well." Perhaps when we choose to listen to classical music as we relax, our walls come down a bit more, we are more willing to be vulnerable and less quick to react.
The 43rd time was the charm. At least in the case for currently number one ranked women's tennis player Caroline Wozniacki. Winning her first grand slam title with the Austrialian Open at the end of this past January, Wozniacki, after 43 entries at grand slam events, earned her first in 2018 after 12 years on the tour. As Caroline's and many other successful dreamers have demonstrated upon finally reaching the summit they had in their sights from the beginning, it takes time. Often more time than one expected upon stepping forward toward their dream, but it is possible. The mindset that a worthwhile dream will be easy is often understood, but what isn't initially understood is what you will have to "pay" so to speak to attain your goal. Much like upkeep on a house, in order to accrue interest, in order to increase the value of your investment, time must pass. As we look at the real estate market today, some will not have to wait long in certain parts of the country while others wait decades to see a worthwhile increase should they wish to sell for a pretty profit. Along the way of living in our homes, there are certain bills that we expect to pay and some we do not. We expect to pay utilities, we expect to pay for upkeep of the roof, siding, etc., but we don't anticipate disasters such as broken boilers or a tree after being struck by lightening sliding down the side of your home and requiring a tree service to remove promptly from the street (the latter examples were both experienced at my last owned home and the tree service was my father). Each of these incidents, expected or not, are bills that must be paid if we want to maintain our home, if we want to someday be able to sell it and receive a return on our investment. Dreamers who set lofty goals are not to be laughed at because what they are choosing to do is courageous as it will require great tenacity, perseverance and willpower paired with clarity of vision. As you will see below, there will be some "bills" that must be paid along the way that most likely were expected by the dreamer, but there will be some that cannot be predicted until we set about on our journey. However, hopefully today's list of "bills" to expect will ease your mind as you run up against each one, reassuring you that such occurrences are not a sign to stop or give up, but rather par for the course. Your dream is waiting to be materialized and now you will know what to be prepared for.
Support along our journey toward our dream is vital; however, the catch is that because you are pursuing something that many people have not acquired, you may not have as much support as you would expect. Fear not. The first foundational form of support begins with you. So long as you have an unwavering determination and belief in what you are pursuing, that will reveal to the supporters that do stand by your side to stand tall with you. The supporters that stand with you need not be people who entirely understand what or why you are traversing towards; however, if they know you well, they are confident in your abilities. In other words, it is the quality of support you surround yourself, not a vast amount of supporters. Once you are clear as to why you are pursuing what you have set out to attain, the clarity will be the roots for courage to blossom when unknowns and confusing moments arise.
No one can predict the future, even people who are following a prescribed plan of their life based on what society, their family or their community has modeled for them. No one can know for certain what lays ahead for any one of us, but we can put the odds in our favor. We can investigate individuals who have while maybe not having pursued the exact path we are choosing to walk along, have, for example, chosen the entrepreneurial path. We can look to them for the obstacles they maneuvered around and outcomes they attained. Different times combined with different people and talents will render a different outcome each time, but you are the constant. And when you know with clarity where and why you are choosing your path, the outcome doesn't have to be readily visible, but your confidence to step forward does need to be present.
They will happen. Guaranteed. But as I shared in my conversation on Afternoon Live last week with regards to sticking to your New Year's resolutions, often the universe is double-checking to make sure you indeed want what you say you want. Be sure to have a look at that particular segment to hear more about this inevitable moment.
Last week I took a moment to contemplate what my life was like 10 years ago, and I immediately recognized that I could not have predicted in ANY way where I am today and what I am doing. It was only 9 years ago that I began the blog, but 10 years ago if you would have told me I would have not only a blog, a podcast, a vodcast and working on my second book while officially setting up my business as a corporation, I would have been perplexed (in other words, I might have said "what's a vodcast?"). This truth, this "bill" is an exciting bill to pay because it is growth. It is each of us stepping into our full potential and sharing with the world what we uniquely have to offer. We do not often know what it is the world needs and what precisely we can give when we begin, but we figure it out along the way and we figure out the growth we would like to undergo as well in order to achieve what we see as necessary and possible.
Both success and happiness, what they consist of, look like and feel like, can only truly be defined by each individual. For one person's happiness may be another person's hell. And one person's definition of excess stress and misery may be another person's place of bliss and fulfillment, in other words their happy place. Conceptually, happiness has been a hard term to pin down. As I shared in this post about the myths of success, if we look at the construction of the word "happiness" it implies luck, external circumstances; however, with time and cultural shifts in understanding, the definition changes and it will undoubtedly change again. In Shawn Achor's bestselling book The Happiness Advantage, he shares the definition the scientists he worked with agreed up . . .
". . . as the experience of positive emotions —pleasure combined with deeper feelings of meaning and purpose. Happiness implies a positive mood in the present and a positive outlook for the future."
Moving forward with this definition in mind, the deeper revelation was the need for happiness to be present in our everyday lives in order to attain the true success we seek. Again, success will be defined differently by all, but success regarding the quality of our "relationships, health, creativity, community involvement and friendships."
"It turns out that our brains are literally hardwired to perform at their best not when they are negative or even neutral, but when | 1,794 |
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