Split (2)

train · ~65M rows (showing the first 1.62M)

content stringlengths 174 23.6k
Natural Gas: This fossil fuel is mostly comprised of methane and is one of the cleanest burning fuels. There are two forms of natural gas—liquefied natural gas (LNG) and compressed natural gas (CNG)—both which can be used to fuel cars. The advantages of natural gas over gasoline are that is it less expensive and produces a lot less smog. However, the disadvantage is that natural gas gets less miles per tank and is not as readily available. Ethanol: Made from plant materials such as corn, sugar cane, and grass, this renewable fuel is an alcohol that is commonly used as a gasoline additive. Although it depends on the region, most gasoline in the US contains 10% ethanol. Because it can reduce dependency on oil and greenhouse gas emissions, the use of ethanol as fuel in the United States has increased dramatically over the last 10 years. Hydrogen: This fuel is environmentally-friendly and can be burned in an internal combustion engine or used in fuel cells to power electric motors. The advantage of hydrogen is that it doesn’t produce any greenhouse gases or air pollutants and that it can be domestically produced. Propane: This fossil fuel can power internal combustion engines, not just grills, without degrading the performance of the vehicle. The emissions propane creates a less harmful than gasoline and is a less expensive fuel source. However, propane gets less miles to the gallon and is not as readily available.
Calling all preschool parents! Where did the time go? Your little one is preparing for or already in preschool. From preconception to postpartum and well beyond your child’s infant years, we are here as a guide for each stage. Our preschool parent section covers all things from busy preschool morning hacks to essential preschool supplies, and even what to expect and do when your child is just starting preschool. You probably already know that the key to navigating this whole parent thing is planning and organization. So make sure you are properly equipped and organized for your day. Check out our recommendations for perfect planners and even Mothers of Preschools support groups for when things are getting a tad bit overwhelming – it happens to the best of us! From portable toddler beds to shopping hacks for kids’ consignment sales, tips for kids and eye glasses, and how to embrace parenting every day. Anything you could possibly need to know about parenting during the preschool years, we are here to support you.
Few customers enjoy speaking with a bank’s interactive voice response system—and when you think about it, why should they? For starters, the systems have limited communication abilities and it can take multiple rounds of queries and responses for customers to get the information they need. What’s more—and perhaps more poignantly—the consumer themselves might have limited communication abilities: if English isn’t their first language, for example. But new technologies hitting the market could offer banks expanded options to automate some customer service tasks in a more efficient manner. Through machine learning and conversational artificial intelligence, automated systems can now hold “human-like” conversations. Of course, human-like isn’t human just yet. Nor can chatbots mind their manners like their flesh-and-blood counterparts, as evidenced by the infamous 2016 incident where an otherwise friendly Microsoft chatbot named Tay was taught to swear and spew racist remarks on Twitter. A lot can change in two years. And today, big institutions beyond Microsoft are leading the way to a chatbot-driven future. Still experts say it’s not too early for small banks to dip their toes in the water. “The hype surrounding chatbots remains sky-high,” Forrester Research concluded in a recent report. Bank of America, Ally Bank, and USAA have developed promising “conversational banking solutions” with chatbots, and from the boardroom to the watercooler there’s talk that the technology has the potential to revolutionize the banking industry. And no wonder: Research from the 2017 BAI Banking Outlook revealed that among all sizes of financial institutions—community, super community, regional, super-regional and large—“improving digital capabilities” scored as their top priority for raising the customer experience bar. And so enter the chatbot. Eventually. The chatbot conversation A chatbot is simply a technology that enables humans to better communicate with machines, says Ron Shalit, director of product innovation at Personetics. Chatbots can understand user requests and messages via text or voice and respond to them in a meaningful way; think of Apple’s Siri and Amazon’s Alexa. They work through a complex process called natural language processing (NLP) to identify intent from hundreds or thousands of options. If you’re thinking, “Your call is very important to us, please continue to hold,” then hold on. NLP is a far cry from the antiquated interactive voice response (IVR) systems many small banks use to drive customers to yes/no answers, numerical responses—and tear-your-hair-out frustration. The Conversation surveyed more than 13,000 consumers and found only 10 percent were satisfied with their IVR experiences. “[Past technologies] had a pre-defined flow and didn’t really let you conduct a conversation,” says Dror Oren, chief product officer at Kasisto. “These systems are now fielding open-ended questions where you can ask what you want, and they will understand you.” While simple chatbots can offer account balances and due dates on payments, smarter bots will step up the game, Oren predicts. For example, data may indicate that a customer’s payment will be drafted in 24 hours but they don’t have enough money in the account to cover it. The bot could then contact the customer via SMS text, email or voice and ask if they’d like to move money from their savings account or defer the payment. “That’s another layer of application that could be more proactive,” Oren says. Chatbots, competitive advantage and community banks So far, the dominant adopters of chatbots have been big banks. But through third-party providers, banks could possibly adopt the technology more easily than they think—and at moderate prices. “There’s no reason a small bank can’t,” Oren contends. “You could argue that some of these smaller banks can be much more agile and could work with vendors more quickly and differentiate themselves by using this type of technology.” In fact, chatbots arguably flip the conventional question—“Can we afford this new tech?”—on its head. Conversational artificial intelligence (AI) can help reduce costs and pressure on call centers while it enhances customer service, Oren says. And happy customers equal returning customers, which builds the bottom line. Chatbots can also enable small banks to more easily scale up or offer new services, while helping call center agents predict customer inquiries, improve collections and detect fraud. Varo Money, which launched last June and recently raised $45 million in private equity, offers FDIC-backed accounts and loans. The bank uses a mobile chatbot called “Val” that performs basic banking functions and serves as a digital money coach. And outside of the U.S., digibank launched in India in April with an AI-driven virtual assistant that handles 80 percent of customer requests—without human intervention. The bank has already grown to 2 million customers. Chatbot best practices Many challenges stand in the way of full-scale adoption and banks should remain wary of bringing chatbots to market faster than their systems can support. Many bots aren’t yet ready to handle all banking tasks; thus they fail because of unclear purpose and poor planning, Forrester says. As data represents the single most important component of conversational banking services, a lack of data infrastructure and governance models could also create major issues at smaller banks. They’ll also need APIs (application programming interfaces) to access and control data, and talent to manage it all. Yet that complex mix of requirements does not excuse a gradual sharpening of focus. Forrester recommends skipping generalist applications and moving toward niches that meet specific customer needs: “Even chatbots services from leading financial providers are often positioned for too broad a set of customer activities—which is one of the reasons why even the best bots still fall on their face occasionally.” Several best practices can ensure that chatbots go over well with customers. Banks should first identify: - who they want to serve - define their business objectives - build a strategy - decide which services to offer, and - choose whether to deploy a chatbot, human or combination. Banks shouldn’t force consumers to use chatbots but rather deploy them as one channel in a omnichannel strategy, Shalit says. And the best bots proactively approach consumers with tips, advice and information. “A chatbot that just sits there and waits for customers to ask questions,” Shalit says, “will only gain very small traction with the customer base.” Want more Banking Strategies? Sign up for our free newsletter! Craig Guillot is a business writer who specializes in retail and finance. His work has appeared in such publications as the Wall Street Journal, CNBC.com, Bankrate.com and Better Investing. If you enjoyed this article, check out the webinar: Banking in 2018 - From the Customers' Perspective.
Does anger convey competence? Four studies examine status conferral (decisions about to whom positions of status and power should be given). All of the studies show that people confer more status to targets who express anger than to targets who express sadness. In the first study, participants watched a video of President Clinton expressing either anger or sadness when talking about the Monica Lewinsky scandal. Those who saw the anger clip were more likely to believe that Clinton should remain president than those who saw the sad clip. In the second study, participants said they were more likely to vote for an unknown political candidate when they saw him deliver a speech about terrorism in an angry way than when they saw the same speech delivered in a sad way. The third study showed that a manager’s ratings of how likely people in his department were to be promoted were positively correlated with co-workers’ ratings of the degree to which these workers expressed anger at work. In the final study, participants who viewed a job candidate describing himself as having felt angry about a negative event from his previous job assigned him a higher status position and a higher salary than when the job candidate said he felt sad about the event. Further, Studies 2,3, and 4 showed that anger expressions created impressions that the expressor was competent, and, these perceptions of competence mediated the relationship between emotion expression and status conferral. Source: “Anger and Advancement versus Sadness and Subjugation: The Effect of Negative Emotion Expressions On Social Status Conferral” from RESEARCH PAPER SERIES, GRADUATE SCHOOL OF BUSINESS, STANFORD UNIVERSITY Join 25K+ readers. Get a free weekly update via email here.
Whether you want to bake your cake ahead or simply keep it fresh after enjoying that first slice, it’s important to know how to properly store it before you start putting it away. Not all cakes store the same, so we’re offering up our easy tips for cake storage. Unfrosted cakes. An unfrosted cake will store at room temperature, wrapped in plastic wrap, for 24 hours. You can refrigerate it for up to 3 days. To freeze unfrosted cakes, tightly wrap the individual layers in foil for up to 1 month. Frosted cakes. Frosted cakes will store at room temperature for up to 4 days when kept on a cake stand with a dome. To freeze a frosted cake, place it on a tray in your freezer and leave it for 4 hours, or until fully frozen. Once frozen, remove it from the freezer and tightly wrap it in plastic wrap and aluminum foil. It will keep for up to 1 month. Frosted cakes with perishable ingredients. If the frosting is made with perishable ingredients like cream cheese, mascarpone, or meringue, loosely cover the cake in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Delicate frostings like meringue-based frosting do not stand up well to being frozen, however cream cheese and buttercream frostings are sturdy enough to spend some time in the freezer. Simple follow the same steps as you would for a frosted cake.
Children ages 3 to 5 with a parent deployed to a war zone appear to exhibit more behavior problems than their peers whose parents are not deployed, according to a report in the November issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals1. More than 2 million Molinda M. Chartrand, M.D., of the Boston University School of Medicine and Of the 169 families, 55 (33 percent) had a deployed parent, with an average deployment length of 3.9 months. Children age 3 and older who had a deployed parent had significantly higher scores on measures of externalizing and overall behavior problems than children of the same age without a deployed parent. “Such reported differences might be dismissed as distorted perceptions of the child by the distressed non-deployed parent; however, the association remained after controlling for parental stress and depressive symptoms,” the authors write. In addition, childcare providers reported similarly elevated scores. “Larger, longitudinal studies are needed to ascertain whether there are changes in children’s behavior from the time before parental deployment, during parental deployment and at the time of reunification,” the authors write. “This information is necessary to provide clinicians serving military families with evidence-based anticipatory guidance and clinical interventions. Finally, the needs of the children of deployed parents in the National Guard and Reserves also warrant urgent further elucidation.” “The decision to send troops into war is never taken lightly, and the sacrifices experienced by the soldiers, their families and their country are heavy burdens that may be considered intrinsic to war itself,” write David J. Schonfeld, M.D., and Robin Gurwitch, Ph.D., of the Cincinnati Children’s “Findings from this study highlight the need for increased attention to the mental health concerns of young children of deployed soldiers as well as the mental health concerns of the soldiers and non-deployed spouses,” they continue. “They raise questions of how to best determine deployment length and what preventive measures can be taken to reduce stress and distress to the non-deployed spouses and children left behind.” 1. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2008;162:1009-1014. 2. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2008;162:1094-1095.
1664 FIRST EDITION OF THE FIRST COLLECTED EDITION OF KILLIGREW’S PLAYS, WITH SCARCE FRONTISPIECE, BEAUTIFULLY BOUND KILLIGREW, Thomas. Comedies and Tragedies. London: Henry Herringman, 1664. Folio (measures 8 by 11-1/2 inches), early 20th-century full red crushed morocco gilt, elaborately gilt-decorated spine, raised bands, marbled endpapers, all edges gilt. Housed in a custom full morocco clamshell box. $6000. First edition, first issue, containing Killigrew’s most famous play, The Parson’s Wedding, and with the scarce engraved frontispiece portrait featuring Killigrew at his desk with his dog and his playbooks, not present in all copies. Beautifully bound in full morocco-gilt by Bedford. Killigrew, a favorite of the royal family and the founder of Drury Lane, wrote most of his plays before the Civil War. His finest play, however, The Parson’s Wedding, was written about 1663. Pepys was to declare it “a bawdy and loose play”—which foreshadows the finest of Restoration comedy. His other dramas are either tragicomedies based on popular French romances or loosely autobiographical comedies of English wits and rovers in exile. Although Killigrew wrote his plays in an alternation of prose and a sort of non-metrical verse, this collection prints everything as prose. First issue, with general title and titles to each play, with the imprint “J.M. for A. Crook, 1663” to the titles of Claricilla and The Prisoners. Wing K450. Pforzheimer 571. Greg III, 1085-86. Bookplates, including that of distinguished African explorer Frank Linsly James (1851-1890, killed by an elephant). Scarce frontispiece portrait neatly mounted and remargined. Minor marginal repairs to leaves L1 and Yy2. A beautiful copy in fine condition.
The society has a number of Amsler grid cards supplied by the Macular Society. available free of charge. Macular degeneration is the most common cause of sight loss in the UK. One of the first signs of macular degeneration is distortions in sight. These handy Amsler grids could help you monitor your vision and detect changes. Telephone the society’s office on 01254 698683 or email firstname.lastname@example.org or complete the contact page on this website. These are also available from The Macular Society call 0300 3030111 or visit www.macularsociety.org
Don’t ignore the snore Online Desk:Snoring is seen more of a bedtime annoyance for people sleeping together, but little do they know that snoring could be a sign of an underlying health issue called Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). It is one of the most under diagnosed sleep disorders and is more like a silent epidemic. Very few know about the condition and fewer seek treatment. So how do you know if you are suffering from OSA? Dr Navdeep Kumar MD (Medicine), DNB (Neurology) at Indo Gulf Hospital & Diagnostics informs, “If you snore, feel excessively sleepy during daytime, if you wake up with morning headaches, if you have trouble in concentrating, if you have frequent awakenings and you are obese, you are most likely suffering from OSA.” People suffering from OSA are said to be thrice more likely to die prematurely. Accidents and other injuries associated with poor quality sleep makes OSA even more critical. Recent data suggests that by 2020, out of a total of 23 lakh fatalities due to road accidents, an estimate of 2.3 lakh to 3.5 lakh will result from sleepiness or fatigue.
Dunstable Downs is a chalk and grassland area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, on the highest point of the Chiltern Hills in Bedfordshire, at 797 feet. This windswept chalk ridge is home to a wide variety of wildlife and wild flowers and provides spectacular views over the Vale of Aylesbury and across five counties. Much of the area is managed by the National Trust, who operate the Chilterns Gateway Centre at the top of the Downs. At this Visitor Centre, there is a large car park and popular cafe. Outside, there is a distinctive structure, which is a Windcatcher. This is part of the ventilation system of the Chilterns Gateway Centre. Fresh air travels through an underground pipe into the Visitor Centre. In summer, it cools the air and in winter, it warms the air slightly. The Downs are popular with families, not only for walking and picnics, but also it is an ideal location for kite flying. There is an annual kite festival held in July. Hang gliding and paragliding is popular and the London Gliding Club, is based at the foot of the Downs. In the winter, if the slopes are snow-covered, the Downs attract many children and adults with their sledges. An ancient trackway, The Icknield Way, passes along part of the Downs. It can claim to be Britain’s oldest road. It was ancient before the Romans arrived! It stretches for 103 miles, from Ivinghoe Beacon in Buckinghamshire, to Knettishall Heath in Norfolk. Another sign of our ancestors on the Downs, is Five Knolls Round Barrows, which excavations in the 1850s and 1920s, revealed the Barrows originated from 3000 BC and had been used again for burials in the Roman period. It has been a tradition on Good Friday for orange rolling or pelting oranges to take place. However, this tradition no longer continues. Villagers from Dunstable and other local villages, collected at the top of the Downs and then chased oranges down the hill to Pascombe Pit. The event originated in the 18th century and is said to symbolise the rolling of the stone away from the tomb of Christ. By the end of the 19th century, it was attended by hundreds of villagers. During the Second World War, the event was not held, as rationing made oranges in short supply. The event stopped completely in 1968, due to health and safety reasons, lack of support and the build up of scrub on the slopes. In the 19th century, Dunstable Downs was the training ground for the forerunners of today’s Territorial Army. In 1860, seven corps of rifle volunteers were formed and a rifle range was established at the base of the Downs for the regular training of “Saturday Soldiers”.
"Addressing this triple challenge (more food, less hunger, less environmental degradation) will require more than just funding. For the FAO to continue to serve as the world's leading authority on food and agriculture policy, it will need to reinvent itself, becoming a thought leader in ending the hunger of ideas on how to end hunger. For example, what is the role of advance market purchasing in hunger reduction? What should be done about foreign direct investment in agriculture and large-scale land acquisitions? How should food price spikes be managed? What are the benefits and risks of emerging food and agricultural technologies? The FAO needs to be leading the debates in these and other areas."
In the 1970s, nuclear-power boosters expected that by now nuclear power would produce perhaps 80 to 90 percent of all electrical energy globally. Today, the official high-growth projection of the Organization for Economic Co‑operation and Developments (OECD) Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) estimates that nuclear power plants will generate about 20 percent of all electrical energy in 2050. Thus, nuclear power could make a significant contribution to the global electricity supply. Or it could be phased out — especially if there is another accidental or a terrorist-caused Chernobyl-scale release of radioactivity. If the spread of nuclear energy cannot be decoupled from the spread of nuclear weapons, it should be phased out.
Nosebleeds are very common among children and many start spontaneously. Unless they are a direct result of an impact to the nose, the cause may not be known. Simple treatment whereby the blood is encouraged to clot is usually effective. The priority is to protect the casualty’s airway and to try and prevent blood from being swallowed. - Facial and nasal surgery - A foreign body lodged in the nose - Nose picking - Allergic rhinitis - Upper respiratory infection - Sudden trauma to the nose, very cold or very dry air, fragile blood vessels, nasal sprays, strenuous exercise, or picking the nose cause most nosebleeds. - Blood running from the nose. - Sensation of fluid in the back of the nose and throat. - Frequent swallowing. First Aid – How to treat nosebleeds - Lean the child forward and encourage her to spit blood into a handkerchief or some other receptacle. - Pinch the child’s nose just below the hard part at its top and apply firm pressure for 10 minutes (this is the amount of time it takes for a clot to form). If the bleeding has not stopped after 10 minutes, apply pressure for two further periods of 10 minutes. If bleeding continues then take the child to hospital. Once the bleeding has stopped, advise the child not to scratch, pick or blow her nose, not to drink hot liquid and not to exert herself, as all these activities can dislodge the clot and cause the bleeding to start again.
Moss and Algae Moss and algae are both a nuisance when they start to grow and spread all over your roof. They aren’t the only substances that can cause an expensive roof repair, however. Some of the biggest dangers to your home’s roof include trees, pests, and harsh weather conditions such as rain or snow. This doesn’t mean that moss and algae are just to be ignored. Both of them need moisture in order to thrive, so if you spot any sign of them, you should consider getting your roof checked out. This is because your roof should not be retaining pools of water. Moss and algae growing suggests that there is enough water on the roof for them to thrive. This is not a good thing because pooled water can put pressure on your roof and eventually cause cracks and leaks and will require immediate roof repair. It also suggests that your gutter system isn’t working effectively, because a gutter is supposed to drain water away from the house. While you’re checking your roof, you should take a look at the gutter too. It might be as simple as simply lifting out some leaves to remove a blockage. What Causes Moss to Form on a Roof? Moss doesn’t simply grow out of nowhere. It exists in the form of spores (like mold inside the home) and travels from place to place using either wind or animals as its mode of transport. If it lands in an area which has all of the things it needs, it soon grows and spreads. Therefore, you know that if you can actually see the green fuzzy patches of moss on your roof, it is an ideal environment. The moss forms when there is excess moisture that doesn’t dry off after rain. This is a bad sign because it means there is a problem with your roof. It should be noted that moss prefers dark, damp areas, so you will find moss most often on the north facing side of your roof. This is because this is the area which gets the least sunlight. If you live in a sunny climate it is less likely that you will have to deal with the problems of moss. However, always exercise caution and don’t just assume you won’t get it. Even in warmer areas there is still rainfall, and there are always shady areas of a roof no matter where you are. How to Remove Moss There are a wide range of moss-removal products available in home improvement stores across the country. The good news is that you don’t have to spend a fortune on these expensive mixtures. You can make a simple homemade cleaner that will remove moss quickly and cheaply. All you have to do is mix good quality liquid chlorine bleach and water. Make sure the proportion is 50:50. Next, apply it to the roof (preferably with a sprayer for even coverage), leave for twenty minutes, and rinse off gently using low pressure water. Never wash a roof using a pressure washer. Use a standard hose or a bucket of water instead. That’s all there is to it! The Integrity of Your Home Moss and algae removal will help to keep your house in better condition. This is especially important during the colder seasons when the weather is more severe and your roof is really put to the test. Why not get up onto your roof now while it’s still warm and check to see if your roof needs cleaning, repair, or replacement before the cold weather sets in? Organizing and fixing things now (if necessary) will save you a lot of discomfort if you find yourself in a freezing house full of leaks come wintertime. Why Should You Remove Moss? Moss should be removed as soon as you spot it because it can cause shingles to curl. Curled shingles are more likely to be vulnerable to heavy winds. In more serious cases, moss can even cause the roof to leak by absorbing the water that should be drained off into the gutters. The heavy moss will then put pressure on the roof, and excess water can gain entry into your home. The Importance of Roof Maintenance Maintaining your roof is very important. It is the Rocky Balboa of your house, fighting off hazardous weathers and keeping the framework sturdy. Roof maintenance is beneficial for a number of reasons. Conducting occasional roof inspections help save you money, because you can address small issues immediately before they turn into bigger ones. There are a variety of ways to maintain your roof. Clearing debris regularly, evaluating the overall effectiveness of your roof by assessing its age and quality of material, inspecting your attic for holes and cracks, and hiring a professional roof repair contractor to conduct regular maintenance will all work wonders. Like anything in life, you get out what you put in. Neglecting your roof means it will be a poor investment that will not last as long as it should and will cause you extra money on regular repairs. Taking a small amount of time to look after it extends its life, avoids an expensive roof repair, and helps keep you and your family safe. Taking care of your home is essential in order to preserve a good quality of life. Looking after your roof is just one of the things you should do regularly around your home. Home life isn’t pleasant when you have to place pots and pans in every room to catch water. If you want to live in a dry, cosy home, be consistent about checking out the condition of your roof. Now that you’re on board with taking care of your home, you should note that there are still times when you should consult a professional roof repair contractor. Every housing material has a shelf life. Nothing lasts forever. If you’ve been living in your home for a while and the roof is still the same one as when you bought it, it’s time to start thinking about roof replacement. Here at Beyond Exteriors we pride ourselves on the work we do. We only use the very best materials supplied by leaders in the industry with solid reputations. You will never find us using a cheap material just to increase our profit margins. For us, it’s about the quality of the finished product. We are qualified roof repair contractors with vast experience who provide both roof repair and roof replacement.
These amazing birds feed on airborne insects so they have to follow the warm weather southwards every autumn. Swallows head for the southern tip of Africa for the winter. They make the return journey every spring arriving in April. When they arrive, their first priority is to find a nest site but, sadly, this is becoming harder as old buildings are demolished or repaired, farm buildings are secured or converted and some established nests are even deliberately removed in 'tidy-up' operations. Fortunately, Swallows will use a special open nest box in an enclosed area such as a porch or outbuilding. A Swallow Nest should be sited inside a building which allows easy access for the birds via an open door or window, such as a garage or outhouse. The male Swallow will circle above his chosen nest site, singing to attract a female. Fittings may vary to those shown. \|Suitable Bird Type\|\|Swallow\|
The benefits of social media as a tool for online communication – real-time discussion, becoming a new portal for breaking news – are evident. But what have the ramifications been? From the technical side, the old adage ‘too many cooks spoil the broth’ comes to mind. Plazus, a startup based in Vancouver, proffers that today’s social media platforms ‘are not equipped to manage large groups in an efficient and effective manner’, and that decentralisation is the way forward. “We have a second chance of re-imagining how we choose to communicate online,” the company writes in its mission statement. “Let’s work together to make the world a better place.” In the run up to Blockchain Expo Global, taking place in London from 25-26 April, The Block spoke with Galya Westler (left), founder and CEO at Plazus Technologies, on the company’s roadmap, as well as the benefits and challenges of current social communication. The Block: Hi Galya. How did the company come about and what were its primary influences? Galya Westler: Plazus started as a decentralised communication protocol to allow for business to broadcast their brand using customer loyalty methods where people’s actions would get rewarded with cryptocurrencies and conditions of the loyalty terms are done using smart contracts on Ethereum. Plazus also added blockchaindevelopment.agency as it’s development arm for integration projects and to help companies automate their business flows TB: How did you become interested in blockchain technologies – and why this route for your company? Was it a case of waiting for the right technology to make the most out of the idea or using the rise of blockchain as a springboard? GW: We always believed in the foundation of decentralisation, trust and removing middleman type behaviours. In late 2017 we faced with technical difficulties and limitation from Apple and Google to expand our customer loyalty native app tool, to solve that we looked for a robust tamper free technology that will fulfil our promise for a self-serve communication tool to allow brand followers to own, control, and monetise on their data. TB: What are the primary concerns you see with social platforms today? Do you agree with the ‘surveillance capitalism’ thesis put forward by Shusana Zuboff in her recent book? GW: When we implement customer loyalty using blockchain technology for businesses, our promise to our users is for them to own, control, and monetise on their data (in an answer to the Cambridge Analytica and Facebook scandal). With one of our use cases presented at the conference you will learn how big companies holding large amounts of financial and personal data are involving multiple participants such as advertisers in their ecosystem; [for example] a payment app that allows for students to get paid their scholarships with digital money in Mexico where there is a huge lack of trust in the banks. Using the Plazus decentralised tool, advertisers can target only relevant demographics of the users – e.g. “I am in my 30s, study software engineering and bought a Mac computer in the past 30 days.” Only specific data points are being exposed on an advertiser dashboard without linking it to the full users’ profile and only the pieces of demographics that are needed are shared by the user to the advertiser directly that pays them for their online attention. TB: What have customers and investors been saying about Plazus to date? GW: In our talk [on the 26th], you will also hear our customer John Ellis, head of Mauve Group, explain their challenges and how Plazus helps solve some of it when we present another use case of dealing with sensitive HR data and GDPR using blockchain technology. TB: What is the most interesting use case you have seen – personally or professionally – with blockchain technologies to date? GW: The most common well known one is of course Bitcoin, but an interesting one is for supply chain where Walmart now onboards all of their vendors to track their supply chain using IBM Hyperledger. Many more companies can and should implement that to positively impact their bottom line and create transparency to the way they do business. TB: What are you looking forward to most at Blockchain Expo and what are you hoping to get out of the event? GW: We are here to learn from other experts in the industry and look at other interesting use cases and present about our experiences helping businesses with customer loyalty, sensitive HR data and business wanting to overcome security gaps and automation of business flows using blockchain technology. TB: What does the roadmap look like for Plazus in the coming 12/18 months? GW: In 2019/20 we will be focusing on automation and building tools for small- medium sized businesses that offer their services on the blockchain without needing to have any technical skills and with simple drag and drop capabilities. For example, copyright on the blockchain is a huge topic right now. Imagine you create a song or a dance and post it online with the ability to have a blockchain watermark on it to protect your copyright asset online and to have proof in case someone tries to infringe such rights. Lawyers or other service providers can combine what they do today with their legal knowledge along with automatic proof using blockchain technology to add integrity and structure around their business value to their customers. Interested in hearing more in person? Find out more at the Blockchain Expo World Series, Global, Europe and North America.
According to historical records, a Jewish communtity including a Jewish Synagogue, existed from the 12th (Song-Dynasty) until the middle of the 19th century, in the old city of Kaifeng in the Henan province of China. Besides its long history, the Kaifeng Jewish Community had another conspicuous feature: although existing almost in isolation and without any contacts with the Jewish Diaspora outside China, it still managed to keep Jewish traditions and customs for hundreds of years. Up to the 17th century, the assimilation of the Kaifeng Jews intensified and escalated, and this was shown in changes to their religious and ritual customs, social and language traditions, as well as intermarriage with other ethnic groups, such as the Han-Chinese, the Hui- and the Manchu-Minorities in China. In 1860s, the Jewish Synagoge in Kaifeng collapsed from long neglect and disrepair. In the study, there will be analysed the current status of the descendants of the Kaifeng Jews in present modern Chinese society, which is heavily influenced by globalisation. The acception of the term "Youtai" even in personal family books shows that, under the current relatively liberal conditions, and through encouragement form contacts abroad, the descendants of the Kaifeng Jews may be looking for a new identity in order to develop themselves. An international symposium with guests from China, Israel and Great Britain is planned for the autumn of 2003. Duration of Funding: 2003 DFG-Förderung für integriertes Symposium 2003 Prof. Dr. Peter Kupfer (Angewandte Sprach- und Kulturwissenschaft) Prof. Dr. Roman Malek (Theologie) Naxin Wei (Chinesisch) Fricker, Silvia/ Peter Kupfer (2003): Youtai - Presence and Perception of Jews and Judaism in China. In: China heute 22. P. 204-208. KUPFER, PETER (Ed.) (2008): Youtai – Presence and Perception of Jews and Judaism in China. Frankfurt a. M. et al., 327 P. (= FASK Publikationen des Fachbereichs Angewandte Sprach- und Kulturwissenschaft der Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz in Germersheim, Reihe A, Bd. 47).
On this Spain and Portugal tour, enjoy sightseeing with a Local Guide—an expert in the city’s history and sights—in Lisbon, Seville, and Madrid. The included city tour focuses on the must-see sights, including Seville's 15th-century Cathedral of St. Mary, built on a former mosque and housing 80 chapels and the longest nave in Spain, and Lisbon's Belem Tower, a UNESCO World Heritage Site built around 1514 to commemorate the expedition of Vasco de Gama and to defend the port of Lisbon. Today, it is a reminder of Portugal's Golden Age. In Madrid, you will see the Puerta del Sol – the “gate of the sun” – and admire the impressive architecture of the wide alleys crossing the city centre. Arrive in Madrid, Spain. Check into your hotel. The rest of the day is free for you to start exploring lively Madrid. Tonight, meet your Tour Director and fellow travelers. Madrid – Avila – Salamanca – Coimbra, Portugal. Spend some time to visit fortified Ávila, then on to Salamanca. Make sure you spend some time wandering around Salamanca’s Plaza Mayor, considered the most beautiful square in Spain. Journey into the valley of the Serra da Estrela on your way to Coimbra. Coimbra – Fátima – Obidos – Lisbon. Enjoy an orientation tour of Coimbra, strategically situated on a hill overlooking the Mondego River. Continue to Fátima to see the SANCTUARY, a famous pilgrimage site where the Virgin Mary’s appeared to three shepherd children—Francisco, Jacinth, and Lucia—on May 13, 1917. On to Obidos, a fortified city still flanked by towers and bastions overlooking the countryside dotted with windmills. Overnight in Lisbon. Henry the Navigator made Lisbon the 15th-century “Mistress of the Seas.” You’ll see his monument, the Belem Tower, the Moorish Citadel, the impressive Black Horse Square, and other highlights on the guided city tour. Spend the afternoon at leisure in the Alfama’s tile-decorated streets, or discover the Estoril Coast to Cascais and Sintra by joining our optional excursion. Lisbon – Seville. Drive into the Alentejo through the countryside, famous for its production of cork. Cross the border at Vila Verde into Spain and journey into Andalusia, enjoying quite different scenery as you skirt the Sierra de Aracena before reaching delightful Seville. Seville is one of Spain’s most colorful cities. Enjoy an included sightseeing tour with all the main highlights of this vibrant city. Seville – Cordoba – Madrid. Drive north towards Carmona, an Old-World country town dominated by an ancient Alcazar (fortress), to Cordoba. This is Spain’s most Moorish city with its great mosque, which is rightly known as one of Islam’s greatest pieces of architecture outside the Arab world and a Catholic cathedral since 1236. Later, into the very heart of La Mancha, famed for its castles and windmills. This evening, why not join the optional Madrid by Night excursion with dinner? This morning, enjoy free time in Madrid, or join the rewarding optional trip to Toledo. The splendid setting of this old walled city above the Tagus was made famous in El Greco’s painting—even now, it’s like a great open-air museum of Spanish history and art. Later, join the included Madrid city sightseeing. Not only because it’s the capital of Spain but also because it is situated 2,180 feet above sea level, the Spaniards say it’s the nearest thing to Heaven. Your vacation ends with breakfast this morning. Validity: Until March 2019
The sister parish of St. Paul Catholic Church in Highland, St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church, dodged Hurricane Matthew, but the intense rain has flooding its town in Haiti. “They are doing pretty good. If you’re looking at a map of Haiti, look at southwestern peninsula. That’s where the bulk of the damage was,” said Shelly Sands, president of the charity Missions International and a member of the St. Paul’s Sister Parish Committee. “Gonaives is up further north. It’s kind of a part of the island that sticks out.” St. Charles is located in Gonaives, which is experiencing intense flooding in the aftermath of the hurricane. The flood waters have destroyed crops and are putting the residents at risk for disease. “They are afraid now that there will be an issue of clean water, which can cause diseases and possibly more deaths,” Sands said. “Communicating with them is not easy.” Hurricane Matthew was a Category 4 hurricane when it smashed into Haiti and had sustained winds of up to 140 mph. Matthew destroyed homes, orphanages, and businesses. Sands said her primary means of communication has been the “Whatsapp” app, which allows users to text without paying for SMS. “I spoke with Father Belix Michel through email, and (he said) they are all safe and fine,” Sands said. The other person she’s been speaking to through the app is one of the parish nuns. “People have called to see if they need anything. Currently, they are needing medicine and food, because the crops that were there were devastated,” Sands said. “And they need medicine for the diseases with the water.” Sands is trying to figure out the best way to make that happen. Her organization, Missions International, focuses on “establishing churches, orphanages, medical clinics, and homes among the unreached people groups of Central America, South America, Africa, and Southeast Asia,” according to their website. Sands said if anyone wants to donate, donations should be made through Missions International, instead of through St. Paul. “One hundred percent of the donations will go toward helping the church in Haiti,” she said. “That’s guaranteed, but that’s about all people here can do right now.” For more information on how you can help, check out the website Missionsinternational.org.
I absolutely love this picture posted by Train and Change on their Instagram. Of course I laughed at first, but then the lawyer inside of me soon took over as I interpreted it. Many people see boxing as simply just punching, fighting someone else. When I box, I don't see it as "fighting" another person, but fighting everything that life has thrown at me that day. A stress reliever, a focus and a great way to release negativity. To me boxing is a discipline. I love that it requires concentration and therefore enables me to drown out everything that is going on around me. It's easy enough to get on a treadmill and run, but are you really relieving stress? Your mind is still going ten to the dozen. Imagine being in a ring instead. Ever notice how boxers don't just throw punches? The whole body moves as they swing a punch. The strength of the punch is not just about how strong you are, but the way you manage the movement from your feet upwards. What about the way boxers move, never crossing their feet over to always maintain balance? How about the way they move their head anticipating their opponent's moves ready to defend or find a gap; every move is calculated. I can't sing or dance, but I can fight: I can fight negativity, I can release stress and I can learn abit of self defence as I go. The end result? I feel amazing! At Breakfast by Bella, we are very excited to get stuck into Train and Change's 10 week training program which teaches boxing as a discipline and as a method for fitness. More information coming soon...stay tuned! In the meantime, for more information on Train and Change, head to their website: www.trainandchange.com.
President Donald Trump confirmed Wednesday that he refused a meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at the United Nations General Assembly over Canada’s refusal to negotiate their high tariffs on dairy products. “Did you reject a one-on-one meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau?” Fox Business reporter Susan Lee asked Trump in a press conference at the United Nations General Assembly in New York. “Yeah I did,” president Trump answered. Lee asked, “Why?” “Cause his tariffs are too high and he doesn’t seem to want to seem to want to move and I’ve told him forget about it and frankly we’re thinking about just taxing cars coming in from Canada. That’s the mother lode. That’s the big one,” Trump explained. He said the U.S. is “very unhappy with the negotiations and the negotiating style of Canada. We don’t like their representative very much.” Trump called Mexico “great” as the two countries have come to a trade deal agreement. He lauded U.S. Trade Representative Bob Lighthizer’s negotiating then turned back to Canada. “Canada has treated us very badly. They’re treated our farmers in Wisconsin, and New York state, and a lot of other states very badly,” he said, citing 300 percent Canadian tariffs on dairy products. “How do you sell a dairy product at 300 percent? The answer is, you don’t.” He called the tariffs a barrier. “So Canada has a long way to go.” President Trump said the U.S. is not getting along with the Canadian negotiators “at all.” He said the U.S. team thinks the Canadian “negotiators have taken advantage of our country for a long time.” He said previous U.S. negotiators “didn’t know what they were doing.” He said that’s why the U.S. had an average eight hundred billion dollars a year in trade losses over five or six years. “It’s ridiculous. It’s not going to happen.” “What does that mean for NAFTA? Will you be pulling out of NAFTA?” the reporter followed up. “I don’t like NAFTA. I never liked it. It’s been very bad for the United States. It’s been great for Canada. It’s been great for Mexico. Very bad for us,” said Trump, who refused to use the name NAFTA for a new deal. “I’ve seen thousands of plants and factories close. I’ve seen millions of jobs lost to oil companies that moved. I mean Mexico has 25 percent of our oil business now because of NAFTA,” said Trump. “Under our deal, not going to happen anymore.” Trump said he told Mexico that the U.S. has to “keep companies,” but Mexico is also getting a lot in the new U.S.-Mexico trade deal. “Mexico made a very good deal. But with Canada it’s very tough,” he continued. “What we’re doing is if we made a deal with Canada, which is a good chance still, but I’m not making anything near what they want to do. It wouldn’t be fair.” President Trump suggested that a potential U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade deal could be called USMC. “But it will probably or possibly be just USM,” he said suggesting it will likely only include the U.S. and Mexico. “Canada will come along,” said Trump who added that if they don’t make a deal, the U.S. will “make a much better deal” by taxing Canadian auto exports to the U.S. He resolved, “We will put billions and billions of dollars into our treasury and frankly, we’ll be very happy because it’s actually more money than you can make under any circumstance with making a deal.”
A scuba-diving Santa Claus entertained visitors by taking the plunge at Bristol Aquarium this week. The fearless Father Christmas braved shark-infested tropical waters at the Harbourside attraction to bring a bit of seasonal goodwill to all men (and fish). The sub-aquatic Saint Nick shared the giant tropical ocean display with a variety of sharks, rays and hundreds of brightly coloured reef fish. Bristol Aquarium’s David Waines said: “Submerged in a giant fish tank surrounded by curious sharks may not be the first place you’d expect to encounter Father Christmas. “It just goes to show there really isn’t anywhere Santa can’t go – and it’s certainly a lot warmer than the North Pole! “We’re not sure if it’s because of his bright red coat but the sharks and other fish did seem to be rather curious and about the new arrival and tended to follow him around the display which made for some spectacularly close encounters for Santa,” he added. The aquarium will also be offering visitors a temporary escape from the wintry weather with a special Caribbean Christmas event over the festive period. The Harbourside attraction has decided to forego the traditional English Christmas themes of ice and snow and elected instead to transport their festivities to warmer climes. A medley of steel drum Christmas carols will be playing and younger visitors will be able to their hand at some Caribbean Christmas decoration making. The aquarium is also setting up a 12 Fishy Days of Christmas trail around the displays. Based on the famous yuletide rhyme, the fishy version includes everything from ‘a puffer fish in a coral tree’ to ‘seven seahorse swimming’! COOKIES POLICY \|
Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.Join Britannica's Publishing Partner Program and our community of experts to gain a global audience for your work! Battle of the Neva Battle of the Neva, (July 15, 1240), military engagement in which the Novgorod army defeated the Swedes on the banks of the Neva River; in honour of this battle the Novgorod commander, Prince Alexander Yaroslavich, received the surname Nevsky. The conflict between the Swedes and the Novgorodians was based largely on Swedish efforts to expand into northwestern Russia and to force the conversion of the Russians from Greek Orthodoxy to Roman Catholicism. Calculating that the Mongol conquest of Russia (1240) had deprived Novgorod of military support from other Russian cities, the Swedes, led by Earl Birger, landed at the Neva’s mouth and attempted to block Novgorod’s approach to the Baltic Sea. Alexander led an army against them and destroyed most of the Swedish force. Birger sailed back to Finland with the few Swedish survivors. Learn More in these related Britannica articles: Veliky Novgorod, (Russian: Novgorod the Great) city and administrative centre of Novgorod oblast(region), northwestern Russia, on the Volkhov River just below its outflow from Lake Ilmen. Veliky Novgorod (commonly shortened to Novgorod) is one of the oldest Russian cities, first mentioned in chronicles of 859. In 882… Saint Alexander Nevsky Saint Alexander Nevsky, prince of Novgorod (1236–52) and of Kiev (1246–52) and grand prince of Vladimir (1252–63), who halted the…
On this page - Managing various social media channels successfully - Dealing with negative feedback or complaints - Improving your keywords and SEO It's now standard practice for businesses and brands of all sizes to have a social media presence – but one of the ongoing stumbling blocks is how to manage various social channels successfully. Having to create and manage meaningful content for distribution via specific social media channels such as Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn can seem daunting, but being aware of few key principles will help you stay on top of your management. Monitor and listen Being active on social networks doesn't always mean talking and engaging with others – monitoring the conversation is also important: - It helps your business keep an eye out for opportunities to connect with others and offer help or advice when needed. - It alerts you to any 'red flags' or emerging issues that might affect your brand, such as a customer criticism or complaint. Deal with criticism and complaints Many businesses are hesitant to join social networks because they're concerned someone might say something negative about them. The truth is, if someone is unhappy with your business, they'll air their grievances on social media whether you're on it or not. If you're active on social networking sites – and you're monitoring the conversation that's going on around your brand, positively or negatively – you'll be in a strong position to do something about it. Because many business-customer exchanges take place publicly on social networks – and in full view of people who use the site – how you deal with criticism will determine the outcome of the situation. Below are some tips to help you manage a potentially negative situation better: - The purpose of a business being on social media is to engage with the public and encourage comments, rather than close people down. - Acknowledge the person's question, concern or criticism and make sure you do this in a timely manner. - If you haven't got all the information at hand, tell them that – let the person know you'll look into the matter right away and get back to them as soon as possible. - Add to the dialogue – this could be by providing another resource, asking a relevant question or adding thoughts of your own. - Always be professional, friendly and understanding without being patronising or critical – put yourself 'in the shoes' of the customer and remember your behaviour is a reflection of your brand. Good timing and scheduling Social media marketing takes time and effort if you want to do it properly and with purpose. Being an active member of the online social community requires you: - to engage with your audience regularly - to listen, monitor, respond - to add value. There are a number of ways to streamline your involvement. Free and paid tools such as Saleforce and Hootsuite provide opportunities to publish and schedule your content to various social channels, and to manage conversations that occur around your brand or business online. Know your keywords & improve Search Engine Optimisation Google favours content that is high quality and relevant. I's important that you publish content that people are interested in, that they'll link to and share with others via social networks. When people link and share information, Google takes these back links as a sign that the content has 'authority' and ranks it favourably for the keywords and search strings contained within it. - What are the keywords and phrases (search strings) you want your business to be known for? - What are the questions your customers are Googling? Start strategically and consistently adding these words and phrases to the content you produce and share, marking it up in your content marketing plan. Find out more about improving your SEO and keyword research. Google Garage offers free training to help you make the most of online opportunities including modules to decide what social media platforms are right for your business, set goals, get noticed on social media, measure your success and avoid pitfalls.
On this page - Define your goals - Understand metrics that measure online success - Analyse customer behaviour online As every business website is different, so are the metrics that measure success. What's considered successful for one site may be be seen as failure for another. To measure your own site's success, it's important you first understand and define what success is to you. Define your goals What do you want your website to achieve? Some common goals include: - selling your products - promoting your business and building brand awareness - attracting new customers and increase engagement. Clearly defining your goals, and listing these in your marketing plan is key to defining and measuring your site's success. If you want to focus specifically on your online goals, consider developing a digital strategy. Metrics for measurement Web analytic tools can help you keep track of how your customers are interacting with your site. They also provide insight into what's working well, and what might need some tweaking. Here are some metrics that you can use to track use of your site. If what you're trying to achieve relates to providing information, communicating a story and increasing the awareness of your brand, then your success metrics may be more concerned with the engagement level of your customers, for example how engaged they are with the content on your site. Some engagement metrics include: - time spent on page - time spent on site - pages per visit. Revisit your objectives and understand whether your content needs to be changed if people: - aren't visiting a particular page - aren't staying long - are exiting your website from that page. If your goal or objective is to make a sale, then you'll have a 'call to action' that leads the customer to take action and buy an item, or book an appointment. When measuring conversion, you're essentially looking at when your customers click or buy, taking action. You could also track: - a completed form - a sign up or subscription to a newsletter - downloaded tools, such as a tax calculator. A better way to understand conversion metrics is by using free online tools such as Google Analytics. Tips: Improve your website copywriting 'There's a time and a place for long sentences - and it's not on your website homepage.'Amanda Gonzalez, Untangle the Web Read more about how to Improve your website homepage copywriting
The world celebrated Earth Day on April 22, marking the birth of the modern environmental movement in 1970. It's a good time to think about how we can protect our planet. Luckily, Netflix is packed with nature documentaries to inspire you to become more environmentally-savvy. From David Attenborough's landmark "Planet Earth" series to oceanographer Sylvia Earle's campaign to save the world's oceans, here are 11 of the best nature documentaries on Netflix for you to session this weekend. This documentary follows oceanographer Sylvia Earle's campaign to save the world's oceans from threats such as overfishing and toxic waste. Learn how factory farming is decimating the planet's natural resources and why this crisis has been largely ignored by major environmental groups. Environmental photographer James Balog deploys time-lapse cameras to capture a multi-year record of the world's changing glacier. This landmark series transports nature lovers from the Himalayas to the depths of the ocean and everywhere in between. A team of top scientists explores the fastest warming place on Earth, as they examine the rapidly melting ice sheet of the West Antarctic Peninsula. Filmed over the course of four years, this environmental documentary series looks at the complex ecological challenges facing the planet. When he discovers the world's oceans brimming with plastic waste, a documentary filmmaker investigates the environmental impacts of pollution. Discover the glorious variety of life on Earth and the spectacular and extraordinary tactics animals and plants have developed to stay alive. A look at the deeply intertwined history of humanity and freshwater reveals looming challenges that could upend power structures around the world. This documentary examines the world's diet and points to food choices as the culprits for declining health as well as a major cause of climate change. Trace one man's involvement in the Earth Liberation Front, a radical environmental group that the FBI has deemed a top domestic terrorist threat.
The world is turning against soda. Governments around the world have been trying to convince citizens to drink less soda by making it more difficult — or at least, more expensive — for consumers to get their sugary caffeine fix. As a result, soda giants like PepsiCo and Coke are making major changes to soda products and diversifying their offerings outside of sugary drinks. Most recently, Philadelphia is on the cusp of becoming the first major American city to begin taxing soda. On Wednesday, the City Council voted to pass a tax increase of 1.5 cents per ounce of sugar-added and artificially sweetened soft drinks. If the beverage tax is officially passed next week, it's expected to raise approximately $91 million over the next year. While Philadelphia would be the first major American city to successfully pass an overarching, anti-soda tax, it's far from the first to try. In fact, cities across the US and countries around the world are exploring the option to tax soda to decrease obesity, with the cost falling on both consumers buying sugary drinks as well as companies that sell them. Berkeley, California is one of the few American cities with an existing policy, passed in 2014 and going into effect in May 2015. The city imposed a penny-per-ounce tax on sugar-sweetened beverages, meaning if a distributor, like a convenience store, bought a 20-ounce bottle of Coke to sell to consumers,the store would pay an extra 20 cents, and presumably, pass that charge on to consumers to make up the cost. In its first year, the city collected $1.2 million from the tax. In the US, however, cities' failures to tax soda outnumber the successes. And even when the laws do pass, their effectiveness is debated. For example, according to a study by the Cornell-University of Iowa, Berkley's tax raised retail prices less than half of the amount expected. Retailers were likely willing to swallow the cost instead of raising the price of soda, which could turn off customers. As a result, the tax did little to convince consumers to drink less sugary beverages. "This is important because the point of the tax was to make sugar-sweetened beverages more expensive so consumers would buy, and drink, less of them," Cornell economist John Cawley said in a statement on the study's findings. Efforts abroad have seen more success. Various types of soda taxes have already been passed in countries including France, Hungary, and Mexico. A 10% tax on sugar-sweetened beverages in Mexico in January 2014, which made soda more expensive for consumers, was associated with a 12% reduction in sales of taxed drinks. While critics have said that the reduction isn't enough to significantly impact consumers' health, it was enough to cause concern for soda giants attempting to grow their sales in the country. Increasing prices may convince consumers to cut down on their soda intake slightly but likely not enough to cause a huge change to their health. Cutting into soda makers' sales, however, is already convincing Coke and Pepsi to make some major nutritional changes. The UK, for example, is taking the corporation-centric approach more directly with a new policy that taxes soda-makers based on their sugar content that will be introduced in September 2017. By targeting soda giants, not consumers, the tax puts the onus on companies to revamp recipes — not customers to cut soda out of their diet. Big soda's reaction Unsurprisingly, the soda industry isn't pleased with efforts to turn customers away from sugary beverages. The American Beverage Association, the industry's main lobby group, has already invested millions of dollars fighting laws to tax and label sugary beverages. Per capita soda sales have dropped 25% since 1998, but the number of bottles and cans purchased is still rising. As consumers have become more nutritionally-savvy, many have cut soda consumption without government intervention. Adding soda taxes are simply another step in the battle between the soda business and nutrition advocates. So far, soda giants are trying to recoup lost sales in two ways: convincing consumers that sweet sodas are okay to drink, as well as investing outside of traditional sugary drinks. If soda companies want to convince people to continue to drink soda, they need to cut down on sugar and calories. To start, the American Beverage Association has promised to cut calories by 20% by 2015. One way to do that is by making serving sizes smaller, essentially making more money by selling less soda — and reducing the impact of taxes in areas taxing sugary drinks by the ounce. "The consumer is moving to smaller packages," Sandy Douglas said in a Morgan Stanley Global Consumer and Retail Conference in November. "A 12-ounce can traded to a 7-ounce can is a 30% reduction in volume, but it's an increase in revenue." Convincing people to buy soda in smaller cans — essentially, paying more for less soda — isn't enough though. Increasingly, soda giants are diversifying and investing in healthier options that won't be affected by sugar taxes. PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi said in April that less than 25% of the company's global sales are from soda . Rather, the company is focusing on healthy snacks and non-carbonated beverages — a process the company calls "future-proofing." Coke is in a similar situation, announcing in April that sales of "still" beverages, including water and Minute Maid, had increased 7% . Its packaged-water volume increased in the double digits in the first quarter of 2016, outpacing increases in other healthier ready-to-drink options, like sports drinks (7%) and tea (2%). "Over the last 15 years, we've gone from still being a single-digit part of our portfolio to now over 25% of our portfolio," Coca-Cola COO James Quincey said of non-carbonated offerings in an earnings call in April. "We expect to continue to grow faster in stills ... and we'll continue to look for acquisitions to accelerate our growth." As consumers continue to cut soda out of their diets and governments around the world push to cut sugar even more, expect much of that growth to be in bottled water, sports drinks, and juice— not the sodas that made Coke and Pepsi famous.
North Korea has just started publishing its official newspaper, Rodong Sinmum, online. Like everything about North Korea, it's weirdly compelling: You don't know whether to be delighted, saddened or angry at what passes for media in the hermit kingdom. The headlines in the "Newspaper of the workers" seem to be emanating from an alternative reality. Here's a sample: - "Stone Processing Industry of DPRK with Promising Future" - "Kim Jong Un Sends Books to Grand People's Study House" - "150 000 Cubic Meters of Earth Blasted" - "University Students Conduct Socio-Political Activities at Power Complex" - "Natural Stones and Patriotism" We have Lyndsay Lohan, they have earth-moving news, I guess. Both are pure PR, of course. The image above is from their front-page scoop, "Kim Jong Un Inspects Construction Projects Undertaken by KPA."
7 Peaceful Protests From History That Made A Real, Tangible Difference The 2016 election season brought out the worst in some and the best in others — and both in the aftermath of Nov. 8 and now on Inauguration Day, groups of people have gathered in every corner of the nation to protest. But while yelling and shouting may seem effective (and sometimes, they are), don't let anyone tell you that quiet but passionate gatherings don't leave a mark. There are numerous peaceful protests from history that made a difference, and we're still talking about many of them today. In fact, I think that the peaceful protests are largely more effective: There's something uncannily powerful about a group of people fighting for what they believe in — without actually fighting. It goes back to the comforting saying that has become particularly famous as of late: Love trumps hate. You can't conquer fear with fear. Negativity with negativity. Anger with anger. Love, passion, understanding, forgiveness — these are the traits that drown out all of the bad. Whether you're going to the Women's March this weekend, participating in any of the other protests happening across the country or the world, or gearing up for the next four years, remember this: If you think that the only way to get through to your "opponents" is to be bigger, louder, meaner, these peaceful protests from history might convince you otherwise. 1. The Montgomery Bus Boycott This was one peaceful protest that came down to the simple act of refusing to ride the city buses of Montgomery, Ala from Dec. 5, 1995, to Dec. 20, 1956. Those who participated did it to protest segregated seating. It's considered the first large-scale protest against segregation that happened in the country. Just four days prior to the boycott beginning, Rosa Parks had been arrested and fined after refusing to give her seat up to a white man. Ultimately, the Supreme Court ordered the city to integrate the bus system. The protest also brought into the spotlight one of the Civil Rights movement's leaders: A gentleman by the name of Martin Luther King, Jr. 2. The "Lactivists" Although it makes zero sense, public breastfeeding remains a topic of controversy (because some people just can't handle the idea of boobs, apparently). But Brooke Ryan is helping change that. In 2007, she was sitting in the back booth of a restaurant breastfeeding her seven-month-old when a manager allegedly asked her to cover up — a violation of the law. (It's Not long after, women in 30 states held "nurse-ins," breastfeeding in plain sight. It worked. The restaurant released a statement saying, "This situation has provided an opportunity for us to work with our associates to ensure we’re making nursing mothers feel welcome. ... We will also accommodate other guests who would be more comfortable moving to another area of the restaurant." 3. Tree Sitters in Pureora In 1978, the deforestation of the Pureora forest in New Zealand had finally upset one too many people. To protest the deforestation, they went into the forest, built tree houses, and refused to leave them. The deforestation couldn't continue with people amongst the trees. But was it successful long term? It sure was. The government permanently stopped all logging operations, and the area was turned into a park. The Pureora tree sitters also inspired other similar events against deforestation. 4. The Suffrage Parade Lawyer Inez Milholland Boissevain led more than 5,000 people down Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C. on March 3, 1913. This became one of the most monumental events in granting the right for women to vote, and the National American Woman Suffrage Association raised more than $14,000 to fund it. While a woman's right to vote wasn't granted until seven years later with the passing of the 19th amendment, this peaceful parade is still considered pivotal in the final decision. 5. I Have A Dream It was on Aug. 28. 1963 when more than 200,000 people gathered around the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. They were there to protest segregation and demand equal rights for all. Martin Luther King, Jr. made his infamous "I have a dream" speech, and the peaceful protest, in large part, sparked a change in the nation, passionately reminding us that all people are created equal — full stop. 6. Gandhi’s Salt March British rule previously said that Indians couldn't collect or sell salt — but that all changed in 1930, when Mahatma Gandhi rounded up a group of supporters to march 240 miles from his ashram to the Arabian Sea. The group grew bigger than they ever imagined. They collected salt from the ocean, and more than 60,000 people were arrested. They continued the protest until Gandhi was given bargaining rights during a negotiation in London. India didn't see freedom for another 17 years, but it helped make Gandhi a leader, as well as an inspiration for future peaceful protesters like MLK. 7. The Singing Revolution Estonia wanted to get out from under the rule of the Soviet Union, so they sang their way out. In 1988, 100,000 people came together for five nights, using singing and music to celebrate their culture and further establish their solidarity and independence. They had been under Soviet rule for decades; but in 1991, they regained their independence.
Ma’aden, the “largest mine” in the Arabian Gulf, is a “Saudi Arabian Mining Company”, which were looking to grow on an international scale in May 2018, especially in its “phosphate and fertilisers business”, whereby the C.E.O of the company, Khalid bin Saleh Al Mudaifer had said: “We have still unexplored and great opportunities in Saudi Arabia. The other is our global presence where we grow outside Saudi Arabia. We have one of the largest phosphate resources in the world now. So we want to make sure we can grow it internationally.” The company is into gold mining in the areas while it has also been into bauxite mining. Additionally, the company wanted to venture then into “base metals”. In the field of oil export, Saudi Arabia is the top exporter in the global list, besides the country also harbours “some of the world’s highest reserves” which is estimated to be “three billion tonnes or more”. While, Ma’aden was eyeing the “key consuming markets” under its “overseas expansion” strategy and Mr Al Mudaifer added: “Wherever is a good mining source, we would like [to be there] and for fertilisers we would like to be in the main regions of consumption, which is the Americas and Asia”. However, at that point he did give out any information about the possibilities of the company exploring Saudi Arabian uranium, although he stated that Ma’aden kept itself open for getting into “any mining business” with potential. Saudi Arabia has targeted an “ambitious” goal of bringing online sixteen nuclear reactors by the year of 2030, while the country has also explored “sourcing the metal used to develop nuclear fuel domestically”. Ma’aden leads Sabic, the “lead of fellow Saudi conglomerate” and it has stated that the company were carrying out talks of growing together. Mr Al Mudaifer, however, did not give any specific information. Nevertheless, he talked about the “firm’s $7bn joint venture” in the phosphate production “with the chemicals giant”, wherein there were “grounds for continued discussions on partnerships”. Even back in the year of 2009, Ma’aden paved the way for future partnership outside the country as it took on the “joint venture” of mining bauxite with “US-based aluminium producer Alcoa”. Talking about the sanctions imposed by the U.S. President, Mr Al Mudaifer said: “The sanctions are short-term and in the longer term there is a good drive for demand”. While, he also added further: “We have very highly leveraged balance sheets and we’re reducing our cash generations. We’re now in the market and we have completed sukuk issuance for phosphate and [its refinancing]”. In a recent turn of event, it was reported that Ma’aden is collaborating with “financial advisers” like “Michael Klein”, while it continues to restructure the company’s balance sheet and looking ahead for “potential acquisitions”. Mr Klein is an ex-investment banker for Citigroup. He is currently running his “own boutique advisory firm”. Similarly, HSBC Holdings is advising on its capital market plans, while JP Morgan Chase is helping the mining major to identify potential deal opportunities”, stated thenational.ae. Ma’aden has captured Saudi Arabia’s attention, as the latter counts the former among its “so-called national champions”, while there are plans of boosting its “international competitiveness and profile”. In its international expansion strategy, acquisitions and merger takes the front seat, as told by the former C.E.O.
- System Design and Verification (273) - Custom IC - Analog - RF Design (145) - Digital Design and Signoff (144) - PCB Design and Analysis (133) - Simulation and Testbench Verification (63) - Palladium XP Series (63) - IC Package Design and Analysis (55) - Innovus Implementation System (54) - Incisive Enterprise Simulator (50) - Silicon Signoff (47) - Incisive Specman Elite (47) - Palladium Z1 Series (46) - Tempus Timing Signoff Solution (41) - Acceleration and Emulation (40) - Quantus QRC Extraction (38) - PCB Layout (37) - Protium FPGA-Based Prototyping Platform (35) - Circuit Design (35) - Formal and Static Verification (34) - Incisive vManager Solution (34) - Allegro PCB Designer (33) - Virtuoso Layout Suite (33) - Sigrity SystemSI (32) - Voltus IC Power Integrity Solution (29) - Circuit Simulation (29) - Block Implementation (29) - Library Characterization (28) - SI PI Analysis Integrated Solution (28) - Virtuoso Analog Design Environment (27) - Virtuoso ADE Product Suite (27) - SpeedBridge Adapters (26) - SI PI Analysis integrated solution (26) - Genus Synthesis Solution (26) - Flows SDV (25) - Modus Test Solution (25) - Sigrity PowerSI (24) - Synthesis (24) - Virtuoso Liberate MX (23) - FPGA-based Prototyping (23) - JaperGold Verification Platform (22) - 測試 (22) - Sigrity SPEED2000 (21) 3,977 Result(s) Found How Virtuoso Layout Suite for Electrically Aware Design Solves the Problems of Layout, Design, and Verification of Analog Blocks Shivam Kalla and Shashank Chaturvedi of STMicroelectronics discuss how the Cadence® Virtuoso® Layout Suite for Electrically Aware Design (EAD) helps to solve the challenges of layout, design, and verificat... 19 Jul 2019 When it comes to designing and verifying aerospace- and military-grade applications, the stakes are even higher given their mission-critical nature. You need to ensure rock-solid systems security, comply w... 18 Jul 2019 These Design Technology License Terms and Conditions (“Terms”) apply to Orders for Designs from Cadence Design Systems, Inc., a Delaware company, having a principal place of … Frank Schirrmeister from Cadence Design Systems presents in the US Pavillion at the 53rd Paris International Airshow on 20th June 2019 promoting Cadence solutions for Intelligent System Design in Aerospace... 17 Jul 2019 Cadence today announced delivery of the Accellera Portable Test and Stimulus Specification (PSS) 1.0-compliant implementation of the popular Cadence Perspec System Methodology Library (SML) and methodology... 17 Jul 2019 Methods2Business explains how a unique SystemC-based design methodology greatly helped them to develop, verify and test a complete family of fully integrated MAC and baseband IPs for the new Wi-Fi standard... 15 Jul 2019 Melexis Time-of-Flight (TOF) automotive 3-D image sensor was analyzed with Cadence® Voltus™-Fi Solution to visualize the electro migration on the power line. The sensor features 320x240 pixels resulting in... 11 Jul 2019 Learn how Ericsson is using Virtual Platforms powered by Cadence to develop software for the base stations that empower our day to day phone calls, as early as possible, well before actual hardware is avai... 11 Jul 2019 Stuart Riches from Arm, gives a short review of the challenges faced in 1999 when the first ASIC revolution began and how it led the way to addressing emerging markets especially in the mobile industry. He... 11 Jul 2019 The Cadence Emulation Development Kit (EDK) is a pre-configured off-the-shelf solution that allows users to validate their systems and co-verify hardware and software in a pre-silicon environment.
Homesickness can happen to anyone, whether you absolutely love everything about your college experience or you’re having a little trouble fitting in. No matter when those homesick feelings hit, however, you can deal with them without letting them ruin your day or your week. Find out how to cope with homesickness while away at college, whether you moved across the state or across the country. Turn Your Room into Your Home Your dorm room might not have any personality when you first move in. That doesn’t mean it has to be an unfamiliar space for the whole year, though. Start by hanging up photos of your friends, family, and pets. Leave room for photos of your new college friends so you can celebrate everything that makes you who you are. Sprinkle mementos from your hometown around your space, and connect with new friends by sharing hometown stories with each other. Make a Point of Socializing You might be tempted to hide in your room and dwell on your loneliness when homesickness strikes. Make a point of getting out and spending time with friends and classmates instead. Sure, your new college friends don’t know you as well as your high school friends do. Maybe you haven’t found the perfect study spot or a coffee shop where the baristas have your order memorized. Remember that when you make the most of your new living situation, it will feel familiar and homelike sooner. In high school, the timeline for connecting with classmates often seems very firm. It isn’t always easy to make new friends or join a different group after the first few weeks of school. In college, the timing isn’t nearly as strict. In fact, you can join clubs, connect with new people, and expand your social circle all year-round. If you haven’t made the perfect group of friends in the first week or two, you still have plenty of time. Stay in Touch Going to college can mean a lot of adjustments for you and your high school friends. Just because you’re all busy with school and dealing with big changes doesn’t mean you can’t be there for each other, though. Try scheduling a FaceTime date or a chat session once a week so you can catch up and offer moral support. You’ll be able to maintain the connections that are important to you and get the support you need while still building an awesome college life. It isn’t unusual to feel alone in your homesick state, especially if you haven’t told anyone how you feel. Keeping it to yourself is bound to make you feel worse, so let your new friends know how you’re doing. Rather than looking for commiseration, make it clear that you’re looking for fun new activities to help you feel more at home. Chances are that your new friends know just how you feel and they, too, could use some help adjusting to college life. No matter how much you love where you came from, remember that home is where you make it. Use these tips to stay true to yourself while embracing your new home away from home.
RONALD REAGAN PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY Step Inside the Real Air Force One Canoga Hotel is just a quick 30-minute drive (22 miles) from the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library. The final resting place of the 40th President of the United States, Ronald Reagan, the library is a popular attraction that features several unique exhibits that coverage Reagan’s entire life from childhood to the presidency as well as a full-size Air Force One. When it opened the Reagan Library was the largest of all the presidential libraries at 153,000 square feet, plus a 90,000 square foot Air Force One Pavilion. The library is the repository of presidential records for Reagan’s administration including 50 million pages of presidential documents, over 1.6 million photographs, a half-million feet of motion picture film and thousands of audio and video tapes. The library also houses personal papers including documents from Reagan’s eight years as Governor of California.
Scaling and Preparing Your Deep-Sea Fishing Catches On a deep sea fishing excursion, in addition to enjoying a day out on the water, you will also get to come home with fresh fish ready to cook up for dinner. This fish will be fresher than you can get in any store, but enjoying it will involve a few extra steps beyond what you may be used to. Follow these processes to cook up your catch. Scaling your fish can seem intimidating, but it’s really one of the easiest steps in the process. Make sure you have a flat, clean surface and a sturdy knife. Take the back edge of the knife and use it to scrape the scales off in smooth, long strokes, moving from head to tail. The areas around the fins can be the hardest, since the fins are often sharp, so proceed with caution. The back edge of the knife makes it less likely that you will carve away the flesh in the process of scaling the fish, but you can use the sharp edge carefully in stubborn spots. Once you have repeated the process on both sides of the fish, rinse it thoroughly in fresh water. Gutting is the messiest part of cleaning the fish. Start with the knife at the rear of the fish, and cut along the belly towards the head. Dump the guts out of the fish, and pull out any membranes that are left inside. Rinse the inside of the fish thoroughly until it looks clean. Although leaving membranes inside the fish isn’t necessarily harmful, it does impact the taste, so clean it as much as possible. If you want to remove the head, you can so after the gutting is complete by cutting it off behind the gills. Your fish is ready to cook to your preferences. Grill it plain with some butter and lemon, or dust it with flour and fry it. Although any preparation will work, many people enjoy their catches from deep sea fishing cooked as simply as possible to let the fresh fish shine. You can also skip all of the prep process by letting your deep sea fishing charter team with Captain John Boats clean and fillet your fish for you. Learn more about booking a Cape Code fishing charter in Plymouth by calling (508) 927-5575. - The Best Time for Whale Watching in Massachusetts - Catch a Glimpse of Killer Whales at Play - Planning an Action-Packed Family Vacation with Captain John - Why It’s Never the Off-Season in Provincetown - Take Your Biology Students on the Ultimate Field Trip in a Floating Classroom \| Captain John Whale Watching & Fishing
Carbury Community Centre has been known by many names since it was built by Charlie Adams in 1932. It was originally built as a Dance Hall and also used for Travelling Shows. It was later converted into a cinema by Charlie’s son, Larly, who had become interested in cinema after Price’s of Prosperous had rented the hall to show films. As a cinema it proved very popular with the Turf Camp workers in the area. In the 1960’s the Parish of Carbury purchased the building off Larly and Variety Concerts, dramatic productions, socials, hops and dances became the norm for the hall. In 1971 Civil Defence Rescue operated out of the centre and the late, great Joe Dolan cut his professional teeth on the stage in the hall along with many other great performers. Thousands of pounds were won there over the years when the Bingo drew large crowds to hear Bill Clinton shout “Two fat Ladies, 88” and then enquire from the “Are you sweating?” when those gathered in the hall were waiting on one number for a win. In the last decade the hall has seen many different groups take up residence. A school of speech and drama started in 2002. Carbury Kickboxing has tutored many of its members to European and World titles in the hall. Civil Defence First Aiders learned to become First Responders there and the Carbury Players Drama Group presented at least one production per year on the hallowed boards. Carbury scouts and the local Foroige Youth Club moved into the hall too and FÁS took over the old kitchen and entrance room for use as office space. If you know of any group in need of a venue please let them know that the Carbury Community Centre is open for business. - Rates are €15 per hour with heating - €10 per hour without heating. Tea making facilities are also available. For more details contact the Parish Office.
Wild turkeys an unwelcome guest for Barrhaven seniors A group of wild turkeys is disrupting traffic and harassing seniors in Barrhaven, and while residents want the wandering birds gone, city and provincial authorities say there is little they can do to intervene. "I heard the noise, look around, and here they were right by my heels, with their wings spread apart and their mouths open, coming right after me," said Andrews. "So I ran from the corner, up here right to the door and they chased me right to the door," he said. "I don't usually run, but this time I did run." Andrews has now taken to walking with a cane, not as a walking aid, but for protection. "In case they attack me again," he said. Dangerous crossings at Strandherd Drive The province reintroduced wild turkeys in Ontario in the 1980s for hunting, and they've been thriving ever since, but usually not in the suburbs. Their favourite place is the retirement home, where they gobble up crab apples from trees on the property as well as the occasional meal left by residents. Then they cross Longfields Road for more leftovers at the Pierre-Savard French Catholic high school, or head onto Strandherd Drive, stopping traffic as they cross. Barrhaven councillor Jan Harder said she says the birds pose a danger. "I am concerned there's going to be a bad accident. People are going to dodge to avoid the birds," said Harder. City won't remove birds Neither the City of Ottawa nor the Ministry of Natural Resources will remove the birds, and said handling them is the responsibility of the property owner. Ministry officials say people can limit conflicts with wild turkeys by not feeding them, removing bird feeders and netting over berries and other plants that turkeys may use as food. Heather Reid, a manager at the seniors home, said one animal control company they called said the best solution was to bring dogs for a day at a cost of $75 to scare them away. The company also suggested using fog horns. But potentially scaring the birds into oncoming traffic raises liability questions for the property owners, managers at the residence say. "We would like to see the turkeys taken away, for the welfare of our residents," said Reid. Andrews would also like to see the turkeys take a walk. "I don't know why they came here, but this is not the place for them, their place is back in the country, back in the farm somewhere," he said.
Though UK doctors have been able to prescribe cannabis since November 2018, very few prescriptions have been issued, because most forms of medical cannabis have not been approved by the government. In response to thousands of disappointed patients, the House of Commons Health and Social Care Committee called for immediate clinical trials focusing on the treatment of intractable childhood epilepsy. Title: Impact of N, P, K and humic acids supplementation on the chemical profile of medical cannabis (Cannabis sativa L) A recent study has come out revealing the effects of nutritional supplements (plant food) on cannabinoid content during the growth of the cannabis plant. Researchers enhanced nutritional supplements such as humic acids and inorganic nitrogen and potassium and determined that the changes in supplement levels caused variations in the cannabinoid content of the plant organs. This research has demonstrated that maintaining specific nutritional supplements effects the chemical properties of cannabis plants and may play a role in standardizing the cannabinoid content in plants, no matter the region of growth. This knowledge may one day help cultivators with the process of standardizing cultivars, and perhaps help organize strain names and content across state lines. This work spotlights the inconsistency between cannabis plants, even if they share the same name. The nutrients cannabis plants grow in have been proven to alter the cannabinoid content which changes (sometimes drastically) the effects felt by patients who consume that plant. Growers or enthusiasts who grow cannabis at home may be buying seeds from a known strain, but the same seeds produce a completely different strain, depending on the growing conditions. Standardizing growth conditions will hopefully help cultivators produce strains of the same name with consistent cannabinoid content, making buying safer and somewhat more uniformly regulatable. Tweet: A recent study has come out revealing the effects of #nutritional supplements on #cannabinoid content during #cannabis plant growth. Read this and other linked studies: One of the terrific realities of modern Cannabis is that it is possible, and often quite simple, to make effective products at home. With suitable education and access to testing facilities, the soil, nutrients, and plant growth can be supported at home, lab-tested for make-up and potency, as well as safety-checked for potential microscopic contaminants, and ultimately, individualized medicine can be created right at home! Here is a sample instructional for just one way that cannabis tincture can be made at home. There are countless others and hopefully, many that are yet to be discovered! To explore related information, click the keywords below: Benjamin Caplan, MDVideo: Do-It-Yourself Cannabis Tinctures Title: Psychological correlates and binge drinking behaviours among Canadian youth- a cross-sectional analysis of the mental health pilot data from the COMPASS study A recent study has examined data from the COMPASS program and found that student-athletes in Canada were more likely to engage in binge-drinking and illicit substance use. Researchers focussed on the measure of flourishing, defined as an overall healthy mental state and emotional connectedness, and how flourishing related to concerning drinking and substance use behavior. Student-athletes were found to be the most at risk for binge-drinking, defined as consuming 5 or more drinks in a single session, and those more likely to binge-drink were also more likely to co-use illicit substances. This research provides evidence for the formation of targeted prevention programs. Cannabis use is banned among athletes by most sports organizations. Cannabis appeals to athletes considering the many different consumption methods, allowing discreet consumption and personalization with variable potential opportunities for relief. Cannabinoids are generally naturally occurring substances unless clearly manufactured, and have been shown to be beneficial for post-workout recovery, muscle soreness, anxiety, sleep, and relaxation. All of those symptoms, including the emotionally driven ones, are common among student-athletes who often feel an immense amount of pressure to perform in competition. As in most other areas of modern culture, Cannabidiol (CBD) finds itself in a grey area for most sports organizations’ substance regulations given that it is not intoxicating and readily available with a notable safety profile. Even if cannabis is not federally legal, CBD is so widely available that many athletes are embracing it, in lieu of more dangerous, or potentially addictive, medications. Tweet: A recent study has examined data from the #COMPASS program and found that #studentathletes in Canada were more likely to engage in #binge-drinking and illicit substance use. Read this and other linked studies: Title: Adolescent Cannabis Use and Risk of Mental Health Problems – The Need for Newer Data Here, an article presenting a case, justifying the need for new research to determine how cannabis use in adolescents may affect their risk for mental health. Few recent studies have come out discussing mental health and adolescent use. This is problematic because, over the years, cannabis products have been curated to be significantly more potent than in the past. Considering how vulnerable the brain is, during adolescence, because it is still developing, longitudinal studies need to be conducted to fully elucidate the effects of cannabis on development. This review highlights how poorly adolescents consuming cannabis seem to be at titrating their dose, or correctly self-regulating consumption of cannabis. There is an overall need for greater education before cannabis is acquired, from a dispensary or otherwise. For adults and teens seeking to self-regulate their use of cannabis, irrespective of the consumption method, it is difficult to succeed, considering the gross lack of knowledge and sophistication around the dosage. The wide variabilityin choice and make-up of cannabis products, added to the complexity associated with how each patient may process the myriad of cannabinoids within the products consumed leads to a complexity of confounding variables, and here, a call for more studies to be conducted on more than just adolescents. Citrus peels waste as a source of value-added compounds: extraction and quantification of bioactive polyphenols Previous analysis of citrus peels has demonstrated high content of biologically active polyphenols, with significant quantities of flavonoids and phenolic acids present. Both these compounds have been associated with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiproliferative, anti-allergic, antiviral, anticarcinogenic, neuroprotective, and antimicrobial properties. A recent paper points out that citrus peel waste alone makes up nearly 50% of wet fruit mass discarded as waste and proposes extraction of polyphenols to minimize waste. The bioactive substances in peels can be used in dietary supplements, cosmetics, food products, and pharmaceutical products. Citrus peels contain significant polyphenols, compounds which have health benefits ranging from antioxidant to anticancer. Polyphenols are also found in large quantities in cannabis, undoubtedly contributing to it many of its well-known health benefits. A 2019 study found that patients with early-stage psychotic disorders had lower levels of CB1-R (Cannabinoid Receptor – 1) compared to healthy individuals. These findings suggest that targeting CB1R with cannabis-based products could potentially treat psychotic disorders. Interestingly, reductions in CB1R levels were associated with greater symptom severity and poorer cognitive functioning but only in male patients. More research is needed into the intersections of gender and psychotic disorders.
Hurricane season is officially on record from June 1st - November 30th each year. Weeks and days before a storm or hurricane, schedule a roof inspection for ways to better prepare your roof. No roof is 100% immune to the damages of microbursts, heavy winds or hurricanes. Proper construction and preventative maintenance on the roof system does help with performance. Even roofs that are properly designed and installed can fail in a weather disaster because due to flying debris. Hurricane Preparations include: - Make sure your drains are clean and free of debris - Check for loose metal flashings: metal drip edge, copings, wall flashings - Make sure your roof is free of debris: left over air conditioning parts, construction debris, pallets, cables, fasteners, - Check the field membranes for possible areas of water infiltration, loose or open seams, blisters - Check for failing wall flashings where wind or rain - Remove unused equipment especially satellite dishes What the National Weather Service Reports: (April 22,2015) “A new hurricane season forecast issued by The Weather Channel on Tuesday (April 2015) says we can expect the number of named storms and hurricanes in the 2015 Atlantic season to stay below historical averages. Numbers of Atlantic Basin named storms, those that attain at least tropical storm strength, hurricanes, and hurricanes of Category 3 intensity forecast by The Weather Channel (right column) and Colorado State University (center column) compared to the 30-year average (left column). A total of nine named storms, five hurricanes and one major hurricane are expected this season, according to the forecast prepared by The Weather Channel Professional Division. This is below the 30-year average of 12 named storms, six hurricanes and three major hurricanes. A major hurricane is one that is Category 3 or stronger on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. Meteorologist Dr. Todd Crawford of The Weather Channel Professional Division says, “Both the dynamical models and our proprietary statistical models suggest a relatively quiet tropical season this year." The Weather Channel forecast for below-average activity during the 2015 Atlantic hurricane season is consistent with what Colorado State University (CSU) said in its forecast issued on April 9. CSU's forecast called for seven named storms, including three hurricanes, one of which is predicted to attain major hurricane status. The CSU outlook, headed by Dr. Phil Klotzbach in consultation with long-time hurricane expert Dr. William Gray, is based on a combination of 29 years of statistical predictors, combined with analog seasons exhibiting similar features of sea-level pressure and sea-surface temperatures in the Atlantic and eastern Pacific Oceans.
What is a dental emergency? At Chesterfield Valley Dental, we ask that you call us any time you have a question about something that’s happening with your oral health. We would rather have a nice chat with you and find out you don’t have a pressing need than have you suffer needlessly. If needed, Dr. Rahm is an emergency dentist that makes room for these kinds of appointments. What are typical dental emergencies? Some dental emergencies are obvious, such as having a tooth knocked out while playing sports. This is a situation that needs to be dealt with immediately if we are to save the tooth. Another obvious emergency is tooth pain of any kind. A mild toothache may be put off for a day or two if necessary, but severe pain that prevents you from functioning is a sign that something serious is happening in the tooth and needs to be addressed. If you break a crown or lose a filling, you may not need to drop everything and run to our emergency dental clinic in Chesterfield, MO. But we should see you as soon as possible to prevent further damage to the tooth. Please don’t ever hesitate to call us if you have questions or something is bothering you. We will listen to your concerns so we can provide relief and help you get the answers you need.
Let no one say that we never tried. This thought seems to run through the stock sports retrospective of the University’s early, early days: Man, were those good times. A Heisman Trophy! Can you believe it? You know who else got a Heisman? The best, that’s who. And it all started here, right here. Whew. Pass me another High Life. Or something like that. The history of the Maroons is wrapped up inside such a vivid mythology that hardly any of it seems real anymore, like some adolescent high-point, your favorite junior prom recollection. One’s memory dims. It all began so long ago: Amos Stagg, the man with the plan, whose knack was for baseball but who didn’t seem to mind coaching football. As Big Ten contenders, his Maroons won six championships over a 40-plus-year stretch that predated jazz, Soviets, and Robert Zimmer. It might as well have been the Dawn of Humankind. At around the same time, an administrator named Gertrude Dudley was blazing her own trail, whipping the nationally held assumption that sport went part-and-parcel with Male Virtue. (“Boys ought to be trained in strenuousness,” said one visiting college chancellor at a lecture here in 1900.) Within a few years, she had dozens of students suiting up in black dresses and black bonnets to play on the nation’s first women’s baseball team, and she would continue to subvert the sporting establishment’s prohibitions on women’s participation throughout her tenure. The big flourish is the first-ever Heisman Trophy presented to Maroon halfback Jay Berwanger in 1935 (awarded annually since then to “outstanding” college football players like hall-of-famers OJ Simpson and Paul Hornung). Close after that are nuclear fission, a gaggle of Nobel prizes, and, famously, the abandonment of varsity football altogether in 1939. These are, anyway, the highlights. To paraphrase one 1962 Sports Illustrated piece celebrating Stagg’s 100th birthday, “The story of [the U of C] has been told so often that some people would like to ignore it.” And yet, here it comes again. Why? This clinging to history could just be a bit of self-consciousness about the student body’s notoriously anemic enthusiasm for its teams. One Maroon editorial two years ago practically begged students to show up for the Homecoming game, reminding them of enticements like free food and T-shirts. But that possibility is dreadfully cynical. And it does a disservice to something far simpler, and perhaps far truer. Maybe it is that, when Dudley decided in 1901 that the perfect tools for shattering a glass ceiling were a heavy, ash baseball bat and a dirty catcher’s mitt, it was actually a moment that justified perennial pride, even through 2011. Or that, when halfback Jay “One-Man Gang” Berwanger finally succumbed to lung cancer in June of 2002 at the age of 88, his legacy wasn’t just the Heisman Trophy that now glistens in the lobby of the Ratner Athletic Center, but a winking reminder that incredible things have happened in a Maroon uniform, and that they continue to do so today. In basketball, for example, the men’s team has clinched six conference titles since 1997, while last year the women’s squad carved out a national playoff berth, after claiming their third UAA title since 2008. Stagg Field has also come alive again, being the home turf of the 2010 women’s track and field team that fought to a top four spot in the Division-III finals, as well as the five runners and jumpers who competed for national titles at the end of last season. Maroon football continues to be a big fish in a tide pool, but Stagg’s successors have been climbing as of late. As recently as 2009, former quarterback Marshall Oium (A.B. ’11) made records for the post-1969 Maroons in yards passed (472 in one game, 2,605 in one season), completions (33 in one game), and touchdowns thrown (six in one game, 21 in one season), while two years ago, during a 61-22 rout with Carnegie Mellon, rising star wideout Dee Brizzolara, now a fourth-year, scored more touchdowns in one game than any Maroon in over 40 years. In all likelihood, the old highlight reel will keep rolling, maybe forever, or at least until a Maroon wins another Heisman. Still, it’s worth watching, at least once, at least before checking out the fireworks that have in recent years been hissing, sparking, and occasionally exploding at Maroons games around the country. So keep watching, if only for the perspective. The real show is happening right now, and there might be a new reel to grumble about in the coming years.
“Funan” is a stunning piece of animation in which the beauty of the visuals and the horror of the situation are inextricably intertwined. Directed by Denis Do and based on his mother’s experiences in Cambodia before he was born, “Funan” won the top prize at the Annecy international festival in Paris, the equivalent of the best picture Oscar for animation. Co-written by Magali Pouzol, this French-language film holds its own with those because of the honesty of its presentation and those spectacular visuals. The film starts, inevitably, on April 17, 1975, the day the Khmer Rouge, violent revolutionaries who call themselves Ankar, take over the capital city of Phnom Penh and forcibly evacuate its 1.5 million citizens. “Funan” focuses on one extended family, and most closely on husband and wife Chou (voiced by Oscar nominee Bérénice Bejo) and Khoun (Louis Garrel) and their 3-year-old son, Sovanh. Early in the evacuation, as the parents grapple with things like having to ford a river that is mined with bombs, Sovanh runs off and gets lost in the endless throngs. Going after him — the merciless Khmer guards make clear — is not an option. At this point “Funan” splits its focus, alternating between what happens to Sovanh (he ends up in an indoctrination camp for children intended to make him “a good little revolutionary”) and to his parents. They, as much as him, are at the mercy of Khmer zealots, who destroy the family car because it is a “foreign influence” and insist that everyone “get rid of imperialist clothes.” Believers that “pain will cleanse imperialism,” the Khmer impose savage working conditions and near starvation diets on everyone, and the pitiless situations that Chou and Khoun are subjected to can be painful to watch. Through it all, the parents, but especially mother Chou, never forget about their son and never cease working as best they can to find him and reunite the family. Created in a straight-ahead, non-showy style that the director refers to as “sober,” the images in “Funan,” often of rural panoramas, are completely gorgeous and ease some of the sting of the film’s horrors. Nothing, however, can take those evils totally away, or erase the family memories that inspired this powerful film’s creation. “Funan” — 3.5 stars No MPAA rating Running time: 1:27 Opens: Friday at the Gene Siskel Film Center, 164 N. State St., www.siskelfilmcenter.org. In French with English subtitles.
Back in March, I started to transcribe as a listening exercise, but life happened, and I had to stop. Now I'm doing this again, this time with these rules: 1) I'm doing it for 2 hours every day: - For one hour, I work with slow, clearly spoken material (Slow Chinese) - For one hour I struggle with a Chinese TV drama (Great Marriage). I might rethink this mix, but I stuck with it for the first month. 2) I use WorkAudioBook for Slow Chinese and Lingual Media Player for the drama. The drama has .srt subtitles and I prepare subtitles for Slow Chinese days before using each episode for this listening exercise. I only listen to one subtitle line at a time. Each line is 1-7 seconds long. 3) I can use anything to get the transcription done: Pleco, Google, Baidu, etc, but NOT voice recognition software or looking at the original transcript itself. That would be cheating. 4) I work with paper, mechanical pencil and an eraser in paper with 25 squares per line, with separations to write down corrections and omissions. This makes it easier to compute total characters and count errors/omissions. 5) After each session, I count total characters originally written and subtract double the errors. This is my score. When I reach 1,000 points in one day, I'll go out and celebrate in my favorite pizza restaurant. I subtract errors twice because this way I force myself to try and strike a balance between speed and accuracy: I can't go too fast because my accuracy might fall below 50% and then I get negative scores; I can't linger for too long on difficult parts because then I won't be making more points in easier parts. There's only so much you can do with Pleco and Google when you just can't make out the exact sounds people are saying, so you have to choose when to move on. So far, I've seen progress. With both Slow Chinese and the drama, the proverbs, quotes and fixed expressions are the most difficult. Of course, the drama is way more difficult than Slow Chinese, so now I'm skipping the parts where several people are talking at the same time/quarreling/shouting/drunk/etc. I find that my handwriting is becoming faster, but sloppier. And I'm learning to understand both a slight Zhejiang accent (Slow Chinese) and Northern accent (Great Marriage), and how sounds are slurred together/omitted/whispered/etc. I want to sit for the HSK in order to have a clear goal to work for, so I'm considering switching from transcribing Great Marriage to transcribing past recordings of the HSK listening section, to really get used to them. Of course, during the exam you won't have the luxury of replaying, but still, this might be a useful exercise and a break from all the quarreling found in a TV drama. To be honest, I find it disheartening that even pausing and repeating and using Pleco and all that stuff, I can only get around 70% of the drama dialogue right. It can feel like a chore, so I guess I'll take a stroll through the HSK forest and then come back to the TV drama when I have more vocabulary. What do you think? I'm also attaching a sample of my handwriting. Above the line, it's the drama. Below the line, it's Slow Chinese. To clarify, the "stopped" information doesn't reflect how much I transcribe in each session, because I sometimes keep watching/listening after finishing the transcribing session. It's just a bookmark.
Ukrainian leaders celebrated the election of a new bishop separate from the Russian Orthodox Church on Saturday, though the latter has warned of “all-out persecution.” Metropolitan Epiphanius was celebrated at St. Sophia’s Cathedral in downtown Kiev by hundreds of other bishops, priests, and church figures, The New York Times reported. The newly independent Ukraine Orthodox Church is expected to officially be granted autonomy in January, despite the wishes and protests of the larger Russian Orthodox Church. Ukrainian President Petro O. Poroshenko, quoting national poet Taras Shevchenko, declared that “Ukraine will no longer drink Moscow poison from the Moscow cup." He added that citizens should remember the day as “the final acquisition of independence from Russia.” Poroshenko added that he will travel with Metropolitan Epiphanius in January to Istanbul, the church's historical foundations, to collect the autonomy order, known as the Tomos of Autocephaly. “What kind of church is this?” the president prompted. “This is a church without Putin. What kind of church is this? It is a church without Kirill,” he added, referring to Patriarch Kirill of Moscow, the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church. “What kind of church is this? It is a church without prayers for the Russian government and Russian military.” The rift between the Russian and Ukrainian church, one of the biggest in the Christian world in centuries, formed in the wake of the continuing war in Ukraine against Russian separatists. The violence in the country escalated in 2014, following the annexation of Crimea by Putin, which has been strongly condemned by Western world leaders. Kirill, on the other hand, warned of "all-out persecution" for Russia-supporting Orthodox believers in Ukraine, however. The Russian church leader sent a letter to United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, as well as to European political leaders and Pope Francis, asking for protection of believers in Ukraine. "The interference by the leaders of the secular Ukrainian state in church affairs has recently assumed the shape of undue pressure being exerted on the bishops and priests of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, which can be defined as the start of all-out persecution," Kirill said in an official statement on December 14, as translated by Radio Free Europe. The major disagreement already caused the Russian Orthodox Church to sever its ties with the central Orthodox Church community back in October. The move was in protest of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople's decision to recognize the Ukrainian Orthodox Church as independent from Russia. "We now stand before a new church reality: we no longer have a single coordinating center in the Orthodox Church and we must very clearly recognize that," Metropolitan Ilarion, the Moscow Patriarchate's head of external relations, said at the time. "The Constantinople Patriarchate liquidated itself as such a center." Metropolitan Tikhon, primate of the Orthodox Church in America, commented on the issue in a letter back in September. "We are deeply aware of the pain and trauma in the life of Orthodox people caused by ecclesial schism which weakens Orthodox witness and evangelism in society. Such pain and trauma have been wounds in the life of Orthodox Christians in Ukraine for several decades," wrote Tikhon in the letter that was shared with The Christian Post. "Schism, division, and mutual antagonism are not only canonical problems — they are pastoral and spiritual challenges demanding the healing power of Christ and Christian faith."
My son may have been enthusiastic about the trip, but he didn’t let it show. Art and history were not on his skateboarder radar screen. He evaluated every image of an ancient ruin only for its potential as a skate park feature. I had to remind myself that the primary reason for this adventure was to open the world to him from his point of view. \|Neighborhood Skate Park ~ Rome\| Our trip was scheduled during Easter week which meant that visiting the Vatican museums would test even my patience. Instead, I focused on finding connections to skateboarding in Rome. After piecing together many awkward Google translations of Italian skateboarder blogs, I found a few Roman skate spots that got the most mention and made them the primary goal of our excursions. That led to a trip that was more exciting, surprising and rewarding than I ever imagined. Our adventures took us into neighborhoods where we were likely the only Americans. With skateboarding as the common language, my son connected with his Italian peers, who in turn welcomed me as a kind of necessary accessory. For two weeks we became citizens of 21st century Rome. My biggest reward, however, went beyond being part of my son’s obvious enjoyment. While planning for the trip, I found references to underground artists groups who build communities in abandoned factories throughout Rome. Being illegal and transient, it was difficult to find them but often well worth the effort when you did. Of course, they didn’t have published addresses. Because of the skateboarders, though, we ended up in one of the largest of these underground art communities. \|Abandoned Fiat Factory ~ Rome\| Every Wednesday, in an abandoned Fiat factory on the outskirts of Rome, the huge assembly floor became an indoor skate park. The skateboarders we met invited us to attend. The location wasn’t on any of my tourist maps but a helpful English speaking employee at the Colosseum Tourist center gave us directions to all the right tram lines, well beyond typical tourist activity and right into the heart of underground Italian art. The abandoned factory was exactly the kind of experience I had hoped to find. The Wednesday skateboard fest was just one of the events taking place there. I met artists of all ages and backgrounds from every part of the world. My son and I both got what we wanted. Of course, we did visit some main attractions of ancient Rome. Perhaps because he wasn’t preoccupied with being skateboard deprived, my son was impressed by what he saw and felt, particularly in the Pantheon. And both of us learned that being open to the unexpected can lead to a perfect experience that could not have been planned.
Management is a funny old game, especially in specialist areas such as IT. Excellent computer technicians get promoted to management for behaving in a certain way. They get rewarded for achieving results by themselves. When they become managers they are told to behave differently. They now have to get results from others. The control has suddenly shifted to the staff and the IT director starts saying: "This can't be right. I thought when I became manager I'd have more control - not less." A senior statistician once told me: "I was good at adding up sums so they promoted me. They gave me harder sums to do. I did this really well so they promoted me. They gave me even harder sums to do. I did this really well and they promoted me again. As a reward they moved me away from the sums and gave me 50 people to manage." When people become managers they need a different set of skills. Eventually they learn those skills and settle down until the next challenge comes along and they start looking for promotion. Now there is another problem, a different set of skills to learn. The catch though, is that they are far too busy doing what they do to spend time developing wider skills, knowledge and strategic insight. There is a technique by Stephen Covey that I believe will help enormously in this situation known as 'big rocks'. Imagine a bucket. You put three or four big rocks in it. The bucket is not full so you put some smaller rocks in to fill in the gaps. Since it is still not full you add some sand, then some water. Finally it is full. The point here is to do with the order. If you had reversed the order putting the water in first, then the sand and the small rocks, there would be no room for the big rocks. These big rocks are the important things in your life. You need to schedule them first, not try to squeeze them in after arranging the water (pointless assessments), sand (unnecessary travel) or small rocks (staff meetings where no one listens). Things you believe are important The big rocks may be things like family, time to watch the children grow up, time to write that novel, time for yourself, time to make a difference. You decide. Identify three or four things you believe are important and which will make a difference to your life, then schedule them. Once these times are scheduled, fit the rest of your work around them. In terms of you and career development - if one of those big rocks is not promotion, then you can to stop worrying about it. This can be incredibly liberating. Suddenly you will not feel the need to impress anyone. Suddenly you feel perfectly happy to say no to that opportunity to spend the weekend dealing with customers. Take a long hard look at what are the skills and knowledge you need at the next level. Then look at where you are now. Then look at the gaps and whether you need a wider perspective or strategic management skills. Whatever you identify you now have some time to look at acquiring them. Look at the bigger picture. Look at secondments, job swaps, shadowing, whatever it takes. This will be a lot easier when you have got more time to plan and develop it. Join the CIO New Zealand group on LinkedIn. The group is open to CIOs, IT Directors, COOs, CTOs and senior IT managers.
The great hope is that this technology will free people to focus on more creative and strategic work. Yet, this is some way off Picture this: Imagine having your own virtual assistant who comes with you to work, is with you wherever you are. Need a meeting booked, no problem, simply ask you virtual buddy to do it. Or can’t find a certain file, your voice powered virtual assistant has you covered– simply describe what you are looking for and like magic it appears on screen. These are some examples of where Digital Voice Activated (DVA) devices are headed in New Zealand workplaces, but there is still a way to go. There is no doubt the popularity of Amazon Echo and other DVA devices is already impacting how New Zealanders do business. In the consumer sphere, people are using these devices to play music, get the weather forecast, and activate their home alarms. A staggering 50 per cent of global online consumers now use DVAs (up from 43 per cent a year ago), with people in China, the UAE, India and Mexico leading the way, according to Accenture’s Digital Consumer Survey. The use of standalone DVAs, like the Amazon Echo, Google Home and Apple HomePod in the United States has outstripped embedded DVA use in smartphones and other devices. And all the technology giants are developing capabilities for voice-activated AIs specifically for the workplace. Owners of smart speakers cite privacy and security concerns - 'who is listening?', 'how is my data used?' Consumers are already comfortable to hand over increasingly advanced tasks and responsibilities to their DVAs, but this is just the start and there’s a clear expectation these devices will take on progressively complex workloads, according to the research. The great hope with this technology is that it will free people to focus on more creative and strategic work. Yet, this is some way off, as while the technology is great for simple tasks, it still needs to evolve to handle more complexity and chaos of our everyday working lives. At the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas last month, Amazon’s vice president of Alexa reportedly confirmed that there are 10,000 Amazon employees working on Alexa and the Echo. This follows the launch of Amazon Alexa Business which lets companies build out their own skills and integrations for both practical and business use cases. An industry concern that may block the growth that DVA promises – in home and business – is trust. Accenture’s research found that 41 per cent of smart speaker owners say they have privacy concerns ('who is listening?') and 40 per cent have security concerns ('how is my data used?'). Consumers believe they have less control over their personal data with a DVA provider than with other providers of digital services and much less control than they do with, for example, banks. Misuse of data could compromise privacy or individual rights, prompt incorrect decisions or a misapplication of skills and, ultimately, drive a very consequential loss of employee trust in the organisation, according to Accenture’s recently released report Decoding Organizational DNA. When introducing DVAs to the workplace, employees will need to know exactly what the parameters are of how they can store, use and share data. Without a doubt, voice activated technology is game-changing and has the potential to become embedded in our everyday work life, irrespective of the industry we work in. However, the technology is still relatively immature and needs to evolve. We must cut through the marketing hype and scale and solve problems in a way that helps grow, not hinder the technology. Ben Morgan is managing director, Accenture Interactive New Zealand Join the CIO New Zealand group on LinkedIn. The group is open to CIOs, IT Directors, COOs, CTOs and senior IT managers.
The Local Special Education Task Force serves as a resource for children with all disabilities and their families in 13 school districts in Monroe, Northampton, and parts of Pike County. The following districts are included: - Bangor Area - Bethlehem Area - Delaware Valley - East Stroudsburg Area - Easton Area - Nazareth Area - Northampton Area - Pen Argyl Area - Pleasant Valley - Pocono Mountain - Saucon Valley - Stroudsburg Area - Wilson Area The role of the Local Special Education Task Force is to assist parents of students with special needs in understanding the laws/regulations that affect their rights and help develop an appropriate education for the student with special needs. The 2019-2020 Local Task Force meeting dates are as follows: - Monday, September 16, 2019 - Monday, October 7, 2019 - Monday, November 4, 2019 (Snow Date Tuesday, November 5, 2019) - Monday, January 6, 2020 (Snow Date Tuesday, January 7, 2020) - Monday, March 16, 2020 (Snow Date Tuesday, March 17, 2020) - Monday, May 4, 2020 All meeting are held at the Colonial Intermediate Unit 20 office in Palmer Township in Easton from 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. The Local Special Education Task Force system was established in 1972. The PARC Consent Decree guaranteed a free public program of education for all school-aged persons with mental retardation or thought-to-have mental retardation regardless of their intellectual functioning. It provided for the establishment of a local Task Force in each of the 29 Intermediate Units “to ensure that the intent and spirit of the Agreement is carried out throughout the Commonwealth.” Membership of the Local Special Education Task Force is made up of Parents of children with special needs (Consumers), School Officials, and Representatives serving school-age children with special needs. The Task Force has at least one more consumer than the total number of agency representatives. Ms. Nikki Huggan/Consumer (Bangor) Ms. Katerri Beachum/Consumer (Bethlehem) Vacancy/Consumer (Delaware Valley) Mrs. Migdalia Neely, Vice Chair/Consumer (East Stroudsburg) Mrs. Leslie McKelvey, Chair/Consumer (Easton) Mr. & Mrs. William Kropa/Consumers (Nazareth) Ms. Rhonda Tucker/Consumer (Northampton) Mrs. Kimberly Wismer/Consumer (Pen Argyl) Ms. Lucille Piggott-Prawl/Consumer (Pleasant Valley) Vacancy/Consumer (Pocono Mountain) Ms. Melinda Williams/Consumer (Saucon Valley) Ms. Adria Laboy/Consumer (Stroudsburg) Mrs. Jennifer Dietrick/Consumer (Wilson) Ms. Wendy Novak/Northampton County AE Mrs. Mary Ann Gostony/Down’s Syndrome Parents Network Mrs. Susan Kluge/The Arc of Lehigh-No. Counties, Youth Advocate Ms. Suzanne Mulhern/The Arc of Lehigh-No. Counties, Youth Advocate Ms. Corey Cook/Office of Vocational Rehabilitation Mrs. Kimberly Resh/Mikayla's Voice Mrs. Lynne Star/Superintendent Representative Mrs. Jacquelyn Bartek/Director of Special Education, CIU 20 DUTIES OF THE LOCAL SPECIAL EDUCATION TASK FORCE: - Monitor programs and services for school-age children with special needs, making recommendations for their improvement, expansion, or termination. - Assist the Administration in carrying out the Right to Education Consent Agreement. - Assist parents of students with special needs in understanding the laws/regulations that affect their rights and help develop an appropriate education for the student with special needs. - Review recommendations of the State Task Force and advise the Administration of any recommendation which should be adopted or implemented in the CIU 20 area. - Encourage cooperation with public and private agencies which provide services to school-age children with special needs. - Identify local needs and problems and develop recommendations for consideration by appropriate agencies. - Recommend solutions to problems in areas of concern as identified or brought to the attention of the Task Force. - Advise on the best methods of informing the community about programs of special education. - Review Intermediate Unit and District Special Education Plans and make recommendations which will help assure that they meet the needs of school-age children with special needs. - Assist the State Task Force in the collection of data to determine the effectiveness of the Right to Education Consent Agreement.
The Pupil Premium is funding provided to schools which is additional to main school funding. It is allocated according to the number of pupils on-roll who are eligible for free school meals (FSM), a smaller amount allocated according to the number of children of service families, and an allocation for each pupil who has been ‘Looked After’ (in care) for 6 months or more. In 2012, funding was extended to include pupils who have been eligible for free school meals within the past 6 years. The proportion of children at Clarendon eligible is currently over 40%. It is for schools to decide how the Pupil Premium is spent, since they are best placed to assess what additional provision should be made for the individual pupils within their responsibility. However, schools are to be held accountable for how they have used the additional funding to support pupils from low-income families. The Headteacher reports to the governing body on the attainment of pupils who are in receipt of Pupil Premium. This shows that this cohort of pupils achieve as well as others within literacy, reading and mathematics. We ensure that any pupil making less than expected progress is targeted for additional support. This happens for pupils that are or are not in receipt of the Pupil Premium. From September 2012 schools were required to publish how the grant is spent. Please see below for information regarding how the Pupil Premium will be spent in the current financial year. Total Number of eligible pupils for academic year 2018-19 is 43 and the total allocation is £60,005 \|What we are doing to support pupils\|\|Planned Expenditure\| \|Staffing Costs, including additional teaching time for 1:1 and groups\|\|£38,134\| \|Family Support Worker\|\|£12,936\| \|Family Group Resources\|\|£500\| \|Health and Wellbeing\|\|£2,647\| \|Breakfast Club Funding\|\|£1,200\| \|Workshop and Enrichment Resources\|\|£2,200\| \|Wider Educational Opportunities\| \|Residential School Journey Subsidies\|\|£4,000\| \|Enrichments Trips/Visits Subsidies\|\|£1,500\| \|Wheelchair Accessible Transport\|\|£1,000\| For information on how Pupil Premium was spent and the impact statements for previous academic years, please click on the PDFs below. If you believe your son/daughter may be eligible for Free School Meals but have not already registered this with us, please get in touch as soon as possible. If your child is eligible for Free School Meals, it not only benefits you but provides extra resources towards your child’s progress and benefits the whole school community if you claim. The school receives further funding to provide additional resources to help your child make good progress. You can apply on-line or contact Clarendon’s Family Support if you would like help in applying for this.
CLEVELAND, Ohio - When Tory Coats owned an insurance agency on St. Clair Avenue about 10 years ago, neighborhood children would sometimes pop into his office and ask him for a dollar or some change. "I'm not going to give you a dollar, but I'll teach you how to earn a dollar," he would tell them. Then he'd pay them for small chores such as sweeping the office or handing out flyers. "That's entrepreneurship," he told them. Coats, now director of career readiness at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Cleveland, used the experience to start his own business, Teen Enterprise LLC, teaching business skills to young people and coaching and inspiring them to become entrepreneurs. In February, he won $5,000 in a pitch competition presented by Citizens Bank and the Cleveland Leadership Center for his idea to turn a vacant Slavic Village storefront into a half-dozen "Dare 2 Believe Young Entrepreneur Pop-Up Shops." On Saturday afternoon, he proudly introduced visitors to the teenagers who had set up shop there for the afternoon: Jalen Flowers, 16, a junior at Euclid High School, is the founder of Positive Lifestyle. He was selling T-shirts that said: "Dream Chaser," asking passers-by "What's your dream? How do you want to get there?" Josette Stewart started J Bandz custom headbands at age 13. When she couldn't find the kind of headbands she wanted to wear, her mother challenged her to make her own. Josette started out sewing the headbands by hand, posted her designs on social media and took requests from friends at school. After earning enough to buy her own sewing machine, she can now create a headband in about 5 minutes, and sells her creations in person and at jbandzheadbands.com. "My slogan is 'Turn a bad hair day into a beautiful hair day,'" she said. A 17-year-old senior at Willoughby South High School, she donates 20 percent of her sales every summer to a charity or nonprofit. This year, she is supporting Alive on Purpose, a suicide-prevention program. Ramone Hardy is a senior at Garfield Heights High School and runs RnH Productions, a photography and videography company. Only 16, he says he has already shot a wedding, and posts his work on YouTube. Joshua Johnson, 18, a senior at Euclid High School, is a painter who works mostly in acrylics and has just started selling his artwork. He said most of his pieces are inspired by people he admires, like 2Pac Shakur, or by his friends. One mural says, "The woman [is] more than the sum of her body parts... Her mind is powerful!... The Woman: God's Open Love Letter," while other one depicts a young man with bound with strips of tape that read: "Ugly? Bastard? Mistake?" Devonte Simon, 19, a sophomore at Cuyahoga Community College, is a a motivational speaker who also sells T-shirts and ball caps screen-printed with his slogans, "Be Humble" and "Support the Youth." He got the idea to sell clothing after all the compliments he received from elementary and middle-school students who heard him speak and wanted their own merchandise. In addition to clothing with his name on it, he will print clothing with other kids' names on the front, and "#SupportTheYouth" on the back. Antonio "DJ AJ" Law, 13, an 8th grader at St. Stanislaus School, has already been deejaying for five years, following in the footsteps of his grandmother, Phyllis Walton. He used to play with her turntables, and then downloaded the Virtual DJ app and launched his own business. "Entrepreneurship is not easy," Coates told the teenaged entrepreneurs. "If I told you that you have a 10 percent success rate, most people wouldn't choose to do that. The chances are, you're going to fail 90 percent of the time." "We all should congratulate these young people for taking the initiative, for putting their cell phones down," and pursuing their dreams, he said.
July 6, 2016 – For the first time, infrared data from the Lockheed Martin-built Space Based Infrared System will be made available for new military and civilian uses at the Air Force’s recently opened data utilization lab in Boulder, Colorado. While SBIRS’ primary mission is strategic missile warning, the system can support a wide range of research and development projects across the field of remote sensing, which is the monitoring, observing and gathering of information on the Earth and atmosphere from space. “SBIRS uses powerful overhead sensors that collect and transmit significant amounts of infrared data,” said David Sheridan, vice president of Lockheed Martin’s Overhead Persistent Infrared (OPIR) systems mission area. “By giving researchers access to this data, our objective is for them to find new, innovative uses for improving situational awareness—whether it is for tactical military missions, natural disasters or even firefighting.” In the past year, the Air Force has seen a growing demand from the military, intelligence and civil communities, as well as academia, for remote sensing capabilities. For areas like battlespace awareness, intelligence and 24/7 tactical alerts, promising solutions developed in the lab will be considered for operational applications at the SBIRS Mission Control Station, OPIR Battlespace Awareness Center at Buckley Air Force Base, Colorado. “In an effort to develop, test and transition new or enhanced capabilities, the data utilization lab will provide an opportunity for users, data consumers and third-party developers to access these sensor feeds—providing an open framework architecture to host new tools, algorithms and processing solutions,” said Lt. Colonel Ross Johnston of the Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center. Along with government and industry teams, academic organizations like the University of Colorado will use the data provided by the lab to facilitate collaboration and support research in areas that include monitoring the Earth’s surface to determine the potential for forest fires or informing critical decisions during active fires. “The benefit of having public-private partnerships is that we can bring together different stakeholders, in addition to doing research, and understand how we can use data from space assets to solve societal issues,” said Scott Palo, associate dean for research at the University of Colorado’s College of Engineering and Applied Science. “We can also provide opportunities for students, as well as small and medium-sized businesses, to connect with industry and government and develop a broader vision that we can all build upon.” The strategic missile warning mission has sometimes been considered a closed community requiring closely guarded sensor-specific data. With government ownership of data, this new laboratory seeks to change that view and has already attracted interest from universities and research institutions. To help promote innovation and new ideas, developers with no prior missile warning experience will be able to use the laboratory’s open framework to code applications using their own programming language and development tools. The lab is managed by the Remote Sensing Systems Directorate at the U.S. Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center, El Segundo, California. Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company, Sunnyvale, California, is the SBIRS prime contractor, and Northrop Grumman Electronic Systems, Azusa, California, is the payload integrator. The 460th Space Wing at Buckley AFB operates the SBIRS constellation.
Math & Writing Centers The Math & Writing Centers provide services to students that will aid in their success throughout their academic careers. The Math & Writing Centers have resources readily available for students, regardless of the degree they are seeking. Contact us at 877-875-0533 or firstname.lastname@example.org to discuss how we can help you today. Additional contact information, including hours of operation, can be found at the contact page. Office of Disability Services The mission of the Office of Disability Services is to ensure an accessible learning experience in which students with disabilities have equal opportunity for participation in all programs, services, and activities. If you have accessibility concerns or accommodation requests, please contact email@example.com or 888-785-3005. Accommodations for temporary health conditions, such as surgery complications, hospitalization, or pregnancy complications are also considered on a case-by-case basis. Additional information and resources, including registration forms, are available on the Office of Disability Services webpage.
I’m a locavore — an advocate for eating local food. Local food tastes better. Sadly, kids eating school lunches rarely know the joys of a blueberry or tomato grown in their own communities. In Sacramento, school cafeterias don’t have the equipment or capacity to store and prepare fresh, local food. They’re designed mainly to warm frozen, processed food. In 2012, taxpayers approved Measure R to fund a solution to this problem: build a “central kitchen,” a large kitchen that serves as a hub for the whole district, where meals are prepared from scratch daily and distributed same-day to all schools. Yet, four years later, kids are still waiting for a better school lunch. On May 5, the Sacramento City Unified School District school board received an assessment from the Central Kitchen Task Force about the viability of local properties for a central kitchen site. I’m on the task force, and I joined a group of food activists at the meeting to speak in favor of building the central kitchen and to inspire a sense of urgency to keep the project on track. Two feasible sites have been identified. One is owned by the district, but not centrally located to school sites. The other is favorably located next to the SCUSD’s existing food warehouse, but isn’t owned by the district. No action has been taken yet to select a site — the first barrier standing between Sacramento students and their local watermelon. Board Member Jay Hansen, who appointed the task force, says he anticipates an action on property by August. Let me provide context for the problems that lead to the need for a central kitchen. It’s not the fault of “lunch ladies” that our kids aren’t eating fresh school meals; it’s a systems-level problem that runs much deeper. Through my job as executive director of the Food Literacy Center and as a volunteer appointee of the SCUSD’s task force, I work closely with district staff from the Nutrition Services Department. They’re the ones banging their pots and pans the loudest to resolve the fresh food issue, working to fill school lunches with local fruits and veggies (defined by the district as grown within 250 miles). But making these dreams come true takes a lot of work. “If Sacramento is to deliver on its promise as the Farm-to-Fork Capital, we need to start with what we feed students in our schools,” says Nutrition Services Director Brenda Padilla. With a master’s degree in human nutrition, she’s the one in charge of the meals our kids eat. And she’s eager to improve the choices offered to them. Campuses Not Equipped When it comes to serving local food, the story is like an orange with a very stubborn peel: It’s hard to get to the good stuff. In this case, federal school lunch regulations don’t stand in the way — it’s a problem of equipment and infrastructure. Many SCUSD campuses were built during an era when processed foods reigned supreme, with small kitchens designed to serve one goal: heat and serve. They are tiny spaces without much prep or storage space, or even working ovens. The majority of these heat-and-serve kitchens are serving our district’s most vulnerable students: elementary kids, whose bodies are still developing. (Several high school cafeterias were built with larger kitchens equipped to prepare more fresh foods: up to 50 percent, compared to 10 percent fresh district-wide.) During their workday, cafeteria staff are lucky to get meals for 47,000 students warmed, served and the kitchens cleaned, let alone to dream of finding the space to wash, chop and prep fresh, local vegetables. In America’s Farm-to-Fork Capital, we have to do better. And we can. In the past few years, SCUSD equipped each of its cafeterias with a salad bar. Also, this January, Nutrition Services earned a competitive federal Farm-to-School grant (in partnership with Food Literacy Center and Soil Born Farms) to purchase local vegetables to be served in every school salad bar in the district. This is great news for kids, because it means they can eat the freshest and most delicious vegetables available. But there have been obstacles along the way. The biggest? Because individual school sites don’t have the space and equipment to chop and prep fresh veggies, everything that goes on the salad bar must come ready-to-eat. This usually means pre-washed and sliced salad greens, and veggies that require no cutting, like mini carrots or radishes, which are bite-sized items. Yet, the salad bars can’t be stuffed with carrots and radishes year-round. What about large heirloom tomatoes? Answer: School sites simply can’t slice them. One Kitchen for All How do we solve this problem? SCUSD needs to follow the example of progressive districts across the country, including in Davis and Elk Grove, and build a central kitchen to serve as a commissary for the entire district. Rather than rebuilding and retrofitting 80 school kitchens in the district (which is cost-prohibitive), SCUSD can build one massive kitchen, where local food is purchased and turned into homemade heat-and-serve meals that are made fresh daily. “In our current model, we rely far too much on prepackaged meals from vendors,” Padilla says. “With a central kitchen, we can produce and distribute more from-scratch options.” When they have offered fresher options on their menu at select school sites (such as with an outdoor BBQ on one campus), the district has seen participation in school lunch rise. As the school lunch program’s executive chef, David Edgar, aptly describes it, “I don’t want to serve airplane food. I want home-cooked, restaurant-quality.” Instead of ordering processed, frozen turkey burgers from another city, the district can make their own using local ingredients in the big central kitchen, and then pack and deliver them fresh. They can also buy crates of slicing tomatoes (or peaches, or zucchini, or watermelon), then prep and package them to drop off at each school. According to Padilla, until that central kitchen is built, she’s unable to serve watermelon — which needs to be cut — during her summer meal programs. Imagine being a kid in Sacramento and not having watermelon for lunch in summer! So why don’t we just build this central kitchen already? Well, there’s good news and bad news. The good news? Sacramento voters approved Measure R, which sets tax dollars aside for school improvements, including the building of a central kitchen. The district currently has $40 million Measure R dollars to spend toward this project. The exact budget for the central kitchen remains to be fleshed out. The bad news? As board member Hansen says about the project, “If it was easy it would have been done already.” Over the years, SCUSD hasn’t prioritized the kitchen until recently. According to Hansen, who oversees the district’s facilities committee, the district needed to prioritize emergency projects first. Now that these projects are nearing completion, the district is ready to move the central kitchen to the top of its list. In January, Hansen appointed several community members to the Central Kitchen Task Force, including me. Together, we have toured the existing infrastructure, including the food storage warehouse, that could serve as future locations of a central kitchen. We also ate a school lunch to assess the current conditions of these lunches, and to understand what’s possible if the school could use more local, unpackaged ingredients. Padilla points out some food-insecure kids eat only one meal a day — and that’s at school. We want that meal to be as healthy as possible. “Without a change like this, the people who suffer the most are our neediest families — those who rely on the food they get in our schools as the best, and sometimes only, meals they will eat in a given day.” School Plate Debate What: How should we use Measure R funding? Let’s ask our kids. Join Food Literacy Center and Sacramento Urban Debate League as high school students debate the important issues affecting kids. When: 6 p.m. Tuesday, June 7 Where: Fruitridge Community Collaborative, 4625 44th St., Sacramento Cost: Free, but RSVP required Info: For more info, visit www.foodliteracycenter.org.
(We’ve created a free downloadable guide for performing a JHA–it’s at the bottom of this post if you’d like a copy.) Not that long ago, I read an extended discussion in a LinkedIn group titled “What is a JHA?” The discussion included safety experts from all over the world and lots of interesting thoughts. What it DIDN’T include was a common understanding of what a JHA is. So, leaning on some materials from our friends at OSHA as our primary source, we thought we’d introduce the concept here and provide an explanation that is acceptable and based on OSHA’s definitions and requirements. If you’ve got differing opinions about JHAs and JSAs and similar concepts, feel free to leave ’em at the bottom in the Comments section. What Is a JHA (Job Hazard Analysis)? According to OSHA’s definition, a JHA is “a technique that focuses on job tasks as a way to identify hazards before they occur.” So, the basic idea is that you: - break a job down into the various tasks it involves - identify hazards associated with each task According to OSHA again, the JHA “focuses on the relationship between the worker, the task, the tools, and the work environment.” Note: In the Comments section below, blog reader “Paul” notes that OSHA could have written their description of the JHA a little more smoothly, and we agree. The goal of the JHA isn’t to identify hazards before they occur–a better way to say it is that the purpose of the JHA is to identify (and then control) hazards before they do cause harm. We’re sure that’s what OSHA meant above, but of course one can’t identify a hazard if it doesn’t first occur. Well Then, What’s a Hazard? A hazard is something that has the potential to cause harm. Typically, this means something that can cause an injury or illness. OSHA’s JHA document has an excellent appendix that lists various categories of hazards. We’ve duplicated that information for you below. \|Chemical (toxic)\|\|A chemical that exposes a person by absorption through the skin, inhalation, or through the bloodstream that causes illness, disease, or death. The amount of chemical exposure is critical in determining hazardous effects. Check Safety Data Sheets (SDS) and/or OSHA 1910.1000 for chemical hazard information.\| \|Chemical (flammable)\|\|A chemical that, when exposed to a heat ignition source, results in combustion. Typically, the lower a chemical’s flash point and boiling point, the more flammable the chemical.Check SDS for flammability information.\| \|Chemical (corrosive)\|\|A chemical that, when it comes into contact with skin, metal, or other materials, damages the materials. Acids and bases are examples of corrosives.\| \|Explosion(chemical reaction)\|\|Explosions caused by chemical reactions.\| \|Explosion (over pressurization)\|\|Sudden and violent release of a large amount of gas/energy due to a significant pressure difference, such as rupture in a boiler or compressed gas cylinder.\| \|Electrical (shock/short circuit)\|\|Contact with exposed conductors or a device that is incorrectly or inadvertently grounded, such as when a metal ladder comes into contact with power lines.60Hz alternating current (common house current) is very dangerous because it can stop the heart.\| \|Electrical (fire)\|\|Use of electrical power that results in electrical overheating or arcing to the point of combustion or ignition of flammables, or electrical component damage.\| \|Electrical [static/electrostatic discharge (ESD)]\|\|The moving or rubbing of wool, nylon, other synthetic fibers, and even flowing liquids can generate static electricity. This creates an excess or deficiency of electrons on the surface of material that discharges (spark) to the ground resulting in the ignition of flammables or damage to electronics or the body’s nervous system.\| \|Electrical (loss of power)\|\|Safety-critical equipment failure as a result of loss of power.\| \|Ergonomics (strain)\|\|Damage of tissue due to overexertion (strains and sprains) or repetitive motion.\| \|Ergonomics (human error)\|\|A system design, procedure, or equipment that is tends to lead to human error.(For example, a switch that goes up to turn something off instead of down).\| \|Excavation (collapse)\|\|Soil collapse in a trench or excavation as a result of improper or inadequate shoring. Soil type is critical in determining the hazard likelihood.\| \|Fall (slips and trips)\|\|Conditions that result in falls (impacts) from height or traditional walking surfaces (such as slippery floors, poor housekeeping, uneven walking surfaces, exposed ledges, etc.)\| \|Fire/heat\|\|Temperatures that can cause burns to the skin or damage to other organs.Fires require a heat source, fuel, and oxygen.\| \|Mechanical/vibration (chaffing/fatigue)\|\|Vibration that can cause damage to nerve endings, or material fatigue that results in a safety-critical failure. (Examples are abraded slings and ropes, weakened hoses and belts.)\| \|Mechanical failure\|\|Self explanatory; typically occurs when devices exceed designed capacity or are inadequately maintained.\| \|Mechanical\|\|Skin, muscle, or body part exposed to crushing, caught-between, cutting, tearing, shearing items or equipment.\| \|Noise\|\|Noise levels (>85 dBA 8 hr TWA) that result in hearing damage or inability to communicate safety-critical information.\| \|Radiation (ionizing)\|\|Alpha, Beta, Gamma, neutral particles, and X-rays that cause injury (tissue damage) by ionization of cellular components.\| \|Radiation (non-ionizing)\|\|Ultraviolet, visible light, infrared, and microwaves that cause injury to tissue by thermal or \|Struck-by (mass acceleration)\|\|Accelerated mass that strikes the body causing injury or death. (Examples are falling objects and projectiles.)\| \|Struck against\|\|Injury to a body part as a result of coming into contact of a surface in which action was initiated by the person. (An example is when a screwdriver slips.)\| \|Extreme temperatures (heat/cold)\|\|Temperatures that result in heat stress, exhaustion, or metabolic slow down such as hypothermia.\| \|Visibility\|\|Lack of lighting or obstructed vision that results in an error or other hazard.\| \|Weather conditions (snow/rain/wind/ice)\|\|Self-explanatory.\| What Are the Benefits of Performing a JHA? Performing JHAs at the workplace should lead to: - Safer work procedures - Fewer injuries and illnesses - Lower injury- and illness-related expenses - Increased worker productivity - An increased awareness of how to train employees to perform their jobs safely For Which Jobs Should I Perform a JHA? It’s a good idea to perform a JHA for any job. However, it’s also a good idea to prioritize some jobs ahead of others. Considering performing JHAs first for jobs that: - Have a high injury and illness rate–at your location or in the industry in general - Have the potential to cause severe injuries and illnesses, even if that’s never happened at your location so far - Could lead to a severe injury or illness if only one human error occurred - Are new to your location - Have recently changed - Are complex Is a Job Hazard Analysis (JHA) the Same Thing as a Job Safety Analysis (JSA)? This was the biggest issue of contention in that LinkedIn discussion I mentioned earlier. Some said that the JHA and the JSA were different terms for the same thing. I was in this camp. Others said the JHA and the JSA were different things. But these people didn’t necessarily agree how the JHA and the JSA were different. Some basically believed that the JHA was the process of identifying hazards and the JSA was the process of controlling hazards once they were identified. Others had other various explanations. If I had to make a decision based purely on the way that OSHA defines the JHA in their document, I’d have to say that I (and those who agreed with me that the JHA and the JSA are the same thing) were wrong. And I’d now say that those who said the JHA was the process of identifying hazards and the JSA was the process of controlling hazards were right. Although, even if I was technically wrong, if you backed me into a corner, I’d say I was right in spirit. Because while OSHA says the JHA is “a technique that focuses on job tasks as a way to identify hazards before they occur,” they also go on to say “Supervisors can use the findings of a job hazard analysis to eliminate and prevent hazards in their workplaces” and “Ideally, after you identify uncontrolled hazards, you will take steps to eliminate or reduce them to an acceptable risk level.” So I’d argue that the JHA concept includes at least an implicit assumption that you’ll work to control hazards after you recognize them. And, although I’m not a lawyer, if I played one on TV, I’d suggest that identifying a hazard and not controlling it may well put you in some legal hot water, not to mention the harm it could lead to. But ultimately, it doesn’t really matter what you call this stuff, as long as you have a procedure for identifying and controlling hazards at work. How Can You Get Started with a JHA? We’ve written another in-depth post about how to perform a job hazard analysis. Check that out here. We’ve also put together a handy-dandy job hazard analysis form and guide, which you can download from the bottom of this article. These two resources should go a long way toward helping you conduct your own successful job hazard analysis. Additional JHA Resources After reading this article on LinkedIn, Samuella Sigmann, a lecturer and chemical hygiene officer at Appalachian State University (go Mountaineers!) told me about this document created by the American Chemical Society: Identifying and Evaluating Hazards in Research Laboratories. Although it’s specific to research labs, it’s got a lot of stuff of general interest as well. Thanks to Samuella for the tip. Please also feel free to DOWNLOAD OUR FREE JOB HAZARD ANALYSIS GUIDE, below. Job Hazard Analysis Guide Learn how to perform a job hazard analysis on the job with our free step-by-step guide.
The difference between docks, converters, and USB hubs What is it? What is a docking station? A docking station is a workstation where you can click into a laptop. In addition, cable converters that require mains power are also docking stations. Docking stations have many ports that are larger than USB hubs and cable converters. They are the connecting link to connect all your equipment at your workplace. What is a cable converter? A cable converter converts one signal to the other (such as a video signal) and does not require any mains power. In principle, it is all cables with 2 different connections, such as a USB-C to HDMI cable. They can also have one or 2 male connectors and multiple female connectors, making them look like a hub with different ports. The difference with a hub is the fact that they also transmit a signal other than a USB signal. What is a USB hub? A USB hub expands the number of USB ports of your laptop or PC. There are USB hubs with only USB a ports, but there are also variants with a mix of USB-A and USB-C ports. There is still variation in terms of USB versions, such as USB 2.0 or USB 3.0. In addition to USB ports, a hub can have one other port: an Ethernet port for a wired internet connection. When do you use a docking station? If you have a workplace with a laptop, a docking station is the solution. You connect your monitor(s) and laptop to this. In addition, there is room for all your peripherals, such as your mouse, USB stick and keyboard. The only thing you click in the morning is your laptop; all connected equipment is automatically connected. This way you will immediately get started with checking your inbox and agenda. When do you use a cable converter? A cable converter has a compact format and is therefore a solution for flex workers and people who regularly give presentations at different locations. You can easily put cable converters in your bag. When you are on location, you connect your laptop with a projector or monitor and, for example, you get started with your presentation or work meeting. When do you use a usb hub? If you want to connect peripherals to your laptop or PC, but you don't have enough (or not the right) ports available, a USB hub offers the solution. You hand in one USB port on your laptop or PC, but you get more in return. This way you always have space to connect all your peripherals, such as your mouse and keyboard. You can also use a USB hub with network port for a wired internet connection on a laptop without an Ethernet port.
By Kirsten Allen A new study, published online in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, has found that the rate of plankton production off the Northwest coast has decreased since the warming of the earth following the last ice age. However, the amount of organic material that ends its life cycle in the deep ocean has increased, suggesting that during the future warming of the climate we are inevitably going to face, the ocean may be more efficient at absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere than previously believed. Don’t breathe a sigh of relief quite yet; although that may be good news for the oxygen breathing among us, it raises concerns for the impact on marine life and there remains a major uncertainty on how life in the ocean will adapt to global warming and an increase of CO2. Scientists say that about one third of all CO2 emitted by burning fossil fuels is now in the ocean, which acts as sponge and absorbs carbon dioxide. “This is a good news/bad news situation,” said Alan Mix, an Oregon State University oceanographer and co-author on the study. “It helps to slow the rise of CO2 in the atmosphere, but it makes the ocean more acidic.” The growth of microscopic plants, known as phytoplankton, near the surface of the ocean converts carbon dioxide into organic matter. When the plankton die, their remains either decompose at the surface, or sink to the bottom. The sinking of dead plankton is a very effective method of removing CO2 from the atmosphere. “It has been assumed that the amount of organic material that sinks to the sea floor would parallel that produced through photosynthesis near the sea surface,” said Mix, who is in OSU’s College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences. “Surprisingly, our study found that even as plant growth decreased, past warming actually enhanced the biological export of carbon to the deep sea, at least in the northeast Pacific.” Lead author Cristina Lopes, a visiting scientist at Oregon State who is based at the Instituto Português do Mar e da Atmosfera (IPMA, Portuguese Sea and Atmosphere Institute) in Portugal, and colleague Michal Kucera at the Center for Marine Environmental Sciences at Germany’s University of Bremen, applied a neural network method which is now used by financial and insurance industries, to analyze fossil diatoms off the Oregon coast, allowing them to calculate productivity of marine plankton during the last major global warming event. “Inspired by brain research, we adapted these machine learning methods to analyze the fossil record for a new view of how the ocean works,” Kucera said. Rather than being exported to the deep ocean, researchers found that during the last ice age, carbon that was trapped in plankton off the coast of Oregon was mostly recycled. As the ocean began to warm during the waning ice age, plant growth decreased while carbon export increased. “This counterintuitive effect was driven by shift in ecosystems to one dominated by large diatoms,” Lopes said. “Those diatoms bloomed, than sank fast when they died.” According to the researchers, these finding don’t necessarily mean the ocean can continue to absorb CO2 indefinitely. Additionally, although the export of carbon may help to slow down global climate change, it may worsen marine life conditions. As the sinking matter decomposes it consumes oxygen, which raises concerns since low oxygen dead zones have been appearing off the Oregon coast in recent years. “If these connections between warming and enhanced carbon export that we’ve found in past climate changes are triggered in the future, we can expect those marine dead zones to show up more frequently,” says Mix.
For at least 100,000 years, since ‘modern man’ first emerged from Africa, humans have been as we are—tribal, self-centered and dominated by the separative, alienating-from-nature capabilities of so-called higher thought. During indigenous times, people lived in rough balance with nature. Even then however, man showed a propensity for disruption and destruction, as evident by the likely extinguishment by prehistoric hunters of large fauna in North America. My basic premise is that the human adaptive pattern, which rests on the ability to consciously remove animals, plants and minerals from the environment, is rightly separative in its utilitarian function, but carried over to the psychological dimension, is inexorably fragmentary. Because we as a species have not had sufficient insight into the nature of symbolic thought, the supreme adaptation of conscious thought has led inescapably to the present ecological crisis, which manifests and mirrors the crisis of human consciousness itself. That a single species should have the power to denude and destroy the planet that gave rise to it is not just an existential mystery; it poses basic questions about consciousness and evolution itself. For if man is a monumental mistake of nature, as many now believe, then the evolution of brains such as ours, indeed evolution itself, has no meaning or value. Of course many also believe that as well. But life has too much beauty, and the human brain has too much capacity for insight, and the human heart too much capacity for love, for that view to hold up to scrutiny. Some people take dubious refuge in the belief that human beings are unimportant––infinitesimal specks on a speck in space. And that our destructiveness is evidence that life is a chance event against a background of chaos. But the very fact that humans evolved along with all other life, yet we are a sentient species that has started the “Sixth Extinction,” raises many questions. Foremost perhaps: What place do thought-bearing species such as us have in the universe? Others insist that the previous five extinction events (defined as “a sharp decrease in the number of species in a relatively short period of time”) prove that nature itself is destructive, and so we should not expect man to be otherwise. Does one really need to point out that there is a vast difference between a natural event, such as an asteroid impact wiping out most life on earth, and the mass extinction caused by a sentient species? Inverting the question, doesn’t our very destructiveness as planet-plundering creatures point to our potential as human beings, capable of being worthy of the name we’ve given ourselves—Homo sapiens (‘wise humans’)? Both worldviews beg many questions. The former view disregards the human brain’s unique capacity on this planet for spiritual insight, and the latter disregards the human contradiction in nature and upholds duality. So there are many mysteries in the emergence of sentient species. As science and technology increase, do all so-called intelligent species (the capability for symbolic thought and high science do not, as we are now acutely aware, make for intelligence) tend to fragment their planets’ ecosystems and extinguish their fellow creatures? Questions like these speak to the heart of what used to be called ‘the riddle of man.’ Astronomers have now discovered hundreds of ‘exo-planets’ orbiting distant suns, a few in ‘habitable zones,’ probably with water like earth. In the lifetimes of many people alive today, I think science will find that single celled life is quite common in the universe, multi-cellular organisms are uncommon, and sentient, potentially sapient species such as humans are rare. My hypothesis is that all creatures possessing symbolic thought pass through essentially the same crisis of thought-consciousness that we humans presently are. (Though other thought-bearing species may not carry the stupid use of thought to the brink of ecological and spiritual destruction, as we humans have.) Species that make the transition have neither the desire to dominate other potentially sapient species, nor the desire to interfere with the processes of conscious transmutation in sentient species on other planets. It’s up to each potentially intelligent species to come up to the mark themselves. If I’m right, the question of extraterrestrial life will not be answered until and unless the question of terrestrial consciousness is resolved. Neither science nor religion can resolve the human crisis; only our transmutation or extinction can. Like it or not, the ultimate existential question for humanity is in our hands, that is, in the minds and hearts of the living generations of people who still give a damn. We can no longer fob off the urgently pressing question of the disastrously fragmenting nature of human consciousness onto the next generation. The human mind has divided the infinitely layered wholeness of the earth’s ecosystems to the breaking point. And in so doing, we have also divided ourselves to the breaking point. In short, the fragmentation of the earth and humanity by the unwise use of symbolic thought has reached its limit, and evolutionary pressure increases by the week for a transmutation of human consciousness. All thinking and feeling human beings are facing the question: Can we, within ourselves, resolve the crisis of human consciousness in time to preserve the integrity of the planet, and ourselves as individuals and a species?
00 + 998 + Mobile Code** + The Number * Do not dial the plus (+) symbols Uzbekistan has multiple mobile networks. The person you are calling will be using one of the following mobile area codes \|Mobile Code\|\|Mobile Provider\| \|90\|\|Beeline (Unitel LLC subsidiary of PTD)\| \|93\|\|UCell (COSCOM LLC subsidiary of TeliaSonera Public Enterprise)\| \|94\|\|UCell (COSCOM LLC subsidiary of TeliaSonera Public Enterprise)\| \|97\|\|MTS (Uzdunrobita LLC subsidiary of PTD)\| How to call a Uzbekistan mobile phone: 00 - Kosovo exit code to dial first when calling international 998 - Uzbekistan country code must be dialed next Mobile Code - Uzbekistan mobile code must be dialed next 00 + 998 + Mobile Code** + Local Number - Overall dialing format More Ways to Call a Uzbekistan mobile phone: Tips for calling a cell phone in Uzbekistan: - To call a Uzbekistani cell phone from a land line, simply follow the mobile country code dialing instructions above to place your call. - To call a Uzbekistani cell phone from your cell phone, you may need to first use the + (plus) sign prior to entering the Uzbekistan mobile code and telephone number. - If you are calling Uzbekistan from your cell phone, you may incur additional charges or fees from your mobile carrier. We recommend trying out a service, such as SpeedyPin Calling Cards - From 0.4¢ per Minute We hope that the Country Calling Codes mobile country codes guide has helped you call a cell phone in Uzbekistan. Why not share our Uzbekistan phone book with your friends and bookmark this page and tell a friend about this site for the next time they need to search for mobile area codes or call a cellular phone in another country. FAQ \| Help \| About Us \| Contact Us \| Link to Us \| Partners \| Advertise
Hours of Operation: 8:00am to 6:00pm, Monday - Friday, Holidays & Summer Bilingual Chinese, Spanish Early Childhood Center at Little Star Little Star of Broome Street Early Childhood Center's mission is to provide a quality education program in a safe and nurturing environment for all children, regardless of their family’s financial background. Little Star provides meaningful early education experiences for young learners through a developmentally appropriate curriculum that helps all children succeed. The center serves children ages 2-5, serves three meals a day (breakfast, lunch, snack), has four classrooms and an outside play space. We aim to inspire, educate, and involve families in all domains of their child’s learning: social, emotional, physical, nutritional, cognitive and language. In addition, we strive to enhance the development of the whole child by providing a healthy, child-centered environment where each individual preschooler can grow and mature to their fullest potential and become lifelong learners. This program is funded by NYC's Administration Children's Services (ACS), Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (NYDOHMH), and Department of Education (NYCDOE).
In Donald Trump's eyes, the place America should hold in the world is one where international rules and laws don't apply. America goes where it wants, takes what it wants, kills whomever it wants and answers to no one. Trump's understanding of history appears to be limited. He would take license to ignore laws that limit American powers. He conveniently ignores the historical record when the facts don't suit his narrative. The GOP presidential nominee's foreign policy speech on Monday in Youngstown, Ohio, underscored the dangers posed by the potential presidency of someone so clearly unprepared for the job. "We will defeat radical Islamic terrorism, just as we have defeated every threat we have faced in every age before," Trump declared after presenting a long list of terrorist attacks that he laid at the feet of President Barack Obama. "But we will not defeat it with closed eyes, or silenced voices." Looking back nostalgically on the pre-Obama days, he said, "Libya was stable. Syria was under control. Egypt was ruled by a secular president and an ally of the United States. Iraq was experiencing a reduction of violence." These were not off-the-cuff misstatements. Trump was reading from a teleprompter. So he clearly doesn't know that Libya and Syria were ruled by brutal dictators. Egypt's "secular" president had a long history of human rights violations and subverted democracy repeatedly to perpetuate his regime's power. The lull in Iraqi violence occurred in large part because the American military paid off tribal chiefs to win their cooperation. In 2008, then-Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki demanded that U.S. troops leave his country by the end of 2011. President George W. Bush agreed. Obama inherited the deadline. If Trump believed that period was so rosy, why did he state in 2007 that the United States needed to pull out of Iraq immediately, and that any delay in leaving was just "wasting time"? Was Trump wrong in his 2007 assessment? By his own definition Monday, he was. Trump stated that the United States should have seized Iraqi oil during the 2003 invasion as a spoil of war. Under what law does Trump believe the United States had any such authority? The candidate also has erroneously stated that Obama created the Islamic State. In fact, the group evolved from al-Qaida in Iraq, which formed during the early chaos of the U.S. occupation under Bush's direction. Islamic State formally declared its existence in Syria, not Iraq. Trump seems to long for the days when oppressive dictatorships ruled, before pro-democracy movements rose up during the Arab Spring revolts. If he models his leadership style on the likes of Muammar Gadhafi, Bashar al-Assad and Saddam Hussein, voters should shudder at the greater America that looms under a Trump presidency. REPRINTED FROM THE ST LOUIS POST DISPATCH
We’ve seen the applications of blockchain in many different areas. However, the travel and tourism sector was remaining largely untouched from it. However, after the latest partnership between IBM and Travelport it’s looking that even this sector may change a lot in the future from the power of blockchain technology. Travelport is an NYSE listed technology company operating a travel commerce in the sector of travel and tourism, and IBM is, well IBM (it needs no introduction). though the partnership between both companies was inked way back in August, it’s only now that this partnership has been expanded to bring IBM’s blockchain platform into the equation. According to the announcement, the new partnership will combine Travelport’s data and IBM’s blockchain technology to intelligently track, manage, analyze and predict the costs of travel in one place. This can fundamentally change how companies plan and optimize their travel programs. Speaking about the partnership Mr. Mike Croucher, Chief Architect of Travelport, told Forbes magazine: “If you look at our relationship with IBM, it’s one that has been in existence since the beginning of the global distribution system (GDS). In this instance, we are looking at new ways of innovation. IBM brings their R&D, while we bring our experience and knowledge of the industry. Because of our history, we are now able to combine resources, breaking into A.I. and blockchain technology.” The major goal of Travelport through this partnership is to thoroughly understand the blockchain technology and its use cases for travel. Croucher said on this: “This is done by looking to specific use cases in the industry. With IBM, we are now executing our first use case.” IBM, on the other hand, wants to disrupt the travel and tourism industry with this partnership. Besides that, it will also create a major use case for company’s Watson supercomputer and its cloud computing service IBM Cloud. IBM has recently been doing some absolutely fantastic work in the blockchain space. Most recently it inked another partnership with Pacific International Lines for digitization of their supply chain through blockchain technology. It has also filed the highest number of blockchain related patents in the year. It will be interesting to see what it does next.
CSO hears from Inmarsat’s Director of Energy Innovation Gary Bray on how the global satellite communications giant is supporting energy companies with their sustainability goals. Enjoying its 40th anniversary year, Inmarsat is the world’s leading global mobile satellite communication services provider. “We deliver reliable satellite, voice and high-speed data communications for governments and enterprises with a range of services that can be used on land, sea and in the air,” confirms Inmarsat’s Director of Energy Innovation Gary Bray. With decades of experience to draw on, how can Inmarsat’s connectivity solutions help support the sustainability goals of enterprises on a global scale? Bray notes the energy sector is under a great deal of pressure from governments, consumers and activists to reduce non-renewable energy consumption and minimise any negative impact on our environment. This is putting significant pressure on organisations to comply with new regulatory guidelines, which in turn places revenues and profits under severe strain. “Energy businesses are increasingly seeing Industrial IoT as a core element for improving both their sustainability and their environmental footprint,” says Bray. “Research from Inmarsat Enterprise, which surveyed 125 global energy businesses, revealed that 60% are aiming to use IoT to improve the efficiency of how they use resources, and over half (54%) are hoping to improve their monitoring of environmental changes.” Bray believes an area where IoT can significantly improve the environmental footprint of the energy sector is pipeline monitoring. “There can be multiple reasons for pipeline leaks but corrosion of materials, construction defects and cracking have been cited as the leading causes of incidents,” he warns. “Connected Industrial IoT sensors can monitor pipelines in real-time by analysing structural integrity, pressure values and flow rates, alerting management if there are any anomalies or issues so they can be resolved much faster. Quicker resolution reduces the impact on profits of leaked oil and gas, as well as the cost of environmental rehabilitation.” Industrial IoT will be essential for any energy company to truly improve sustainability and CSR whilst also bolstering health and safety of the entire workforce maintains Bray: “Collecting accurate, real-time data from pipelines, environments and workers, which often run through areas of limited mobile coverage, can be a real challenge for energy businesses if they do not have a reliable, global connectivity solution in place. To guarantee they have constant visibility over their infrastructure, energy businesses must ensure that they have integrated satellite connectivity into their IoT communications network.” Inmarsat’s efforts have seen it honoured as a sustainability champion in the international cooperation category of the prestigious World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) Prizes 2018. Under the UK Space Agency International Partnership Programme (IPP), Inmarsat is currently leading three project that use satellite connectivity to benefit communities in developing and emerging economies. In partnership with governments and regional organisations, the projects tackle challenges in healthcare, sustainable fishing, and disaster response. In Nigeria, land-based telecoms are not only expensive to deploy, there are also difficulties with maintaining power to systems and security issues. Using satellite connectivity, Inmarsat is enabling eHealth data and telemedicine information to be available in clinics in the north and south of the country, where isolated and poor communities have little access to medical care and advice. Working in partnership with NGOs, its BGAN service is enabling the use of training videos and information systems, to improve healthcare management. Inmarsat is also addressing the digital divide in within the fisheries community of Indonesia to keep workers connected. From a compliance standpoint, governments cannot track the catch and consumers don’t know if the fish they are buying are from a sustainable source and have been caught legally. Working with the Indonesian Ministry of Marine Affairs (KKP) Inmarsat is implementing smart satellite technology to reduce illegal and unsustainable fishing and improve the safety and livelihood of the seven-million strong fishing community. Meanwhile in the Philippines, Inmarsat is enabling connectivity to support communities hit by natural disasters, including hurricanes, typhoons and tsunamis. “It’s a core part of our business strategy,” pledges Bray. One of the most intense typhoons on record, Super Typhoon Yolanda, hit the Philippines in November 2013, severely damaging electricity and telco infrastructure, blocking access to critical information. “Working with a consortium of partners, Inmarsat helped to deliver vital communications for emergency responders on the ground and the wider communities, by using advanced satellite communications technology,” recalls Bray. “This enabled us to provide the Philippine government with a step-change in capability, restoring normal life and business infrastructure as quickly as possible. Inmarsat’s LX service allows anyone on the ground to easily connect to a powerful, reliable global KA band network through any portable or mobile device with true broadband speeds. Even when all local networks have been disrupted or destroyed, this enables instant high bandwidth communication between responders, departments and anyone in need of assistance.” Looking to the future, automation is a key Industry 4.0 trend across sectors further enabled by Inmarsat’s IoT solutions. “Our customers are demanding visibility over their entire operations, from exploration to extraction through to processing and distribution,” reveals Bray. “IoT-connected sensors can give energy businesses this visibility, providing mission-critical data to enable much more accurate decision-making in real-time.” Bray highlights the exploration phase, where sensors embedded in the ground can provide drilling companies with detailed seismic data to help them build 3D maps of deposits with much greater speed, accelerating the decision-making cycle and helping energy businesses drill with improved accuracy. In turn, this use of IoT can reduce exploration costs which can be crucial to maintaining a competitive edge and keeping a business sustainable. “A communications network that can reliably and consistently transmit data from anywhere on the planet is critical to the success of IoT solutions. Energy infrastructure and installations are often in remote regions not covered by terrestrial communication networks, so energy companies need to integrate global satellite connectivity,” advises Bray. “We are working with some of the world’s largest energy companies to develop deployments of IoT technology that demonstrate the value that connected sensors and data analysis can bring,” concludes Bray. “Our managed IoT service will enable these companies to connect anything to anything, deploying sensors to monitor pipeline pressure or fluid levels in machinery, collecting data and transferring it through software-defined gateways across robust communication networks to cloud platforms for analysis. This approach to IoT gives our customers in the energy sector access to all the data they need to automate and optimise their operations, improve their sustainability and protect their profit margins.”
About the Queer and Transgender Resource Center The Queer and Transgender Resource Center provides education and advocacy in order to develop a more equitable and inclusive environment by addressing issues of homophobia and heterosexism throughout the campus community. We are here to provide a platform for social justice as it is related to the rights of LGBTQQIA and faculty as a safe comfortable and open academic environment for all persons on the CSUSB Campus. The Santos Manuel Student Union Queer and Transgender Resource Center is here to serve the greater campus community, through education, advocacy and social justice. The QTR Center focuses on creating an inclusive and supportive environment for all university community members, including lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, and intersex students and their allies. As well as educating and advocating on issues such as homophobia, heterosexism, inclusive language, and other sexual or gender identity issues. Interested in issues concerning Gender & Sexuality? Please visit the CSUSB Gender & Sexuality Studies page for more information. - Welcoming and friendly environment with amenities - Knowledgeable staff sensitive to LGBTQQIA needs - Opportunity to create lifelong bonds and friendships - Programming and support for LGBTQQIA events - Resource information for community based programs - Panel discussions for campus/community based programs - Safezone Training Resource directory for LGBTQQIA persons and allies - Resource Library with LGBTQQIA literature, reference material and films - Monday - Thursday: 9:00 AM - 7:00 PM - Friday: 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM - Saturday - Sunday: CLOSED
Kristin Raab, MLA, MPH, Minnesota Climate & Health Director & Nissa Tupper, MLA, Minnesota Climate & Health Program Manager Climate change offers both challenges and opportunities. A warmer climate and unprecedented extreme events force us to adapt our built environment and our seasonal patterns of life to a new reality. Ski season may be shorter, but biking season is longer, and we’re swapping snow shovels for umbrellas. What does all of this mean for our identity as hardy Minnesotans? Come join us at Urban Current where we’ll explore strategies that we, as urban dwellers, can take to both mitigate and adapt to the reality of our changing climate. Meet the Speakers Kristin Raab has directed the Minnesota Climate & Health Program at the Minnesota Department of Health, since its inception in 2009. She has presented on the health impacts of climate change at numerous venues and published articles, including in Minnesota Medicine and Healthy Generations. In 2017, she received the Harvey G. Rogers Memorial Award from the MN Public Health Association for her work on climate change. Kristin is passionate about creating healthy, resilient communities through Health Impact Assessments, informed design, and policy changes. Nissa Tupper works as a Climate & Health Program Manager at the Minnesota Department of Health. She engages across disciplines and organizations to develop knowledge-based tools and processes that build capacity throughout the State to build more climate resilient communities. Nissa’s work is informed by a professional background in communications and landscape architecture, as well as a personal passion for environmental stewardship. January 23, 2019 – Wednesday Cuningham Group Minneapolis 201 Main Street SE, Suite 325, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55414 (Note: Enter the building at 212 2nd Street SE) Questions? Contact Rebecca Nash (email@example.com) or 612-379-5508 7:00 pm Discussion 7:30 pm Program Ends
There are several different types of collapsible dog crates and almost as many folding mechanisms. However, the most common collapsible crate is the metal cage. It is the most versatile, therefore the most purchased of all dog crates. No matter the size or the manufacturer, the folding process is fairly similar for all of them. You won't need any tools because most of them snap together with existing clasps. You will need to read the manufacturer's instructions to see if the folding process is panel specific. Some have a particular order in which to fold the sides. How to Fold a Collapsible Dog Cage Folding a Collapsible Dog Crate Make sure the door or doors are securely closed. If necessary, remove the plastic pan in the bottom of the crate. Detach the end/door panel from the top panel hooks and push toward the interior of the crate until it is flush with the side panel. Repeat the process on the opposite end panel. Grasp the top panel and lower it to the side until the crate is completely flat. Secure the crate in the flat position with the hooks provided.
It’s in our nature as human beings to define others basing on the way we’ve been conditioned to look at life. That our problem is to practically think only in terms of our circumstances. We are meant to believe that the way we see life must apply to the lives of other people and this has been a crucial thing in the initiation of different kinds of hatred among people. Religious conflicts, grudges, revenge, rivalry, wars! People have been calling others names like stupid, wicked, some religions condemning other religions to be false, astray. But let’s look at it in Abraham Lincoln’s way; he says, “You’re just what I could be under similar circumstances and I’m just what you could be under similar circumstances.” I agree with this guy!!! TRUE! Perhaps if you were born where I am today, you would be more proud of my surroundings than I am today. Look, some things are not even by choice that you’re the way you’re… like being born black or white, being born in a certain culture or tribe. It was not your choice to be there or that way, but still people might hate you for it. Seriously? My point is that the world around us exists as we allow ourselves to see it. Such things have no meaning apart from the meaning that we give them. They’re just words, just names until we give them life. Of course, we must embrace & value our cultures… our ways of life. Of course, we’re all entitled to our believes & we’re all right in our own ways. …but this does not mandate us to believe that our ways of looking at things, or our perceptions are superior over others. Try to understand things, understand people. Let them be what they are. When you see someone doing something wrong, perhaps they’ve not interacted with the knowledge & experiences you’ve interacted with. It’s just ignorance, so don’t hate them just understand if you can’t teach them. It’s like when you argue with someone, mostly chances are that both of you are right – just that you’ve not seen things from the other person’s world. We are all ever learning, ever growing & we’ll always be different from other people in one way or the other. That’s life and it’s perfectly OKAY! The virtue of true friendship, brotherhood and oneness is to appreciate similarities & respect our differences. Every person’s decisions, believes, stature, culture or color must be respected! Whether someone is to be judged, hated or killed for what they are, …that is not our decision to make. But when we change the way we look at things, the things we look at change. That is important to know.
Crane AI is an AI-powered web tool that help product development teams build mobile software quicker. It uses machine learning and computer vision technology to understand the kind of apps users are trying to build and uses the data to help streamline the development process by providing the code infrastructure and tasks needed to complete the project. Due to a NDA, I have omitted sensitive information regarding the product and company in this case study. When I joined the team on April 2018, most of Crane AI was built out. The product was due for launch in 3 months, and stakeholders needed the UX team to test out their existing platform, and uncover any friction points within the product. I worked alongside with a UX Designer (Michelle Lee), our CTO and development team to redefine the platform’s experience. I was responsible for user research, interaction design, wireframing and usability testing. After the research and ideation phase, I was briefly assigned to the computer vision team and came back later to help with the interaction design and wireframes. To kick-start our first sprint, Michelle and I developed a research plan to test the usability and navigability of the platform. We sent out surveys to our network and recruited 9 participants that consisted of software engineers, designers and product managers. Participants were screened based on their previous experience within a product team setting. In our research efforts, we discovered an unexpected insight into how user’s felt about the interaction design of our product. At the time, users interacted with one of the platform’s main feature by communicating with the system through a chat system that utilized N.L.P (Natural Language Processing) technology. To allow users to execute a function by “speaking/chatting” with the A.I. may seem like a novelty and revolutionary way of interacting with a machine, however, we found the case to be different. When we tested the interaction between the users and the chat system, we found users disliking it or were confused because it was not an interaction that was intuitive. In addition to discovering the usability issue with the chat function, users were also having difficulty: Navigating around the platform Understanding how to interact with the platform’s following features: After presenting our findings to the entire product development team, we agreed to restructure the platform’s information architecture, usability issues and interaction design. Michelle and I led meetings with the development team and CTO to organize all the issues and tasks on Trello and assigned priority points via (Number Game). We made sure the design and development team held daily scrums to make sure we were on track. We found users to be confused about the product based on the user research prior me joining the team. The marketing team wanted to frame the product as an innovative A.I. tool. This caused users to be confused about the concept and did not understand the technology’s system process that was going on. To help users understand the concept of the technology behind our platform, we set 3 principles that drove the direction of the designs and interactions. Where Are We Now? Due to changes in the company’s strategy, the product launch has been put on hold.
The entire security industry has focused in on the newest buzzwords: Threat Intelligence. The term is so broadly used the definition of "intelligence" is sometimes lost. Some services are simply offering access to minimally analyzed (or even raw) data. Learn how to tell what "intelligence" really means and how to differentiate the offerings in this Solutionary white paper. Download this whitepaper to: - Get a clear definition of what intelligence is and the core disciplines within it; - Review the current evolution of cyberintelligence and its offspring: cyberthreat intelligence; - Document the steps in the intelligence process necessary to transform raw data into intelligence.
Distributed deception technology does not provide a viable solution for defending ATM machines against attacks executed physically on the machines themselves. But it is arguably the most effective means of stopping the most damaging attacks - the ones executed against the larger ATM network or those enabled by compromise of network-resident systems that support ATMs. This is because deception directly fulfills the essential capability needed to stop targeted attacks - a capability missing from most cybersecurity programs today: the ability to detect and thwart lateral movement. Download this whitepaper to learn more about: - How a deception approach enables preemptive measures; - Ways rapid detection prevents attackers from reaching their targets; - Ways to prevent consumer data theft and financial crime with an adaptive enterprise-wide deception environment.
Calvin's Harmony of the Gospels: Genealogy The Ancestry of Jesus from Jesse onward, Basilica of St. Denis, France. Matt 1:1-17 / Luke 3:23-38: The Genesis of Jesus Mt 1: 1 An account of the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah, the son of David, the son of Abraham. 2 Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, 3 and Judah the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, and Perez the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Aram, 4 and Aram the father of Aminadab, and Aminadab the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon the father of Salmon, 5 and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse, 6 and Jesse the father of King David. And David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah, 7 and Solomon the father of Rehoboam, and Rehoboam the father of Abijah, and Abijah the father of Asaph, 8 and Asaph the father of Jehoshaphat, and Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, and Joram the father of Uzziah, 9 and Uzziah the father of Jotham, and Jotham the father of Ahaz, and Ahaz the father of Hezekiah, 10 and Hezekiah the father of Manasseh, and Manasseh the father of Amos, and Amos the father of Josiah, 11 and Josiah the father of Jechoniah and his brothers, at the time of the deportation to Babylon. 12 And after the deportation to Babylon: Jechoniah was the father of Salathiel, and Salathiel the father of Zerubbabel, 13 and Zerubbabel the father of Abiud, and Abiud the father of Eliakim, and Eliakim the father of Azor, 14 and Azor the father of Zadok, and Zadok the father of Achim, and Achim the father of Eliud, 15 and Eliud the father of Eleazar, and Eleazar the father of Matthan, and Matthan the father of Jacob, 16 and Jacob the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called the Messiah. 17 So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; and from David to the deportation to Babylon, fourteen generations; and from the deportation to Babylon to the Messiah, fourteen generations. Lk 3: 23 Jesus was about thirty years old when he began his work. He was the son (as was thought) of Joseph son of Heli, 24 son of Matthat, son of Levi, son of Melchi, son of Jannai, son of Joseph, 25 son of Mattathias, son of Amos, son of Nahum, son of Esli, son of Naggai, 26 son of Maath, son of Mattathias, son of Semein, son of Josech, son of Joda, 27 son of Joanan, son of Rhesa, son of Zerubbabel, son of Shealtiel, son of Neri, 28 son of Melchi, son of Addi, son of Cosam, son of Elmadam, son of Er, 29 son of Joshua, son of Eliezer, son of Jorim, son of Matthat, son of Levi, 30 son of Simeon, son of Judah, son of Joseph, son of Jonam, son of Eliakim, 31 son of Melea, son of Menna, son of Mattatha, son of Nathan, son of David, 32 son of Jesse, son of Obed, son of Boaz, son of Sala, son of Nahshon, 33 son of Amminadab, son of Admin, son of Arni, son of Hezron, son of Perez, son of Judah, 34 son of Jacob, son of Isaac, son of Abraham, son of Terah, son of Nahor, 35 son of Serug, son of Reu, son of Peleg, son of Eber, son of Shelah, 36 son of Cainan, son of Arphaxad, son of Shem, son of Noah, son of Lamech, 37 son of Methuselah, son of Enoch, son of Jared, son of Mahalaleel, son of Cainan, 38 son of Enos, son of Seth, son of Adam, son of God. The different genealogies presented by the gospel writers becomes the occasion for Calvin to demonstrate his critical skills as a scholar. He first notes a common explanations for the differences: that the two writers trace Jesus’ lineage from Joseph (Matthew) and Mary (Luke), resulting in the differences in names listed (see chart below). In Calvin’s estimation the arguments proposed to make this point fall short. What seems obvious to Calvin is that each gospel writer’s intention is to remove any doubt about Joseph and Mary’s royal lineage and connection to David in spite of their low station. The differences that are notable, Calvin writes, are: that Luke goes in reverse while Matthew goes in chronological order. Matthew only goes back to Abraham while Luke goes back to Adam. Matthew, using the trope of three sets of 14, limits himself to Jesus’ legal lineage, skipping some steps in the genealogy, while Luke is more concerned with the natural line of descent. the genealogies use different names for the same generations. Regarding the second point, it Calvin argues that Matthew is more concerned to root the salvation accomplished in Christ to God’s covenant with Abraham. Luke, in contrast, has in his vision the universal condition of human sin inherited from Adam, and therefore, the salvation that is required by all humans. In this regard, Luke emphasizes the universality of Christ’s atonement, at least in its sufficiency. On the third point, Calvin explains the difference in descent from David’s thrown as a difference between legal and natural descent. By nature (Luke), Jesus is descended from the line of Nathan. By law, however, he must be descended from Solomon (Matt) since Solomon is the one who ascended to the thrown after David. If Jesus is going to claim the thrown as the rightful heir, he must have a legal claim. The great diversity of names between the two accounts (point 4), Calvin chalks up to the fact that after the Babylonian exile, some men would have been known by two different names—one a Hebrew name and the other a Babylonian name. Whether or not these points are upheld by contemporary critical scholarship is an interesting question, but one I will not investigate here. What seems most interesting at this point is the way in which Calvin critically reevaluates common explanations from the church’s pre-critical tradition, willingly dispensing with explanations that do not hold up to the text itself. The Book of the Generation (Matt 1:1-17) In the reminder of this section, Calvin follow’s Matthew’s genealogy in commentary. The clear point of the genealogy, for Calvin, is that Jesus is established as a Son of Adam and a Son of David. Therefore, Jesus is the fulfillment of God’s promises to each. Among the points that are worth mentioning: That Matthew does not list Ishmael along Isaac or Esau along Jacob and yet he includes Judah’s brothers, means that Jesus’ fulfillment of the covenant applies not only to the tribe of Judah but to all twelve tribes (v. 2). That Matthew lists the women (Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, Bathsheba, and Mary) and their scandalous births means that Matthew is demonstrating the extent to which Jesus’s incarnation is an act of self-emptying and humility along the lines of Paul’s famous description in Phil 2 (v. 3). That David alone is acknowledged by his royal title as king prefigures Christ’s own messianic office (v. 6). The former point is further emphasized when Matthew introduces Jesus as the one “who is called Christ”, invoking all of the messianic and royal expectations that developed around David’s heir.
John 20:3-8 – Peter and the other disciple went out, heading for the tomb. The two were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and got to the tomb first. Stooping down, he saw the linen cloths lying there, yet he did not go in. Then, following him, Simon Peter came also. He entered the tomb and saw the linen cloths lying there. The wrapping that had been on His head was not lying with the linen cloths but was folded up in a separate place by itself. The other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, then entered the tomb, saw, and believed. The pace of a story in the Bible is important. When a story slows down to point out details, it should cause you and I (the readers) to slow down and pay extra attention. As you read John’s account, it seems that almost that the entire story is built around the undisturbed grave clothes. Why are these clothes so important? We get a clue when we see the reaction of John—the other disciple—in v. 8: “The other disciple…entered the tomb, saw, and believed.” What was it that John believed, and what caused him to believe it? We must remember that the reason he and Peter went to the tomb was because Mary Magdalene told them that someone took the body of Jesus out of the tomb. But when John looked in, he didn't see evidence of a theft. Think about what he saw. Luke’s Gospel says it this way: “When Peter stooped to look in, he saw only the linen cloths” (Luke 24:12; HCSB). What else should have been there? The body! But there was no body; only the cloths remained. And they remained in such a way as to suggest a body used to be in them. The inference here is that if the grave clothes still contained the body of Christ, they would be lying in precisely the position they were presently in. So when John looked at the clothes and the Bible says he “saw and believed,” he knew that no one took the body of Jesus away. If an enemy of Jesus took His body, they wouldn’t have removed it from the clothes and then neatly arranged the clothes to make it look like He had risen. And if the friends of Jesus had taken His body, they would have kept His clothes on Him. No one took the body of Jesus away. When John saw the arrangement of the grave clothes, he instantly believed that Jesus had risen from the dead. God had intervened! God had performed the greatest miracle of all time! Furthermore, v. 7 tells us that the burial cloth that had been around Jesus’ head was “by itself.” It was not with the body clothes, but on the very spot where His head had rested. His head cloth was “folded up.” In other words, it had not been manually unfolded, and none of the fastenings were undone. This means that the head cloth was not removed from the head; rather, the head had been removed from the cloth. The linen clothes were there. The head cloth was there. Nothing had been undone. None of the folds had been disturbed. There was no change in their position. Everything was there...except the body. When John saw the grave clothes, he knew that there was only one Person who could have got in that tomb. Not the Jews, not the Romans, not the disciples, but only God. Every other piece of evidence for the resurrection of Christ was outside the tomb, but the grave clothes were inside. God Himself provided evidence for the resurrection of Christ. There should be no doubt in our hearts: Jesus is alive!
Introducing Clive Christian Perfume, the world's leading independent Perfume House who are giving you the chance to win a bespoke consultation for you and a guest at the exclusive Salon de Parfums at Harrods London. What's with Salt? Salt can be a very contentious and sometimes confusing subject. Delia shows different kinds of salt. Free running salt, is very finely granulated and because of this contains a chemical to prevent it from getting damp and coagulating which would stop it from running freely. What additives do is make the salt sharper but at the same time its saltiness is slightly diminished. Pure sea salt flakes have nothing added and when you use this pure salt its also marginally saltier so you need slightly less of it. On the dining table it can be served just as it is and use your fingers to crush it. Or best of all a salt mill. Delia shows our own stamp of approval Cookery School Salt Mill. Its called CrushGrind and it does exactly that. You can adjust the coarseness by twisting the mechanism underneath. In the kitchen sometimes the flakes are used just as they are, or a pestle and mortar can be used for crushing pure sea salt flakes really finely. Now we are being advised to eat less salt. The daily amount being up to 6g per adult per day. So the important point here is when you are cooking at home you know pricely what amount of salt you are using. The danger is the hidden salt used in processed foods because they use salt to give longer shelf life. To find out more about hidden salt visit the CASH website.
- Project plans - Project activities - Legislation and standards - Industry context Last edited 08 Mar 2018 - Shallow foundations are typically used where the loads imposed by a structure are low relative to the bearing capacity of the surface soils. - Deep foundations are necessary where the bearing capacity of the surface soils is insufficient to support loads imposed and so they are transferred to deeper layers with higher bearing capacity. Pile foundations are deep foundations. They are formed by long, slender, columnar elements typically made from steel or reinforced concrete, or sometimes timber. A foundation is described as 'piled' when its depth is more than three times its breadth. Uplift forces can develop as a result of hydrostatic pressure, seismic activity or overturning moments. In particular, tall structures such as chimneys, jetties and transmission towers can be subject to high wind loads and hence, overturning moments. The compressive and tensile forces generated must be transmitted to the ground along the length of the pile. Tension piles resist uplift forces through the action of friction along their length, by under-reaming (that is enlarging the end of the pile), by the action of helical bearing plates welded to the pile shaft, or by bonding the pile into rock. Find out more Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki Featured articles and news The world heritage list has evolved to embrace built, cultural and natural heritage. The Ocean Cleanup project The various types of bond and when they are used. It's vital the industry responds to proposals for reform of the safety regulatory system. RSHP's Merano wins RIBA accolade. How to differentiate between partial possession and early use. Ofwat proposes £12 billion additional investment and £50 bill reductions. Avoiding 'winner's curse' and other useful info. Developing test methods for video flame/smoke detectors Waiting for a new deal ...but will funding materialise?
Many tragic accidents can be avoided if seat belts were used to secure the occupants of a vehicle. Oftentimes if seat belts are used, they may be used improperly, causing greater risk for injury to the occupant. As a Detroit auto accidents attorney, I see way too many families whose lives have been forever altered due to a preventable accident. Your Detroit Auto Accidents Attorney Explains How To Use Seat Belts And Laws Regarding Car Seats Did you know that in Michigan, an officer may pull you over if they notice you are not wearing your seatbelt? So you may be doing the speed limit and following the traffic rules except for wearing a seatbelt and you may receive a ticket. Michigan law requires all passengers aged eight to fifteen to buckle up no matter where they are seated in a vehicle. All front seat occupants must wear a seat belt. Additionally, all children younger than age four must ride in a child safety seat in the rear of the vehicle unless all the rear seats are already occupied by children four and under. In that case, they may ride in the front. Children in a rear-facing car seat may only ride in the front seat if the airbag is turned off. Additionally, children who are younger than eight and shorter than four feet nine inches tall must ride in a booster seat until they reach either the age or height requirement. Additionally, the American Academy of Pediatrics now recommends infants stay rear-facing as long as possible, but at least until aged two. No matter what the age, it is always important to make sure the seat belt is always properly fastened and lies in the proper position. With child safety seats, officials estimate more than 70 percent of seats are improperly installed. If you or your loved one has suffered injuries in a serious accident, you want an experienced Detroit auto accidents attorney who can help you fight for fair compensation. Call today for your free, initial consultation.
3D V-NAND Technology Samsung Electronics rewrote the book on digital data storage with the introduction of its next chapter: 3D Vertical NAND (V-NAND) technology. As outlined in the video above, this revolutionary new paradigm in memory semiconductors doubles processing speeds and halves power consumption in solid-state drives (SSDs) — currently used in a wide range of applications, from client PCs to enterprise servers. Prior to 3D V-NAND technology’s introduction, SSD memory had traditionally been increased by cramming more cells into a limited 2D plane. Because placing the cells too closely together can ultimately compromise reliability, this new approach instead stacks them three-dimensionally. To illustrate, imagine a building, where instead of cramming more rooms into the fixed space of a single floor, you increase capacity by building new levels. This construction alleviates issues associated with shrinking NAND lithography and makes it possible for enterprises to adopt SSDs with faster response rates and larger capacities. With the layered innovation, Samsung has added new depth to memory semiconductor technology. This will not only accelerate developments in cloud computing, real-time analysis and big data networks, but also advance the era of IoT, wherein immense amounts of data will need to be processed and transferred faster than ever before.
The UK Daily Telegraph appears to believe that US cities may have to be bulldozed in order to survive Dozens of US cities may have entire neighbourhoods bulldozed as part of drastic “shrink to survive” proposals being considered by the Obama administration to tackle economic decline. The government looking at expanding a pioneering scheme in Flint, one of the poorest US cities, which involves razing entire districts and returning the land to nature. Local politicians believe the city must contract by as much as 40 per cent, concentrating the dwindling population and local services into a more viable area. Not only will this not happen (outside of Flint, anyway), it's probably backwards as increasing gas prices will drive people into city centers for shorter commutes. Only way this happens if if people instead head for exurban centers because the cities are too decrepit. But even so, there's no way the media-savvy Obama administration will sign on to a plan with such lousy optics.
LEARN TO DIVE REBREATHER With traditional open circuit SCUBA, the diver inhales gas from a cylinder and exhales the breath into the atmosphere (open circuit). The gas or oxygen used by the diver (+/- 4%) is a fraction of the total gas wasted by the open circuit. Closed circuit re-circulates the exhaled breathing gas within a loop and only a small amount of oxygen is added to replace the used/metabolized oxygen by the diver. The carbon dioxide, produced by the diver, is cleaned from the breathing gas by the Scrubber (absorbent). This extends the dive time considerably. "RAID Closed Circuit Rebreather Diving - Get Close Up and Personal, with the aquatic environment" You may be a complete beginner and would like a 'Try Dive/Discover Rebreather' before enrolling on your first course, or you may already be a rebreather diver wanting to cross over to the RAID system. Whichever your choice, this will add an exciting dimension to your life! Go to the Diver Training Login for Registration. Click the register button and follow the 3 Step Process, which includes verification of your email address. Once you have registered, all you need to do is type in your email address and password, and click the Login box. RAID REBREATHER TRAINING The RAID system is a comprehensive continued educational programme designed for a variety of rebreather units. Recreational Rebreather Training We offer diver training for our recreational range of Rebreather specialities where you can even ‘learn To Dive' whilst using a rebreather or you may already be a recreational diver and want to start diving a rebreather as soon as possible. Our recreational Level 1 through Level 3 provide a learning path way for those people who have limited diver experience or qualifications. To certify as a RAID Recreational Rebreather diver, you will be required to complete: The core rebreather level program/s (Level 1 or 2 or 3) which determines the depth limitation and skill levels. Plus, the Rebreather Specialty program, which is the chosen rebreather. Rebreather certification requires both the core level and Rebreather specialty completed. In the recreational training you continue your education by completing the next level, reaching a point when you can switch over to the Technical courses (RAID Rebreather Deco 40 / 50) and get full credit for your existing Recreational certifications. Technical Rebreather Training The prerequisites required to start a technical rebreather course are much higher than those require for the recreational rebreather training. Like the RAID Recreational path, the entry to the Technical training requires completion of Technical Rebreather Knowledge course and the unit specific Technical Rebreather Speciality course. These two are general combined into one program during initial training. Any further Technical Rebreather courses after the first with RAID does not require the diver to repeat the Technical Rebreather Knowledge course. Only the unit specific training would be conducted. The prerequisites for each manufacturers unit / Rebreather may vary however they are generally the same. Details of these may be found under the Tech CCR Diver Program or in the individual rebreather course speciality. Your continued education will to the next level, the RAID Rebreather Deco 40 / 50 programs FIND OUT MORE AND CONTACT YOUR CLOSET RAID DIVE CENTRE NOW CLICK HERE
Trust Preferred Stock By: Tim McPartland, Trust Preferred shares are issued by a trust which a corporation forms exclusively to purchase subordinated debt of the forming corporation. Generally the process works like this– - A corporation forms a trust. - The trust sells preferred shares to the public (or some other type of buyer). - The trust purchases subordinated debt from the forming corporation. - The forming corporation then has to pay interest to the trust. - The trust pays the preferred share holder a dividend. The point of all of this is simply to avoid paying taxes. If the corporation sold preferred shares to the public this would be a pure dividend payment–and this is paid with post tax dollars. If the corporation forms a trust and the trust buys debt from the forming corporation the forming corporation is paying interest with pre-tax dollars, thus tax dollars are saved. Because the corporations saves money on taxes–you the preferred owner, have to pay taxes at your full tax rate (interest is not a qualified distribution like dividends). Trust Preferred shares, just like regular preferred shares, are generally callable after 5 years at par plus accrued interest. Unlike regular preferred shares, Trust Preferred shares typically have a maturity date (which is tied to the maturity date of the debt they originally purchased from the forming corporation).
All of the vitamins and nutrients you take in play a vital role in your survival. And as more and more knowledge is acquired of their importance and how they work, the medical community and citizens alike can improve their appreciation for a quality diet. It seems that with each passing day, we learn about natural sources that can help us to prevent a number of diseases, while we improve our health. Staying away from medicine and pharmaceuticals, when possible, is a great way to live. It’s refreshing to know that the earth is capable of providing almost everything you need to stay healthy, prevent disease and live without major problems. Of course, there are external factors that may fall beyond your control, but a healthy diet and active lifestyle can prevent a number of conditions, like Alzheimer’s, diabetes, cancer, and a number of diseases and chronic illnesses. One mineral that’s part of a healthy diet is zinc. Zinc has recently been recognized as one of the most important trace metals for human nutrition and lifestyle, according to a new review published by the Institute of Food Technologies. Zinc is mainly found in meat protein (animals get it from the soil they consume), but it’s also available in supplement form and included in most multivitamins. It’s required for a number of bodily functions and physiological processes, and it is also used as a preventative drug for a number of conditions and diseases. The new report estimates that roughly half of the world’s population is at risk for zinc deficiency. This might have something to do with inadequate access to zinc, dietary restrictions, and other factors. To get the most out of zinc, you should have between two and three grams in your blood, which is easy to do with supplementation or eating a diet featuring high-protein foods (predominantly meat proteins). How can zinc help you? There are a number of discoveries showing very important health benefits. First, researchers have noted that zinc may play a very important role in your brain’s ability to ward off degeneration. Blood zinc levels are noted to be much lower in Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s patients when compared to healthy people. Zinc has also been noted for its role as an effective antidepressant in a promising rodent study. But that’s not all… Zinc can also relieve stress on your heart, while helping with diabetes. Zinc plays an important role in insulin response, directly affecting the synthesis, storage, and secretion of insulin. Your body’s insulin response is central to your ability to metabolize sugar, which is a major factor in warding off type 2 diabetes. The report also indicated that low zinc levels play a role in heart conditions associated with people with diabetes. Diabetics without enough zinc were found to be at higher risk for coronary artery disease, hypertension, and high levels of triglycerides. Zinc is known to play an important role in regulating blood pressure, too. Is zinc a one-stop shop for improved health and a worry-free future? Of course not, but following a healthy lifestyle featuring a diet with adequate levels of zinc can help boost your physiological performance, improve your overall health, and prevent or treat disease. Try getting more zinc in your diet today to enjoy these benefits both now and tomorrow! Source for Today’s Article: Kuljeet, K., et al., “Zinc: The Metal of Life,” Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety 2014; 13(4): 358, doi: 10.1111/1541-4337.12067.
I remember sitting in my school cafeteria as a child when Stephanie, a girl one year older than me, turned red and started choking. In a matter of moments, she was on the ground and convulsing. There was disarray all around her. Someone yelled, “Get her Pen!” By that time, a teacher had arrived, and they’d gotten her EpiPen from her backpack and administered a shot. Right then, the paramedics arrived and rushed her away. That was before there were no peanuts in schools and every package featured a peanut warning. Stephanie was allergic to peanuts and that day, without knowing she’d come into contact with some, she almost died. These days, there are a number of measures in place to safeguard people with nut allergies. You’ve seen the warning labels like “may contain traces of peanuts or tree nuts.” Foods containing nuts have been banned from schools, offices, and other public settings. But the truth is that you can never be 100% protected from severe allergens. Manufacturers make errors all the time, and even if you think you’re safe, you always run the risk of biting into a product that’s been packaged incorrectly or has come into contact with a potentially deadly allergen. And this might happen more than you think. The leading cause for food recalls in the United States isn’t for bacteria outbreaks like listeria or salmonella. Instead, it’s for undeclared allergens that can have serious consequences if consumed by the wrong people. Milk, tree nuts, peanuts, soy, fish, shellfish, and wheat are the major recalls that pose the greatest danger. And although there are no official numbers to track severe reactions or deaths, these foods have been identified by Food and Drug Administration (FDA) researchers as the most dangerous. And it’s milk, not peanuts, which is the most common problem allergen. So how do you protect yourself from these hidden allergens? It’s very difficult, so the first defense mechanism is awareness. Understand that manufacturers make mistakes and sometimes the wrong product ends up in the wrong package and in the wrong hands. When it happens with a major company, the product is often publicly recalled, but it’s harder to know with smaller companies. Follow the news and visit the web site of the brands you buy for the most accurate information. You can also visit www.foodsafety.gov for accurate information on current recalls. It’s also important to carefully read labels and ingredient lists, and take a good look at a product before you bite into it. If it’s the wrong product inside, or even if you notice a subtle difference in packaging, be extra cautious, as it could trigger a reaction. Take a moment and make sure you’ve got what you’re supposed to have in your hands before it goes in your mouth. Lastly, make sure your EpiPen is close by and readily available. Carrying it in your purse, pocket, or backpack is essential to buying enough time to get to the emergency room. If you’re alone, be sure you’ve got a medic alert bracelet or some form of identification so people nearby are aware there is an EpiPen with you. Sources for Today’s Article: Allecia, J., “Hidden Danger: Undeclared Allergens Lurk in Many Foods,” NBC News web site, June 6, 2014; http://www.nbcnews.com/health/allergies/hidden-danger-undeclared-allergens-lurk-many-foods-n124626. “Undeclared Allergens Top Reason for Second Quarter Recalls,” Food Safety News web site, August 21, 2013; http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2013/08/undeclared-allergens-top-reason-for-second-quarter-recalls/#.U5do2pRdVD0, last accessed June 10, 2014. Gendel, S., et al., “Learning from FDA Food Allergen Recalls And Reportable Foods,” Food Safety Magazine web site, April/May 2014; http://www.foodsafetymagazine.com/magazine-archive1/aprilmay-2014/learning-from-fda-food-allergen-recalls-and-reportable-foods/, last accessed June 10, 2014.
It’s easy to think about treating diseases in black and white terms – we want a cure, a silver bullet to set things right, but the reality of treatment can often be quite different, more akin to trench warfare than a Hollywood ending. It can take researchers hundreds of millions of dollars and a decade of research to win a precious few hard-won months, weeks, or even days. Progress can be incremental, slow, fleeting. Sometimes the cure proves as harsh as the disease itself, leaving patients and their healthcare providers to balance the risks with the potential reward. Twenty-four patients made such a decision to try what IFLScience! calls an “exceptionally risky but pioneering technique“ carried out at three Canadian hospitals to treat their multiple sclerosis (MS), which was documented in a landmark study in The Lancet. The participants, aged 18-50, had been given a poor prognosis and were expected to be unable to walk within 10 years. Highly active MS is sometimes treated by hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), which suppresses the patient’s immune system with chemotherapy before reintroducing donor stem cells into the body. This treatment went further, totally destroying the patients’ immune systems via chemotherapy before rebuilding it using early-stage stem cells that “have not developed the flaws that trigger MS,” as the BBC explained. Twenty-three of the participants responded successfully, and showed no new signs of the disease or relapses in the 13 years since their treatments. Study researchers praised this as the “first treatment to fully halt” MS, and noted “many of the patients had substantial recovery of neurological function despite their disease’s aggressive nature.” Tragically, the last patient died as a result of the aggressive chemotherapy, highlighting the risks of the treatment. This breakthrough is no silver bullet, and is estimated to only be appropriate for 5-10% of MS patients due to the danger. Dr. Mark Freedman, a neurologist at the University of Ottawa and the coordinator of the study, told The Guardian, “I hesitate to use the c-word. A cure would be stopping all disease moving forward and repairing all damage that has occurred.” Freedman admits that the lack of a control group and the small sample size mean that large-scale clinical studies will be required to follow-up on the results. The patients from the original study will also need to be monitored to determine the long-term effects of the treatment. Still, some participants recovered sight, balance, and the ability to walk and drive, and “six returned to work or college, five married or became engaged and two had children using banked sperm or eggs, as the aggressive treatment had made them infertile.” This gives millions suffering from MS worldwide renewed hope that their condition can not only be treated, but stopped in its tracks. Although not universally suitable, this treatment can hopefully lead the way to further breakthroughs in the years to come.
NEW California Laws You Need to Know in 2019 The State of California has rolled in a few laws aimed at improving the efficacy of existing laws. While the Senate and Assembly amended or made several new laws, we picked the most relevant and the most influential legislations that could affect you personally. Ignition Interlock Device for DUI Offenders As of January 2019, courts within California can now issue an order upon first time and repeat DUI offenders whose violation caused an injury to install an ignition interlock device in their cars. The SB 1046 is said to run a six-year course from January 1, 2019 to January 1 2026, when some parts will sunset and other laws will come into effect. For those who are not familiar with this device, the ignition interlock device is a breathalyzer that requires a driver to blow into its mouthpiece in order to ignite the engine. Depending on the pre-set legal amount, your car will only start if the alcohol concentration in your breath is below the legal limit. The court can order individuals convicted of DUI offenses to install the devices for up to 48 months. Pending a conviction, the court is at liberty to order persons charged with DUI offenses to use the device until they make a conclusive judgement. This law typically applies not just to alcohol DUI offenses, but also a combination of drug and alcohol. For more specifics on this new law, see our other article: How Do the New 2019 Laws Affect DUIs in California? Lactation Accommodative Spaces Motherhood is a struggle as it is but the Assembly Bill 1976 helps lift the burden off lactating mothers. This bill was effective on January 1st of this year and is aimed at supporting lactating mothers who wish to seek a private space to express their breast milk at their workplace. As per the AB 1976 requirements, employers are required to facilitate lactating mothers who wish to express breast milk in a private room or location other than a toilet stall close to the workplace. In addition, the bill also establishes that employers will grant lactating mothers a reasonable amount of time to do so compared to the average employer. The Bill also recognizes that some employers may not have sufficient funds, space, or operational capabilities, which may all limit the effectiveness of this law. However, a temporary location will be deemed compliant if; the employer is unable to provide a permanent location; the temporary location is set aside privately and free from the intrusion of other workers; the location is used solely for lactation purposes; and it meets the minimum state requirements for lactating spaces. Low-Emission Vehicles in Carpool Lanes New traffic laws and regulations are always coming up that help integrate new advancements to legal requirements. One such legislation is the AB 544 that allows low-emission and transitional nil emission vehicles to use carpool lanes for a period of four years. Previously, cars with a green or white decal had all access to HOV lanes but these decals were rendered invalid from January 1, this year. The previous green or white tagged vehicles will now have to apply for red decals in order to access carpool lanes until January of 2022. You can check if your car meets the minimum state requirements from the California Air Resources Board Website. Mandatory Sexual Harassment Trainings With increasing cases and reports of sexual harassment, there is need to sensitize the working populous on proper conduct and how to handle misconduct in the workplace. Based on a 2017 survey, 42% of women in the country reported having faced sexual harassment at any point of their lives while only 11% of the male respondents reported the same. According to the SB 1343, employers are required to carry out a minimum of two hours of training on sexual harassment with their supervisory or management team. These sessions are to be conducted every two years or within six months following placement of a new supervisor or manager. Employers with less than five employees or temporary employers are also directed to carry out similar training for at least one hour to all non-supervisory employees. Although this Bill won’t come into effect until 2020, enacting this law shows dedication on the part of the Senate to completely eradicating gross sexual misconduct within the workplace. Female Inclusiveness in Board Membership This is probably the highlight of 2019 for women empowerment and a big win for women’s rights activists in California. The SB 826 requires all corporations with executive offices in California to have at least one female as an acting board member by December 31 of this year. The Bill further increases the minimum number of female representation from one to two if there are a total of 5 board members and 3 if there are 6 or more board members. For the sake of transparency, the Secretary of State is also required to submit a formal report by July 1st on the state of board representation. If corporations fail to comply with these requirements, the Secretary of State, who is also tasked with enforcing these requirements, is at liberty to impose fines as heavy as $100,000 for first violations and $300,000 for subsequent violations.
LONDON (AP) -- A violent storm packing winds of up to 100 miles per hour battered parts of western Europe Wednesday, leaving hundreds of thousands of homes across France, Britain and Ireland without power and causing damage to trains and roads in Germany. The storm, which included heavy rain, hail and lightning, also led to some bridge and road closures in England. In southwestern England, extremely high tides caused the partial collapse of a harbor wall in Cornwall, bringing seawater flooding in. Overturned vehicles forced officials to close portions of three major highways in England. The country's main weather forecaster, the Met Office, says gusts reached 100 mph in Cumbria, 280 miles (450 kilometers) northwest of London, early Wednesday morning when the storm peaked. The storm then crossed the English Channel to damage power systems in France and Germany. Forecasters said gusts of up to 80 mph are possible Wednesday. France's national electricity provider says it left some 200,000 households without electricity across the country, including 30,000 in the Paris region. The windstorm battered northern France with winds surpassing 90 mph. Photos of destroyed cars, collapsed scaffolding and uprooted trees have appeared across social media. Strong winds also battered Paris' biggest airport Charles de Gaulle. Paris' airport authority said that flights have been disrupted with slight delays stemming from precautions being taken to safely get travelers into aircraft. In Germany, zoos were closed, roads were flooded and a train derailed as the storm battered many regions. The German news agency dpa reported Wednesday that a train derailed near Luenen in western Germany when it crashed against a tree that had fallen on the tracks. No injuries were reported. Highways near Duisburg and Juelich in the west were also partially blocked because of toppled trees and flooding. The zoos in Munich and Augsburg in Bavaria closed for the day and the rack railway leading up on Germany's tallest mountain, the Zugspitze, was also shut down because of the storm.
From the German Empire through the 1930s, humans were locked up and exhibited in zoos. These racist "ethnological expositions" remain a traumatizing experience for Theodor Wonja Michael. "We went throughout Europe with circuses, and I was always traveling - from Paris to Riga, from Berne to Bucharest via Warsaw," remembers Theodor Wonja Michael. He is the youngest son of a Cameroonian who left the then German colony at the turn of the century to live in the German Empire. "We danced and performed along with fire-eaters and fakirs. I began hating taking part in these human zoos very early on," says the now 92-year-old. For several years, did stopped talking about that period in his life. Then in 2013, Theodor Wonja Michael wrote about his and his family's story in the book "Deutsch sein und schwarz dazu" (Being German and also Black). Traveling with a human zoo Theodor Wonja Michael's father moved with his family from Cameroon to Europe at the end of the 19th century. In Berlin, he quickly realized that he wouldn't be allowed to do normal jobs. The only available way of making a living was through ethnological expositions, also called human zoos. At the time, performers of a human zoo would tour through Europe just like rock bands today. They were scheduled to do several presentations a day while visitors would gawk at them. "In some cases, the performers had contracts, but they didn't know what it meant to be part of Europe's ethnological expositions," says historian Anne Dreesbach. Most of them were homesick; some died because they didn't manage to get vaccinated. That's how an Inuit family, which was part of an exhibition, died of smallpox after shows in Hamburg and Berlin in 1880. Another group of Sioux Indians died of vertigo, measles and pneumonia. Carl Hagenbeck's exposition of 'exotics' Up until the 1930s, there were some 400 human zoos in Germany. The first big ethnological exposition was organized in 1874 by a wild animal merchant from Hamburg, Carl Hagenbeck. "He had the idea to open zoos that weren't only filled with animals, but also people. People were excited to discover humans from abroad: Before television and color photography were available, it was their only way to see them," explains Anne Dreesbach, who published a book on the history of human zoos in Germany a few year ago. An illusion of travel The concept already existed in the early modern age, when European explorers brought back people from the new areas they had traveled to. Carl Hagenbeck took this one step further, staging the exhibitions to make them more attractive: Laplanders would appear accompanied by reindeer, Egyptians would ride camels in front of cardboard pyramids, Fuegians would be living in huts and had bones as accessories in their hair. "Carl Hagenbeck sold visitors an illusion of world travel with his human zoos," says historian Hilke Thode-Arora from Munich's ethnological museum. "In these ethnological expositions, we embodied Europeans perception of 'Africans' in the 1920s and 30s - uneducated savages wearing raffia skirts," explains Theodor Wonja Michael. He still remembers how strangers would stroke his curled hair: "They would smell me to check if I was real and talked to me in broken German or with signs." Hordes of visitors Theodor Wonja Michael's family was torn apart after the death of his mother, who was a German seamstress from East Prussia. A court determined that the father couldn't properly raise his four children, and operators of a human zoo officially became the young Theodor's foster parents in the 1920s. "Their only interest in us was for our labor," explains Michael. All four children were taken on by different operators of ethnological expositions and had to present and sell "a typical African lifestyle" for a curious public, like their father had done previously. For Theodor Wonja Michael, it was torture. Just like fans want to see stars up close today, visitors at the time wanted to see Fuegians, Eskimos or Samoans. When one group decided to stay hidden in their hut during the last presentation of a day in a Berlin zoo in November 1881, thousands of visitors protested by pushing down fences and walls and destroying banks. "This shows what these expositions subconsciously triggered in people," says Dreesbach. Theodor Wonja Michael was nine years old when his father died in 1934, aged 55. He only has very few memories of him left. From his siblings' stories, he knows that his father worked as an extra on silent films at the beginning of the 1920s. The whole family was brought with him to the studio and also hired as extras because they were viewed as "typically African." Several human zoos stopped running after the end of World War I. Hagenbeck organized his last show of "exotic people" in 1931 - but that didn't end discrimination. Theodor Wonja Michael's book is available in German under the title, "Deutsch sein und Schwarz dazu. Erinnerungen eines Afro-Deutschen" (Being German and also Black. Memoires of an Afro-German).
Metal roofing has not always been a traditional choice, but it is becoming more popular due to its many features. Steel and aluminum roofing is very durable, almost maintenance-free, lightweight, energy-efficient and flame-resistant. Steel distributors and warehouses sell metal roofing in different styles, colors and textures. Below are some of the other advantages of metal roofing. Metal Roofing Materials : Contractors and customers have many metal roofing choices, but steel and aluminum are the most popular. Roofs made from steel or aluminum offer light weight and durability, and these materials can give the look of tile or slate without the need for more rafter supports. Stainless steel and copper roofing cost more, but look elegant. Metal suppliers Cincinnati also sell metal roofing that resembles wooden shakes. It will not rust and it muffles the sounds made by rain, making it a popular choice. Homeowners and contractors can buy steel and aluminum roofing materials in a variety of colors and energy efficiency ratings. Metal roofing is so versatile that it can be used on almost any home. Roofing Material Weight : Aluminum roofing weighs about a half-pound per square foot, while steel roofing weighs about 1.5 pounds per square foot. It is much lighter than tile (at 7.5 lbs per square foot) or concrete (at 9 lbs per sq. ft.). The low weight of metal roofing allows for easy installation over shingles without the need for roof reinforcement. Installation Ease and Speed : Homeowners and contractors can buy metal roofing in sheets and multi-shingles, which keeps per-square costs low and makes installation easier. Individual metal shingles are available but installation will take longer. A faster installation leaves your home exposed to the elements for a shorter period. Flame Resistance and Heat Conductivity : Metal roofing has a Class A fire resistance rating because metal is incombustible. Many homeowners’ insurance companies offer policy discounts for metal roof installations. However, the metal roofing’s fire resistance rating does not apply to the roof if other materials are present underneath. A steel, aluminum or copper roof from Metal suppliers Cincinnati will reflect the sun’s radiant heat, keeping homes cooler during the summer.
Taking place in San Francisco on 30-31st January, the eighth North American edition of the Sustainable Foods Summit will showcase health impacts, sustainable ingredients, and eco-labels. For the first time, the executive summit will discuss the future of health foods and eco-labelled products in a high-level forum. Although organic & eco-labelled products now comprise over 5 per cent of food sales in North America, there are concerns about the future outlook. Will the ‘mainstreaming’ of the organic food market continue? What other eco-labels are emerging? Is more label fragmentation or some degree of harmonisation on the horizon? What disruption is being created by Amazon and other new entrants? Day One: 30th January 2018 Sustainability developments, Food ingredients for sustainability Day Two: 31st January 2018 Health Impacts, Organic & Eco-labels Outlook
- About Us - Our Team - The Hub - Request a Quote Ecological considerations flow right the way through a scheme, from its initial conception, through the design stages, and onto the construction and operational phases of a project. Seeking the advice of our ecologists upfront, ensures that constraints are identified and dealt with in a timely... Wildlife licenses are required where proposed works have impacts on protected species that would, in the absence of a licence, be illegal. The penalties for contravening legislation with regards to protected species, consist of an unlimited fine and up to six-months in prison – on top of bad... The need for housing is always present in the UK and continually growing as population numbers rise quicker than properties can be built. In the rush to meet demand, the ecological and environmental consequences can often be overlooked. This can be particularly crucial when several development... Guidelines for the completion of eDNA surveys for great crested newts that are completed by the Ecology Co-op using the ADAS testing service.
Despite a bag ban in Barrington, the two retail chains are again handing out plastic shopping bags By TIM FAULKNER/ecoRI News staff BARRINGTON, R.I. — Despite a ban on plastic bags at the checkout line, CVS and Shaw’s have brought back the plastic. Both stores now offer plastic shopping bags, after making the switch to paper bags when the town enacted a two-year plastic bag ban in 2012. The Town Council made the ban permanent in June 2014. The law banned plastic checkout bags but exempted produce, dry cleaning and plastic bag liners. It only applied to the ubiquitous thin-film bags, and made an exemption for thicker reusable plastic bags. CVS and Shaw’s are promoting their thicker plastic bags as reusable. Shaw’s currently offers free paper bags and charges 10 cents apiece for the plastic bags. CVS stopped using paper bags altogether and this year shifted to free plastic bags. Town Council vice president Kate Weymouth claims the thicker checkout bags defy the intent, if not the letter of the ordinance. In an e-mail to supporters of the ban, Weymouth wrote that the town’s ordinance relied on boiler-plate language from other bans across the country. She wrote that the oil, gas and plastic industries fear losing revenue from the bans, so “they have legally worked around the language of these bans, and in ours specifically, by producing a thicker ply plastic, sticking handles to the top and stamping them with the word ‘reusable.’” Barrington is the only municipality in Rhode Island with a plastic bag ban. Legislation to enact a statewide ban stalled in committee in 2013, 2014 and 2015. Massachusetts has bag bans in 10 cities and towns. Statewide bans also failed in Massachusetts and Connecticut this year.
In October 2014, the European Commission passed the NFR (Non-Financial Reporting) directive. The legislation introduced new corporate transparency requirements for large publicly listed companies—considered public interest entities—in 28 EU countries. EU member states are already working to integrate the Directive’s provisions into national law, with the first company disclosures expected in 2018. This means companies will have to begin collecting data in 2017. Read more on the EU directive – shifting towards transparency and reporting quality
Students at the University of Washington are focusing on something important, something that affects every person who has ever owned a device that operates on Wi-Fi. Battery drain. Student hardware engineers have developed a new hardware that allegedly uses 10,000 times less power than current Wi-Fi. According to the students' report they have invented 'Passive Wi-Fi'. "Passive Wi-Fi transmissions can be decoded on any Wi-Fi device including routers, mobile phones and tablets," says the paper. Unlike traditional Wi-Fi, the passive iteration will transmit a radio frequency which will be relayed to a Wi-Fi enabled device via sensors that utilize near to no power. The sensors recognize the radio signal and sends the less power consuming Wi-Fi to devices that have chipsets within them. They are able to achieve with 'backscatter' technologies. One of the authors of the paper, Shyam Gollakota told the Daily Mail: "'The passive devices are only reflecting to generate the Wi-Fi packets, which is a really energy-efficient way to communicate." The discovery is inspiring confidence in companies designing devices for businesses and homes that will make use of and require the Internet of Things (IOT). Communicating with digital devices through the Internet of Things and interconnecting those devices is something that the students at the University of Washington are guarenteeing the 'Passive Wi-Fi' they've invented will do.
As California starts to overhaul the regulation of its 350,000 registered nurses, one of the nursing board’s most promoted and trouble programs is under the microscope. The nursing drug diversion program, which seeks to help nurses maintain their licenses while they kick addiction to drugs, has apparently not been the success the nursing board would like the public to believe. An investigation by the Los Angeles Times and ProPublica discovered several examples of nurses in the drug diversion program who practiced nursing while intoxicated, stole drugs from bedridden patients, and committed fraud to prevent from being caught. Most troubling is that since the program was started in 1985, more than half the nurses who entered the program were unable to finish it and numerous nurses who failed the program were deemed to be “public safety threats.” Yet despite the identification of incorrigible nurses, several continued to work after the findings were made. These healthcare professionals may be in the operating room. They may be serving you when you’re sick,” said George A. Kenna, an addiction researcher at Brown University. “You just don’t want that sort of person who’s impaired” at the bedside. To read the complete story in the L.A. Times click here. The San Diego elder abuse and neglect lawyers at Walton Law Firm LLP represent individuals who have suffered abuse or neglect in the hospital, nursing home, or residential care setting. Call (866) 607-1325 for a free and confidential consultation.
She witnessed the coming of electric lines powered by coal. Now, on the mesa overlooking Bernal, a Chicago-based company wants to put up dozens of wind turbines, each more than 30 stories high from base to blade tip. The power will be shipped six miles away to a power line supplying cities across the West. "The energy could be OK," Maestas said, "but I guess it's not (coming) here." More turbines are in windy New Mexico's future, making many renewable energy advocates cheer. They note wind energy is far cleaner and almost as cheap as electricity from coal-fired power plants. Wind energy companies tout the revenue and jobs generated for cash-strapped rural counties. But a battle is brewing over where wind energy facilities should be built in New Mexico, and the first battleground is in rural villages. Retired plasterer Keely Meagan lives a few miles from Maestas on top of the mesa. If the wind turbines are placed there, she'll be able to see most of them from the solar-powered home she built. It's not their towering size that worries Meagan so much as the potential for other negative impacts if the turbines aren't sited properly. She's concerned New Mexico is joining a nationwide rush into wind energy without making sure communities are protected and without questioning whether large-scale wind farms are the best option for the future. Until 1999, the only wind turbines in New Mexico were windmills pumping up water on isolated ranches. Now there are four major wind farms located in the southeastern part of the state with the capacity to power thousands of homes when the wind blows. "Wind power is a clean, inexhaustible domestic resource," said Michael McDiarmid, wind program manager for the New Mexico Energy Minerals and Natural Resources Department. "I think it's important for our energy future to have more wind energy." Wind energy's rise in the nation has been meteoric, though it is still a tiny slice of the nation's overall energy supply. Last year, more than a third of the new power added to the electric grid was from wind energy, according to the American Wind Energy Association. Currently, about 5 million U.S. homes are powered in part by wind. The Coalition for Clean Affordable Energy says wind is one of the cheapest renewable energy sources currently available and the "most likely candidate at present for large, green-power programs in New Mexico." Besides the wind farm proposed by Chicago-based Invenergy in San Miguel County, one is proposed for the broad sage plateau west of Taos. Other wind energy facilities are planned on more than 530,000 acres of state trust lands and on private land in southeastern New Mexico. The state ranks 12th in the U.S. in potential wind energy capacity, with 49,700 megawatts possible. Under state regulations, utility companies in New Mexico must produce 20 percent of total energy needs from renewable resources by 2020, at least 20 percent of it from wind. Wind power may be clean, but a big factor attracting major energy companies and investors is the chance to make a profit. Tax incentives and the increasingly competitive wholesale price of wind compared to coal or natural gas makes wind facilities worth building, McDiarmid said. All that revenue might be nice for companies, but electricity-rate payers in low-income communities such as Bernal and villages in El Valle on the mesa's west side wonder what's in it for them when a wind power company such as Invenergy comes knocking at the door. "This feels like a big company coming into a small community to make money. We get all of the ramifications and none of the benefits," said Gloria Gonzales, a community organizer who lives at the base of the mesa near Ribera. A giant wind turbine turns gracefully on Argonne Mesa, southwest of Santa Rosa in Guadalupe County, creating a steady swoosh as each of its three blades pass the tower. A row of turbines stretches along the mesa top for miles, glowing white in the sun. In the wind farm's operations facility at the base of the mesa, maintenance technician Russ Sanford said he likes his job. "There are great opportunities, good pay, and it's steady work," he said. And it lets him stay in Santa Rosa, where he's lived most of his life. Sanford, a former electrician, trained through Mitsubishi to work at the Argonne Mesa facility. Most of the eight other men he works with are from nearby towns. The lure of good paying jobs for local people in job-short rural towns is an attraction that wind energy companies promote. Cash for county coffers is another. Andy Madrid, Guadalupe County's manager, said the county will receive $4.3 million over a 30-year period from the Argonne Mesa Wind Facility's first phase, while the local school district will make another $1.9 million in that time. A new phase now under construction will mean more revenue. Madrid said Santa Rosa doubled its gross-receipts-tax revenue in a year and a half during the wind facility's construction. The money was used to upgrade buildings and leverage matching funds for new buildings. "It has a very big impact," Madrid said. In San Miguel County, Oliver Perea, president of the San Miguel del Bado Land Grant Association, whose members own land around El Valle, said if the Invenergy wind project really benefited the residents, he wouldn't oppose it. "But right now, there are more cons than pros," he said. Debates are raging within environmental circles about what is really "green" energy. Those who point out potential problems with wind power facilities are slammed as NIMBYs (people who say Not In My Back Yard). "We are in the position where the 'burden of proof' is upon us in an area and time when everyone who uses the word green (and wind) is good," said Pamela Rosenburg, a resident of an off-grid community in Taos County that opposes a proposed nearby wind energy farm. Meagan, the plasterer, once visited a wind farm in Kansas and found it graceful and quiet. "I'm such a supporter of renewable energy that I never thought there could be anything wrong with it," she said. But when a slender tower to measure wind speed was installed near her property two years ago and she found out about the Invenergy project, she and other neighbors in the valley began researching large-scale wind farms. What they found out disturbed them: Noise, flashing lights at night, impacts on wildlife and dramatically changed landscapes are all issues other people living near wind farms have dealt with, and scientists are trying to evaluate. The wind energy industry says many of those concerns date to older wind technology and new turbines create few problems. Mark Jacobson, Invenergy's business development director, said the company has faced opposition over the same issues in many places where the company proposed wind farms, but in general, residents grew to see the benefits. Jim Cummings, founder of the Santa Fe-based Acoustic Ecology Institute, said wind proponents "slip into WARYDU (We Are Right; You Don't Understand) rhetoric. If we are to forge a reliable energy future that is respectful of both the environment and the rights of neighbors, we'll need to move past knee-jerk reactions on both sides," he said. In a 2006 report on the benefits of wind to rural communities, Invenergy said three things are needed for siting wind turbines: willing landowners, a steady wind at 264 feet above ground and an available transmission line. What's not required in New Mexico is approval from any state agency if the project is on private land meaning little oversight of wind farms takes place. The state's Public Regulation Commission only gets involved if a wind farm is larger than 300 megawatts, and to date, none have been that large. On state trust land, the State Land Office makes prospective wind farm companies go through an application process and meet county ordinances. In New Mexico and most states, it's up to the counties, and few have ordinances geared specifically to wind farms. San Miguel County approved a wind farm ordinance in 2003, probably the state's first. Invenergy's project is the test case. "This one could be a template," said the county's planning director, Alex Tafoya. "Or we might find out it isn't worth a darn." Hugh Ley, a former San Miguel County commissioner, said it is critical for counties to have specific ordinances for wind energy facilities. "Otherwise they will be making arbitrary and capricious decisions based on which way the wind is blowing," he said. Last year, the National Academies, an interdisciplinary group of scientists who advise the federal government, examined wind farm impacts in the mid-Atlantic states and concluded that governments need better guidelines for evaluating wind projects and advising developers. Agencies and counties are trying to catch up. The New Mexico Department of Game and Fish and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are both revising their recommendations for wind turbine placement based on new information about the impacts on wildlife. Torrance County recently adopted a wind ordinance, and Union County has one in the works. But most counties handle applications for wind farms under existing land-use ordinances. Without a more critical look at placement, some worry about what will be lost. "Renewable energy is not free energy," said Bill Dolson, a pilot, computer engineer and landscape artist in El Valle. "All energy has a cost. In the case of wind energy, that cost is the destruction of the rural landscape on a national level if measures are not put into place to regulate the placement of wind facilities." Residents of communities in El Valle think a wider conversation about wind energy is needed around the state. They formed a group and last week hosted a well-attended meeting in Santa Fe to discuss wind energy. They've met with Gov. Bill Richardson and House Speaker Ben Luján, with the help of actor and neighbor Val Kilmer, to talk about the need for better wind-energy regulations. Some renewable energy advocates say as the state and the nation consider new energy sources, it is a prime time to rethink the entire energy grid. Simply building large-scale wind power systems located far from customers to replace equally remote coal-fired power plants might not be the answer. "I am not anti-wind, but I have questions about big towers and the industrial wind farm approach," Meagan said. "It is important to do this carefully, thoughtfully and do it right the first time. We may not have a second chance."
Electrical engineering deals with practical applications involving current flow through conductors; focuses on the design, construction, and operation of electrical systems and equipment. It includes developing, producing and testing of electrical and electronic devices and equipment, such as, generators to produce and distribute electricity, electric motors and other electrical machinery, transmission line. What is Electrical Engineering? Electrical Engineering is the practical and effective way of Generation, Transmission, Controlling and Utilization of electric power. Although the electrical power generation, delivery, and utilization remain one of the most interesting and challenging fields of electrical engineering, technological developments of our energy users are highly dependent upon reliable and economic supply and most importantly safety distribution and handling of electric power. The installation of electrical substations (transformer stations) and the expansion / repairing / renovating of existing electrical facilities are visible common in most of the places where developmental projects are in-place. Last Modified: 18-Jan-2019
Via: Big Games Design Contest The Belonging Initiative, in collaboration with Aitken Leadership Group, is supporting the development of games that are fun and accessible for everyone, games that take play beyond computers and into the spaces around us, games that require people working together. BIG stands for Belonging In Games. They are hosting a competition to see who can invent the best BIG game. BIG games are fun, accessible games that include play in the ‘real world’ and interaction with other people. BIG games are definitely not solo, computer-only adventures. They are playable across urban landscapes, in real time, with real people, who may or may not have super-abilities. The competition starts now. You need to submit your team’s name and the names of its members. The competition will be restricted to 20 teams. The competition will end on Saturday October 13th, when your team must pitch its game to a panel of expert judges. The judges will judge and there will be one winner. They will leave with a $5000.00, an honorarium for their genius, and a truly enviable notoriety.The judges will judge your game on the following BIG games criteria: 1) the game must be fun 2) the game must be playable by pretty much anyone: young, old, straight, gay, transgendered, street-engaged, married, people living with disabilities, people living in yaletown, people who play World of Warcraft, etc. 3) the gameplay requires real-world interaction between people (such as online interaction, personal ads, phone-tag, postcards, flashmobs, etc.) 4) Players’ social networks are expanded to include people who are “different” from themselves How to enter the competition: email Brian Smith [ firstname.lastname@example.org ] with your intention to play. He will forward you some fine print.
Jimu AstroBot Kit Learn in hands-on STEM and engage kids with real robotics, utilising real robotic servo motors and real robotic sensors for real robotic programming and coding. Programme and code to move with any smart device. The Astrobot Kit includes everything you need to build any of 3 pre-design characters - such AstroBot, AstroBot and Astron or your own robotic creation. It move on treads and come with infrared sensor to detect objects to pick up or manoeuvre around objects. It also includes LED lights that let you programme emotions and play in the dark and speaker that lets you play music or programme sound effects. Recommended for aged 8 years and older. - Easy to build DIY Robot kit designed with snap-together-blocks (no tools required) - Built-in app module giving step by step illustrations of building procedures so children will find it easier to learn robot construction techniques - Learn to code with Blockly with drag-and-drop method - Perform movement with pose-record-play function using high-torque servos to create fluid and precise movement - Programme and control your robot through JIMU robot app on Apple iOS and Android Smart devices - Compatible with iOS and 7.0 and Android 4.0.3 version and above 1 Year Local (Singapore) manufacturer warranty What’s in the box: Character parts, Connectors, Main control box, Battery, LED, Infrared sensor, Fastners, Wires, Tools, Charging Adapters
This chapter undertakes one re-evaluation of Louis Althusser’s philosophical legacy for modern Marxism. While Althusser self-consciously undertook to defend the scientific character of Marxism and so permanently establish it on a firm footing, many of his closest followers eventually exited the Marxian paradigm for a post-structuralism post-Marxism. We will argue that this development was rooted in Althusser’s initial procedure as he attempted to ground Marxism’s scientificity in an epistemological argument whose main referent was Marxism itself. This initiated a circularity which was ultimately to prove fatal to Althusser’s project. Less remarked upon, however, is a further legacy of the Althusserian oeuvre, the critical realist conception of Marxism initiated by Roy Bhaskar. Bhaskar found part of his inspiration in Althusser’s successful posing of the question of Marx’s science. On the one hand, Althusser’s work can legitimately be seen as a bridge into the post-modern challenge to Marxism. On the other hand, it can be seen as clearing the ground and establishing some of the foundation for critical realism’s successful recuperation of the scientific character of Marxism. Brian O’ Boyle and Terrence McDonough (2014). 'Epistemological Problems and Ontological Solutions: A Critical Realist Retrospective on Althusser', Research in Political Economy (Research in Political Economy, Volume 29). Emerald Group Publishing Limited, pp. 183-237Download as .RIS Emerald Group Publishing Limited Copyright © 2014 Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Family Nurse workforce survey The Family Nurse Partnership (FNP) programme is well established in the USA, where there is a body of evidence to demonstrate its success. Family Nurses work with disadvantaged families, specifically during pregnancy and the child's first two years. The FNP National Unit in the Department of Health licenses NHS organisations in England to participate in the programme. IES was commissioned to find out more about the Family Nurse workforce, via a survey, focus groups, interviews, comparisons with national data, and pen pictures.
Let the Sarah Palin jokes begin. Researchers from the University College London have learned that people with conservative political views generally have larger amygdalas, which are centers of the brain that determine fear and emotion. They also typically have a smaller anterior cingulate, which is associated with courage and optimism. (More on TIME.com: Media Noise: The Year of Living Predictably) The scientists based their research on the brain scans of politicians and a handful of students–they found that the size of these two areas of the brain directly corresponded to the person’s political viewpoints. (More on TIME.com: Does DNA play into your political view?) Prof Geraint Rees, who led the research, said, ”It is very surprising because it does suggest there is something about political attitude that is encoded in our brain structure through our experience or that there is something in our brain structure that determines or results in political attitude.” Though one interesting note to the study is that all of the research was conducted on adult brains, making it hard to determine whether the brains were always a certain size or developed through experience. (via the Telegraph)
\|Home > News and Events > Speeches\| McDonough: The Importance of Central Bank Independence in Achieving Price Stability \|July 2, 2002\| \| William J. McDonough, President and Chief Executive Remarks by President William J. McDonough before the National Bank of Poland I am honored this afternoon to visit the National Bank of Poland and to address this distinguished group of central bankers and their guests. One timely issue confronting policymakers throughout the world is the proper scope for central bank independence. As is widely accepted, central banks that are both powerful and autonomous, yet at the same time responsive to the needs and wishes of their people, are fundamental not only to the economic development of all countries, but also to their political and economic stability. Integral to economic development as well as to political and economic stability is a commitment to the liberty, dignity, and independence of people. These are ideals most countries share today. But liberty and independence, while precious, assume different form as they take root in countries throughout the world. How much liberty and independence do we give to people? How much is responsibility for governing people to be centralized? How much is sovereignty to be divided? In the United States, these are questions we continue to air and debate in public. Today, I would like to share with you some of my views as to how these issues are reflected in the development of the Federal Reserve System and why I believe central bank independence is so vital to a country's economic development and its ability to control inflation. Independence has, perhaps, a special meaning in the context of the United States' experience with central banking. We as a nation were born primarily of individuals who set an independent course for themselves by leaving their own countries to seek a better life in the New World. Our country owes its growth, its prosperity, and its prominence to these individuals. How to preserve the individual liberty they sought and won has become an enduring theme in the history of the United States. This history reflects the dynamic tension set forth in our Constitution of checks and balances to ensure that the powers of government do not alienate the rights of people. The responsibilities of government versus the rights of individuals, the centralization of power in the federal government versus its dispersal to the states, the mistrust of government versus faith in individuals are notions that are as alive in the Federal Reserve System today as they were when our republic was being shaped more than two centuries ago. Compared with a number of other countries' experience with central banking, which goes back centuries, the Federal Reserve, at almost 90-years old, is a relative youth. Not widely known is that there were two earlier central banks in the United States prior to the creation of the Federal Reserve System in 1913. The first was chartered in 1791, the second in 1816. Each bank remained in operation for twenty years. It was not until repeated financial crises, however, with their associated business bankruptcies and general economic contractions, notably the panic of 1907, that the need for a central banking system found support in Congress. The Federal Reserve Act was passed by Congress in 1913 with the goals of providing for a safer and more flexible banking and monetary system. One of its original purposes was to provide the country with an elastic currency--that is, one that would expand as appropriate to accommodate the need for additional transactions as production and spending grew. The Federal Reserve Act was also intended to establish facilities for discounting commercial credits and to improve the supervision of the banking system. More broadly, in establishing the Federal Reserve System, Congress sought to create an institution that would combine the benefits of public and private outlooks while insulating its functions from day-to-day political pressures. The central banking system Congress put in place reflects the country's historic concerns, traceable to its early experiments with central banking, about a centralized government monopoly of the creation of money and the desire to disperse that control through a system incorporating regional diversity and private sector involvement. The Federal Reserve today is thus a regionally dispersed institution with both government and private interests represented in its ownership and control, a testament to the longstanding belief that formal involvement by the private sector is essential to the credibility and management of the nation's central bank. Initially, the government was represented on the seven-member Board of Governors by the Secretary of the Treasury and the Comptroller of the Currency. In 1935, Congress removed these two officials from the Board in an effort to strengthen the Federal Reserve's independence from political pressures within the government. The seven governors who now comprise the Board are appointed by the President with the approval of the Senate. Each must come from a different geographic region, or district. Originally, Board members were appointed for ten-year terms so as to insulate them from short-term political pressures; the terms were increased to fourteen years in 1935. To balance central oversight in Washington with regional and private sector input, Congress created twelve Federal Reserve district banks, each serving a geographic region. The creation of the district banks as separate corporate entities with local boards of directors and member banks as stockholders was a key aspect of the Federal Reserve Act. The Reserve Bank directors, then as now, are one of the primary means by which the Federal Reserve Banks interact with the private sector on an ongoing basis. Six of the nine directors of each district bank are elected by the member banks; three are appointed by the Board of Governors. Of the nine directors, three represent banks and six represent the public, with particular consideration to the interests of agriculture, commerce, industry, services, labor, and consumers. The Reserve Bank presidents are appointed by the directors, subject to approval by the Board of Governors. In the early decades of the Federal Reserve, responsibility for formulating and implementing monetary policy was not centralized in the Federal Open Market Committee, or FOMC, as it is today. Instead, the twelve district banks undertook open market operations and set the discount rate for banks in their areas, which required the Board's approval. In 1922, the district banks created their own committee to coordinate their open market activities. Since 1935, the FOMC has existed in its current form. The debate surrounding the creation of the FOMC pitted some members of Congress who wanted only the Presidentially-appointed governors in Washington to set monetary policy against others who wanted the regional Reserve Banks to continue control of the Committee. The compromise reached allows all seven governors and the president of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York a permanent vote on the Committee but only four of the remaining eleven district bank presidents a vote at any time. This compromise reflects that delicate tension of checks and balances on centralized authority, which lies at the core of the Federal Reserve System today. This brings me to consider the basic functions and goals of central banks in democratic countries. We all recognize that the ways central banks choose to carry out their functions and the importance they attach to specific instruments or tools to achieve their goals vary across countries. The degree of independence central banks have within their governments also varies across countries. These differences are to be expected. They reflect each country's individual history, traditions, financial market structures, and legal frameworks. Nonetheless, I do believe that central banks in democracies the world over share certain basic functions and goals in common. What are these? First and foremost, a central bank's most time-honored duty is to formulate and implement monetary policy--with its twin goals of promoting domestic price stability while stimulating real growth. These goals remain at the core of central bank policy. Integral to achieving price stability is the need for central banks to avoid the direct financing of government budget deficits. Central banks can't indulge in this practice and simultaneously hold inflation in check, over the long run. At the same time, central banks must strive to maintain positive real interest rates, which tend to increase private savings and discourage investments with low expected returns, thereby promoting growth in the economy. Central banks implement monetary policy by affecting the growth of money and credit in the economy in response to deflationary or inflationary pressures as they arise. Central banks alter monetary policy through the use of a set of instruments, or tools. In the United States, these tools are grouped into three broad categories: 1) setting reserve requirements for banks, 2) setting the lending rate and making loans to commercial banks, and 3) buying and selling government securities or other government-guaranteed instruments. As lenders of last resort, central banks also stand ready to use the available policy instruments to forestall national liquidity crises and financial panics. Another major responsibility of many central banks is to oversee, or have some participation in the oversight of, their banking and financial systems. A sound banking and financial structure is essential for an effective monetary policy. Confidence in the soundness of the banking and financial system is what mobilizes a society's savings, allows the savings to be channeled into productive investments, and encourages economic growth. In the United States, the regulatory role of the Federal Reserve strengthens its ability to act as ultimate providers of liquidity to the financial system. Moreover, because monetary policy involves judgments about conditions in financial markets and financial institutions, including a detailed working knowledge of those markets and institutions, a major ingredient in the decision-making process comes from the direct, hands-on knowledge central banks gain through interaction with institutions under their supervision. I am firmly convinced that the Federal Reserve's hands-on involvement in bank supervision is integral to its ability to meet its monetary policy responsibilities and contain or forestall crises, if they emerge. The third major function of central banks is to oversee the payments mechanism. A payments mechanism which is dependable and allows the efficient clearing and settlement of interbank transactions is crucial to a well-functioning financial system. Commercial banks participate directly in a country's payments system, extending short-term credit in their role as financial intermediaries in the payment, transfer, and settlement of financial instruments, including interbank deposits and government securities. Central banks participate directly in the payments system as well, in part because numerous types of payments, including large-value interbank transfers and check clearing settlements, are likely to occur across their books. The central bank's participation in the payments system and its role as supervisor of the system enhance its ability to foresee and prevent or moderate financial disruptions. The payments system is a source of major credit risk because of the lags in time during which the processing of transactions takes place. During these intervals, one party extends credit to another pending the receipt of funds. These lags between the payments associated with both sides of a financial obligation, which can vary from hours to days, result in large, interwoven extensions of credit among financial institutions. A payments gridlock or other financial disruption can arise from numerous sources, including the sudden failure of a major participant, credit concerns by some participants which make them reluctant to release payments, and various technical interruptions. Because a gridlock can spread rapidly throughout the financial system, central banks have a keen interest in avoiding a payments system disruption and ensuring that participants in the system manage their credit risks properly. In carrying out the functions of a central bank, we must ask ourselves why it is desirable that central banks in democracies have an important degree of political independence within government. I think we would all agree that central banks neither can nor should be fully independent of government, since it is governments--and not central banks--that hold final responsibility for the economic and financial policy of the country. Nevertheless, some degree of central bank independence is critical. Why is this so?Basically, the greater the independence the central bank has, the less subject it is likely to be to short-term political pressures. Central banks under the direct day-to-day control of governments seem inevitably to be tempted to promote easy credit policies, particularly when elections are in view, or, even worse, to finance government budget deficits directly. While these policies may relieve certain short-term problems, such as high unemployment or difficulties in financing fiscal deficits, they ultimately result in higher inflation and the need for severe credit tightening in the future. Independence is also helpful to central banks in carrying out their supervisory responsibilities, by enabling them to resist pressures to relax or strengthen regulatory standards depending on political winds. A number of studies in recent years have found some empirical basis for the desirability of central bank independence as well. Although these studies cannot prove causality, they do find that the greater the independence of the central bank, the lower the average level of inflation the country experiences and the less volatile the inflation rate. Moreover, the fact that a country's central bank is independent is likely to enhance the credibility of that bank's commitment to price stability. This enhanced credibility, as one of my former colleagues on the Board of Governors has argued, may provide additional benefits. For example, this enhanced credibility may enable the central bank to reduce the cost of lowering inflation. Economists generally agree that if inflation is to be lower, monetary policy must reduce output for a while, relative to potential, by reducing aggregate demand. The output that is lost during the transition to lower inflation is a measure of the cost of reducing inflation. The faster expectations of inflation fall, the faster inflation itself will decline. The result will be lower costs to reducing inflation. The credibility of a central bank's commitment to price stability is also important because a credible central bank may be more effective in conducting stabilization policy. A stimulative monetary policy in response to a slowdown in aggregate demand would be less likely to undermine a central bank's commitment to price stability when the central bank is independent. In addition, inflation expectations could be less likely to follow immediately were inflation to rise when a central bank is independent, easing the ability of the central bank to contain inflation. In my view, controlling inflation is particularly important. When countries incur a significant level of public sector debt and run large budget deficits, fiscal policy is no longer available as a tool of macroeconomic policy. If fiscal policy is unavailable to address some of the social needs that confront so many economies throughout the world, it becomes especially important for inflation to remain under control, largely because of its regressive tax aspects. In my view, price stability is therefore critical not only for the classic economic reasons but also because it takes on a greater social importance as well. The benefits to society of achieving price stability are all too often overlooked, which has allowed some unfortunate myths to flourish. One myth is that inflation is actually good for growth. This simply is not true. History teaches us that a necessary condition for winning the confidence of savers and investors is an environment in which prices remain reasonably stable, that is, prices do not vary significantly over time. The ability to develop this environment requires the assurance that economic policymakers will be robust and consistent fighters against inflation. Another myth says that inflation creates jobs, which is assumed to benefit the poor. This, too, is false. Inflation actually hurts the poor more than the wealthy. Those with less wealth have fewer financial alternatives and are likely to live on fixed incomes. This means that in an environment of rising prices, the purchasing power of their income is reduced and their standard of living may severely decline. Moreover, those who are lower on the economic ladder are often the last to be hired during economic good times and the first to lose their jobs during slowdowns that result from the need to reduce inflation. Thus, it is in everybody's interest to keep prices stable and to maximize the job creation that accompanies growth. It not only is good economics, it also is good social policy. For better or worse, the task of keeping to this appropriate policy path often falls to the central bank. This is because the goals and long-term objectives of monetary policy can be more immune to political concerns, particularly near-term election considerations. That is why so many studies show that countries whose central banks have a high degree of independence from day-to-day political interference have had a far better record in terms of lower inflation and stronger growth. But, we may reasonably ask, what exactly do we mean by central bank independence and how do we know it when we see it, recognizing, of course, that de jure measures of independence may not fully reflect de facto independence? Without being exhaustive, let me suggest a few answers and how they apply to the Federal Reserve System today. One way to assess independence is to determine the extent to which the central bank enjoys freedom from the government in formulating and implementing its policies, particularly monetary policy. A key component of this measure of independence is the degree of freedom the central bank has to change official interest rates and select the mix of policy instruments and techniques it uses in undertaking open market operations. In these respects, I believe that Congress has provided the Federal Reserve with considerable scope for independently exercising its best judgment as to what monetary policy should be. Another way to assess independence is to look at the procedures in place for central bank leaders to be nominated and dismissed. In the case of the Federal Reserve, staggered fourteen-year terms for governors clearly insulate the leadership from short-term political pressures and fears of falling out of grace politically. Moreover, once appointed, governors can be removed only for cause. Still another way to measure independence has to do with the way the central bank finances itself. In the United States, the Federal Reserve System is self-financing, its earnings stemming principally from interest income on the portfolio of government securities it holds to conduct open market operations. Financing itself internally means that the Federal Reserve is not dependent on Congress for annual appropriations and is therefore insulated from pressures that might otherwise flow from the "power of the purse." Whatever their degree of independence, central banks typically are nonetheless created by and accountable to legislatures. In the United States, the Federal Reserve is accountable to Congress which has delegated to it specific powers Congress is granted by the Constitution. Congress thus retains the authority to oversee and instruct the Federal Reserve as it sees fit. The Federal Reserve accounts to Congress in numerous formal and informal ways. There are continuous contacts between officials in the Federal Reserve and the government. Twice a year, the Federal Reserve reports to Congress on its monetary policy goals and its senior officials routinely appear before Congressional committees and sub-committees. Over the years, Congress and the Administration have periodically sought to alter certain elements of the Federal Reserve. These efforts have contributed to many changes in the Federal Reserve's procedures and authority, in many cases allowing the Federal Reserve to evolve and keep pace with the needs of changing times. At no time, however, has the fundamental independence of the Federal Reserve been in jeopardy. The Federal Reserve's basic independence today is a widely shared value, which no one questions. In reviewing the experience of central banking in the United States and the vital importance of an independent central bank, I cannot help but conclude that ultimately the only way central banks can achieve their goals and control inflation is if their integrity is without question and people have confidence in the policies they pursue. At the end of the day, it is public confidence that is a central bank's most precious commodity in a democracy.
Driving While License Suspended (NJSA 39:3-40) Section 39:3-40 of the New Jersey Statutes prohibits a person from operating a motor vehicle without a valid driver’s license. This includes people whose driver’s licenses have been suspended or revoked, as well as those who have been refused a license or prohibited from obtaining one. It also prohibits operating or allowing someone to operate a motor vehicle whose registration has been revoked. Points and Penalties If you are convicted of or plead guilty to violating section 39:3-40 of the New Jersey Statutes, you will receive a $500 fine and up to a six-month license suspension. A second offense will result in a $750 fine, up to a six-month license suspension, and up to five days’ imprisonment. A third or subsequent offense will get you a $1,000 fine, up to a six-month license suspension, and 10 days’ imprisonment. If your license suspension was due to driving while intoxicated or refusing to submit to a chemical test, the penalties increase substantially. $1,000 dollars, a 12- to 30-month license suspension, and between 10 and 90 days in prison. For a second or third offense, the license suspension and incarceration remain the same, but the fine goes up to $1,250 and $1,500, respectively. If your previous DWI or refusal happened in a school zone or a school crossing, the term of incarceration goes up to 60 to 90 days for a first offense, 120 to 150 days for a second offense, and 180 days for a third or subsequent offense. A conviction of violating NJSA 39:3-40 will also result in nine insurance points being added to your record. These points are used to determine how much you pay in insurance premiums, and if you accumulate too many points, you may not be able to buy insurance at all on the voluntary market and will need to buy into the more expensive New Jersey Personal Automobile Insurance Plan (NJPAIP). Points do not expire for three years. What to Do If you have been accused of driving with a suspended license, a New Jersey traffic ticket attorney may be able to help you protect your good driving record. Call Dan Matrafajlo at (908) 248-4404 for a free evaluation of your case.
As the second biggest city in Australia, Melbourne is a favourite among students from across Australia and around the world. It is home to some of the best universities in the country, such as the University of Melbourne and Monash University, as well as some of the best TAFE institutes, such as the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) and the Northern Melbourne Institute of TAFE (NMIT). Schools such as these provide courses in Melbourne that compete with the best of the best anywhere else in the world. Your opportunities to study in Melbourne aren’t limited to these schools, however, so be sure to do your research before you make your final decision. There aren’t any rules about choosing a school or course provider. If you’re struggling to decide where to study in Melbourne, start with the internet. Browse the TAFE institute’s or university’s website. Take a look at the courses that interest you, as well as all the related courses because you never know what else might inspire you. Check out their facilities and amenities, especially the library and sports programs. You might even want to research their background to find out how their students have excelled in the past. Email a couple of staff to get more details. If possible, visit the campus and talk to some of the students, especially students who are taking the courses you are interested in. Some lecturers don’t mind if prospective students sit in on a lecture, but make sure you ask first. These higher education institutions offer everything from photography short courses to undergraduate and postgraduate IT degrees. From bricklayers to interior designers, there really is something for everyone. Use Now Learning’s course finder to find nationally accredited courses in Melbourne and register now.

Subsets and Splits

No community queries yet

The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.