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– The AI personal trainer for only $159 (Reg. $249) and get free shipping for your order at GetVi.com.
Get Nokia Steel HR heart rate & activity watch for only $179.95 + Free shipping & Money back guarantee*.
Fitness trackers are designed to help you achieve a higher level of physical activity. In addition, these devise can also help you sleep better, as well as monitor your health using indicators such as your heart rate. The following are some of the best fitness trackers of 2019, along with their pros and cons, as well as a quick reviews.
This is an excellently designed fitness tracker that monitors all your activities all day long. It comes with an adjustable strap, which is very comfortable to wear even when one is sleeping. The tracker does not have a display screen where you can monitor your progress. However, it does come with LED lighting that indicates different lights depending on the message it wants to send. One advantage of this fitness tracker is that you can swap the bands. It also has one of the best designs in the industry. It is water resistant, and tracks all of your activities. A disadvantage here is that swapping the bands needs a tool, and even then, it is still not an easy process to switch the bands. Another disadvantage is that it does not have a display.
Samsung GearFit2 is a combined smartwatch and fitness tracker. The fitness tracker has a bright display, and it comes with both a heart rate monitor and a GPS system (GPS Sports band). Furthermore, it also incorporates a music player that can stream using Bluetooth. Moreover, you do not need a Samsung phone to operate this activity fitness tracker. The major disadvantage is that the fitness tracker does not provide support for iOS. The screen is also narrow, which cramps the layout making it look awkward, and difficult to see. Another major disadvantage is that the tracker does not allow for continuous heart monitoring.
The Garmin Vivofit 3 has a back-lit display that shows all the steps, calories burned, intensity duration, and distance travelled. It also has an auto-activity detection system that is able to detect your activities automatically, and classify these activities based on type on the Garmin app. In addition, it automatically syncs to this app, and alerts you to remain active using audio. The good thing is, this Garmin fitness tracker has one year long battery life, so there’s no need to carry around a charging cable.
This unique fitness-tracking device offers coaching and tailored workouts to the users. It has a series of levels, personal bests, and achievement records that motivate you to push even harder in your fitness routines. The tracker also monitors your sleep and other activities. The main disadvantage about the Moov Now tracker is that its sleep and activity tracking are limited. The main focus of the tracker is on the workouts and coaching. Thus, this fitness tracker may not be the best option for people who are looking for an activity tracker that also focuses on sleep and daily activities.
The UA Band is another sleep & fitness tracker device designed to help you boost your physical activity. It incorporates a workout log, a sleep monitor, activity alerts, and a step counter to ensure that you are engaging in optimum levels of physical activity. Furthermore, this UA band activity tracker has syncing capabilities with the UA app to enable you to view your data in real time. Music control and phone notifications are also included in the device.
This Fitbit fitness tracker monitors your heart rate on a continuous basis to make sure that you are performing at optimum level during workouts. It also tracks how many calories you are burning during your daily routine, as well as monitor your overall health. Its advantages include that it has a large display, and automatically monitors all your activities whether you are taking a flight of stairs, sleeping, running, or walking. In addition, it comes with a relax mode that helps you relax by leading you in breathing exercises. The main disadvantage is that the screen is vulnerable to fingerprint smears. Furthermore, the Fitbit Charge 2 does not come with GPS, and it is not waterproof.
This Garmin fitness tracker has several appealing qualities including the fact that it has a variety of fitness monitoring tools such as strength training, and fitness age. In addition, the tracker comes with continuous heart rate tracking, is waterproof, and its battery can last up to five days. The fitness tracker will also monitor all the calories burned, the hours of sleep, steps made, floors climbed, as well as your stress levels.
Misfit Shine 2 is a best product for measuring the performance of fitness people. This is especially designed for swimmers to measure their performance in terms of distance, speed and laps they have covered. This product can be called as the one of the best fitness + sleep tracker. Because it can be used in water for monitoring the swimming performance and also in the out of the water to regulate the sleep cycles of the person. Those who want a best device for sleep cycle regulation can also use this sleep monitor device.
The Jawbone UP4 has a continuous heart health monitoring system, as well as personalized workout routines using Smart Coach. The tracker can also monitor sleep automatically, and is able to track all types of sleep including Deep, Light, and REM. The device is compatible with both iOS and Android systems, and it has a seven-day battery life.
There are so many fitness trackers in the market to choose from, and this might lead to confusion when it comes to selecting the best one for you. This article will help you make the right decision by teaching you how to buy a fitness tracker.
A fitness tracker or activity tracker is a device that individuals wear on their wrists or neck that monitors their daily activities. The device will also give the user information regarding their overall health, heart rate, and number of calories burned. The purpose of such devices is to help individuals monitor their physical activities in order to promote healthier lifestyles.
Why Do You Need to Buy a Fitness Tracker?
You need to buy a fitness tracker if you want to make marked improvements on your daily physical activities. The fitness tracker will help you monitor your daily activities, and help you make significant changes to your routine that can help improve your health. In addition, activity & fitness trackers can help you achieve your fitness goals such as losing weight or adding more muscle.
How to Choose a Fitness Tracker?
You should follow these criteria to choose your ideal fitness tracker.
Is the design appealing to you?
Different fitness trackers come with different designs. For instance, some have large displays, some have a watch-style design, while others can be worn on the wrist, or as a neck pendant, or even as a clip on your clothing. You need to select a fitness tracker whose design is appealing to you. The design should also make it comfortable for you to have it on the entire day and night.
Do you need screen display?
Screen display on a fitness tracker is not for everybody as it can prove to be very distracting. The simplest devices do not have a screen display that makes you interact with it throughout the day. Rather, such devices only have LED lights that monitor and indicate your activities and progress. You will then have to go to the app that is paired to the device to see a full breakdown of the day’s activities. To many, having a screen-less display is the best choice because it is less distracting. You do not have to keep checking your wrists to see how many steps you have walked, or how many calories you have lost or gained in half a day. In addition, having a screen display means that the device will be bigger, and this may be uncomfortable if you have small wrists.
Do you need heart rate monitor?
Optical heart rate monitors have become popular in the fitness tracker industry. Prior to this technology, if you wanted to monitor your heart rate as you exercised, you would be forced to strap a heart rate monitor to your chest. The modern optical heart rate monitors use multi-colored LED lights to send light into your blood vessels through your skin. This way it is able to measure your heart rate. However, the technology is not as accurate as the chest straps. Thus, consider if you need to constantly measure your heart rate to determine if you need a fitness tracker that comes with a heart rate monitor.
Do you want one that is water resistant, for swimming for instance?
If you want a fitness tracker that will monitor your activities all day even when you are in the shower or swimming, then you need to select a device that is water-resistant. Such devices can handle being submerged in water, as well as heavy contact with water.
Pricing is also a critical criterion when it comes to purchasing a fitness tracker. Most of these devices range from $50 to $300. You need to determine how much you are willing to spend for what combination of features. If you are looking for a fitness tracker that only serves to track the number of steps you have taken, or the calories you have lost, then you need to go for the cheaper fitness trackers. However, if you want a device that can monitor all the stages of your sleep, or has a personalized coaching system, or comes with pace and stride calculator, then you will need to purchase a high-priced device. The more complex and detailed a fitness tracker is the more expensive it will be. Thus, it is imperative to understand the features you need from a fitness tracker, and then determine how much you are willing to pay for these features.
Finally, buying a fitness tracker can be a confusing task because of the vast availability of different options. However, you can use a set of criteria to make the decision process easier. The criteria will include presence or absence of screen display, price, design, as well as the heart rate monitoring system. Using these criteria will help you determine the best activity tracker within
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United States.
In addition, financial conditions have become more supportive with banks increasingly willing to lend. The improving economic backdrop and supportive policies will likely boost equity markets and other risk assets, which in turn will increase consumer and business confidence and speed up balance sheet improvements. All of these will be helpful for a more vigorous economic recovery.
The outlook for Europe is more mixed. Some economies are doing well – Germany particularly and also Northern Europe. Other peripheral countries are likely to experience continued economic contractions. Overall, the spectre of sovereign insolvency looms as a threat to the European recovery and, indeed, to the European Monetary Union itself. The major challenge for the Eurozone is to deal with the sovereign debt crisis which has engulfed Greece, Ireland, and could well include Portugal and Spain.
However, European policymakers, including those in core countries like Germany, have reiterated, on many occasions, their commitment to the integrity of the European Monetary Union. European leaders will do what is necessary to preserve the European Union for both economic and political reasons. Political expediency, however, means that policymakers are likely to be more reactive than pro-active, and thus markets may experience more volatility. Still, economic growth in Europe, dominated by Germany, could average around 2% this year, with exports remaining healthy and domestic demand benefitting from a low cost of capital.
The growth outlook for Asia remains bright, even as countries grapple with inflation, emerging asset price bubbles, and large capital inflows. Economic growth in Asia will remain strong although there is a risk that a strong US recovery could lead to upside surprises resulting in more severe inflation and asset price problems.
China and India could see economic growth in the region of 7% to 9% but both countries have to ensure that inflation and rising asset prices do not get out of hand.
China, in particular, will have to skilfully withdraw the huge monetary and fiscal stimulus enacted during the Global Financial Crisis without upsetting the on-going leadership transition. For example, China will have to deal with an expected rise in non-performing loans from the rapid expansion in credit.
Fortunately, low leverage in the financial system, relatively healthy balance sheets and strong growth make it easier for the Chinese to deal with such issues as long as they are able to engineer a soft-landing over the next two years.
At the same time, some progress is being made to rebalance the economy towards greater domestic consumption, improve income distribution between coastal and inland regions, and between urban and rural households.
The challenge for India is complicated by the ruling party’s need to continue public spending and subsidies, despite the chronic public finance deficits, so that it can renew its legitimacy to carry out further necessary reforms. This has led to the occasional backtracking in economic policies as the Congress Party tries to consolidate its power in key local elections.
Asian countries that are part of the global manufacturing chain, including Korea, Taiwan, and Japan will benefit if global growth remains strong. As a commodity producer, Indonesia will also do well. In addition, its large size and improving policy and business environment means that domestic demand will remain a major contributor to growth.
So overall, the global economic outlook for 2011 looks better than the last few years. The US looks like it will finally experience robust, above trend growth. Europe, notwithstanding its debt overhang, could grow although more modestly. Asia and other important emerging economies will grow strongly but will begin to slow down to a more sustainable growth path.
There are five economic and political problems which could derail this relatively rosy outlook. First, US unemployment is likely to remain high even though if there are signs that the labour market is improving. It could be several years before the US unemployment rate returns to a more normal level.
In the short-term, a period of stronger job creation is needed for the recovery to be sustainable. Over the medium-term, high unemployment has serious social and political consequences. It could lead, for example, to insular or protectionist policies.
Second, the US housing sector remains weak and could be a risk to sustainable growth. The size of the foreclosure pipeline and the supply overhang in certain markets are of concern. A fall in housing prices of more than 15% could cause consumer confidence to collapse with adverse consequences on growth.
Third, inflation is becoming a risk for many developing economies especially those in Asia and Latin America. These economies experienced strong recoveries in 2010 but fiscal and monetary policies have remained accommodative. Policymakers have been reluctant to tighten too soon lest the recovery in the US proves short-lived. This, however, increases the risk that policymakers will be behind the curve especially if US growth were to be strong. The recent rise in food and commodity prices adds to this risk.
Inflation is not an immediate threat in the US but it may become an issue in the coming years, given the extremely loose monetary policy and the bias to remain accommodative until employment is clearly on the mend. With the amount of money that is being pumped into the US economy and the very large budget deficits, there is a risk that investors could eventually lose confidence in the US assets and the dollar.
Fourth and relatedly, excessive global liquidity could fuel asset price bubbles and plant the seeds of a sharp boom/bust cycle. Real estate values in many countries in Asia have already hit or surpassed their historical peaks. Equity markets have pulled back somewhat but remain elevated. Even in the US, a strong recovery this year, say a 20-30% rise in the S&P, would increase the probability of a more painful adjustment down the road.
Finally, geopolitical and global policy risk is higher, and perhaps more unpredictable, than it has been for some time. In the Middle East, the ouster of President Mubarak in Egypt was unexpected. Demonstrations have emerged elsewhere in the Arab world.
The momentum of popular uprising could continue for some time, raising the risk of political disruption in oil rich states or states that control key shipping routes like Algeria, Bahrain, Libya and Yemen. The risk premium in oil prices and volatility in oil markets could thus continue to be high.
More generally, with economies growing at different speeds, and continued imbalances among countries, policymakers will need to work hard and co-operate closely to avoid conflict over trade, monetary policies, exchange rates and capital flows.
Let me now turn to the medium-term outlook. A major change in the post-crisis environment is the increasing importance of the emerging economies, anchored by Brazil, Russia, India, and China; widely known as the BRICs.
The Global Financial Crisis seems to have given impetus to those who forecast that the West will decline with the rise of China and other emerging markets. This is an extreme view. Some rebalancing in economic power will happen; and indeed is a good thing. But the US will remain a global power, and more importantly a leader in terms of ideas, technology and the depth and liquidity of its financial markets. With these strengths, America is likely to remain the single most important source of global prosperity for many years to come.
These are not just words. More than a third of GIC’s investments are in the US. GIC has offices across the US employing more than a hundred professionals. Despite the shift in economic power, and GIC’s desire to take advantage of opportunities in the emerging world, the US will continue to be a prime destination for GIC’s investments for years to come.
Of course, the US faces some daunting medium to longer-term challenges.
First, there is America’s growing public indebtedness. Government debt is burgeoning and persistent current account deficits have led to growing indebtedness to foreigners.
The recent recession and the rising costs of health care and entitlement programs such as Social Security, along with the rising cost of servicing the debt, will claim large shares of future revenue.
Aging and deteriorating infrastructure require large investment outlays, which would put further pressure on government finances. While a Greek-like debt crisis is unlikely to happen in the US, the cost of servicing such debts could have negative consequences for the long-term health of the US economy. Longer-term fiscal sustainability will require difficult reforms of entitlements. These are complex issues and a quick fix is unlikely. Solving these problems will require bipartisan cooperation.
However, with determined and farsighted leadership, there is no reason why America cannot surmount these problems as it has done in the past.
Second, America needs a well-educated labour force but its education system, particularly K-12 and the bulk of the primary and secondary schools, are not training students for the new knowledge economy. This is not to say that the US is not able to compete: the US spends twice as much on higher education than the major OECD countries, American universities top world-ranking tables, Americans publish more scientific papers and win more Nobel prizes.
The US system sets the global standard, but there are parts of the US education system that lag badly behind the rest of the world.
Finally, I worry that the US is becoming increasingly insular. With its current levels of immigration, the US is one of the few developed countries that may avoid demographic decline and keep its share of the world population, but this could change if xenophobia, concerns over jobs, or reactions to terrorism closes its borders. Against these challenges are America’s deep and enduring strengths: openness, innovativeness and entrepreneurship.
If the US remains open, immigration would be one of its strengths. In contrast to other developed countries, immigration will dampen the expected aging of populations and keep the US as the third most populous country in the world decades from now. Equally important are the benefits of immigration for America’s soft power. Attracted by the upward mobility of American immigrants, people want to come to the US.
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the US and Canada, I was at a collectors shop in Toronto, browsing through his stock and I came across a small enamel badge, it was to the South African War Veterans Association Province of Quebec. This was quite a find as I collect mainly to the Boer war. I immediately purchased this and later added it to my collection of Boer war veterans Associations.
I have often wondered if any other provence had their own association and if they had their own badge and have never been able to find out.
Has any member come across any other badges/pin of this type, I be interested to know.
At present I do not have a photo of the badge but will try and upload one as soon as I can.
ACKERMAN, Private F., 8th R.R., E Coy, 1st Contingent, R.C.R.I.
ADAIR, Private B., R.C.A. E Coy, 1st Contingent, R.C.R.I.
ADAMS, Sergeant J.A., 8th R.R., E Coy, 1st Contingent, R.C.R.I.
ALMOND, Reverend J., Anglican Chaplain, 1st Contingent, R.C.R.I.
ANDERSON, Private S., 8th R.R., Reinforcement for R.C.R.I.
ARMSTRONG, Private E., R.C.A., A Coy, 1st Contingent, R.C.R.I.
ATKINSON, Private G., 8th R.R., F Coy, 1st Contingent, R.C.R.I.
BAUGH, Corporal B, R.C.A., F Coy, 1st Contingent, R.C.R.I.
CANTY, Private R., 8th R.R., E Coy, 1st Contingent, R.C.R.I.
CONVEY, Private, S., 8th R.R., Reinforcement for R.C.R.I.
CROTTY, Private Phillip, 8th R.R., E Coy, 1st Contingent, R.C.R.I.
DALBERG, Private R., 8th R.R., E Coy, 1st Contingent, R.C.R.I.
DAWSON, Private A., 8th R.R., E Coy, 1st Contingent, R.C.R.I.
DELANEY, Private M.J., 8th R.R., E Coy, 1st Contingent, R.C.R.I.
DEMAIS, Private A., 9th Regiment, F Coy, 1st Contingent R.C.R.I.
DONAHUE, Private P., United States Army (Infantry), F Coy, 1st Contingent, R.C.R.I.
DRUM, Private A., 8th R.R., Reinforcement for R.C.R.I.
DUBERGER, Private A., 1st Field Battery R.A., F Coy, 1st Contingent, R.C.R.I.
DYNES, Private E.J., Q.O.C.H., E Coy, 1st Contingent, R.C.R.I.
EUSEBE, Private Jobin, 9th Regiment, F Coy, 1st Contingent, R.C.R.I.
EVANS, Private A., 8th R.R., Reinforcement for R.C.R.I.
FISET, Surgeon-Major E., 89th Regiment, Medical Officer, 1st Contingent, R.C.R.I.
HILL, Private Fred, 8th R.R., E Coy, 1st Contingent R.C.R.I.
HOME, Private, Frank, Q.O.C.H., E Coy, 1st Contingent, R.C.R.I.
HOULT, Private E., R.C.A., H Coy, 1st Contingent, R.C.R.I.
HUDON, Private A.J., 65th R.R., F Coy, 1st Contingent, R.C.R.I.
JEWELL, Private T., 8th R.R., F Coy, 1st Contingent R.C.R.I.
KENNEDY-HILL, Lance Corporal J., 8th R.R., E Coy, 1st Contingent, R.C.R.I.
LAMBKIN, Private H.J., 8th R.R., E Coy, 1st Contingent, R.C.R.I.
LEE, Private Fred, Q.O.C.H., E Coy, 1st Contingent, R.C.R.I.
LEFEBVRE, Lance Corporal, P.W., 9th Regiment, F Coy, 1st Contingent, R.C.R.I.
McCANN, Private, 8th R.R., E Coy, 1st Contingent, R.C.R.I.
McNAUGHTON, Private F. 8th R.R., Reinforcement for R.C.R.I.
MURRAY, Private W.R., 8th R.R., F Coy, 1st Contingent, R.C.R.I.
O'BRIEN, Private J., Prince Of Wales Fusiliers, E Coy, 1st Contingent, R.C.R.I.
O'LEARY, Reverend P.M., Roman Catholic Chaplain, 1st Contingent, R.C.R.I.
O'MEARA, Private D.A., 8th R.R., E Coy, 1st Contingent, R.C.R.I.
OGILVIE, Captain, J.H.C., R.C.A., Battalion Adjutant, 1st Contingent, R.C.R.I.
PEPPIATT, Sergeant W.A., R.C.A., E Coy, 1st Contingent, R.C.R.I.
PLAMONDON, Private J., 9th Regiment, F Coy, 1st Contingent, R.C.R.I.
PRICE, Private Arthur, E Coy, 1st Contingent, R.C.R.I.
RATTRAY, Private, E.E.B., 8th R.R., Reinforcement for R.C.R.I.
RUSSEL, Private P., Q.O.C.H., Reinforcement for R.C.R.I.
SCOTT, Private C.C., 8th R.R., Reinforcement for R.C.R.I.
SHEENAN, Private M.P., Q.O.C.H., E Coy, 1st Contingent, R.C.R.I.
SOUCY, Private A. R.C.R., F Coy, 1st Contingent, R.C.R.I.
SWIFT, Private M., 8th R.R., E Coy, 1st Contingent, R.C.R.I.
SWIFT, Lieuitenant A.E., 8th R.R., E Coy, 1st Contingent, R.C.R.I.
THOMPSON, Private H., R.C.A., B Coy, 1st Contingent R.C.R.I.
TREGGETT, Lance Corporal J., 8th R.R., E Coy, 1st Contingent, R.C.R.I.
TWEDELL, Private C.W., 8th R.R., E Coy, 1st Contingent, R.C.R.I.
WOLFE, Private P., 8th R.R., Reinforcement for R.C.R.I.
WRIGHT, Private J., 8th R.R., E Coy, 1st Contingent, R.C.R.I.
WRIGHT, Private P.E., 8th R.R., E Coy, 1st Contingent, R.C.R.I.
Many thanks for your welcome to your forum, and the very useful information regarding the veterans association, I had thought that each province had a branch, but that is very interesting. Thanks also for the information, you never know when it can be used.
I tend to just collect enamel lapel/pin badges now as these are very difficult to fake/forge. I'm sure that I'm not the only person to get stung buying fake items.
Anyway, I shall enjoy posting of you forum, once again many thanks.
That’s a very interesting medal. I was intrigued to notice that on the obverse it has a late Queen Victoria’s head and on the reverse it states His Majesty’s Army, Navy and Colonial Forces Veterans Association. Incorporated Canada 1901. Perhaps,it was minted just after the Queens death in 1901, have you any information about the medal and the association. Do you know if these veterans were in South Africa and have any further information about them?.
Well I have finally managed to get a photograph of the badge and will attach it as soon as possible.
I have never
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my doctor about the health & maintenance of my lady parts, & family events, & anniversaries (of sorts), it’s been a pretty hectic time for me. I’ve been inwardly thinking a lot latey, & there have been a few key things that have been circling around in my scattered brain.
First things first, this past month officially marked the 5-year anniversary of my father’s death. I rarely discuss this topic to anyone, ever. Ocassionally I’ll talk to Jian, but I mostly keep this topic to myself. This is an extremely sensitive subject within my immediate family, & I have an even more extremely difficult time trying to talk about this topic with any of my family members. I really have to walk on eggshells around my family if I even mention my dad in passing. I wish I was exaggerating on this, but unfortunately I’m not.
This is an especially difficult subject to talk about around my mom because this will just re-open an old can of doubt she carries around with her in her expensive hand bag at all times. It’s hard to pull her out of her cycle of self-doubt once she gets on the Coulda-Woulda-Shoulda train. I also never talk about this subject with my siblings. We just don’t express our feelings to each other. That’s not what we were taught growing up, to communicate & express our feelings between each other.
I’ve tried talking about my dad to my oldest brother, in which we share this biological father together, but he flat out doesn’t respond whenever I mention “dad”. My other two siblings, on the other hand, are too busy squabbling amongst themselves over their extremely strained & estranged relationship with their own biological father. All of them, due to our glaringly large age gaps, I assume, treat me from childhood up until today like I am just the little baby sister of the group. To them, I’m the spoiled, sheltered, coddled baby of the family. So, I’ve learned to stay quiet & shrink into the background.
On the day of the anniversary of my dad’s death, I thought about him long & hard. However, I mostly thought about how I never got to properly grieve over his death. I never got to mourn his passing. From the time my dad was taken to the hospital up until his death, I did what I always do best. I nurtured & cared for others. More than myself, I took care of everyone else. So, while all of our friends & family poured in to see my dad, hold his hand, shed a tear, say goodbye, I was busy making phone calls & comforting those who were agonizing & weeping over the phone. I wanted to break down & cry my eyes out until they hurt, but I held it all in. I wanted to scream & shout & stomp my feet & pound my fists, but I didn’t want to freak my mom out any more than she already was. Because I didn’t want to see my (at that time) fragile mother completely lose it, I held my composure so that I could be her realiable shoulder to lean on. When everyone around me was crying, I kept a stiff upper lip. I’ve now built this hard shell around the topic of my father. I keep everything to myself. I only let my emotions & feelings slip out when I am completely & utterly alone. No one ever asked me how I felt when my dad was dying. Nobody asks me, even now, how I’m coping (or feeling). I’ve grown accustomed to it.
On another topic, I’ve finally come to terms with the fact that I will never see eye-to-eye with my sister. We never did when we were growing up together, we don’t now, & I don’t think we ever will in the future. For a brief period of time, I thought my sister & were growing closer as siblings once she started having children. My sister relied on me to help her with the little things like running to the grocery store, or babysitting the toddler kids for a few hours.
Then, when my sister went through the process of her divorce, she grew to become a very difficult person to get close to. She became increasingly controlling in all aspects of her life to the point of overbearingness. It also became difficult to have a conversation with her, even on neutral subjects, for she would get argumentative very quickly.
I always give my sister the benefit of the doubt; I cut her plenty of slack; I give her countless breaks because I know she is struggling & doing her best to be a good hard-working single parent. My sister is struggling to raise her two amazing children, all while juggling a difficult job environment, an overbearing cuss of a boss, & a resistant ex-husband who allegedgly refuses to properly co-parent their children together. While I try to make my sister’s life a little easier by offering to help her in any way I can, she ends up taking advantage of my assistance, & she often tells me that my help is actually not helping her at all. I know my sister has past unresolved issues, extreme insecurities, & a lot of resentment due to her parents divorce (a.k.a. our mom & her biological father) when she was a child, but because she hasn’t dealt with these issues, she unwittingly takes out her resentments on the people around her.
I know she doesn’t mean to project her insecurities & issues on others (myself included), but I can’t help but think to myself sometimes that I should be taken out of her “line of fire” because all of this divorce stuff happened way before I was even born. Why should she take out her resentments & issues out on me, when I wasn’t even born? On top of that, I have no connection to her father whatsoever. I’ve barely met him a handful of times throughout my entire life, & we’ve never spoken more than 1 or 2 sentences to each other at best. I don’t hold anything against my sister. I know these are her own demons to slay, but I can’t help but think that she’s not making things any better by snapping at other innocent people.
The third item I want to talk about is coming from a completely different direction. I want to talk about the dreams I’ve been having lately. I wish I could remember the dreams I’ve been having lately. They’ve been extremely vivid & detailed. For the past several days, I’ve fallen into a terrible sleeping pattern. I’ll try to go to bed at a more reasonable hour than I have been in the past. I really am trying to change my sleeping habits. However, for the past several days I’ve been waking up feeling extremely groggy, exhausted, & like my mind has been on overdrive all night long.
Some mornings I’ll even wake up with a sore back, noticing that I was in such a deep sleep the night before that I didn’t even move or change positions while I was sleeping. My body was frozen into one position all night. I will wake up feeling like I’d only taken a nap & had not really had a full night’s sleep. I can sometimes recall bits & pieces of my dreams in the morning, but mostly all I can remember is that in my dreams there were a lot of action scenes & lots of talking. There was one morning when I woke up & I could remember that I had intense thoughts in my dream, like I knew what my dream-state character was thinking in the dream. I could remember whether I was running or walking in my dream. I could vaguely remember talking to other people in my dream. I remember one scene perfectly, where I was trying to climb a set of stairs in the backyard of my house, & the stairs were crumbling beneath me. I could practically feel the soft wood when I tried to grab the gate door with my hands. That’s how intense & vivd my dreams were.
My dreams lately have been so action-packed, as in I move around a lot in my dreams, & I’m often moving from place to place in my dreams. I also do a lot of thinking & talking in my dreams. There was one day where I woke up from a particularly intense dream. Well, I mostly woke up because my bladder was screaming at me to go relieve myself in the bathroom. However, after that, I fell back to sleep & had yet another vivid dream. That caused me to feel very disoriented when I finally woke up for the day. These past couple of days of dreaming have really messed up my sleeping patterns, & has kind of done a number on my body. Last week, my sleeping pattern was so out of whack that I ended up getting sick. I caught a fever & the chills, but luckily those symptoms only lasted 24 hours. I was back on my feet again by the time the weekend came around. Now, I can assure you that my sleeping patterns have returned to normal. I stopped having such vivid & detailed dreams, & I’m now waking up feeling more refreshed than groggy.
On one final note, I’m excited to tell you all that in two weeks from now, I’ll be in Taipei, Taiwain!! Yes, I’m going on another trip again, but I can promise you that this trip is not for my personal pleasure. This time I’m escorting & chaperoning my mother & her sister, who haven’t been back to the city where they grew up for more than 35 years. I can understand that these two (senior) sisters are
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account from the CERL Thesaurus interface, you delete it also for all other database (ISTC, MEI, SBTI, etc).
A deleted account is gone for good and cannot be restored. If you have accidentially deleted your account you will need to request a new one (see above).
Deleting your account will remove all your data from the system. However, the records you might have edited, will retain your (numeric) user id. Once your account has been removed, one cannot know from the user id, to whom it did belong. A user id will never be reassinged to another user.
Changing your preferred interface language on your account page, takes effect only after you log out and log in again. To change the interface language for the immedeately, click the link labelled “Language” in the navigation bar at the bottom of the page. A menu will pop up, which will let you choose a different language.
Please note that not all databases within the hosting environment are available in all languages. If you select a language which is available for the CERL Thesaurus and then switch to a different database that does not support that language, the system will try the language you've set as “preferred language” in your account settings, if you are logged in, or if that is not available either, the language set as default by your browser (check browser's help pages how to change this) or if that doesn't work either, it defaults to English.
The new CT interface provides two navigation bars, one at the top of the screen for the functions used by all users, and one at the bottom for the functions used less fequently. In addition to these, there is a menu available from the top navigation bar under the item labelled “More…”. This menu contains all other options availble. According to the access rights associated with your account the items displayed here might be different than for other users.
From the top navigation bar you can access the search results screen (“Search”), the alphabetical index browse lists (“Browse”), your search history (“History”) and your Bookmarks (“Bookmarks”). The bottom bar allows you to access your account page (see above), the main menu of the hosting environment where you can switch to another dataset (“Datasets”), the CERL Thesaurus help section on the CERL Website (“Help”) or the contact details of the CERL Secretariat (“Contact”).
As a default your search result will be grouped the types of entities it contains: Corporate Names, Imprint Names, Places and Persons. Each group will display the first 25 hits and a link to the full set, if available. You may click a heading in these list to access the full record.
The CERL Thesaurus records are accessible from a persistent HTTP URI (URL) containing the id of the record. When requested from a web browser, the record will be displayed as an HTML page. Other applications may set the HTTP-Accept header to a value other than “text/html” to retrieve the data in a different format, for details see the API documentation.
In the CERL Thesaurus there are descriptions for four different types of entities: Places (primarily places of printing, but also places of manuscript writing or places where persons were active or corporate bodies were located), Imprint names (all names that might appear in an imprint of a book and that do not denote any type of intellecutal responsibility for the content of it, i.e. primarily printers, but also publishers, booksellers, illustrators etc), corporate entities and persons (both can either have had the intellectual responsibility for a book's content or have been owners of books).
The information which type of entity a record is about is hidden in the record ID's prefix. If you use the form-based editor to create a new record, you should select the type of entity from the drop-down labelled “Type of Entity” (2nd from the top) - if you edit an existing record this drop-down has no effect at all (i.e. you cannot change the entity type by just setting it to a new value).
The CERL Thesaurus records the preferred name forms of an entity as they are used in CERL Member libraries. Heading forms differ according to the language used for cataloguing and the cataloguing rules applied. The CERL Thesaurus does not declare one of these name forms as authoritative, but lists them alphabetically indicating the institutions that use that particular form. Thus, there is no “CERL form” for a heading. The name form given as a headline in a record's full display is the first heading recorded within that record, its prominent position does not imply any indication of preference for that form.
Variant name forms do now have an additional code, indicating the type of the name form ($0 in 4xx fields). This code is mandatory. If in doubt, use varn as a default.
Geographic Coordinates should be given for place name records (cnl) only. Please note that the format of the coordinates varies according to the editing form you are using. In the form-based editor and the YAML editor coordinates are given in decimal form as a floating point number without a degree sign (°). Use positive numbers for north and east and negative numbers for soutch and west.
In the CT internal format editor, the coordinates are given in degrees, minutes and seconds preceded by a letter indicating the hemisphere, see 123 Coded Data Field: Latitude and Longitude for details.
Please note that the syntax of field 123 assumes a place is designated by a square-like shape through defining the outermost latitudes and longitudes. In the CERL Thesaurus, the coordinates of a place are that of a single point in or near the center of place - so both coordinates must be recorded twice here.
At the bottom of every record you will find the buttons that allow you to edit the data in the CERL Thesaurus (if you have the necessary access rights, that is). This follows the principle that things that are important to every user are placed on the top of the screen and items that are of importance only to the CERL appointed editors are a bit more hidden away at the bottom.
The rightmost, that shows a small rubbish bin, will delete the record. Please be careful with this one, you will be asked for confirmation (twice, acutally) before the record is deleted, but once you have confirmed that, it is gone for good.
The middle one, showing two sheets of paper, will make a copy of the record and open it in the form based editor. This might be useful if you are creating a number of very similar records and want to save some time typing the same things in over and over. Although, this is probably more of use in the other databases living in this hosting environment than to the CERL Thesaurus.
The leftmost button, showing a notepad and a pencil, will open the current record for editing. There are currently four different editors available, according to your editing rights you will presented a list where you can pick the one that is best for what you want to do with the record.
If your account has complete editing rights on the CERL Thesaurus, you will be shown the following selection of editing clients. Each of it has its strengths and weaknesses and you may want to choose the client you want to use according to the things you want to edit in the record and according to how close you feel to the Thesaurus's internal format.
The form based editor presents the record in a web form where each data element is in a separate field and where each field has a plain text label. If you are not (yet) very familiar with the CERL Thesaurus format or want to enter a new record from scratch, this editor might be a good choice. On the other hand, the record structure of the Thesaurus is quite complex and records can get rather lengthy, which can lead to enormously long forms that can be difficult to navigate.
The form consists of two main parts: data about the entity that the record describes (the actual “content” of the record) and data about the record itself. Both are folded by default, click on a part to open it.
The part Desription of the Record holds the record status, the internal (cataloguer's) note field, any internal record flags, information about definite, possible and definitely not duplicates and the editing history.
Fields you cannot edit, like the editing history, have a pale grey background.
Fields may contain subfields. In these cases subfields are contained in a separate sub-form, which by default is also folded, so you can only see the fields title. You will recognise these folded subforms by a little black downward pointing error on the left side. Click on the field's title to open the subform. A subform has an elegant grey background to make what belongs together more visible.
A big blue plus-sign on the right of a field means that this field is repeatable and that you can add another field of this kind by clicking on it. Please note that in order to add an additional complex sub-form, you have to open the last sub-form to find the blue plus-button. When adding additonal fields, the order of fields is kept as it is in the form.
When done editing, click the green Save button at the bottom of the form, or Cancel if you want to discard your changes.
See also How to use the form based editor for a more detailed introduction to the form based editor.
The “Internal Format” editor allows to edit the CERL Thesaurus data in the same Unimarc based field format as
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The bodybuilding particular niche is massive and also, being a man dominated sport, as you would anticipate, the majority of CrazyBulk consumers are men. Nevertheless, women body building is prominent, so there is still a market for females (as well as there are women friendly products to be located on CrazyBulk). Although mostly bodybuilding concentrated, CrazyBulk products such as those developed to boost stamina, power as well as cardiovascular performance could just as easily be efficiently targeted to basic toughness fitness instructors, professional athletes and also any individual else looking to get fit, solid and also build muscular tissue. People in below inquire about, which buy Dianabol, Deca-Durobolin as well as Clenbuterol commonly obtain their item in both tablet computer system and fluid kind. Regardless of the kind, when you get Dianabol, Deca-Durobolin and Clenbuterol in either fashion it is to be taken by mouth as well as especially in a similar way; one form is just solid as well as the various other in a fluid state.
Presuming both products are actual, dosed properly and of a sanitary style there is really no distinction in either thing; regardless of kind, when you buy Dianabol, Deca-Durobolin as well as Clenbuterol in here inquire about. It will carry out within the physical body the same way tablet computer system or otherwise. It holds true, numerous of the fluid kinds, far more so than the tablet kinds are definitely nothing but rubbish or unsteady at finest and hard to dosage precisely. Due to this a tablet purchase is consistently a far better bet yet there are top quality fluid products about, you just have to do a little research study to guarantee you discover the best ones.
You could acquire very generally numerous buy Dianabol, Deca-Durobolin and also Clenbuterol in here inquire about as it is among one of the most reliable. So dependable those who take many over the counter fat heaters will not take pleasure in or experience near the body fat burning results as those that acquire Dianabol, Deca-Durobolin and also Clenbuterol in below inquire about. No, this powerful bronchodilator will certainly not change out sound diet regimen programs as well as exercise ideas nonetheless in additional manner it can supply a much preferred consisted of side.
Why you should Buy Dianabol, Deca-Durobolin as well as Clenbuterol in below? Inquire about Where to Acquire Dianabol, Deca-Durobolin as well as Clenbuterol in here inquire about Go to any kind of sort of message board and also there are all sort of stories and perspectives in below ask about with regarding this bronchodilator; there are stories concerning simply just how much it aids the PCT process, exactly how it produces wonderful consistency with an anabolic steroid pattern; the listing continues. It holds true, Dianabol, Deca-Durobolin and Clenbuterol Hydrochloride does have a moderate anabolic nature yet its hardly enough need to nutritional supplement with it.
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Like all medications of any sort of sort of kind you need to have understanding, you need to understand exactly just what you are doing so that you not merely experience top quality outcomes nonetheless to guarantee that you remain safe too; the good news is for you there are numerous quick guides below on steroid.com that could offer to this end. It corrects here nevertheless we want to talk about the type of Clen as it is generally recognized that you could most definitely acquire Of those in here ask about which utilize Clen most will certainly find it could come either methods, as a dental tablet computer system or in a fluid alternative you merely take in. The best suggestions you can acquire would certainly be to make certain that you recognize just how you can prepare.
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. (2016) Dietary beta-carotene and lutein metabolism is modulated by the APOE genotype. Biofactors, 42 (4). pp. 388-396. DOI 10.1002/biof.1284.
Mereu, A., Pastor, J. J., Chin, D., Rimbach, G. and Ipharraguerre, I. R. (2016) Piglet growth before weaning has long-term effects on intestinal barrier function. Journal of Animal Science, 94. p. 145. DOI 10.2527/msasas2016-310.
Nebendahl, C., Gors, S., Albrecht, E., Kruger, R., Martens, K., Giller, K., Hammon, H. M., Rimbach, G. and Metges, C. C. (2016) Early postnatal feed restriction reduces liver connective tissue levels and affects H3K9 acetylation state of regulated genes associated with protein metabolism in low birth weight pigs. Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry, 29. pp. 41-55. DOI 10.1016/j.jnutbio.2015.10.017.
Pallauf, K., Rimbach, G., Rupp, P. M., Chin, D. and Wolf, I. M. A. (2016) Resveratrol and Lifespan in Model Organisms. Current Medicinal Chemistry, 23 (41). pp. 4639-4680.
Petersen, B., Egert, S., Bosy-Westphal, A., Muller, M. J., Wolffram, S., Hubbermann, E. M., Rimbach, G. and Schwarz, K. (2016) Bioavailability of quercetin in humans and the influence of food matrix comparing quercetin capsules and different apple sources. Food Research International, 88. pp. 159-165. DOI http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.foodres.2016.02.013.
Piegholdt, S., Rimbach, G. and Wagner, A. E. (2016) Effects of the isoflavone prunetin on gut health and stress response in male Drosophila melanogaster. Redox Biology, 8. pp. 119-126. DOI 10.1016/j.redox.2016.01.001.
Piegholdt, S., Rimbach, G. and Wagner, A. E. (2016) The phytoestrogen prunetin affects body composition and improves fitness and lifespan in male Drosophila melanogaster. Faseb Journal, 30 (2). pp. 948-958. DOI 10.1096/fj.15-282061.
Schneider, S. A., Scharffetter, C., Wagner, A. E., Boesch, C., Bruchhaus, I., Rimbach, G. and Roeder, T. (2016) Social stress increases the susceptibility to infection in the ant Harpegnathos saltator. Scientific Reports, 6. DOI 10.1038/srep25800.
Stoldt, A. K., Mielenz, M., Nurnberg, G., Sauerwein, H., Esatbeyoglu, T., Wagner, A. E., Rimbach, G., Starke, A., Wolffram, S. and Metges, C. C. (2016) Effects of a six-week intraduodenal supplementation with quercetin on liver lipid metabolism and oxidative stress in peripartal dairy cows. Journal of Animal Science, 94 (5). pp. 1913-1923. DOI 10.2527/jas.2016-0338.
Wang, J., Thingholm, L. B., Skieceviciene, J., Rausch, P., Kummen, M., Hov, J. R., Degenhardt, F., Heinsen, F. A., Ruhlemann, M. C., Szymczak, S., Holm, K., Esko, T., Sun, J., Pricop-Jeckstadt, M., Al-Dury, S., Bohov, P., Bethune, J., Sommer, F., Ellinghaus, D., Berge, R. K., Hubenthal, M., Koch, M., Schwarz, K., Rimbach, G., Hubbe, P., Pan, W. H., Sheibani-Tezerji, R., Hasler, R., Rosenstiel, P., D'Amato, M., Cloppenborg-Schmidt, K., Kunzel, S., Laudes, M., Marschall, H. U., Lieb, W., Nothlings, U., Karlsen, T. H., Baines, J. F. and Franke, A. (2016) Genome-wide association analysis identifies variation in vitamin D receptor and other host factors influencing the gut microbiota. Nature Genetics, 48 (11). pp. 1396-1406. DOI 10.1038/ng.3695.
Yazdekhasti, N., Brandsch, C., Schmidt, N., Schloesser, A., Huebbe, P., Rimbach, G. and Stangl, G. I. (2016) Fish protein increases circulating levels of trimethylamine-N-oxide and accelerates aortic lesion formation in apoE null mice. Molecular Nutrition & Food Research, 60 (2). pp. 358-368.
Esatbeyoglu, T., Ulbrich, K., Rehberg, C., Rohn, S. and Rimbach, G. (2015) Thermal stability, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory activity of curcumin and its degradation product 4-vinyl guaiacol. Food & Function, 6 (3). pp. 887-893.
Esatbeyoglu, T., Wagner, A. E., Schini-Kerth, V. B. and Rimbach, G. (2015) Betanin-A food colorant with biological activity. Molecular Nutrition & Food Research, 59 (1). pp. 36-47.
Geisen, U., Zenthoefer, M., Peipp, M., Kerber, J., Plenge, J., Manago, A., Fuhrmann, M., Geyer, R., Hennig, S., Adam, D., Piker, L., Rimbach, G. and Kalthoff, H. (2015) Molecular Mechanisms by Which a Fucus vesiculosus Extract Mediates Cell Cycle Inhibition and Cell Death in Pancreatic Cancer Cells. Marine Drugs, 13 (7). pp. 4470-4491. DOI 10.3390/md13074470.
Huebbe, P., Dose, J., Schloesser, A., Campbell, G., Glueer, C. C., Gupta, Y., Ibrahim, S., Minihane, A. M., Baines, J. F., Nebel, A. and Rimbach, G. (2015) Apolipoprotein E (APOE) genotype regulates body weight and fatty acid utilization-Studies in gene-targeted replacement mice. Molecular Nutrition & Food Research, 59 (2). pp. 334-343.
Mereu, A., Tedo, G., Moeser, A. J., Rimbach, G. and Ipharraguerre, I. R. (2015) Cromolyn-mediated improvement of intestinal barrier function is associated with enhanced piglet performance after weaning. Bmc Veterinary Research, 11.
Moazzami, A. A., Frank, S., Gombert, A., Sus, N., Bayram, B., Rimbach, G. and Frank, J. (2015) Non-targeted H-1-NMR-metabolomics suggest the induction of master regulators of energy metabolism in the liver of vitamin E-deficient rats. Food & Function, 6 (4). pp. 1090-1097.
Nikolai, S., Pallauf, K., Huebbe, P. and Rimbach, G. (2015) Energy restriction and potential energy restriction mimetics. Nutrition Research Reviews, 28 (2). pp. 100-120.
Ruiz-Lopez, N., Stubhaug, I., Ipharraguerre, I., Rimbach, G. and Menoyo, D. (2015) Positional Distribution of Fatty Acids in Triacylglycerols and Phospholipids from Fillets of Atlantic Salmon (Salmo Salar) Fed Vegetable and Fish Oil Blends. Marine Drugs, 13 (7). pp. 4255-4269.
Schloesser, A., Campbell, G., Glueer, C. C., Rimbach, G. and Huebbe, P. (2015) Restriction on an Energy-Dense Diet Improves Markers of Metabolic Health and Cellular Aging in Mice Through Decreasing Hepatic mTOR Activity. Rejuvenation Research, 18 (1). pp. 30-39.
Schloesser, A., Esatbeyoglu, T., Piegholdt, S., Dose, J., Ikuta, N., Okamoto, H., Ishida, Y., Terao, K., Matsugo, S. and Rimbach, G. (2015) Dietary Tocotrienol/gamma-Cyclodextrin Complex Increases Mitochondrial Membrane Potential and ATP Concentrations in the Brains of A
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You may have seen Lissa’s Call-To-Action asking people to submit comments opposing Antero’s proposed frackwaste dump that threatens the drinking water of about a third of Ritchie County, and everyone downstream, including Parkersburg and parts beyond.
So WV DEP granted the permit. It was not unexpected—they seem to approve every stupid thing, no matter how many citizens beg them not to—but it is still a blow to a community already struggling with water issues.
We deserve better. We deserve the West Virginia of our dreams—not our nightmares.
Those of us on Team Lissa aren’t politicians, political operatives or bureaucrats, and neither is Lissa. We’re regular people, too, and we’re also angry about the stupid way our state government prioritizes making money for corporate political donors over the needs of the people who actually live here. We’re unpaid volunteers who think that we need a voice like Lissa’s in the legislature, and we’re pouring our blood, sweat, and tears into this campaign.
That’s who we are. So let me tell you about the kind of effort it takes for regular people like us to try to protect Ritchie from this corporate aggression.
We discovered almost too late that there was only a one-month period to appeal the permit to count toxic frackwaste outflow as stormwater that can flow into the Hughes River. Fortunately, we found another citizen group who had started earlier than we did (and who had experience working on appeals), and we were able to join them.
We collected and submitted the names and comments on a petition demanding that the DEP begin to act in accordance with WV Code and deny the permit.
The petition is ongoing, and we hope to submit more signatures to the Environmental Quality Board later in the appeals process. SIGN THE PETITION.
But so you know how much our government is rigged to sacrifice regular people to the corporate bottom line, we want to share the steps you have to go through when you need to figure out how to stop a company from poisoning a community—and everyone downstream.
Take a look at this page: Filing an Appeal with the Environmental Quality Board. There are actually 13 pages of material about the appeals and hearing process. And the instructions are neither clear nor straightforward.
No where are all the requirements set out in an easy-to-understand manner. They don’t want it to be easy to understand. One suspects they’d rather be able to deny the appeal on a technicality—whoops, not enough copies!—than have to go through the motion of denying on the merits.
Getting the permit and all the required copies of the entire appeal packet really illustrate a lot of what is wrong with the process. Ask yourself: How much of a time burden should you be required to shoulder every day just trying to protect your drinking water? How much should you be required to pay to keep your drinking water safe? Isn’t that what we pay DEP employees for?
The answer to those questions, according to Governor Justice, is currently LOTS, LOTS, and NO.
So. Let’s pretend your full appeal totals three pages: a Notice of Appeal, a page of specific objections, and a Certificate of Service (in reality, the appeal we joined was much longer than this). That’s 30 pages, minimum, to print or copy. Okay, not bad. That’s also ten envelopes and close to $5.00 in stamps.
Click “Water Resources Permit Search” for a search form.
You can try selecting an affected county—“Ritchie”—and start the search. For this frack dump, you’ll get 912 permits to dig through. Is that too many?
You can try using the company name, “Antero,” in the “Identify permittee” field and search. That narrows it down! You ONLY have 121 permits to dig through.
Assuming you’ve gone through all those permits and finally figure out that the permit has to be the “Antero Solid Waste Landfill, WV0117579,” click that permit.
But the page you are taken to if you click that number is not the permit. No, that’s just the permit number you need to find the permit.
And you need to print a copy of the actual permit in order to appeal. So WHERE is the permit?
You’ve got to go to this seemingly secret page to search. It is buried on their website. I would never have found this search page without someone else telling me about it.
In fact, try searching for an “ePermitting” link on the DEP’s main page by entering “ePermitting” into the “Search WV DEP” tool. Nope.
So if you’re a regular person like we are, did you waste time going through the 900 or 100 permits? Did you go through a pile of old newspapers looking to see if there’s a legal notice or a permit number? How many hours should you be required to spend just trying to find the permit? Try fitting this in to your workday. Because most people probably can’t just take time off from their jobs, or their lives—getting the kids to school, doctor’s appointments, laundry and everything else—to fill an appeal.
So it’s a leap, but let’s skip forward, and just pretend you knew the secret ePermitting link all along, or that you had a friend who could tell you about it.
Search using the permit number: WV0117579.
Click the link from the search results; you’re in the right neighborhood now.
Click “Print” in the left sidebar.
You should have a print-ready form, now.
The permit is about 322 pages long. And you’ve got to include one paper copy with your original appeal packet.
If you were hoping to print at home, that’s probably out the window. It might be 5 or 10 cents a copy at your library or a print shop. You’re spending $32, give or take, just to make sure your appeal doesn’t get rejected on a technicality. And if you’re sending your materials by mail, your total cost to appeal just increased significantly. How much does it cost for packaging and postage on more than half a ream of paper?
You can also drive a down to Charleston to hand deliver the appeal, to save yourself shipping costs. But only if you have a reliable car, gas money, and free time during the workweek that coincides with the Environmental Quality Board’s office hours.
They don’t want us to succeed, that’s the bottom line.
Do you know what the good folks at the EQB have? A computer and an internet connection (in Ritchie County, by the way, not everyone is fortunate enough to have an Internet connection). I bet EQB has a printer, too. Extra toner cartridges, reams of paper, the works.
But they make it OUR burden.
Why can’t EQB advise me on how to find a permit? Why won’t they print it, if they need a printed copy? For that matter, why does it need printing out, when any party can access it online?
We didn’t ask for this: we didn’t ask for Antero to target our community with its toxic waste. But they have burdened us with it, nonetheless. Now we are bound to spend money, time, and effort… or just accept being sacrificed.
I’ve got a few guesses why this whole process requires so much of regular people like us: that’s how it’s designed.
It’s time consuming, stressful, and uncomfortably costly to appeal a DEP permit through the EQB. The person coordinating the Antero frackdump appeal, Tom Rhule, says he’s never known anyone who won their appeal. It’s important to do, he says, but it’s a ultimately a hoop we have to jump through if we want to be able to bring legal action to protect the drinking water of the residents of Ritchie County, of Parkersburg, and parts downstream.
Imagine now that you don’t happen to luck into another group working on your appeal, like we did—a group with a smart, dedicated, experienced coordinator who lives in Charleston and who can hand-deliver the appeal on your side.
You spend your time and resources researching how to appeal the dangerous permit, follow the fussy requirements, and with your own money, you print and deliver the hundreds and hundreds of required pages. You probably don’t have a lawyer helping you, but Antero is likely to bring their army of professional lawyers to the hearing… if you even get a hearing.
It’s you against the giants. And they have all the resources.
Remember, frackers purposefully locate facilities in places where people don’t have the money to fight back; that’s why poor marginalized communities bear disproportionate costs of fracking.
The process is rigged to sacrifice regular people like you and your family.
The company wants you to give up.
The state wants you to give up.
The Environmental Quality Board-–appointed by our Coal-Baron-in-Chief Governor inJustice—wants you to give up, because MONEY.
They ALL want you to give up.
We have to HOLLER FROM THE HOLLERS and demand the right to refuse this risk.
Remember Minden. Because no community should be sacrificed like that just to line corporate pockets.
Why Ritchie County said NO to the Justice Road Bond – Holler from
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orientation, and at the moment our three children (Jakey, Ella and Millie) are on school holidays so that’s keeping me out of trouble.
Toby: We were waiting for a work visa for quite some time, so we have focused quite heavily on language study, and we’ve also been attending the local church. We’ve had a slightly longer language and culture adjustment period than we expected, but it has helped, and we’re pleased to have moved into the space where I can contribute to the work here.
Peter: I just enjoy the life and vitality of the city, everyone is so industrious and active, there’s so many people everywhere doing so many things. It’s an energetic, lively and colourful place. We love the people.
Louise: We like walking around and we like the buzz of the place.
Pippa: We went as a family to have a look around some of the projects that INF (International Nepal Fellowship) is running in the west of the country in villages and hospitals. It was amazing to see some of the projects that are making a difference to the poorest of the poor in Nepal.
Toby: There has been a wealth of experiences, such as being in a different culture and in a beautiful environment when you get out into the hills and mountains. Another highlight has been being able to make a difference through my work. That has been very rewarding.
Peter: I think pacing ourselves has been difficult. It is hot, and you find yourself on certain days having lower energy. So, I think knowing how to pace yourself and how to navigate your way through that.
Louise: It’s hard on your downtime because it’s not a recreational city. What to do when we’re not studying Bangla is the biggest challenge for us. But we’re enjoying Bangla learning, so it’s quite a win win really, as that’s what we spend most of our time doing.
Toby: Not being able to communicate is disempowering, such as when you can’t say what you want to say to the local shopkeeper. Another challenge is finding your way around locally.
Louise: I think for next month, that we travel and stay well in Dineshpur, and that we make the most of that chance as it’s a really unique opportunity.
Peter: We’re moving house at the beginning of September and we’re moving to an area that’s close to the office. So please pray for that process of moving and getting into a local community.
Pray too for the church in Bangladesh. They’ve got big hearts and a big vision but it’s quite tough. So pray for them, that God would empower them.
Pippa: Please pray for my ongoing language study, and also pray for developing deeper relationships with local Nepali women. I’d also appreciate prayer as I find a role for myself. Please pray that God would move me into what I can do to serve him here.
Toby: Please pray for continued cultural awareness. Please also pray for a construction project that I’m managing at the Green Pastures Hospital, where a new chapel is being built. Everyone would like that to be a success for the hospital and for the people of Pokhara.
Are you inspired by the works our mission workers are doing? You can commit to giving regularly to support the Lynches or Vokuhls by becoming a 24:7 Partner. Just click here. Thank you for standing alongside them.
We bring you the finalists in the annual BMS World Mission Action Team photo competition.
Be warned, you’re about to be bitten by the gap year bug. We certainly were as we looked at the Action Team photos submitted by the class of 2017/18, though sadly most of us are beyond our gap-year years! If you know anyone who isn’t old like us and might want to do a Christian gap year in places like these, share this story with them! They could be our next crop of Action Teams.
We loved judging these photos. And, after much debate (it went on for hours), we finally picked our top ten. They are beautiful.
What a stunning sight this is. We adored this photo of the Annapurna Himalayas the moment we saw it.
Rachel Paton will never forget this view from a five-day trek in the Annapurna Himalayas.
This candid shot of a woman smoking a cigarette was taken when the Nepal Action Team were visiting a temple.
This woman was begging at the foot of a temple staircase in Bhaktapur, a town east of Kathmandu. And then for a moment, she retreated behind an enormous stone statue just as Rachel Paton took her picture.
“She seemed to be hiding; weary, perhaps, of being visible but often ignored by so many people passing by,” says Rachel.
Children fill a classroom in Guinea, though just like in classrooms around the world, concentrating all the time is not possible for every child.
There are over 80 young children packed into this preschool classroom in Guinea. Teaching assistant and Guinea Action Team member Eleanor Hyde found space somehow to take this photo of the children’s eagerness to learn.
This picture from Nepal captured our attention because of its beauty and the sense of tranquillity.
The serenity of Phewa Lake in the Pokhara Valley was captured by Rachel Paton (she really did take a lot of great photos!), with its stillness contrasted by what was happening behind her.
It is play time at a Nepal school, with these young children having the time of their lives.
Children couldn’t contain their excitement when this parachute was brought out at a rural school in Nepal. And Action Teamer and gifted photographer Rachel Paton was there to capture the joy.
“We had to work hard to convince them that this particular parachute was not to be used for flying, just for playing with on the ground!” says Rachel.
Children on a small island off the coast of Guinea head into the water in search of fish to catch.
Guinea Action Teamer Mhairi Cole was on a small island off the African nation’s coast when she saw a group of children being given a fishing lesson.
This adorable scene during a game of hide-and-seek was captured in Mozambique.
Who doesn’t love a game of hide-and-seek? The children Action Teamer Rhiannon Cleghorn met in Mozambique clearly do. And though this boy had only trees to hide behind when Rhiannon was playing, it meant an adorable photo of him could be taken.
Along with great need and a history of conflict and colonial oppression, Mozambique has glorious beaches enjoyed by local people every day. They are even more stunning as the sun sets, as this image shows.
Living by the coast was one of the biggest blessings for the Action Team in Mozambique, says Rhiannon Cleghorn.
These prayer bells in Nepal were wonderfully captured with the contours of the valley in the background.
This is a photo that makes you want to stand where photographer Rachel Paton did. She took this photo at the iconic Buddhist temple, Swayambhu, which is on top of a hill in the Kathmandu Valley.
“We were up there as the sun was setting, and the evening light striking this row of bells caught my attention just before we started to head down,” she says.
This photo, taken in Nepal by Rachel Paton, caught our attention straight away.
What a striking photo this is, and an obvious first place in this year’s Action Team photo competition. It was captured in Nepal by Rachel Paton (who else?!), and shows the beauty of God’s work in the form of this majestic elephant, Mayabhati.
Congratulations not only to those in the top ten, but to everyone who submitted a photo. You’ve inspired, moved and challenged us, and reminded us all of how magnificent God’s creation is.
Do you know a future Action Teamer?
Our Action Teams programme is one of the best Christian gap year programmes out there. If you know anyone aged between 17 and 23 who wants to serve God overseas then encourage them to get in touch with us today. You never know, they might just make next year’s photo competition top ten!
Here are some of the ways you’ve helped people in desperate need this year.
A tarpaulin. A plastic groundsheet. Some thermal underwear. Did these items make your Christmas wish list?
You’ve given these – and other great gifts – to people in desperate need this year.
You’re providing a lifeline for Rohingya refugees fleeing violence in Burma (Myanmar), and keeping hundreds of people warm in the harshness of a Ukraine winter.
As you wrap your presents and prepare for Christmas, consider this our thank you note for what you’ve already given. And a reminder of the suffering you’re helping to alleviate, in Jesus’ name, every time you give to BMS World Mission.
Vital aid is reaching refugees in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, thanks to your donations. Photo by Medair/Nath Fauveau.
The Rohingya people have witnessed their loved ones being raped, beaten and executed, and their villages reduced to ashes in a brutal military offensive. The scale of the terror inflicted by Burma’s soldiers is unimaginable, as is the exodus of those being targeted. More than 650,000 Rohingya refugees have crossed from Burma’s northern Rakhine State into Cox’s Bazar district in southern Bangladesh since August. Hundreds are still crossing every day, many of them children
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’ numerical method, the circular orbit model is adopted and applied. The accuracy and validity of the presented numerical method and the corresponding solving procedures are demonstrated by using the obtained experimental data. And the insight of the transient flow fields and reaction forces on the rotor is shown and discussed in order to reveal the fluid-induced-excitation phenomenon of the deliberately roughened stator annular seal.
Steam turbine is one of the large power prime motor and widely applied in power plant, petrochemical engineering and so on. The aerodynamic performance and safe reliability of steam turbine is subjected to be emphasized due to increasing strictly environment requirements and manufacturing competitions. Nozzle feed steam and throttling feed steam system are two main structures of large power steam turbines to control their power output at off-designed operating conditions. Nozzle control stage is the critical structure of the nozzle feed steam system and used in large power steam turbines. Aerodynamic performance of the nozzle control stage plays an important role in the operating economical efficiency of steam turbines. Three RANS solution with CFD software is applied to analyze the aerodynamic performance of governing stage at designed and off-designed conditions.
Leakage flow shows many disadvantages to the aerodynamic performance in turbomachinery, especially the tip clearance leakage flow between the rotor blade and casing endwall. To decrease the leakage flow influence, shrouded rotor blade are designed and utilized in turbomachinery, such as in steam turbines. As to the shrouded rotor blade, the leakage fluid only flows from the leading edge to the trailing edge of the rotor tip. The leakage flow mixes with the wake flow of the rotor blade and influences the inlet condition of the downstream stator stage. To improve the aerodynamic performance of the shrouded turbine stage, the steady and unsteady flow mechanisms interaction with the leakage flow and mainstream is needed to study.
Last stage blades(LSBs), being the key element of steam turbines, in many instances dictate the turbine configuration, including the number of LP cylinder. They also to a great degree determinate the turbine’s operating performance. At present, new, longer LSBs for the half rotation speed are mainly developed for large wet steam turbines of nuclear power plants. With the increase the LSB length, not only does the tensile stress caused by centrifugal forces grow, but the danger of water drop erosion increases, too, because of the increase in the tip circumferential speed. In addition, under operating conditions with low steam flow and high back-pressure, longer LSB are also more intensely heated because of friction and fanning in the ambient steam. Design of the roots, shrouds and snubbers of LSB requires special attention to be paid. Blade profile, aerodynamic performance and structure strength validation of the last stage blade is investigated. In addition, steady and unsteady flow fields coupling last stage and exhaust hoods are also needed to study using the parallel high performance computer systems and advanced CFD numerical method.
Application of the steam cooling technique is useful to fits use class of components material and expands the design life of ultra-supercritical steam turbine components. Importance of using steam cooling technique for supercritical and ultra-supercritical steam turbine components is analyzed. Design characteristics for cooling structure of nozzle chamber, high pressure rotor, inter-mediate pressure rotor, low pressure rotor and casing of ultra-supercritical steam turbines are investigated together with key technique for cooling structure design of ultra-supercritical steam turbines. The Key techniques included cooling parameter design, finite element analysis of temperature fields and stress fields for components as well as measurement and verification for cooling results.
Gas turbines are widely applied in aircraft propulsion and power output industrial applications. With the increasing of the inlet temperature, the thermal efficiency and power generation of the gas turbines increase. However, the inlet temperature is limited by the material used in the gas turbines when the development of the high-temperature resistance material is slow. Therefore, there exists a research and development challenge for the cooling technology of the turbine blade. The gas leakage through the gap results in the high heat transfer coefficient on the blade tip, and the heat transfer rates at the blade tip can be one of the highest on the entire blade surface. The blade failures caused by the tip oxidation remain as a challenge problem. Thus, based on the related experimental data, the numerical simulation method is applied to study the characteristics of the tip leakage flow and heat transfer in the moving blade of modern gas turbine. In addition, the effects of the film hole position and the blowing ratio on the film cooling effectiveness in the squealer tip are analyzed.
The hybrid Micro Gas Turbine (MGT) and Solid Oxide fuel cell (SOFC) system is a promising concept in the future power generation for its high-performance and low-emission. The dynamic model for the hybrid system of integrated SOFC and recuperative GT with air reheating component is investigated and presented. A dynamic model is put forward based on the conservation equations of mass, energy and force through the whole plant, with specific source terms in different types of components. The SOFC is modeled on the basis of the Exponential Decay function and the Exponential Associate function, which describe the characteristics of the parameters distribution within the SOFC. A cubic curve is employed to denote the compressor pressure characteristics. In the turbine model, the relation between the work done and the inlet condition of turbine is determined according to the turbine nozzle work characteristics. Cycle simulation and analysis for two kinds of SOFC/GT hybrid systems are conducted with the help of the simulation tool Aspen Custom Modeler. Two cycle schemes of recuperative heat exchanger (RHE) and exhaust gas recirculated (EGR) are described according to the air reheating method. Some promising results of the MGT/SOFC hybrid system are presented.
Cavitation is a widely existing hydrodynamic phenomenon that has received much attention over the past decades. Cavitation physics plays an important role in the design and operation of many liquid handling turbomachines and devices. A new numerical algorithm for attached cavitation flows was developed. A cavitation model was implemented in a viscous Navier-Stokes solver. The liquid-vapor interface was assumed as a free surface boundary of the computation domain. Its shape was determined with an iterative procedure to match the cavity surface to a constant pressure boundary. The pressure distribution, as well as its gradient along the wall, was taken into account in updating the cavity shape iteratively. The obtained results are reasonable and the iterative procedure of cavity shape updating is quite stable. The superiority of the developed cavitation model and algorithm is demonstrated according to some numerical simulation results.
Xin Yan, Jun Li, Liming Song, Zhenping Feng, Investigations on the Discharge and Total Temperature Increase Characteristics of the Labyrinth Seals with Honeycomb and Smooth Lands[J], ASME Journal of Turbomachinery, 2009, 131(4): 041009-1-041009-8.
X.W. Zhang, S.H. Chan, H.K. Ho, Jun Li, Guojun Li, Zhenping Feng, Nonlinear model predictive control based on the moving horizon state estimation for the solid oxide fuel cell, International Journal of Hydrogen Energy,2008, 33(9): 2355-2366.
Jun LI, Shengry KONG, Xin YAN, et al., Numerical Investigations on the Leakage Performance of the Labyrinth Honeycomb Seal, ASME Journal of Engineering for Gas Turbine and Power, 2010, 132(6): 062501.
Jun LI, Obi. S., Zhenping FENG, The effects of clearance sizes on labyrinth brush seal leakage performance using a reynolds0averaged navier-stokes solver and non-Darcian porous medium model, Proc. IMechE Part A: Journal of Power and Energy, 2009, 223(8): 953-964.
Jun LI, Hao SUN, Jinshan WANG et al., Numerical Investigations on the Steady and Unsteady Leakage Flow and Heat Transfer Characteristics of Rotor Blade Squealer Tip, Journal of Thermal Science, 2011, 20(4): 304-311.
Xin YAN, Jun LI, Zhenping FENG, Effects of Sealing Clearance and stepped geometries on discharge and heat transfer characteristics of stepped labyrinth seals, Proc. IMechE Part A: Journal of Power and Energy, 2011, 225: 521-538.
Song, L, Chang L, LI J., et al., Aerodynamic optimization of axial turbmoachinery blade using parallel adaptative range differential evolution and Reynolds-averaged navier-Stokes Solutions, International Journal for Numerical Methods in Biomedical Engineering, 2011, 27: 283-303.
Yan, X., Li, J, Feng Z., Investigations on the rotordynamic characteristics of a hole-pattern seal using transient CFD and periodic circular orbit model, ASME Journal of Vibration and Acoustics, 2011, 133(40: 041007.
Zhigang LI, Jun LI, Xin YAN, et al., Effects of Pressure Ratio and Rotating Speed on Leakage Flow and Cavity Pressure in the Staggered Labyrinth Seal, ASME Journal of Engineering for Gas Turbines and Power, 2011, 133(11): 114503.
Song, L., Chang, L., Li, J., et al., Automated Multi-objective and multidisciplinary dsign optimization of a transonic turbine stage, Proc. IMechE Part A: Journal of Power and Energy, 2011, 236: 262-276.
Chang, L., Song, L., Li, J., et al., A Study on Multidisciplinary Optimization of an Axial Compressor Blade based on Evolutionary Algorithms, ASME Journal of Turbomachiery, 2012, 134: 054501.
Sun, H., Li, J. Feng,
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and we could work together on projects? Thank you for the opportunity.
Guess I was supposed to leave a separate comment about following you on Facebook and Pinterest, so here it is.
Now a Facebook follower too.
Wow! That's such an intricut cut on a small-sized image, and it cut perfectly! I'd LOVE to win the Portrait so I could give this a try! Thanks for the chance!!!
Am now a full fledged follower of all things!! Would love to have this. I'm always trying to force myself to try new things and learn more and this machine would be a great way to do all of that. I'm impressed with all the cuts you have made worth it and would love to give it a try. Thanks for the chance.
I follow both your blog and Facebook page!
Thanks for the chance to win the Portrait!!!
I look forward to receiving your e-mail every day. Thanks for all the great ideas and a chance to win something so awesome!
Oh I need this machine :) Thanks for the chance to get one.
I follow your blog and also on Facebook. I look forward to receiving your emails - you share some great info. Thanks for the opportunity to win!
I am a subscriber--what a great giveaway! Love that project. I have never used vinyl but would love to give it a try!
WOW Linda! this is awesome. I have been a follower of both the blog and facebook. Thanks for the review of the vinyl I will check it out.
Hi Linda, I have followed your blog for a long time and I love it. Always something new and fun to learn. Thanks for all your hard work and the this opportunity to win.
Thanks so much for another chance to win.
WOW!!This is AWESOME!!Thanks for the chance to win!!
I'm already a follower and love all of your wonderful projects. Thanks for the chance to win a Silhouette Portrait.
I like your project. Thanks for the chance to win!!
The tin is beautiful! Follow your blog and love your projects and tutorials. Thank you for the chance to win.
The tin is just beautiful. What a clean cut. I follow you through email and check out your blog all the time.
I love your blog. Thank you for a chance to win this great prize.
I am a follower of your blog. I love your projects. I would love to win a Silhouette.
Great job on the storage container! And thanks for the chance to win!
I follow you on FB and I subscribe by email. Thanks for the chance to win such an awesome giveaway!!
I follow you thru email and Facebook. Thanks for a chance to win a great little machine.
Thanks for a great giveaway and all the inspiation you give us.
Thanks again - another chance to win!
I love how delicate that doily is! I'm already a blog follower.
How exciting! I've been looking to purchase a silhouette, I have a cricut and am wanting a little more versatility. TY! Been a follower for quite a while.
Thanks for the great giveaway, I would love to win.
I love the doily cut. Anyway, I've been a follower for a long time. Thanks for the giveaway!
Oh, I'm a Facebook fan of yours as well. Thanks again!
I am a subscriber to your blog already! Have been for some time. Love your Friday posts. Thank you for the chance to win!
Looks like such an incredible machine! Thanks for the chance!
Hello, I'm a subscriber and a follower on GFC. Thanks for a great giveaway!
I've followed you for a long time on Google Reader. Thanks for the chance to win this terrific prize.
I follow your blog and would LOVE to have a chance of winning the Silhouette! I've heard so many good things about it.
I'm a blog follower. Thanks for a chance to win.
Wat een geweldige kans om die te winnen.
Love the intricate cuts! Puts my Cricut to shame! Thanks so much for the chance to win!
I am following your blog and have liked your FB page. Thanks for chance to win such a great prize.
Thanks for the chance to win. I see your projects with the Cameo and I'm jealous I don't have one!
I am a follower and a subscriber. Your site is one I look for on a daily basis.
I would love to win a Silhouette, it is on my Birthday Wish list. I follow your blog. Thanks for the chance to win.
Hello: Love your blog! Would also love to win. Thank you for doing so many give-aways.
It's my birthday today! I'm dying to get this machine. Thanks for the chance!
great giveaway!! I'm a long time follower, since joining cricut circle in 2011 was it?! love your blog and videos! very inspirational!
Linda, I'm also a Facebook follower! love your Sunday SOS!
I'm a faithful Facebook follower. Thanks for the second chance to win!
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL THAT YOU TEACH US. I WOULD LOVE TO WIN THE GIVE AWAY. IT WOULD BE A GREAT ASSET IN MY CRAFT AREA.
I am a follower, never miss a post. Nice giveaway.
I am a follower of your blog and I love to see everything you make with the Silhouette!
I'm a follower of your blog! Thanks for the chance to win!
An awesome prize and I would love to win. I have been a follower for quite some time now and you continue to amaze and inspire me with your projects.
I would love to win this machine. I've wanted one for so-o-o-o long. I've been a follower for quite some time and thoroughly enjoy your many talents that you share with all of us. Thank you the opportunity to win and I also follow you on Facebook.
Thanks for the chance to win :) I have been a follower of you blog for a while.
Anything that is like stickers is automatically amazing!
Thanks for the chance to win. I follow your blog and love it. I would like to try the vinyl.
WOW!! Another chance! YEAH!!! One of these (unless I do get lucky!) I'm going to have to get one!! Thanks for the chance!
A SUBSCRIBER HERE...I hear so much about how easy and smooth the Silhouette cuts...would be excited to try it out...but I would give it to my daughter for her stay in the hospital during her bone marrow transplant(she will be there for awhile,something to keep her busy)...Thanks for the chance!!!
I love your vinyl project! It's beautiful! I would love to win the Silhouette, so thanks for giving all of us a chance.
I'm also a follower on FB. Thanks again for this awesome chance!
Wow Linda, how lucky for yet another chance to win the portrait!!!!! Following your blog certainly convinced me that I need to own a Silhoutte. I just love all the projects you have been doing with it. I have been following you for some time now and just think you are awesome. Thanks for sharing so much with us.
Thanks so very much for the chance to win the Silhouette machine, I'm an excited follower!!! Loved your video on the Mod Podge Glazes and cannot wait to try it!!! Thanks again!
I would like to jump on the Silhouette bandwagon!
I follow your blog and find lots of inspiration. I'd LOVE to win a Silhouette!
I also am already a follower as well. Thanks for the chance to win!
I am a subscriber & follower of your blog & enjoy reading it! I would love to win this cutter :) Thanks so much for the chance.
am a follower here and liked your page on facebook. I think it is awesome that you are able to give away a Silhouette and would love to be the winner. Have always wanted a cutting machine.
love your newsletter, love your store and i follow you on facebook! thanks!!
I have heard great things about this machine! The cuts are great. It is on my ever growing to get list. Thanks for the chance.
I follow your blog and also subscribe to it. You did a great job decorating the tin! Thanks for the chance to win!
Thanks for the opportunity. I wanted to order some of the vinyl but could not successfully enter the Silhouette web site. Bummed.
Love how intricate it cuts. Love your projects. Thanks for the chance to win the Portrait.
I would love to be able to give the Portrait a go. Have just used the Cricut.
Pretty incredible how detailed the image is.... Love your beautiful project and thank you for the giveaway. I already follow your blog.
Hi Linda! I'm so encouraged and impressed to see such intricate cuts with the vinyl. I love the beautiful design on your project!
Thank you for another chance to win! I'm already following you and also on your fb page :) Have a great weekend!
I'd love to win this! I already follow your blog!
I love your style and am excited to be following your blog!
Wow! How fun would this be to win! I have been following your blog for some time.
Would love to win a Portrait! Thanks to Silhouette for the giveaway!
I would love a chance to win! I've been following your blog for a while and I love
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Not only have we hired another teacher, to teach Latin I Honors and Latin II Honors classes, we also offer Latin III Honors and will expand to AP Latin next year. We also have a lively JCL chapter here known as the Pine Crest Junior Classical League or PCJCL. It has taken some time to develop, but this year we participated in our first ever regional forum at Northeast High School and we jumped into certamen competition at both Level II and Advanced. We came away with 4 medals for 6 participants – 3 bronzes for a 3rd place finish in certamen Advanced and 1 gold medal for classical art in the academic testing category. Not too bad!
We have just been approved for our trip to Orlando to participate in the state forum. It will be our first time and my second (attended with a small contingent from my Somerset program at the time). We plan on heading up to Disney the first day, then being well-represented at the convention over that Thursday, Friday, and Saturday period in April. This will build camaraderie as well as publicize the fact that Pine Crest Latin is a program on the rise!
Heading to Living Latin in New York City!
I continue to evolve my practice in Latin from a grammar-based approach to natural method to now, comprehensible input. It is based on an initial dissatisfaction with not being able to read and think in the target language, despite all of my training. I have been working on instilling CI into my program and have been looking for more training – so I am excited to be able to attend, thanks to the support of my administration back at Pine Crest.
Read more about what I hope to accomplish here on Romae.org. I will miss time with my family, but it will give me incredible momentum moving forward in helping me perfect my practice and really develop our Latin program into one of the most innovative in the country!
The Luminary Set for Proofing!
It started as an idea I had several years ago, I was teaching AP European History and AP Art History at the same time and I wanted an outlet for my students to extend their ideas and develop their skills at doing academic research. It’s an easy leap – students need to develop the ability to examine evidence and investigate ideas. Consumption of information is critical in the age we are living in and assessing its credibility is vital.
Once I keened in on the need for research, I also wanted to give them an incentive that went beyond the mere grade – I wanted to give them an opportunity to publish their work. This would give them a great experience as well as offer them another way to stand out on their college transcript. More importantly, it would give them a sense of pride and validation for their hard work. Thus was born the idea of a student research journal that would be set aside for students taking AP courses.
Fast forward several years and a few stops later, here I am at Pine Crest and serving as department chair (from 2015-2017). We have several post-AP courses being offered where students can take a deeper dive into the content of those courses. For example, I was able to teach Post-AP Art History, where I took the initial course from a power point presentation heavy senior babysitting job to an introduction to art historical methodology and research. Students learned to examine art through various lenses (Marxism, gender and sexual identities, etc.) while also picking an original idea of their own to research.
I went back to my idea about developing a student research journal. I wanted it to be a vehicle for publishing student research and hopefully, down the road, instilling a culture for doing research whereby students may even turn to previous research and expand upon it. I imagined presentations from these students and ongoing academic debates. It seemed that the research being done in my post AP class would serve as excellent potential content and so, The Luminary was born.
As department chair, I wanted this to be an initiative that went up and down our hallway. We had post AP offerings in Mac/Mic Econ, Psych, Gov/Pol, and even Capstone. This would give us a wide range of content to pull from and the best of it would make excellent material for publication. We got buy-in from the entire department and even formed a faculty advisory board to oversee the creation of the journal. We also had administrative support as they recognized the potential of this project for our community.
That was 2015-2016. I had to give up my post AP Art History class these past few years since I was developing the Latin program and just didn’t have the time to teach the course. That presented a particular challenge as I was depending on that for content as well as potential staff to put the journal together. We had a skeleton crew cobbling together the journal and learning how to structure the staff as well as the product. Now it is ready – we have a very innovative and aesthetically pleasing design and the content remains very good as the submissions were culled by a staff of students who each had the courses and knew the content and could verify, with their teachers, that the works were sound.
It took longer than anticipated, and we had to overcome challenges, but we have emerged with a finalized document ready for publication. We will get the proof, approve it, and then publish a limited run (100 copies) to distribute to the stakeholders and also publish the journal digitally for archival purposes. We hope that this will create a buzz and get students energized. We will then discuss how to move forward and keep this project sustainable for years to come. It is my hope that we can crank out a second volume this year and then continue to do the same each and every year forward!
I want to credit Ava Goldstone and Pedro Damasceno for their tireless work in making this journal, The Luminary | The Pine Crest Journal for Student Research in Social Sciences and Humanities, a reality! Without them. we certainly aren’t where we are today and we probably never make this vision manifest.
This is becoming a true tradition! With more students than ever before in the program (56 students which is up from previous years) we have a big troop headed to New York in March.
The idea behind the trip is to give our students the opportunity to walk through museums having learned about these amazing works of art throughout the year. They will have a deep and enriching experience as they get to see these works in person while being immersed in the excitement of New York City.
We have been doing this trip for years and I am proud to have been able to successfully keep it going. This will be our second year in a row (we had an off year in 2016) and we are adding the Whitney to our tour of the Met, MoMA, Guggenheim, and Frick museums. It’s going to be a lot of fun for the kids and I always look forward to their expressions when they first see an image that they had been looking at on a screen or textbook all year!
I am currently planning for my one section (yay!) of AP World History, which I haven’t taught since 2013-2014, and running through the various materials to make sense of everything. As I noted on my AP World blog over on Ricard Academy, this course is a bit of a monster and requires some wrangling to make sense of it.
After you get past the scope of the course (a history of the entire world!) you then have to sort through the stereo instructions that is the Course and Exam Description (CED) which is supposed to help you figure out how best to teach the course. Yeesh.
Yet, having gone through the Project Zero Classroom institute this summer, I can take a deep breath and apply some tools to simplify things. Reading the aforementioned blog post, you can see that I created my throughlines or overarching understanding goals from the CED’s disciplinary practices and reasoning skills (p. 9 of 2017 CED). That alone is going to save my life and help me transition from “busy” to “productive”.
At PZ, I was struck by the notion about “global competency” that Veronica Boix Mansilla was presenting on and attended her session. I wanted to get a handle on what it was so that I can look into applying it into my courses, namely AP Art History and AP World. I took her working definition and turned it into my first overarching goal, hoping to make it a primal focal point for both myself and my students in our study of the history of the world.
Global competence is the capacity and disposition to understand and act on issues of global significance.
What I really enjoyed about this definition is the focus on a disposition or development of a mind set. In today’s world, we need more awareness but we also need to temper our actions – or inaction. Most of today’s tension portrayed through the media lens is due to a lack of acknowledgement and a need for quick judgements formulated around labels. If we can not only be aware of what others are thinking and concerned about in other parts of the world, and acknowledge what they are thinking and feeling, we can take a step closer to diffusing any potential conflict. At least, its a working theory of mine.
To take it one step further, acknowledgement does not mean agreement. We should be able to make up our own minds despite the input of information. In other words, we need more listening and less talking at or about each other.
Am I globally competent? Students will develop the capacity and disposition to understand and act on issues of global significance.
By offering this constant opportunity for reflection, students can self-evaluate their growing state of global competency. When an important issue arises in today’s context, hopefully they will be able to apply it to their study of the past to help flesh out what is going on and
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in School Administration and Leadership through The George Washington University. Currently, Mrs. D. R is part of the exemplary school system of Fairfax County, where she works tirelessly to instill a love of learning through critical thinking, problem solving and creativity. Mrs. D.R. believes learning should be rigorous, collaborative, and above all, fun!
Dr. J. M. has been the department chair at Fairfax public school for the past five years. She is certified in middle school math and science, and teaches 7th and 8th grade science at Fairfax public school. Before that, Dr. Mike taught in three different private schools, starting in 1992 when she retired from her career as an Air Force physician. Dr. Mike has a special certification in teaching Advanced Academic courses and has seen more than 100 of her students reach Thomas Jefferson School for Science and Technology.
Ms. C. M. completed her Master’s degree in education with a focus on curriculum and instruction (science) at the University of Toronto. Her undergraduate degree in biology/chemistry (interdepartmental) was completed at Viterbo University in La Crosse, Wisconsin. She has a VA state professional teaching license with endorsements in biology, chemistry and gifted education. She is currently an eighth grade physical science teacher in FCPS. Ms. C. M. has taught various subjects, including chemistry, biology, physical science and math. With 20 years of experience teaching at all levels of the education system, Ms. C. M. has also served in other capacities such as educational administration and doing educational development work with international donor agencies in Belize.
Mrs. K. taught middle school, high school, and college math for more than 15 years. She has secondary math professional teaching license, AAP certificate for gifted-talented teaching, and Intel Master certificate about creating mathematics curriculums. Mrs. K. is currently teaching at a magnet high school in Fairfax County.
The 7th grade Language and Writing class will target at the 8th to 9th grade level.
Course Description(part 2): The course continues from the Fall 2018. Because we write as we read, students will be immersed in a variety of classic and seminal reading material that will provoke higher-order thinking and discussion, and culminate with effective written responses. Emphasis will be on expository and persuasive writing assignments, and because classes are small, students receive useful and comprehensive feedback on their weekly essays. It is expected that all students who demonstrate perseverance in this class will build their skills of problem-solving, personal reflection, evaluation, and creativity. Greater than all of these skills, however, is a student’s sense of self-efficacy that comes with tackling a challenge.
Mr. H grew up in the Reston/Herndon area and is from a family with both parents are English teachers. After graduating from UNC-Greensboro with a degree in English Education, Mr. H was selected to teach at FCPS and has remained there for 21 years. Mr. H has extensive teaching experience and has taught everything from the third grade Language Arts to SAT Reading/Writing. He has helped many students achieve their dream of attending Thomas Jefferson High School and many of his students have received a perfect score on the Reading/Writing SAT. Mr. H is certified by the state of Virginia and endorsed by Fairfax County Public Schools to teach Advanced Academics. Mr. H is passionate about teaching. His classes will be engaging and challenging!
Supplies: View 1 inch, three ring binder with front and back pockets, a spiral note book, pencils, blue or black pens, green or red pens, colored pencils, yellow highlighters, paper and a small pouch to hold the supplies that can be kept in the binder, and a black and white composition book.
Homework is assigned on a regular basis and is discussed in class the day it is due. Timely homework completion is essential for student comprehension and participation (e.g., reading and drafting assignments). Homework reflects what is being done in class—it may be an opportunity for practicing, discovering, or enrichment and extending knowledge.
Mr. V has taught all levels of Mathematics from 4th grade through AP Calculus BC over his 8 year teaching career. He built and maintained an AP Calculus program at his first teaching assignment in PA where the course was never offered. He was brought to Fairfax County four years ago to help develop a non-AP Applied Calculus course for Fairfax County Schools (which has been adopted county-wide). He currently leads the AP Calculus AB Team at a top Fairfax County Public School. He has been an AP Reader (expert teacher flown to Kansas City, MO to grade the official AP Exam Free Response Sections) and has attended several AP Collegeboard trainings and Summer Institutes for Calculus. He was a part of the leader teachers’ panel to adopt textbooks for the 2019 school year and beyond in FCPS for Computer Science and Calculus. Even with his work at the high school level, he has experience with rising 4th, 5th and 6th grade students who are looking to advance as far in mathematics as they can go. He has been a coordinator for middle school Mathcounts to which several of his students made it to rounds beyond their expectation. He has been the American Math Challenge coordinator for High school students for the past four years. Recently, he has helped a group of 7th graders master Geometry this past summer 2018. He’s very excited to work with Discover in the hopes that he can have an even larger impact on students’ lives.
Course Description: The course continues from the Fall 2018. The targets the 7th/8th level. Students study rich vocabulary, grammar, literature, and writing, setting themselves up for success in higher education. These skills will help students effectively write academic essays, participate in critical analyses, and share with small/large groups. Students will develop an understanding of the six traits of writing, the eight parts of speech, and numerous poetic tools: all elements of higher-level communication.
Goals: A complete and coherent instruction of formal language study.
1. Study of prefixes, suffixes, and sophisticated vocabulary. Students who know quality words can write and speak with quality words.
2. Reading of literature comprised of rich ideas universal to all cultures.
4. Free writing every day.
5. Timed writing every week.
Mr. H grew up in the Reston/Herndon area and are from a family with both parents are English teachers. After graduating from UNC-Greensboro with a degree in English Education, Mr. H was selected to teach at FCPS and has remained there for 21 years. Mr. H has extensive teaching experience and has taught everything from the third grade Language Arts to SAT Reading/Writing. He has helped many students achieve their dream of attending Thomas Jefferson High School and many of his students have received a perfect score on the Reading/Writing SAT. Mr. H is certified by the state of Virginia and endorsed by Fairfax County Public Schools to teach Advanced Academics. Mr. H is passionate about teaching. His classes will be engaging and challenging!
-- Concentrate on the task at hand.
-- Adjust your voice level to suit the activity.
-- Come to class on time with all materials and assignments.
-- Respect every person, place, thing, and idea.
-- Respect yourself: when appropriate, go beyond your comfort zone.
Book List: We will order the books for you. The book cost is not included in the tuition.
2. A pouch to store at least 3 sharpened pencils, 2 pens, and 1 highlighter.
Location: 503 Carlisle Dr., Room 275, Herndon, VA 20170. There is easy access from Route 7100/286 (Fairfax County Pkwy). It is right off Elden Street.
This course continues from the “5th to 6th Grade Pre-Algebra/Iowa Algebra Aptitude Test (IAAT)” course in fall of 2018, which extends students' knowledge and understanding of the real number system and its properties through the study of variables, expressions, equations, inequalities, and analysis of data derived from real-world phenomena. Emphasis is placed on making connections in algebra to geometry and statistics. Calculator and computer technologies will be used as tools wherever appropriate. Use of a graphing calculator is considered essential to provide a graphical and numerical approach to topics in addition to a symbolic approach. Topics include linear equations and inequalities, systems of linear equations, relations, functions, polynomials, and statistics.
Books: We will order the books for you. The books cost is not included in the tuition.
Mr. V has taught all levels of Mathematics from 4th grade through AP Calculus BC over his 8 year teaching career. He built and maintained an AP Calculus program at his first teaching assignment in PA where the course was never offered. He was brought to Fairfax County four years ago to help develop a non-AP Applied Calculus course for Fairfax County Schools (which has been adopted county-wide). He currently leads the AP Calculus AB Team at a top Fairfax County Public School. He has been an AP Reader (expert teacher flown to Kansas City, MO to grade the official AP Exam Free Response Sections) and has attended several AP Collegeboard trainings and Summer Institutes for Calculus. He was a part of the leader teachers’ panel to adopt textbooks for the 2019 school year and beyond in FCPS for Computer Science and Calculus. Even with his work at the high school level, he has experience with rising 4th, 5th and 6th grade students who are looking to advance as far in mathematics as they can go. He has been a coordinator for middle school Mathcounts to which several of his students made it to rounds beyond their expectation. He has been the American Math
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, “Research and Development Agreements” for more details about the Takeda Development and License Agreement, Takeda Collaboration Agreement, Takeda Individual Project Agreement, and the Takeda Multi-Target Agreement. Refer to Note 10, “Stockholders’ Equity”, for more detail about the Takeda Stock Purchase Agreement.
Following the Private Placement described in Note 10, “Stockholders’ Equity” below, Longitude Venture Partner III, L.P. (“Longitude”) and CDK Associates, L.L.C. (“CDK”) became related parties, with Longitude and CDK beneficially owning 15.3% and 4.99% of the Company, respectively, following investments of $20.0 million and $7.0 million, respectively. The ownership of CDK is subject to a 4.99% ownership blocker, pursuant to which shares of the Company’s common stock may not be issued pursuant to the warrant held by CDK to the extent that the issuance of the common stock subject to such issuance would cause CDK to beneficially own more than 4.99% of the Company’s outstanding common stock. Scott Morenstein, a director of the Company is a Managing Director of Caxton Alternative Management LP, the investment manager of CDK. David Hirsch, a director of the Company, is a member of Longitude Capital Partners III, LLC, the general partner of Longitude. Furthermore, Kevin Lalande, a director of the Company is affiliated with Sante Health Ventures I, L.P. and Sante Heath Ventures Annex Fund, L.P., which are both stockholders of the Company and were investors in the Private Placement. Finally, Excel Venture Fund II, L.P., a stockholder of the Company beneficially owning greater than 5% of the Company, invested approximately $333,000 in the Private Placement.
Following the Public Offering described in Note 10, “Stockholders’ Equity” below, BVF Partners L.P. (“BVF”) became a related party, owning 7.6% of the Company, following investments of $15.3 million.
BVF is not affiliated with any director or executive officer of the Company. Longitude Venture Partners III, L.P. and CDK, current stockholders of the Company, purchased 365,000 and 545,454 shares of common stock, respectively, in the Public Offering at the public offering price. Scott Morenstein, a director of the Company is a Managing Director of Caxton Alternative Management LP, the investment manager of CDK. David Hirsch, a director of the Company, is a member of Longitude Capital Partners III, LLC, the general partner of Longitude.
Level 2—Observable inputs other than Level 1 prices such as quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities, quoted prices in markets that are not active, or other inputs that are observable or can be corroborated by observable market data for substantially the full term of the assets or liabilities.
The Company utilizes the market approach to measure fair value for its financial assets and liabilities. The market approach uses prices and other relevant information generated by market transactions involving identical or comparable assets or liabilities. For Level 2 securities that have market prices from multiples sources, a “consensus price” or a weighted average price for each of these securities can be derived from a distribution-curve-based algorithm which includes market prices obtained from a variety of industrial standard data providers (e.g. Bloomberg), security master files from large financial institutions, and other third-party sources. Level 2 securities with short maturities and infrequent secondary market trades are typically priced using mathematical calculations adjusted for observable inputs when available.
There were no realized gains or losses in the three and nine months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017, respectively.
The Company determined the fair value of the liability associated with its 2017 Warrants to purchase in aggregate 377,273 shares of outstanding common stock using a Black-Scholes Model. See detailed discussion in Note 10, “Stockholders’ Equity”.
As of September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017 the fair value of the long-term debt, payable in installments through years ended 2022 and 2019, respectively, approximated its carrying value of $3.2 million and $3.5 million, respectively, because it is carried at a market observable interest rate, which are considered Level 2.
In April 2014, the Company entered into a loan and security agreement (the “Loan Agreement”) with Silicon Valley Bank (“SVB”) that was subsequently amended, to provide for (1) growth capital advances to the Company of up to $6.0 million over three tranches based on corporate milestones; (2) term loans of up to $6.0 million in the aggregate (the “Growth Capital Loan”); (3) warrants to purchase 48,874 shares of the Company’s common stock at an exercise price of $3.07 per share; and (4) a final fee of $375,000 due at the loan maturity date in addition to the principal and interest payments.
The Company drew down $0.8 million and $2.3 million in May and June 2015, respectively, and issued warrants to purchase 14,254 and 17,310 shares of the Company’s common stock at an exercise price of $3.07 per share. The Company drew down $3.0 million in April 2016 and issued warrants to purchase 17,310 shares of the Company’s common stock at an exercise price of $3.07 per share. The warrants issued in the Loan Agreement became exercisable upon issuance and were converted into common stock upon the closing of the Merger.
As of December 31, 2017, the Company had received $6.0 million in the aggregate from the Growth Capital Loan. The Company was required to repay the outstanding principal in 30 equal installments beginning November 1, 2016 and was due in full on April 30, 2019. Interest accrued at a rate of 1.19% above prime, or 5.44% per annum, as of December 31, 2017. Interest only payments were made monthly and beginning November 1, 2016, the Company paid the first of 30 consecutive equal monthly payments of principal plus interest.
The Company paid down the Growth Capital Loan on February 27, 2018, from the proceeds of the Perceptive Credit Facility, discussed below. Until the termination of the Growth Capital Loan on February 27, 2018, the Company paid $3.2 million in principal, $375,000 in a final fee, and $42,000 in interest during the nine months ended September 30, 2018 and $1.8 million in principal and $187,000 in interest in the nine months ended September 30, 2017.
As of September 30, 2018 the Growth Capital Loan had been repaid, and the balance was zero. As of December 31, 2017, the Growth Capital Loan principal balance was 3.5 million.
On February 27, 2018, the Company entered into a term loan facility with Perceptive Credit Holdings II, LP (“Perceptive”) in the amount of $10.0 million (the “Perceptive Credit Facility”). The Perceptive Credit Facility consists of a $5.0 million term loan, which was drawn on the effective date of the Perceptive Credit Facility, and an additional $5.0 million term loan to be drawn six months following the effective date of the Perceptive Credit Facility (as discussed above). The Company used a portion of the proceeds from the Perceptive Credit Facility to pay off the existing debt facility with SVB. Borrowings under the Perceptive Credit Facility are secured by all of the property and assets of the Company. The principal on the facility accrues interest at an annual rate equal to a three-month LIBOR plus the Applicable Margin. The Applicable Margin is 11.00%. Upon the occurrence, and during the continuance, of an event of default, the Applicable Margin, defined above, will be increased by 4.00% per annum. The interest rate at September 30, 2018 was 13.3%. Payments for the first 24 months are interest only and are paid quarterly. After the second anniversary of the closing date of the Perceptive Credit Facility, principal payments of $200,000 are due each calendar quarter, with a final payment of $3.4 million due on February 27, 2022. This term loan facility matures on February 27, 2022 and includes both financial and non-financial covenants, including a minimum cash balance requirement. The Company is required to pay an exit fee of $100,000 on a pro rata basis on the maturity date or the earlier date of repayment of the term loans in full. The exit fee is being accreted to interest expense over the term of the Perceptive Credit Facility using the effective interest method.
For the three months ended September 30, 2018, the Company recorded $170,000 of interest expense and $65,000 of amortization of debt discount related to the Perceptive Credit Facility. For the nine months ended September 30, 2018, the Company recorded $398,000 of interest expense and $146,000 of amortization of debt discount related to the Perceptive Credit Facility. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2017, the Company did not incur any interest expense related to the Perceptive Credit Facility, since the facility was not in place at that time.
As of September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017 the Perceptive Credit Facility principal balance was $5.0 million and zero, respectively. As of September 30, 2018, the Company was in compliance with the non-financial covenants of the Perceptive Credit Facility.
The Company is obligated under operating lease agreements covering the Company’s office facilities in Austin, Texas and Jersey City, New Jersey. Facilities expense under the operating leases was approximately $378,000 and $182,000
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the cost of CCH treatment in an outpatient setting in the Australian public system with single-digit fasciectomy.
We conducted a retrospective audit of hospital data to calculate the cost of surgical fasciectomy. Costings were calculated internally in collaboration with finance and compliance staff using the Medicare benefits schedule (MBS) code 46372 to identify patients who underwent fasciectomy over a 12-month period from March 2014 to April 2015. Only cost calculations for single-digit fasciectomy were included in order to make this cohort comparable to the CCH treatment group. The CCH cost was calculated from participants in a prospective study from June 2014 to March 2016.
The total cost for fasciectomy procedure included all hospital and operating theatre-related expenses such as: medical and surgical costs, operating theatre costs, anaesthetic staff costs, allied health costs, blood products, medical imaging, pathology, pharmacy, prosthesis costs and ward costs. All costs included direct costs and related overheads. Actual figures were obtained from the hospital cost centre in our billing department and were calculated on a cost per patient per hour basis. Overhead costs were calculated as a percentage of total lease cost on a time usage basis. Queensland Payroll assisted in providing the cost of wages of the varied health staff at an hourly rate.
The cost of surgical outpatient and hand therapy appointments were calculated in a similar fashion. The mean values of each of these items were included to estimate the total direct cost of fasciectomy itself and the cost of the outpatient clinic visits related to the surgery or CCH administration. The cost of CCH treatment included the cost of the drug and additional costs of clinic visits and hand therapy costs.
The pathway for patients undergoing CCH treatment was an initial surgical consultation, a clinic visit for the injection, a subsequent visit for joint manipulation and two outpatient reviews at one and three months respectively. The hand therapy protocol was one initial consult for documentation of contracture severity and objective measurements followed by a visit immediately after manipulation for splinting and two subsequent visits for splint adjustment and finger motion exercises.
The surgical group had an initial consultation and then post-operative outpatient followup at one week, one month and three months. Hand therapy following surgery was one initial visit for splinting and subsequent visits as needed for splint adjustment or hand range of motion. The outpatient follow-up in both groups was designed as a guideline. Ongoing subsequent surgical review or hand therapy was customised to the individual patient on an as required basis.
We identified 38 patients who underwent single-digit fasciectomy during the review period. The actual total cost per patient was calculated and compared to CCH treatment (Table 1). The mean cost of surgery for single-digit fasciectomy was AU$4609.61 (AU$2761.44–AU$10,928.67). In terms of fasciectomy component cost, the highest was theatre, followed by medical and surgical staff and then anaesthetic staff. The cheapest variables were imaging, pathology and pharmacy.
Outpatient visits for the fasciectomy group were compared with the CCH group (Table 2). The single-digit fasciectomy group required a mean of 4.4 (2–9) surgical outpatient visits. The mean cost for a single surgical outpatient appointment was AU$303.14 per visit (AU$180.80–AU$4165.20) making the total mean outpatient cost AU$1339.88 (AU$606.28–AU$2728.26). The high cost in some patients was related to preoperative work-up for anaesthesia. The mean number of occupational therapy visits was 6.13 (1–28) in the surgical group with a mean cost of AU$206.27 (AU$33.65–AU$942.20).
A total of 37 patients underwent 38 CCH injections from June 2014 to March 2016. The cost of the drug in our hospital was AU$1176 per vial. At three-month follow up, a reduction in extension deficit to <5 degrees of full extension for the measured joint was achieved in 48 per cent of joints—66 % metacarpophalangeal (MCP) joint and 19 per cent proximal interphalangeal (PIP) joint. Mean fixed flexion deformity improved by 40 degrees and 25 degrees for MCP joint and PIP joint disease respectively. Mean active range of motion improved by 39 degrees and 18 degrees respectively. While not all patients received full correction, as is usual with all forms of treatment for Dupuytren’s contracture, all but one patient was satisfied with the correction achieved. Only one patient requested a second injection for incomplete correction during the study, thereby the mean drug cost was calculated at AU$1206.15.
The CCH group of patients required a mean of 4 (3–8) visits in outpatient clinic and 4.9 (3–16) in hand therapy. Using an average estimated cost of AU$250.06 per clinic visit and AU$405.50 for the manipulation, we estimated the total cost of outpatient visits to be AU$1405.7.4 The occupational therapy cost for the CCH group was AU$164.60 including the cost of splinting and other materials.
Our study compares the actual cost of single-digit surgical fasciectomy in a retrospective cohort with the cost of CCH in a prospective group. Our cost calculation includes all aspects of care: medication, procedure and therapy. Our findings suggest that CCH injection treatment has a substantially lower cost when compared to surgery for management of single-digit Dupuytren’s contracture. It is substantially cheaper not withstanding indirect costs to the patient for expenses related to fewer clinic visits and possible earlier recovery as suggested by fewer therapy visits. Additionally, by shifting the treatment delivery to the outpatient, CCH treatment increases the availability of theatre for other surgical procedures in a system that is already burdened by the pressures of long surgical waiting times. Our highest cost variable in our fasciectomy analysis was theatre costs.
Our study design has some weaknesses. The surgical group cost was calculated retrospectively and while we only calculated costs related to single-finger contracture, the severity of disease in the two cohorts may not be the same. It is also possible that there is an inherent bias in selecting patients with milder forms of contracture for CCH treatment. Nevertheless, the injection costs are lower than surgery. Additionally, we only report on the immediate outcome of the injection and have not reported on efficacy in the medium- to long-term.
In conclusion, our study highlights the substantially lower total cost of CCH injection for management of single-digit Dupuytrens contracture when compared with surgical fasciectomy. Even accounting for the relatively high cost of the medication, the CCH pathway is cheaper, can be delivered in the outpatients department and patients require less occupational therapy and allied services. The increased availability of operating rooms for other procedures is another vital saving to the public health service. There remains a role for surgery in patients with Dupuytren’s contractures that are severe or involve multiple fingers. Our study suggests that healthcare services in Australian should consider making funding available for CCH treatment as an alternative to surgery in selected patients.
Khashan M, Smitham PJ, Khan WS, Goddard NJ. Suppl 2: Dupuytren’s disease: review of the current literature. Open Orthop J. 2011;5:283.
Badalamente MA, Hurst LC. Efficacy and safety of injectable mixed collagenase subtypes in the treatment of Dupuytren’s contracture. J Hand Surg. 2007;32(6):767–74.
Hurst LC, Badalamente MA, Hentz VR, Hotchkiss RN, Kaplan FT, Meals RA, Smith TM, Rodzvilla J. Injectable collagenase clostridium histolyticum for Dupuytren’s contracture. New Engl J Med. 2009;361(10):968–79.
Gilpin D, Coleman S, Hall S, Houston A, Karrasch J, Jones N. Injectable collagenase Clostridium histolyticum: a new nonsurgical treatment for Dupuytren’s disease. J Hand Surg. 2010;35(12):2027–38.
Verheyden JR. Early outcomes of a sequential series of 144 patients with Dupuytren’s contracture treated by collagenase injection using an increased dose, multi-cord technique. J Hand Surg-Eur Vol. 2015;40(2):133–40.
Muppavarapu RC, Waters MJ, Leibman MI, Belsky MR, Ruchelsman DE. Clinical outcomes following collagenase injections compared to fasciectomy in the treatment of Dupuytren’s contracture. Hand. 2015;10(2):260–65.
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and your Google account logged in on the new device. A new device is a chance for a new start, which makes it the best time for you to get into some better habits concerning your apps and Android use.
So grab a nice soothing beverage, sit down in a comfy chair, and let's unpack your Android experience.
Always forgetting to silence your phone before church or school? Or to turn the volume back up once it's over? Do Not Disturb's Automatic rules can silence your phone at 8 AM when mass starts and turn the ringer back on at 9:15 when you're usually out of church and on your way to the doughnut shop.
DND's automatic rules are one of Android's hidden gems, and your automatic rules sometimes follow you from phone to phone with your Google account. You might not need to set up new ones, but if you haven't set them up, there is no time like the present!
As with most system menus, the Do Not Disturb menu can look a little different depending on your exact phone and software, but the only manufacturer that made things drastically different concerning DND is Samsung. Samsung's Do Not Disturb menu is the most sparse and the most limited, as you're limited to one automatic rule — most phones allow several DND rules — and you cannot set a default or timed duration when toggling on DND outside the automatic rule.
Pull down the notification shade by swiping down from the top edge of the screen.
Swipe down from the top edge of the screen again to open the Quick Settings.
By default, Do Not Disturb is usually placed somewhere on the first page of your Quick Settings toggles. Press and hold the Do Not Disturb toggle until the Do Not Disturb menu appears.
Under Schedule, tap Turn on automatically.
Some devices can set DND rules to fire during certain events, but all can set DND rules to fire at specific times. Tap Time to create a time-based rule.
The default rule parameters will be added to the Days, Start time, and End time. Tap Days to edit which days of the week your rule is active.
Tap the days you do not want your rule active to uncheck them. Any checkmarked or highlighted days are days the rule is active.
Once you have the desired days sat, tap Done.
Tap Start time to change the time of day the rule takes effect.
Tap the hour you want the rule to take place.
Tap the minute you want the rule to take place. Tip: if you want a minute between the 5-minute increments, hold your finger down and drag it slowly to the minute you want it at.
(12-hour time only) If you need to change from PM to AM, tap AM.
Tap End time and repeat steps 13-16.
If you want an alarm to be able to override and end a rule early — such as a super early pre-flight alarm to leave for the airport — tap Alarm can override end time if the toggle is not already active.
Tap the back arrow in the top left corner to exit the submenu and save the rule.
Back in the main DND menu, you can set more specific rules for what Do Not Disturb does and doesn't let through in the Exceptions section. You can also set whether notification sound/vibration/icons/dots are suppressed during Do Not Disturb in the Behavior section.
Tap Turn on as scheduled to edit the schedule.
Tap the days of the week you do not want your DND schedule to run. Days that are circled and colored are active days, grey days are off days.
Tap Set schedule edit the start and end time.
Scroll the hour, minute, and AM/PM to the start time you want.
Tap End at the top of the time-picking pop-up.
Scroll the hour, minute, and AM/PM to the end time you want.
Tap the back arrow in the top left corner to exit the submenu and save the changes.
You can tweak what Do Not Disturb mode will and won't let through — you can set DND to let favorite contacts or repeat callers through in case someone is trying to call you in an emergency — in Allow exceptions. You can state how much notifications are suppressed when using a phone in DND mode under Hide Notifications.
When you get a new Android phone, you're going to see a lot of "Open with" app selection prompts while you're going about tasks for the first time and settling into your various apps. These prompts are annoying, but necessary if you haven't chosen a default app for a task yet. Of course, if you set the default apps all at once in the Settings app, you can skip all those pesky pop-ups in the weeks to come.
Tap Apps or Apps & notifications (the name may vary by phone).
(Samsung devices) Tap the three-dot menu icon in the top right corner of the screen.
(Google Pixel devices) Scroll down and tap Advanced to expand the Apps menu.
Tap the app type you wish to assign a default to.
Tap the app name you wish to be the default.
Tap the back arrow in the top left corner to exit the submenu and save the change.
Repeat steps 4-6 as desired with the app types listed.
At the bottom of the default apps list is an Opening links submenu. This submenu can be used to clear the defaults you accidentally set the wrong app to open a certain type of link, like Samsung Browser opening YouTube links instead of YouTube. You shouldn't need to mess with anything in here, but it's good to know where it is in case you ever do.
Once upon a time, Android was dark, beautiful place, a dangerous place where bugs and app crashes lurked in the shadows of a charcoal-and-blue Holo UI. Then Material Design came and replaced everything with white. Clean, clear, cruelly-blinding-at-2-AM white.
While Google itself has struggled to get a dark theme right before they bring it back to Android as a whole, manufacturers like Samsung and OnePlus have implemented their own theming systems to give users back control over the appearance of the Android system, and if you own a phone with a theming system available, you should give it a once-over to see if you find a theme you like more than the bright, bland default.
On Samsung phones, a separate Samsung Themes app controls device themes, Always On Display, fonts, icon packs, and wallpapers. If you don't see Samsung Themes in your app drawer, you can access it from the Wallpaper and themes option in the main Settings menu. A great and growing number of Samsung Themes are paid, and that number will only continue to rise as the One UI update rolls out to more devices.
For OnePlus, the theme in the Display section of the Settings app, where you can set the system theme, accent color, system font and wallpaper in the Customization section.
Google doesn't have a device-wide system theme yet, but they do have a Device theme setting in the Display section of the Settings app that will set the color scheme for the Quick Settings menu and some system pop-ups.
If all else fails, tap the search bar at the top of your phone and type in "theme". If there are any theme settings, they should pop up quickly.
If you're on a device that runs a more "vanilla" take on Android, you might not have any system theme to use, but it's worth checking for sure. A dark theme may not be everyone's cup of tea, but on AMOLED phones, hex black themes use less pixels and less power, which can mean the difference between your phone being at 25% or 5% at the end of a long, busy travel day.
The navigation bar is going through a few changes here in the Android Pie era, and more manufacturers have been embracing system-based gesture shortcuts over past few years. If you're setting up a new new phone, you should probably see which ones your phone came with.
Like system themes, system gestures tend to hide in different places on different phones, but if you open the Settings app and type "gesture", they should appear in short order and tell you which menus they're hiding in. Look through all of the gesture shortcuts/features your phone has, regardless of what which ones you think you'll use. You can disable some or all of them if you want, but see what they all do first.
Some of these shortcuts can not only be quite useful in your day-to-day life — like the double-tap to wake the screen — but some can be important settings to remember in an emergency, like the OnePlus 6T's hidden panic button or the Google Pixel's quick ringer shut-off. Horror movie cliche aside, you never know when you might need to silence your phone instantly or discreetly dial 9-1-1.
In addition to the gestures, as Google, OnePlus, and other manufacturers have been exploring radical changes to the navigation bar — or the complete replacement of the nav bar with gestures from the bottom edge of the screen — so make sure you know what the navigation controls for your new phone can actually do and whether a more traditional nav bar option is available.
While Google Assistant is now part of the initial setup process on many new phones, I also know that people tend to skip the Voice Match section. Whether your new phone just imported your previous voice model or you skipped it because you initially set up your phone in a noisy environment — like a busy carrier store — you should find a quiet room and retrain Voice Match on
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now or call 808-637-2977 for your North Shore Hawaii surf lesson with the North Shore Surf Girls surf school or surf camp, and have a safe, enjoyable, happy and fun local style experience! Mahalo.
We offer surfing basic lessons in Hawaii to both individuals and groups including surf trips with kids and year round surfing lessons. There are also package deals that are arranged for special parties. For those seeking to learn to surf NSSG is also staffed with multilingual instructors as well as Japanese surfing instructors. The surfing instructors at North Shore Surf Girls are qualified and experienced and are the right people to get you safely surfing!
Aloha! My name is Carol, I believe that surfing is Hawaii’s gift to the world. I love to share surfing with my friends by giving surf lessons. I grew up in Hawaii and at the age of 14 on the North Shore, Oahu, I discovered body boarding and fell in love with surfing Hawaii’s big waves. I have competed professionally winning two National Championships – 1989 and 1991 and placed second in the World in 1992. In the 2000 World Surfing Games I placed 7th overall in body board surfing. I was the first woman in the world to compete at the Pipeline and I’m also the founder of the Women’s Pipe Championships on the North Shore Oahu, 2009 will be our 20th straight year of women competing at this most famous wave. I was featured in the chapter “Stepping Out” in the book North Shore Chronicles, by Bruce Jenkins and was the EVENT COORDINATOR – Carol Anne Philips in the movie Blue Crush. Coming of age on the North Shore has instilled in me a love of our community and a desire to protect it, as a consequence of this I have run for political office you can see my website www.carolcares.org. I also serve on my local community board and as Chair of the State Commission on the Status of Women. I’m happiest when I’m in the ocean sharing my love of surfing with people for the first time.
Aloha and Welcome to the North Shore surf girls surf school. My name is Janna and I have been enjoying a life of surfing since age 10. Born and raised here on Oahu’s North Shore I am more than happy to share my knowledge and experience with you. Any sport in the water has been a common theme in my life since I was a small child, I have competed as a collegiate NCAA swimmer & water polo player, I enjoy paddling boarding, stand up paddling and of course surfing, anything in the water and I am hooked. Surfing is my passions and I would love to share that with you.
Aloha and welcome to the North Shore! My Name is Christian, I am an all around waterwomen and first leaned to surf from my lifeguard parents when I was 2-years old. I was raised on Maui and moved to the North Shore of Oahu in 1990 to study marine biology and train Hawaiian monk seals at the Waikiki Aqurium. I have been surfing and competing on the North Shore since then. I have also traveled to Fiji, Indonesia, Australia and Mexico to surf and dive. My specially is teaching children and I am the proud mother of a 5 year old girl and 7 year old boy both of whom started surfing before they could walk and have won numerous trophies. I love living and surfing on the North Shore and love teaching people to surf!
will send you to a place you have only dreamed of…surfing Hawaii! Whether in Waikiki or the North Shore surfing is more than a board and a body in the wilderness, it is a mind set, and a cleansing. Teaching surf is our love. We use Hawaii’s gift to the world to live the best that life offers us by surfing Hawaii! I want to share the amazing feeling of surfing through our surf school. Theres more to life than concrete blocks and pollution, there’s surf, ocean, more surf, and our Hawaii home.
BE FREE AND COME SURF WITH US, WE’LL TAKE YOU FOR THE RIDE OF YOUR LIFE!
Aloha! My name is Beccy Cravens. I was born and raised in Southern California but have made Hawai’i my home for the past 5-years and couldn’t imagine living anywhere else for the rest of my life. I have been surfing and swimming since before I could walk. I feel so blessed to be able to surf the waves of the North Shore. I am currently a competing Stand-up Paddler or as some people call it “ocean sweeper” and just recently won 1st place in the 4 mile ‘SUP into Summer’ race. I am also very active in the ocean and surf community by volunteering time with non-profit organizations and beach cleanups. I love to spend most of my time in the water and would love to also take you out to experience the beautiful waters of Hawai’i and help spread the Aloha spirit that I felt when I first arrived.
A. We teach surfing lessons at Puaena Point and Chun’s Reef Beaches. Both locations are on the North Shore of Oahu and about 3 miles apart. When you book your lesson we will send you an email with maps and directions. You can also enter either name in Google Maps and it will show up.
Q. Is it safe to learn to surf on the North Shore of Oahu year round?
A. Yes. On bigger days we teach you to surf in a cove protected from the larger open ocean swells. We evaluate the surf each day and take you to the safest & most fun location for your surfing lesson.
A. We offer private surfing and stand up paddle board lessons (one student to one instructor), semi-private lessons (two students to one instructor), family private lessons (three students to one instructor), and public group lessons (four students to one instructor). These can all be one or two hour lessons except for the family private lessons which are only offered for two hours and the stand up paddle board lessons which are all one and a half hours long.
A. We teach students as young as 4 years of age and up to any age. We do require anyone under 8 years old to book one of our private or tandem lessons, family private is OK too.
Q. Why is the North Shore of Oahu an excellent place to learn how to surf?
A. There are a number of reasons. We teach you to surf in a cove protected from the larger waves. The water is cleaner then Waikiki and the beaches are real. The crowds are also substantially lighter and friendlier then in Waikiki. The North Shore is the SURFING CAPITOL of the WORLD, learning to surf out here is about as authentic as it gets.
Q. How long will it take to learn surfing?
A. Most people will be able to stand up on their first surfing lesson and some people will be able to catch waves by themselves on their first lesson with coaching. However learning how to read waves, when and where to paddle into them takes time. Depending on your goals…a minimum of 3 surfing lessons is a good start if you plan on taking up the sport.
Q. Do you teach guys too?
A. Yes, about half our students are male.
A. Our group lessons start at 3 people and never exceed a 4:1 (four students to instructor) ratio.
A. Yes. It is included with all surfing lessons and packages.
A. Make sure to bring your swimsuit, towel, sunblock, and water to drink.
Q. Can I use my own surfboard?
A. Yes, but if this is your first time taking a surfing lesson we suggest you use our boards, they have soft tops and are especially made for learning how to surf.
A. The North Shore is blessed because there are safe ridable waves virtually every day. In the Summer when it’s smaller there is a trade wind generated swell that wraps around the coast bringing safe and fun 1-2 foot waves. And of course in the Winter when the surf is larger we teach in a protected cove with small 1-2 foot waves. In the rare case of ocean conditions being un-ridable we can reschedule your surfing lesson or refund your lesson money.
Q. What’s the water temperature like in Hawaii?
A. Hawaii’s near-shore water temperatures remain comfortable throughout the year. The average water temperature is 74º F. (23.3 C), with a summer high of 80º F. (26.7º C).
Q. What’s the air temperature like in Hawaii?
A. The average daytime summer temperature at sea level is 85º F. (29.4 C) while the average daytime winter temperature is 78º (25.6º C). Temperatures at night are approximately 10º F. lower.
Q. Can I learn to surf when it’s raining?
A. Yes, we teach in the rain since we will be getting wet anyway. We do offer you the option of rescheduling or will refund the surf lesson fee if it’s raining at our lesson location and you don’t want to surf in the rain.
A. Seeing is of course helpful when learning to surf, although perfect vision is not required. We recommend that you bring an extra set or glasses in case you lose one or both and need to drive after. However, people who use contacts don’t loose them if they kept their eyes closed under water.
Q. What should I do if I get seasick?
Q. What kind of swimsuit should I wear for my surfing lesson?
A. Something comfortable. We provide surf jerseys/
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review of Eric Booth and Tricia Tunstall’s recent book “Playing for Their Lives”. As the Executive Director of the El Sistema inspired program Play On Philly and founding Board Chairman of El Sistema USA, I would offer a few answers to the questions that are at the heart of her critique: What is El Sistema and what is it actually accomplishing?
I define poor from the pre-Latin word pau-paros, which means “producing little; getting little”. My travels around the world have taught me that where some lack in material things, they make up for it ten-fold with compassion and love for their environment, family and health. With that in mind, teaching poor children to play classical music does not stamp out poverty, but helps them produce much and receive what they need to balance out the absence of material things.
You wouldn’t want your pilot to have just 200 hours of flying time, and I promise that you wouldn’t want to listen to a musician with a similarly low number of hours of experience in a practice room. Any vocation requires “rote drill work” for mastery and the discipline learned through that experience directly translates to one’s life. The scientific community calls the skills gained through such practice – skills like impulse control and working memory — executive functioning skills.
The Los Angeles Philharmonic has recently partnered with Stanford University to measure the effects of their El Sistema inspired program. Play On Philly has some of the most promising executive functioning research in the country and WolfBrown has expanded its work to measure similar outcomes in a dozen programs in the United States. The Scottish government continues to fund the Big Noise program, which has the most impressive outcomes of any El Sistema inspired program in the world. These are simply three examples of the dozens of research studies currently underway. As the authors of “Playing for Their Lives” suggest, it is too early to claim definitive evidence of all of the social benefits these programs provide, but intense and dedicated study of music builds executive functioning skills and that is a fact. Every day, our students’ practice with instruments helps them practice these skills: the regulation of complex cognitive processes like working memory, reasoning, flexibility, and problem solving as well as planning and execution. We know that those who posses these skills will out-perform those who don’t have them and we are confident that learning to play music is the best way for our young people to acquire them.
No one working on the ground thinks the El Sistema philosophy is a magic bullet. I have yet to meet a parent, student or teacher who believes that a music program alone will provide everything that they need to overcome all of the many, systemic challenges that underserved families in our communities face. However, everyone on the ground knows that forward progress in life is made through a lot of hard work, dedication and persistence.
These children, with the enormous amount of effort they give to their musical endeavors, are producing much, and getting the barest fraction of what they deserve. With all this said, I wonder, would you still call them “poor”? Each day, as I watch them earn the support of a community of music educators who have united with them and their families to build these critical skills, as they tackle the next measure of music, the next recital, the next concert, I hope they feel like the richest kids in Philadelphia, playing for their lives each and every day.
Well stated Stan! Great that you are helping to lead the charge for El Sistema USA.
Thanks for your response. So well done. I believe one would have to be working for a good while in such a program to really understand. The tendency to triumphalism (or language that has that tone) is so strong for anyone building something worthy, whether it is a Sistema type program, another “social” program focused on developing abilities, or certainly programs in many public and independent school programs. This triumphalist attitude tends to separate us rather then unite us. Your focus on the children and families, your practice, and thoughtfulness serves to avoid that pitfall. Continued best wishes.
It’s important to put Midgette’s comments in the context of her larger worldview. She is by no means impartial. She and her husband, Greg Sandow, champion the neoliberal/postmodern philosophy that the market should be the ultimate arbiter of almost all human endeavor, including the arts. It is thus no surprise that she casts dispersions on El Sistema, that program associated with the evil Chavistas and socialism. Both Midgette and Sandow come from very wealthy families. The old oligarchic power structures of Venezuela are more in line with their perspectives and privilege.
If Midgette, a big opera fan, were really concerned about social justice and systems for the support of music, she might write articles about why Washington, D.C. with the 11th largest metro GDP in the world, only ranks 118th in the world for opera performances per year. It is far outranked by little European cities only a fraction of the size. This abysmal situation is created in large part by our system of funding the arts by donations from the wealthy – a method found in no other developed country. We wouldn’t, of course, expect wealthy folks and corporate newspapers to come down too hard on our dysfunctional plutocratic system of arts funding? Better to cast aspersions on those evil socialists.
William Osborne: it seems a little far-fetched to put Midgette’s critical review down to a distaste for socialism, given that she doesn’t mention socialism and El Sistema isn’t a socialist program. It would be hard to find a more conservative figure than El Sistema’s founder, José Antonio Abreu, who was a close associate of right-wing politicians and business figures in his youth and reached the summit of his political career as a minister in the neoliberal government of Carlos Andrés Pérez. His marriage with Chávez was most definitely one of convenience.
If she’s very mildly skeptical of El Sistema, it’s because – unlike most arts journalists – she’s actually looked at a bit of the research on it, rather than relying on Wikipedia. But the real object of her skepticism is neither El Sistema nor Sistema-inspired programs, but rather the book itself and its authors – and in this she is right on the mark.
I think the problem with this view is that it focuses too much on Abreu and too little on the larger context of Sistema, which is culturally isomorphic with the spirit of revolution that imbues Venezuela. And that it is why Sistema-like systems in the USA aren’t having nearly the same effect. Far from being connected to a sense of revolution, they are placed in the context of ghettos that have faced political and social stagnation for decades. There’s a sense of hopelessness, that nothing is going to change.
Sistema styled youth orchestras in America come from almost the exact opposite philosophy, another project of rich, white, do-gooders who will not even consider the systemic transformations needed to bring an end to our racist, economic class system. And believe me, people with Midgette’s perspectives are not going to do much to bring that sort of social transformation to America.
As for larger issues in your book, such as the authoritarianism, hierarchies, regimentation, and patriarchy of orchestras, and the troubling aspects of using that as model for social change, we are in agreement. But in the conditions of Latin America, this is one of the least of the problems.
1) The average El Sistema inspired program in America is less than four years old. Across the globe, about six years. El Sistema in Venezuela is coming up on 42 years this winter. I am not sure if you are aware how difficult it is to run an organization AND deliver programs to the communities we are trying to help. Trying to run a revolution is not only incredibly difficult, but probably not the best way to win the support of the various types of stake holders one needs to be successful.
2) I am very curious what experience you have in “the ghettos that have faced political and social stagnation for decades”? First, these issues have been around for centuries, not just decades. Second, there is a tremendous amount of hope in the communities we serve. Your comment certainly doesn’t come from the perspective of someone who has there feet on the ground and in the trenches, but I could be wrong.
3) You couldn’t be more wrong about the types of people working to implement Sistema-style programs. I do not fit any of those categories that you mentioned, and the vast majority of folks running programs do not. We are well aware of the systems we are trying to disrupt. Do you have any solutions we can keep in mind as we continue to make progress?
I want to welcome both you and Geoff to Philadelphia to spend time with me, my team and students. I think you’ll see a completely different picture than what is, largely, in your minds. Perhaps you know of large scale organizations and companies that can thrive off having no one in authority or hierarchies of command. Perhaps you know of quality artists and professionals who haven’t been trained through regimentation. Let me know where you have found success in the opposite.
However, you must know the struggles of women and people of color in this country who can’t get ahead because those “in power” are just not ready to relinquish it. Like I was given the opportunity to develop and grow an organization like Play On Philly, I hope I’ll be given the opportunity to be able to affect the larger systemic issues our children, communities, and organization face
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: N3P, or net positive play percentage. Tom Brady generates net positive plays (positive plays minus harmful plays) a staggering 39.9 percent of the time, which leads the league. Jay Cutler is way in the back at 28.2. He's currently ahead of Mitchell Trubisky, Joe Flacco, Mike Glennon, DeShone Kizer and Tom Savage.
The Bucs have played well in Atlanta in the recent past, winning there in each of the last two years. Tampa can make it three straight if it gets a few meaty kick returns. If you caught "Monday Night Football" this week, you might have noticed -- besides missing Giff, Howwwwwwerd Co-sale and Danny Don -- that the Falcons' kick coverage was downright terrible. This is a Doug Martin game. If he gets going for the Bucs, Ryan Fitzpatrick will be Fitzmagic. If not, he'll force throws and be Fitztragic. Appreciate that terrible pun. It's Thanksgiving week. People acknowledge cranberry sauce this time of year, and cranberry sauce is gross.
Back to Fitzpatrick: He ranks 10th in the N3P metric I designed with the help of @RealJackAndrade. Because Fitzpatrick has rushed for four first downs and thrown just three picks (with zero fumbles lost) in addition to being an efficient passer, his N3P is at 35.7 percent -- ahead of Jared Goff, Matthew Stafford and Russell Wilson.
The Bengals offense is due for a breakout game. Andy Dalton is actually posting one of his better seasons, mostly because he's really picked up his play over the last month. A.J. Green's production has been uneven, largely as a result of Dalton's inconsistency early, plus the lack of a major threat opposite him. Rookie running back Joe Mixon has flashed, but as of yet hasn't offered a signature performance to justify all of the pre-draft hype. His 2.9 yards per carry is flashy in a blocking fullback kind of way. As for Cleveland, can DeShone Kizer put more points on the board? This Cincy secondary is nowhere near as good as the Jags back five he struggled against last week. Same could be said for the Bengals' pass rush.
The Bengals' rushing attack is much worse than that of any team in the league. Their 68.0 rushing yards per game would be the lowest since the 2000 Chargers and 2000 Browns (they tried to see who could be less effective). Then there's Cincy's horrific 2.98 yards per carry. That would be the lowest since the 1994 Patriots. That's why Drew Bledsoe set the record for most pass attempts in a game that year. Bill Parcells loved running the football. But not that much, man.
I know the Chiefs have struggled, losing four of their last five games, but they're due for a fun outing. Bills coach Sean McDermott could make it an even better day for Kansas City by, I don't know, signing Jeff Tuel and sending him out there. Maybe make a trade for Austin Davis. Perhaps, in sitting Tyrod Taylor and starting rookie Nathan Peterman against the Chargers last week, McDermott was trying to send a message to his team that no player was above being benched after the debacle(s) against the Jets and Saints. Well, Peterman threw five first-half picks and Taylor isn't riding the pine anymore. It will be interesting to see how Taylor responds at a tough place to play like Arrowhead. How will Chiefs back Kareem Hunt play after yet another so-so game? After posting at least 100 yards from scrimmage in his first seven games, the rookie workhorse has failed to hit that mark in any of the last three contests.
The Seahawks try to keep pace with the Rams in advance of their Week 15 meeting in Seattle. They had better not look past these 49ers, who are coming off both a win and a bye. The first question is whether the visiting Seahawks will play any better in the secondary without their stars than they did versus the Falcons. Kam Chancellor -- who might miss the rest of the season with a neck injury -- makes a huge difference in the run game, which San Francisco revived against the Giants in Week 10. None of that matters, because Russell Wilson will probably pull this contest out in the fourth quarter. His passer rating during that super-relevant part of the game is a superhuman 133.0. That is off the charts this deep into the season.
Scoring might be higher in this contest, although New Orleans' defense has been stout for the balance of the season, and the Rams' unit has really come on over the last six games. Neither played particularly well last week. Wade Phillips' group struggled with those talented Vikings wideouts, playing without a full deck in the secondary. The Saints can empathize, as the absence of cornerbacks Marshon Lattimore (who left early last week with an ankle injury) and Delvin Breaux ( on injured reserve) really hurt against Kirk Cousins. New Orleans won't have the home crowd to lean on this week, but either way, this should be a fantastic matchup.
Fun fact: The Saints and Rams are two of the three teams in the league that can boast both a top-10 rushing offense and top-10 passing offense this season (the Chiefs are the other). Only two squads could claim that last year: the Patriots and Falcons. You might have heard that they played in the Super Bowl.
Arizona quarterback Blaine Gabbert faces his former team. Get excited. Jacksonville defensive lineman Calais Campbell is doing the same. Actually, that is pretty cool. Campbell is enjoying a career year with the Jaguars, pacing the league in sacks with 11.5. The odd aspect of that prolific sack total is that he's never posted double-digit sacks in any given prior season in his lengthy career. Granted, the difference in scheme, as well as the talent of the Jags' secondary, has made a huge difference. Jacksonville is on pace for 64 sacks, which is unbelievable in this era of dinks and dunks and none-yard outs. The Cards can slow that pass-rush down if Adrian Peterson can average more than a yard per carry. If not, look out. Jacksonville could become only the third team in the last 25 years to lead the league in both scoring defense and takeaways. The other two -- the 2000 Ravens and the 2013 Seahawks -- won the Super Bowl.
The Raiders get back on track, although the kind of offensive onslaught we've waited for all season doesn't happen this week, either. Maybe Marshawn Lynch will create a different kind of uproar... by actually rushing for 100 yards. That way, Derek Carr can generate completions downfield off play-action as opposed to obvious passing situations. Carr shouldn't have to play much keep up with Paxton Lynch. The latter will try to help the Broncos try to avoid their seventh straight loss this season, which is incredible, given the talent on that roster.
(Not) fun fact: Raiders opponents are completing 72.3 percent of their passes while compiling a 113.3 passer rating. Both of those numbers would be second highest since the AFL-NFL merger. Maybe the Raiders should never have merged.
This interconference matchup could get awfully ugly awful fast, like, ridiculously fast ( LUDICROUS SPEED!!!!!!), if the Packers go three-and-out and the Steelers' offense calls back to last week's scoring bonanza. Granted, much of Pittsburgh's windfall last Thursday night came off of Titans turnovers -- but Brett Hundley might be this week's Marcus Mariota 2.0. Hundley often tries to make plays out of the pocket a la the guy in front of him on the depth chart, to varied results (that's one way to put it). For all the handwringing over the Steelers' offense, they have put up at least 300 net yards in every game since Oct. 1. Points haven't come in bunches, partially because of interceptions, stalled drives and poor red-zone scoring. Somewhat under the radar (is anything ever over the radar?): Pittsburgh's win over Tennessee ensured that Mike Tomlin would finish at least.500 for the 11th consecutive season, his entire tenure in the league. Only famed Rams and Redskins head coach George Allen has more (12) without ever suffering a losing campaign.
Would like to predict a better outcome for the Texans, who battled their way back into the playoff race with a win over the Cardinals. This is a tough matchup for Tom Savage. The Ravens' defense gives everyone fits, and when they've faltered, it's largely been due to an anemic offense. Baltimore's passing game flat stinks. The ground attack has fared miserably as of late. Consider their rushing totals in three of their last four games (minus an outlier against the Dolphins in Week 8): 64 yards against the Vikings, 73 against the Titans and 58 against the Packers. Houston must force turnovers. That's not a strength for a group that misses J.J. Watt and Whitney Mercilus.
Fun fact: The Ravens are the first team since the 2000 Ravens to record three shutouts in the first 10 games of the season.
Think this will be a whale of a Thanksgiving game. It was entertaining last year, right up until the point that Darius Slay picked off Sam Bradford to save the day for the Lions. It might have been the deciding play in Detroit reaching the playoffs and Minnesota staying home. I anticipate Stefon Diggs and Adam Thielen making their presence felt against Slay and his secondary comrades in the second half.
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value of the asset group exceeds the expected future cash flows, an impairment loss is recognized to the extent that the carrying value of the asset group exceeds its fair value. At June 30, 2016, management reviewed the recoverability of the carrying value of the Company’s long-lived assets based on future undiscounted cash flows and determined that the carrying value of certain rental assets exceeded the expected future cash flows. As a result, the Company recorded an impairment charge of $1.0 million in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations for the three and nine months ended June 30, 2016. No such impairment of remaining long-lived assets was necessary as the expected future cash flows exceeded the carrying value of the assets.
The Company primarily derives revenue from the sale of its manufactured products, including revenue derived from the sale of its manufactured rental equipment. In addition, the Company generates revenue from the short-term rental under operating leases of its manufactured products. The Company recognizes revenue from product sales, including the sale of used rental equipment, when (i) title passes to the customer, (ii) the customer assumes the risks and rewards of ownership, (iii) the product sales price has been determined, (iv) collectability of the sales price is reasonably assured, and (v) product delivery occurs as directed by the customer. Except for certain of the Company’s reservoir characterization products, the Company’s products are generally sold without any customer acceptance provisions and the Company’s standard terms of sale do not allow customers to return products for credit. The Company recognizes rental revenue as earned over the rental period. Rentals of the Company’s equipment generally range from daily rentals to rental periods of up to six months or longer. Revenue from engineering services is recognized as services are rendered over the duration of a project, or as billed on a per hour basis. Field service revenue is recognized when services are rendered and is generally priced on a per day rate.
immediate recognition of estimated credit losses expected to occur for most financial assets and certain other instruments. For available-for-sale debt securities with unrealized losses, the losses will be recognized as allowances rather than reductions in the amortized cost of the securities. The standard is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2019 and interim periods within those annual periods. Early adoption for fiscal year beginning after December 15, 2018 is permitted. Entities will apply the standard’s provisions as a cumulative-effect adjustment to retained earnings as of the beginning of the first effective reporting period. The Company does not expect the adoption of this standard to have a material effect upon its consolidated financial statements.
In March 2016, the FASB issued guidance to simplify key components of employee share-based payment accounting. The guidance is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016, including interim periods within that reporting period. Several aspects of the accounting for share-based payment award transactions are simplified, including: (a) income tax consequences; (b) classification of awards as either equity or liabilities; and (c) classification on the statement of cash flows. The Company does not expect the adoption of this guidance to have a material effect upon its consolidated financial statements.
In February 2016, the FASB issued guidance requiring a lessee to recognize assets and liabilities for leases with lease terms of more than 12 months. Consistent with current GAAP, the recognition, measurement and presentation of expense and cash flows arising from a lease by a lessee primarily will depend on its classification as a finance or operating lease. However, unlike current GAAP, which requires only capital leases to be recognized on the balance sheet, this new guidance will require both types of leases to be recognized on the balance sheet. The guidance also requires disclosures to help investors and other financial statement users to better understand the amount, timing and uncertainty of cash flows arising from leases. These disclosures include qualitative and quantitative requirements, providing additional information about the amounts recorded in the financial statements. The guidance is effective for fiscal years, and interim reporting periods therein, beginning after December 15, 2018 and is to be applied using the modified retrospective approach. The Company does not expect the adoption of this guidance to have a material effect upon its consolidated financial statements.
In July 2015, the FASB issued guidance requiring management to measure inventory at the lower of cost or net realizable value. Net realizable value is the estimated selling prices in the ordinary course of business, less reasonably predictable costs of completion, disposal, and transportation. The pronouncement is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016, including interim periods within that reporting period and should be applied retrospectively, with early application permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the impact this guidance will have on its consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.
In August 2014, the FASB issued guidance requiring management to evaluate whether there are conditions and events that raise substantial doubt about the entity's ability to continue as a going concern and to provide disclosures in certain circumstances. The new guidance was issued to reduce diversity in the timing and content of footnote disclosures. This guidance is effective for fiscal years, and interim reporting periods therein, beginning after December 15, 2016. The Company does not expect the adoption of this guidance to have a material effect upon its consolidated financial statements.
In May 2014, the FASB issued guidance requiring entities to recognize revenue from contracts with customers by applying a five-step model in accordance with the core principle to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. In addition, this guidance specifies the accounting for some costs to obtain or fulfill a contract with a customer and expands disclosure requirements for revenue recognition. In August 2015, the FASB issued guidance deferring the effective date of this guidance to annual periods beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim reporting periods therein. Entities have the option to adopt this guidance either retrospectively or through a modified retrospective transition method. This new standard will supersede existing revenue guidance and affect the Company's revenue recognition process and the presentations or disclosures of the Company's consolidated financial statements and footnotes. The Company is currently evaluating the impact this guidance will have on its consolidated financial statements.
At June 30, 2016 and September 30, 2015, the Company’s Canadian subsidiary had $27.5 million and $28.1 million, respectively, of Canadian dollar denominated intercompany accounts payable owed to one of the Company’s U.S. subsidiaries. In order to mitigate its exposure to movements in foreign currency rates between the U.S. dollar and Canadian dollar, the Company routinely enters into foreign currency forward contracts to hedge a portion of its exposure to changes in the value of the Canadian dollar. Approximately $3.3 million of these Canadian dollar denominated intercompany accounts payable are considered by management to be of a short-term nature whereby the appreciation or devaluation of the Canadian dollar against the U.S. dollar will result in a gain or loss, respectively, to the consolidated statement of operations. The Company considers the remaining $24.2 million Canadian dollar denominated intercompany accounts payable to be of a long-term nature and whereby settlement is not planned or anticipated in the foreseeable future; therefore, any resulting foreign exchange gains and losses are reported in the consolidated balance sheets as a component of other comprehensive income in accordance with ASC 830 “Foreign Currency Matters”. In June 2016, the Company entered into a $3.0 million 90-day hedge contract with a United States bank to hedge a portion of its short-term Canadian dollar foreign exchange rate exposure. This contract reduces the impact on cash flows from movements in the Canadian dollar/U.S. dollar currency exchange rate, but has not been designated as a hedge for accounting purposes. At June 30, 2016, the fair value of this contract was a liability of $11,000.
equivalents, trade and other receivables and accounts payable, the carrying amounts approximate fair value on the respective balance sheet dates.
The Company applies fair value techniques on a non-recurring basis in evaluating potential impairment losses related to long-lived assets.
During the nine months ended June 30, 2016 and 2015, the Company made non-cash inventory transfers of $3.0 million and $4.8 million, respectively, to its rental equipment fleet. Raw materials include semi-finished goods and component parts totaling $52.5 million and $48.4 million, respectively, at June 30, 2016 and September 30, 2015.
The Company had no long-term debt outstanding at June 30, 2016 and September 30, 2015.
On March 2, 2011, the Company entered into a credit agreement with Frost Bank with borrowing availability of $50.0 million (the “Credit Agreement”). On May 4, 2015, the Company amended the Credit Agreement which reduced its borrowing availability to $30.0 million with amounts available for borrowing determined by a borrowing base. Under the amendments to the Credit Agreement, the borrowing base is determined based upon certain of the Company’s and its U.S. subsidiaries’ assets which include (i) 80% of certain accounts receivable plus (ii) 50% of certain notes receivable (such result not to exceed $10 million) plus (iii) 25% of certain inventories (excluding work-in-process inventories). As of June 30, 2016, the Company’s borrowing base was $35.3 million resulting in borrowing availability of $30.0 million less $0.5 million of outstanding letters of credit. The Company’s domestic subsidiaries have guaranteed the obligations of the Company under the Credit Agreement and such subsidiaries have secured their obligations under such guarantees by the pledge of substantially all of the assets of such subsidiaries, except real property assets. The Credit Agreement expires on May 4, 2018 and all borrowed funds are due and payable at that time. The Company is required to make monthly interest payments on borrowed funds. The Credit Agreement as amended limits the incurrence
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have customised Unreal Engine 4 to build a suite of powerful, world-class systems and tools that underpin our games. Now they need your help to take this to the next level. They are now looking for a VFX Artist, to based in Guildford They are aiming to achieve Hollywood production values in real time, so we’re engaging with industry-leading, next generation features for rendering, content creation and human simulation that will intensify the player experience. Experience • At least 3 years of experience as a VFX artist, working on at least one AAA title. • A strong portfolio of work which demonstrates the ability to create visually impressive VFX which are sympathetic to the needs of the product. • A good understanding of physical behaviour and motion in the creation of VFX. • Experience using the Unreal Engine would be an advantage. Responsibilities • Creating a wide range of VFX to support the various aspects of our games. • Generating environmental, impact and spot effects to further enhance the realism and visual quality of the game • Supporting the lighting of our environments • Collaborating with other disciplines such as lighting and environment artists, graphics programmers and level designers to create a AAA game experience Skills/Knowledge • Maya • An industry standard real-time particle editor (Unreal, UNITY, CryENGINE) • Photoshop • Experience with After Effects and previsualization tools is an advantage. This is a truly unique opportunity at a jaw dropping Studio who really are working at the highest level of game development. Dependant on experience this company comes with a salary to match.
Lighting Artist - AAA GAMES STUDIO!!
We are working in partnership with a Powerhouse AAA gaming studio, who are known for their world class photo realistic cinematic and VR titles. They have customised Unreal Engine 4 to build a suite of powerful, world-class systems and tools that underpin our games. Now they need your help to take this to the next level. They are now looking for a Lighting Artist, to based in Guildford They are aiming to achieve Hollywood production values in real time, so we’re engaging with industry-leading, next generation features for rendering, content creation and human simulation that will intensify the player experience. EXPERIENCE • At least 3 years of experience as a lighting artist or equivalent senior artist role, working on at least one AAA title (preferable) • In-depth understanding and practical experience of lighting in either real-time gaming engines or in high-end CGI productions • A strong portfolio of work which demonstrates the ability to work with both realistic and stylised lighting/visual styles • An excellent understanding of composition and colour theory • Experience using Unreal Engine would be an advantage, but not a necessity KEY SKILLS AND RESPONSIBILITIES • The main routine tasks of this position are: • Taking game scenes and lighting them to both a creative and technical brief. • Help to drive narrative story telling through effective use of colour, light and mood. Using lighting to help convey emotional experiences. • Working closely with the art team to improve workflows and processes. • Collaborating with other disciplines such as 3D modelers and VFX artists, graphics programmers • and level designers to create great AAA game experiences. TECHNICAL SKILLS/KNOWLEDGE • Unreal Engine, or similar (UNITY, CryEngine, Frostbite, etc.) • Maya • Baked and real-time lighting techniques in modern game engines. • Working knowledge of rendering engines such as Renderman, VRay, Mental Ray or Arnold would be useful. • Compositing and colour grading experience is preferred. This is a truly unique opportunity at a jaw dropping Studio who really are working at the highest level of game development. Dependent on experience this company comes with a salary to match.
Senior Character Artist - AAA GAMES STUDIO!!
We are working in partnership with a Powerhouse AAA gaming studio, who are known for their world class photo realistic cinematic and VR titles. They have customised Unreal Engine 4 to build a suite of powerful, world-class systems and tools that underpin our games. Now they need your help to take this to the next level. They are now looking for a Senior Character Artist, to based in Guildford They are aiming to achieve Hollywood production values in real time, so we’re engaging with industry-leading, next generation features for rendering, content creation and human simulation that will intensify the player experience. EXPERIENCE • At least 5 years of experience as a character artist, working on at least one AAA title. • In-depth understanding and practical experience of high-end character modelling, sculpting and PBR materials. • A strong portfolio of work which demonstrates the ability to create photo-realistic character models, both at high and low resolutions. • Experience using the Unreal Engine would be an advantage, but not a necessity. • Some experience in a Lead capacity would also be an advantage. KEY SKILLS AND RESPONSIBILITIES The main routine tasks of this position are: • Using production design art packs and concept art to create highly detailed character models. • Highly accurate modelling with superb attention to detail. • Working closely with the art team to improve workflows and processes. • Taking ownership of larger art tasks and seeing them through to completion. • Collaborating with other disciplines such as lighting and VFX artists, graphics programmers and level designers to create a AAA game experience. TECHNICAL SKILLS/KNOWLEDGE • Maya • Z-Brush • Substance Painter / Designer is an advantage. • Photoshop • Additional knowledge of other material/surface tools, such as Quixel, Mudbox or 3D Coat, would be an advantage. • In-depth understanding of human and animal anatomy, including muscle positions (origin and insertion), bones and proportion. • Good understanding of game topology, including edge flow and correct mesh creation for animation. • Good understanding of the language of cloth. • Excellent traditional art skills. This is a truly unique opportunity at a jaw dropping Studio who really are working at the highest level of game development. Dependant on experience this company comes with a salary to match.
iGaming Elite are currently working with a number of leading iGaming organizations from small startups through to established, award winning games developers. As a result of this we are looking to engage with a number of Games Artists for various roles across the industry. We are looking for candidates with strong problem solving skills and the ability to design brilliantly aesthetic solutions, to join production teams all over Malta. Your day-to-day responsibilities will include owning the game design vision and providing direction to the wider teams during the development of products and beyond. Ideally the candidate will have a couple of years of gaming or iGaming experience, but we’re open to meeting anyone brilliant. What you will need to be considered for the role: Exciting portfolio of great game titles, ideally with casino or mobile/social focus Strong visual communicator, never short of inspiration or running with someone else’s idea Highly driven and self-motivated team player Technically minded, with proficiency in discipline-critical tools to visualize your ideas Have the ability to manage multiple projects and remain flexible through multiple revisions while keeping a keen attention to detail Drawing and Illustration skills We would really like to speak to candidates with: In depth knowledge of slot design and game trends Experience working in professional game production cycle, including working with Producers, Prototypers and Artists In return, you will be expected to: Owning and creating a detailed Game design document that is easy to understand for all key stakeholders Create Mock-ups that the development teams base their development on Create Concepts and Designs that the Graphical department will base their work on Be a Champion of the end user experience.
UI Designer/Game Artist - Super Gaming Project!!
UI Designer/ artist needed to join a successful team and help produce ground breaking interactive mobile, tablet and desktop gaming products. This position is to be based in Manchester and an amazing step to grow your gaming experiance. Your role will help build titles that look amazing and offer amazing player experiences. It will be your responsibility to problem solve whilst maintaining an eye for detail and enthusiasm for making intuitive UI to the highest level. Responsibilities Concept and present ideas for UI layouts, features, and iconography Design high quality desktop and mobile game templates to be developed by the art team Collaborate with design team to understand the player experience & strategy. Contribute to and maintain UI style guides. Translate concepts & designs into high-quality UI assets, creating icons, buttons, menus, frames, and more. You’ll be working with the creative lead & art team to concept, prototype, and produce the UI for the global gaming titles. Key skills include but are not limited to: Solid knowledge of visual design principles Excellent understanding of the challenges of designing for mobile platforms and browser-based products. Good communication and people management skills, to train and mentor others Proficient in all appropriate art packages Outstanding portfolio demonstrating your experience creating great UI for games, ideally including mobile platforms. This is a truly unique opportunity at a jaw dropping Studio who really are working at a high level of game design. Dependent on experience this company comes with a salary to match.
You will be responsible for a creating and editing key-frame animation for in-game characters and sequences, providing high-quality content for one of our games currently in production. Experience • At least 3 years of experience as a VFX artist, working on at least one AAA title. • A strong portfolio of work which demonstrates the ability to create visually impressive VFX which are sympathetic to the needs of the product. • A good understanding of physical behaviour and motion in the creation of VFX. • Experience using the Unreal Engine would be an advantage. Responsibilities • Creating a wide range of VFX to support the various aspects of our games. •
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municipalities also have quotas for working with minority, disabled, veteran- or women-owned businesses, so having a local certification may be beneficial if your company is focused on working with the local government.
National certifications such as WBENC are great for those who work primarily with the private sector, or as sub-contractors for the larger entities who work with government entities.
It’s important to note that having a certification or being women-owned is not a guarantee for winning more business. As a firm, you must excel in your field, and have stellar products and services.
Once you’ve completed the application process and paid the necessary submission fees, you will be contacted within 90 days for an interview and an office visit.
Ideally it’s up to you whether or not to seek certification, or what kind is best for you. The services you provide, and who your ideal client is will help you determine what kind of certification you need.
At Artisan Creative, we have found this certification to be valuable. Please connect if we can be of any help.
We hope you’ve enjoyed the 511th issue of our a.blog.
Enhances a resume. Volunteering demonstrates your acumen for leadership roles and being a team player with a passion for a cause. It can also help reduce gaps in a resume if you are in between jobs.
Networking & Referrals. Volunteering expands your network. Having more people to reach out to about job opportunities is never a bad thing! Volunteer for an organization which in line with your passions and meet other like-minded individuals who might have connections to other companies.
References. Much like expanding your network, volunteer organizers can serve as valuable references, especially for younger job candidates.
Demonstrates initiative. Volunteering demonstrates a desire to solve problems, take on new challenges, and remain engaged to the community.
Expands skills. Offer your expertise, expand your portfolio and help a great cause. For example if you are graphic designer volunteer to design the logo or an event flyer for a local foundation, pro bono.
If you’ve been on the job hunt for a long time, volunteering helps keep your skills sharp and keep you engaged.
Tell us about your volunteer experience on Facebook or LinkedIn!
Earth Day: How Are You Celebrating Today?
Earth Day is a celebration and a recognition to show support for environmental protection. Celebrated in more that 190 countries, the aim is to educate and activate an environmental movement through campaigns.
Whether you want to save the bees or take note on climate change, there are a number of ways to get involved. Here in LA the Arts District is having an Earth Day Community Clean Up beginning at 5.30PM today.
Will you be participating in Earth Day today? If so, how to you celebrate?
Christmas is a little over a week away and we’re betting that most of you have presents wrapped and ready to go. For the small handful of you that have left everything to the last minute, we picked out some of our favorite gifts for your creative team mates or friends. Amazon Prime is a sure way to get your online deliveries before the big day, although many companies are offering last minute shipping. We love giving unique gifts, things that people wouldn’t buy for themselves but will frequently use and appreciate so we picked out gifts we think designers will love.
For those designers who love to create their own shirts or graphics, why not buy them a DIY print kit? They have a range of options including gig posters, table printing and shirts. It’s a nifty way to learn the screen printing trade at a relatively cheap price. They are taking orders for Christmas delivery until December 22nd.
A biodegradable and environmentally friendly keyboard and mouse made entirely out of bamboo. This is an interesting way to make your desk stand out at work or at a home office. If you really want to go all out, you can even buy a matching calculator. The letters are engraved into the wood, offering a really unique way to get your work done.
Tuts is an online resource to help people build upon their creative skills by self-directed learning. You can go at your own pace and learn a multitude of topics across code, design and illustration. If you’ve overheard conversations about wanting to create an app or brush up on photography skills, this is your chance to put the wheels in motion. They have over 18,000 tutorials available online by expert instructors. Find out more on their website.
If you watched this week’s viral design video, Lynda’s logo design challenge, you would have spotted the quick mention of Field Notes booklets. Inspired by old school vintage agricultural books, they are made in the USA and include some limited colors and editions. These are a must-have for any creative.
We mentioned doc scanners in last week’s blog about managing finances and the need for managing documents. With the Doxie One Scanner you don’t have the hassle of connecting to computers and scanning your work – it sends directly to your favorite apps.
A glimpse into the minds of the world’s greatest designers and illustrators, this wonderful book aims to inspire creativity. Informative and visual, you never quite know what each page will bring. Different techniques and ideas are shown along with visual representations of some of the most creative minds. For designers who are always on a quest for new inspiration and ideas, this would be a cherished book.
What are your favorite gifts for creatives? What do you think of the gifts we’ve chosen? Share your ideas with us on Twitter @artisanupdates.
With the hustle and bustle of the Holidays right around the corner, we’d like to take a moment and express our gratitude to those around us.
We spoke with some of our talent and the Artisan team to see what they are grateful for in 2014.
To me gratitude means to be appreciative of things on a daily basis. I write down three gratitudes every day. In the rush of daily to-dos, this allows me to focus on the important things in life. Today I’m grateful that my family, friends and Artisan team are healthy, of Artisan’s virtual office setting that allows me to work yet be close to loved ones, and grateful for the beautiful weather in LA.
I’m grateful for a job that allows a lot of flexibility, for a husband who I love very much and so lucky to have and a supportive Family who is there for me no matter what.
I thank God every day for my family and friends. I am thankful that my children are growing up surrounded by a loving community and I am thankful to share my life with some really kind and wonderful people. For me gratitude is recognizing even the smallest blessing or gesture and not taking anything for granted, especially my health and well-being.
I'm thankful for good health, strong friendships, and a happy family. Grateful to work in the creative space where I get to connect with and be inspired by brilliant, passionate, and talented individuals and so lucky that it's through an agency that values people, trust, and respect.
I’m grateful to have such a supportive, kind family with a devoted husband. I’m grateful to be in a position to have saved two rescue dogs and work for a company who has integrity and respect.
Gratitude is that deeper feeling one is left with after having been a part of contributing to, or being the recipient of, someone’s contribution to a greater good.
I am thankful my family is healthy this year. Both my husband and I have some advancement in our career. And I met a great agent, Jen at Artisan around Thanksgiving time!
What are you grateful for this Thanksgiving? Share your responses with us on Twitter @artisanupdates.
The holiday season is right around the corner but before you start stuffing turkeys and eating pumpkin pie, Artisan has a special event to ease you into the spirit of Thanksgiving.
On Tuesday, November 18th we’ll be at our favorite co-working space, Kleverdog in Chinatown, Los Angeles for a meet & greet with job seekers and a drive to benefit two of our favorite charities.
We’ll be hosting the Meet & Greet with Artisan from 4PM – 7PM which will give people an opportunity to meet with our team and put faces to names. Bring your resume along and we will chat through open jobs, career advice and resumes to help your job search be a successful one. We’ll have delicious snacks available, too!
Our chosen charities are NKLA and Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. As advocates of rescue animals and with some of our team members being parents, we’ve chosen two non-profits close to our hearts.
NKLA is a pet adoption center led by Best Friends Animal Society. They’ve been working closely with animal welfare organizations, pet shelters and volunteers to help end the killing of healthy animals. They offer spay/neuter services and hold events across the city to help find forever homes for unwanted animals. They have their own adoption center in Santa Monica so if you’re looking for a furry friend, be sure to check out their available animals or next adoption event.
Donations to bring to the Meet & Greet: pet food (unopened and unused), pet treats and toys.
A non-profit hospital serving over 100,000 children each year through care, education and research. With only 10 children’s hospitals in the US, CHLA are ranked #5 in the nation. The entire hospital is designed for children and families and they depend on donations to help heal the children.
Donations to bring to the Meet & Greet: Books, unused toys, coloring books and more. Check out their wish lists here.
Make sure you RSVP and
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when I read the news about Dr K C Chakrabarty, Deputy Governor has resigned with merely 3 months left for completion of his tenure. Dr Chakrabarty was elevated as Deputy Governor of RBI (prior to his appointment as DG of RBI, he was the CMD of PNB) in June 2009 for a period of three years amidst lot of speculations. Later on in 2012, he got an extension of two years. He is said to be the first RBI top official to quit before retirement in the last two decades. With resignation of Chakrabarty, out of four posts, two posts of deputy governor will fall vacant as the government has not yet brought in any replacement for Anand Sinha, who retired two months ago.
Soon a new DG is likely to join RBI from banking sector. Let us go thrugh the flashback of Chakbrabarty's tenure as RBI DG. This will help our viewers to read his tenure in the right perspective. A number of commentarers have given their view - some of which are required to write what their editors what to do so. I will try to analyse frankly and from the view as I have observed during this period closely. Some of our readers and even my close friends are likely to put question marks about my ability to analyse the tenure of DG of RBI. They are free to hold their views and criticise my views.
Right from his days when Chakbrabarty was heading PS Banks, he was known for his outspoken manner on various issues. It was almost impossible to reign him once you have provoked him. In the meetings, even the EDs, GMs faced dressing down frequently. Thus, when he was elevated to DG, RBI, I heard my senior colleagues talking in hushed tones, what will happen in RBI, if he continued his style of working and outbrusts on many important but controversial issues. They used to wonder how he will be reigned in RBI. These bankers did not have to wait for long and he failed to check his habit of crossing, what we Indians like to call Laxman Rekha. A huge controversy surfaced when he reportedly told journalists off-the-record in New Delhi that RBI should have been more aggressive in combating inflation. Then RBI Governor took strong exception of such a statement which was against his stance and without his concurrence. Chakrabarty was immediately stripped of key portfolios and it was considered as the biggest snub to this DG. Thus, he was reigned by a person who is well known for his knowledge and integrity. After this episode he was never able to come out of the shadow of Mr Subbarao and remained subdued.
During his tenure he is known for some of his pro-customer decisions like to bar the pre-payment penalty that banks impose on home loan borrowers. He also seems to have played a critial role in stopping banks to lend below their base rate and exposing the mis-selling by banks through so called zero interest loans. However, mostly he remained glued to his pet subject of financial inclusion, as it was also close to heart of Finance Ministers for vote bank. However, financial inclusion has still to take deep roots inspite of Chakrabarty being incharge of this portfolio for long time. Banks have only done lip service to please the outspoken DG. Although Chakbrabarty had headed two PS Banks, he never realised the pitiable condition of their employees. As and when he got a chance, he showed his outbursts against PS bank officers and blamed them for the rising NPAs and other ills. He also felt strongly that PS bank employees are over-paid and better paid than private sector banks. This has done the biggest damage to the credibility of PS Bank staff, who are still struggling with IBA for wage revision which is already over 17 months overdue. Although Chakbrabarty had vast experience as a banker, but it seems he had no branch experience and thus was far away from practical field knowledge. Some of the links to support his view about salaries in PS banks are : State-run banks’ average salary overtakes that of private peers.
Personally speaking I feel the nadir of his tenure was when he gave clean chit to three private after the expose of Cobrapost and he announced that there were no irregularities by these banks inspite of the fact that there was sufficient evidence. Read the following links ( (a) Money laundering: RBI gives clean chit to private banks, says there were no irregularities; (b) K C Chakrabarty Wants to Keep Penalties at "Peanut" Level - Advocates only Naming and Shaming of Shameless People. (c) "Fines on banks should be only for naming and shaming: RBI Deputy Governor K C Chakrabarty".
Immediately after the above clean chit, RBI had to issue statement that RBI has not given clean chit though Chakbrabarty had issued such a statement. The DG RBI had to cut a sorry figure when later on these banks were penalised by RBI. Such hurried clean chit by a person with such vast experience exposed his immaturity, and love for the private sector banks and bias against PS Banks. (See links below : (i) Cobrapost sting: No clean chit to banks, says RBI ; (ii) Cobrapost expose: RBI penalises Axis, HDFC, ICICI banks.
The reasons for his resignation are still not known and speculations are rife.
The first speculation for his sudden resignation is his differences with present (and also with previous incumbent) RBI Governor on policy matters. However, Dr Chakrabarty himself has denied any such differences. Another theory going around is that this is the indirect fall out of the episode of United Bank of India where the CMD, Ms Archana Bhargava had to suddenly take VRS. It is a known fact that Mr Chakrabarty was close to her and had certainly played a role in helping her rise to top post. Another theory going around is about the impact of the likely change in Central Government in about 2 months time. Newspapers have also reported that he wants to be relieved by 25th April, 2014 on personal grounds. Another news item reports that he is likely to take up an overseas assignment. Joining the dots, people are concluding that he wishes to be out of picture by the time new Government takes over. I am sure the truth will be soon out as Chakrabarty is the type of person who will speak his mind if he is suitably provoked by an interviewer!
With the exit of Dr Chakrabarty, the above controversies will be laid to rest. However, people will keep on discussions about his contribution to Indian banking sector inspite of his academic knowledge and vast experience in the the banking sector. Is it sufficient to remain in limelight and in headlines by raising controversies? What reforms were brought by him in RBI and banking sector during this long tenure of 5 years at the central bank. What was his contribution as CMD of two PS Banks - whether the foundation of those bankers were strengthened or building was raised too fast on the fast deteriorating foundations. These will always remain as controversial as the man himself. Thus, I am forced to conclude that his tenure was lack luster and he failed to bring new energy to RBI or its policies inspite of his high academic qualifications and vast experience of working in the largest banks in India. Banking sector has gone from bad to worse position in last 5 years with rising NPA and all around pessimism among the bankers. He has to share equally the blame for this mess in banking sector as he was the DG who had the best knowledge about practical banking and its ills.
Although I took VRS at a much junior level as compared to CMDs, yet as a keen observer of the things around and my personal experience in the banking, I am of the view that next RBI Deputy Governor (to be selected from the banking sector) must have certain qualities and enjoy the confidence of RBI Governor for his abilities. The qualities he requires are strong academic background, a vision for the nation and Indian economy, practical knowledge about banking.
During last 10 days newspapers have floated various names, some of them are from the same block to which Dr Chakrabarty belonged. The name appearing in newspapers are chiefs of: (a) Punjab National Bank (KR Kamath), (b) Bank of Baroda (SS Mundra), (c) Bank of India (Vijayalakshmi Iyer), (d) Canara Bank (RK Dubey) (e) Arun Kaul of UCO bank and (f) Indian Overseas Bank (M Narendra). As each one of them lobbied for self, newspapers headlines have given different names for the likely new DG. Some of these names are pathetic as any banker who had worked with them will tell you. Some of them are poor in field experience whereas others do not have vision and have reached the top through luck and / or their connections in the right place. If one such person is picked up, it will be again a waste for RBI. Now it is a well know fact that RBI had favoured relaxation in the eligibility criteria to include private sector bankers as well, but government was not open to the idea and thus now the race has been restricted to the same coterie who have become CMDs by lobbying at the right places.
The latest news which is in making rounds in the banking circle (on 2nd March, 2014) is that Chairman and MD of Bank of Baroda, SS Mundra, is likely to be named as one of RBI's deputy governors in place of KC Chakrabarty (Earlier names floating strongly were KR Kamath, RK
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-point range.
Feb. 23 5:41 PM PT6:41 PM MT7:41 PM CT8:41 PM ET1:41 GMT9:41 6:41 PM MST7:41 PM CST8:41 PM EST5:41 UAE (+1)02:4120:41 ET7:41 PM CT0:41 - Jordan Clarkson scored five points Saturday on 2-of-10 shooting as the Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Memphis Grizzlies 112-107. Clarkson grabbed one rebound and added an assist, accumulating a plus-minus of -7 in his 21:47 on the floor. He added one block. Clarkson went 1 of 6 from 3-point range.
Feb. 21 5:40 PM PT6:40 PM MT7:40 PM CT8:40 PM ET1:40 GMT9:40 6:40 PM MST7:40 PM CST8:40 PM EST5:40 UAE (+1)02:4020:40 ET7:40 PM CT0:40 - Jordan Clarkson scored 15 points Thursday, going 5 of 12 from the field, as the Cleveland Cavaliers topped the Phoenix Suns 111-98. Clarkson pulled down four rebounds and had five assists, tallying a plus-minus of +2 in his 23:46 on the floor. Clarkson went 2 of 5 from 3-point range.
Feb. 13 6:30 PM PT7:30 PM MT8:30 PM CT9:30 PM ET2:30 GMT10:30 7:30 PM MST8:30 PM CST9:30 PM EST6:30 UAE (+1)03:3021:30 ET8:30 PM CT0:30 - Jordan Clarkson scored 42 points Wednesday on 16-of-34 shooting as the Cleveland Cavaliers fell to the Brooklyn Nets 148-139 in triple overtime. Clarkson pulled down eight rebounds and had five assists, accumulating a plus-minus of -10 in his 47:32 on the floor. He added one block and one steal. Clarkson went 7 of 17 from behind the arc.
Feb. 11 5:40 PM PT6:40 PM MT7:40 PM CT8:40 PM ET1:40 GMT9:40 6:40 PM MST7:40 PM CST8:40 PM EST5:40 UAE (+1)02:4020:40 ET7:40 PM CT23:40 - Jordan Clarkson scored 15 points Monday on 6-of-17 shooting as the Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the New York Knicks 107-104. Clarkson pulled down six rebounds and added an assist, tallying a plus-minus of -2 in his 27:59 of playing time. He tacked on one steal. Clarkson went 2 of 8 from behind the arc.
Feb. 9 5:27 PM PT6:27 PM MT7:27 PM CT8:27 PM ET1:27 GMT9:27 6:27 PM MST7:27 PM CST8:27 PM EST5:27 UAE (+1)02:2720:27 ET7:27 PM CT23:27 - Jordan Clarkson scored 18 points Saturday, going 8 of 16 from the field, as the Cleveland Cavaliers lost to the Indiana Pacers 105-90. Clarkson pulled down two rebounds and had six assists, accumulating a plus-minus of -3 in his 31:16 on the floor. He tacked on one steal. Clarkson went 2 of 7 from behind the arc.
Feb. 8 5:31 PM PT6:31 PM MT7:31 PM CT8:31 PM ET1:31 GMT9:31 6:31 PM MST7:31 PM CST8:31 PM EST5:31 UAE (+1)02:3120:31 ET7:31 PM CT23:31 - Jordan Clarkson scored 24 points Friday, going 6 of 18 from the field, as the Cleveland Cavaliers fell to the Washington Wizards 119-106. Clarkson pulled down six rebounds and dished out three assists, accumulating a plus-minus of -5 in his 31:41 of playing time. He tacked on one steal. Clarkson went 2 of 7 from 3-point range.
Feb. 5 5:18 PM PT6:18 PM MT7:18 PM CT8:18 PM ET1:18 GMT9:18 6:18 PM MST7:18 PM CST8:18 PM EST5:18 UAE (+1)02:1820:18 ET7:18 PM CT23:18 - Jordan Clarkson scored seven points Tuesday on 2-of-13 shooting as the Cleveland Cavaliers fell to the Boston Celtics 103-96. Clarkson pulled down four rebounds and had three assists, accumulating a plus-minus of -14 in his 26:38 of playing time. He tacked on one steal. Clarkson went 1 of 7 from 3-point range.
Feb. 2 6:15 PM PT7:15 PM MT8:15 PM CT9:15 PM ET2:15 GMT10:15 7:15 PM MST8:15 PM CST9:15 PM EST6:15 UAE (+1)03:1521:15 ET8:15 PM CT0:15 - Jordan Clarkson scored 19 points Saturday, going 7 of 16 from the field, as the Cleveland Cavaliers lost to the Dallas Mavericks 111-98. Clarkson pulled down three rebounds and dished out two assists, accumulating a plus-minus of -10 in his 30:41 on the floor. He added one block. Clarkson went 1 of 6 from 3-point range.
Jan. 29 5:40 PM PT6:40 PM MT7:40 PM CT8:40 PM ET1:40 GMT9:40 6:40 PM MST7:40 PM CST8:40 PM EST5:40 UAE (+1)02:4020:40 ET7:40 PM CT23:40 - Jordan Clarkson scored 28 points Tuesday on 10-of-15 shooting as the Cleveland Cavaliers topped the Washington Wizards 116-113. Clarkson grabbed five rebounds and had two assists, tallying a plus-minus of +8 in his 29:15 on the floor. Clarkson went 6 of 8 from 3-point range.
Jan. 27 10:12 AM PT11:12 AM MT12:12 PM CT1:12 PM ET18:12 GMT2:12 11:12 AM MST12:12 PM CST1:12 PM EST22:12 UAE19:1213:12 ET12:12 PM CT16:12 - Clarkson (illness) will play Sunday in Chicago.
Analysis: The Cavs' leading scorer with 16.5 points per game, Clarkson has averaged 11.6 points and shot 35.5 percent overall and 25.8 percent from 3-point range in his last five contests.
Jan. 27 2:07 PM PT3:07 PM MT4:07 PM CT5:07 PM ET22:07 GMT6:07 3:07 PM MST4:07 PM CST5:07 PM EST2:07 UAE (+1)23:0717:07 ET4:07 PM CT20:07 - Jordan Clarkson scored 18 points Sunday on 8-of-11 shooting as the Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Chicago Bulls 104-101. Clarkson grabbed seven rebounds and dished out six assists, tallying a plus-minus of +6 in his 21:55 of playing time. Clarkson went 1 of 3 from 3-point range.
Jan. 25 6:12 PM PT7:12 PM MT8:12 PM CT9:12 PM ET2:12 GMT10:12 7:12 PM MST8:12 PM CST9:12 PM EST6:12 UAE (+1)03:1221:12 ET8:12 PM CT0:12 - Jordan Clarkson scored six points Friday on 3-of-11 shooting as the Cleveland Cavaliers fell to the Miami Heat 100-94. Clarkson grabbed five rebounds and had four assists, tallying a plus-minus of -12 in his 27:18 on the floor. He tacked on two steals.
Jan. 23 6:35 PM PT7:35 PM MT8:35 PM CT9:35 PM ET2:35 GMT10:35 7:35 PM MST8:35 PM CST9:35 PM EST6:35 UAE (+1)03:3521:35 ET8:35 PM CT0:35 - Jordan Clarkson scored 14 points Wednesday, going 6 of 14 from the field, as the Cleveland Cavaliers fell to the Boston Celtics 123-103. Clarkson did not grab a rebound but had an assist, accumulating a plus-minus of -7 in his 22:25 on the floor. Clarkson went 2 of 9 from 3-point range.
Jan. 21 11:36 AM PT12:36 PM MT1:36 PM CT2:36 PM ET19:36 GMT3:36 12:36 PM MST1:36 PM CST2:36 PM EST23:36 UAE20:3614:36 ET1:36 PM CT17:36 - Jordan Clarkson scored 12 points Monday, going 4 of 12 from the field, as the Cleveland Cavaliers lost to the Chicago Bulls 104-88. Clarkson grabbed five rebounds and had four assists, tallying a plus-minus of -5 in his 19:51 of playing time. He
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, a completely restored location which has had most of the initial top features of a Victorian household yet is situated only 200 yards from town center.
Like numerous houses of Victorian times, the Dairy Guesthouse has a courtyard in the middle of blossoms of various colours. In addition has actually a restaurant which acts excellent food, specifically for vegetarians and guests with unique dietary needs.
Another impressive Victorian building is the Bronte Guesthouse on Grosvenor Terrace, a family-run enterprise which have claimed a few prizes because of its service and hotels. It is a specific favourite of tourists and enthusiasts and it is found just a stone’s dispose of from centre of York.
Found at the Bootham Crescent, the Beckett Guesthouse is a veritable characteristic of traditional design. The restaurant is always filled and its meals are a total delight, specifically its morning meal, which locals ranks among the best in city. The Beckett Guesthouse provides both rooms and deluxe rooms.
The Heworth Guesthouse, positioned during the Heworth suburbs, is known for the friendly staff and exemplary solution. They offer standard English accommodations, which are really comfortable and have most of the comforts of house.
If you prefer a conventional guesthouse that is near to a normal village pub, then the Grimstone home meets the needs you have perfectly. Positioned at Deighton, Grimstone home consumes a classy historic building that goes back into 1930s. It’s seven large rooms which can be perfect for enthusiasts and an additional big family room.
Meanwhile, for couples or households that always make the dog together on vacation, York features a couple of pet-friendly guesthouses which will enjoy you and Fido with open arms. And beyond that, obtained exceptional rooms on top of that. Possibly the most useful of them could be the Bull Lodge on Lawrence Street, a cushty and top-notch site where puppies are permitted and smoking is certainly not.
Spending your summer time getaway during the beach with the family members is a great way to bond using them. Your children will like creating sand castles with you and you might also experiment with more existing liquid task with your partner. Beach breaks are fun to own since this is an interval where you can bond with your family members. Some individuals choose to continue coastline breaks plus some even endeavor out the country just like the the Carribean or Cyprus to truly feel the question regarding the destination. To produce your getaway worthwhile, it really is essential that you choose the accurate location and you plan your getaway really. The appropriate accommodation is crucial to ensure everyone is going to be comfortable and well-taken cared of.
Whenever choosing the hotel, know the concept good reason why you picked that destination. Are there any attractions that you want to see or is it when it comes to coastline alone? A resort style resort is ideal if you are fond of water-based activities and when you’re mainly truth be told there the beach. It is possible to select from accommodations, condominiums, villas or beachfront cottages. A good thing is the fact that, there are tasks that exist when it comes to kids also. Activities like tennis, tennis and riding are enjoyed by your kids. These hotels have actually qualified staff which gives direction and coordinate activities with your children. However, if there are various other sights that you want to visit in the city, reserving a hotel near these destinations are far more convenient.
The sheer number of men and women can also be crucial with regards to choosing a seaside resort. If you have a large family members then it’s best to look for an adjoining space or a suite design area. You’ll rent villas or flats on a short-term or long-term basis depending on your duration of stay. At some beach resort hotels, you could enjoy many different water activities like parasailing, paragliding, kayaking and waterskiing. Bear in mind to check on the weather and conditions to ensure that you to definitely experience the best summer getaway.
Durban motels have come a long way within the last few years, with all the return associated with the significant resort chains after a long time of boycotts during the apartheid age. Durban has also been one of several host urban centers worldwide Cup 2010, and several 5 celebrity deluxe boutique motels and sleep and breakfasts have sprung up around this great traveler destination to look after those who need that extra little bit of pampering for their holiday.
The blissful luxury 5 star motels in Durban, like the famous Royal resort, Beverly Hills Intercontinental, and Fairmont Zimbali complex, appeal to families, businessmen and females, along with your couples interested in deluxe as they relax under the sun in Southern Africa’s playground of Durban.
Another reason to take into account is the freedom. In a Self catering apartment there’s no one to answer to, merely make yourself home. Finally the best part of remaining in a self catering apartment may be the cost. Accommodations are exceedingly costly as soon as you begin to think about the reality that the fee is per individual each day, all of it builds up in the long run. For e.g. a number of resorts in Durban provide excellent sounding tariffs per person per day however, if you had 6 persons paying on a per person a day scenario, that situation would speedily tally to a shocking quantity. Today, look at the proven fact that you could reserve a contemporary, self catering apartment in top duration for a small portion of the fee per day for a 6 sleeper. That’s a rather great saving. It really works off to an extremely reasonable price per individual each day considering that the cost is quoted at per apartment per day.
Near the cocktail bars and restaurants of Durban beach, the hotel recently been renovated and houses 95 totally prepared spaces (36 which are ocean facing) with remote controlled television’s, tea and coffee-making services, full bathroom amenities and an electronic safe. The Balmoral resort has official celebrity rating of four movie stars, which is definitely deserved considering the fantastic banqueting and conferencing venues besides, therefore the great Waterfront Restaurant which serves up a few of Durban’s most useful Indian food.
Durban provides not only stunning warm and bright shores, but various other exciting and interesting attractions too. For fun for the whole household the uShaka Marine World could be the town’s most visited amusement park. Here households will enjoy dolphin programs, an underground aquarium, pools and water slides. For more adventurous fun, uShaka seashore provides windsurfing and jet skiing. Nighttime enjoyable includes the Suncoast Casino in addition to Entertainment World complex, all with popular accommodation high-rises and hotels close by.
For a taste for the mixture of cultures that optimise modern Durban, a trip on Victoria Embankment offers tourists different points of interest such as the City Hall on Smith Street with its special copper dome and/or Indian district on Grey Street where the Juma Musjid Mosque is found. There are a lot to see on a quick research regarding the location.
Discover a few more vacation a few ideas at algeria attractions and resort hotels in fortaleza.
Finding accommodation in Vienna is never a problem. Accommodations in Vienna Austria drops in a lot of groups different from low priced resorts Vienna to luxury Vienna resort. The services and services offered are world class together with hospitality is excellent.
Vienna has actually a wonderful charm and it is synonymous with songs, art, tradition and historical beauty. Few cities in the world can match to its treasure-trove of tourist attractions like imperial palaces, fine art choices, three opera houses, 50 theatres or more to 100 galleries! Sufficient reason for fashion designer shopping, fashionable restaurants and fashionable bars amongst others, you may never be bored in Vienna.
Vienna, Austria’s legendary capital is the most important tourist center for international travelers who come going to Austria. The town is the fantasy town for all with a love for tradition and record. A call into city is all about stunning landscapes, wandering on the planet famous markets and taking a peep on city’s record. The city provides many different sightseeing options and equally exceptional motels in Vienna. The city even features found itself a spot within the UNESCO World Heritage number for its wealthy cultural history and number of monuments.
Vienna is considered become an excellent and one associated with perfect locations to hit if you are really considering a vacation to a happening area. From going to the Opera House into trip to the monumental Natural History Museum located on the primary boulevard are just a few of the places that are the top places. Vienna has arrived regarding the cheap motels that provide discount hotel rooms which come to great assistance simply incase when you yourself have a budget to bear in mind.
Vienna normally title of this tune towards town, by the Uk team Ultravox. Vienna features plenty of things to offer like Art and heritage, Sports and Relaxation, Pleasure and Recreation. Vienna resort hotels are great for tourists. alla-lenz -This resort is located in center of Vienna. They gives you deluxe, morning meal, apartment’s hotels and elegant spaces with internet accessibility. Accommodation in Vienna includes from low quality to fashion designer accommodations.
The old town of Vienna is encircled by the fantastic structure of Ringstrasse. The structures which range from the attractive Opera home towards the monumental All-natural History Museum regarding the main boulevard get your attention extremely effortlessly. But the city requires you to invest a very good time here in order to become aware of its many salient features. Vienna inexpensive resort hotels are of great use in these types of an instance which cannot place any stress on the pocket.
Situated
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the park itself, or just outside, so you can easily spend a good couple of days exploring its various trails. There’s also a boat tour within the park, as well as a shuttle bus that runs regularly, so you don’t have to spend all your time hiking around.
Plitvice is a little off the beaten track in terms of where most visitors to Croatia go to (it is inland north of Zadar, and a good few hours southwest of Zagreb), but it’s definitely worth trying to incorporate it into your trip if you can. If you do fancy visiting the Plitvice Lakes, we’d recommend flying into one of these two places, and then using Plitvice as a stop-off point either on your way to or from the coast.
Okay, so we’re cheating a little bit by naming an entire region, but as so many of Istria‘s resorts are perennially popular (it’s easy to see why) we thought we would include the whole lot as one destination. The region was totally unscathed by the war so was still visited even during that time, and just after was quick to promote its tourist offerings once more.
With good transport connections including flights to Pula or to nearby Italy, it is easy to reach the area. Most Europeans drive down from their home country, but there are also bus connections to Italy as well (from Trieste) and a summer catamaran service that connects several Istrian ports toVenice – a quick and easy easy of combining that fantastic holiday destination with this one in Croatia.
Porec is one of the top resorts – there’s a good selection of resort type hotels there – though our personal favourite is the charming Rovinj (shown above) and its wonderful harbour. Both of these have a number of sights for you history buffs, but don’t forget to visit the Pula to view the amazingly well-preserved Roman amphitheatre.
However, Istria’s (relatively!) undiscovered secrets are its wonderful inland, hilltop towns and villages. These include Motovun, which is gaining recognition of its annual film festival, and Buzet, which is famed for its truffle festival every autumn. And not forgetting Hum – (unofficially) considered to be the world’s smallest town, with only 22 inhabitants.
Zagreb has good flight and other connections to the UK and Europe, so it’s easy to reach – and it’s only around 2 hours from the UK, which makes it a very acceptable place for a city break. Alternatively, Zagreb is also very well connected to the rest of Croatia by train, bus and air, so it’s also a great place to commence your holiday in Croatia – spend a couple of nights here, and then make your way to the coast.
Spend your daytime in Zagreb sightseeing – there’s very pleasant walks to be had in both the Upper Town (home to the Cathedral, St Marks’s Church, Kamenita vrata, Lotrscak Tower and more) and Lower Town, not forgetting the ubitiquous stroll through the main square, Trg bana Jelacica. There’s also plenty of galleries and museums and, befitting a capital, there’ll be a handful of exhibitions and events taking place at any one time.
When all this takes it toll, join in Zagreb’s cafe society for a cup of strong coffee – or a refreshing beer – at one of the numerous cafes on the main square or on Tkalciceva ulica in the Upper Town.
Finally, why not sample the nightlife? There’s a number of bars and clubs in the city to give you a taste of clubbing, Zagreb-style.
Another great thing about Zagreb is that it has plenty of accommodation – from budget hostels to 5* hotels – so you’ll be sure to find something that fits the bill, whatever your budget.
Hvar is very well-known for its wonderful weather, with the highest annual average hours of sun in the whole of Croatia. The island is also famous for its lavender growing in amongst its beautiful landscape, so you can imagine a pretty heady combination of great weather and beautiful and aromatic surroundings as you relax on the island.
There’s a number of stylish hotels located in Hvar Town, and a handful of sights (although not too many – avid sightseers should really go elsewhere), whilst its wonderful harbour is a very pleasant place to while away your time in early evening, people- and yacht-watching.
There’s a few beaches close to Hvar Town, though our recommendation is to head to the nearby small group of islands, the Pakleni islands (local boats will take you there) for a relaxing day out.
The Makarska Riviera is often a top tip for families looking for a peaceful and relaxing holiday. There’s a number of resorts on the Riviera, varying in size, and its combination of well-priced hotels, reasonable local amenities (although no night-long clubs!) and good pebble beaches means you’ll often find the parent-and-kid brigade here.
There’s not a whole lot of sightseeing to be done, so if you’re after a sea and sun holiday with the little ones, the Riviera is a good choice. The largest resort is Makarska itself, others include the more serene and smaller Brela and the very popular Baska Voda.
Makarska is about 1 hour 15 minutes away from Split so it and its surrounding resorts are easy to reach. There’s also a ferry to the island ofBrac for those that want to try something a little different for a day or two.
Finally, you can’t escape to notice Mount Biokovo behind the Riviera – for the slightly more adventurous, there’s plenty of hiking opportunities. For those that like to take it a bit easier – but still like their views (which can stretch across to Italy on clear days) – a road takes you up most of the way.
One of Brac‘s – and indeed, Croatia’s – most famous images is that of Zlatni Rat beach (pictured above). A white shingle beach next to pine trees, it changes shape ever-so-slightly as the tides and winds change. It’s a very popular place during summer, as is much of the rest of Brac; as Croatia’s third largest island with delights such as the above and its proximity to theSplit on the mainland (it’s the closest large island), it’s easy to see why.
The main resorts on Brac are Bol, Supetar and Milna, and all have a mix of beaches and some resort life. Like the Makarska Riviera, Brac is popular with families and for those looking for a relaxing seaside holiday, which is shown in the pretty decent range of accommodation in all the main towns on the island. There’s not too much in the way of sightseeing or culture, and there’s not much to explore inland (although you can head to the island’s highest point, Vidova gora; at 780 metres high, there’s some pretty good views).
There are daily ferries to Milna, Bol and Supetar from Split.
Korcula Town is often described as a mini-Dubrovnik (so that’s one big draw!) but it’s a wonderful place to visit in its own right. With its own Old Town that’s compact (it doesn’t take long to walk around the whole thing) but there’s still plenty of sights to keep you occupied.
There’s a number of beaches close to Korcula Town itself, though many describe the island of Korcula’s quiet coves and bays as a must-do if you’re visiting the island.
Korcula Town is connected to the mainland by ferry (the ferry departs nearby Domince to Orebic on the Peljesac Peninsula) so it’s relatively easy to explore this part of Dalmatia. July and August also see a catamaran connecting Korcula Town to the wonderful island of Mljet, and Dubrovnik – so you can compare the mini-Dubrovnik to the real thing.
The island of Vis is different to many of its neighbours. The most westerly of the larger Croatian islands, its history that really sets it apart – used as a naval base during the years of Yugoslavia, the island was completely shut off to foreigners until 1989. As such, the island has developed its tourism differently to the other Croatian islands. It’s the place to go to if you want to sample Croatia and its island life but without all the crowds, and where those in the know head to – get there before everyone else does!
There’s a handful of sights in both Vis Town and the other larger settlement on the island, Komiza. Both only have a few accommodation options, so neither place gets too crowded. If you have your own car (you can also rent scooters on Vis), the island really does lend itself to exploring – set off down the roads and see where they take you.
One of the most popular sights in the area is the beautiful Blue Cave on the uninhabited nearby island of Bisevo. The cave sees sunlight drifting into it that catches the sea waters, creating a stunning, shimmering experience. Boat trips are available from both Vis and Komiza.
There’s a direct ferry from Split to Vis, so it’s easily reachable; there’s also a route that goes to the neighbouring island of Hvar
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to be known as the Olympic-class ships — the Olympic, the Titanic, and Gigantic (later renamed Britannic).
The Olympic and Titanic were built next to each other, with the Britannic built last. The keel for the Olympic was laid down in December of 1908 with Titanic’s keel laid down on March 31, 1909.
Thomas Andrews, who was the nephew of Lord Pirrie and Managing Director of the Design Department at Harland & Wolff, would be responsible for the building of the sister ships. He was a man completely devoted to his work, who could usually be found at work long before anyone else, including the workers.
There were three dangers the builders considered the ship might face out on the Atlantic: it could run aground, it could hit another ship, or the ship might be rammed into by another boat. To protect the ships against running aground, they would have a double bottom.
To protect against the second and third fears, 15 bulkheads were installed that reached 15 with 16 watertight compartments. In addition, the watertight doors could be shut with a switch by one of the officers. The doors could also shut themselves if there was more than 6 inches of water in the compartment.
Plans were put into place. If one of the ships smashed into something with the bow, the ship could still float if the first 4 compartments filled with water. The builders could never have imagined a scenario where more compartments could be flooded and the ship would sink. After all, the tragedy that befell the Titanic had never happened before.
So where do you build the largest ships to ever be built? On Queen’s Island, where three berths had to be broken down into two.
Plus, since the ships were going to be so large, the piers in New York harbor had to be lengthened to accommodate their size.
Sam Scott: 15 years old and working as a catchboy — caught the hot rivets in a bucket before they were pounded into the steel plates. On the first day of work, April 20, 1910, he fell and died later the same day from a head injury.
It’s important to note that there were over 250 reported accidents. This meant that the injuries were serious enough that someone had to be told, such as when men fell or lost limbs through accidental cutting or crushing incidents.
If an injury was reported, depending on how bad it was, men could either be sent home or taken to the hospital. In either case, it was valuable time and money they lost, which was sorely needed to feed their families.
Because of this, many injuries went unreported (like bruising and cuts). And if you think the workers were safe once the launching ceremony was in progress, think again. James Dobbin’s foot got stuck under one of the support beams when they were being knocked out. Even though he was dragged away and taken to the hospital, he died later that day.
On May 31, 1911, the Titanic was officially launched. The Olympic, ready to set out on her maiden voyage that same day, was floating a little ways off. She was just close enough to be seen and attract more attention for the event.
While it was common for liners to break a champagne bottle against the bow to christen her. That wasn’t White Star’s thing. Instead, three rockets were shot into the air, which was followed by the Titanic sliding into the River Lagan, where a few tug boats were waiting to tow it to the fitting out basin.
The Titanic was completely empty on the inside when it was launched. It took a total of 10 months to turn the Titanic into the magnificent ship passengers would want to flock to.
Both Andrews and Ismay wanted the ship to look and seem luxurious. For Thomas Andrews, this translated into the types of materials used within the ship. This included things like mahogany and gold-plated equipment, such as the light fixtures.
Bruce Ismay, on the other hand, saw it as the amount of space people would have within their cabins (first-class of course).
Lifeboats, Because Too Many is Just Enough…Right?
Alexander Carlisle, one of the directors at Harland & Wolff, thought the British Board of Trade would finally update the amount of lifeboats a ship should carry.
As a result, he came up with a new crane (the thing that hoists and lowers lifeboats) that could hold way more lifeboats. This would allow Titanic to carry 48 lifeboats, more than enough for all the people on board should anything happen.
Instead, the number of lifeboats was cut down to 20 since the Board of Trade wasn’t going to be implementing any changes. This meant only one-third of the passengers could be saved if the ship were to sink.
However, the Titanic was in good company since all of the ships out on the ocean didn’t have enough lifeboats for all the souls on board, including Cunard’s Mauretania and Lusitania.
On April 2, 1912, the Titanic headed out in the early morning for her sea trials out on the Irish Sea. Thomas Andrews and Captain Edward Smith were on board at this time, as well as the Marconi operators and a skeleton crew (just enough people to man the ship without it being a full crew).
The Titanic was tested to see what she could do. This included going up to speeds of 20 knots, an emergency stop, turning, and lowering the anchors. Unsurprisingly, the Titanic passed her trials.
She left Belfast for the last time just after 8:00 p.m. the same day, and headed toward Southampton. She docked in Berth 44 around midnight the next night.
The years of 1911-1912 saw more than its fair share of strikes. The firemen and seamen, wanting higher wages — understandably so — started to strike in 1911. After quite a few weeks, they eventually won higher wages when the shipowners gave in. However, this started a domino effect since the dockyard workers also went on strike after this.
In August, the army was sent in to stop the riots. This ended with two men shot and killed. In the same month, the national railway went on strike for the first time. Once again two men were killed when the army stepped in. None of this stopped other workers from going on strike.
In March 1912, a month before the Titanic was set to sail on her maiden voyage, there was a coal strike. This resulted in the mines closing, which left iron and steel workers, as well as seamen, without work.
The government did introduce new minimum-wage legislation, but it came too late. The strike didn’t end until April 6, which didn’t leave enough time for the new coal to be transported to Southampton.
Since the Titanic was set to sail for her maiden voyage, coal was transferred from other liners. Many of the passengers who had their voyages cancelled were moved to the Titanic.
From the moment the Titanic docked in Southampton, work didn’t cease. There was still so much to be done. There was a constant flurry of activity as passenger cargo and provisions, such as food and linens, were loaded onto the ship.
After all the coal was placed below decks, the ship had to be cleaned from top to bottom once more to remove the black dust the coal left behind.
There was a skeleton crew on board, including Thomas Andrews — ever devoted to the Titanic — working day and night to keep the ship running and working out any last-minute details.
The Saturday before the maiden voyage was the day White Star hired the rest of the crew. This was a blessing to the people of Southampton as the coal strike had left them many without jobs. Time was ticking and there was still so much left to do before Wednesday.
Ready, Set, Weigh that Anchor!
In the early hours of the morning on April 10, 1912, the crew began making its way on board. At this point, it should come as no surprise that the first on board was Thomas Andrews and some of his engineers.
A last-minute lifeboat drill was performed by Captain Clarke from the Board of Trade, which included lowering the boats. He also double checked the fresh water supply, the food, and accommodations before giving the all-clear.
Around 9:30 a.m. the majority of the second and third-class passengers began arriving.
While second-class was allowed to tour the first-class areas, medical staff checked third-class passengers. They were making sure they would be healthy enough to pass through customs upon entrance to America.
Around 11:30 a.m., the first-class passengers began to arrive, only 30 minutes before she was set to sail. They were welcomed with open arms, bright smiles, and escorted to their cabins.
The Olympic arriving in New York. The Olympic and Titanic were identical on the outside, except the Olympic’s hull was painted a darker color so it would stand out in photos as she was the most famous of the sister ships until the Titanic sank.
At noon, a handful of tug boats pulled the Titanic away from her berth and into the River Test. When she was properly positioned, the tugs pulled away as the Titanic boomed to life.
Because of the Titanic’s size, she was a little bit harder to manage in the river. As a result, her engines caused a sort of vacuum, pulling in the things around her.
The New York, a smaller ship, was minding her own business when the Titanic approached. The lines securing the New York to the pier broke away
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. No refunds will be made for amounts less than $5.
Q?What should I know about paying by credit card?
All credit card transactions originate from our lab, which is located in Saskatchewan, Canada. Some financial institutions in the USA will charge an “international transaction” service fee, even though we bill in US funds and foreign exchange rates are not involved. These service fees are not something we charge or have any control over; they are completely at the discretion of your financial institution. If you are unsure of your Mastercard or Visa card issuer’s policy on transactions originating in Canada, or whether transactions outside of the USA are even allowed, please contact them before you send your film to us.
Q?I Have Expired Film…Do I Need Your Service?
Color film that is less than 5 years past its best before date and has been stored in excessive heat: you should be able to drop off any local photo finishers with a good reputation and get at least some OK prints.
Color film 5 to 10 years beyond the “process before” date that has not been stored in excessive heat: if it is important to you, then send it to us. If you are simply curious what is on the film, normal processing will likely give you fully recognizable though possibly poor quality images.
B&W film in cassettes (126/35mm) approximately 20 years beyond its “process before” date would best be sent to us or someone with an understanding of how to process a film to its highest possible contrast.
B&W roll film (120/620) approximately 30 years beyond its “process before” date would best be sent to us or someone with an understanding of how to process a film to its highest possible contrast.
Color film that has been in excessive heat over an extended period (i.e. a film left in a car parked outside for an entire summer season): if it is important to you, then send it to us. If you are simply curious what is on the film, normal processing will likely give you recognizable though poor quality images.
Q?What Type of Film Does Film Rescue Process and what can I expect?
At Film Rescue we process any and all old, expired, deleted and antiquated films. It’s what we do.
If you approach us with a film that is a current process we will first determine from you whether you need us or not. Most films that are only expired by 5 or 6 years or so will come out ok processed by a reputable local provider. If your film is older than this we will want to have a conversation on exactly what you have, how important it is to you and how you think it was stored. With this information we can normally give some useful guidance on how you might want to proceed. We honestly don’t want to be selling our premium service to people that don’t need us.
Our lab notes which give us guidance on the best way to process a given film has a database with an excess of 350 unique film types. The following is a list of the most common films that we develop on a regular basis.
Following the film is a percentage of this type of film that comes out as recognizable and the quality trend for that film. Keep in mind, the quality trend is only a trend – some will be better and some worse.
Very Poor — You can for the most part make out what is on the film but identifying people can be a challenge.
Poor — You can easily identify people and places but the images are very harsh and grainy.
Fair — Pictures are clear and easy to look at but not perfect. They may be lower contrast and have problems with blemishes and edge fogging.
Good — The pictures aren’t perfect but they are completely acceptable. They may appear grainier than a normal new film.
Very Good — Little difference between it and the quality of the pictures from a brand new film.
Q?How are your processing techniques different than a normal lab?
We keep very careful records on how a specific film is responding in a specific process. None of our processes are the same as what was originally intended for the film. All have been modified and tailored to our past experience with each film type, brand and format. The original process is not at all appropriate for salvaging images from long expired film.
In order to salvage the best possible image from a film, many of these processes result in a Black & White image even though it may be a color film. In our opinion it is better to get a higher quality image in Black & White than a lower one in color or alternately to get something recognizable in Black & White than nothing in color.
Cycle turnaround time may be as short as 8 weeks and as long 12 weeks during a particularly busy cycle.
Unlike a conventional processing lab that may have one or two large-volume processes under their roof, we have 12 small-volume processes. This creates the need to complete one process before we move onto another, mixing chemical and preparing for each before we move to the next. It is not until all the film is developed that scanning and transferring begins. Once that step is complete, the digital work is done and then the uploading begins. Please do not wait until near the beginning of a cycle to send us your film. This not only slows down the lengthy administration process that at the beginning of each cycle (thus, ultimately slowing down our turn-around time) but you also risk missing the cycle cutoff altogether.
Doing this well and properly at a reasonable price takes time. We encourage you to have a look at and consider others offering a similar service.
Q?Do you offer rush processing?
Rushes and unique set ups are not encouraged but are available. Unlike a conventional photo lab that deals with larger volumes of a single film format of only one process type, Film Rescue is processing smaller volumes of film, multiple formats and has 12 unique processes. This creates the need to process in batches — first completing the processing of all film in house before moving onto scanning and transferring. To break from this cycle is not always possible please contact us if you wish to arrange for rush processing.
All other services – We do our best to accommodate when possible with no extra charges – please enquire.
Q?I want to shop around – who else is doing this type of work?
Q?Do you return spools, boxes or cassettes?
We are happy to return film spools and cassettes that are identical in their function. For instance…if you send us a 127 spool we will send you a 127 spool back. We will try to get your original film spools and/or cassettes back to you but this is not guaranteed. We have found it exceedingly difficult to have a working system of keeping track of peoples film packaging while dealing with hundreds of rolls of film in the dark. A very effective system is in place for keeping track of who’s film belongs to who but within the system there is no practical way to also include the film packaging. Most often we will get you your precise packaging back but this is not guaranteed. The film spools, cassettes and boxes are of little or no monitory value.
Q?What image size do you provide if I place an on-line order?
Images delivered online are more compressed than their CD counterpart though ultimately you will see no difference.
Well…we just made up the term so I guess we can also define it. This is a picture with a pixel dimension and a level of compression that allows for fast uploading to various social media sites such as Facebook, Flickr and Twitter. They are also small enough to easily e-mail to friends and family. How large they appear on your screen is dependent on where you have your screen resolution set but they will fill one fifth to one third of your average screen. The pixel dimension for a image with a 2:3 aspect ratio (same as most 35mm film frames) is 864 x 576 pixels, for a square picture (126 and many roll films) is 705 x 705 pixels. While you might be able to squeeze an “acceptable to some” snap shot sized print out of these, they are too small for what would normally be considered enough resolution for this purpose.
Q?What is included with “hands on retouching”?
After scanning, images are adjusted for brightness and contrast, degrained and sharpened. These are the images that you will see in your gallery and that are available for free downloading as a small net sized image or to purchase as a large sized image. Some images will benefit a good deal from a more extensive hands on retouch but not most. If your picture is much lighter or darker on the edges of the frame than in the center or if the picture has a lot of pitting or dust settled into the emulsion, order the image with hands on retouching may be worth while. You can contact us specifically regarding your order if you have questions.
Q?What can I expect of images uploaded to me for downloading?
When you are ordering images from your gallery, upon checkout you will be prompted to choose either physical return of your scans i.e on cd, and/or prints or to simply download the pictures. If you choose the download option, the image sizes are more compressed than what you’d get on a cd — but there will be no additional shipping charge to pay. The pixel dimensions of your picture will be identical and the additional compression will not discernibly degrade your picture. If you choose this option, nothing is physically returned (unless you’ve indicated on your original order form for your negatives to be returned). You will receive a link from Dropbox.com where we “park” the image files for you to download. There are no additional charges from Dropbox.com for this service.
Images are 8 inches at 300 DPI on the short dimension or your frame. Example — a 35mm frame would
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I asked about some rusty wire baskets all stacked up under this huge dilapidated workbench and asked how much he wanted for them. He said $0.25/piece. What!? I kept my faux cool, the one that belies the level of excitement within. There were 8 of them and each was full of wood scraps I really didn't think I needed.
Wire baskets were on my list, but not white rusty ones. Did I want them? For a quarter each, I figured I could decide later if they'd work for anything I might want to do. I stacked them up and left them on hold while I continued to look. At one point someone came near them and I had to choke back the desire to yell out "those are mine!" like some of the outwardly crazed yard salers I've come into contact with in days not so long past. I took a deep breath, watched and waited... Truth be told, no one else in their right mind was likely to want them... but my inner reaction when I thought they were threatened told me that I had made the right choice to buy them. You always know how much you really want something as soon as you think someone else wants it. It all becomes VERY clear.
The guy told me I could have the wood too (he wanted all that stuff outta there!) but I didn't really think I wanted to cart all that home and have to store it. He said I could always use it for longburning firewood if nothing else..."just take it!" he begged.
DONE! I have since realized there are several projects for which I can use some of these pieces. The fact that some were already cut into circles was a huge bonus (I don't currently have those capabilities, so the work was already done for me! Hallelujah!) and are going to come in really handy for something I got from a wonderful blog this week. (I hope to start on that project this weekend!) I'm so glad I didn't dump them all out and leave them behind in my quest not to hoard! I would have been kicking myself for sure. Sometimes you have to take stuff when you have the opportunity, because it's a one shot deal. I hate coulda, shoulda, woulda regrets. If you are a project person and think you might someday use it and it's basically free, go ahead and take it. You can throw it out when you get home if you decide later you don't need it.
I could not believe it. I have been looking everywhere for one of these wagons, and there it was, pretty as a picture (an old, rusty and faded picture, but pretty nonetheless). I figured the guy would let it go reasonably. To think I'd almost missed it. It had a piece of wood attached to it with a hose guard on that. Apparently the original owner used the wagon to cart his hose and stuff around the yard. I managed to talk the guy into selling it below my limit, for $3, and one of the young guys there was kind enough to go get some tools and remove the wood thingy for me so I could get it into my car. It took everything within me to act non-chalant about it, but I drove away and whooped it up after I rounded the corner. I intend to either plant flowers in it or use it to haul things around my own yard. Charm...on wheels!
It's been out in the weather already and seen better days, so it's not like I'm gonna ruin it by leaving it out. However, do you suppose I should try to rid it of some of the rust and then repaint and seal it to see if I can stop the decay? Is that even possible? Even if I leave it as is (I kinda like the look), wouldn't it help to polyurethane it or something to keep it from getting worse in the rain? Would that work? If you know, leave me your thoughts. I'd appreciate it.
At another yard sale, I found the cutest little black rubber boots ever! Based on the high prices of things at this yard sale, I didn't even bother asking about them and left. Still, I knew they would be perfect for my nephew, Micah, and couldn't stop thinking about them. So I went back and was able to get them for $1! This picture does not adequately convey their absolute adorability. I can just picture him out in his yard helping his mom and dad in their garden while wearing these! Meanwhile they are keeping my pink boots company by the front door.
These were on my list for a project I want to do sometime. At the same place, I got a bunch of old yard sticks and rulers in a handy home sewn fabric holder for $1. I just never got around to taking a picture of them. This week I discovered some things I may be doing with those in the near future. Woo hoo. Glad to have them.
Cool, junky, rusty, chippy boxes will always come home with me if they are but $1. Call me a sucker or a hoarder, I don't care. Look below at the cool removable box inside.
I got the fish hooks as a bonus! The fishing line was $0.25.
Love this little special latched compartment.
Don't know yet what I'll do with this, but I've needed watchfaces before and didn't have any. Now I'll have one on hand. Love the simple number style. Reminds me of watches my mom wore back in the day. It cost me 50 cents.
This heavy wood stool was free at a yard sale I went to. Fine by me. It's now being used outside as a plant stand between the two metal patio chairs I repainted. Someday I'll probably paint it.
Snagged another small pallet that would fit in my car. I'm now considering making a patio deck out of pallets. See those patio stones underneath it. I long to be rid of them. They are unttractive and the weeds are always having to be pulled. I saw someone create a deck from pallets in a blog somewhere that I'll have to go back and find. I happened to be on the way to the store when I spotted this one in a place that always has pallets. There was a wonderful long one with all the wood slats butting right up next to each other. I was going to stop for it on my way home, because it would have made a great bench seat, but it was gone within the half hour before I got back. Ugh! When will I learn!
Also picked up a full length mirror from someone's trash. I didn't get a shot of it, but it's something Casey's been wanting for a long time. Done!
Since I was looking for simple white dishes for Cally's new place, these caught my eye. It's a full set of Royal Kent China from Poland (6 place settings - 8 cups and saucers) and all of this was $40.00. Seeing as sets that are only a third this size (everyday dishes at Target) are over $60, I figured this was a better deal, and pretty on top of it. There was way more to this set than what was left of the expensive set at the consignment store. There is also a large pitcher just to the right outside of the picture. It's missing the lid, but is really pretty. These place settings include bread plates and there is also a salt and pepper. In addition to the gold edging, there is a slightly raised pattern around the edges of the plates and bowls. Simple yet, pretty. I'm thrilled with it despite a couple of chips and the fact that some of the gold on the dinner plates has worn off. If anyone knows of a paint product that can be used to touch these up, please let me know in the comments!
It was a great day of treasure hunting... wouldn't you say?
Meanwhile, does anyone know of any flea markets or events between Florida and Birmingham, Alabama, going through Georgia somewhere between August 1st and the 6th or 7th? Even if you know some great thrift stores or whatnot, that would be great too. Please let me know!
I hope you have a junky weekend!
I just needed these grass clippers last night!
Now, mind you, if people around here sold vintage relics of the kind many of you seem to score each weekend, I'd be thrilled to find similar antiquities rich with tradition, beautifully chippy, worn and swathed in patina or crusted with rust. However, most of the time, the fare here is a little less exciting. Every now and then I snag a cool relic, but when those are unavailable for the pickin', I'm happy to find joy in useful beauty, especially if it's caked with nostalgia and I can get it for a song. There's nothing quite like having something you need when you need it. So many of the utilitarian items I've found have come in very handy!
Speaking of songs... my love for all things minimal and practical was instilled in me early. I was a TV-obsessed child (even with only 3 channels, one of which was mostly static), and my love of "simple" came by way of commercials such as the one below from Van Camps Pork & Beans. Back then commercials were populated with catchy little jingles that would stick in kids' heads, ensuring that their parents would never be at a loss as to how to spend their money. Those commercials also fairly well defined the times. Sometimes they defined us. They certainly defined me.
To this day, I still sing this one.
Rain
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mainly in the interwar period, some of which saw service but several of which did not.
The origin of the.5 inch Vickers goes back to the First World War. It seems that two or three different problems prompted the development of this gun. One was the need to fire bullets large enough to carry a useful incendiary charge to set light to enemy balloons and airships. Some of the rifle-calibre Vickers had been chambered for obsolete rifle cartridges such as the 11 mm Gras in order to achieve this, but a purpose-designed modern cartridge would obviously be better. The second was the need for a more hard-hitting machine gun against aircraft, some of which were now being fitted with armour. The third was the development of the tank, which required a better armour-piercing performance than rifle-calibre guns could achieve.
Although the German 13 mm Mauser M1918 anti-tank rifle and the associated TuF (Tank und Flieger, after the intended targets) heavy machine gun are now famous, the parallel British developments are not. These were based around a.600/.500 inch cartridge originally derived from an elephant gun round. The anti-tank rifle was the Godsal of 1918, the machine gun was a Vickers. The Godsal disappeared from the scene (although an example has survived) but the cartridge for the machine gun went through various evolutions (included a version with a belted case) until the final form emerged in 1921. This used a rimless 12.7x81 case and was known by Vickers as the.5V/580, after the bullet weight in grains (37.5 grams). Muzzle velocity was around 750 m/s and total cartridge weight 83 g. The ammunition was officially adopted for service in 1924.
Ball Mark I.z: 580 grain bullet with two-piece core (front aluminium, rear lead). Approved for service 1924, but not issued.
Ball Mark II.z: 580 grain bullet as above, muzzle velocity 2,540 fps (774 m/s). Approved for service 1925.
Ball Mark II (cordite propellant): approved for land service 1933.
Armour Piercing W. Mark 1.z: bullet with hardened steel core and lead sleeve and tip filler. Approved for service 1925. To pass proof, seven out of ten bullets had to penetrate 18 mm of armour plate at 100 yards range at 0 (90) degrees, and 70% also had to penetrate 14 mm armour striking at 20 (70) degrees.
Armour Piercing W. Mark 1 (cordite propellant): as above, approved for land service 1933.
Semi Armour Piercing F Mark 1.z: bullet as AP except steel core not hardened. 2,470 fps (753 m/s). Approved for naval use 1938. To pass proof, 70% of bullets had to penetrate 15 mm armour plate at 100 yards and 0 (90) degrees.
SAP Tracer FG Mark 1.z, II.z, III.z: bullets weighed 542, 549 and 515 grains respectively (35.1, 35.6, 33.4 g), all at 2,470 fps (753 m/s). They all had a steel core with a tracer cavity drilled in the base, and all traced to 800 yards (730 m); the Mks II and III had a dark trace (i.e. tracer did not illuminate until 100 yards from muzzle). All were approved between 1940 and 1944. All had to achieve the same penetration figure as the SAP F Mk 1.z.
Incendiary B Mark I.z: bullet weighed 562 grains (36.4 g) and was similar in design to the.303 inch B Mk. VII (i.e., a simplified "De Wilde"). Within the jacket was a steel sleeve containing 28 grains of incendiary composition with a further 2 grains of QF composition held in the jacket tip. Introduced after 1939.
It appears that the AP rounds saw little use since production stopped prior to 1935. The SAP and SAP-T were increasingly used instead, particularly by the RN. This was presumably because they were almost as effective and considerably cheaper.
All of the bullets in British service were flat-based which limited their maximum ballistic range to 4,265 yards (3,900 m). They could achieve a maximum altitude of 9,500 feet (2,900 m). Of course, the effective ranges were very much less than this; they were probably in the region of 820 yards (750 m) against aircraft and 1,640 yards (1,500 m) against small surface targets.
The elevation of 165.25 minutes required to achieve 2,000 yards (1,830 m) equals 2.75 degrees.
The new Vickers.5 inch was offered in three different versions for the three services. The army gun was water-cooled and fired at 450 rpm. The naval version was similar in appearance but had the rate of fire boosted to 700 rpm by the removal of the delay pawl which held the crank until the barrel returned to battery - stronger buffer springs were also fitted. The air-force version combined the 700 rpm rate of fire with an air-cooled barrel. The army and naval versions had the traditional large-diameter fluted water-cooling jacket, just like the rifle-calibre version, but the aircraft gun looked radically different, with flat, tapered plates running each side of the barrel. The weight of the aircraft gun was 53 lbs (24 kg), the others weighed 57 lbs (26 kg) (without cooling water, which added 10 lbs - 4.5 kg). Barrel lengths were 31 inches (79 cm) or 62 calibres, overall lengths 47-53 inches(119-136 cm). The gun barrel recoiled a maximum of 1.25 inches (31.75 mm) and a recoil pull of 385 lbs (175 kg) was developed. The guns were belt-fed, using either a web belt (initially) or a disintegrating steel link type, with 100 rounds in the belt - a loaded belt weighed 24 lbs (10.9 kg).
Mechanisms: Vickers rated superior, as consists of only two parts (lock and feed box) compared with three (bolt, feed box and recoil buffer). The Vickers lock takes only one-third the time to replace, the feed box is also quicker to replace as well as being more reliable, and the feed being driven by gun recoil has no ill effect on the operation of the lock.
Rate of Fire: both can be adjusted up to 750 rpm, but the Vickers can be adjusted by means of a crank check lever which can be regulated during firing, while the Browning requires the back plate to be removed to adjust the recoil buffer.
Fouling and grit: both guns performed satisfactorily, but it was noted that the Browning ended up with more grit in the mechanism due to it being more exposed by the opening of the gun casing. Also, after prolonged gun firing the Browning's mechanism was coated with black fouling while the Vickers' was clean.
Control: in both guns, the vibration was too severe to keep them on target so shoulder stocks were recommended for accuracy.
Belts and filling machines: neither web belt was found to be satisfactory. The Vickers belt was made using metal spacing strips and eyelets, which were inadequately secured, while the Browning's was stitched and could only be used two or three times. Both metal link belts were satisfactory. The Browning had filling machines for both types of belt (the metal belt filler was commended, the web one condemned), the Vickers had none.
Reliability: it was noted that the Vickers was an early example and suffered some problems, but these were corrected with modified parts during the trials and it was then very reliable. The Browning was reliable at high rates of fire but less so at lower RoFs, especially at higher elevations. Any kink in the belt would cause a failure to feed. The Browning's casing fractured during the test.
Wear and failure of parts - if any - are to minor parts that can be readily replaced.
Care and maintenance is easier to the inexpert, on account of its less complicated recoil and buffer mechanisms.
The mechanism and functioning of the gun requires less special or expert knowledge to obtain a good, reliable performance, and is more readily understood by the average seaman, who already receives training in the similar mechanism of the.303-inch gun.
Readily converted to right or left gun.
From a general technical point of view, it is the opinion that the fundamental principle of the mechanism and the action of the Vickers gun is superior to that of the Browning, and is more certain in its action generally.
The.5-inch Vickers gun is therefore recommended for the Naval service in preference to the Browning gun."
The RAF also evaluated the.5 inch Vickers and Browning guns. The results were inconclusive; the Browning was more powerful but was longer and heavier. It was concluded that the.303 inch version of the Vickers was almost as effective as the HMGs against the light, unarmoured aircraft structures of the time and it was much lighter as well as faster-firing. The RAF accordingly decided not to proceed with a heavy machine gun, while noting that any widespread adoption of armour for military aircraft would force a re-think. By the mid-1930s, when the increasing performance and toughness of aircraft began to cast doubt on the future of rifle-calibre guns, the RAF opted for the greater destructive power of a 20 mm cannon, choosing the French Hispano HS 404. A few American.5 inch Browning M2 guns
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ale?) for 37 years. The old gentleman has acquired a fortune merely by the assistance of nature, as hundreds of cattle and much land and cotton testify. I could but smile at the simple-hearted, good man when he spoke of the accomplishments of his two daughters, whom he loved much, and who had just returned from some fashionable boarding or finishing school at one of our fashionable, inland towns."
"'Here's my two gals,' said our friend, 'that's jest come home from school, and I'm afeered they've larned more divilment than I kin physic out of 'em in a year. When they left here, they was just plain, honest country gals, and now they've come back with a ring on every finger, and so much jewelry, figameries (?),... flaps and hoops that it is impossible for 'em to get in at the door'"
"Well, I seed inter the thing arter a while, and as they was gettin' tollable costive (?) and it took a sight of money to keep 'em a guine, so I concluded to fetch 'em home until all sich high-collared, fashionable watering places die out..." The young correspondent agreed that at some frontier Texas schools, jewelry was 'certainly worshiped more' than school books.
Henry R. Green was a 26-year-old, urbane bachelor when he arrived in Beaumont. Unfortunately, his writings disclose very little about the author's personal life, but they do reveal a young man who was educated far beyond the average for that period of frontier Texas. Quite obviously an outgoing and extroverted personality, he blended in well in all aspects of Beaumont's early social, religious, and political life.
Green soon became headmaster of Beaumont's only school of 75 pupils, which was located in the mill area on the Woodville Road, now Pine Street. Nearby were the new Phillips sawmill and the Ross and Alexander mill, the latter erected only two months after Green's arrival. Shortly after Green began teaching, a second school was located in the "Corn Street neighborhood," with Henry G. Willis as its headmaster. In December, 1857, Green reported that Beaumont's schools numbered "two in full blast, with a goodly number of pupils, and if all should attend, there would be enough (students) for three."
Green received $2 for each month's tuition for each student. Each semester he also was reimbursed from county school funds for those students from indigent families. In 1857, he reported that a "spirit of rivalry, jealousy, and opposition" existed between the patrons of his school and those of the Corn Street school. Green considered the animosity between them as a threat to education in the frontier village, but he did not elaborate concerning the exact causes or effects.
The early correspondent-teacher was also a proponent of law enforcement, church attendance, political activity, and the social arts and graces, and he engaged himself wholeheartedly in every community activity. A good social mixer, it's quite obvious that he was a capable dancer and a social drinker, but he always cautioned his readers against intemperance or extremism of any kind. He was also president of the Beaumont Debating Society.
His personal exception was politics. A secessionist long before his time, Green was an uncompromising Southern Democrat and states' rights advocate, always in conflict with the Unionist philosophies of then-Sen. Sam Houston. Green's most vicious political diatribes were directed against Gen. Houston during the latter's gubernatorial campaigns of 1857 and 1859. Eventually it would be his same political persuasions that would result in his fall from grace and quick retreat from the local scene.
It is also apparent that the young teacher was a man quite ready to exchange his unwanted bachelorhood for wedded life, but fate was not to smile upon him in that respect either. Perhaps he fell in love in Beaumont and was rejected, or otherwise experienced an unhappy love affair. Wherever he went, he always commented on the pulchritude of the local belles, regretting only that all were either married or betrothed. During the 1850s, there was a considerable number of young, unmarried men arriving in Jefferson County from the eastern seaboard states, creating an excess of eligible males by about a three to one margin.
In 1858, Green wrote that one shouldn't come to Jefferson County "to hunt up a wife -- the race is nearly extinct; but in about three years an abundant crop will be gathered. We have about a dozen young ladies in the county, some of them quite beautiful, while the others are -- quite handsome."
In many East Texas counties, Green had encountered much local church opposition to ballroom dancing, but not so at Beaumont. Between 1858 and 1860, two dancing schools were taught there at different intervals by James C. Clelland and William Harris. Green noted that Clelland's school was in session three nights weekly, dedicated to the "total eradication of double-shuffle, go-along, thump-ta-bump movements of ancient times." Green noted that the dancing students were attending school "tri-weekly." In 1860, after Green's departure, William Harris was charging a total of $10 for a series of dancing lessons for "Beaumont gentlemen."
During the summer of 1859, Green was appointed district clerk of Jefferson County, and the court records for the remainder of that year contain many entries in his handwriting.
It was during the quarterly sessions of the district and county courts that early Beaumont came alive, its hotel filled to capacity, and overflowing into the private homes with visiting jurors, lawyers, litigants, and others, and the town's social life really blossomed. The rural families especially always combined the rare opportunity for church attendance, dancing, and social gatherings.
In December, 1858, the correspondent devoted an entire column to a quarterly court session and the weekend preceding it when "there was dancing on hand everywhere." Apparently tiring of the drinking that accompanied such occasions, Green added that he was "sicker of eggnog than the whale was of Jonah."
Thanks to Green, early history has a complete record of Beaumont's early Ross and Alexander sawmill and its subsequent destruction by fire; the trial and execution of Jack Bunch (which was antebellum Beaumont's most celebrated criminal case and the county's first legal execution); some of the early steamboats, education, statistics, and even cattle and agricultural history. Green also wrote three long letters about antebellum Orange and two about Sabine Pass, which remain as the best accounts of those cities written in pre-Civil War days.
The school teacher loved to travel by steamboat or other water conveyance, and it was on such occasions that he wrote his glowing accounts of the neighboring cities. In fact, one such letter of Orange could almost be labeled 'poetic prose,' and one cannot read Green's description of his first sight of Orange and ever forget it. He also described the presidential election of 1856 when Beaumonters celebrated President James Buchanan's victory with "the firing of guns, hilarity, good cheer, and good-humored free drinking, a franchise apparently indispensable to liberty." From one of his Orange letters, he described frontier religion in action, when "shrieks, sobs, groans, shouts, and loud amens rent the air," and about "the talent of squalling infants, terrible enough to carry away the shrouds and sails and even the human soul itself..."
The holiday may have been devoid of frills by modern-day standards, but thanks to a chicken dinner, popcorn, fiddling, dancing, conversation and eggnog, it was still a gala occasion of merrymaking and a scene of gentle family tranquility.
The headmaster also noted that there were very few criminal cases in Jefferson County, a social phenomenon that existed as early as 1847 (criminality ran rampant under the old Texas Republic). He recorded cattle movements along the old, unsung Opelousas Trail, which crossed the Neches River at Beaumont. Shortly before his arrival in 1856, over 3,000 New Orleans-bound steers swam the Neches at Beaumont, and during the succeeding two months another 15,000 heads arrived from the Brazos, Colorado, and Guadalupe River regions.
Apparently Green's greatest mistake was to desert his school house for the court house, and politics turned out to be Green's 'Achilles heel.' The schoolmaster who was so easy-going, extroverted, and humorous in every field except politics was probably short-tempered and hostile to any political opinion which differed with his. In November, 1859, the county's criminal docket book bore a new indictment that was not in Green's distinctive handwriting, the State of Texas versus Henry R. Green, for assault and battery.
Since no conviction exists, one is left to surmise that the "News" correspondent's political activism finally resulted in personal conflict with some prominent Jefferson County figure, probably an elected official at the court house, and in a moment of temper, a fist fight. Certainly, not everyone shared Green's low opinion of Gen. Sam Houston, for men such as William McFaddin, Benjamin Johnson, and Jacob Garner had fought in Houston's army at, or near, San Jacinto. The district attorney's Galveston "News" articles ceased very abruptly, and it appears the former headmaster considered it expedient to migrate to greener pastures.
Nothing about Green's subsequent life is known, and he was not enumerated in the county's 1860 census.
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C. § 1951 "This chapter focuses on the Hobbs Act (18 U.S.C. § 1951) which prohibits actual or attempted robbery or extortion affecting interstate or foreign commerce. Section 1951 also proscribes conspiracy to commit robbery or extortion without reference to the conspiracy statute at 18 U.S.C. § 371. Although the Hobbs Act was enacted as a statute to combat racketeering in labor-management disputes, the statute is frequently used in connection with cases involving public corruption, commercial disputes, and corruption directed at members of labor unions."
So, the first test of DEFENDANT’s argument is: Whether there have been any "principals" named by her that have also been named as associated with ongoing criminal organizations. Since, DEFENDANT’s argument is one of rebuttal to REPORT’s "expert testimony" to LDC, how did the State present this issue to the LDC in its October 13, 2009 REPORT?
Incorporated into State’s REPORT in Sources of Information 6 is the January 9, 2009 "case study" letter that DEFENDANT wrote to OIGs of US DOJ and SEC. The letter was written by the DEFENDANT as a complaining victim of several federal criminal acts: to include the Hobbs Act cited above. The main issue of the ‘case study’ was DEFENDANT’s role as a ‘witness’ who had been subpoenaed by the Organized Crime Task Force that was prosecuting a case styled USA v Rennert. DEFENDANT’s testimony included naming Gene Phillips, and a person introduced to her as John Iuele, but whom she had later identified as James Whitey Bulger. [NOTE: For further information, click on hyperlinks identified by bold blue underlined text.] Both men have been publicly associated with ‘ongoing criminal organizations’. She also made allegations that she was aware of certain information that linked Robert Jaffe to the Blondheim Ponzi Scheme, and that Mr. Jaffe had also been linked to the Patriarcha Crime Family, (and to the more recent Madoff Ponzi Scheme that was the subject of Congressman Kanjorski’s Commission, which triggered the DEFENDANT’s January 9, 2009 "case study letter" that the State incorporated into its REPORT in Sources of Information 6 cited above (NOTE) text not in original letter). The Blondheim Ponzi scheme was uncovered in the early to mid-1980s. It is now public knowledge that the DEFENDANT caused the ‘whistle to be blown’.
Incorporated into State’s REPORT Sources of Information 9 is the June 22, 2009 letter written by DEFENDANT, and addressed to Ms. Angela L. Beyers, Unit Chief, Initial Processing Unit, FBI, Washington, DC 20535-0001. In the body of the letter, DEFENDANT recounted her experiences with the legal process of the USA v Rennert trial (where all six defendants were found guilty on all charges). And she disclosed her knowledge of the association between former FBI agent John Connolly, and John Iuele (the individual who had extorted $6000 from her, in March 1989), and whom she later identified as James "Whitey" Bulger [NOTE: click MOST WANTED]. Mr. Iuele was either a client, or known associate of DEFENDANT’s attorney’s Devine Millimet Stahl & Branch [DMSB]. (If the readers will recall, former FBI agent Robert Fitzpatrick just published a book on related issues titled BETRAYAL). Also incorporated into the June 22, 2009 letter were the names of the Winter Hill Gang, and "Cadillac" Frank Salemme, and how they were implicated, as well.
The State, by incorporating 6) and 9) into its Sources of Information section, has freely admitted to the LDC (and to the public as of October 13, 2009) that it was fully aware of DEFENDANT’s role in testifying for the Organized Crime Task Force in re: USA v Rennert, in March 1997. The State, by and through its Sources of Information section, also freely admitted to the both the LDC and to the public, that it was fully aware of the events that succeeded DEFENDANT’s March 1997 testimony. The State could have Googled the names highlighted in (blue) above, and found that they all have been associated with ongoing criminal organizations, at that time.
"Within days of my completed subpoenaed testimony, I was informed that the High Birches pump house had been sabotaged. The water piping, valves and controls in High Birches pump house had been smashed. The heating system supplying the pump house water system had been shut off allowing the water pipes to freeze and burst. I filed complaints with the local authorities and with the Attorney General of the State of New Hampshire. I recall I even informed AUSA Faulkes. I believe it was at that time that she said she would try again to get the attention of the FBI with respect to our situation. [I am now aware that it was during this period that the FBI was in the midst of trials and other issues protecting its Top Echelon program, and Whitey Bulger and his Winter Hill Gang had already been named by me as an alleged perp in other related matters. It was around this time that I was informed that my records at the Boston FBI had ‘gone missing’. Apparently the Boston FBI did not want to raise any new complaints of mine at that time. I was never contacted by anyone from the Boston Office of the FBI, nor the USA prosecutor.]"
"At this time the civil RICO case that I had brought in 1995, was in arbitration. On September 9, 1997 at a pre-arbitration meeting, the arbitrator signaled that he had read both arguments and was leaning in my direction. Three days later, on September 11, 1997, the main production well at the High Birches Springs located on westerly parcel of the No. Woodstock property, along with several adjacent monitoring wells had been found to be purposely contaminated with a cocktail of chemicals to include heavy metals and other carcinogens in criminal acts of sabotage, as defined by USC Hobbs Act and Title 18 RICO statutes."
"A series of quick maneuvers by RICO defendants convinced US District Federal Judge Gertner to give possession of the entire No. Woodstock property to Crowninshield. The local authorities allowed Motions to be filed in the matter that stated I was the primary suspect. It should be noted here that the westerly parcel contained the production equipment that had been sabotaged, but it was the easterly parcel that contained the majority of the springs and at that time they remained untouched by any sabotage. I pointed this fact out to FDIC. Within days, the monitoring well on the easterly parcel was also sabotaged with a liquid contaminant which was later identified as a liquid equivalent in chemical make up to furniture stripper. Crowninshield had 24/7 Security guards on the site, at the time of the second contamination."
"Within a day of the second contamination event, I was personally on the site, and saw a man in a red van that was later identified as belonging to the Winter Hill Gang. He was checking the monitoring well on the easterly parcel. It should be noted that only two people knew where that monitoring well was exactly located – myself and Reginald Danboise. When I attempted to read the license plate on the red van I was physically restrained from doing so by the local police. The red van quickly drove off after seeing the commotion."
"In January, 1998 Judge Gertner had granted the RICO defendant’s Motion to Dismiss. One of the compelling reasons that she stated in her Order was that New Hampshire had expressed a desire ‘to police its own environmental problems’. To this day I do not know who from New Hampshire made the request that Judge Gertner acted upon. Jeanne Shaheen, wife of William Shaheen of Shaheen Gordon (my former lawyers who committed fraud upon me and the Hillsborough Superior Court) was Governor, at that time. Attorney John Broderick (former senior partner of Devine Millimet and then of Merrill & Broderick; both firms with clear conflicts of interest against me) was Chief Justice of the NH Supreme Court, at that time."
Also of note is that I was informed by the Federal EPA investigator from the Boston Office, who had already begun his investigation into the commercial sabotage of High Birches Mountain Spring Water business immediately after I called him on September 12, 1997, that he had been "relieved of his duties" by his superiors. The clean-up was now under the control of civil RICO defendant Crowninshield, and the State of New Hampshire. Crowninshield paid the State of New Hampshire a reported $100,000 to decommission the main production well [over all my objections].
Let’s assume for the moment that DEFENDANT’s statements made in the January 9, 2009 letter to OIGs of US DOJ and SEC were true. (Considering the OIG USDOJ’s August 21, 2009 referral email, there must have been some kernel of truth to it, or the referral would not have been made.) But, that is for the Readers to determine. The first question is: "Whether the State could have confirmed any of the DEFENDANT’s statements with second or third parties, or by public record?" The answer to this question is YES! Assuming that certain agents of the State had the incentive to do its own due diligence. Nevertheless, the DEFENDANT was prepared to introduce her ‘affirmative defense’ arguments, to include arguments of law and fact, at a full and fair trial on October 13
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The emptiness and its implicit threat captures our attention and positions us as witnesses to an anticipated violence. We consume images of surveillance, even as we traverse its optical landscape, with a mixture of fascination and repulsion. The aesthetics of surveillance captivate us, incorporating the viewer in its visual embrace, highlighting the blurred zones between surveillance, voyeurism and desire.
Aesthetics of surveillance figure prominently in recent design as spaces of transgressive vision. Whereas beauty salons and gyms have long exploited the optics of mirrors and glass to create kaleidoscopic environments for multiple reflections and scopophilic gazes, the structures of vision are currently being explored in trendy bars and restaurants in New York. The illicit structures of vision function as a mild spatio-ocular provocation.
The Glass bar in Chelsea, designed by Thomas Leeser, takes the idea of ‘seeing and being seen’ to a new level, with the bar’s street frontage made up of a one-way mirror, so that people on the street can see into the unisex restroom, but the people in the restroom cannot see out. The asymmetrical structure of vision, evoking Bentham’s model, transforms its occupants into voluntary prisoners of architecturalized surveillance. The fish-bowl effect promises to reveal images of people washing and primping, and perhaps other clandestine activities. It seduces the passerby on the street through invited voyeurism. The shop front, which for Walter Benjamin was the ur-capitalist site of commodity desire, is here transformed into a late-capitalist surveillance peep show.
Diller + Scofido’s Brasserie restaurant in the Seagram Building uses the surveillance camera to strategically blur the line between surveillance and exhibitionism. Entering the bar through the revolving door on 54th Street, a surveillance camera captures your image, which is later projected onto a series of flat screen video monitors above the bar. The monitors create a frieze (freeze frame) of everyone who enters. The grainy and stylized images are displayed until new images displace them. The invasive gaze of the surveillance camera is offset by the willed exhibitionism of those captured on camera and displayed for all to see. ‘Big brother is watching’ is strategically displaced by a Warholian moment of fame – or rather exposure – ‘look, there I am’. The Seagram Building was one of the first glass curtain walls, a monument to the transparency of vision. The Brasserie, a restaurant without windows, becomes a site for a different kind of vision – a site of scopophilic pleasure of seeing and being seen.
These projects exploit a pleasure of the gaze, optically biased, televisually enhanced or stylized and blurred. They articulate the ambivalent slippages between the invasive gaze and the pleasurable exposure, the optical power structures and voyeuristic fantasies. The scopic has become a commodity and a theme – surveillance a source of mild titillation, curiosity, a social activity and cultural pastime. ‘People watching’ the sport of the flaneur is taken to new depths by the architectures of scopophilic surveillance.
Our corporeal presence and its image is paralleled by a structure of data, what Kenneth Laudon calls our ‘data image’. This body of information consists of statistical information, age, ethnicity, income, purchasing power, transactional information, bank deposits, medical history, criminal records, voter registration, et cetera. Digital surveillance of information makes up a kind of ubiquitous digital gaze. Transactional data is used in consumer surveillance to customize marketing and target specialized markets with direct mail and customized web sites. Personalized junk mail marketing arrives with pinpoint accuracy to target our specific interests and preferences, and web site cookies track our data footprints through particular sites, tailoring them to our data image. The data gathered achieves a density and an effect that exceeds that of our physical bodies.
Surveillance is so pervasive and its effects so subtle that they are incorporated subconsciously into daily life. Architecture incorporates information technologies even as those very technologies erode its spatial effects. Architecture today functions as an armature to the systems of security and defence. Equipped with the latest information technologies, the new aesthetics of surveillance manifests itself in ways both subtle and overt. Architectural elements such as optical turnstiles, fingerprint recognition and key cards regulate the flow of access within a building. In Deleuze’s terms, ‘what counts is not the barrier, but the computer that tracks each person’s position – licit or illicit – and effects a universal modulation’.3 The physical barrier and the intelligent system are deployed within a strategy for security, integrating measures into design and implementing plans in the event of a crisis.
Since the IRA bombings in London in the early 1990s, many financial institutions have implemented ‘business continuity services’. In case of a terrorist attack, fire or flooding, employees would rendezvous at a different location, a ‘hot site’, located in a nondescript location, usually outside the city.4 The alternate sites are equipped with work stations, telephone lines and data terminals to maintain business operations through a crisis. Anticipatory design builds in contingencies for the most extreme situations, creating a duplicate, remote and anonymous proxy architecture. The new generation of buildings for sensitive tenants will constitute a Stealth-like fleet of innocuous buildings, trading anonymity for security.
Federal Plaza in San Francisco, designed by Della Valle + Bernheimer, incorporates new security concerns into a sophisticated architectural language that camouflages its security measures with defensible design. Replacing concrete barricades, the plaza design is made up of a faceted landscape of angular planes of hardscape and plantings, incorporating seating and lighting. The spatial configuration of the plaza is broken up into discontinuous surfaces to encourage movement and discourage public gathering. Designed shortly after the Oklahoma City bombing, the architectural brief dictated a design that both solved pedestrian and handicapped accessibility issues, while preventing vehicular incursions. The folded landscape elements function like the battered walls of a medieval fortress, providing an architecturally integrated design and a defensible perimeter to the building. The plaza design employs geometry strategically to camouflage its security function, smoothing out the boundaries between security brief and formal style.
It remains to be seen what effects September 11 will have on architecture and culture as a whole. Architecture played a critical role in the attacks, as a port for the jetliners, and as the structure of the target. Structural and material properties of buildings are being reassessed in light of previously unthinkable events. Cesar Pelli’s 88-storey IFC2building, under construction in Hong Kong, is supported by eight 3m x 3m mega-columns. In order to ease tenant anxieties about the safety of high-rise buildings, the client commissioned studies to simulate the structural robustness of the mega-column scheme. Engineers have previously employed computer simulations to assess the damage to a vehicle in a crash situation with a stationary object such as a lamp post or roadside barrier. New impact modelling techniques simulate the inverse – the impact of a 4.2 ton jet engine on a structural member such as a structural column. A building’s physical robustness is suddenly held to higher standards and extreme forces, beyond gravity earthquakes and wind.
After the anthrax attacks in Florida, New York and Washington, new measures are being sought to prevent the use of a building’s mechanical system as a distribution system for a biological attack. Computer simulations of bio-terror attacks map out potential scenarios, and full-scale bio-terror drills are used to test the response capacities of the emergency units. The range of measures that could be applied include: separated mechanical zones, positioning of intakes, quick-closing dampers, HEPA filters, negative/positive pressure zones, and air sterilization.5 A biological attack employing existing mechanical systems would amount to an architectural hijacking, employing our building technologies against us.
In the aftermath of September 11, the basic mechanics of architecture and surveillance are called into question. The debate surrounding the societies of discipline or control, posited by Deleuze, is rendered obsolete. The proliferation of images and information has resulted in a surveillance paradox – data saturation precludes its effective implementation. The low-tech, high-concept attack proved how vulnerable our systems are. Sophisticated surveillance and information technology could not deter the hijackers, equipped with primitive weapons and a fanatical ideology. Unbelievably, six months after the attacks, the Immigration and Naturalization Service mailed visas to some of the very individuals who had perpetrated the worst terrorist attacks in history. The societies of discipline and control, for all their structure and technology, failed spectacularly. In our surveillance saturated society, there is much too much data – too much feed.
As a society of surveyors and surveyees, we have developed a mass psychology of anxiety and uncertainty – a collective neurosis, simultaneously scopophilic and scopophobic. Cultural artefacts like advertising images and architectural designs incorporate and manifest the new aesthetics of surveillance as a new cultural condition. Fashion has appropriated the visual elements of surveillance as a style to seduce the viewer/consumer. Architecture incorporates new spatial anxieties and optical relationships, highlighting the fact that surveillance and control are inherently architectural issues. The prevalence of the aesthetics of surveillance signal a new cultural condition – saturated with data, fraught with uncertainties, visually and spatially anxious.
Architectural responses to the new aesthetics of surveillance are varied and uneven; no new strategy has emerged as a cultural dominant. Instead, the new condition is characterized by a proliferation of strategies: camouflage, decoys, proxies and dissimulation. The Darwinian process of architectural species selection will force architecture to evolve in response to the new increasingly hostile and uncertain cultural and geopolitical climate.
1 David Lyon, The Electronic Eye, The Rise of Surveillance Society, University of Minnesota Press,
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’s been great in the past, but has struggled both this season and last. He seems like a perfect “just needs a change of scenery” candidate and there’s a real possibility a move to the NL and it’s AAAA competition could be just the change he needs.
As for who the Jays are getting… Anthopoulos has been after Johnson for a while now. After the 2009 season, the Jays were rumoured to be trying hard to sign Johnson to play leftfield, but Johnson chose the D’backs because he wanted to stay at second. I think it’s safe to say he’ll be taking Hill’s spot in the infield when he arrives in Toronto.
Hill and Johnson are both 29. Hill’s got parts of seven seasons under his belt, has a career slash line (batting average/on-base percentage/slugging) of.265/.318/.413 and has been worth 15.9 wins above replacement, while Johnson’s posted a.260/.342/.442 and 14.2 WAR during his time in the big leagues.
Statistically, it seems like the Jays won this trade by a slim margin. So, while I’m sad to see Johnny Mac leave, this does appear to be a good move for the Jays overall.
When John Buck got hurt, the Tao of Stieb beat me to the punch on Twitter to register his excitement about J.P. Arencibia getting his shot with the big boys. For this, he was called an idiot. Who’s the idiot now?
Without doing any research at all, I’m going to go ahead and call Aaron Cibia’s MLB debut the best of any player ever.
In case you missed it, here’s the video of his amazing day at the plate.
The most impressive thing that Arencibia did, to me anyway, was to make the usually-moribund crowd at the SkyDome come to life. Sure, the 8 home runs the Jays hit in total likely had something to do with it as well, but make no doubt: Arencibia was the star of the show. Aaron Hill also hit two dingers, but didn’t earn a standing ovation for every at bat. The Catcher of the Future Now even earned a bit of a standing O when he flied out to right in his last at bat.
I stuck around for a little while after the game and I saw the nice moment J.P. had with his mom. Their hug was nice, but as I saw Mrs. Arencibia walking up the aisle, she was wiping tears from her eyes. As much as a scene involving two strangers being emotional about something that ultimately doesn’t matter can touch me (and that’s an unreasonable amount) it did. I’m happy as a Jays fan, but I’m even happier for J.P. and his mom.
I usually watch the games from the 500 level. The seats are good enough and cheap enough that I’m more than happy to watch from above. Today though, I used my voucher from the relocated Phillies series and got a prime seat behind the Tampa dugout. Other than the Jays offensive masterpiece, the most enjoyable part of the day for me was watching Yunel Escobar play shortstop.
Watching from the 500s, you can see the great plays he makes. Watching close up, you can see how much fun he has doing it.
Great players are impressive, great players who play with a smile on their face are something else entirely. Escobar has fun out there and I love it. Watching him toy with B.J. Upton when Upton was on second was great fun for me and it looked like for both of them as well.
If Arencibia and Escobar are both here for the long haul (and there’s no reason they shouldn’t be), we Jays fans are going to be in for a real treat.
• Coming off the dismal series against the Royals, I was a little worried at what was going to transpire in this weekend series. Doc’s first inning on Friday (specifically the Nick Markakis dinger) did nothing to make me feel better. Doc’s next seven innings, and the performance of the offence in general, relieved me of any worries I had.
• Crowd cheering Gregg Zaun in his first at bat of the weekend? Classy. Crowd treating Zaunn like he’s a Yankee after that first at bat? Horseshit. Whatever you think of Zaunn, this is a guy who loved playing Toronto and didn’t want to leave. He doesn’t deserve the hate.
• Details from the rest of the game are a bit hazy, but I do remember Adam Lind hitting a mammoth bomb to straight away centre and I remember that Scott Downs finished out the game.
By the end of his 5-2/3 innings, Ray had gone a long way toward winning me over. Like his ice-bound namesake, he seems pretty scrappy. Fighting through some awful innings in a major league debut to put in an overall good performance (4 hits, 4 walks, 3 ER), I hope this guy gets another shot.
• Hey, Cito, I know you make the team win and I like that, but I’ve got a question for you: Why the hell do you stick with your lineups through thick and thin, never pinch hitting because it might destroy confidence, etc… Why do you employ that philosophy and then, in the bottom of the 8th, with the bases loaded in a tie game, you pinch hit for Overbay?
Seriously, does Millar give you something Overbay doesn’t? What, he does. He gives you a downgrade defensively when he doesn’t come through at the plate and the game goes into extras.
And what is Overbay supposed to take from being pinch hit for? Cito’s apparently got faith in every other hitter on the team, but not him. Or is Lyle just so mentally tough that it won’t get to him at all?
• Seriously, why do the Jays fans boo Zaunnie?
• Aaron Hill: On his way to becoming Greatest Blue Jay Ever. I’m convinced he screwed up that play at second just so he would have the chance to tie the game with a dinger in the 10th and then drive in the winning run in the 11th.
• I didn’t see this game, but I didn’t have to. With Scott (Captain Canada) Richmond on the mound, you pretty much know exactly what you’re going to get. Opponents score three runs, Jays win. Bingo Bango.
• That may have been Toronto’s first series against the AL East, but Baltimore doesn’t really count, does it?
• Scutaro apparently knows a thing or two about which stats people should be paying attention to.
• Today is May 4. The Toronto Blue Jays are 18-9. The Toronto Blue Jays are leading the AL East by two full games. The Toronto Blue Jays are not going to be jinxed by me saying the P-word. Not today.
The Toronto media, when it comes to the Maple Leafs, is notorious for planning parade routes after a win, screaming that the sky is falling after a loss, and doing its best to run superstars out of town (see Sundin, Mats).
To a lesser extent, the same is true of its coverage of your Toronto Blue Jays. The worst seems to always be expected of this team, regardless of how they’re playing and how the team is actually being run.
Mike Wilner, of course, is a notable exception. He provides balanced, realistic coverage of the team day in and day out. His thanks? Dealing with callers during his phone-in post game show who are all apparently brainwashed by the prevailing opinion of the local media.
One of the main themes, led by a certain former Montreal Expos P.R. flack, is that J.P. Ricciardi should be fired.
I’m no J.P. apologist, but some of the arguments levied against the man are just a bit ridiculous.
So now, with the Jays off to a great start and sitting in first place in the entirity of Major League Baseball, it’s good to see that a media figure (other than Wilner) has actually stepped up to give J.P. some credit, even if it is indirect.
Let’s run down some of the people that are doing great things in the first month of a new season.
First, Aaron Hill. He does things at second base that will remind you of Roberto Alomar, meaning his glove work can occasionally take your breath away.
He also leads the major league in hits and is one of several reasons the Toronto Blue Jays are in first place in the American League East. Teammates Ricky Romero and Jason Frasor are on that list, too.
The Blue Jays were only going to go as far as their young pitchers took them, and so far, Romero and Frasor are a combined 5-0, but Romero was placed on the 15-day disabled list this week.
All three players mentioned were brought in by J.P. — Frasor by trade, Hill and Romero through the draft. And yes, Romero is the guy J.P. drafted ahead of Tulowitzki.
The Blue Jays are a model organization in some ways. That is, they’re forced to build through player development because they
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on a wall, the answer comes back with a chuckle.
Some Southern women were also too poor to afford the materials for decorative needlework. Those same women were also too busy — running a household, working the land they lived on, and mending the few clothes they had — to teach their daughters pretty, delicate embroidery.
Historically, the sewing and needlework of Southern women served another purpose, too. For many black and white women relegated to subordinate roles, needle and thread were also used as vehicles for agitating against slavery, supporting soldiers during wartime, and forging a female-driven community where ideas could be shared and cultivated.
Antebellum sewing bees allowed upper- and middle-class Southern women to contribute to war efforts by knitting and sewing socks, blankets, flags, and tents for soldiers. These sewing bees also allowed them a chance to organize, support a variety of causes, and broadened their opportunities for activism after the Civil War.
These community events excluded enslaved black women, but they also found ways to use sewing as a means of liberation against oppression. Sewing and stitching were valuable skills during and after the Civil War, and some used and sold their skills to buy freedom. Some folks consider it a myth, but it’s also been said that women looking to escape slavery via the Underground Railroad communicated to each other using codes stitched into quilts that would be passed along from one set of hands to another.
For all these women, a needle and thread, or a hook and yarn — believed to be little more than an avenue for teaching girls to be quiet and obedient — became a catalyst for emancipation, for consciousness raising, for community building.
Deep in West Virginia’s coal country, Gina Mamone sits at night listening to vinyl records. Mamone disconnects from the phone and computer, gets still, and on any given evening, might pick up crochet needles to continue work on a granny-square afghan. On a different evening, it might be embroidery on a snapback.
Every stitch, every hook of the needle, pulls the threads of Mamone’s sobriety tighter. Each purl-two reconnects to their family’s history, to the folk crafts of their homeland, and through the work of Mamone’s Queer Appalachia project, also to an Appalachian LGBTQ+ maker community that’s using needlework and fabric art to advocate for social justice and equality in a region that, most times, continues to tell them they don’t exist.
The QA community includes knitters, cross-stitchers, and a huge variety of other fiber artists and activists who use needles, thread, and fabric to advocate for equality and raise awareness for issues ranging from the opioid crisis to the region’s lack of healthcare access, from police brutality to education reform and fair pay for teachers. Hashtags like #ruralresistance sit underneath photographs of embroidery hoops, granny squares, and cross-stitch projects.
A few of the gems from Queer Appalachia's Instagram feed.
But Mamone didn’t grow up wanting to sew or embroider. They saw their grandmother do those things, but like many people, they’d dismissed fabric crafts and needlework as silly, girly pastimes reserved for housewives and old ladies, ones that they had no interest in learning.
Mamone’s grandmother wasn’t unlike Maw in that while occasionally she’d embroider or sew something decorative, necessity dictated most sewing and mending. It had to.
Mamone’s grandmother was born on the dirt floor of a cabin, one of 16 children.
Only after moving back to West Virginia from Brooklyn, both to care for their parents and confront their issues with doctor-prescribed opioids, did Mamone realize that making something tangible — knitting or crocheting or sewing — could steady trembling hands and calm the mind. Mamone also realized, with some additional urging from a dear friend, that their grandmother’s dainty crafts might also galvanize a marginalized community in a forgotten-about place.
It turns out that the “girly” crafts Mamone thought “would be a boot on my neck as a child,” have become a kind of freedom, one that not only liberated Mamone and our grandmothers, but that is also liberating a community of thousands of other women and non-binary folks in Appalachia and across the South, one stitch at a time.
On a dreary, rainy Saturday in late January, some 500 miles south of Mamone’s West Virginia, the Brown Sugar Stitchers Quilt Guild gathers at the William C. Brown Library in Decatur, Georgia, for their first meeting of 2019. They’ve invited me to their biggest meeting of the year, with members from four other quilt guilds around the state coming together to show their work.
The Brown Sugar Stitchers are an African American quilting guild founded by Nancy Franklin and Jocelyn Carter. The group came together with the help of beloved Dekalb County librarian Doris Wells in 2000.
Franklin and Carter began the guild as a way to bring women together to quilt, form friendships, and serve the community. But it also began in part because, while there were plenty of quilting groups in the city, few included more than one or two African American women, and Franklin wanted to change that.
Like Maw and Mamone, current BSS president Elisa Woods came to sewing and quilting through her mother, grandmother, and aunts. They made what she called utility quilts.
“They used old clothes to make quilts that would keep us warm,” Woods tells me.
When one of those quilts became too threadbare to use anymore, Woods learned how to quilt so she could recreate it. She fell in love with the art, and when, years later, the opportunity came to join BSS, she took it. Today, she quilts as a way to share love with others.
Each month, the Brown Sugar Stitchers come together to work on those projects, learn new techniques, and share stories about their lives with each other.
Indeed, community and public service are foundational components of the BSS guild. The Brown Sugar Stitchers sew quilts every year for the Carrie Steele-Pitts Home for Children in southwest Atlanta. They’ve also made or contributed quilts for Quilts of Valor, the Justice Project, the National Craniofacial Association, the Atlanta National Black Arts Festival, local public schools, and the Grady Breast Cancer Center.
The BSS guild will celebrate 20 years together in 2020, but quilting as a craft has had deep ties to black community activism in the South for decades.
Meeting of the Brown Sugar Stitchers, Atlanta, Georgia.
Since the 1920s, the women quilters of isolated Gee’s Bend, Alabama, have sewn beautifully elaborate quilts that tell the stories of their families and their culture. Originally sewn out of scraps to keep warm, the quilts of Gee’s Bend are considered some of the greatest works of American art we have today. They’re displayed in exhibitions at venues like New York’s Whitney Museum and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Annie Mae Young, who passed away in 2012, was a Gee’s Bend quilter during the Civil Rights Movement. One of her better-known quilts was fashioned out of denim and strips of corduroy work clothes. The blue denim was said to signify the American dream; the corduroy strips, prison bars.
The Freedom Quilting Bee, also based in Alabama, was a quilting co-op formed in 1966 as a way for black women fabric artists to make an independent living. Many of these women were also civil-rights activists who used the quilting co-op as a way to organize and agitate for social justice.
Nancy Franklin, one of the founding members of the Brown Sugar Stitchers, with her queen of spades quilt. O.V. Brantley, a past president of the Stitchers, does hand stitching in a hoop. Brantley founded the Clara Ford Foundation, whose mission is to preserve and promote African American quilting.
Debra Steinmann is a member of Atlanta Intown Quilters. She came to the Brown Sugar Stitchers meeting to display two of her most recent works. Steinmann also views her sewing and stitching as an inheritance from the women in her family who came before her.
Steinmann, considered a folk quilter, creates art quilts that are beautiful and decorative, but she also uses them as vehicles for political activism. One quilt she presents at the BSS meeting is stitched through with the phrase “Fear Lies.” It signifies, she says, her feelings about the way lying and fear-mongering are being used to keep people divided and afraid.
She’s also quilted pieces with “Watchdog” stitched onto the fabric to raise money and awareness for organizations like Planned Parenthood. Steinmann’s latest project, which she plans to enter in a juried show at Atlanta’s Callanwolde Fine Arts Center, is called “September 27, 2018,” and is Steinmann’s commentary on the Ford/Kavanaugh Supreme Court hearings.
“The political statements [in my quilts] are an extension of myself,” Steinmann says. And the avenue of quilting helps her stay connected to the quilters of her past.
O.V. Brantley likes to teach hand-stitching techniques because she wants to
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being presented with a range of exciting opportunities for acquisitions as well as new business opportunities and the Board wants to be in a position to capitalize on them, if they fit the company's vision going forward." he said.
The first photo-bioreactor module has been shipped from Algae.Tec's Algae Development & Manufacturing Centre in Atlanta, Georgia, for Australia.
Executive chairman Roger Stroud said the shipment is one of five that will be delivered over the next few weeks for the Shoalhaven One Australian showcase facility at Nowra, south of Sydney.
Shoalhaven One is sited next to the Manildra Group's industrial facility. Manildra Group is the nation's largest ethanol producer.
AnaeCo's shares hit a new all time low of 4.5 cents on 25 November.
Carbon Conscious has raised $1 million through a placement to sophisticated investors and is aiming to raise another $2 million through a pro rata renounceable rights issue on a 1 share for 10 basis. The issue price is 28 cents per share.
The placement will fund the company's forestry operations for the 2012 planting season and beyond, and create additional forestry capacity to meet the future demand for carbon abatement projects.
The rights issue will fund deposits for future land acquisitions, purchase seedlings for the 2012 planting season, and provide working capital.
Cell Aquaculture is undertaking a non-renounceable entitlement issue on a one for four basis at 4 cents per share.
The offer is underwritten to $500,000 by John Oakley Clinton. The closing date is 19 December.
Tata Steel and Dyesol say they have been undertaking an exciting stage of industrialization of dye solar cell (DSC) on steel at the PV Accelerator in Shotton in North Wales since the completion in July of the Welsh Government supported project.
The challenge has been to create the biggest and best DSC modules utilizing the pilot production line, and the team will achieve these goals in under four months, they said.
The team has been constructing a 20 square metre DSC roof array that will be demonstrated and monitored at the Sustainable Building Envelope Centre (SBEC) test bed facility on the Shotton site.
The demonstrates the capability to manufacture a module that can be integrated and installed as an operational array. It has also required the accelerated development of the product finishing steps. In parallel, the team has more than doubled the power output while eliminating costly silver conductors, they said.
The major drive now is to bring forward the delivery of high performance matched by lower cost materials that will enable grid parity of DSC arrays integrated into steel roofing.
This would make the Tata/ Dyesol products independent of the need for feed-in tariffs.
Eco Quest received a strong no vote of around 27 per cent for its remuneration report.
The re-election of chairman Sylvia Tulloch and director Gina Ferro also received strong no votes but were passed.
Director Michael Greenup has resigned, effective immediately. No reason was given.
The continuation of the company as a going concern is dependent on the raising of further capital.
Shareholders will need to understand and accept that the IP and technology base of the business provides no sustainable advantage over the major competitors and therefore is likely to be high risk and volatile.
Geodynamics and joint venture partner, Origin Energy, have settled the insurance claim to recover costs to replace Habanero 3 as a result of the well control incident in April 2009 and will receive a gross payment of $12 million and net proceeds of $10.8 million.
This will finalize Parts B and C of the Habanero 3 insurance claim covering redrill and environmental expenses.
Geodynamics managing director, Geoff Ward, said the Joint Venture is advanced in preparation for redrilling Habanero 4 which has been designed as a production well for the 1 MWe Habanero Pilot Plant and will be drilled as close as possible to the now suspended Habanero 3 well to effectively replace this well.
The Habanero 4 well design and execution plan has incorporated all findings from the casing failure of Habanero 3.
Geodynamics and Origin Energy are targeting the first quarter in 2012 to spud the Habanero 4 well. The target depth is 4,170 metres.
Habanero 4 is the first step in an appraisal program to demonstrate a commercial reserve at the site.
The $90 million Renewable Energy Demonstration Program (REDP) grant awarded to Geodynamics in 2009 will provide significant funding for the drilling of Habanero 4 and the forward work program.
Under an arrangement with the Department of Resources, Energy and Tourism, Geodynamics will receive a greater proportion of the funds in the early stages of the project. The company expects to be able to draw down funds to offset up to 50 per cent of the cost of the appraisal program activities over the next two years.
Mr Ward said "Habanero is our most prospective location. At Habanero, Geodynamics has already flowed high pressure hot water at 216 oC at surface from a deep fracture zone in granite at 4,180 m at rates of up to 30 kg/s from hot granite rocks using enhanced geothermal systems technology."
Green Rock Energy is undertaking a 1 for 3 pro-rata non-renounceable entitlement issue to raise $2,031,241. The offer price is 0.9 cents per share, and the offer is underwritten by Cygnet Capital Pty Ltd.
One free option will be granted for every new share, exercisable at 3.6 cents by 31 March 2013.
The funds will provide working capital to progress the company's geothermal and hydrocarbon projects, and assess and progress potential new opportunities.
Hot Rock has raised $340,000 through a placement of 13.6 million shares to directors, director related entities and sophisticated investors, and has extended the closing date on its share purchase plan to 9 December.
The placement and share purchase plan shares are priced at 2.5 cents each. The funds are for field and community consultation activities for future geological, geochemical and geophysical studies in Chile and Peru; investigation of additional geothermal opportunities in Chile and Peru; and working capital.
Intec received a 30 per cent vote against its remuneration report. The chairman, Trevor Jones, struck a positive note, telling shareholders that the company would welcome consultation with them concerning how the remuneration report might be improved next year.
"Over the next year, the company's directors will work hard to earn the support of all shareholders by advancing good projects, seeking to increase the company's share price, and fairly and reasonably remunerating the directors and executives who achieve this," he said.
The approval of options for directors also received a strong no vote but were passed.
The EAF dust blending operations have commenced in recent days at the company's Victorian stockpile site, he said, and as the production and sale consumes that stockpile, it is expected to release up to $3.6 million in additional environmental bonds over the coming year or so.
Intec is blending the EAF dust with Zeehan Residues to make a specified zinc concentrate for export to China.
The company expects to make an announcement in the near future about the receipt of the first staged payment for 50 per cent owned subsidiary Intec International Projects Pty Ltd's new minerals project in the Middle East. The contract covers a full testwork and engineering program for the implementation of the first stage of the lead and zinc waste project. The signing of the contract was the culmination of five years of work, said Mr Jones.
In 2010-11 Intec entered a collaboration agreement with Energy Booster of Organisations in Europe, or EBOO, to advance a new industrial waste recycling opportunity for the Intec Process in rare earth metals.
EBOO has invited Intec to evaluate a waste stream containing economic levels of neodymium and dysprosium - valuable rare earth metals used in the manufacture of high-strength magnets for environmental applications like wind turbines and electric cars.
The waste goes to landfill as it does not currently have a viable recycling alternative. It is free of the radiation hazards that can be associated with rare earth ores, and early testing has shown it to be amenable to Intec Process recycling.
Nine new contracts for embedded networks have seen Intermoco's number of embedded networks rise to 23. "We are now getting some real traction in the market with this model," said chairman, John Evans.
"Estimated annual revenue from the embedded networks in place has correspondingly risen from $365,000 at June 2010 to $6.2 million today. Note that these revenue figures reflect the estimated annual amounts after the site reaches its projected level of tenant uptake," he said.
Andrew Meehan has resigned as a director of Intermoco.
KUTh Energy has had its geothermal licences in Tasmania and Vanuatu extended.
The Tasmanian government has extended KUTh's key exploration licence area (SEL26/2005) in the central and north-eastern region of Tasmania by five years from August 2011 to 31 July 2016. This will allow KUTh time to undertake the next stage of its exploration programs. KUTh has identified two inferred resource targets in the tenement.
KUTh has also surrendered areas near Hobart and Launceston that it believes are no longer of geothermal development interest.
The Vanuatu Government has extended KUTh's key prospecting licence at Takara, North Efate (GTPL 29001) for another 17 months to 1 October 2013. The licence includes all three of KUTh's identified inferred resource targets and potential drill sites.
The extension was granted to cover the period that the company has been sidelined awaiting the final
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or any twelve or more of them, then and there assembled, shall on or before the last Monday of November next following the tenth day of September aforesaid, by virtue of this Act, without other warrant, issue out writs in the usual form, in the name of the King's Majesty, his heirs or successors, attested under the hands and seals of twelve or more of the said peers, to the several and respective sheriffs of the several and respective counties, cities, and boroughs of England and Wales; and to the Constable of the Castle of Dover, Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports, or his lieutenant for the time being, and to the Mayor and Bailiffs of Berwick upon Tweed; and to all and every other the said officers and persons to whom writs have been used to be directed, for the electing of the knights, citizens, barons and burgesses, of and for the said Counties, Cities, Cinque Ports and Boroughs, to be and appear at the Parliament at Westminster aforesaid, to be held on the third Monday in January then next following: all and every which writs the Clerks of the Petty Bag, and other clerks, to whom the writing of the writs for summons to the Parliament doth and shall belong, or whom the said Lords, or twelve or more of them shall appoint, shall at the command of the said Lords so assembled, or of any twelve or more of them, make and prepare ready for the signature of the said Lords, or any twelve or more of them, under pain of the loss of their places and offices, and of such other punishment as in the next, or any other ensuing Parliament, shall be inflicted on him or them: and it is enacted that the said writs so issued shall be of the same power and force to all intents and purposes, as the writs or summons to Parliament under the Great Seal of England have ever been or ought to be. And all the messengers of the Chamber or others who shall be appointed by the said Lords, or any twelve or more, are hereby required faithfully and speedily to deliver the said writs to every person and persons, sheriffs, officers, and others, to whom the same shall be directed: which if the said messengers or any of them shall fail to perform, they shall forfeit their respective places, and incur such other pains and punishments as by that or any other ensuing Parliament shall be imposed on them.
V. And it is further enacted that the several and respective sheriffs of their several and respective counties, and the Constables of the Castle of Dover, and Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports, or his lieutenant for the time being respectively, shall after the said 23rd day of January, and before the 8th day of February then immediately next ensuing, award and send forth their precepts to the several and respective cities and boroughs within their several counties, and likewise unto the said Cinque Ports respectively, commanding them respectively to make choice of such citizen and citizens, barons, burgess and burgesses, to serve in the said Parliament, at the time and place aforesaid: which said Cities, Cinque Ports and Boroughs respectively, shall before the last day of the said month of February make election of such citizen and citizens, barons, burgess and burgesses, as if writs for summoning of a Parliament, under the Great Seal of England, has issued and been awarded. And in case no such precept shall come unto the said Cities, Cinque Ports and Boroughs respectively, by the time herein limited: or in case any precept shall come, and no election be made thereupon, before the said last day of February, that then the several citizens, burgesses, and other persons that ought to elect and send citizens, barons, and burgesses to the Parliament, shall on the first Tuesday in March then next ensuing the said last day of February make choice of such citizen and citizens, barons, burgess and burgesses, as if a writ of summons under the Great Seal of England had issued and been awarded, and precepts thereupon issued, to such Cities, Cinque Ports and Boroughs: which knights, citizens, barons and burgesses so chosen shall appear and serve in Parliament at the time and place aforesaid, and shall each of them be liable unto such pains and censures for his and their not appearing and serving then and there in Parliament, as if he or they had been elected and chosen by virtue of a writ under the Great Seal of England, and shall be likewise subject unto such further pains and censures for his and their not appearing and serving then and there in Parliament, as if he or they had been elected and chosen by virtue of a writ under the Great Seal of England, and shall be likewise subject to such further pains and censures as by the rest of the knights, citizens and burgesses assembled in the Commons House of Parliament, he or they shall be adjudged unto. And the sheriffs and other officers and persons to whom it appertaineth shall make returns, and accept and receive the returns of such elections in like manner as if writs of summons had issued, and been executed, as hath been used and accustomed: and in default of the sheriffs and other officers respectively, in not accepting or making return of such elections, it shall and may be lawful to and for the several freeholders, and other persons that have elected, to make returns of the knights, citizens, barons and burgesses by them elected, which shall be as good and effectual to all intents and purposes as if the sheriff or other officers had received a writ of summons for a Parliament, and had made such returns: and that such elections, precepts and returns shall be had and made at such times, by such persons, and in such manner, as before in this Act is expressed and declared, according to the true intent and meaning of this law; any writ, proclamation, edict, act, restraint, inhibition, order or warrant to the contrary in any wise notwithstanding. And in case any person or persons shall be so hardy to advise, frame, contrive, serve or put in execution any such writs, proclamation, edict, act, restraint, inhibition, order or warrant thereupon, then he or they so offending shall incur and sustain the pains, penalties and forfeitures limited, ordained and provided in and by the Statute of Provision and Premunire made in the 16th year of King Richard the Second, and shall from thenceforth be disabled, during his life, to sue and implead any person in any action real or personal, or to make any gift, grant, conveyance, or other disposition of any his lands, tenements, hereditaments, goods or chattels which he hath to his own use, either by act executed in his lifetime, or by his last will, or otherwise, or to take any gift, conveyance, or legacy to his own use: and if any Sheriff, Constable of the Castle of Dover, or Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports, shall not perform his duty enjoined by this Act, then he shall lose and forfeit the sum of £1000, and every County, City, Cinque Port and Borough that shall not make election of their knights, citizens, barons and burgesses, respectively, shall incur the penalties following (that is to say) every County the sum of £1000, and every City, which is no County, £200, and every Cinque Port and Borough the sum of £100; all and every of which several forfeitures, and all other forfeitures in this Act mentioned, shall and may he recovered in any of the King's Courts of Record at Westminster, without naming the Christian name and surname of the said Mayor for the time being, by action of debt, bill, plaint or information, wherein no essoine, protection, wager of law, aid, prayer, privilege, injunction, or order of restraint, shall be in any wise prayed, granted or allowed, nor any more than one imparlance: and if any person after notice given that the action depending is grounded and prosecuted upon or by virtue of this Statute shall cause or procure any such action to be stayed or delayed before judgment by colour or means of any order, warrant, power or authority, save only of the court wherein such action as aforesaid shall be brought or depending, or after judgment had upon such action, shall cause or procure the execution of, or upon any such judgment, to be stayed or delayed by colour or means of any order, warrant, power or authority, save only by writ of error or attaint, that then the said persons so offending shall incur and sustain all and every the pains, penalties and forfeitures, limited, ordained and provided in and by the said Statute of Provision and Premunire, made in the 16th of King Richard the Second. And if any Lord Mayor of London shall at any time hereafter commence or prefer any such suit, action or information, and shall happen to die or be removed out of his office before recovery and execution had, that yet not such action, suit or information, sued, commenced or preferred, shall by such displacing or death be abated, discontinued or ended, but that it shall and may be lawful to and for the Lord Mayor of the City of London next succeeding in that office and place, to prosecute, pursue and follow all and every such action, bill, plaint or information for the causes aforesaid, so hanging and depending in such manner and form, and to all intents and purposes, as that Lord Mayor might have done, which first commenced or preferred the same. The
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ICE enables carriers to consistently live up to their subscribers' expectations -- and even set them -- now and in the future." (9/2004).
"We develop open, platform-neutral applications using Vonetix - which allows for application data integration across heterogeneous computing environments. To ensure your competitive advantage, Gold Systems helps you harness the power of Java, XML, VoiceXML, SALT, WAP and others."
"Open standards such as VoiceXML are critical to the widespread adoption of interactive media solutions, especially speech technology. The VoiceXML Forum effectively promotes awareness of VoiceXML both as a technology and as a business enabler, is an authoritative source for VoiceXML information and is now driving innovative education and certification programs for both application developers and platform vendors. HP fully supports VoiceXML in its telecom products: our OpenCall Media Platform product is the most complete and mature VoiceXML platform for service provider." -- Dr. Scott McGlashan, Chief Technologist, Interactive Media Products, Hewlett-Packard (9/2003).
"HP has invested heavily in VoiceXML technology and the development of a best-of-class platform to support new VoiceXML offerings."
"VoiceXML is broadly supported by a majority of vendors. Approximately 80 percent of voice services developers have provided or are currently developing VoiceXML applications, giving service providers a large choice of applications."
"VoiceXML 2.0 provides an open standard for writing speech gateways and applications in a truly ubiquitous manner. It also promotes speech as the viable access mechanism for web-based content. HeyAnita’s FreeSpeech Platform Version 4.0 allows companies to develop voice applications in the programming language of their choice while taking advantage of the VoiceXML 2.0 standard to achieve interoperability with leading gateway servers." -- Sanjeev Kuwadekar, CEO, HeyAnita Inc (3/2004).
"Hitachi welcomes the collaborative relationships between W3C and VoiceXML Forum. This makes VoiceXML a global standard and we believe it strongly encourages the access to the Internet via voice. We plan to develop voice portal systems for drivers with VoiceXML technologies and also plan to contribute to internationalization issues of VoiceXML as a Japanese company."
Note: In July 2002, iBasis sold its IVR hosting business to Convergys, a VoiceXML proponent.
VoiceXML Forum Supporter, renewed 2/2004.
InfoTalk - Vbrowser Platform: "InfoTalk-vBrowser is a VoiceXML interpreter that is fully integrated with other InfoTalk products to form the InfoTalk-Vbrowser Platform. (9/2004).
Intervoice Awarded 2003 "Product of the Year" Award By Technology marketing ZCorporation's Customer Inter@ction Solutions Magazine. InVision(r) Studio for VoiceXML 2.0 Singled Out for its Technological Excellence and Vision (12/2003).
Intervoice 'Opens' Legacy Constraints of Voice Messaging [in VoiceXML] (2/2004).
"ScanSoft introduces SpeechPAK 1.0 for utilities". "SpeechPAKs accelerate R.O.I. gains by delivering a fast, high-quality deployment on a variety of VoiceXML 2.0 platforms from industry leaders such as [...] Intervoice [...]" (4/2004).
"Intervoice Teams with Apptera to Offer Applications to Financial Services". Intervoice is reselling Apptera's VoiceXML financial application suite. (5/2004).
"30-Month Managed Services Order Valued at Approximately $5M; Continuing Partnership With Firm Exemplifies Both Technology and Solutions Reliability and Value" A global financial services firm and existing partner of Intervoice is deploying an Intervoice solution centered on Omvia Voice Framework and a VoiceXML-based Electronic Benefits Transfer system written by Intervoice. This VoiceXML-based system will be used by welfare recipients in 35 states! (10/2004).
"Award-Winning Intervoice Customer to Discuss Deployment Success in Joint Presentation at Speech Technology Conference". " Intervoice will showcase its [...] InVision(R) Studio for VoiceXML standards-based development environment" (2/2005).
"Intervoice Secures $6M Expansion Order from a European Network Provider for a Voice Portal Solution" The order is an additional Voice Extensible Mark-up Language (VoiceXML)-based extension to the network provider's existing portal as a core element of the Company's Omvia(R) portal offering. The expansion order, totaling nearly 3,000 ports, includes two years of maintenance from Intervoice. (2/2005).
"Intervoice Launches New Multimedia Enhanced Services Solution for Network Operators that Delivers Compelling, Innovative Applications to Drive Subscriber Demand" " Built around a powerful core known as Home Zone, Omvia Media Exchange offers an attractive new universe of Voice Extensible Mark-up Language (VoiceXML)-based multimedia applications -- such as voice-navigated messaging, custom ringback tones, email, images and video -- all from a single subscriber mailbox." (2/2005).
Kirusa congratulates the W3C and applauds the effort of the Voice Browser Working Group in developing VoiceXML 2.0. Kirusa strongly supports the evolution of the Speech Interface Framework by the W3C and welcomes further standardization efforts to support enriched voice interfaces. This will also have strong implications for multimodal platforms which allow voice and visual interfaces to be integrated to create a very compelling experience for the end user. Kirusa looks forward to supporting the W3C in activities that further this vision.
Voxpilot and Kirusa showcase Kirusa's VoiceXML-based SMS multimodal application. The Kirusa application is deployed on VoxPilot's carrier-grade Open Media VoiceXML platform.
See ScanSoft (below) for VoiceXML testimonials, products.
"As a leading player in speech technologies and voice platforms, Loquendo believes that VoiceXML 2.0 and SRGS 1.0 Recommendations are an essential step forward in promoting the speech application market. Indeed, it will boost the speech market, by enabling service providers, content creators, operators and voice portals to deliver a much richer user experience.Loquendo high-quality, high-performance technologies and platforms power over 2,000,000 calls every day in the telecommunications and enterprise markets throughout the world and guarantee solutions in 15 languages. Loquendo is very pleased to contribute to the development of this specification, and will continue to give a strong support to W3C and VoiceXML Forum activities." -- Daniele Sereno, Vice President Product Engineering, Loquendo (3/2004).
Loquendo and MET France realize the CRM voice portal for Marionnaud perfumeries chain [in VoiceXML 2.0] (4/2004).
Loquendo Releases VoxNauta Lite 6.0 Software Speech Platform. "VoxNauta Lite 6.0 supports the [...] W3C VoiceXML 2.0 Recommendation" (9/2004).
Website proclaims: "Mediaford, VoiceXML and IT Solution Company" on start page. In the About Us section, their business field is "VXML based IVR solutions". They are also "Providing VoiceXML to Korea Telecom". No mention of SALT. (9/2004).
AnyModal 4.0 Telephony supports VoiceXML as well as SALT. "The technology is entirely VoiceXML and SALT compliant and can be easily integrated into existing platforms and browsers."
"Followap chose NMS as its partner for Voice Conferencing because of [its] easy-to-integrate, scalable and highly flexible Open Access platform with VoiceXML support"
n/a: A speech technology company. "Recently launced VoiceNotify outbound hosted notification service."
PipeBeach congratulates W3C and the VoiceXML Forum on their co-operation and the rapid release of the working draft of VoiceXML 2.0. Through our CTO, Dr. Scott McGlashan, PipeBeach leads the world-class W3C team producing the VoiceXML standard. We see this standard as a powerful business enabler for the rapid development of interactive speech services, especially innovative voice portals for the mobile user. The PipeBeach speechWeb platform provides multi-lingual support and we are proud to be the world's first to release a carrier-grade VoiceXML 2.0 platform with support for a number of European languages.
SandCherry introduces Voice4 VoiceXML solutions. "Voice4 platform solutions combine SandCherry's advanced VoiceXML (VXML) browser and SoftServer™ platform with speech technology components from leading vendors." These VoiceXML solutions are for touch-tone, IVR, two-way radio, and multimodal platforms, and for finance, healthcare, transport, retail, and utilities. (9/2004).
n/a: Some activity on mail groups giving advice on VoiceXML.
No mentions of VoiceXML or of SALT.
Purchased Phillips Speech, Lobby7, SpeechWorks: See Founder's section for VoiceXML testimonials and products.
Openscape voice platform. Supports both VoiceXML 2.0 and SALT, comes with Siemens applications, all written in VoiceXML (4/2003).
Have VoiceXML-based high-density media server for telecoms customers (2/2004).
Bought by Brooktrout (3/2004). See Brooktrout for more entries.
Microsoft Speech Server PIN reset application (3/2004).
"TuVox and Softel Partner to Provide VXML and SALT Enabled Packaged Speech Applications"
Softel backing ScanSoft's xHMI tooling initiative, "an XML-based dialog configuration language for advanced speech applications", "leveraging
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and no automatically graded exercises or exams.
If you’re fine with a less traditional way of teaching mathematics, you could also make use of Khan Academy, which covers calculus, statistics and probability, as well as linear algebra. There is currently very little discrete mathematics on offer, though.
Now we’ve got basic CS, programming, data structures and algorithms covered. There is only one course missing to complete the content of a typical CS minor.
To round off your basic CS education, one course in “systems” should be added to the mix. Such courses seem to be much more common in traditional CS programs that grew out of engineering departments, while they are either electives or wholly absent in other CS programs.
I’ll admit that I have a poor background in systems, with only one project-based university course under my belt that I didn’t consider thorough enough. This is therefore an area I intend to explore further. The two most interesting options seem to be by the University of Washington and the University of Texas, Austin. I didn’t have enough spare time when it was first offered, but I had a look at the materials, and I got a very good first impression of the University of Washington course The Hardware/Software Interface. A related course is the upcoming EdX offering Embedded Systems – Shape The World.
With the requirements of a CS minor out of the way, what would you want to go on to study? I’m quite amazed at the wealth of offerings. Of course you won’t find any cutting edge research seminars online. If you’re serious about CS research, then MOOCs are only a poor substitute, but most of what you’d find in a typical taught BSc or MSc program, as opposed to a research-based one, you can find online as well.
If you’re interested in knowledge that is more intermediately useful, pick Jennifer Widom’s thorough Intro to Databases course. It covers theory, and also a lot of practice. For anyone only wanting to learn a bit of SQL it’s overkill, though.
If networks are what interests you, then you can start by taking the University of Washington’s Computer Networks, followed by Georgia Tech’s Software Defined Networking.
Are you interested in learning more about programming languages and their implementations? In this case, there is a wealth of resources available, too. Peter Van Roy of the University of Louvain, author of Concepts, Techniques, and Models of Computer Programming, is going to offer a course on programming paradigms on EdX. You could follow this up with Dan Grossman’s fabulous course on Programming Languages. That course focuses on the elements of programming languages. A good complement to Dan Grossman’s course is Wesley Weimer’s Programming Languages: Building a Web Browser, which gives you a good foundation for a course in compilers. Wesley Weimer is another one of my favorite lecturers, by the way.
Computer science legend Jeff Ullman is about to offer his course on automata theory for the second time on Coursera. His colleague Alex Aiken teaches one on Compilers. This is another one of the courses I have not taken yet. The syllabus looks quite intimidating, though. It has one of the highest estimates for weekly workload of any course on Coursera, 10 to 20 hours, and judging from feedback on the web, it’s pretty accurate.
A hot topic at the moment is Machine Learning. Coursera lists courses from Stanford, the University of Toronto, and the University of Washington. EdX offers the Caltech course Learning from Data, which has a reputation for being the most rigorous online course in ML.
Traditional AI seems to have taken a backseat compared to Machine Learning in recent years, but it nonetheless has a strong online representation. Udacity now hosts the seminal “AI Class”, Introduction to Artificial Intelligence, taught by Peter Norvig and Sebastian Thrun. Sebastian Thrun also teaches a more advanced class on self-driving cars: Artificial Intelligence for Robotics. Alternatively, you could take the UC Berkeley course Artificial Intelligence on EdX.
While I’ve given an overview of core CS courses and a few specializations, there is a lot more you could learn. There are courses on scientific computing, computer architecture, cryptography, computer graphics, computational investing, parallel programming, and even on computational investing and quantum computing. The list goes on and on. I do miss a course on operating systems, though.
I merely wanted to highlight some of the larger areas of computer science, and show that they are already well-represented online. The selection is largely based on my personal interests. Still, I think my presentation convincingly conveyed that there is, a mere two years after the MOOC revolution started, an absolutely staggering amount of MOOCs available. Just look at the numbers of CS courses, generously interpreted, that are currently listed on the websites of the major providers! EdX counts a total of 18, and so does Udacity, incidentally. Coursera, on the other hand, lists 91. This is as total of 127 courses in CS, and this is not taking into account the many courses that are tangentially related to CS, like mathematics, or statistics and data analysis.
This entry was posted in Education on October 29, 2013 by Gregor Ulm.
Thanks for such a comprehensive review. I find it extremely helpful in developing my future curriculum in online learning, especially now that I’m trying to build a relatively systematic course for myself.
Gregor, thanks for posting this — and the list of books for the LinkedIn group. These posts address precisely what I’m interested in pursuing. For myself, I think it makes sense to get another couple programming classes under my belt, and then focus on making up for my lack of a mathematics education — a result of my once-upon-a-time music major — before diving into higher level CS topics.
I’ll intend to make a separate post on books that are suitable for autodidacts soon, too.
Don’t worry too much about mathematics. Discrete mathematics is pretty useful, in my opinion, but the other areas much less so if your goal is to become a reasonably competent programmer. It’s quite different if you aim to educate yourself in theoretical CS, though. I’d recommend you just sign up for a course like Tim Roughgarden’s Design and Analysis of Algorithms, and see how much mathematical background you need for that. Many online courses offer brief review sessions on the prerequisites, and if this isn’t enough, then set some time aside using the materials on Khan Academy.
Your recommendations are appreciated. I do want to improve my math skills, though, even if not entirely necessary for programming. My earlier focus on humanities has left me essentially illiterate in math and science. This is something I want to redress. I can read Milton and Montaigne, or Johnson and the Russian novelists with little effort, untranslated Chaucer with effort, but my knowledge of math doesn’t go past rudimentary algebra. My grasp of science isn’t much better. As a kid I hated math, and kids avoid what they hate. As a music major, I was able to hide from all things I didn’t want to face. Things are different now — it’s a bit of a feeling of wanting to make up for lost time.
Gregor, I wanted to thank you for your very lucid and informative writing and reviews of courses and programming books. For the past week, I’ve been weighing the pros and cons of a handful of both Java and Python books, and had essentially decided on the two very books you think so lowly of: Liang’s Intro to Java and Lutz’s Learning Python.
I’d had similar thoughts on the textbook industry, but Amazon reviews kept me from making the connections and coming to your conclusions. But, when I stumbled here and read a few articles, I was really pleased to see you mention (several times) Downey’s work.
You really helped me out and I look forward to some productive–and efficient–learning with these books, with much thanks to you.
Good article and idea. MIT (not surprisingly) gets it right by giving you the core Math you need early on. The saddest thing is that middle and high school don’t prepare you with the grounding in Math needed for CS. They should focus more on Discrete Math. MIT address this problem, others duck it. MOOCs are sure to become a way of life. There’s too much to learn and not enough supply to satisfy demand. It’s a sad reality when CS majors can’t get jobs because they were shafted into learning the same stuff. Specialisation needs to happen earlier, and skills officially upgradable in a more natural manner. Much like books are often now written with chapter dependency diagrams, courses too need to be like this. So you can cover the core modules or courses, and then move laterally across to whatever field is of need/interest to you. It’s unfortunate that if I had a child in Uni and wanted him to be prepped for a career in technology, I would steer him/her clear of a tech degree and focus on Pure Math. Tech degree just don’t give you the rigorous Mathematical core knowledge you need to be able to move on and expand wherever you like.
Yes, all of this is a consequence of dumbing down the high school curriculum, and making mathematics mostly optional. Largely the OECD is to blame for this, with their push to increase high school graduation and university enrollment rates on paper. What better way to achieve that than to lower standards? O tempora, o mores!
The
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How to use shift, flip, brightness, and zoom image knowledge augmentation.
2.1 Need Outcomes with Deep Learning for Pc Vision?
12 Develop Deep Learning Models for Imaginative and prescient At the moment!
The efficiency of deep learning neural networks typically improves with the amount of knowledge out there.
Data augmentation is a way to artificially create new coaching knowledge from present training knowledge. This is executed by applying domain-specific methods to examples from the coaching knowledge that create new and totally different training examples.
Image knowledge augmentation is probably probably the most well-known sort of knowledge augmentation and includes creating reworked variations of photographs within the coaching dataset that belong to the same class as the unique picture.
Transforms embrace a variety of operations from the sector of image manipulation, akin to shifts, flips, zooms, and far more.
The intent is to broaden the training dataset with new, believable examples. This means, variations of the coaching set photographs which are possible to be seen by the model. For example, a horizontal flip of a picture of a cat might make sense, as a result of the photograph might have been taken from the left or right. A vertical flip of the photograph of a cat does not make sense and would in all probability not be applicable provided that the model could be very unlikely to see a photograph of an the wrong way up cat.
As such, it’s clear that the selection of the precise knowledge augmentation methods used for a coaching dataset have to be chosen rigorously and inside the context of the coaching dataset and information of the issue domain. In addition, it can be useful to experiment with knowledge augmentation strategies in isolation and in live performance to see if they end in a measurable enchancment to model performance, perhaps with a small prototype dataset, mannequin, and coaching run.
Trendy deep studying algorithms, such because the convolutional neural community, or CNN, can study features which are invariant to their location in the picture. However, augmentation can additional help in this rework invariant strategy to studying and may assist the mannequin in studying features which might be additionally invariant to transforms corresponding to left-to-right to top-to-bottom ordering, mild levels in pictures, and more.
Image knowledge augmentation is usually solely utilized to the training dataset, and never to the validation or check dataset. This is totally different from knowledge preparation similar to image resizing and pixel scaling; they have to be carried out persistently throughout all datasets that work together with the mannequin.
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We’d like a sample image to exhibit normal knowledge augmentation methods.
On this tutorial, we’ll use a photograph of a fowl titled “Feathered Friend” by AndYaDontStop, launched beneath a permissive license.
Obtain the picture and reserve it in your present working listing with the filename ‘chook.jpg‘.
Feathered Pal, taken by AndYaDontStop.
The Keras deep learning library supplies the power to use knowledge augmentation mechanically when training a model.
This is achieved through the use of the ImageDataGenerator class.
First, the category could also be instantiated and the configuration for the forms of knowledge augmentation are specified by arguments to the class constructor.
Image shifts by way of the width_shift_range and height_shift_range arguments.
Image flips by way of the horizontal_flip and vertical_flip arguments.
Image brightness by way of the brightness_range argument.
Image zoom by way of the zoom_range argument.
For instance, an instance of the ImageDataGenerator class could be constructed.
As soon as constructed, an iterator might be created for a picture dataset.
The iterator will return one batch of augmented pictures for every iteration.
Alternately, an iterator could be created for an image dataset situated on disk in a specified directory, where photographs in that directory are organized into subdirectories according to their class.
As soon as the iterator is created, it can be used to practice a neural network model by calling the fit_generator() perform.
The steps_per_epoch argument should specify the variety of batches of samples comprising one epoch. For example, in case your unique dataset has 10,000 pictures and your batch measurement is 32, then an inexpensive value for steps_per_epoch when becoming a model on the augmented knowledge may be ceil(10,000/32), or 313 batches.
The pictures in the dataset are usually not used instantly. As an alternative, only augmented pictures are offered to the mannequin. As a result of the augmentations are performed randomly, this enables both modified pictures and shut facsimiles of the original pictures (e.g. virtually no augmentation) to be generated and used during training.
A knowledge generator may also be used to specify the validation dataset and the check dataset. Typically, a separate ImageDataGenerator occasion is used which will have the same pixel scaling configuration (not coated on this tutorial) as the ImageDataGenerator instance used for the training dataset, however would not use knowledge augmentation. It’s because knowledge augmentation is just used as a way for artificially extending the coaching dataset so as to enhance model efficiency on an unaugmented dataset.
Now that we’re accustomed to how to use the ImageDataGenerator, let’s take a look at some particular knowledge augmentation methods for image knowledge.
We’ll reveal every method standalone by reviewing examples of pictures after they’ve been augmented. This can be a good follow and is advisable when configuring your knowledge augmentation. It’s also widespread to use a variety of augmentation methods on the similar time when training. We’ve isolated the methods to one per section for demonstration purposes solely.
A shift to a picture means shifting all pixels of the picture in one course, reminiscent of horizontally or vertically, whereas maintaining the picture dimensions the identical.
Because of this a few of the pixels might be clipped off the image and there will probably be a region of the picture where new pixel values could have to be specified.
The width_shift_range and height_shift_range arguments to the ImageDataGenerator constructor control the amount of horizontal and vertical shift respectively.
These arguments can specify a floating level worth that signifies the share (between 0 and 1) of the width or peak of the image to shift. Alternately, numerous pixels might be specified to shift the picture.
Specifically, a worth in the vary between no shift and the share or pixel value will probably be sampled for every picture and the shift carried out, e.g. [0, value]. Alternately, you possibly can specify a tuple or array of the min and max range from which the shift might be sampled; for example: [-100, 100] or [-0.5, 0.5].
The example under demonstrates a horizontal shift with the width_shift_range argument between [-200,200] pixels and generates a plot of generated pictures to exhibit the effect.
Operating the example creates the instance of ImageDataGenerator configured for image augmentation, then creates the iterator. The iterator is then referred to as nine occasions in a loop and every augmented image is plotted.
We will see within the plot of the outcome that a vary of various randomly chosen constructive and destructive horizontal shifts was carried out and the pixel values at the fringe of the picture are duplicated to fill in the empty part of the image created by the shift.
Under is identical instance updated to carry out vertical shifts of the picture by way of the height_shift_range argument, in this case specifying the share of the image to shift as zero.5 the height of the image.
Operating the example creates a plot of photographs augmented with random constructive and adverse vertical shifts.
We will see that both horizontal and vertical constructive and unfavourable shifts in all probability make sense for the chosen photograph, however in some instances, the replicated pixels on the fringe of the image might not make sense to a model.
Notice that different fill modes may be specified by way of “fill_mode” argument.
A picture flip means reversing the rows or columns of pixels in the case of a vertical or horizontal flip respectively.
The flip augmentation is specified by a boolean horizontal_flip or vertical_flip argument to the ImageDataGenerator class constructor. For pictures like the hen photograph used in this tutorial, horizontal flips might make sense, but vertical flips would not.
For different varieties of pictures, corresponding to aerial pictures, cosmology pictures, and microscopic pictures, maybe vertical flips make sense.
The example under demonstrates augmenting the chosen photograph with horizontal flips by way of the horizontal_flip argument.
Operating the instance creates a plot of nine augmented pictures.
We will see that the horizontal flip is utilized randomly to some pictures and never others.
A rotation augmentation randomly rotates the picture clockwise by a given variety of degrees from zero to 360.
The rotation will probably rotate pixels out of the picture body and depart areas of the frame with no pixel knowledge that have to be crammed in.
The example under demonstrates random rotations by way of the rotation_range argument, with rotations to the image between zero and 90 degrees.
Operating the example generates examples of the rotated picture, displaying in some instances pixels rotated out of the body and the nearest-neighbor fill.
The brightness of the picture may be augmented by either randomly darkening pictures, brightening photographs, or each.
The intent is to permit a mannequin to generalize across pictures educated on totally different lighting ranges.
This may be achieved by specifying the brightness_range argument to the ImageDataGenerator() constructor that specifies min and max vary as a float representing a proportion for
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behaviour and these are dictated by the technology platforms.
URUT utilising video recordings of participants interacting with interfaces. These studies are more qualitative in nature with participants thinking aloud during the recording to provide insight.
URUT where the behavior is captured via click-stream data and is run more like a survey. These studies are more quantitative in nature because larger sample sizes are practical and the systems automate tracking of user behaviour.
Both methods are designed to evaluate the usability of a product and both have strengths and weaknesses. Video based sessions require more time to identify the findings and lend themselves to smaller samples however by listening to participants and observing their behavior more information can be collected regarding the design. Click stream methods allow for larger sample sizes and tend to be faster to compete due to the automation of data collection.
Note that some tools support both methods; click stream for large samples and video is collected for a subset of the sample to be able to explore specific aspects of the design in more detail. More on the tools below.
Obtaining a large sample and/or a high degree of confidence is required: A small sample of in person usability tests may be all that is required from a design perspective but if your stakeholders are used to seeing large samples and buy-in with a small sample is difficult then using big numbers may be simpler than trying to convince them of the value of the small sample. Further, where a new design is critical for an organisation or will have will have a substantial impact, the confidence gained from a large sample study can be valuable.
Where the audience is geographically dispersed or hard to access: The audience for some products are geographically spread and can be hard to access without travelling great distance, imagine a health case management system for remote communities in the Kimberly. Also consider trying to access time poor senior executives, they may be able to complete a 15 minute online study late at night in a time convenient for them but not during the day or in a specific location.
Where speed is critical: Everyone working in the digital industry will have worked on a project with tight timelines or is running behind schedule. Also, in today’s Agile workplaces, getting usability testing conducted quickly may be the only option. An URUT study can be run in entirety in a couple of days whereas a typical in-person study would take more than one week, if not longer.
Where a specific environment is critical: Some products will be used in environments, which cannot be replicated in a lab or where their context of use is critical. For example, an app used outdoors in snow bound towns.
Where budgets are tight: Running 6 usability testing with a video recording technique especially where the sample is fairly generic, can be inexpensive.
In cases where you need to compare 2 or more products or interfaces: URUT is perfect for benchmarking studies comparing either competitor products or different iterations of your product. The ability to capture large sample sizes means that statistically significant differences between interfaces can be identified.
URUT tends to be less appropriate for more exploratory style usability testing because it is not possible to change tasks mid stream or ask impromptu questions. Click-stream tools tend to provide lots of data on what is happening however tend to provide less insight on why the behavior is occurring. Video based studies can be frustrating when there is a core questions that you would love to ask but hadn’t planned for. For early stage low fidelity prototypes in-person usability testing tends to be preferable because the facilitator can provide more context for participants regarding the intended functionality of the interface.
Identification of the research questions, which spell out how we will explore the objective.
Evaluate the effectiveness of the booking process Do participants understand the field labels?
Do error messages support participants to progress?
Exploring these objectives and research questions with stakeholders at the outset will help with designing the study and provide a reference point for subsequent discussions. Spending the time up front to get this right will save time down the track and help ensure a successful study.
Emailing the study to a database of existing customers. This assumes that you have customers.
An intercept can be run on a website with existing customers. That is, a pop-up on your site invites people to participate in the study. An advantage of this approach is that the sample is likely to be representative.
A panel is another option, especially when you don’t have an existing customer base. A panel is a database of people who have indicated that they would like to participate in research. Usually panel databases can be segmented to target a specific audience however you typically pay for the convenience. Some URUT tools have an integrated participant filtering which can be used to improve the representativeness of the sample.
Social media can be another means to locate sample especially for organisations who have an engaged following. With social media it is important to ensure that the sample is representative of your audience.
Offering some form of incentive may be required to motivate participants to compete the study such as gift voucher prize. Audiences that are more engaged with the organization tend to require smaller incentives and those that are less engaged a greater incentive.
It is crucial to get the tasks right for URUT. It needs to be very clear to the participants what is required of them. Provide enough detail for the participant to compete the task on their own and try to include any information they would require to complete the task. For example if a task requires credit card details providing fictitious card details will be necessary.
Avoid adding extraneous information in a task, which may confuse participants. Also avoid clues and telling the participant what to do, for example avoid including the wording of a call-to-action in the task, which will give the task away.
And finally, ensure that the interface supports participants to actually complete the task and for them to be aware that they have done so. In a prototype this may require adding specific content. An example task: Imagine you have decided to stay in Cairns for the first week in September. Use this site to reserve accommodation and pay.
It is recommended that survey questions be provided as part of a study.
Include closed questions after each individual task to measure ease of task completion. This will provide insight on which tasks are harder to complete than others. Also including open-ended questions will allow participants to describe their experience and any issues they encounter.
Questions can also be provided after the test as a whole, to allow an overall assessment of the experience. This could include metrics such as customer satisfaction with the product, Net Promoter Score and System Usability Scale, which can be used to benchmark the product over time and against competitors. Again open-ended questions should be used to allow participants to provide feedback and to understand why issues are occurring.
Questions can also be included with the intention of profiling participants. These can be helpful to understand the audience and/or to check that the sample matches a known audience.
Finally, questions can be used to understand whether participants have understood a task. This can be especially valuable on content sites. For example if you were testing the Australian Tax Office website, the task could be to find the tax rate for a given salary and then follow up with a question to ask what the rate is.
What are you actually testing and how will the URUT tool and participants access the interface? Consider how you are going to set-up the URUT tool and the prototype or interface being tested. The responsiveness of the interface you are testing can impact participant’s experience of the product. It is important to make sure that the participant doesn’t need any set-up from their end; barriers to people completing the study will reduce the completion rates. Try to ensure that the interface can be accessed from any computer or device the participant may be using.
Testing the study with either a subset of participants or in a preview mode will allow issues with the prototype, technology, tasks or questions to be ironed out. Piloting the study will protect against wasting sample you are paying for or using up a small limited sample.
A tool like User Zoom collects both video and click-stream data.
While the survey is being conducted it is important to monitor the data and be available for offering help to participants. Monitoring the data will ensure you see everything is working as planned and that you are receiving the data you need to meet your study objectives. Being available via email or phone helps manage the relationship with customers and to provide help where it is required.
Once you have collected your results it is analysis time. To begin with look at some overarching metrics such as overall task completion and customer satisfaction. These can be automatically calculated in tools that measure click-stream like UserZoom. This will provide an overall feel for the effectiveness of the product. For video based tools you will need to watch the sessions and note whether the participants have been able to complete each of the tasks.
With an overall feel for the product look into the individual tasks and identify those that are causing issues. Next you need to find out why. With video based tools, watch video of specific tasks to observe behavior to identify the elements of the interface that are causing the issues. For clickstream services focus in on a combination of the pages visited during the task to identify behavior during the tasks and where the issues have occurred (i.e. which screens). Also view open-ended feedback.
Choose the testing platform after you have identified the objectives of the study. It is crucial to select a tool that is fit for purpose and will support your study objectives. Some platforms do not support specific technologies such as flash and have limitations in the way they measure user behavior. As an example I worked on a study recently that was evaluating a single page app. In order to be able to measure user interaction we needed to get our developers to insert additional code to measure some interaction because the tool tracked the URL which did not change when users navigated a variety of content.
Set clear expectations for participants. Obtaining useful data is dependent on participants understanding what is expected
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Angeles and South Africa. Dave is a popular adjunct professor of sales and marketing in BYU's Marriott School MBA program, and he holds an MBA from Harvard Business School as well as a bachelor of arts with honors in German literature and philosophy from BYU.
Ryan Allphin is a technology leader with 25 years of network and security product experience.
Ryan Allphin is a technology leader with 25 years of network and security product experience. He has built and led high performance product growth teams of talented engineers. Previous to InsideSales.com, Allphin served as CTO at Cradlepoint, where he helped transform its technology into a SaaS company, accelerating growth to over 30 percent and driving revenue in excess of $100 million. Allphin also spent 13 years at McAfee, where he was the senior vice president and general manager of the Security Management Business unit. While at McAfee, Allphin created and ran several segments, including the company's flagship endpoint management platform (#1 position in Gartner’s Magic Quadrant), growing it to over $800 million and supporting over 60 million endpoints.
Suaad has played leadership roles at high growth software and cloud technology companies driving value creation of over $15B.
As a high tech industry senior executive, Suaad has played leadership roles at high growth software and cloud technology companies driving value creation of over $15B.
Most recently, Suaad was the EVP, Products & Markets @ SolarWinds (NYSE: SWI) and prior to that role, served as the first Chief Marketing Officer of Rackspace (NYSE: RAX). Suaad also serves as a venture advisor for Menlo Ventures working with Gild, Takipi and Unravel Data and Platform9. In addition, Suaad is the Chairman of ReachForce.
Suaad earned his Master of Science in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Rochester and a Bachelor of Science in electrical and computer engineering at the State University of New York at Buffalo.
Martin brings more than 25 years of experience in managing and growing business operations in Europe and globally.
Martin Moran brings more than 25 years of experience in managing and growing business operations across a variety of industries in Europe and globally, with a proven track record for building high-performance sales organizations. At InsideSales.com, Martin is responsible for leading the company’s regional growth in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA). He will play a key role in helping to accelerate sales for Europe’s leading companies, just as he has made a significant impact in the region with his previous work. Martin joined InsideSales.com from Lumesse Limited, where he served as general manager and senior vice president for EMEA. Prior to Lumesse, Martin was responsible for sales and geo leadership roles at ServiceSource International and at Salesforce. As the first employee in Salesforce’s EMEA organization, he helped grow the company’s EMEA business to $300 million in annual revenue. Martin has also driven revenue growth for well-known technology companies like Oracle and Skype. He holds an accountancy degree from Brunel University in London.
Joe Williams joined InsideSales.com in June 2015 with more than 23 years of enterprise sales leadership.
Joe Williams joined InsideSales.com in June 2015 with more than 23 years of enterprise sales leadership. Prior to InsideSales, Joe spent almost 13 years at Salesforce.com growing the company’s strategic accounts with enterprises like Honeywell, American Express, ADP, Deutsche Bank and Bank of America. As the Area Vice President of Strategic Accounts Joe’s strategic leadership led to SFDC’s unprecedented growth in Financial Services, Pharmaceutical/Life Sciences and Consumer Packaged Goods organizations. Joe is a graduate of Wilkes University with a BS in Business Administration.
The InsideSales.com board of directors is an extraordinary group of business leaders with strong track records of advising, running and growing successful high-tech companies.
Lindsey Armstrong has nearly 30 years of experience in global technology sales leadership and management. Lindsey spent more than four years with Salesforce, where she built growth engines in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA), as well as Latin America and Asia-Pacific. She previously held numerous executive positions with Oracle, Veritas and Symantec, driving substantial growth in international revenues and scaling capabilities across multiple countries. Lindsey is a proven, world-class executive with a track record of excellence. During her time with Veritas, which was acquired by Symantec in 2005, EMEA revenues skyrocketed from $20 million to more than $2 billion. She serves on the board of directors for SalesHood and Bluewolf.
Dafina is a Partner at U.S. Venture Partners. Prior to becoming a venture investor, Dafina held roles in development and product management at Microsoft. She worked on MSN Live ID and MS Office, and co-authored several key patents. Dafina has served as a Director at MATRIXX Software Inc. and Risk I/O, and was a board observer at Aria Systems, PGP, Imperva, RedSeal, and Cloudflare. She holds an MBA from Stanford Graduate School of Business and a BS in Computer Science, with special focus on cryptography, efficient algorithms and database systems from Harvard University.
In 1996, James co-founded the first enterprise SaaS business, Omniture; took it public in 2006; and sold it to Adobe in 2009. It was the number one returning venture investmentout of 1,008 venture capital investments in 2004. In 2010, James started SaaS-based Domo to redefine the business intelligence market and transform the way business is managed. Josh serves on the boards of Demand Media, a NYSE-traded company; Rakuten, a publicly traded, five billion dollar revenue e-commerce company in Japan; InsideSales.com; and Save The Children, the leading independent organization creating lasting change in the lives of children in need.
Lars is a Managing Director at Hummer Winblad and has played a key role in the firm’s investments in SaaS, virtualization, cloud and mobile technologies. Prior to joining Hummer Winblad Venture Partners in 2006, Lars was involved in founding and operational roles at start-up companies. He was a co-founder of AutoFarm (now Novariant), a company focused on GPS and robotics. Lars has a Masters of Science (Engineering) and an M.B.A. from Stanford University. He also holds an Engineering Physics degree from Queen’s University (with Honors). Lars sits on the board of the SIIA (Software Information Industry Association).
Mark Gorenberg is a managing director of Zetta Venture Partners, a venture firm founded in 2013 to focus on early stage investments in analytics. Over the last 25 years, Mark has served as the first venture capital investor and a board member for numerous successful analytics start-ups, including Domo, InsideSales, Omniture (IPO and acquired by Adobe), AdForce (IPO and acquired by CMGI), NetDynamics (acquired by Sun Microsystems), Scopus Technologies (IPO and acquired by Siebel) and Crowdfactory (acquired by Marketo). In 2011, President Barack Obama appointed Mark to the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, a 21-person advisory group of the nations leading scientists and engineers. Mark is also a member of the Board of Trustees of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Corporation. In 2012, Mark became a Director of the National Venture Capital Association.
Dave has 18 years of public company operating experience and 15 years as a technology investor, partnering with SaaS companies through rapid growth and successful exits. Dave has served as VP/GM Sales & Services for Lotus Development/IBM, SVP Worldwide Operations for PureAtria/Rational/IBM, and Chief Operating Officer of Calico Commerce (IPO). He has served on he Boards of Polaris portfolio companies which have included Centra Software (IPO), LogMeIn (IPO), Imprivata (IPO), MarkMonitor (Thomson Reuters), Phytel (IBM), Archivas (Hitachi Data Systems), Automattic/Wordpress, Egnyte and Recurly. He serves on the Board of Trustees of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, formerly served on the Microsoft Advisory Board, and is an active mentor to the MIT & Harvard entrepreneurial communities. He holds a B.S. from The University of Rhode Island.
Ed Gillis is currently a member of the board of directors of LogMeIn (NASDAQ), Teradyne Corporation (NYSE) and three venture backed companies, AppNexus, InsideSales.com and Sprinklr. Ed has an impressive background in executive management and financial roles at companies like Skype or Avaya (after being acquired by Silver Lake Partners), as well as Veritas Software (before and after its merger with Symantec Corporation). His leadership roles are preceded by 15 years experience as a certified public accountant. Gillis earned a bachelor's degree in government from Clark University. In addition, he holds a master's degree in international relations from the University of Southern California, and a master's in business administration from Harvard Business School.
Advisory council members share their extensive expertise in financing, operations, technology, recruiting and business strategy with the InsideSales.com executive leadership team. The council includes respected individuals from a wide range of industries and disciplines.
Chief Scientist and Chief Strategy Officer at Domo and one of Top 20 patentees in Utah with inventions in web data.
35-year veteran of the technology industry and serves on the board of Glide Foundation, Guidewire Software and Salesforce.com.
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is something that softens the enamel and which leaches out some of the essential minerals in the enamel, including calcium and phosphate. The process is called de-mineralisation, and it happens every time you eat or drink something that contains high amounts of sugar, carbohydrates, or which is naturally acidic such as citrus fruits. As the tooth enamel softens, it becomes more prone towards developing cavities and lesions.
Fluoride helps to re-harden tooth enamel, speeding up a process called re-mineralisation. This is where the mouth begins to become less acidic as saliva helps to dilute the acids, and is also where some of the minerals leached out of the enamel are re-deposited, helping to harden the enamel.
If Dr David Brown, or another Leeds dentist, thinks you may be more at risk of tooth decay then they may recommend additional fluoride. This is something that can be applied to the teeth as a varnish, or through using trays that are left in the mouth for five minutes or so. They may also recommend the use of fluoride mouthwash, in addition to using fluoridated toothpaste. People who may be at increased risk of tooth decay include those with dry mouth, as well as people on certain medications such as drugs for high blood pressure, anxiety or depressions. People who have received radiation treatment for head and neck cancers are more prone to tooth decay.
Even though fluoride is a good thing, exposure to excess fluoride while the adult teeth are still developing, can lead to a condition called fluorosis. This creates white or brown stains on the teeth that can sometimes look unsightly, and which may require the attention of a cosmetic dentistry in Leeds. Overexposure to fluoride tends to occur if you lived in an area with naturally fluoridated water as a child and is caused by the fluoride being ingested rather than applied topically.
This entry was posted in Cosmetic Dentistry on 26th June 2014 by Dr. David S Brown.
A recent report has found that more than a quarter of children under the age of five have tooth decay, and most of these have cavities in an average of between three and four teeth. These figures come even though oral health care has improved over the last few years. The study was carried out by Public Health England, and surveyed 133,000 children. Even though these figures sound shocking, overall the levels of tooth decay have declined, and the proportion of children with untreated decay has fallen.
If you have young children then you are encouraged to bring them to visit a dentist in Leeds, so we can check to see that their teeth are developing normally and that they do not have any issues with dental decay. Some parents do underestimate the importance of milk or baby teeth, and think that because they are replaced in just a few years there is no real need to take care of them. This could not be further from the truth, as these milk teeth are every bit as important, and deserve just as much care as adult teeth. In addition it is much better to get children into the habit of looking after their teeth as soon as possible, rather than neglecting oral health until their adult teeth have erupted.
We know it can sometimes be a bit of a battle to clean young children’s teeth, but is so important to persevere. You do need to clean your children’s teeth for them until they are aged six or seven, and even then it is worth making sure they are supervised and that they clean their teeth thoroughly.
There are various things you can do to help make the task more interesting so it eventually becomes a habit that is deeply ingrained. For example make sure you buy them child oriented dental products, such as themed toothbrushes and toothpaste that is especially made for children. Electric or battery toothbrushes make tooth cleaning more fun, and have the added advantage of having timers that enable your child to time themselves as those two minutes are easy to overestimate. If they use a manual toothbrush then invest in a timer that can be kept in the bathroom; you can even get fun shaped timers, for example in the shape of a tooth, to help encourage them to use it. Flossing is another important part of the routine, and once again make sure you buy floss they are able to easily use, and which doesn’t feel uncomfortable or too thick.
Of course, regular dental visits with Dr David Brown or another dentist in Leeds are essential. Leeds City Dentalcare is used to treating younger patients, and will do everything possible to put your child at their ease as we want to encourage them to visit a dentist regularly right throughout their life. You’ll also find we can give you lots of useful information and help on caring for your child’s teeth, keeping their smile healthy right into adulthood.
This entry was posted in Preventive Dentistry on 23rd June 2014 by Dr. David S Brown.
Do you think you might be interested in having dental implants in Leeds? They are a terrific invention, and have been safely used for decades. Technology surrounding dental implants is improving all the time, and now researchers have discovered that diamonds could be useful in helping to promote bone growth.
These aren’t the sparkly ones, so there is no need to worry that your teeth will have an extra gleam. Instead they are minute nanodiamonds that are produced as a by-product of mining and refining conventional diamonds. These diamonds are just four to five nanometres across, and are completely round, just like a very small tennis ball. So far, researchers have found that nanodiamonds could be useful in helping to treat osteonecrosis, a condition that can destroy bone.
Osteonecrosis is a condition that can occur as a side effect of chemotherapy, and bone loss in the jaw can make it difficult for sufferers to eat and speak, and can lead to dental implants in Leeds becoming loose. There are ways in which surgeons can try to repair the damage caused, but these are often costly and quite invasive as they involve small sponges being inserted to deliver bone growth proteins. Nanodiamonds could be used to deliver these proteins in a way that is less invasive, such as through the use of an oral rinse, or by an injection.
Nanotechnology is very exciting, but obviously it may be a while before nanodiamonds are being routinely used to improve bone growth and to help dental implants that are in danger of failing. In the meantime Dr David Brown or other dentist at Leeds City Dentalcare can provide you with a full assessment to see whether or not dental implants would work well for you. Although dental implants are an excellent way of replacing lost teeth, they are not the quickest method, and it is important to be patient during treatment.
Most people will be suitable for dental implants, provided they are in good general health and do not have any unresolved dental problems, but your dentist in Leeds will discuss your medical history with you to make sure this is the right course of treatment. If you smoke, be prepared to quit as smoking hinders healing, and could increase the chances of implant failure.
If implants aren’t ideal, then there are other ways of replacing lost teeth that can still produce good results, and which can be completed more quickly than dental implants. Conventional dental implants take approximately three to six months to complete, whereas another treatment such as a dental bridge can be completed in just a few weeks. Bridges can provide very nice looking results, but you will need to have the teeth adjacent to the gap ground down as these must be crowned to support the replacement bridge tooth, something that is called a pontic. These are all things you need to weigh up when deciding whether or not to have a dental implant in Leeds.
This entry was posted in Dental Implants on 19th June 2014 by Dr. David S Brown.
Cosmetic Dentistry in Leeds Can Make Your Teeth Look Great, but What Things Could Harm Your Smile?
Sports Drinks. If you like to work out then you may be in the habit of having a sports drink to top up on vital fluids, but although these drinks are increasingly popular, they’re not very good for your teeth. It’s been found that many are quite acidic, and could wear away your tooth enamel. In addition these drinks can contain high amounts of sugar that are the ideal food for bacteria that will produce acid as a by-product, increasing the chance of tooth decay.
Citrus Fruits. Citrus fruits are well known for containing high levels of vitamins C, something that’s generally considered healthy. However they also contain citric acid which can erode your tooth enamel, increasing the risk of cavities. If you enjoy a nice juicy orange than it’s worth rinsing your mouth with water afterwards or chewing sugar-free gum that contains xylitol, as this ingredient can help to inhibit bacteria that cause cavities.
Teeth Grinding. Teeth grinding or bruxism can do a tremendous amount of damage to your smile, and is something that often occurs at night making it difficult to detect. Teeth grinding can wear down the teeth and can also affect the gums. This is something that Dr David Brown or our dentist in Leeds can help you with through prescribing a custom-made mouthguard to wear at night.
Wine. Many of us like to enjoy a glass of wine, but regular consumption could damage your tooth enamel as wine can be quite acidic. This applies to both white and red wine, and both can increase the rate of tooth staining.
Dry Mouth or Xerostomia. This is a condition caused by insufficient saliva, and it’s another thing that can be very harmful for your teeth and gums. Saliva helps to keep your mouth clean and hygienic, washing away excess bacteria and helping to neutralise acids. If you do have dry mouth then there are several things you can do, including making sure
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presumed to be training and enjoying peace tenure with families and that the Home Ministry is very capable of handling such emergencies with their capable forces and government machinery.
Or is it implying that, henceforth, when the Armed forces are requisitioned, then rather than plunging themselves into action as is their ethos, now they must first apply for enabling themselves to draw rations in peace station and put the system of drawing of rations in place, feed themselves and then respond to the central and state authorities…..because Armies do not march on empty stomach.
Granting of OROP to civilian counterparts at parity with Armed forces has made a mockery of the manner in which this matter has been handled. Everyone here seems to be missing the point that a soldier retires at 35 years of age and the officers cadre of armed forces face a much steeper hierarchical pyramid with limited few making it to higher ranks and very few make it to the Apex cadre unlike their civilian counterparts. Majority of the officers retire at 52 years of age. The old system of 70% of pay as pension must be made applicable for Armed forces and revert back the civilian counterparts to 30% of pay as pension as they serve till 58/60 years of age.
Disability pension is a moral determining factor not for those soldiers who are disabled due to exigencies of service conditions but for those soldiers who know that when they do what has to be done, very well knowing that it will cause disability. Disability pension, its attributability to service conditions, its use or misuse must be left to the Armed forces, as such sensitive issues hurt where it hurts most. Recommendations of the 6th pay commission on the subject must continue as it allows increase in disability pension automatically.
Tax free pay to Armed forces personnel will be a great morale booster.
Armed forces are the pillars of our nation, they are our guardians securing us from threats from land, air and water. It is our duty to keep their morale high as they keep the Tricolour flying at full mast come what may. By giving them the stature they deserve in society we only ensure our bjustifyer tomorrow. And let us never forget that a soldier is a soldier is a soldier.
7th CPC have submitted report to Govt of India. Media reported a BONANZA for central Govt employees and pensioner, Economists shown their concern about fiscal deficit, private employees see it as Malai, marketing companies described it a boon for slow market. I also felt ACHHE DIN AANE VALE HAI, and started calculation to know whether a MAKAAN(house) or a SUV can I purchase.
Forward this as much as possible.
Demands of Ministerial staffs like LDCs and UDCs seems to be genuine as they are not only responsible for smooth functioning of offices but they play key role in disposal of files also. They initiate the files, give their valuable suggestions/proposals which ensure smooth functioning of offices. In the present official system, all of them do their various types of work on computer with the help of MS office which includes word, excel, Access etc. In any office, rate of disposal of work is directly related to the motivation level of these staffs. In the one side, commission has tried to recommend outcome/performance based remuneration and other side commission could not even tried to consider the nature of responsibilities rendered to these staffs… As far as entry level is concerned, LDCs selected through staff selection commission had been selected after three layer of scrutiny/test i.e. preliminary examination, Mains and Typing test. like all other group A or B services.. Even for making e-office concept a ground reality, the roll the these staffs are going to be very crucial… In my opinion, Govt. should re think and consider the genuine demand to these staffs.
Sir, I have joined in 2007 as LDC and I have been drawing B.P. of Rs. 7930+ G.P. 1900. My T.A. at present is Rs. 1600/- slab since I crossed Rs. 7440/- basic pay. But due to 7th CPC, my T.A. slab will go down to Rs. 1350/- slab since my level is fixed at 2 for G.P.1900/- and the basic pay has not been considered. By this I am loosing Rs. 2220/- p.m.
The scrapping of small family norms increment is not justified with the reasons putforth by Commission. This requires re-consideration under social security angle since the population control has taken a beating in the implementation stage. The revival of SFN/FPA should be continued at a lumpsum amount for all the cadres.
As per the pay matrix of the 7th CPC, my new pay as on 01.01.2016 would be Rs.29600 ( 11510*2.57=29581, next stage in the pay matrix is Rs.29600 ).
But the present pay of Postal Assistants having 4 years of service is Rs.11170.As per the pay matrix, their new pay would also become 29600 as on 01.01.2016 ( 11170*2.57= 28707,, next stage in the pay matrix is Rs.29600 ).
That is the new pay of Postal Assistants having 5 years of service and 4 years of service as on 01.01.2016 would be the same, ie Rs. 29600.
The same anomaly is existed for pay bands 1800, 1900& 2000 GP employees also.Hence please make strong protection against this injustice.
Iwas retired on 31st may 2001 amd struck from depo from 1st jun 2001 and got hony rank hony nab sub on same date. My regt no is 14296760x and ppo no is s/018613/2001/army and corrigendum ppo no/005541/2002 (army) pay scale 003600-!00-00100 at prasent i am gating after orop my basic 8425 and as per 7th cpc 21652.i have complited 24 years of colour service kindly guide me iam affective for regullar naib sub or not thamks.
Dear members, most of them are comparing 6th prc with 7th prc with original methods but any comparision should be between equal methods.if u compare the 6th prc with the same method as applied in 7th prc,for eg:multiflication factor in 6th prc is 2.26(1+.74=1.74×30=2.26)where.74 is DA component and 30% is hike.in the 7TH PRC multiplication factor is 2.57(1+1.25=2.25×14.3=2.57)where 1.25 is Da component &14.3% is hike…so hike proposed in 7th prc (14.3%) is 50% less than 6th prc(30%).one more thing is they added 50%DA to the basic before 6th prc once DA approaches 50%.but same thing not done before 7th prc.so it is genuine demand to ask for 30% hike in 7th prc.please think over..
For the first time all the Govt. employees is scared to go against this 7th pay commission as this is totally not acceptable.( scared – as they may loose the job or getting transferred ). if you properly calculate on the changes made and the grant given the increase is hardly 6% and and that too after 10 years Not to mind if I say that this recommendation is just fooling the govt. employees. I am sure that for all Govt, employees this is not at all acceptable.
Recommendation of 7th CPC regarding MSP to Officers is 3 times more then to JCOs/ORs. I want to know the justification in this regard, since 7th CPC has already recommended higher pay scale to Officers. The desperity in the MSP of defence Officers and JCOs/ORs is not justified, as all the defence personnel are doing their duties in the same conditions whether it is peace or field areas. Moreover the officers are using benefits of their powers even if being posted in a non-family station, they are keeping their families with them. Officers were getting less DA to JCOs/ORs prior to 4th CPC, which was got equal after declaration of 4th CPC. In the similar manner MSP and other allowances should be granted equal for all defence personnel.
1. Non-Functional Upgradation for Section Officers / Private Secretaries in the GP 5400 – PB – 3 has been recommended to be reduced to GP – 5400 PB-2 which has been downgraded. Pay Commissions are meant for enhancement of perks not for downgrading the status of Officers. Moreover, I have gone through both the Pay levels i.e. PL – 9 (5400 GP – PB-2) as well as PL-10 – 5400 GP – PB-3). Its really strange that I have been drawing Rs. 26680 and my pay will be fixed at Rs. 70000 w.e.f. 1.1.2016 in PL-8. I would be getting my Non functional scale of 5400 – GP PB-3 w.e.f. 28.12.2016. I would be getting one increment on 1.7.2016 and my basic will be Rs. 72100 and would be drawing the same 72100 on 28.12.2016.
After getting one increment on account of Non – Functional Upgradation my pay would be 74300, as there is no stage of 74300 in the Pay Level 9 (5400 – PB
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Vera into your scalp nightly. You scalp will be stimulated and the mineral content in aloe vera can potentially strengthen your hair.
TIP! Aloe vera may help prevent hair loss as many people swear by it. Simply apply Aloe to your scalp each night before you sleep.
You may wish to add more Vitamin C to your diet if you notice the loss of hair. Vitamin C gets more blood to the scalp, maintaining capillaries that carry blood to the follicles of hair. More blood flow to the scalp means that hair will regenerate at a faster rate.
People who have lost their hair can look into purchasing a wig. This is an effective hair loss solution for both women and men.
TIP! If you are experiencing hair loss, consider buying a wig. This is a wonderful way to combat hair loss for all genders.
If you are going through blading, think about getting a wig. Buy a wig while you still have a decent amount of hair, so that you can match your natural color as closely as possible. This is also a good way to prepare yourself to the idea of wearing a wig.
You need to cut back on how much stress you deal with on a daily basis. There is a positive correlation between stress and early hair loss. If you are already loosing hair, stress will accelerate it and also lower any treatment’s effectiveness.
TIP! Relax and lead a stress-free life. As you allow more and more stress to enter your life, the more it becomes likely that your hair will fall out.
Make sure you eat a lot of protein to slow your hair loss. Eggs, poultry, beans, fish and nuts will give your body the protein that it needs. Adding these foods to your diet will provide your hair with protein in the form of keratin. Keratin will help to strengthen your hair, and reduce future hair thinning.
Vitamin B12 in inherent in many foods. B-12 can be obtained in a supplement, or you can eat more meat, such as chicken and beef.
TIP! There are many sources of B12 available both naturally, and from a store. B-12 can be obtained in a supplement, or you can eat more meat, such as chicken and beef.
It is better to refrain from brushing your hair while it is wet. Use a soft towel or let your hair dry naturally before brushing. Wet hair follicles can be easily damaged. Also, brushing hair when it’s wet can lead to faster hair loss.
If you have severe or total hair loss, consider buying a wig. Even a high-quality wig is lower in cost than most hair loss treatments offered for extreme hair loss. Wigs are a commonly sold item, and thus are not too hard to find. Human hair is often used to make wigs, they can be very nice. Wigs can also be easily matched to any skin tone.
TIP! If you hair loss problem is severe, a quick solution is to get a wig. The use of wigs is a great way to save money because they are relatively inexpensive compared to other treatment methods.
You should massage your scalp on a regular basis so that you can cause stimulation and better circulation. Scalp massage is proven in its effectiveness towards improved hair growth, since it eases tensions and stress accumulation that might be expediting hair thinning. This is a technique that can be used daily with no risk of damage or more thinning hair.
There are temporary causes attributed to hair loss like anemia, stress, weight change, surgery, illness and much more. The temporary loss of hair usually happens three months after the end of the event that caused it, and it lasts another three months beyond that. If you know about these conditions, you can use this knowledge to allay your fears should you ever find yourself in this type of situation.
Consider your diet if you are worried about hair loss. Foods that are high in carbohydrates are considered imbalanced foods which may result in unhealthy hair, even hair loss. To keep hair healthy, eat high-protein, low-fat foods like fish and chicken breasts, and consume plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables.
TIP! One place to look when trying to find the cause of excessive hair loss is the components of your daily diet. An unhealthy diet does not provide you with the vitamins you need for you hair.
As hard as it may be to believe, relaxation through meditation may actually be effective at treating blading. Stress constricts your blood flow, in the scalp as well as elsewhere in the body, which will lead to blading. Meditation and massages can increase blood flow to your scalp, and possibly stimulate hair growth.
Your hair loss may be affected by your hair style. Constricting devices such as barrettes and pony tails can cause hair loss. This can result in hair loss from a condition known as traction alopecia.
TIP! When considering your hair loss, take into account the way that you wear or style your hair. Tight ponytails, head bands and barrettes can put stress on your hair and make it fall out.
Over sixty percent of men will suffer from some kind of hair thinning from their mid-twenties on, and so everyone must be prepared to deal with it. Testosterone produces DHT which seeks and destroys hair, and certain precautions must be adhered to in order to minimize your risk of hair loss.
If you are a woman experiencing hair loss, look to your hormones for the answer. A hormonal imbalance, perhaps caused by birth control, can create hair loss. Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) can also be to blame. Get your hormone levels analyzed by a physician if you are losing hair.
TIP! A good portion of women may be surprised to learn that hormones can contribute to hair loss. Birth control can cause a hormonal imbalance, which could cause hair loss.
One key factor to consider when concerned about hair thinning is your diet. An imbalanced diet can cause unhealthy hair. Diets high in carbohydrates and fast foods are especially bad. Poultry and fish are low fat and high in proteins which aid in the health of your hair; don’t forget fresh vegetables to infuse vitamins into your hair.
Increasing circulation can help stop hair loss; spicy foods will help with the circulation. Capsicum, which you will find in cayenne pepper, builds up follicles, and can boost growth of hair. Cayenne pepper is a great way to get your vitamin A, and also is helpful in maintaining general health, while reducing hair problems.
Do not dye your hair at home, make an appointment with a stylist! Foils cause less damage to your hair, so you should request that your hairdresser use them, as opposed coloring your whole head of hair. It is best to keep harsh chemicals away from your scalp, as they can potentially weaken hair follicles.
TIP! If you have to dye your hair, have it done by a professional. Ensure your hairdresser uses foils to dye your hair and does not place a dye on the whole head.
The way that you style your hair may be putting you at greater risk for thinning hair. Some practices that can result in hair loss are wearing tight pony tails, barrettes, and other constricting devices. This can result in hair loss from a condition known as traction alopecia.
When you notice thinning or hair loss, carefully analyze your array of hair care products. Wash out any hair products, like hairspray and gel, before going to sleep. Products like these can cause clogged pores, and this may cause hair loss.
TIP! Pay special attention to the hair products you use if you are having problems with thinning hair. Gels and other sticky hair products should be washed out before going to bed.
If you are a woman experiencing thinning hair, look to your hormones for the answer. Birth control can cause a hormonal imbalance, which could cause hair loss. Every hormone therapy replacement could cause a type of temporary hormonal imbalance. If you struggle with thinning hair, consult your doctor to see if your hormone levels may at least be partly to blame.
A mixture of rosemary and potatoes in boiling water creates a wonderful hair rinse that can speed up hair growth for you. Boil a pot of water with rosemary and potatoes in it. Let the water cool and rinse your hair with it regularly.
TIP! A concoction of potatoes and rosemary boiled in water makes a great rinse for your hair and can accelerate hair growth. Boil a pot of water with rosemary and potatoes in it.
Do not dye your hair at home, make an appointment with a stylist! Ask the clinician to use foils, rather than a dye that works overall. Dyes contain harsh chemicals that will ruin your roots and can cause blading if they come in contact with your scalp.
Seborrheic dermatitis is a condition that results in itchy thin scales forming on your scalp, causing the hair to prematurely fall out. If you think this may be causing your hair loss, talk to your doctor. Your doctor can advise products to address the problem in the form of prescription or OTC shampoos. Also, you’ll be able determine that you don’t have other conditions, such as psoriasis.
TIP! If your hair loss is accompanied by an itchy, scaly scalp, consult a physician and inquire about a condition called seborrheic dermatitis. Your doctor should be able to recommend the best treatment for you which may include a prescription shampoo, or an OTC one made specifically for your condition.
Is your hair not as thick as you would like? Take a look at the shampoo and conditioner you use. If you like to use gels or other sticky products to style
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to the testing lab for about $8 per sample. In the South, we primarily have highly acidic soils that range in pH from 4-5.5.
Unfortunately, most summer legumes thrive in the pH range of 6-7. This can usually be remedied by applying 1-2 tons of Aglime per acre. Fertilizer needs will vary greatly but almost always be required to grow productive spring food plots. Lime and fertilizer can be applied right before or immediately after plowing but prior to making the seed bed, and these nutrients need to be at the root level of the plant.
The seed bed is very critical for summertime plots because it is in this bed that your moisture will be held through the long dry summers. The best option for planting is mowing and poisoning your existing fall plots followed by no-till planting of the spring plots. For many hunters and landowners, no-till and row planters aren't available, so plowing is the only way to prepare a seed bed. In most upland food plots, you should attempt to plow as deep as possible and do so at least a month before your intended planting date so that you can "bank" spring showers into your bed prior to planting.
If you plow too late, your seed is at high risk of running out of important ground moisture at an age when it may not survive until the next rain. After plowing, use a drag or culti-packer to make a firm seed bed ready for planting.
Plowing will inherently bring many weed seeds to the surface that will later compete with your food species. These weeds can be sprayed prior to planting or you can plant Round-up ready species that can be sprayed throughout the growing season. Most warm season plants require a soil temperature of 60 degrees Fahrenheit or higher to germinate and do not hold up well with a frost.
Because of these two factors, I prefer to plant with a 60 percent chance or rain or greater after May 1 across much of the South. Some areas in the deep South can be planted in April with no problem or chance of frost but they should always be planted with impending rain.
Selecting the proper species to plant in a given food plot should be dependent on location, purpose, and size of your food plot. Planting an eighth acre of soybeans in a thick area with little sunlight and high deer densities will have you giving up on summer plots almost before you start. You need to allow the species to work for you in every way that it can.
Some are fantastic in small plots in the shade and others simply need a lot of sun and larger areas to keep from being decimated by the hungry mouths of your herd. Keep in mind that some spring food plot species do not provide any added nutrition during the summer but are great for cover and early fall hunting plots.
Commercial seed blends such as Tecomate's Buck Beans, Lablab Plus and BioLogic's Biomass (pictured) can offer ready-to-plant options for southern plots. Photo courtesy of Matt Haun.
These species are typically grains such as Grain Sorghum, Egyptian Wheat and Corn. The legumes are the highly nutritious and attractive species from the time they germinate until first frost. These legumes provide much needed protein and fiber to a deer's diet and also fix nitrogen into the soil, which can aid in fall food plot success. My favorite warm season legumes are Eagle Seed Soybeans, Lablab and Aeschynomene. There are also many commercial blends that can also be successful, such as BioLogic's Biomass All Legume and orginal Biomass as well as Tecomate's Buck Beans, and Lablab Plus.
There are also many other blends available at local feed and seed stores, but a word of caution: Always read the bag and make sure you want everything in it to grow on your property. I once had a client "pick up his own seed" and later found out that the main ingredient in the blend was brown-top millet, currently our second-most invasive weed on the entire property. Millet is great for birds and excellent at controlling erosion, but it does not belong in a warm season deer food plot designed for nutrition as it will choke out almost anything else you plant.
I use the cereal grains in smaller acreage plots and as buffers, cover and travel corridors in larger plots. Any of them will work in these circumstances but remember that if you plant Round-Up-ready beans, and you're mixing them with a cereal grain, make sure it also is Round-Up-ready. These cereal grains do not provide deer with summer nutrition, but they do provide shade, bedding, and early fall nutrition in the form of fats and carbohydrates.
The height difference in these cereal grains as compared to the legumes is generally drastic, which creates an additional "edge" on the food plot that all types of wildlife can benefit from. Grain Sorghum and Egyptian Wheat are both better in drought conditions than corn and will generally hold seeds later into summer and early fall better since their seed is higher and out of the reach of squirrels and raccoons, both of which feast on early corn.
Legumes (broadleafs) are the backbone of any spring/summer planting program. My favorites are Lablab, Eagle Seed Soybeans and Aeschynomene as stand alone plantings and Biomass All-Legume as a ready-to-plant blend. All of these species have to be either planted in large plots (greater than two acres) or protected throughout most of the South. They are highly attractive and nutritious, but in smaller plots, without protection, they will not be able to survive the browse pressure of our high deer densities. Moisture is a serious factor when choosing which legume to plant.
Lablab is one of the most drought tolerant legumes there is; it can survive on an inch or two of rain all season if planted correctly. Aeschynomene on the other hand can successfully grow underwater, so if your plot is in a low area that holds ground water close to the surface for extended periods it is the species for you. Aeschynomene also can take browse pressure better than most legumes, thus making it a viable consideration for smaller acreage plots in areas of high deer densities. Eagle Seed Soybeans are forage beans that are designed to produce mass quantities of leaves and do so very quickly once they are established.
A client of mine had his Eagle leaves tested last summer by a lab and they tested out at 35 percent crude protein. There is no other legume that can make those claims. They are also Round-Up-ready, making them the go-to seed in areas where summer weeds are a significant problem. Eagle Seed soybeans do require more precipitation than Lablab but once established are quite drought tolerant.
Most summer plots below the Mason-Dixon line can be planted by May 1, but I cannot emphasize enough the need to wait until rain is pending to plant. Moisture is the single most important factor in establishing successful summer food plots; without it the plants simply will not survive. If you can time your planting to occur just prior to a half-inch of rain or better, you will be amazed at how quickly the plots will germinate and grow. I've seen Lablab germinate and have two leaves per plant within 48 hours of planting.
For many southern land managers, no-till and row-planters aren't available, so plowing is the only option for preparing a seedbed. Implements such as the Firminator and Plotmaster can aid in these efforts. Photo courtesy of Matt Haun.
The cereal grains and legumes mentioned above should be planted about a half-inch deep but can be planted as deep as an inch. Unlike fall plots that can be "rained" into their seed beds, spring species need to be covered to ensure proper rooting. I use a Firminator to plant both spring and fall plots and adjust the angle of the front cutting discs to achieve my desired cover. This machine culti-packs the seed bed after dropping the seed into the dirt. A drag harrow can also be used in loose dirt to cover the seed followed by rolling or culti-packing to ensure good seed/soil contact.
Perhaps the most important and often over-looked aspect of summer food plots is adequate protection against over-browsing. There are several options available to protect your food plots and I've tried them all from using road barricades and barbershop clippings to full plot exclusion fences. Plot size is a good way to deal with browse pressure but is often not enough. This past spring, one of my clients planted a 10-acre soybean field in north Georgia and in three weeks time the entire field was all but eliminated. Fortunately for him, we were able to save the food plot by immediately installing a Gallagher fencing system around the field.
This allowed his soybeans to regenerate and thrive. You can protect your plots with visual, scent, sound or physical barriers that key on a deer's wariness to the advantage of your crop. Visual and sound barriers such as flashing lights, aluminum foil and propane cannons tend not to be very effective against southern deer.
Scent barriers such as Milorginte have been shown in studies to be effective when applied at a rate of 300 pounds per acre but can be costly and have a fixed efficacy of about 3-4 weeks. Two applications will cost about $110 per acre. Combination barriers like PlotSaver and Plot Protector tend to work well in medium deer densities, however they require reapplication of the scent product every 10 days to two weeks to be effective.
Physical barriers, however, can provide up to 100
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thought of talking in front of people brings back pubescent memories of standing in front of a middle school English class, reading a book report with a frog in your throat. Not exactly everybody’s comfort zone.
We are approaching our 550th author interview on The Author Stories Podcast, and in conducting those 500 interviews you learn that there is a particular rhythm in conversation. These hours of recordings that I’ve collected over the last several years have been some of the most memorable conversations I’ve had the pleasure of participating in. I’ve learned more from these guests than I ever bargained for, made some really great friends, and as I hoped when I started, I’ve gotten a better understanding of what makes creative people tick and received insights into the creative process from some of the very best.
I tell my guests that the tone of my show is two friends talking about writing, and that is how I approach each interview. Two friends sitting down, sometimes with coffee or a Diet Dr. Pepper, talking about what makes the writing life what it is. Sometimes you meet someone and instantly hit it off, sometimes it takes a few moments to find the rhythm and connect with one another. If you are going to be a guest on a podcast and want your experience to be the best it can be, here are a few things that I think might help you have the best experience you can. I’ve also reached out to some friends that just happen to be some of the best podcasters out there to offer some thoughts of their own. You’ll find their thoughts sprinkled in with mine below.
This one really should speak for itself. If you commit to an interview time, do your best to be on time or at least email or call to let the host know what’s going on. We’re all human and have families and other commitments. Trust me, we know about life getting in the way. But if you are a professional, or striving to be one, then treat this podcast interview as if it is just as important as sitting down with CNN or a literary magazine. The honest truth of the media landscape today is that the humble podcast you’re guesting on just might have a wider reach than those prestigious legacy media outlets anyway. And even if they don’t, to be a professional you have to act like one. This is a great place to start practicing for that inevitable appearance on Good Morning America.
If you’ve agreed to a time, make sure it’s on your calendar and you’ve set up alerts, had your VA set up alerts, or otherwise just have some reminder to be there. Sitting and waiting for a guest who turns out to be a no-show is infuriating, and doesn’t exactly make me want to bring you back for a re-do.
That said, when you DO have to reschedule, do it as early as possible and reach out to let me know. Don’t make me track you down just so you can tell me you had a conference call.
Treat me the way you’d treat any client, business partner, or other professional contacts. Remember, this is for YOU. I’m giving some of my time, which is important, in exchange for some of your time, which is also important. But the end result is more about promoting you and your work than anything. Show some professional courtesy.
The internet has opened up avenues of communication never before available. Most of the interviews I conduct are over Skype. Some podcasters use YouTube or Google hangouts, and there are always new technologies emerging that enable us to connect with people, sometimes across the world. These technologies are relatively easy to use, and can utilize what most of us already have in our homes or offices. But there are a few things you need to consider.
Most podcasters take pride in the sound they have worked hard to cultivate. We invest in microphones, fast computers with lots of memory, and sometimes outboard equipment that helps us tweak little things here and there. You as a guest don’t need to worry about all that, but you do need to make sure that you are in a quiet environment and have a decent microphone and headphones. Life happens to all of us and the occasional dog barking or toddler squealing is completely understandable, but a television in the background will wreak havoc. You can buy an inexpensive microphone on Amazon that is more than adequate. Also, a set of headphones that are comfortable for you will eliminate feedback and will keep the host from hearing him or herself repeated, which can be confusing and throw off the conversation.
When I first started podcasting, I recorded a show that never aired. I invited someone on that had just hit a milestone in their career and had a pretty nice following. This does not automatically translate to podcast gold.
I don’t script questions, and most of the podcast hosts that I know don’t either. We usually have good background information about the guest, are familiar with their work, and have a question or two in mind to start with. Anyone that has listened to Author Stories knows that I always start with the same question: “What is your first memory of wanting to be a writer or storyteller?” This question always springboards us into a conversation that lasts for thirty minutes to an hour, and we wrap it up when the conversation has come to its natural end.
“Tell stories. Don’t be afraid to talk.
Don’t give yes or no answers. Get into the show.
The host and their listeners are listening because they WANT to know about you and what you have to say. This is your time to let them get to know you.
When in doubt, elaborate. It’s much easier for a host to work with someone who talks, than someone that speaks in one sentence answers.
The key here is conversation. If you are sitting in a room with a friend and they ask you a question, you don’t just answer with single sentence answers. That’s not much of a conversation. Well, when this conversation wrapped up I looked down at the clock and we were twelve minutes in. I had nothing left to ask or say. It was terrible. Don’t be afraid to elaborate and expound on what the host asked. When they ask you a question, that is your cue to run with it and tell us an interesting story. We WANT you to talk.
This is a biggie. Most of the time when someone invites you to their podcast, it’s because you have something to promote, or have done some interesting things that we’d like to hear you talk about. We know you have something to sell and promote. The nature of the business is that we all have something we’d like to bring to people’s attention at any given moment. But here is the fact of the matter, people tend to fall in love with a person and then support their work more than the other way around. Tell engaging stories, offer advice about something you’ve learned as you honed your craft, tell us something funny or heartbreaking, but above all else, give us something to like about you and something to connect with. Then people will buy your stuff. And don’t worry, we as podcast hosts are more than prepared to give you plenty of time to talk about your new project, we asked you here so that you could. But let’s get to it in the natural course of conversation.
This one should be self-explanatory, but here goes. Treat people the way you want to be treated. If a host has invited you to their show, chances are they’ve already put in hours of preparation to get to know about you and your work. Then they will spend somewhere near an hour with you. Then after the show they will spend several more hours editing the audio, writing show notes, publishing the show on various platforms, and promoting it everywhere they can. Thank the host for having you. Act like a guest in their home. Be nice. Be humble.
Now this is not to say you can’t have fun, and if the conversation is going well and you and the host have a rapport, be funny if that’s your style. But be cognizant of how your words might be interpreted to the audience. You want people to want to know more about you, not be impressed by your rapier wit and cynicism.
You’ve spent the time preparing for an interview, you’ve told witty, engaging stories, you’ve sold the audience on your new book or widget, now give them something to remember you by. Be sure to share your website and social media with them. Don’t have a web site? This isn’t 1985 anymore. Stop right now and setup a site. You can start a site at WordPress.com for free until you can have a professional help you. This is non-negotiable in today’s world. Give people a way to follow you forward and to find out news about you.
The podcaster that has invited you on their show has gone to great pains to build up a loyal listenership. They will share you and your work with their audience and appreciates if you will do the same. We all benefit from exposing our personal networks to each other’s work and in the end the exponential nature of networking works for all our benefit.
I hope you find these thoughts helpful, and thank you to Jimmy, Josh, Kevin, and Armand for chiming in with their thoughts and experiences as well. Podcasting has grown from a frontier technology to the very center of the mainstream. I hope we help you find a new audience and continue to share your stories with us. Without great guests like you, we couldn’t do what we do.
Let me leave you with one last thought. Relax. Have FUN. You’re going to do great.
If you liked this article
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. In describing Moses, the summary must begin, “By faith,” as much as if we were describing Abraham. Continue to regard Moses as a representative of the Law but also view him as a man of wonderful and powerful faith.
I need scarcely remind you that the faith of Moses was peculiarly active and operative. I might apply the words of James to him and say, “Likewise, was not Moses justified by works when he refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter and chose to endure affliction with the people of God?” The faith of Moses was what ours must be, a faith which worked by love–even love to God and love to His people. It was no mere belief of a fact. But that fact had an overpowering influence upon his life. Moses believed, believed firmly and intensely, believed for himself, so that he took fast hold of that which is invisible. Moses showed the reality of his faith in his life–by what he refused to do–and by what he chose to do.
Both the negative and the positive poles were made right by his faith. Everything about Moses proved the truth and the vigor of his faith in God. He was second to none among those “who believed God and it was accounted unto them for righteousness.” He was king in Jeshurun and he was the greatest of Law-givers. But yet he happily takes his place among Believers who find their all in God. On the Arc de Triomphe which is raised in this eleventh chapter of Hebrews the name of Moses is written among the very greatest of those who lived by faith in God. I pray that while I am speaking this morning faith may be worked in some here present who have it not as yet.
And I pray also that others who have true faith but have not yet avowed it may find themselves drawn to take a decided step and take their place on the side of God and His people. The question, “Who is on the Lord’s side?” is the one I would press upon you this morning in the hope that, like Moses, many of you may be willing to suffer the reproach of Christ, which has not ceased.
Our first remark shall be Moses had faith. The second shall be Moses exhibited clear decision as the result of his faith. And then, thirdly, we will say Moses should be imitated by us.
First, then, MOSES HAD FAITH. I am not going through the whole life of Moses–that is much too large a theme for one discourse. But I shall very much keep to my text.
It is very clear that Moses believed in God. He was learned in all the learning of the Egyptians. He had been brought up in the very best academies of the period. But he had not been seduced from faith in his God. There were many gods in Egypt. But Moses worshipped the one God, the God of his fathers. And though he may have known comparatively little of Him, he knew enough to have no other God but the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. I suppose that his mother and father could tell him but little of the family faith. But as they were God-fearing, believing people, they taught him what they knew.
He believed in the living God, Creator of Heaven and earth. He worshipped one God, the Ruler of Providence–one God who is to be obeyed and adored. And to this God he adhered. I would that all of you believed in the living, personal, working, ever present God! In these days many do not believe in a personal God but in some sort of force or mystic energy–they know not what. This is virtually to have no God at all. To Moses the existence and ruling power of God were the greatest facts of life. He believed in the one living and true God, bowed before Him, desired to be found serving Him and to have Him as his friend, even though this should put him in opposition with all the world. Although the pomp and power and glory and wisdom of the ruling nation were all on the side of idols, Moses worshipped the one God. For in His power and Godhead he solemnly believed.
In the next place, Moses believed that the Israelites were the chosen people of God. This, of course, he had learned from his parents and he heartily believed it, though it certainly did not look to be true. If the seed of Jacob were the people of God, why were they left under oppression? Why were they enslaved by Pharaoh? Why were their children doomed to die? Could the elect of God be left in so evil a plight? If God was the God of this people, why were they made to endure affliction? Perhaps they told him that God had revealed unto their fathers that they were to go down into Egypt and to be strangers in a strange land.
If they are good enough for God, they are good enough for me. If you never join a Church till you find a perfect Church, you must wait till you get to Heaven. And if you could go there as you are, they would not receive you into fellowship. Consider who are the people that acknowledge God in their lives, who hold the Truth of God as it is revealed, who believe the Holy Scriptures and worship God in the Spirit, having no confidence in the flesh. Cast in your lot with these people, however poor and common-place they may be. If they are not all you would like them to be, neither are you yourself all you would like to be. But simply, because you believe them to be the people of God, cast in your lot with them, begging the Lord to have mercy upon you and deal with you as He is likely to do to those who fear His name.
Furthermore, Moses believed it to be wisest to be upon the side of God. “He had respect unto the recompense of the reward.” Adding all things up and making a deliberate calculation of the whole business he believed that it must be right and wise to stand on that side which was in agreement with the living God. He made up his mind that he would be where the Lord was. Now, dear Friends, that is a wise conclusion to come to, is it not? Should we not be on the side of God? We are His creatures–should we contend with our Creator? He has been infinitely good to us–ought we not to side with our Benefactor? All that He does is right, all that He permits is just, all that He advocates is pure.
Should we not be on that side? The other side is the side of evil and darkness, the side of the devil–should we be found there? I think not. O young Man, it will be your glory to be upon the side of God. O young Woman, it will be your beauty to espouse the cause of Christ. What can become of us if we are opposed to God, the Good and True? Shall the thread contend with the flame, or the wax with the fire? If we are on the side of God we are on the right side. And being on the right side we shall have peace of conscience and rest of heart. The right must ultimately win the day.
But even if it were not so, a brave heart is content with being right. Is it just? Is it true? Then put down my name as a soldier in that army. It must be well to be upon the side of God because God’s worst is better than the world’s best. Did you notice how Moses put it? He brings forth affliction and he esteems it to be better than the “pleasures of sin.” Now, pleasures are certainly better than afflictions, according to any ordinary judgment. But Moses came to this conclusion–that although affliction might be God’s worst–it was better than the pleasure of sin, which is evil’s best. He mentions reproach, which is one of the most bitter kinds of affliction, for many a man can bear pain but cannot bear ridicule.
Next, dear Friends, note this–Moses had faith in a future judgment. He looked beyond the present. He “had respect to the recompense of the reward.” It is dangerous to be always looking at things from one point of view. If we could go quite round and see things from the future, looking back upon them rather than forward to them, how different they would appear! “Oh,” said a lady to her minister, “I find great pleasure in going to the play. There is the pleasure of anticipation, there is the pleasure of enjoying it and there is the pleasure of thinking it over afterwards.” “Yes,” said her minister, “I know all that, Madam. But there is one pleasure you have forgotten, namely, the pleasure of meditating upon it on a dying bed.” She shrugged her shoulders, she could see no pleasure there.
I wish that men would estimate their pleasures by that rule. How will they look when they lie dying? How will they appear when they stand before the judgment seat of God? When I have once come into eternity and have to spend it according to the final sentence, how shall I look back upon what I have done? As a Christian man, how shall I look back upon wasted opportunities and idleness in my Master’s vineyard? As an unbeliever, how shall I regard wasted Sabbaths, rejected entreaties, a neglected Bible, a disregarded Mercy Seat? If we could only view things in that clear light which beats about the eternal future we should avoid a thousand mistakes. View the course of life as Moses did, in connection with the recompense of the reward and a resolve will be taken which will make you commence a life for God and holiness.
His faith led him on to personal action. He did not say
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. In the book, Job is described as blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil. Despite living such a holy life, Job loses everything through interference by Satan that is allowed by God, and furthermore is afflicted in his person by Satan. And Job in his humiliation sat among the ashes. A long series of discussions ensue between Job and friends, about God and Who God is, and how He acts. And with respect to their arguments, Job remains in the right.
And then as the friends are rendered speechless by Job’s insight and reasoning, or at least they stopped talking, out of a whirlwind appears God. And how God answers the three men and Job is truly remarkable. It is an account certainly based on God’s power, but even moreso on God’s mysterious power—God has not only laid the foundation of the earth but done so as the morning stars sang together. He not only shut in the sea with doors but gave the clouds their garment. It is He that accounts for the inexplicable instincts of animals such as the eagle, the ostrich, the deer, the mountain goat, the horse. But He also commands the morning, and causes the dawn to know its place. It is a tremendous account of God’s majesty and His mystery.
It puts the four men and Job in their place. Job’s response is “I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know... therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes.” And all that Job lost is restored—his family, his land and animals, even more so than before. Job therefore is strengthened through it all, he is not made weak but stronger but this encounter of God. But this encounter nonetheless revealed something absolutely central to healthy faith and spiritual growth—and it is the recognition that we are creatures. It is the profound truth that we are created—it is God who hath made us and not we ourselves. God walks among us. God talks among us. God knows all our thoughts, desires, and secrets. But our relationship with God is fundamentally unequal—our creaturehood in the face of the Creator of all things visible and invisible is a truth of inexhaustible value in prayer, and it is the basis for the proper understanding of God and His divine holiness. It is the basis for peace and calm.
It is this question of who God is that is at stake in the parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector, which, in the words of one New Testament scholar, “speaks to something deep within the heart of every human.” The heart is where we encounter God and is the arena where God encounters us. It is in our heart that we do battle against temptations—for the heart is the seat of the will, the mother of our decisions and intentions. What happens inwardly in our heart in this battle between the conflicts that make up our human existence is lived out in our actions, our behavior, our words and deeds.
This is why it is often said that what we say we believe is less important than how we live our lives according to those beliefs. When Christian actions, broadly construed, are at great odds with stated beliefs, the term for that is hypocrisy. But when Christian actions are in accord with stated Christian beliefs, the term for that is holiness. But the lives of holy person and the hypocrite can look quite similar, as the that of the Pharisee and Tax Collector probably did from about fifty feet away. It is only by knowing something of their inner world of prayer, which Saint Luke gives us from the words of Our Lord Jesus, that we can discern that despite appearances, the differences between the Pharisee and the Tax Collect are great.
At root in this parable is the attitude towards God. Behind the boastful, love of self that we see in the Pharisee is a very ordinary view of God. This is a god that loves gossip, that loves bragging, that favors the elite, and favors the proud. And the teaching here is that the Pharisee is making God out to be exactly like himself: God in the image of man, and specifically, of this man. And the Pharisee is addressing God as if he and God are on the same plane, the same level—and even because the Pharisee’s words are little more that gossip, secretly the Pharisee inwardly thinks he can control God, and that is why he fasts and that is why he tithes, so that he can claim a holy specialness.
What the Tax Collector says in his prayer is equally illustrative, but notice how different it is. Not lifting his eyes to heaven, he beats his breast and says, “God, be merciful to me a sinner.” None of the comparison of himself to others, none of the idolatrous self-love, none of the celebration of self-accomplishment seen in the Pharisee. Rather, the simplicity and truth of the Tax Collector expresses humility. The words of the Tax Collector are the words of Job. Both recognize the immanent presence of God in their hearts, and both are struck nearly speechless by His presence both mysterious and tremendous—fundamentally incomprehensible. Their prayer is the prayer of creaturehood—of ultimate humility.
This is why the Church imposes ashes upon our foreheads. It is not a mark intended to evoke sorrow, to make us weak, or to focus inordinately on our mortality. Job was in ashes and he was empowered by God. The ashes are a mark of truth—that we are creatures. We are created. God’s power and majesty is inexplicable in human terms and yet this is a power we participate in by His grace, and indeed that we are to be agents of for others. Ashes are to give the same peace and calm to us that God gave to Job—a peace that settles us, a calm that pervades us, that comes through the right knowledge of who God is and who we His creatures are. And with that knowledge—with that peace and calm, and only with that peace and calm—can we rightly enter Lent, and allow the deepest truth of our creaturehood in the face of an unfathomable Creator to work on our hearts. We enter Lent much like Peter, John, and James walked down the mountain after the Transfiguration—overwhelmed in such a way that provides clarity necessary for proper repentence.
Offered by Father Matthew Dallman, Obl.S.B., for the Parish of Tazewell County on the Sixteenth Sunday after Trinity (Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost), 2018.
It is a funny pattern that we humans have whenever a new technology is introduced. New techbomogy is always first understood in the terms of the technology it is replacing. The perfect example is the automobile; when it was introduced, it was spoken of as the “horseless carriage.” Or, as another example, the internet was spoken of as the “information superhighway.” These are metaphors, yet these give a vivid sense as to what the innovation actually is. The car, yes it is a carriage—but it is a horseless carriage. The internet is for information, but it is not like a library one has to travel to—no, the information is already mobile and on a superhighway-like-thing: it travels to you with the touch of the fingers. In other words, the pattern is that what is being replaced or made obsolete becomes the shell of initial interpretation for what is new.
We see the same thing in the Scriptures. “Who do men say that I am?” Jesus asks His disciples. And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Eli′jah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” The terms for understanding and interpreting Jesus used widely in Jewish society were not up to date; or, stated differently but in a sense more accurately, God’s revelation in the Incarnation was such a monumental leap forward in the “spiritual technology,” it is perfectly understandable why the terms to interpret Him had not caught up. He was either a prophet, or He was a military revolutionary—both of which were wrong, but those were the categories of serious public figures for first-century Palestine.
Offered by Father Matthew Dallman, Obl.S.B., for the Parish of Tazewell County, on the Twenty-Third Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 27, Year A), 2017.
Five maidens were wise, and five were foolish. The five who were wise took flasks of oil with them as they waited for the bridegroom to open the door. The five who were foolish brought no oil with them. They were too busy finding other matters important than to tend to this preparation. Asking the wise maidens to give them some oil, they were refused. Scrambling then to find more oil, by the time they returned, the door was closed to them. And despite their pleas to enter, the bridegroom does not reconsider, but instead says, “Truly, I do not know you.” They are unrecognizable to him, for if they have not taken seriously the preparations for this most significant day, their presence will not add to the festivity but detract from it.
Offered by Father Matthew Dallman, Obl.S.B., for the Parish of Tazewell County, on the Feast of All Saints, 2017.
As the Adult Study Classes began early last month our close examination of the Gospel according to Saint Mark, I invited the classes to an exercise in which we name significant things we would lose of the Christian life if the
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Bedroom Sets; (3) Wash Tubs w/ Stands; Red Wagon; Milk Cans. FULL LINE OF HOUSEHOLD ITEMS.
1 m N of Ottawa, KS to Sand Creek Rd., 3 m W to Kentucky, S to 3657 Kentucky Rd.
AUCTION – Sat. April 27 @ 10 a.m.
Farm Equipment: J.D. 4020 D. Tractor w/ Loader; I.H. ‘H’ & 350 Tractors, not running; Several Pieces of Older Farm Machinery. LARGE SELECTION of – Vintage Toys, Kerosene Lamps, Pictures, Records, Bottles, Etc. Furniture, Tables, etc. LARGE ASSORTMENT of old Shop Tools & Vintage Items.
NOTE: As near to the “old Fashion” farmstead auction as you might find. Much to yet be found. Something for everyone!
Sealed Bids for the construction of the Proximity Park Sanitary Sewer Improvements will be received by City of Ottawa at 101 S. Hickory, Ottawa, KS, until 2:00 pm local time on May 16, 2019, at which time the Bids received will be publicly opened and read.
Bids will be received for a single prime Contract. Bids shall be on a lump sum and unit price basis, with additive alternate bid items as indicated in the Bid Form. Project consist of approximately 1,700 LF of 18”, 3,900 LF of 15”, 5,300 LF of 10” sanitary sewer, and 31 manhole structures.
The Issuing Office for the Bidding Documents is: Professional Engineering Consultants, P.A., 400 S. Kansas Avenue, Suite 200, Topeka, Kansas 66603. Prospective Bidders may examine the Bidding Documents at the Issuing Office on Mondays through Fridays between the hours of 8:00 am and 5:00 pm, and may obtain copies of the Bidding Documents from the Issuing Office as described below.
Bidding Documents also may be examined at City of Ottawa, 101 S. Hickory., Ottawa, KS 66067, on Mondays through Fridays between the hours of 8:15 am and 4:45 pm.
Printed copies of the Bidding Documents consisting of the drawings and specifications, together with information to bidders, bid proposal form and forms of contracts, performance bond and statutory bond may be obtained from Drexel Technologies at http://www.drexeltech.com/. Additionally, Bidding Documents may be picked up at Drexel Technologies on a CD or downloaded electronically. See the Drexel Technologies website for pricing. All purchases are non-refundable. Drexel Technologies can be contacted by phone at (913) 371-4430 or electronically at http://www.drexeltech.com/. Bidding Documents will be shipped only if the requesting party assumes responsibility for all related shipping charges. Corporate, certified, or cashier’s checks shall be made payable to Drexel Technologies.
Bid security shall be furnished in accordance with the Instructions to Bidders.
The Owner reserves the right to waive any informalities or to reject any and all bids.
Bidders on this work will be requested to comply with the Presidents Executive Order No. 11246. Requirements for bidders and contractors under this order are explained in the specifications.
Bids will remain subject to acceptance for 60 days after opening. No bidder may withdraw his/her bid within this 60 days.
Until 2:00 p.m. (Central Standard Time-Central Daylight Savings Time) May 14, 2019, and then at said office publicly opened and read aloud.
NOTE: To obtain an electronic pdf set of contract documents or view a list of plan holders, please visit our website at www.pec1.com and select “Plan Room”. An electronic pdf set of contract documents may be obtained upon request. For questions on obtaining contract documents, please contact the Administrative Assistant at 785-233-8300. For other project information, please contact the Engineer. A hard-copy including one full-size set of drawings and one project manual is available for a non-refundable charge of $200.00.
Or you may visit www.questcdn.com. Bidding documents may be downloaded for $25.00 by entering the Quest project # 6278489 on the project search page. There will be no refund for this fee. Please contact QuestCDN.com at (952) 233-1632 or [email protected] for assistance with free membership registration or questions regarding download of the bid package.
A pre-bid conference will be held at 2:00 p.m. local time on April 30, 2019 at the Franklin County Commission Chambers, 1428 South Main, Ottawa, Kansas 66067. Attendance at pre-bid conference is highly encouraged but is not mandatory. Bidders on this work will be required to comply with the President’s Executive Order No. 11246. Requirements for bidders and contractors under this order are explained in the specifications.
From Ottawa take Hwy 59 6 miles north to Stafford Rd. then west ¼ of a mile to Old Hwy 59, South 1 mile. Auction will be on the right. Watch for signs!
Arrowheads & Coins: 100+ Arrowheads Big or Small, We have them all! Most found local. 1857 Flying Eagle Cent; 1858 Small & Large Letters Flying Eagle Cent; Indian Head Pennies 1859, 1860, 63, 64, 64 Var.2, 66, 67, 1873, 74, 79, 1880, 81, 83, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 1890, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 1900, 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07, 08, 09; Wheat Pennies 1909 VDB, 09S, 1910S, 11D, 11S, 12D, 12S, 13S, 14D, 14S, 15S, 1922D, 23S, 24D, 26S, 1933D; Buffalo Nickels 1913 Var. 1, Var. 2, 1913D Var. 1, 1913S Var.1, 1914, 15, 15D, 16, 16D, 16S, 17, 17D, 18, 18D, 18S, 19S, 1920D, 23S, 24D, 24S, 25D, 26D, 1931S, 38D; (3) 1941+ Partial Lincoln Penny Books; 1913-1938 Partial Buffalo Nickel Book; (2) 1909-1940 Partial Lincoln Cent Books; Silver Jefferson Nickels; Silver Roosevelt Dimes; Many Uncirculated Coins (Some Silver); Casino $1 Gaming Tokens; Many Foreign Coins Mid 1800’s to Present.
Collectables, Antiques: Ottawa Coal Co. Coal Pick Hammer; 1940’s Nuzman Lumber Ottawa KS Folding Comb (New); Antique Horse Pull Toy (Very Neat); Many Wooden Levels; Advertisements; Comic Books; Books; Instant Postum Thermometer; Wood Crates; Road Maps; Post Cards; Pop Bottles; Irons; Lamp Shades; Light Fixtures; Crocks; Wood Planes; Blue Christmas Plates; Spittoon; Medicine Bottles; Glass Insulators; Coca- Cola Items; Blue Jars; Metal Boxes; Christmas Décor & Ornaments; Pocket Knives; Shot Glasses; S&P Shakers; Figurines; Knick Knacks; Native American Statues; Native American Prints & Pictures; Door Knobs, Hinges, Pulls, & Hardware; Mary Hall “Richmond KS”; Scale; Many Lunch Boxes (Some W/Thermos); Pennants; Marbles; Oil Lamps; Uncle Sam Bank; Van Camps Pork & Beans Menu Board; Shirley Temple Scrap Book; Frederick Remington Prints; Antique Barrel; Many Cast Iron Toys; Darwin Monkey Statue; License Plates; Buttons & Pins; Cast Iron Turtle Door Stop; Sports Cards; Metal Signs; Glass Rolling Pin; Collapsible Wooden Wash Tub Stand; Cooler; Cream Separator; Wooden Bench; Tools; KC Royals Glasses; Toys; NADA Guide Books; Hames; Hay Hooks; Pie Case; Fans; Prestone Thermometer; Lanterns; Egg Basket; Church Keys; Oil Cans; Washboards; Globe W/Stand; Lots of Misc.
Pellet Stove, Furniture, Appliances, Misc.: Breckwell “Big E” Pellet Stove (Like New); Chafing Dishes; Roaster Ovens; Cookie Jars; T.V.; Entertainment Center; Snack Sets; Couch; Recliners; End Tables; Lamps; Kenmore Refrigerator; 11 Drawer Chest; Queen Bed; Sharp Microwave; Hot Dog Cooker; Extension Cords; Walkers; Yards Tools; Display Cabinet; Wooden Trunks; Vintage Crib; Heavy Duty Firewood Racks; Display Racks; Radio Flyer Wagon; Push Mower; Front T
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shifting our attention from OMG's UML 1.4 Specification to OMG's Adopted 2.0 Draft Specification of UML (a.k.a. UML 2). I hate to change emphasis from 1.4 to 2.0 in the middle of a series of articles, but the UML 2.0 Draft Specification is an important step forward, and I feel the need to spread the word.
It's free. No credit card required. Start for free!
Notice the wording in my statement above: "Adopted 2.0 Draft Specification of UML." It is true that the specification is still in draft status, but the key is that the Draft Specification has been adopted by OMG, a consortium that does not adopt new standards until they become pretty solid. There will be some changes to the specification before UML 2 is completely adopted, but these changes should be minimal. The main changes will be in the internals of UML--involving features typically used by software companies who implement UML tools.
The main purpose of this article is to continue our focus on the essential UML diagrams; this month, we take a close look at the sequence diagram. Please note, again, that the examples provided below are based on the new UML 2 specification.
The sequence diagram is used primarily to show the interactions between objects in the sequential order that those interactions occur. Much like the class diagram, developers typically think sequence diagrams were meant exclusively for them. However, an organization's business staff can find sequence diagrams useful to communicate how the business currently works by showing how various business objects interact. Besides documenting an organization's current affairs, a business-level sequence diagram can be used as a requirements document to communicate requirements for a future system implementation. During the requirements phase of a project, analysts can take use cases to the next level by providing a more formal level of refinement. When that occurs, use cases are often refined into one or more sequence diagrams.
An organization's technical staff can find sequence diagrams useful in documenting how a future system should behave. During the design phase, architects and developers can use the diagram to force out the system's object interactions, thus fleshing out overall system design.
One of the primary uses of sequence diagrams is in the transition from requirements expressed as use cases to the next and more formal level of refinement. Use cases are often refined into one or more sequence diagrams. In addition to their use in designing new systems, sequence diagrams can be used to document how objects in an existing (call it "legacy") system currently interact. This documentation is very useful when transitioning a system to another person or organization.
Since this is the first article in my UML diagram series that is based on UML 2, we need to first discuss an addition to the notation in UML 2 diagrams, namely a notation element called a frame. The frame element is used as a basis for many other diagram elements in UML 2, but the first place most people will encounter a frame element is as the graphical boundary of a diagram. A frame element provides a consistent place for a diagram's label, while providing a graphical boundary for the diagram. The frame element is optional in UML diagrams; as you can see in Figures 1 and 2, the diagram's label is placed in the top left corner in what I'll call the frame's "namebox," a sort of dog-eared rectangle, and the actual UML diagram is defined within the body of the larger enclosing rectangle.
In addition to providing a visual border, the frame element also has an important functional use in diagrams depicting interactions, such as the sequence diagram. On sequence diagrams incoming and outgoing messages (a.k.a. interactions) for a sequence can be modeled by connecting the messages to the border of the frame element (as seen in Figure 2). This will be covered in more detail in the "Beyond the basics" section below.
The UML specification provides specific text values for diagram types (e.g., sd = Sequence Diagram, activity = Activity Diagram, and use case = Use Case Diagram).
The main purpose of a sequence diagram is to define event sequences that result in some desired outcome. The focus is less on messages themselves and more on the order in which messages occur; nevertheless, most sequence diagrams will communicate what messages are sent between a system's objects as well as the order in which they occur. The diagram conveys this information along the horizontal and vertical dimensions: the vertical dimension shows, top down, the time sequence of messages/calls as they occur, and the horizontal dimension shows, left to right, the object instances that the messages are sent to.
When drawing a sequence diagram, lifeline notation elements are placed across the top of the diagram. Lifelines represent either roles or object instances that participate in the sequence being modeled. [Note: In fully modeled systems the objects (instances of classes) will also be modeled on a system's class diagram.] Lifelines are drawn as a box with a dashed line descending from the center of the bottom edge (Figure 3). The lifeline's name is placed inside the box.
In the example shown in Figure 3, the lifeline represents an instance of the class Student, whose instance name is freshman. Note that, here, the lifeline name is underlined. When an underline is used, it means that the lifeline represents a specific instance of a class in a sequence diagram, and not a particular kind of instance (i.e., a role). In a future article we'll look at structure modeling. For now, just observe that sequence diagrams may include roles (such as buyer and seller) without specifying who plays those roles (such as Bill and Fred). This allows diagram reuse in different contexts. Simply put, instance names in sequence diagrams are underlined; roles names are not.
Our example lifeline in Figure 3 is a named object, but not all lifelines represent named objects. Instead a lifeline can be used to represent an anonymous or unnamed instance. When modeling an unnamed instance on a sequence diagram, the lifeline's name follows the same pattern as a named instance; but instead of providing an instance name, that portion of the lifeline's name is left blank. Again referring to Figure 3, if the lifeline is representing an anonymous instance of the Student class, the lifeline would be: " Student." Also, because sequence diagrams are used during the design phase of projects, it is completely legitimate to have an object whose type is unspecified: for example, "freshman."
The first message of a sequence diagram always starts at the top and is typically located on the left side of the diagram for readability. Subsequent messages are then added to the diagram slightly lower then the previous message.
Besides just showing message calls on the sequence diagram, the Figure 4 diagram includes return messages. These return messages are optional; a return message is drawn as a dotted line with an open arrowhead back to the originating lifeline, and above this dotted line you place the return value from the operation. In Figure 4 the secSystem object returns userClearance to the system object when the getSecurityClearance method is called. The system object returns availableReports when the getAvailableReports method is called.
Again, the return messages are an optional part of a sequence diagram. The use of return messages depends on the level of detail/abstraction that is being modeled. Return messages are useful if finer detail is required; otherwise, the invocation message is sufficient. I personally like to include return messages whenever a value will be returned, because I find the extra details make a sequence diagram easier to read.
When modeling a sequence diagram, there will be times that an object will need to send a message to itself. When does an object call itself? A purist would argue that an object should never send a message to itself. However, modeling an object sending a message to itself can be useful in some cases. For example, Figure 5 is an improved version of Figure 4. The Figure 5 version shows the system object calling its determineAvailableReports method. By showing the system sending itself the message "determineAvailableReports," the model draws attention to the fact that this processing takes place in the system object.
To draw an object calling itself, you draw a message as you would normally, but instead of connecting it to another object, you connect the message back to the object itself.
The example messages in Figure 5 show synchronous messages; however, in sequence diagrams you can model asynchronous messages, too. An asynchronous message is drawn similar to a synchronous one, but the message's line is drawn with a stick arrowhead, as shown in Figure 6.
When modeling object interactions, there will be times when a condition must be met for a message to be sent to the object. Guards are used throughout UML diagrams to control flow. Here, I will discuss guards in both UML 1.x as well as UML 2.0. In UML 1.x, a guard could only be assigned to a single message. To draw a guard on a sequence diagram in UML 1.x, you placed the guard element above the message line being guarded and in front of the message name. Figure 7 shows a fragment of a sequence diagram with a guard on the message addStudent method.
Alternatives are used to designate a mutually exclusive choice between two or more message sequences. [Note: It is indeed possible for two or more guard conditions attached to different alternative operands to be true at the same time, but at most only one operand will actually occur at run time (which alternative "wins" in such cases is not defined by the UML standard).] Alternatives allow the modeling of the classic "if then else" logic (e.g., if I buy three items, then I get 20% off my purchase; else I get 10% off my purchase).
As you will notice in Figure 8
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coffee. Bleh. I put that right up there with non-dairy creamer! I guess if I was backpacking and could only take a tiny amount of stuff...maybe. Now that I think about it....nope. Not even then!
You could always just buy a cup at the local convenience store/gas station/coffee shop, but what's the fun in that?
My RV has a 42 gallon fresh water tank that I should be using for drinking water, but I don't. It's a 1991 so I really have no idea what's been in it all along. I could (and did) sanitize it with diluted bleach solution and flushed the tank... but that's still not enough! Look, I know NASA uses recycled urine in their water supply, but I don't have the necessary machinery nor the space. What now? How about a high quality drinking water filtration system in addition to the one I use when filling my fresh water tank? Let's look at that.
One of the least expensive filters, available almost everywhere including Walmart and Amazon.com is made by Camco and does a decent job of filtering incoming water from your hose. Whether that's at home or on the road. According to the literature it filters out almost everything. Sediment, Chlorine, Odors, and even Metals. but doesn't work on Cryptosporidia and Giardia. There is a relatively inexpensive filter that will work on those, but it doesn't flow enough to fill a reasonably sized fresh water tank fast enough. This one can be used under the sink and either plumbed in to your faucet directly, or better yet, plumbed into its' own smaller secondary drinking water spigot. That's the direction I am leaning toward. I have some room under my sink(!) and the install should be pretty straightforward.
The idea is to tap into the pipe that feeds water to the kitchen sink. You could place it anywhere you have access to a fresh water pipe, but the kitchen sink seems the most convenient to me. Think cooking and drinking... To properly filter out the the bad stuff a 1 Micron or smaller filter element must be used. Since we will be filtering the water as the fresh water tank is filled with a larger (>1 micron) filter most of the sediment and other impurities will already have been removed so this filter should last quite a long time.
Most kits will come with some kind of a valve with a tap for the fresh water line. Some of them include self tapping connectors. These do work, but be careful as vibration from the road may cause them to loosen and ultimately leak. If you've ever installed a self tapping home refrigerator ice maker line you'll understand why these are "iffy."
The faucet/spigot assembly is quite small and you can either drill a hole for it to be installed into or do what I am doing and switch to a sprayer/faucet. This is the kind that you pull the faucet out and it becomes the sprayer. Some RVs already have these installed. When mine is converted I will have no need for the existing separate sprayer, so I can re-use that hole to install the new filtered fresh water faucet/spigot. I figure that it will be most useful to have it positioned near where I cook so it would be easy to use.
All in all this is an easy modification/upgrade to get done, and not all that expensive. The parts are easily sourced online or at your local Big Box Home Stores. Try it, you'll like it!
Rolling Resistance - Time For Tires!
Tires. If your RV moves, you need them. I didn't give much thought to my tires when I bought the Aero Cruiser. They were from a warm climate. Stored with tire covers and looked great. Still do in fact. I knew I would need to buy them at some point and I knew that tires can have many things go wrong inside over time that WILL NOT show on the outside of the tire. It's not only about environmental conditions and driving style/speed. There are many factors that can reduce a tire's life-span.
After a little bit of research, I found that every tire has a date code stamped on it. If your tire was manufactured after 2000 it will have a four digit code molded into the sidewall rubber. The first 2 digits are the week it was produced in the year. (06 would be February) and 2 digits denoting the year. (11 would be 2011.) If your tire was manufactured previous to 2000 then the date code will only have 3 digits. 2 for the week and ONE for the year. Mine were made in 1999!!
Old tires aren't worth the stress and possible disaster. Another Aero Cruiser owner had a rear tire disintegrate while driving. Thankfully no one was hurt, but the damage to the RV was significant. The tire chunks ripped through the fiberglass wheel well through a support and destroyed quite a bit of the interior. This could have been MUCH worse. I am not trying to scare anyone, but with the cost of most tires, it's not much of a cost savings to put it off buying until a failure. The repair to this RV will get into the thousands very quickly.
Check your tires! Low or high pressure, condition and age all can contribute to early failures. Yes, I know that tires can go past the 7 year limit imposed by the manufacturer. You'll probably be OK. I mean I'm riding on almost 13 year old tires now. That being said, I WILL be replacing them in the spring before I take any trips at all. My tires aren't that expensive or too hard to find. They are LT235/85 R16 - 10 Ply Load Range "E". That translates to a "Light Truck" tire. I will likely buy whatever model came after the ones I have now from the same manufacturer. The most important thing is to make sure the tire you buy has at least the same load range as the one your RV manufacturer calls for.
Load range is what specifies how much weight and individual tire will carry at a given pressure (PSI.) It's a good idea to have your RV weighed at a location that can give you all four corners separately. Make sure you load all you gear and fill the water tank. You can go further and check the weight when you are at half tanks. Often that will change the weight distribution based upon where the tanks actually are mounted in your chassis. These weights will give a true indication of the load/weight that each tire is required to carry. You may find you are overweight...this is bad as it puts additional stress on the tires that could lead to a failure. Not to mention odd handling quirks.
The bottom line? Get the correct load range tire for your RV!
Everyone who has considered buying an RV of some sort has had to make a choice, often with great compromise. I'm included in that "everyone." When I first began my quest for the perfect RV I really didn't know all that much about them. Sure, I had rented several 40ft Diesel Pushers and gas powered RVs and had owned (briefly) a small travel trailer but past that I was woefully unprepared to face the the myriad choices out there.
After some basic research into the various Classes of RV....A, B, C and Travel Trailer with info about the "in-between" B+ styles thrown in, I was more confused than when I started! Obviously, I had to make some choices about how I wanted to use the RV and what features were must haves versus wants. This wasn't as simple as it sounds (not that it sounds simple at all, mind you!) I really had to sit down and think about what was important to me and how and where I would be travelling.
After much rumination I finally had a short list, culled from the incredibly long one I started with.
Large enough tanks for a minimum of 7 Days boondocking use.
That being said, what would I be willing to compromise on? Obviously, if the RV itself were small, space would be at a premium.
Storage. More is better, but as long as I could fit what I wanted to take with me that would be OK.
Internal space. While it had to be comfortable I could live with a smaller more efficient space.
Engine power. I could deal with a smaller engine if it wouldn't struggle with hills/passing.
I could spend the time to find the right RV.
I could update systems as needed.
I could repair/replace some items depending on cost and availability.
Once I had these basic decisions made I could begin researching the various types, manufacturers, styles and models. While still a HUGE list of possibles, I had managed to bring down the size to something approaching manageable. There is a saying, "Y.M.M.V." this stands for Your Mileage May Vary. What I was looking for may not be what YOU are looking for, but the basic decisions and process remain the same. The internet is a great resource for research on everything, but the sheer volume of information can be quite overwhelming! Don't try and do everything the first day. Browse around...start with Class A's (or B's or C's) and try to get a feel for what you'd like to have.
a typical Class A RV starts with a pre-built chassis and driveline, adds in water/propane tanks, a generator, the exterior body and interior fittings (appliances, cabinets, etc.) Usually these are front engine when using gasoline engines and rear when using diesel (DP or Diesel Pusher) The body fully encloses the chassis, engine and cockpit.
a typical Class B
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activists hold images of assassinated rights campaigner Sabeen Mahmud during a protest in Karachi on April 30, 2015.
KARACHI, Pakistan — “We live in a kingdom of fear, fortified by religious extremism and intolerance,” columnist Ghazi Salahiddin recently wrote in The News on Sunday, one of Pakistan’s leading English-language newspapers.
Such hyperbole reinforces stereotypes about Pakistan. But sometimes, stereotypes contain more than a grain of truth.
KUNDUZ, Afghanistan — Taliban insurgents, their ranks swelled by foreign fighters pushed across the border from Pakistan, nearly surrounded this northern Afghan city last month with an offensive that stunned local authorities and raised concerns over their ability to defend the country without U.S. and foreign combat troops.
Under pressure from a yearlong military offensive in neighboring Pakistan, the Taliban and allied militants – some waving the black flags of the Islamic State group – appear to be trying to carve out a new safe haven in northern Afghanistan that could give them access to Central Asia and China, Afghan officials say.
As Afghanistan’s U.S.-trained and equipped forces have struggled to fend off the insurgents – who at one point came within 3 kilometers (less than 2 miles) of Kunduz – authorities have increasingly turned to local militias and former warlords, a further indictment of the costly, decade-long U.S. effort to build an effective Afghan military.
Pakistan’s diplomacy has become a high-wire act.
Though Islamabad hasn’t yet ended the domestic terror that rips through its schools, mosques and markets, or sorted out its hostilities with neighboring India, it has embarked on a complicated foreign policy. Seeking to solve its many economic, political and security problems, Pakistan is trying, concurrently, to court four rich and powerful patrons: China, Saudi Arabia, Iran and the United States.
Contrary to what the US is telling India’s national security advisers, the payback for Pakistan if it brings home an Afghan-Taliban peace deal is running India out of Afghanistan. That is the primary objective behind discrediting India’s role in Afghanistan.
Pakistan’s ludicrous charge that India’s spy agency RAW is behind the Karachi attack on the Ismaili community maybe laughed out of court here, given that the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed responsibility for the incident at the same time as authorities in Pakistan maintained they had confessions from Indian operatives.
Pakistan’s sudden raising of the RAW bogey, together with the eruption of separatist violence in Jammu and Kashmir, underscores the new, undeclared state of war between Delhi and Islamabad in the extended AfPak theatre.
LONDON – With Amal Clooney, the human-rights lawyer who recently married the actor George Clooney, acting as your advocate, you would think that your case would grab headlines. And yet Mohamed Nasheed – the Maldives’ first democratically elected president, who was just sentenced to 13 years imprisonment for unnamed “terrorist offenses” by the military-backed government that overthrew him in 2012 – seems to have fallen off the world’s radar.
This is bad news for the Maldives, where the fate of a fledgling democratic regime is inextricably tied to that of Nasheed. And, with radical Islam gaining traction on the archipelago, it does not bode well for the rest of the world, either.
Nasheed’s predecessor, Maumoon Gayoom, who won the presidency in a 1978 parliamentary vote, adopted an authoritarian style, and subjected the country to three decades of misrule. While Gayoom oversaw the archipelago’s transformation into a popular holiday destination, it was he and his associates – not ordinary citizens – who benefited from the tourist industry’s success.
A spokesperson for China’s defense ministry said such operations have been going on for a long time.
The incident was especially notable given an earlier report from the Wall Street Journal that the U.S. Department of Defense is considering conducting surveillance operations within 12 nautical miles of disputed features — an area that China would claim as territorial waters and airspace. The crux of the issue is that the United States wants to publicly register that it does not believe newly-built islands in the South China Sea can generate territorial claims under international law. The publicity push surrounding last week’s surveillance flight was seen as a step in that direction.
More than two thousand years ago, China's Han Dynasty launched the Silk Road, a sprawling network of commerce that linked South and Central Asia with the Middle East and Europe. Today, the idea of a "New Silk Road," an intertwined set of economic integration initiatives seeking to link East and Central Asia, has taken hold in the United States and China—for very different reasons.
In 2011, the United States launched its vision of greater Central Asian economic and infrastructure integration in the hopes of supporting political stability as it withdrew from Afghanistan. By 2013, Chinese President Xi Jinping was assertively articulating his own vision for a China-led Silk Road that would streamline foreign trade, ensure stable energy supplies, promote Asian infrastructure development, and consolidate Beijing's regional influence.
The NSA’s point about the centrality of the dispute is spot on. Not so, his claims about China’s stance on the McMahon Line. This is not a trivial or pedantic point. In many ways, it is central to understanding the history of the dispute as well as the possibilities for its settlement in the future.
It would be illogical for India to open a Cold War style front with China when the potential costs significantly outweigh geopolitical advantages.
The border dispute with China is so old but Indians are yet to come to grips with how this dispute can be resolved. The historical roots of the Sino-Indian frontiers have been narrated in several accounts. Understanding the historical variations and context around how China approaches the dispute has curiously received less attention. A focus on the intricacies of competing claims needs to be embedded in a geopolitical setting, which has been changing since the 1950s.
Although the Chinese position provides the appearance of continuity, the actual bargaining posture has been one of extraordinary flux often shaped by geopolitical considerations that have little to do with the border itself. Let us explore each of these inflexion points in China's approach to the dispute.
I don’t know whether Tagore ever made that prediction but the hope of rangzen or freedom sustained the Tibetan conference on the 64th anniversary of the signing of the fatal 17-point agreement. Roads, railways and floods of tourists have drastically altered Tibet since then, so that China’s focus has shifted from Aksai Chin to Tawang. The conference ignored this. In fact, India’s security was barely mentioned. Instead, Vijay Kranti, author of a comic book on the Dalai Lama, who chaired the proceedings, set the optimistic ball rolling by saying (not very accurately) that no one could have thought in 1945 that India would become independent in 1947.
A recent World Bank report has a grim outlook for Central Asia’s poorest state.
Tajikistan’s economic growth has dropped significantly and is unlikely to return to previous levels in the near or medium term, a recent World Bank report says. GDP growth in the region’s poorest state slowed to 6.7 percent last year from 7.4 percent in 2013 and the World Bank estimates that in 2015 GDP growth will plummet to 3.2 percent.
Editor's Note: This analysis was written by Stratfor's lead military analyst, Paul Floyd, who served in the U.S. Army's 75th Ranger Regiment, a core component of the United States Army Special Operations Command. He deployed multiple times to Iraq and Afghanistan in a combat role.
On Tuesday afternoon, as President Obama was bringing an occasionally contentious but often illuminating hour-long conversation about the Middle East to an end, I brought up a persistent worry. “A majority of American Jews want to support the Iran deal,” I said, “but a lot of people are anxiety-ridden about this, as am I.” Like many Jews—and also, by the way, many non-Jews—I believe that it is prudent to keep nuclear weapons out of the hands of anti-Semitic regimes. Obama, who earlier in the discussion had explicitly labeled the supreme leader of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, an anti-Semite, responded with an argument I had not heard him make before.
The country’s political dysfunction has undermined all efforts to build an effective fighting force.
The Obama Administration has run out of patience with Iraq’s Army. On Sunday, Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter appeared on CNN’s “State of the Union” to discuss the recent fall of Ramadi, one of Iraq’s major cities, to ISIS. Despite possessing substantial advantages in both numbers and equipment, he said, the Iraqi military were unable to prevent ISIS forces from capturing the city.
It’s easy to see why Washington is unhappy with Baghdad. In the eight years the U.S. formally occupied Iraq, the U.S. invested $25 billion in training and equipping the country’s armed forces before withdrawing in 2011. To this day, a much smaller number of American soldiers remain in the country in order to train Iraqi soldiers.
In order to neutralize ISIS, it is important to understand what we are confronting. Synthesizing various analyses of the entity appears to provide the following composite picture: ISIS seeks to create a geographically demarcated Islamic political entity that is potentially expansionist. The leadership of the organization is hierarchical and comprises a curious mix of hardline Islamic fundamentalists combined with genuine
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an amazing array of life-saving tasks. It works hard to keep toxic materials out of your blood stream, and it plays a vital role in the uptake of bone-building vitamins. Your liver also is responsible for the manufacture of Vitamin D, which is absolutely essential for strong bones.
A functional liver produces bile, which is necessary for the uptake of fat-soluble vitamins like E, K, A, and D. In fact, Vitamin D is manufactured in the liver from a precursor that is also made by the liver: a form of cholesterol known as 7-dehydrocholestrerol. The liver makes this precursor and releases it into the bloodstream, where it takes up residence in the skin. When your skin is exposed to sunlight, 7-dehydrocholestrerol converts into cholecalciferol, which is then metabolized in your liver to Vitamin D.
Bone-damaging toxins like pesticides, viruses, drugs, synthetic food additives, and so forth must be kept out of your bloodstream. This is the liver’s job. These toxins can accumulate in the liver without you realizing it, which is why a periodic cleanse is a good idea.
So as you can see, your liver has quite a bit to do with healthy bones. That’s why it’s so important to keep your liver in top shape, and here are seven things you can avoid to ensure your liver will function properly.
Too much Vitamin A in oral supplements can be quite taxing for your liver. So it’s important that you know the recommended levels of this micronutrient. The RDA for Vitamin A for women is 2,300 IU, and 3,000 IU for men.
Over-consumption of Vitamin A from consuming Vitamin A-rich foods (such as carrots, sweet potatoes, dark leafy greens, and mangoes) is just about impossible. Also, bear in mind that these foods contain a precursor of Vitamin A, mainly beta-carotene. The latter gets converted into Vitamin A predominantly in the intestines.
Research continues to support the dangers of excessive sugar consumption. Various types of sugar such as sucrose, glucose, and fructose have all been investigated in relation to overall health, with fructose being particularly implicated in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).
Unfortunately, sugar – especially corn syrup, which is typically made with GMO corn – is extremely prevalent, especially in processed foods, and that’s why it’s so important to recognize its presence and be aware of what you’re eating. It’s easy to consume too much sugar without realizing it, but if you’re following the Osteoporosis Reversal Program, then you’re already have your sugar intake under control, helping you to protect your bones and your liver.
This point naturally follows the previous one. Sugary soft drinks are one of the most common ways that people ingest excessive sugar. It’s hard to believe, but a 12-ounce soft drink contains 39 grams of sugar (that’s about two tablespoons, or eight teaspoons), and many people drink two or more sugary soft drinks each day.
Dark-colored soft drinks and colas also contain caramel coloring, which is “rich in advanced glycation end products that potentially increase insulin resistance and inflammation.”1 In addition, soft drinks greatly damage bones due to their high phosphoric acid content. This corrosive acid breaks down calcium and “melts” bone.
The study mentions AGEs, or Advanced Glycation End products. These are proteins that, when they bond to a sugar molecule, cause great harm in the body. They can accumulate in the brain and lead to Alzheimer’s disease, and they destroy collagen, the flexible matrix of bone.
It’s no surprise that excess weight can harm your health, including your bone health. Excess fat can lead to NAFLD (Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease), causing your liver to swell due to inflammation and the accumulation of excess fat cells. The longer you remain overweight, the greater the risk, because hardening and scarring of the liver occur over time in the presence of excess fat (especially visceral fat, which surrounds the vital organ in the abdominal cavity).
The dangers of this drug (the active ingredient in popular painkillers like Tylenol) are easily masked because there are so few immediate side effects. But acetaminophen carries a “liver warning” on the label for a reason – it’s harmful to your liver.
While the drug manufacturers assure us that it doesn’t harm the liver if taken “in the right dosage,” acetaminophen could, like most toxins, have a cumulative effect even if taken at the “correct” dose regularly. Besides, every person is different, and “too much” can be determined by your size, weight, what you’ve eaten that day, and all kinds of other factors. Fortunately, there are plenty of natural remedies for chronic pain and inflammation.
Everyone knows that drinking too much alcohol destroys the liver. But what many people tend to overlook is just how much is “too much”. As with soft drinks, it’s easy to drink too much alcohol without realizing it.
A standard serving of wine is 5 ounces, for instance, which translates to a little over half a cup; and 12 ounces of beer is considered one serving. The recommendation for women is no more than one drink a day, and two drinks for men. It’s not hard to exceed that – wine for lunch, beer for dinner, a glass of wine later in the evening…before you know it, you’ve gone over the “safe” limit.
Alcohol then begins to erode the liver if you have an extra drink or two regularly over a period of time. So enjoying a glass of wine or beer now and then is certainly fine; it’s just important to be aware so you don’t over-consume.
These man-made fats promote bone- and liver-damaging weight gain. They are manufactured by forcing minuscule bubbles of hydrogen into liquid oil, so as to make it solid and increase its shelf life. Trans fats are found in many packaged foods, such as cakes, cookies, and even coffee creamers. Like sugar, trans fats are hard to avoid, so it is not difficult to consume too much.
Now that you’re well aware of the damage you could be doing to your liver, you can take proactive steps to avoid these common yet toxic habits.
I realize that many popular cleanses are harsh, and typically involve handfuls of expensive supplements. Not so with, OsteoCleanse™, The 7 Day Bone Building Accelerator, a week-long cleanse that rejuvenates your liver and kidneys.
With its emphasis on powerfully detoxifying fresh fruits, vegetables, and pure water, OsteoCleanse™ infuses your bones with vital, alkalizing nutrients and boosts your liver and kidney health.
No less important is that OsteoCleanse™ is designed to speed up the removal of osteoporosis drugs and other toxins from your body so you can get a fresh start on your bone health journey. It has the added “side effect” of more energy, too.
So remember, when you take care of your liver, you’re also taking care of your bones!
Does the Osteo Cleans book only include vegan recipes?
I have been taking cortisone/steroid for the last 17 years, this is to replace the adrenal glands. This afternoon I went to the doctor to get the result of my osteodensitometry and I was told that I have had osteoporosis.
Could you advise me if there are natural remedies for this, rather than taking fosamax or having a 6 monthly injection?
Find a dairy that will sell you RAW miljk. That is the very very best way to build up your bones like our ancient ancestors did and had always good bones and teeth and proper digestion and no colds or illnesses. Your bones will get denser where as taking the horrible drugs will actually make them weaker and you will have bone breakage by just turning over in bed.
My situation is that I have purchased TrueOsteo as discussed in various articles. My main problem is that I now suffer from extreme constipation. Has anyone else reported their concern to you, if so, what do you advise.
I am worrying because my last week s dexa scan showed -3,7 (osteoporosis) in the waist and -1,9 (osteopenia )in the hip. I am 74 yrs old in good health and I have stopped taking Fosamax since 2011 (after taking it for two years). I follow, as far as I can, your program plus I walk minimun 3 km a day and I exercise, I take calcium citrate and Vitamin D3 and extra Vitamin D3 and magnesium, My doctor worries why my osteoporosis at the waist is progressing and my osteopenia in my hip is diminishing. We agree, my doctor and I, not to take medicaments for one more year, and then he will see.
I don t know what to do with my progressing osteoporosis.
Drink Raw Milk and your bowels will work better. As there is natural enzymes that our ancestors utilized in their diet and now we don’t have them when our very DNA requires them to maintain proper digestion and repair to our body all the time. “Process milk actually causes problems because it is called, A dead Liquid.” Process milk spoils but Raw Milk gets better as it sours and makes the biggest fluffiest pancakes and biscuits you have ever seen. It your state allows sale of Raw Milk get some. In Texas we can buy direct from the dairies. Some states only allow it for animals and that is how humans get it in those states. Again Big Factory farms try to stop the little natural farmer so laws are crazy but raw milk
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as with many other South American countries, has had times of political instability. In 1983 a Maoist group called the Shining Path attempted to take over the country and establish a communist state. There were numerous masacres and public killings. What this meant was the people lived in fear! God still used this time and in the ten years that the Shining Path operated, thousands, actually over a million people joined the Evangelical church.
So the evangelical church doubled in size going from 7% to almost 14% of population. As a result of this explosive growth there is a great need for training and discipleship, especially of young people. There are hundreds of young pastors that have only been a Christian for a short time themselves and have had no chance to do any training.
Though the country is 85% Roman Catholic, the beliefs of people are often interwined with old animistic religions. At times it is very ritualistic and given that Spanish Conquerers brought this religion by force - it's sometimes just a thin veneer over what people have always believed.
Read about why we feel that a University Student Ministry will address some of these needs. Also read about how the University Christians groups grew through the times of persecution.
Read more about What are the needs in Peru?
After spending two months on a short-term mission in Peru we saw the huge needs and felt that God could really use us in Peru.
When we got married we decided to do a short-term mission? Christine was happy to go anywhere. I immediately suggested Bolivia in South America. I had been to Bolivia on holiday twice before. I felt a connection with the people and thought that this was one of the most beautiful countries in the world with the Amazon jungles and the Andes mountains. I had also sponsored a child named Junior in Bolivia through Compassion.
We approached the mission organisation SIM (Serving in Mission) with our plans for spending a couple of months in Bolivia on a short-term mission. Most of the contacts that SIM Australia had were in Peru and we were asked if we'd be happy to go to Peru instead. Peru borders Bolivia and is similar in many ways. Bolivia is the poorest country in South America and Peru comes next. We said we were happy to go to Peru.
While in Peru, we stayed with missionaries in a small village called Cotahuasi (pronounced coat-ah-wah-see). It is here that we saw the huge needs in Peru. We felt that working in a University ministry would address some of these needs. Peru is also a country of great opportunity for the good news of Jesus. There is now an incredible openess to the gospel and the church in Peru seeks to make a difference in their community. It is a time of political stability. The village where we spent two months during our short-term mission was just fifteen years ago out of bounds for foreigners because of the Shining Path who operated in the area.
These are a few of the reasons we've decided to head to Peru. We are also glad that Spanish is a relatively easy language for English speakers to pick up. I have some basic Spanish having spent about five months in South America over three trips. Christine has had about two months of exposure to Spanish. We are looking forward to when our children can correct our Spanish.
It has been great that some of our long time friends have been missionaries to Peru. Phillip and Diane Marshall were sent from Blakehurst Baptist which was my home church for about 20 years. In the last few years we've learnt much from them personally and also in lectures. Phillip is a lecturer at Morling Bible College and has great cultural insights. Christine's Sunday School teacher also ended up being a missionary in Peru and she too has been the source of much wisdom (and laughter). Recently we've got to know Edwin and Diane Porter who have given us our most up to date information on Peru along with lots of very practical tips. Their love for the Peruvian people has inspired us.
Michael and Mary Foster were Australian missionaries to Peru who have worked with University students for many years. We have learnt a lot from their ministry and they have been an inspiration to us. Here they reflect on a time of persecution and a time of growth.
Christian Students on campus at the time when the Shining Path took over the university said that despite the difficult circumstances and persecution, the desire to share the gospel and proclaim its truth burned within her.
In fact this persecution was a major factor in the growth of a Christian groups on campuses throughout Peru. This student movement was started by Samuel Escobar in 1963. Samuel went on to be a well know Latin theologian and the group became known as the Association of Peruvian Evangelical University Students (AGEUP), a national student movement related to IFES.
Australian missionaries Michael and Mary Foster began SIM’s partnership with AGEUP in 1992 when they were accepted as staff workers. At the time they said, “It is an honour to be officially accepted as staff workers with these militant Christians who have counted the cost and strive to share the gospel in the light of Peruvian reality”.
In 1991 there were 12 AGEUP groups throughout the universities of Peru and by 2004 there were 64. Not only did God use persecution to grow the groups, but also the universities strategy of diversification. As satellite campuses were set up throughout the country, there were many more centres in which to plant Christian groups!
As the movement grew rapidly, Michael, Mary and the four Peruvian staff workers couldn’t provide the training and pastoral care needed for leaders of all the groups and there were no finances available to employ more staff. They trained a team of 25 graduates who were committed to ministry and willing to work on a voluntary basis. This has been a vital key to facilitating growth and pastoral care on campuses throughout Peru.
The AGEUP groups are effective because they are based on student leadership and initiatives and are relevant to society. Social action and justice flow from evangelism empowered by bible teaching. They seek to have a prophetic voice in society in the Latin American context.
The incredible diversity of culture throughout the universities of Peru provides equally diverse challenges and opportunities. The prestigious private universities were virtually impenetrable to Christian work before 2001 when God miraculously opened a door for AGEUP to set up groups. By 2004 there were 5 groups in the prestiguious private universities, reaching out to students, many of whom will become future leaders within Peru and beyond. Students have even managed to maintain and evangelical witness on the large Catholic university campus in Lima!
AGEUP groups have already had a huge impact on the church and evangelical scene in Peru. The director of World Vision, director of Compassion and leaders of the Evangelical Alliance and other denominational leaders have all been part of the student movement.
Michael and Mary Foster and their son Camden returned to Australia for health reasons. They are still in regular contact with the students and staff who have been so much a part of their life and ministry for over thirteen years.
AGEUP is growing at an amazing rate and regional workers are working to capacity but finances continue to be a hindrance. A US-based foundation has helped AGEUP establish two Internet cafes in Lima, with the vision to raise funds to support much needed staff workers.
This is a strategic work, impacting generations of university students with the gospel and training young people for leadership. Jaime, a Peruvian-born Chinese architectural student, helps us bring sweeping statements of growth down to the level of strong personal testimony. Some years ago Jaime’s pastor came to the AGEUP office to discuss the change he had seen in Jamie’s life since his involvement with AGEUP. He was eager to know more about the student ministry because he had been impressed with Jamie’s maturity in the Word, zeal for the gospel and keenness to share his faith.
Before leaving Peru, Michael and Mary challenged Jamie to become a staff worker, even though they knew this would mean great personal cost for him. His honest response was that he couldn’t leave his career behind.
Recently Jamie wrote to say that God had been speaking to him and he could no longer say “No”. He is now working with AGEUP and is in charge of projects. This multi-talented young man is a tremendous asset to the student movement in Peru.
The Shining Path movement sought to bring change through revolution and a reign of terror. AGEUP seeks to bring change through the grace of God.
Tanya is an amazing success story from a Compassion project in an inner city slum of Peru. She was studying law. One day she heard another law student crying in the university toilets. Tanya cared for her and introduced her to Jesus. Tanya is now totally convinced that the Word of God is applicable and helpful to all sorts of people in any circumstances. What a wonderful lesson to take with her into her career.
Joel’s involvement with AGEUP has helped him not only in his spiritual growth but also in many practical ways. He has learnt organisational skills and leadership qualities by training as a student group leader that have helped him establish his own computer business – abilities that his course didn’t provide. He is so grateful to the AGEUP leadership for this practical input.
Missionaries who have worked for many years with University Students talk about about why they feel this ministry is important. Michael and Mary Foster spent over ten years working with University students in Peru. According to Mary, University ministry is "strategic, dynamic and very rewarding". Here are more of her insights into the needs in Student ministry.
Student ministries currently produce a large percentage of Christian leaders in Peru. For example the leader of World Vision, Compassion and the Evangelical Alliance are all graduates of the student movement.
Student ministry in Peru is linked
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Chrome motorcycle mirrors with Fire Flame Bar Fit Honda CBR600 600RR 900RR 929RR 954RR 1000RR RC51 Kawasaki Ninja 500 ZZR600 ZX6R/636/ZX6RR ZX750/ZX7/ZX7R ZX9/ZX9R by SMT - Fit suzuki katana 600 1998-2007, gsxr600 1992-2005, katana 750 1998-2007, gsxr750 1991-2005, gsxr1000 2001-2004, gsxr1100 1993-1998, hayabusa 1999-2012. 5cm quanity1 pair(2 pcs ) fitment fit honda cbr600 f1/f2/f3 1987-1998, cbr600 f4/f4i 1999-2006, 600rr 2003-2012, 900rr 1998-1999, 929rr 2000-2001, 954rr 2002-2003, 1000rr 2004-2012, rc51 2000-2006. Fit yamaha yzf r6 2006-2008 (not r6s), yzf r1 2002-2008. Oem style racing mirrors (left & right sides) color the same like pictures show condition brand new material abs shell and aluminum arm mirror size approx. 11cm5. Fit kawasaki ninja 500 1994-2010, zzr600 2005-2008, zx6r/636/zx6rr 1998-2004 (not 2005+), zx750/zx7/zx7r 1993-2002, zx9/zx9r 1998-2003.
i5 Chrome Front Brake & Clutch Levers for Kawasaki Ninja 500 500R 650 ZX6 ZX6R ZZR600 ZX9 ZX9R - During checkout your quantity will show as 1, this represents one pair. To fit kawasaki ninja 500 1992-2009, zx6/zx600d 1990-1993, zx6/zx600e 1994-2002, zzr600 2003-2004, zx6r 1995-1999, ninja 650 2006-2008, zx9r 1998-1999. High quality aluminum levers with chrome finish. Brand new chrome front brake and clutch levers.
Kawasaki Ninja 500 ZX6/ZX600D ZX600E ZX6R ZX9 ZX9R ZZR600 Brake & Clutch LEVERS - Oem replacement. High tensile strength aluminum construction. Package content1 pair ( barke & clutch levers ). Colorblue. Easy to install,grease the pivot-bolt when installing levers,do not over-tighten the pivot-bolt.
Starter Magnetic switch For KAWASAKI NINJA 500 EX500D EX 500 D 1994 1995 1996 2006 /B - Aftermarket starter solenoids relay for. 1996 kawasaki street bike ninja 500 ex500d. 1994 kawasaki street bike ninja 500 ex500d 1995 kawasaki street bike ninja 500 ex500d. Replacement solenoid relay for honda oem 27010-1213.
CALTRIC EXHAUST PIPE HOLDER GASKET Fits KAWASAKI NINJA 500 EX500D 1994-2009 - This gaskets on the end of the exhaust pipe. Caltric brand product.
Motorcycle New Turn Signal Mirror for Kawasaki Ninja 500 250R Triumph Daytona Trophy Ducati new - Fitmentyamaha fzr600/600r/750/1000 1989-1999 yzf600/600r750/1000r 1995-2009 yzf r6 1999-2012. Adjustable mirror angle (up & down, left & right, forward & backward). Extremely bright led turn signals 100,000 hours long lasting. Peel off the protective skin on the acrylic glass before usecomes with necessary hardware for easy installation,quantity 1 pair,instructions not included,condition brand new, never used,mirror material acrylic (provides clear view and not easy to crack or break),shell material high impact abs shell,turn signals led amber color. Motorcycle high quality led turn signals integrated mirrors (left & right sides), custom make mirrors new.
K & L Fork & Dust Seal Kit for Kawasaki Ninja 500 EX500 1997-2009 - K & l fork seals are of the highest quality available and are the exact replacement for most applications listed.
K & L Carburetor Parts Kit for Kawasaki Ninja 500 EX500 1987-2005 - Never use carb cleaner on carburetor rubber components, it can cause swelling and possible damage. Some kits do not come with jets please read all notes and special notes before purchase.
CALTRIC CLUTCH COVER GASKET FITS KAWASAKI NINJA 500 EX500 EX 500 1987-1996 - Caltric brand product. Kawasaki ninja500 fuel switch valve. Center to center mounting hole 34mm. Package including 1 petcock switch + 2 filter screen + 2 ring seal.
i5 Carbon Front Brake & Clutch Levers for Kawasaki Ninja 500 500R 650 ZX6 ZX6R ZZR600 ZX9 ZX9R - Brand new front brake and clutch levers. During checkout your quantity will show as 1, this represents one pair. To fit kawasaki ninja 500 1992-2009, zx6/zx600d 1990-1993, zx6/zx600e 1994-2002, zzr600 2003-2004, zx6r 1995-1999, ninja 650 2006-2008, zx9r 1998-1999. High quality aluminum levers with carbon finish.
Pro X Front Brake Master Cylinder Rebuild Kit for Kawasaki Ninja 500 EX500 1994-2009 - Prox has a complete line of brake master cylinder rebuild kits. Each kits contains all the necessary components to rebuild the brake master cylinder. The kits are assembled with high quality components all designed and manufactured to meet or exceed the oem parts.
FXCNC Racing Motorcycle Gas Tank Cover Fuel Cover Cap Fit For Kawasaki NINJA 500 / EX500 / 500R 1987 – 2001, ZX-6R 1995 – 1999, ZX-7 / ZX-7RR All Years - No installation instruction if you need any help, please inquiry for the professional mechanic. Material t6061-t6 aluminum, high quality aluminum material+abs. Multicolor can choose, just reference to the picture, and then send email to us for the color you want. Fit for kawasaki ninja 500 / ex500 / 500r 1987, 2001,zx-6r 1995, 1999,zx-7 / zx-7rr all years, more fitable model please read on the product description if not those model and not during that year, please don’t buy this and feel free to contact us. Package 1 piece gas cap.
Kawasaki Ninja 500 ZX6/ZX600D ZX600E ZX6R ZX9 ZX9R ZZR600 Brake & Clutch LEVERS - High tensile strength aluminum construction. Package content1 pair ( barke & clutch levers ). Easy to install,grease the pivot-bolt when installing levers,do not over-tighten the pivot-bolt. Oem replacement. Colorsilver.
Red Motorcycle Windscreen Windshield Well-Nuts Washers Fairing Mounting Bolts Kit for 1994 Kawasaki Ninja 500 EX500D - To fit for 1994 kawasaki ninja 500 ex500d. 8-m5 stainless steel and 8 pcs red aluminum nut caps. 8
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awesome book.
ITZ A GREAT BOOK WELL DONE MICHAEL MORPURGO! BTW I JUST READ ADOLPHUS TIPS!
It was really fun. I really enjoyed this book.
I'm still reading the book but I really think it is a great book and I would recommend it.
It is very good and I would recommend it to every one!!!!!!!!
I am ten years old and I read this book in a day. It is sincerely beautiful and I would highly recommend it!
I found this book really interesting and would recommend it 100%.
I listened to it in school and I really enjoyed it. Now my homework today is to write a book review in my book!
Wow just... This is so so brilliant!
I read this book in school and as homework. I had to make a review and this is the best example to help me and many other children.
Breathtakingly beautiful. A book that must be on your Christmas wish list.
I got this book in a library and it is so good and my rating is 10.
I first read Kensuke's Kingdom in year 6 when we were writing our own fantasy stories. I was so intrigued in the book I could not wait until we had English so we could read the next chapter. I am now in year 7 and have read the book twice already. The first Michael Morpurgo book I read was Friend or Foe, I read it in year 4 and even though I was only nine I enjoyed it very much. I think Michael Morpurgo is an amazing author who writes amazing books.
Fantastic. Interesting and fun book. Nearly my best book ever.
Badly written, boring. Do not recommend.
It is awesome. I like it very good hook and very interesting intrege scary.
Really good book, made me into tears 100% recommend reading it! Literally, it's so amazing.
It's an amazing book written by an inspiring writer.
I purchased this book for my 13 year old grandson and decided to read it first. What a fantastic read!!! So far this summer, this has been my favorite book. I gave it to my grandson and can't wait to hear his opinion and to discuss this great book together!
Amazing book, great job Michael.
This is a very great book! I loved it so much! a MUST READ!
It is just so cool.
It's a great book guys.
This is a good book ya´ll have to read it. As a writer-in-practice I thought of this book as really inspiring. I practically LOVE Kensuke's style of life and how he is calm and mature with his problem. This is very good for lessons and Michael is the most realistic writer ever.
It's a confusing book I don't recommend for young people.
This is the best book in the world I love it.
I love this book, it's really touching and inspirational. Kensuke's Kingdom is based around the time of the 1980's. I would recommend anyone who likes suspense books to read this. If you enjoyed this book then I recommend you reading The Secret Garden By Frances Hodgson Burnett. The same again, it's a really touching inspirational book, based on a garden that has many wonders.
I love this book so much. It's a brilliant book which has a great plot and really makes you think. It is full of excitement and suspense.
It's full of action and problems which makes any book interesting.
It was really good and nearly every one likes it.
Kensuke's Kingdom is a brilliant book. It is the best book I have ever read. I really enjoy reading Micheal Morpurgo's books; he has such tasteful stories and they all seem so real, it's like they really happened.
Amazing build up of the plot but very easy and poor language for smart students.
I love the book but is it true?
Amazing but I'm curious whether it's it real?
I love reading this book. It is just amazing, Kensuke's Kingdom.
I red this book for my book report for school. I love this book, the way I could not stop reading it because I wanted to now what would happen next! I really can remommend this book!
This book is very good and it is the best as it is written by its author.
GREAT book, read it twice and I sill want to read it again. It's a real page-turner.
This is an awesome book. It is a must read for children. You even learn a lot of things from this book.
Kensuke's Kingdom was an amazing book filled with adventure and also had small small parts which were sad. I loved it!
Really good book, a real page turner.
Epic book but I've got homework on it and it's hard.
I found it great plus it was a Brobdingnagian book meaning big.
I absolutely love this book! I couldn't put it down when I started it. I disagree about it taking a while to get into, I thought it was exciting from the very start. I'd like to know if it's true or not, as at the end of the book it refers to a letter from supposedly Kensuke's son. READ THIS BOOK!!!I absolutely love this book! I couldn't put it down when I started it. I disagree about it taking a while to get into, I thought it was exiting from the very start. I'd like to know if its true or not, as at the end of the book it refers to a letter from supposedly Kensukes son. READ THIS BOOK!!!!!!!!!!!!
It was a mind blowing adventurous amazing story which kept on leaving mysteries and suspense which I merely enjoy and I hope you, yes you, the one with a cup of tea ;p I hope you guys understand the true meaning of this wonderful book! Kensukes Kingdom, let's give a round of applause (clap! clap!).
It was amazing! It had a lot of excitement and was very nice.
I like this book because it had a good story to it.
The book is really good but what I want to know is if the book based on a true story? Was Kensuke real because at the end of the story it has a reverance from Kensuke's son and how he thought his father was dead.
Kensuke's Kingdom was really awesome.
Haven't finished yet but so far it is a cool book.
I found it really interesting, in some bits I liked it because there were lots of cliff-hangers.
I think the book is BORING because it was to slow to read it never got going.
this book is amazing Iread it like a thousand times now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It's so cool. I have it, how cool is that?
Wow, amazing and brilliant. Cool.
This book is amazing I read it last year and really enjoyed it. Then yesterday this girl in my class was talking about it and when I got home I was looking for it but couldn't find it! So I went on my iPad and downloaded iBooks and but in Kensuke's Kingdom......... But it came up with every other book but kensukes kingdom :( I am very sad wanted to read it again, great book.
Michael is an 11 year old living in England with his mum dad and dog, when his dads work shuts down that had no choice but to move, his dad buys boat called the Peggy Sue. In a storm one night Michel and Stella (the dog) are washed off the boat in the cold, dark sea of the night. When he wakes up he finds that he's washed up on a deserted island. He spends the day exploring and looking for food and water, he curls up in a cave that night waiting to die but the next day finds food and water waiting for him. He then realises that he�s not alone. Over the next few weeks he learns about Kensuke the owner and only other human of the island, Kensuke tells the sad tale of how he was stranded on the island during the war and believes his wife and daughter to be dead. So begins a wonderful, heart-wrenching tale of friendship. This book will grip you from start to finish, and let you understand the true meaning of trust and friendship. Mopurgo captures the essence of human emotion which is deftly interwoven through every page. I found that although the language used is simple (the target audience being children) the read still manages to lock the reader to the book regardless of age. I would strongly recommend this powerful and epic tale to anyone who wants to experience a book full of adventure and curiosity.
Wow! I just finished reading this book and I'm crying! So sad ending- but oh, so lovely friendship they built up... Great book! Well done, Michael! Also, that letter at the end made me think and stop- was it true or not? It wasn't, but I felt it was- fab!
Boring. DON'T EVER READ THIS BOOK!!!
I read it at school and I love it so much. Is it real? Did you get lost on a island? Please tell me!
I was an amazing book and I would read it over and over again. So well done to you Michael.
I think this is an amazing book, the way he writes it makes you feel like you are in the story. Must read this book!!!!!!!
I love the story but I'm only half way through so far but it's really good. I don't know what happens at the end but
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combined with Delphi technique allowed our panel experts to propose a final consensual ranking of which healthcare programs would need to benefit from pharmaceutical care. Our study suggested that the ranking by the panellists was influenced by the quality of the evidences available and by current allocation of pharmacists in healthcare programs in Canada.
A novel approach used to rank healthcare programs that include the provision of pharmaceutical care by decentralised pharmacists was described. This ranking approach was based on the perceived impact of pharmaceutical care healthcare program on three fields: health outcome, health costs and safe delivery of care.
The impact of clinical pharmacists on improving the quality of patient care in surgery is not well described.
The objective was to prospectively evaluate clinical and economic outcomes after clinical pharmacist services were added to two general surgery wards in an adult tertiary care centre.
This was a prospective, observational study. All clinical interventions were documented and assessed for severity, value and the probability of preventing adverse drug events (ADE). Cost avoidance was calculated using two methods: by avoiding additional days in hospital ($3593/ADE) or additional hospital costs ($7215/ADE). Two pharmacists independently categorized the interventions; disagreements were resolved by consensus.
The pharmacists made 1097 interventions in six months with a 98% acceptance rate by surgical staff. Half of the interventions were rated significant for severity (561, 51.1%) and value (559, 51.0%). One-quarter of the interventions had a 40% or greater probability of preventing an ADE (270, 24.6%). Cost avoidance was estimated to be $0.68 – 1.36 million or $617 to $1239 per intervention.
The importance of having pharmacists manage the drug therapy needs of the post-surgical patient was demonstrated. Investments in a clinical pharmacist position in surgery may yield a benefit to cost ratio of 7:1.
Patient Care Enhancement Award, sponsored by TEVA Canada Ltd.
Opioid analgesics are high alert medications that are known to cause adverse drug events.
To determine the cause of opioid incidents that require the administration of naloxone (opioid reversal agent).
A retrospective chart review of inpatients who received naloxone for reversal of toxicity resulting from licit, in-hospital opioid use was conducted. Cases were analyzed to determine preventability, and preventable cases were assessed to determine the phase of the medication process where incident occurred, as well as the type of incident that occurred (determined through thematic grouping). The drug responsible for toxicity was determined, and the proportion of cases documented by occurrence reporting was noted.
Thirty-six cases were identified, 29 (80.6%) of which were preventable. The primary medication incident occurred most frequently in the prescribing phase, but multiple phases were often involved. Six types of incidents were identified thematically. Morphine was the drug that most frequently resulted in toxicity. Two (5.6%) cases were documented by occurrence reports.
Opioid incidents occurred in the acute care centres under study. Targeted educational initiatives or policy changes are required to decrease the frequency of these incidents and better document their occurrence.
Critically ill children require sedation for comfort and to facilitate interventions. Dexmedetomidine is a newer sedative with little safety data in pediatrics, particularly with durations of therapy greater than 48 hours.
To quantify the frequency of adverse events and withdrawal syndromes associated with dexmedetomidine and describe its use for continuous sedation in critically ill children.
A retrospective medical record review of patients who received dexmedetomidine for sedation in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit. Adverse events were assessed using a Naranjo Score to determine the likelihood of an association with dexmedetomidine.
Included were 144 patients (median age 34 months (range 0 to 17.7 years)) with 153 treatment courses. Mean infusion rate was 0.42 (SD 0.17; range 0.05 to 2) mcg/kg/h. Median therapy duration was 20.5 (range 0.75 to 854.75) hours. Hypotension (N=81 (52.9%)) and bradycardia (N=38 (24.8%)) were the most common adverse events, and were “probably” attributable to dexmedetomidine in 17 (11%) and 9 (6%) of treatment courses, respectively. Agitation and hypertension were the most common withdrawal symptoms observed.
Dexmedetomidine is commonly administered for greater than 24 hours in our institution and is generally well tolerated. Patients receiving dexmedetomidine for over 24 hours should be monitored for withdrawal following discontinuation.
Secondary prevention medications, including acetylsalicylic acid (ASA), statins, ß-blockers and angiotensin-modulating agents (angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blockers), are recommended in patients who have undergone coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery.
To evaluate the rate of secondary prevention medication utilization from discharge to one-year post-CABG surgery for a cohort of adult patients at the Mazankowski Alberta Heart Institute in Edmonton, Alberta.
A retrospective analysis was performed using a clinical patient registry. A randomly selected subset of patients was invited to evaluate medication utilization at one-year post-surgery using community pharmacy records.
The registry identified 1,031 patients. The mean age was 66 years and 80% were male. The proportion of patients discharged on all four medications post-CABG surgery was 35%. The individual utilization rates for ASA, statins, ß-blockers and angiotensin-modulating agents were 96%, 94%, 92% and 42%, respectively. Of the patients invited to participate in the one-year evaluation, 151 (39%) provided consent. The proportion of patients on all four medications at one-year was 48%. Individual utilization rates for ASA, statins, ß-blockers and angiotensin-modulating agents were 95%, 84%, 84% and 65%, respectively.
The rate of utilization of four secondary prevention medications was 35% at discharge and 48% at one-year post-CABG surgery. These rates were primarily limited by the low use of angiotensin-modulating agents.
Maintenance of an up-to-date medication list, using medication reconciliation (MedRec) to identify discrepancies, has been shown to reduce adverse drug events in hemodialysis patients.
Develop and implement a renal program-wide, sustainable MedRec program primarily using nurses.
The project team worked with the hemodialysis nurses to develop a standardized MedRec process utilizing the provincial patient database and guidelines from Safer Healthcare Now. The nurses were educated and given tools to support them to gather a best possible medication history (BPMH). An Evaluation Analyst developed a Logic Model and Data Collection Plan to support the project.
After one year, the percentage of medications with a discrepancy and the average number fell from 23% to 15% and 3.9 to 2.7 per patient, respectively. Over 85% of the staff surveyed stated that there were now clear processes and tools in place to conduct a BPMH, update the medication lists in the provincial renal database, and to communicate the medication information to the patient and other caregivers.
A project team consisting of three hospital pharmacists with support from an Evaluation Analyst was able to successfully standardize a MedRec process in a regional outpatient HD program primarily using nurses.
We sought to create an effective, accessible, sustainable, multi-faceted pharmacy staff training program for safe handling of hazardous drugs that could be easily adapted for other disciplines. We also wanted to design a program that would advise staff on an ongoing basis about known or reasonably foreseeable risks to safety and health arising from hazardous drugs used in pharmacy work areas.
We conducted a needs assessment, then designed and evaluated a set of instructional materials that form a comprehensive training program for safe handling of hazardous drugs. The materials include a slide presentation intended for face-to-face inservices, a self-learning package in hard copy and on-line format, an annual refresher quiz, and a mock spill drill.
Since inception of the training program in 2010, 335 pharmacy staff members have completed one or more training program components. Field tests of each component have improved content, enabled high success rates on refresher quizzes, and identified opportunities to improve the region’s Safe Medication Handling policy. The training program has been easy to sustain at a reasonable cost.
Our experience has shown that improving staff safety requires not only a policy and associated procedures, job aides and work tools, but also a comprehensive training program to ensure initial and ongoing use of job aides and work tools by front line staff members. Adoption of the pharmacy hazardous drugs training program for training of nursing personnel region-wide attests to the quality of the program and to pharmacy’s medication safety leadership role. Training program materials will be available for viewing during the facilitated poster presentation.
Since the publication of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Alert on hazardous drugs in 2004, many healthcare organizations have reviewed their guidelines and procedures for handling hazardous drugs. Occupational exposure may occur when handling, compounding or administering a drug considered to be hazardous, from storage to waste management. The aim of this project was to measure environmental contamination with cyclophosphamide (CP), ifosfamide (IF) and methotrexate (MTX) in pharmacy and patient care areas of hospitals.
Twelve standardized measurement sites within pharmacy (6 sites) and patient care areas (6 sites) were selected. Sites were sampled mid-week at the end of the day. Samples were analyzed for the presence of CP, IF and MTX by UPLC-MS-MS technology. The limit of detection (LOD) was 0.0015 ng/cm 2 for CP, 0.0012 ng/cm 2 for IF and 0.0060 ng/cm 2 for MTX.
A total of 25 hospitals participated in the project
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chenko, J. Celaya, S. Saha, and K. Goebel, Proceedings of Annual Conference of the Prognostics and Health Management Society, San Diego, CA, September 2009.
I. Roychoudhury, M. Daigle, G. Biswas, X. Koutsoukos, A. Patterson-Hine, and S. Poll, Proceedings of the 7th IFAC Symposium on Fault Detection, Supervision and Safety of Technical Processes, Barcelona, Spain, July 2009.
C. Goodrich, W. Hatfield, R. Johnson, S. Narasimhan, M. Daigle, and B. Brown, Proceedings of Commercial and Government Access to Space Technology Exchange, October 2009.
G. Sonnenfeld, J. Celaya, and K. Goebel, Proceedings of IEEE AUTOTESTCON, Salt Lake City, UT, September 2008.
S. Uckun, P. Lucas, and K. Goebel, Proceedings of International Conference on Prognostics and Health Management, 2008.
S. Saha, B. Saha, and K. Goebel, Proceedings of International Conference on Prognostics and Health Management, 2008.
K. Goebel, B. Saha, and A. Saxena, Proceedings of MFPT, 2008.
S. Narasimhan and O. Mengshoel, Proceedings of the 19th International Workshop on Principles of Diagnosis, Blue Mountains, New South Wales, Australia, 307-314, October 2008.
B. Saha, K. Goebel, S. Poll, and J. Christopherson, Proceedings of IEEE AUTOTESTCON, Baltimore, MD, September 2007.
S. Narasimhan and L. Brownston, Proceedings of the 28th International Workshop on Principles of Diagnosis, Nashville, TN, 162-169, May 2007.
M. Schwabacher and K. Goebel, Proceedings of AAAI Fall Symposium: AI for Prognostics (Working Notes), 2007.
B. Saha and K. Goebel, Proceedings of AAAI Fall Symposium: AI for Prognostics (Working Notes), 2007.
S. Narasimhan, Proceedings of International Conference on Accelerator and Large Experimental Physics Control Systems (Invited Talk) (ICALEPCS), Knoxville, TN, 701-705, October 2007.
H. G. Park, A. Barrett, E. Baumann, M. Grage, and S. Narasimhan, Proceedings of the Second IEEE International Conference on Space Mission Challenges for Information Technology (SMC-IT), Pasadena, CA, 277-284, July 2006.
E. Benazera and S. Narasimhan, Proceedings of American Control Conference (ACC), Portland, OR, June 2005.
S. Narasimhan, L. Brownston, and D. Burrows, Proceedings of IEEE Aerospace Conference, Big Sky, MT, 3495-3501, March 2004.
S. Narasimhan, R. Dearden, and E. Benazera, Proceedings of the 15th International Workshop on Principles of Diagnosis, Carcassonne, France, 123-128, 2004.
George E. Gorospe Jr. and Chetan S. Kulkarni, Proceedings of,.
Q. Gaudel, P. Ribot, E. Chanthery, and M. Daigle, 37th International Conference on Applications and Theory of Petri Nets and Concurrency, Torun, Poland, 196-215, June 2016.
J. Lam, S. Sankararaman, and B. Stewart, Proceedings of Annual Conference of the Prognostics and Health Management Society, Fort Worth, TX, September 2014.
J. Chiachio, M. Chiachio, S. Sankararaman, A. Saxena, and K. Goebel., Proceedings of the American Society for Composites 29th Technical Conference, the 16th US-Japan Conference on Composite Materials, and the ASTM-D30 Meetin, San Diego, CA, Sep 2014.
Predicting remaining useful life in CRFP laminates under fatigue loads: a new efficient algorithm.
M. Chiachio, J. Chiachio, S. Sankararaman, A. Saxena, and K. Goebel, Proceedings of the American Society for Composites 29th Technical Conference, the 16th US-Japan Conference on Composite Materials, and the ASTM-D30 Meetin, San Diego, CA, Sep 2014.
Adams, Richard, Lichter, Matthew, Reilly, J., Narasimhan, Sriram, Zetocha, and Paul, Proceedings of AIAA Infotech@Aerospace Conference, Garden Grove, CA, June 2012.
B. Zhang, L. Tang, J. DeCastro, and K. Goebel, Proceedings of IEEE AUTOTESTCON, Orlando, FL, September 2010.
L. Tang, G. Kacprzynski, K. Goebel, and G. Vachtsevanos, Proceedings of IEEE Aerospace Conference, Big Sky, MT, March 2010.
A. Ginart, I. Ali, I.Barlas, P. Kalgren, M. Roemer, and K. Goebel, Proceedings of IEEE Aerospace Conference, Big Sky, MT, March 2010.
P. Lall, R. Vaidya, V. More, and K. Goebel, Proceedings of IMECE, 2010.
P. Lall, R. Vaidya, V. More, K. Goebel, and Jeff Suhling, Proceedings of ECTC, 2010.
P. Lall, R. Lowe, and K. Goebel, Proceedings of ECTC, 2010.
P. Lall, R. Vaidrya, V. More, K. Goebel, and J. Suhling, Proceedings of iTHERM, 2010.
P. Lall, R. Lowe, and K. Goebel, Proceedings of iTHERM, 2010.
L. Tang, G. Kacprzynski, K. Goebel, and G. Vachtsevanos, Proceedings of IEEE Aerospace Conference, Big Sky, MT, March 2009.
M. Smith, C. Byington, M. Wattson, S. Bharadwaj, G. Swerdon, K. Goebel, and E. Balaban, Proceedings of IEEE Aerospace Conference, Big Sky, MT, March 2009.
G. Swerdon, M. Watson, S. Bharadwaj, C. Byington, M. Smithm K. Goebel, and E. Balaban, Proceedings of MFPT, 2009.
P. Lall, R. Lowe, J. Suhling, and K. Goebel, Proceedings of INTERPACK, 2009.
P. Lall, V. More, R. Vaidya, J. Suhling, and K. Goebel, Proceedings of IMECE, 2009.
P. Lall, R. Lowe, J. Suhling, and K. Goebel, Proceedings of IMECE, 2009.
P. Lall, V. More, R. Vaidya, and K. Goebel, Proceedings of ECTC, 2009.
P. Lall, R. Vaidya, V. More, J. Suhling, and K. Goebel, Proceedings of InterPACK, 2009.
P. Lall, R. Lowe, and K. Goebel, Proceedings of ECTC, 2009.
C. Laughman, R. LaFoy, W. Wichakool, P. Armstrong, S. Leeb, L. Norford, J. Rodriguez, K. Goebel, Ann Patterson−Hine, and N. Lupton, Proceedings of International Compressor Engineering Conference, West Lafayette, IN, July 2008.
A. Khalak and K. Goebel, Proceedings of IEEE Aerospace Conference, Big Sky, MT, March 2008.
M. Orchard, G. Kacprzynski, K. Goebel, B. Saha, and G. Vachtsevanos, Proceedings of International Conference on Prognostics and Health Management, 2008.
N. Patil, D. Das, K. Goebel, and M. Pecht, Proceedings of International Conference on Prognostics and Health Management, 2008.
N. Patil, D. Das, K. Goebel, and M. Pecht, Proceedings of International Seminar on Power Semiconductors (ISPS), 2008.
P. Lall, C. Bhat, M. Hande, V. More, R. Vaidya, J. Suhling, R. Pandher, and K. Goebel, Proceedings of the 58th ECTC, 918-929, 2008.
P. Lall, C. Bhat, M. Hande, V. More, R. Vaidya, J. Suhling, R. Pandher, and K. Goebel, Proceedings of International Conference on Prognostics and Health Management, 2008.
A. Ginart. M. Roemer, P. Kalgren, and K. Goebel, Proceedings of International Conference on Prognostics and Health Management, 2008.
L. Tang, G. Kacprzynski, M. Orchard,
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able to pass the savings down to their patrons through technologically advanced inmate calling solutions. Stop trying to locate a third party authorized agent for your inmate calling. Trust the Securus Technologies network to provide you with transparent inmate calls without a lost connection like other big name networks. You must be eighteen years of age and have a valid debit or credit card to access features. Securus Technologies is available with customer support 24 hours a day. Join the popular online network today.
In fact, Securus doesn’t hesitate to give their customers service and fees that aren’t available with other networks. For example, their remote visitation feature is very popular for allotting online visitation. You must have a compatible device, download the Securus app, and pay a small process processing fee. Would you like to send an inmate an email with attachments? You can now, process emails with a virtual stamp available from Securus. You can also send pictures online” participating in packaging services at select facilities, and use voicemail options from Securus to stay connnected to friends and family in a correctional facility.
Get many popular features from their website under easy to navigate descriptive tabs. To date, Securus proudly serves over 346,000+ customers nationwide. Join Securus Technologies and speak to one of their friendly IT professional’s 24 hours a day about your new or existing account.
For any company, its market reputation is critical. In the correctional industry, many companies have been operating for a long time, but one of the companies that have been growing steadily since 1986 is Securus Technologies. The market reputation of Securus Technologies in the inmate communications sector and correctional technology is by far the best, and it is also due to the rapid advancement made by the company in the recent years. The company has developed an expansive product portfolio that includes governmental information management system, inmate communication services, investigative services, and parolee tracking system. The company is amongst the first to devise the method to stop the supply of contraband phones into the prison.
Many of the investigative services offered by the company has dramatically helped in decreasing the crime rate inside and outside of the prison. The monitoring system developed and provided by Securus Technologies for the prison environment has been assisting the law enforcement agencies to keep a track on the inmates and take quick actions if a mishap occurs, which is something that frequently happens in the jail facilities. The company has also been making rapid advances in the field of correctional technology, and the CEO of Securus Technologies has even extended an open invitation to the customers and investors to visit the company’s Research and Development Center based in Dallas, TX.
Rick Smith believes that it would help the investors and customers know about what the company has been up to in the last few years, and how far the technology developed by the company would take the correctional space in the future. The law enforcement agencies and officers greatly appreciate the products and services of Securus Technologies and have written letters to the company acknowledging that. Some of these messages were published by the company recently through a web release.
Gang violence inside the prison is worse than anyone on the outside could ever imagine. As bad as those gang members on when they are running in the streets, they pose a huge threat to me and my fellow corrections officers when we are in close quarters with them inside the jail. Those gang members who are serving lengthy or life sentences have little concern for having additional time added to their sentences for hurting an officer. To try and maintain peace, we have to take certain precautions each day.
My team of corrections officers spend a considerable amount of time each day trying to make certain drugs stay out of our jail. The reason is obvious, but it can affect so many different aspects of prison life. If an inmate can get drugs into the jail, they get high and put the entire prison population in danger. Then you have the gang leaders who force the lower-level members to sell the drugs and kick up the cash, taking all the risk while making the gang stronger.
Securus Technologies has been placing their inmate call monitoring system in thousands of jails around this country. The system enables officers to be able to listen to the inmates conversations in a way that we have never been able to do before. The LBS software will scan all the calls, virtually allowing my team to be in one place and then alerted if any chatter comes up about certain subjects. The importance of this new resource in our efforts to clean up the prison has been incredible.
Now when we hear gang members talking about ordering street thugs to bring in drugs to the visitor center, we take action. If gangs talk about using, hiding, buying, or selling drugs, now we have ears on those conversations.
Why are All Prisons Using Securus Technologies?
Sometimes, facilities need a specialized product, a technology made specifically for them, or a system that allows it to perform flawlessly. This is not different for prisons and correction agencies, who manage some of the most dangerous people in the nation. Inmates committed crimes, and often they continue to do so from inside the bars of a cell, which means that there needs to exist a dedicated security system just for prisons.
For many years, there were not many of those dedicated services, or at least they were either not of the highest quality or overpriced. When Securus Technologies was created by Richard A. “Rick” Smith, he was filling a spot that no one else was investing in, and he founded one of the most successful prison technology companies in the world, being approved by more than five Departments of Corrections facilities.
The company has its headquarters in Dallas, Texas, and they act on prisons in the United States and in many important metropolitan centers in Canada where there are prisons that would benefit from the dedicated service.
Securus Technologies, as the name suggests, has the primary focus of finding solutions that increase the security of a correction agency, but the team is also focused on developing communication solutions that use modern technology to keep improving their services.
For example, Securus Technologies found a solution for prisons who were having problems with the contraband of cell phones inside their territory, where inmates were using the mobile communication to talk to their smuggling partners outside of jail, furthering their crime activity. Securus developed a system to control that contraband, and more than 2,000 prisons and agencies have already hired the services of Securus to help maintain monitoring of the jail.
Not everything is one-sided though, as Securus Technologies also thinks on the inmates when developing their technology. Their telephone service is one of the best in the market and allows inmates to communicate with their families and friends with a clean and audible communication, much better than the standards of a prison.
There’s many reasons why Securus Technologies is becoming a preferred method of communications for many. Unfortunately, visitation in jails can often be difficult for people to conduct or set up as appointment times are often taken up due to the particular jail facilities being quite busy. Due to such circumstances, individuals often find themselves being unable to visit the inmates due to conflicts of scheduling in which they have their own set of responsibilities to tend to such as work, school, business, errands, or anything else that may prevent them from being able to make a visit to the jail.
Securus Technologies understands that conflicts of scheduling exists and has created the Securus Technologies platform for such reasons. However, the program has become a great tool for law enforcement officials as they’re now capable of seeing the video conference sessions that take place and can utilize any relevant information that may be used to uncover crimes that are occurring within the premises of their correctional facilities. If certain types of crimes are spoken about over video conferencing, then it’s highly likely the law enforcement officials will be able to use that information to investigate with and continue the monitoring of the areas in the jail where the crime was spoken about may have occurred.
Securus Technologies is a very easy to use program that has been designed and engineered to provide users with easy navigation and utilization. Please don’t hesitate to request information from the customer serve help desk as representatives are able to guide and assist in utilizing this wonderfully designed program that’s proven to be a great option for many people who are wanting to keep in touch with their relatives, significant others, or friends. Do not neglect this opportunity that you have as time can pass you by without even realizing it.
No one likes to think of a relative or friend of theirs being in the prison system. The unfortunate truth is that this happens to many more people than you might think and so it is a harsh reality for many people who are trying to keep in contact with that individual and are finding it to be too difficult. This is essentially why the Securus system was designed and why so many people are using Securus for their own needs. It allows people to keep in constant touch with their loved ones through video messaging service is set up through the prison system.
When I began to use Securus for my own needs, I found it to be one of the best technologies out there in terms of prison communication. Prison communication is not easy because it has to be completely secure and safe as well as reliable so that you have constant contact with the person you are trying to keep in touch with at all times. Because of this, I struggled with other technologies and companies that offered video messaging but didn’t deliver in terms of quality. This is when I began to use Securus and found it to be one of the absolute best companies out there for communication within the prison system.
It has gotten to the point now that anyone who has a loved one in the prison system, I continually recommend to them Securus. Securus is a great option for anyone who has to keep in touch with someone who is behind bars. You will find that it is not only an affordable technology for you to make yourself, but it could also help in a tremendous way when it comes to keeping in touch with your loved one on a consistent basis. You
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(si) – 1) (Fig. 2). The analytical and discrete strain calculations yielded similar results. The analytical method provided a smoother strain field, while the discrete method was more susceptible to experimental noise.
Analytical versus discrete strain calculations. Comparing a smoothed (blue) and discrete (black) method of strain calculation for the temporal edge of a representative CD1 specimen. The discrete method discretized the scleral edge into line segments and used central difference to calculate the stretch of each line segment, while the smoothed method modeled the scleral edge as an elliptical curve undergoing 2D displacements in the plane. Rk indicates the regions, which are defined as every four points along the scleral edge.
The nasal and temporal edges of each specimen were not significantly different from each other (Fig. 3). Thus, the definition for D provides a reasonable approximation for the diameter. The effective circumferential strain would equal the local circumferential strain for an axisymmetric scleral shell.
Temporal versus nasal scleral edge. This figure shows the superimposed temporal and nasal scleral edges for (A) a CD1 mouse and (B) a B6 mouse. The nasal and temporal edges of each specimen were not significantly different from each other. Thus, the definition for D provides a reasonable approximation for the diameter.
For statistical comparisons, we defined four regions, R1 to R4, as consisting of four consecutive points along the scleral edge, excluding the first two points closest to the ONH and the last two points closest to the fixture (Fig. 2). The strains within a region were then averaged to provide a single pressure–strain curve for each region for each of three strain measures: the effective circumferential strain, the temporal meridional strain, and the nasal meridional strain. The three averaged strain measures were compared regionally for each specimen at each pressure step of interest. Region 1 was that closest to the ONH (peripapillary), and regions 2, 3, and 4 were sequentially in the direction of the anterior eye (Fig. 1A).
For measurement of scleral thickness, the superior quadrant of fresh unfixed sclera was cut from the limbus to the peripapillary area and placed in buffer. Three strips from this quadrant, measuring 0.33 mm wide and 2.5 mm long, were cut from the peripapillary area to the limbus with a sharp blade. Each strip was further divided into six portions, every 0.4 to 0.5 mm, designated as section 1 (peripapillary) to section 6 (limbal area; Fig. 4). Using an eyepiece micrometer, three measurements of sclera thickness were then made in each of the six sections of the three strips from an eye, with the mean for each section reported here. Parallel measurements done on fresh, unfixed scleral segments by confocal microscopy showed that the thickness obtained was consistent between the two methods (data not shown). Some eyes had scleral thickness measured without prior inflation testing, while others were measured after inflation testing. The potential effect of such prior testing was measured in the biostatistical analysis and taken into account as a potential confounder in regression models.
Schematic of locations for scleral thickness measurements. This figure shows the schematic of an inflation tested right eye, where Sk indicates the sections delineated by the six locations of scleral thickness measurements. The first four scleral thickness measurement sections (S1–S4) approximately correspond to the position of the four regions analyzed during inflation testing Figure 1A (R1–R4). The regions corresponding to sections 5 and 6 were not measured during inflation testing as the fixture and glue obstruct the view of these areas. The bold dashed line indicates the typical position of the fixture and the dotted line indicates the limbal margin.
Tissues were fixed after inflation testing by immersion in 4% paraformaldehyde in 0.1 M sodium phosphate buffer (pH = 7.2). To assess RGC damage, we estimated axon loss in optic nerve cross-sections by a quantitative sampling technique. 42,43 After initial paraformaldehyde fixation, the optic nerve was removed and postfixed in 1% osmium tetroxide, dehydrated in alcohol, and stained with 1% uranyl acetate in 100% ethanol for 1 hour. Nerves were embedded in epoxy resin and 1-μm cross-sections were digitally imaged to measure each optic nerve area. Then, five 40 × 40 μm, randomly selected ×100 images were made (Cool Snap camera, Metamorph Image Analysis software; Molecular Devices, Downington, PA), comprising 9% of the overall nerve area. Masked observers edited nonaxonal elements from each image to estimate true axon density. The average axon density per square millimeter was multiplied by the individual nerve area to estimate the axon number. Experimental eyes were compared to the mean axon number in pooled fellow eye nerves to yield percent axon loss.
The following data were tabulated and compared statistically between treated and control eyes: IOP average level, IOP exposure over time (positive integral = area under the IOP versus time curve in the treated eye that exceeded the area under the IOP versus time curve in the control eye), axial length and widths, axon count, and strains from inflation testing. Mean values were compared with parametric statistical tests for data that were normally distributed and median values with nonparametric testing for those whose distributions failed normality testing. Multivariable regression models, using a generalized estimating equation (GEE) approach when multiple measurements on each mouse were included, were used to compare pressure–strain behavior between the two types of mice and between glaucoma and control data, and to compare outcome parameters such as axial length/width and axon count (GraphPad InStat; GraphPad Software, Inc., LaJolla, CA; and SAS 9.2; SAS Institute, Cary, NC). Strain curves for each region and each measure of strain were estimated using three separate GEE models The first model (control eyes only) estimated the curve for CD1 control eyes and B6 control eyes and the difference between B6 and CD1 control eyes. The second model (glaucoma eyes only) estimated the curve for CD1 glaucoma eyes and B6 glaucoma eyes. For the third model, the difference in strain between the control eye and the glaucoma eye for a mouse was used as the independent variable in order to estimate the difference between glaucoma eyes and control eyes for each strain measurement and to compare the B6 difference and the CD1 difference. The working correlation matrix for the repeat measurements at seven pressures was assumed to have an autoregressive structure, in which measurements taken closer in time have higher correlation. For each strain ratio, separate GEE models were used to obtain estimates for control eyes and glaucoma eyes. The working correlation matrix for the repeat measurements at seven pressures for each of four regions was assumed to have an exchangeable structure, in which any two repeat measurements had the same correlation.
Control CD1 mice had significantly longer and wider eyes than did B6 mice (P < 0.0001, multivariable model adjusting for age and previous inflation testing; Table 1). The CD1 controls overall were 4.6% longer than control B6. In multivariable regression models, for both CD1 and B6 combined, older eyes and eyes that were measured without aldehyde fixation were significantly longer (multivariable regression R 2 = 0.37, P < 0.0001 [age], P = 0.003 [fixation]). There was a slightly greater width for both mouse types in the nasal–temporal meridian than in the superior–inferior one. This difference was not significant in B6 control eyes (P = 0.2), and while significant in CD1 controls, the difference was only 1.2% (P = 0.03, t-test; Table 1).
n, number of eyes; S-I, superior–inferior direction; N-T, nasal–temporal direction.
* Values are given as mean (standard deviation).
† Length and width measurements are given in millimeters.
‡ Scleral thickness measurements from sections 1 through 6 are given in micrometers.
B6 control eyes were significantly longer in older mice than in younger mice, and eyes that were measured without aldehyde fixation were longer than those with fixation (multivariable model, R 2 = 0.21, P < 0.0001 [age], P = 0.0009 [fixation], n = 121 eyes). There was also an increase in both width measurements with age (nasal–temporal and superior–inferior; Table 2). In 122 control CD1 mouse eyes, axial length and both widths were significantly larger in older mice (multivariable regression, R 2 = 0.31, P < 0.0001), but these parameters were unaffected by fixation (P = 0.10). The mean axial length in eyes measured prior to fixation for B6 eyes was 3% greater than those measured after fixation (3.41 mm compared with 3.31 mm, n = 77, 51); in CD1 eyes mean axial length was 3.53 mm for both eyes with and without prior fixation.
n.a., data are not available.
* Young DBA/2J mice (2–4 months old, prior to developing glaucoma) had similar axial length to the B6 controls (Table 3).
† Age is given in months.
‡ Length and width measurements are given in millimeters.
§ Scleral thickness measurements from sections 1 through 6 are given in micrometers.
* Age is given in months.
Among all three mouse types, the sclera was thickest at the peripapillary area (section 1), second thickest at the limbus (section 6), and thinnest in the midsclera (Tables 1–3). Normal B6 eyes had significantly thicker peripapillary and limbal sclera than CD1 eyes, but similar scleral thickness to CD1 in
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activated protein kinase (Thr202/Tyr204), rabbit anti-p44/42 mitogen-activated protein kinase, rabbit anti-phospho-Bcl-2 (Ser70), rabbit anti-Bcl-2, and rabbit anti-phospho-c-Jun (Ser63). Rabbit anti-actin was provided by Santa Cruz Biotechnology (Santa Cruz, CA).
After the HLE-B3 cells were subjected to inhibitor treatments, the cells were stained with JC-1 to determine the mitochondrial membrane potential. JC-1 is a membrane permeant lipophilic dye that exists as J-aggregates in the mitochondrial matrix (red fluorescence) and as monomers in the cytoplasm (green fluorescence). During mitochondrial depolarization, the red J-aggregates flow out of the mitochondria and accumulate in the cytosol as green monomers. Thus, depolarization can be measured as an increasing green fluorescent/red fluorescent intensity ratio.
The JC-1 assay was performed as follows. HLE-B3 cell monolayers were maintained in serum-free MEM with or without inhibitor treatment, brought through atmospheric oxygen into hypoxia, and then later switched back to atmospheric oxygen as described above. At the end of the hypoxic exposure, the hypoxic media on cells (oxygen depleted) were poured off, and fresh (oxygen rich) serum-free MEM (with or without an inhibitor) was added containing 5 µg/ml JC-1 for 30 min in a tissue culture incubator. The stained HLE-B3 cells were then rinsed twice using serum-free MEM, and fresh oxygenated serum-free MEM (with or without inhibitor, but no JC-1 dye) was added. A random field of cells was imaged every 2.5 min for 60 min using an X10 objective on a confocal microscope (Ziess LSM410, LSM410, Thornwood, NY). The excitation wavelength was 488 nm, and the microscope was set to simultaneously detect green emission (540 nm) and red emission (595 nm) channels using a dual bandpass filter.
A caspase-3 enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA; Invitrogen, Camarillo, CA) was used to determine apoptosis. HLE-B3 cell monolayers were maintained in serum-free MEM with or without treatment and brought through our experimental protocol, which included atmospheric oxygen into 3 h of hypoxia, and then subsequently switched back to atmospheric oxygen. Treatment included SB216763 (12 µM), UO126 (10 µM), staurosporine (100 nM), or 0.05% DMSO vehicle maintained throughout the course of the experiment. Sixty minutes after atmospheric oxygen was reintroduced, all samples were then lysed using our lysis buffer (0.12 M Tris-HCl [pH 6.8], 4% SDS, and 20% glycerol). Part of the lysate samples was removed and used to determine the protein concentration. The protein concentration was calculated by using a DC protein assay kit (Bio-Rad). Apoptotic activity was determined following the manufacturer’s protocol using 10 µg of protein.
Images from JC-1 confocal microscopy were separated into individual red and green channels using ImageJ (Baltimore, MD). The background fluorescence was removed from each image before the intensity was measured. The fluorescence intensity signal from each image was quantified for the entire image and expressed as the ratio of green fluorescent intensity over red fluorescent intensity. Western blot densitometry was determined using ImageJ, and related statistics was determined using GraphPad Prism 5 (La Jolla, CA).
JC-1 analysis of the DMSO mock-treated cells exposed to various cell culture conditions was implemented to determine whether environmental stress (i.e., hypoxia, atmospheric oxygen, or reversal from one condition to the other) elicited mitochondrial depolarization. Four conditions were tested: cells grown in constant atmospheric oxygen, cells switched from atmospheric oxygen to hypoxia, cells switched from hypoxia to atmospheric oxygen, and cells maintained in continuous hypoxia. Under all tested conditions, the cells did not depolarize, indicating that continuous hypoxia, atmospheric oxygen, and switching cell culture environments (hypoxia to atmospheric oxygen or atmospheric oxygen to hypoxia) do not induce depolarization (Figure 1).
To investigate the role GSK-3β plays in regulating cellular mitoprotection with cells maintained in hypoxia and subsequently exposed to atmospheric oxygen, HLE-B3 cells were treated with the GSK-3β inhibitor, SB216763. Non-phosphorylated GSK-3β is the active form of the enzyme, and in this form, the enzyme is capable of phosphorylating numerous downstream substrates including glycogen synthase (GS). The phosphorylation of GS is thus a useful parameter for monitoring GSK-3β activity. Cultures of HLE-B3 cells were grown on 100 mm dishes until >85% confluence. Cells were treated with 12 µM SB216763 or mock-treated with DMSO (control). After 90 min in ambient oxygen, the cells were placed under hypoxic conditions (about 1% O2) for 3 h and then switched back to atmospheric oxygen (about 21% O2) for 3 h. Samples were collected from cells consistently maintained in atmospheric oxygen (control), immediately after hypoxic exposure and 1 h, 2 h, and 3 h of reexposure to atmospheric oxygen. Western blot analysis showed that the HLE-B3 cells subjected to SB216763 treatment had levels of GSK-3β and phosphoglycogen synthase kinase-3beta (pGSK-3β) similar to those of the controls (Figure 2). However, treatment with SB216763 resulted in inhibition of phosphorylation of GS. The failure to phosphorylate GS indicates the active site of GSK-3β was inactivated. The continued presence of pGSK-3β in the treated cells was because the autophosphorylation site of GSK-β was unaffected by SB216763. A key question that we wished to address in this study was whether inhibiting GSK-3β activity positively correlated with preventing mitochondrial depolarization. In a recent related study, we observed that SB216763-treated cells monitored for mMPT using emission spectroscopy displayed suppressed mitochondrial depolarization relative to the control DMSO mock-treated cells.
A parallel experiment, using the MEK1/2 inhibitor, UO126, was also conducted on HLE-B3 cells to determine whether inhibiting ERK1/2 phosphorylation had any impact on the phosphorylation of GSK-3β and GS. Lens cells were treated with 10 µM UO126 or DMSO and subsequently placed in hypoxic conditions for 3 h. Following the hypoxic exposure, new media were added to the culture dishes, and the cells were exposed to atmospheric oxygen for up to 3 h in the continued presence and absence of UO126. Lysates of these cells were collected from cells maintained consistently in atmospheric oxygen, after the hypoxic exposure and 1 h, 2 h, and 3 h after atmospheric oxygen was reintroduced. Analysis of the western blot membranes showed marked inhibition of p42 ERK1/2 and p44 ERK1/2 (Figure 3, upper panel, left) relative to the control cells. The loss of ERK1/2 phosphorylation did not affect the relative levels of GSK-3β or pGSK-3β compared with the DMSO controls (Figure 3, upper panel, right), whereas inhibiting ERK phosphorylation prevented the downstream phosphorylation of GS. Therefore, the configuration of the ratio of pGSK-3β/GSK-3β and pGS/GS appeared identical irrespective of whether SB216763 or UO126 was used (compare the bar graphs of Figure 2 and Figure 3). Given the similarity in the profile of the ratio of pGSK-3β/GSK-3β and pGS/GS, a critical question was whether UO126-treated cells, similar to SB216763-treated cells, likewise prevented mitochondrial depolarization relative to the control DMSO mock-treated cells or whether UO126-treated cells were prone to mMPT.
Parallel studies were conducted using JC-1 analysis. HLE-B3 cells were treated with 10 µM UO126 or DMSO and then placed under hypoxic conditions for 3 h. The cells were exposed to the JC-1 dye for 30 min in atmospheric oxygen. Following the JC-1 application, fresh media with U0126 or DMSO were added to the culture plates. The cells were subsequently observed with confocal microscopy and the green and red intensities recorded every 2.5 min for 60 min. The green to red ratio of the UO126-treated cells markedly increased over the time course relative to the control cells, indicating the loss of ∆Ψ (Figure 3, bottom panel).
As discussed above, comparison of the western blots for pGSK-3β/GSK-3β and pGS/GS between the two inhibitor treatments generated profiles that were similar, if not, identical (compare Figure 2 and Figure 3). However, whereas treatment with the GSK-3β inhibitor, SB216763, likely blocked opening of the mitochondrial membrane permeability transition pores, effectively suppressing depolarization, treatment with UO126 elicited profound depolarization relative to the control cells (Figure 3, bottom panel). We therefore examined in greater detail the outcome of each inhibitor on the BAX, Bcl-2, and pBcl-2 levels.
Lysates from all experimental treatments were evaluated to determine the levels of Bcl-2, pBcl-2, and BAX. Western blot membranes from the SB216763- and UO126-treated cells relative to their respective controls indicated no alteration in the levels of BAX for the treated and control cells (Figure 4, upper panel and Figure 5, upper panel). The relative levels of pBcl-2 and Bcl-2 were not altered for the SB216763-treated cells compared with the control cells (Figure 4, middle panel). In contrast, the UO126-treated cells displayed significantly diminished levels of pBcl-2 under all culture conditions, including normoxic control, hypoxic exposure, and
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You will be happy to know that it is possible. Research natural solutions for regrowing lost hair and preventing further loss.
To prevent loss of hair, start putting more protein in your diet. Your hair is composed of protein! Consume fish, poultry, red meat and eggs for an instant boost. If you are vegetarian, or just not fond of the meat choices, try some lentils or kidney beans. Additional protein in your diet may help alleviate hair loss.
TIP! Protein will help you keep your hair longer. Protein is what hair is made of.
Vitamin C is extremely important in averting blading, something which cannot be downplayed. Vitamin C can play a big role in collagen development, which is good for hair growth and maintenance. If you are deficient in vitamin C, eat more citrus fruits or perhaps a candy drop with a high vitamin C content.
Do not use hair styling products if you would like to keep your hair. Many hair styling products, like mousses, gels and hairsprays, are full of toxic chemicals that can build up on your hair causing breakage and, in severe cases, hair loss.
Avoid stress to avoid hair thinning. Hair thinning results from stress, among other causes. Managing stress will help you manage hair loss. Learning how to get a handle on your stress, and not letting it consume you, can really help you to keep your hair healthy and strong.
You can reduce your hair loss by changing the routine you follow after showering. Rub your hair gently using a towel when you finish your shower; don’t rub too vigorously. You also should not dry it with a hair dryer. If you have to blow dry your hair, use low heat.
TIP! You can reduce your hair loss by changing the routine you follow after showering. When your hair is washed, gently pat it dry with a soft towel.
Change what you do when you get out of the shower to reduce blading. When you are finished washing your hair, gently dry it with a towel as opposed to rubbing it vigorously. It is also suggested not to use a hair dryer. If you have to, set the dryer on low heat.
To help prevent hair loss, massage your scalp. This will help increase scalp circulation and open blood vessels in your scalp. You should move your fingers vigorously all over your scalp, rubbing around for approximately ten minutes. Stress causes some hair loss and rubbing your head can help cut down on stress.
TIP! Scalp massages may help fight hair loss. Massage gets blood flowing and stimulates the scalp.
Consume more vitamin C if your want to reduce hair loss. This vitamin increases blood flow in the scalp area, and helps maintain the health of capillaries that transport the blood that hair follicles rely on. You will see more rapid regrowth once you have better circulation to the scalp.
Staying out of high pollution areas is good for preventing hair loss. Studies have proven that men who live in highly polluted areas are at a greater risk for developing hair loss, because the pollutants can travel into their bloodstream, causing damage to hair and making it fall out.
TIP! Pollution is a major factor in hair loss, so avoid it as much as possible! If you live in a highly polluted area, you may lose your hair. Exposure to pollutants can cause hair to fall out.
You can reduce the rate at which you’re losing your hair by eating a lot of protein-rich foods. Many foods such as eggs, fish, poultry, nuts and beans supply much needed protein to your body. This protein is turned into keratin, a protein for hair. With lots of keratin in your body, you will have tougher and more resilient hair which can slow down any loss.
Allow you hair ample time to grow thicker and fuller before you cut it. Cutting your hair too much can cause it to get weaker.
TIP! Allow your hair to become longer and thicker before going back to the stylist for a cut. Grow your hair a little longer, since having it trimmed whenever it becomes a bit frizzy and longer is going to cause it to weaken.
Liquid saw palmetto is efficient against the loss of hair. Saw palmetto is thought to lower DHT levels. DHT is the hormone that causes male pattern baldness. To do this, remove the juice from this fruit, then use it on your hair.
As hard as it may be to believe, relaxation through meditation may actually be effective at treating hair loss. Stress in your body constricts blood vessels in the scalp, resulting in hair falling out. Meditation is well documented in its ability to relax the physical body enough to encourage healthy blood flow and pressure, both of which help circulate fresh blood to the scalp.
Make sure to carefully consider any treatments or restoration methods you are considering to treat or stop your thinning hair. You always want to stay aware of the ingredients used and specifically, how the active ingredients work. You might convince yourself that you should spend more on a product that is the best solution.
Drastic weight change, illness, surgery, stress and anemia are some causes of temporary hair loss. This temporary hair loss often starts 3 months after an event ends, and usually lasts about 3 months in total. You should understand these concerns, and utilize them for your benefit.
How you wear or style your hair is an important aspect in hair loss. Hair loss can occur when people consistently pull their hair back tightly using barrettes and elastic bands. The reason that you will lose hair this way is known as traction alopecia.
TIP! When considering your hair loss, take into account the way that you wear or style your hair. Hair loss can occur when people consistently pull their hair back tightly using barrettes and elastic bands.
Scalp massages are used to stimulate the nerves and generate circulation, which will help regrow hair. Scalp massage is highly effective in promoting hair growth, due to the fact that it manages anxiety that may be related to thinning hair for some people. There are no risks to scalp massage, and it’s easy enough to do every day.
Female hair loss is often caused by a change in hormones. Anything that throws off hormones, even something as minor as birth control, can make women lose hair. A temporary hormone imbalance may also be caused by hormone replacement treatment. If you notice you are losing your hair, get your hormone levels checked.
Some hair treatments may have damaging ingredients that rub off on fabric. Let the product dry before allowing your head to touch anything.
If you are on a vegan or vegetarian diet, and you are noticing some hair loss, take a look at how much soy and iodine you are getting. Soy excess affects normal thyroid gland activity levels, causing imbalances within your body and affecting hair regrowth.
TIP! Watch your iodine and soy intake if you’re preventing hair loss while on a vegan or vegetarian diet. Soy can affect the thyroid, and any imbalances in your thyroid may directly cause hair loss.
Give your hair some time to grow thick and full prior to getting it cut. Cutting it every time it starts to get a little frizzy and lengthier will ultimately weaken your hair, so let it grow longer.
Buy a shampoo which is formulated for your hair type. You can ask a hair stylist what type your hair is, so that you know whether you need shampoo for dry, normal or oily hair. Always rinse your hair after you wash it to avoid buildups.
TIP! Determine your type of hair, and use shampoo designed for that type. Consult with your hair stylist to find out if you have hair that is dry, oily, normal or prone to dandruff, so you can get the appropriate shampoo.
Some people say that aloe vera is very effective in preventing thinning hair, that is why you should consider trying this. The treatment is to rub the Aloe Vera into the scalp before bed. The aloe vera will stimulate your scalp, and the minerals it contains will strengthen your hair.
Try emu oil for your scalp and hair. Just rub the oil on your scalp and hair before going to sleep.
TIP! Massaging emu oil into the scalp has been known to help. Massage the oil into your scalp before you go to bed.
Vitamin B12 can be found in many sources. You can eat more meat, such as chicken and beef, or you can get the B12 as a supplement in a pill form.
If you have thinner hair than you want, consider your styling products. If you style your hair with gels and related sticky substances, wash them away prior to calling it a night. Such products can clog follicles and cause hair loss.
A mixture of olive oil and rosemary can be used topically to improve the health of your hair. Rosemary makes hair look shiny, and strengthens it. The oil has also proven to exert an antioxidant effect on your scalp and hair follicles.
TIP! Apply an olive oil and rosemary mixture to your hair. The rosemary acts as a hair strengthener, and will also help make it more shiny.
A fast solution to hide thinning hair concerns is to wear a wig. When compared with other thinning hair treatments, wigs are relatively inexpensive. Wigs are easy to obtain and found in many salons and specialty stores. Wigs can be purchased that are made from human hair, and these are very realistic looking. It’s very easy to find a wig that matches your skin’s tone.
If there’s no obvious reason for your hair loss, consider if you might be suffering from more stress than you thought. Having a high-stress home or work environment often causes hair to
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you've supposedly agreed upon everything with your spouse and the court supplies you questions that have been written up by an actual judge, right?
The answer is actually simple and yet it's significance is so important that it would be easy for you to overlook. It's this simple. A divorce is about your legal rights and protecting those rights in the divorce process. However, it is not the role of the list of questions in your packet or even the judge in the courtroom on the day of your hearing to protect your rights. So you may be wondering, who protects my rights? If you go in representing yourself, then YOU DO! So the question is, do you know your rights and do you know how to protect them. The fact is that most people don't know their legal rights and they don't know how to protect them when the need arises.
So why do they give you sample hearing questions at all in your divorce packet, right? Well, you have the constitutional right to represent yourself. Unfortunately too many people are going into court because they don't want to hire a lawyer or even go get legal advice and guidance to protect their rights. Yet when people don't know what they are doing they screw up the court's calendar with the time they spend floundering around trying to figure out what to do. So, they give you sample questions to make it easier for you so that you're less likely to waste the court's time and thus this helps them get another case off the judge's docket.
So in a nutshell, the court gives you questions as a guide only. Yet those questions don't tell you your legal rights and the court isn't responsible for telling you your legal rights. The questions are generic and they do not address every thing you may have rights to in your case.
Ultimately, it's up to you if you choose to represent yourself and play games with your rights. The judges must hear about certain things in order to make their decisions. The questions cover those things. However, even in simple divorces many people have issues that are outside the questions the court provides. The thing to remember is this. When you go to court and represent yourself in your own divorce, you are playing lawyer as if you knew your rights and knew how to protect them. If you miss something or screw up a right that you might have had, then that's your problem. You may or may not have the opportunity to go back and correct it later, if you know how and you do it in time. There are some rights that people don't realize that they only get one shot at. If you blow it, you have no one to blame except yourself.
A qualified divorce and family law lawyer protects your legal rights when they represent you. In the very least you should go to such a lawyer to get advice about your divorce, your rights and how to proceed. Yet if you don't do that you can't come back to the court later and blame the judge, or the clerk or the people who hand out the packets with the questions in them.
Personally, I think putting the questions in divorce packets is a bad idea. This is not because I believe lawyers should get more business. It is because people now are of the belief that because they have questions from the court that the questions are all they need and that these questions along with the judge protect their rights. That is absolutely incorrect! Neither the questions nor the judge do anything to protect your rights.
Do yourself a favor! If you and your spouse have children, assets or debts then go see a qualified divorce lawyer if you are going to go through a divorce proceeding. I hear people represent themselves and make mistakes in their own divorce every month that were preventable. Don't allow yourself to be a victim of the system.
Equality and Father's Rights: The Rhode Island Family Court Needs to Catch Up!
It's supposed to be a world of equality where men and women are treated equally under the same circumstances. Yet, unless you reach an agreement with your spouse in a divorce that both parents will enjoy shared placement and equal time with the Minor Children, typically the result is anything but fair for the father. The vast majority of the time the mother becomes the placement parent either because the court makes that decision after trial or the father may choose that it is not in his children's best interests to go through a custody battle where heightened tensions between the parents which spill over to the children. It's extremely rare that the father ends up as the placement parent even if he is the best qualified parent to end up with placement of the children.
Why? There still exists this underlying notion that a mother of children has a special bond with children because she carried the child within her, or because mothers are presumed by their very nature to be more nurturing than men. Thus a conclusion is too often made that children should be with a mother because she is the nurturer. This reasoning of course has no basis in fact but rather comes about because of societal notions of the man as the "bread winner" and the woman as the one who "cares for the household and the children." It is an antiquated notion to say the least in today's society.
Equality for fathers in the Rhode Island family court system is sorely lacking when it comes to placement of children when faced with antiquated concepts such as "giving birth to the child" and the presumption of "superior maternal nurturing." After practicing exclusively in the family courts for 16 years I have seen fathers relegated to an "extra" whose rights as a parent are relegated to a part-time babysitter. Fathers who during a marriage were an integral part of their children's lives are now typically given "every other weekend" and "one evening during the week" to exercise as their "parenting time." This is true even though these father's once spent every weekend and sometimes every evening with their children. In family court mediation fathers are often told, "father's typically get every other weekend and one night a week" which is sometimes used to justify that a father should be happy if he gets an extra evening conceded to by the mother of the children. In one case I recall a client walking out of mediation only to breakdown and cry on me in the parking lot. When I inquired about it he said that he told the mediator that he spent more time with the children than the mother but when he told the mediator he wouldn't settle for anything less than equal time with their children he was told by the mediator "It's never going to happen."
Regardless of whether a mother be awarded placement of the children or not, the family court is seldom the place where fathers get the equity they deserve. While equitable does not mean equal, it begs the question as to why men who as fathers in an intact family have equal rights with the mother, yet when there is a divorce they are denied the time with their children that they previously had regardless of who filed for or who caused the breakdown of the divorce.
How is it that in severing the marital contract fathers rights are somehow reduced to less than the time they had with their children? Most assuredly in many cases this is not only penalizing the father but the children as well. Most certainly the court does not take the position that in a divorce a party who makes a claim or counterclaim for divorce is also divorcing the children and yet the reduction in a father's rights in our courts seems to give evidence that a father who is not a placement parent is, in fact, divorcing himself to some degree from his children.
Yet admittedly there are many cases that are settled by agreement of the parties. In these cases, surely the court should bear no fault for fathers having reduced time with their children if these men agree to that arrangement. This was something I have pondered at length and it is something that deserves response if only to understand why our legal system needs to change.
In many agreed upon cases before the court, through public or private mediation, or by virtue of the assistance of attorneys, it is the too often the repeated standard to fathers that they will usually only receive "every other weekend and one evening per week" that becomes the crux of the problem. This is because it is this very unwritten standard that causes the injustice. This unwritten standard is the responsibility not simply of the Family Court, but of the entire judiciary.
Where this standard came from and why it has been used and in existence for the entirety of my 16 year divorce practice is beyond comprehension. Yet simply put, if there is to be any standard at all it should be the presumption that each parent is entitled to equal time with the children and any reduction for either party should be addressed from there. Without setting this as the beginning point, this unwritten standard continues to devalue fathers and wrongfully remove them from their children's lives when they may well have been active participants in their children's daily lives. To do anything less is to deprive fathers of not only their rights but serves to punish the children of the relationship and create too great an opportunity for the ever growing problem of parental alienation which threatens to destroy the family unit.
As a father, I was subject to this "every other weekend and one evening per week" standard 18 years ago before I was an attorney. If there is to be true justice and equality on the issues in the family court at all father's rights need to be recognized before this court not by some amorphous standard that has no basis in law or in fact, but with the understanding that without fathers the child would not exist and that without the father in the life of the child both the father and child are denied the enrichment that is necessary to provide a balanced life, especially for the children.
Fathers need to know that they do not have to simply accept the trademark unwritten standard for a father's parenting time, but rather they should be aware that they have the right to fight for equal time with their children either by placement or through extensive parenting schedules.
Authored By: Christopher A.
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the analysis of "Sallie Beazly - Photographed by Frederick Gutekunst."
(1) The card mount measures 4 1/4 in. X 6 1/2 in. and is 0.82mm thick. The corners of the card are rounded. The card stock is creme color front and back. There is a photographer's imprint on the front and back of the card.
The photograph is marked copy and may be a copy of a daguerreotype, ambrotype, or cabinet card previously done by this photographer.
(2) The photographer’s imprint on the front (recto) of the photograph lists the photographer as F. Gutekunst Philadelphia. There is no address.
(3) Handwritten on the back of the mount, in what appears to be period writing, is Sallie J. Beazly. The photographer's imprint is a coat-of-arms followed by F. Gutekunst, 712 Arch St., Philadelphia.
The card is consistent with the Cabinet card, introduced in the United States in 1866. The color of the card and the thickness indicate a date in the 1880s.
F. Gutekunst was Frederick Gutekunst, born 25 September 1831, in Germantown, Pennsylvania. He died at his home in Philadelphia, 27 April 1917, at the age of eighty-five years.
In 1856 he opened his photographic studio at 706 Arch Street, Philadelphia. His business grew with the growing demand for pictures during and after the Civil War which led him to add the upper floors of No.704 Arch Street to his gallery at 706. In 1883 he moved to his gallery at 712 Arch Street. January 25, 1886, he suffered losses in the amount of $10,000 in a fire at 715-719 Arch St., Philadelphia.
A glance at the famous Gutekunst windows on Arch Street, Philadelphia, psychologically demonstrates the quality idea in photography. In these windows are displayed in a simple manner striking portraitures of many of the greatest men and women of the world. It is a notable art gallery, free for all passers to enjoy, and each day thousands of people take advantage of the opportunity.
The Gutekunst windows are “dressed” in such plain, dignified style that a quality atmosphere is permanently secured. One comprehends at a glance that only the finest work can be procured at the Gutekunst studios. No marked-down price tags are on any of the pictures in these windows; there are no fancy trimmings or extraneous decorations to distract the eye from the exhibition. The appearance of many of the photographs, however, is enhanced through their artistic mountings, and all are arranged with exceedingly good taste.
He was known for his celebrity photographs of men eminent in their professions, and his collection of negatives of distinguished characters was unequaled. The number of national celebrities whose picture he took, some nearly life size, was legion. Among the great pictures are those of William McKinley, Grover Cleveland, Carl Schurz, William Cullen Bryant, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Walt Whitman, and Ulysses S. Grant.
He photographed all the eminent soldiers of the Civil War and was on the field at Gettysburg ten days before Matthew Brady.
In 1877 he completed a photograph of the Philadelphia Exhibition grounds that was probably the largest photograph on a single sheet of paper in the world at the time. The sheet of paper on which it was printed was 10 ft. long and 18 in. wide.
1878 - Mr. Frederick Gutekunst, of Philadelphia, photographer, was distinguished as the recipient of the Cross of the Knights of the Austrian Order of Frans-Joseph, conferred by the Emperor of Austria on Mr. Gutekunst, because of the excellence of his productions in photographic art.
When Gutekunst died in 1917, his Arch Street studio had been active since the Civil War era. The executor of his estate ordered the building emptied, in order to see it. According to family lore, a group of college students spent a day tossing the contents of the building into dump trucks, parked below. Wooden box after box packed with glass negatives was heaved from the windows of what was once the city’s most prolific portrait studio.
January 25th, 1886, in Philadelphia, Mr. F. Gutekunst suffered a great loss. The loss of valuable negatives was very large, and while a small fraction of them remain, great numbers have been destroyed. His prototype rooms were not injured, being two blocks off.
1876 - A suit concerning a photograph of General Ulysses S. Grant was made by the photographer Frederick Gutekunst of Philadelphia. Copyright for the photograph of Grant had been duly entered in the District Court of the United States for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, but a chromo-lithograph of the picture was published by Weise and Company without regard for the copyright.
In the suit brought by Gutekunst, the Court decided against the photographer on the grounds that the copy of the photograph which the lithographer had purchased was not marked in accordance with the requirements of the copyright law. The photographer had contended that his copyright notice, which appeared on mounted albumen prints was sufficient to protect his interests even though the notice did not appear on prints sold separately from the mounts. Registering Photographs For Copyright - After 1865 the law required that copies of photographs registered for copyright must be forwarded to the Office of the Librarian of Congress.
I found Sallie J. Beazly living with her sixty-year old widowed mother J. Annie Beazley in Camden, New Jersey, in 1910. Sallie, born in Pennsylvania, is thirty years old at this time and is single. The census indicates that Annie is living on her own income. We know from the research on Gutekunst that most of his clients were wealthy. I doubt the middle or lower class frequented his studio and rubbed shoulders with Walt Whitman or U.S. Grant.
While the widow Beazly and her daughter Sallie don't appear to be working class (living on their own income), they are however, surrounded on Berlin and Gibbsboro Road by many people who are working class earning their living in a paint factory.
Sallie is a child in the photograph. If we estimate her age at approximately eight years old in the photograph (for the purposes of analysis), the original would have been taken in about 1888.
A census search for Beazly in all forms of its spelling returned only the one entry for Sallie J. I can not be certain this is the Sallie J. in the photograph with only one documented source.
The free flowing locks are consistent with a girl no older than twelve. Were she thirteen or older her hair would have been pulled back from her face in a bun at the nape of her neck or on top of her head indicating a grown-up innovation.
Photography was an invention of the Victorian era (the Victorian era encompassed the years 1837 to 1901, the reign of Queen Victoria), and photographic jewelry represented a permanent way to document beloved friends and family. Since the opportunity to be photographed was not as prevalent as it is now, a photo was a precious thing. Worn as brooches, cuff links, fobs and pendants, these faces from the past were often mounted in non-precious metals under crystal or celluloid covers for protection.
I have found a similar photographic locket in a portrait worn by a thirteen year old girl taken ca. 1888-90.
It has been determined that Gutekunst operated his photography business in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania from 1856 until his death in 1917. The card indicates the 712 Arch Street address. Gutekunst operated his photography business at 712 Arch St. from 1883 until his death in 1917.
The photograph could have been taken between 1883 and 1917. The card is marked copy, but does not contain a copyright notice. The young girl may not have been a celebrity warranting the retail sale of her photograph, therefore not requiring the expense of a copyright notice.
The card itself is consistent with the date 1880 to 1917.
If the Sallie J. Beazly in the census is the same Sallie J. Beazly as the girl in the photograph and she is eight to twelve years old, the photograph would have been taken between 1888 to 1892.
This is consistent with the analysis of the card, the photographer, and Sallie J. Beazly.
This is far too much supposition and too little proof, but does show the process of analysis.
Ettinger, Roseann. Popular Jewelry 1840 - 1940. Atglen, Pennsylvania: Schiffer, 2002.
Linkman, Audrey. The Victorians, Photographic Portraits. London: Tauris Parke Books,1993.
MacPhail, Anna. The Well Dressed Child. Atglen, Pennsylvania: Schiffer, 1999.
Mace, O. Henry. Collector's Guide To Early Photographs.Iola, Wisconsin: Krause, 1999.
Nickell, Joe. Camera Clues. Lexington, Kentucky: University Press of Kentucky, 1994.
Severa, Joan. Dressed For The Photographer. Kent, Ohio: Kent State University Press, 1995.
1910 U.S. census, Camden County, New Jersey, population schedule, Voorhees Township, p. 82, dwelling 99, family 100, J. Annie Beazly (Head); digital images. Heritage Quest (http://persi.heritagequestonline.com
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- MBTA Present & Future: transit challenges and opportunities.
Discussing the state of transit in Boston are Marc Ebuna, Jeremy Mendelson and Josh Fairchild. In this wide ranging conversation, sure to be the first of many, we discuss some of what's (not) working in our fragmented transportation network and share some potential solutions.
The Silver Line Gateway through East Boston to Chelsea is the best opportunity for the MBTA to do BRT right and provide quality service to Chelsea, Boston's forgotten un-borough.
This evening's meeting in the Chelsea City Hall chambers played out like how I imagine the public meetings would have gone in the planning stages of Staten Island's S79 SBS project, but perhaps with fewer pitchforks and much lighter attendance.
Chelsea and Staten Island share a lot in common, despite Chelsea not actually being incorporated into the City of Boston. Both are traversed by many bus routes and have largely been neglected parts of their metropolitan areas despite being so geographically close to downtown proper.
This is where the as yet unfunded Silver Line Gateway project is supposed to come in. Costing anywhere between $20 and 70 million for the conservative estimates of the three alternatives, the project will bring Chelsea within 20 minutes of the Seaport/Innovation district and few minutes more to South Station.
Internationally recognised as the picture of how not to implement bus rapid transit (BRT), this is an opportunity to build confidence that MassDOT can do it right while still including the public input and consideration that didn't happen with the cancelled Blue Hill Ave BRT.
One of the most contentious alternatives that showed up again this evening was the street-running third alternative. It proposes elimination of parking along the spine of Central Avenue from the Chelsea Street bridge to Hawthorn Street to install a dedicated bus lane with bus signal priority. Nearly 84 spaces would be eliminated, some of which would be in front of residences in a neighbourhood already stuggling to deal with parking.
The second alternative includes an in-street bus stop in front of City Hall on Broadway, enabling buses to loop around and drop off passengers on a contiguous platform and avoid crossing two lanes of traffic. If this alternative were exercised, the various routes that pass along Broadway could offer platform transfers to the Silver Line and other bus routes. This, too, would eliminate parking, but instead metered parking in front of City Hall.
One resident suggested introducing a signallised intersection at the corner of Broadway and the Washington Ave loop to allow buses to cross the 2 lanes safely, but CTPS project manager Scott Hamwey cited this decision wasn't considered because of the noncontinuous sidewalk on the right side of Broadway opposite City Hall.
Chelsea's long-forgotten status has similarly led to a fondness for parking and driving as Staten Island. Various residents, interested parties, and Chelsea council members voiced stern but understandable concern over the elimination of parking and the project's potential to entice more people to drive and park in Chelsea to ride the Silver Line extension. All of these concerns of course not being unique to Chelsea, having been echoed all around the world at nearly every public meeting involving removal of parking for dedicated bus lanes to introduce BRT.
The cry for parking, more parking, or recouping lost on-street parking with more off-street parking is a clear symptom of many decades of being under served by transit. 'Parking is a very emotional issue', Hamwey said as he tried to address and acknowledge the comments on street-running alternatives.
Ann Houston, executive director of The Neighborhood Developers, weighed in on the 'crazy traffic problem' and the fact that she '[lives] the parking battle every day'. Despite a recently introduced resident parking program, there is no mention of formula-based parking quotas or any allusion to a comprehensive transportation plan, which will likely mean the parking program will have little to no effect on the pressure for parking.
Ideally, those who will soon move into upcoming development of Chelsea's 'Box District', headed by Houston herself, won't need parking, especially if this project is followed-up with a re-alignment of bus routes to feed the Silver Line extension instead of duplicating its service. Besides, various indicators suggest we may have passed 'car peak', but we'll only see continued auto-dependence for some residence of Chelsea if we don't commit to improving transit now.
Beyond Chelsea's borders, the project may lure downtown workers from neighbouring towns to drive and park along the route, threatening to make'scarce' parking more difficult to attain. Suggestions of building garages like that at Alewife to absorb the influx of drivers transferring to the Silver Line at Chelsea were not considered because they would be outside of the scope of the project.
The biggest threat to increasing parking demand in Chelsea is the ease of getting off Route 1 just before the Tobin Bridge and parking at the Mystic Mall stop in the first alternative. If not properly mitigated or abated, parking demand could spill out of the mall parking lot and into the adjacent neighbourhood.
Commuter rail, despite being a one-stop ride into downtown Boston, is an often overlooked, non-obvious route, even to long-time residents, like Dan Cortell, Chelsea Council President. Cortell, whose mother was visiting the past weekend, admitted to forgetting about the MBCR stop on 6th Street served by the Newburyport and Rockport branches on a less-than-memorable non-clock-face schedule, even during rush hour. The commuter rail's non-integrated fare system and near-mystical fare structure also came up as a deterrent in a discussion with a member of CTPS after the meeting.
Congestion on the 111 is often so bad that rear door boarding is required to keep buses on time when leaving from Haymarket.
Even worse, transit is unreliable or too time-intensive as compared to driving for 'choice' riders who have the alternative to drive. Speaking frankly, Cortell admitted to having to resort to driving to his job at South Station instead of taking the 111 that stops immediately outside his house because of the debilitating traffic that chokes the 111 into Haymarket at rush hour.
One possible solution to the clear accessibility problem of Chelsea as a whole is a comprehensive evaluation and realignment of the existing bus routes in Chelsea to feed the new Silver Line extension instead of continuing to duplicate service. Cortell was very interested in the potential of wooing choice riders like himself and providing even better service to the large transit-dependent Latino community in his district.
Unfortunately, it's still too soon in the project's development for CTPS to officially start exploring, but it shouldn't be overlooked as a way to gain project support from area residents and ensure transit-oriented development in the neighbourhood doesn't suddenly become transit-oriented parking. Additionally, Chelsea needs to more seriously consider a comprehensive study on parking and ensure that the TOD doesn't induce yet more parking on the principle that parking begets driving begets parking demand (and ugly, unwalkable architecture).
The biggest threat in the long run may be the gentrification of Chelsea, which will adversely and disproportionately affect the large transit-dependent Latino community and potentially uproot those who have called Chelsea home for generations.
Transit-oriented development is needed to absorb the impending influx of new residents if the project unlocked Chelsea as a transit-accessible alternative to Cambridge, Somerville, and Boston. The rental community is at severe risk if new developments cannot stave off the increase in property desirability, potentially driving rents up in Chelsea and East Boston as high as or higher than Boston, Cambridge, or Somerville.
There is a sea of parking lots or light industrial that could be developed adjacent the Tobin Bridge and the area surrounding the Mystic Mall. These would be well-served not only by the Silver Line extension, but also the comprehensive realignment of buses to improve transit accessibility within the city of Chelsea.
It's imperative Chelsea and MassDOT get ahead of the game with value capture taxes because capital projects that induce development don't come along often. Not only would this fill the city coffers with yet more revenue than the increase in property taxes from new developments, it could pay back the cost of the project and potentially fund more transportation projects down the line.
Imagine a tunnel under the Mystic River to eliminate the Tobin Bridge that could include commuter rail tunnels to provide new underground transit connections to Charlestown on the way to North Station as part of a complete realignment of the Newburyport/Rockport branch through Chelsea as part of a Central Transit Artery.
The project is still in its preliminary stages and a recommended alternative will be submitted by September as CTPS continues to flesh out the details of operation and construction for each alternative.
Alternative 1 runs almost exclusively on property already owned by MassDOT and would have minimal interference from road traffic. It does not yet include any specifics about whether or not the route could be electrified with overhead trolley wire to let the existing dual-mode buses running on the Silver Line to resume electric operation from the airport to the Mystic Mall. As the project marches closer to potential implementation, it will become more clear which type of bus technology will be selected for the project.
The biggest potential is for a pilot of a new rapid-recharging system for electric buses that joins a growing number of solutions for recharging electric buses when they idle at stops to pick up passengers. Electric buses would minimise the amount of noise generated by the higher frequency of buses running along the route and cut out entirely the loud characteristic roar generated by diesel buses when they accelerate.
There's even potential for a bike path along the off-street grid bus route, but it is still too early to be included in the scope of the project.
Of course, this is all but a glimmer in the eye of many Chelsea
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We thank M. Kohler for critical review of the confocal microscopy and imaging data. We also thank D. Simon for histological examination of the mouse tissue sections. This work was supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation (grants 310000-112078 and 310000-107526) and Stanley Thomas Johnson Foundation, Bern, Switzerland.
Institute of Pharmacology, University of Bern, Friedbühlstrasse 49, CH-3010 Bern, Switzerland.
Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care, Oregon Health and Sciences University, 3181 Southwest Sam Jackson Park Road, Portland, Oregon 97239, USA.
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Mayo Clinic Arizona, 13400 East Shea Boulevard, Scottsdale, Arizona 85259, USA.
Department of Gastroenterology, Kantonsspital Olten, Römerstrasse 7, CH-4600 Olten, Switzerland.
University Children's Hospital, Steinwiesstrasse 75, CH-8032 Zurich, Switzerland.
Department of Dermatology, University of Utah, 30 North 1900 East, Salt Lake City, Utah 84132-2409, USA.
S.Y. developed techniques and conducted most of the experiments. J.A.G., N.A., A.M.K., E.K. and I.S. performed experiments. A.S. and J.R. cared for the involved human subjects and provided clinical samples. J.J.L. provided mice and helped design the mouse experiments. G.J.G. provided reagents and suggestions on the project. S.Y. and H.-U.S. designed the project. H.-U.S. supervised the project and wrote most of the manuscript.
Correspondence to Shida Yousefi or Hans-Uwe Simon.
Demonstration of extracellular DNA and eosinophil granule protein deposition under in vivo conditions (Crohn's disease). DNA was stained with PI and ECP with a specific antibody. With an interval of 0.1 μm, slices were taken throughout the z axis (z stacks) with 10 (left) and 15 (right) slices per stack in order to show extracellular DNA in their full extension (location is indicated by arrows).
Demonstration of extracellular DNA and eosinophil granule protein deposition under in vivo conditions (Schistosoma infection). DNA was stained with PI and ECP/MBP with specific antibodies. With an interval of 0.1 μm, slices were taken throughout the z axis (z stacks) with 50 (left) and 20 (right) slices per stack in order to show extracellular DNA in their full extension (the location of areas with large extracellular DNA deposition are indicated by dashed circles).
Demonstration of extracellular DNA and eosinophil granule protein deposition under in vitro conditions. Highly purified blood eosinophils were stimulated with IL-5/LPS. DNA was stained with PI and granule proteins with specific antibodies. With an interval of 0.1 μm, slices were taken throughout the z axis (z stacks) with 10 slices per stack in order to show extracellular DNA in their full extension.
Release of DNA from activated eosinophils as
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izations belonged to specific races? The answer to this is simple. Race in history is tracked in four ways: paleoserology, art forms, language, and the science of genetics. This last test has only come into its own in the last ten years of the twentieth century, but has proven to be a major aid in tracking racial history.
Paleoserology is the study of skeletal remains. As different racial groups have different physical characteristics, it is a relatively simple matter to determine the racial makeup of the inhabitants of a particular region by studying the contents of grave sites. This skill is often used by modern police pathologists to identify the race of corpses. This science has proven equally useful in historical diggings where the examination of burial sites has created an understanding of the racial makeup of ancient peoples.
Art forms (whether conventional pictures, illustrations on pottery, or even statues) also provide significant indicators of the racial makeup of contemporary inhabitants. The ancient civilizations in particular—of all racial group—reflected themselves in their art forms (often because their own racial types were the only human models from which they had to work).
In this way, for example, early Chinese art depicted principally Chinese people; Incan and Aztec art depicted only Incan or Aztec people, and so on. In all societies, original art forms which portrayed people closely followed contemporary physical appearances. This principle is well illustrated in the four art forms portrayed below.
Tracking race in history: race depicted in art forms. Early civilizations very often depicted images of their own racial types in their works of art, based on the reality that their own types were the most common (or only) human models with which they had to work. A comparison of (from left to right) Olmec art, 400 BC; African art, circa 1400 AD; Japanese art, 1000 AD; and Greek art, 340 BC, reflects this principle well. The study of art forms is a reliable indicator of the racial type of the communities in which the art works were created.
All human beings have three sorts of genes: mitochondrial DNA, which is inherited through the female line; Y-Chromosomes which are inherited through the male line, and autosomal DNA, which is inherited from both sexes. The study of genetics has served to confirm the accuracy of many historical accounts of racial movements, and is particularly useful in showing cause and effect in the rise and fall of civilizations, as demonstrated in this book.
Research carried out by L.L. Cavalli-Sforza and two colleagues, P. Menozziand A. Piazzia, in their work The History and Geography of Human Genes (1994), has revealed an astonishing 2,288 genetic point difference between whites and black Africans. The research found that the English differ from the Danes, Germans, and French by a mere 21–25 points of genetic distance, whereas they differ from North American Indians by 947 points, from black Africans by 2,288 points, and from MbutiPygmies by 2,373 points. Cavalli-Sforza also used Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA—transferred through the maternal line) to divide the world up into seven distinct races, classifying whites as part of the “Caucasoid” group for his study.
Above: A map showing the pre-1500 AD Y-Chromosome distribution in the world, and below, a map showing the mtDNA chromosome distribution. Y-Chromosomes are male genetic markers, passed down unchanged through the male line, and mtDNA chromosomes are the female equivalent.
The study of language is another important clue to the dispersion of peoples. Commonalities in language forms leave clearly identifiable “fingerprints” in cultures. Similar words, phrases, or language forms are a clear indication of a single origin for civilizations, due to the fact that the people in those civilizations would at some stage have had a common origin. In this way the route of a culture (and hence a people) can be traced by following a language.
For the purposes of this book, civilization will be taken to mean the entire ambit of social/cultural manifestations which are characteristic to any particular nation or racial group. In this way the accusation of subjectivity can be avoided. Civilization, in the broadest sense of the word, includes all social manifestations, from social interactions to language, art forms, science, technology, customs, and culture.
It is therefore possible to talk of a Japanese civilization, an American Indian (Amerind) civilization, a Polynesian civilization, an Australian Aboriginal civilization, a black civilization and a white civilization, without being subjective about any of them.
When reviewing the historical development of all nations, quite often mention is made of a “rise and fall” of a particular civilization. This poses a major question: Why have some civilizations lasted a thousand years or more, while others rise and collapse within a few hundred? Why is it, for example, that nations such as Japan, Sweden, and England—all nations with limited natural resources—could have progressive active cultures for more than one thousand years; whereas mighty civilizations such as Classical Rome, Greece, or Persia, amongst others, collapse after only a few centuries?
Politically correct historians blame the rise and fall of the great nations of the past on politics, economics, morals, lawlessness, debt, environment, and a host of other superficial reasons.
However, Japan, England, and Sweden have gone through similar crises scores of times, without those countries falling into decay. It is obvious that there must be some other factor at work—something much more fundamental than just variations in politics, morals, lawlessness, or any of the other hundreds of reasons that historians have manufactured in their attempts to explain the collapse of civilizations.
Herein lies the key to understanding the rise and fall of all civilizations. In any given territory, the people making up the society in that territory create a culture which is unique to themselves.
A society or civilization is only a reflection of the population of that particular territory. For example, the Chinese civilization is a product of the Chinese people, and is a reflection of the makeup of the population living in China. The Chinese civilization is unique to the Chinese people; they made it and it reflects their values and norms.
As the Chinese people made the Chinese civilization, it logically follows that the Chinese culture would disappear if the Chinese people were to disappear. Presently the overwhelming majority of Chinese people live in China, creating the Chinese civilization in that land. If, however, Australian Aborigines had to immigrate into China in their millions, and the Chinese population had to dramatically reduce in number, then in a few years the character of Chinese civilization would change—to reflect the new inhabitants of that territory.
In other words, the society or civilization of that territory would then reflect the fact that the majority of inhabitants were now Aborigines rather than Chinese people. If China had to fill up with Aborigines, this would mean the end of Chinese civilization. Aborigines would create a new civilization which would reflect themselves, and not that of the Chinese people.
That this should happen is perfectly logical. It has nothing to do with which culture is more advanced, or any notions of superiority or inferiority. It is merely a reflection of the fact that a civilization is a product of the nature of the people making up the population in the territory.
To go back to the Chinese example: If all Chinese people on earth had to disappear tomorrow, then fairly obviously, Chinese civilization and culture would disappear with them. It is this startlingly obvious principle which determines the creation and dissolution of civilizations—once the people who create a certain society or civilization disappear, then that society or civilization will disappear with them. If the vanished population is replaced by different peoples, then a new society or culture is created which reflects the culture and civilization of the new inhabitants of that region.
There are numerous examples of this process at work. One which will be familiar to all is the shift which occurred in North America. On that continent, the Amerind (American Indian) people lived for thousands of years, creating a civilization which dominated that continent. In other words, the civilization and culture which dominated North America reflected the fact that the Amerind people lived and formed the majority population there.
After 1500 AD that continent filled up with white immigrants from Europe. These white immigrants displaced the Amerinds by squeezing them out of possession of North America.
The great shift in North American civilization then occurred. Whereas the Amerind culture had dominated for thousands of years, within a couple hundred years the dominant civilization on that continent had become white European. This shift reflected the fact that the majority of inhabitants of North America were white Europeans—and the Amerind civilization, for all practical purposes, disappeared.
The Amerind civilization in North America “fell” because the population of North America changed.
This effect—the displacement of peoples and the subsequent disappearance of their civilization—has direct implications in racial terms. The rise and fall of any particular civilization can be traced, not by the economics, politics, morals, etc., of a particular civilization, but rather by the actual racial presence of the people themselves.
If the society which has produced a particular civilization stays intact as a racially homogeneous unit, then that civilization remains active. If, however, the society within any particular given area changes its racial makeup—through invasion, immigration, or any decline in numbers—then the civilization which that society has produced will disappear with them, to be replaced by a new civilization reflecting the new inhabitants of that territory.
Egypt: Same country, different people. Above left: The white pharaoh, Queen Nefertiti, circa 1350 BC; Above center: The effects of racial mixing are clearly to be seen on the face of this coffin portrait of a Roman lady in Hawara, Egypt, 100 AD; Above right: The mixed race Egyptian
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-steps of 4) run member-by-member in textual order through a few of them, or does it run across all members in order?
YK: In textual order, each member will do those four steps, though we could consider another way.
EF: You can decorate the getters and setters separately?
YK: Run textually bottom-up per get/set.
WH: Seems like the order in which decorator functions are evaluated in step 6 is not statically decidable because of getters and setters that use computed property names. One can't statically tell which getters will match up with which setters if they use computed property names, and the pattern of these matches will change the order in which decorator functions are evaluated in step 6.
KS: Could this be factored a bit differently?
KS: Seems like no changes to current class semantics, right?
YK: Right, maybe a small amount of changes to class literals, but otherwise the same.
KS: So mostly a constraint on future additions?
JHD: What is the division exactly between step 6/7 and step 11?
YK: Decorators should not be able to see the in-progress class, so they will get access to some sort of representation to something instead. Step 6 produces modifications, and step 11 actually applies them.
JHD: So 6/7 produces property descriptors and 11 applies them?
YK: Basically, though we need more power than just property descriptors; for ES2015 property descriptors are everything.
WH: Why don't the decorator functions in step 6 get evaluated in textual order?
YK: Wouldn't be opposed to running them in textual order.
MM: What is the difference between this and TS?
BT: TS does step 10 and 11 in reverse. So if you have a static initializer referring to the class, you get an instance which isn't decorated. You need to make a tradeoff: does the decorator see the static fields of the class, or switched?
DH: It's important for a class integrity decorator to be able to apply to the statics and make them affected as well.
BT: Babel with the decorators plugin aligns entirely with this.
JHD: If you have a static initializer which creates a class instance, don't you see the partially constructed class?
static B = Foo.A; // is B 3 or 4?
MM: Can a decorator on a property see the class?
EF: Sounds like people are swayed that we want out-of-order evaluation. What else besides decorators is up for discussion here? Maybe we could come back to these things in the decorators proposal.
YK: There's also something with computed property names, but I want to come to consensus on the basics here.
YK: You shouldn't have access to the class in a dangerous case.
MM: For the sake of concreteness, the overall picture you have in mind is that step 11 only applies to class decoration, right?
DE: Do we have consensus on a staged order?
MM: It needs to be clearly and unambiguously defined, and follow least surprise; this seems pretty good to me.
WH: One comment: for step 6, I would suggest textual order.
EF: At the last meeting, people had a lot of trouble with class initializers. Has this concern been resolved?
EF: what is the concern with object literals?
BT: Because the right hand side of object literals are evaluated in order with computed properties, it is basically impossible to apply the same scheme to objects, unfortunately.
YK: Today, object literals are still used a lot as partial classes. Because that's a thing people do, you may want to use decorators (e.g., @nonconfigurable) as part of objects. The issue is that computed property name evaluation is interleaved with the property values. Seems like specifying a different ordering would create subtle bugs, so it's very hard to define well.
DH: I want to be able to have a @nonenumerable decorator for all property definitions, and it seems like a huge loss otherwise.
YK: Why did we get rid of duplicate property names anyway?
MM: rest and spread properties (FB proposal) became more useful if textually later properties could override earlier properties.
YK: I don't think that was the reason.
MM: That was the reason. I was insistent that the dynamic error parallel the static error, so we got rid of the static error as well.
ARB: You could have arbitrary side effects in computed property names or property values!
MM: If the feature was recently deployed, then the code that's using the feature is generally code that's still being maintained.
YK: I think web developers assume that new features are still in flux to some degree.
JHD: Cases 1) Babel 2) Web but not caring about compat 3) Node, and then v8 changes in a major version bump. None should be a problem.
ARB: I don't like this change because I think left-to-right is a good thing to have.
DE: Domenic has mentioned a use case for this where people may even refer to properties of objects as computed property names.
DE: But doesn't Object.assign only refer to own properties, so making it enumerable wouldn't fix rest/spread properties?
YK: But a getter on the prototype is not an own property.
YK: It's urgent to reconsider this because people have implemented it.
JHD: Sounds like this is unrelated to the topic at hand.
YK: Just mentioning all potential breaking changes.
EF: Seems like coalescing get/set was better in the old world than the new world. Should we explore alternate syntax so that it's grouped?
DH: Syntax is very expensive to add. It would be unfortunate to add new syntax that doesn't "pay for itself" and flattening is very ergonomic. Coalescing is nicer for the metaprogrammer.
YK: Linters should enforce get/set being adjacent.
MM/YK/EF/DH: All agree, better than decorating them separately.
Do we have consensus on everything?
Consensus that decorating getters and setters separately should be a dynamic error; you are decorating the pair, not individually.
Do we have consensus on adopting the minutes of the March meeting?
Besides Github notes and ES discuss notes we need to prepare the official Ecma version of the minutes that annexes the "Technical Notes". This is needed not so much for TC39 as for the other Ecma Membership on what is going on in Tc39, and this goes also into the long-term archive of Ecma.
Consensus. TC39 approved TC39/2016/019 Rev1 minutes of the March 2016 San Francisco meeting.
ECMAScript Suite (ECMA-414) for ISO fast track up for approval, going to be presented to ECMA GA. The ECMA Management are all very impressed with the ability to release ECMAScript 2016 so quickly. To avoid getting out of date with frequent updates, we will not submit future ECMAScript "components" (like ECMA-402, ECMA-262) updates for ISO fast track and just submit the one suite standard as the new Edition of IS 16262. Unclear whether this will work practically (actually ISO secretariat suggested this, but some national bodies may object to it - one never knows), but it is very important to ECMA that the annual version be standardized and published.
ECMA-404 (JSON) will be up for ISO fast track from the 2013 version, aligned with IETF standard, unlikely to change in the future. Actually we have a go ahead from the Ecma GA this from 2014, but only now we are submitting the fast track. The only reason for the JTC1 fast-track of JSON to demonstrate the world that JSON is stable and there is no intention to change it. When there will be a similar IETF Standard (not FRC) we will issue a new ECMA-404 Edition when we will take up that and get it synchronized with ECMA-404.
Brian Terlson and Rick Waldron has been proposed to the Ecma Management and the CC by István for the GA ECMA award of recognition at their June 2016 meeting. Caridy Patiño (as ECMA-402) Editor may also be proposed for an award (this was seconded by TC39). We are also open to nominating other TC39 committee members for ECMA recognition awards for any outstanding TC39 related contribution. This occurs twice a year at the GA. E.g. Allen W-B. or Waldemar H. has received this award in the past.
NOTE: The ECMAScript standards currently contribute to about 2/3 of all Ecma downloads of standards. Constantly we have about 5000-7000 downloads of ECMA-262 per month. That is the record holder standard. The HTML version has about 100000 visits in 2016 so far.
Another point only mentioned here but not in the verbal report: He gets a great external interest for ECMAScript Security Projects and how to speed up ECMAScript performance (e.g. by parallel processing) for Media Codecs running in ECMAScript.
BT: Leading discussion on this proposal. This would help write tests to see if resources are exhausted for stacks.
WH: This seems like a special case of out-of-memory. How could you even signal such an out-of-memory failure? You could make the same case about writing tests to
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"A multigenerational, multi-viewpoint tale that’s a meditation on everything from history to cultural context to personal strife, Kelly Kerney's second novel is an adept meditation on the weight of history."
Hard Red Spring is a novel that explores the bizarre and tragic history of American intervention in Guatemala. Covering a century of slavery, popular revolution, civil war, genocide, and reconciliation, the narrative follows four American women: a farm girl in 1902, the wife of the American ambassador at the height of the Cold War, an evangelical missionary in 1983, and the mother of an adopted Mayan daughter in 1999. The book is an epic tragedy that has always defied my attempts to easily summarize it. I think I'd do better to discuss it through my track notes below. But to understand the various and vital ways that music influenced this project, readers should first know something about me: I grew up in a very strict Pentecostal home, where secular music was not allowed. When I rebelled and fled for college, I'd never listened to Neil Young or Bob Dylan, and had never even heard of Billie Holiday, Bob Marley, Vivaldi, or John Coltrane. Since then, in a perpetual effort to make up for 18 years of deprivation, there has rarely been an evening when I am not at home just listening to records. With that, my musical memories of this novel's synthesis are so diverse—ranging from disturbing 1930s Chiquita jingles to drowning my sorrows with Junior Kimbrough to bad, sexually explicit Uruguayan pop. But, for the sake of your enjoyment and the mix itself—I take mixes very seriously!—I will stick to relevant songs that I actually enjoyed.
Hard Red Spring was based on many years of research. To grasp this history, I needed context that reached beyond even a hundred years. With that, I delved back to Spanish rule. I leapt forward to study CAFTA and the immigration crisis. I even found myself studying the Mayan Empire. All these eras cast light on each other—into the past, into the future—informing the narrative in surprising ways. History repeats itself. As you'll see in this mix, I love repetition, how a refrain evolves or refuses to evolve, becoming sly or insistent—much like the themes of the book reverberating over a century. As the Spanish Conquest echoed in the doings of the Cold Warriors, I could not help but think of this song. Every time the American ambassador in Part 2 walked into a scene, I heard the opening verse: He came dancing across the water/ with his galleons and guns/ looking for the new world/ in the palace in the sun.
After listening to Animals every time I got into a jam for seven years, I have to admit I got just a tiny bit tired of it. But there was no other album that could fuel my marathon restructurings. Thank God for Steve Gunn. In 2013, I discovered his album Time Off. Gunn's cyclical style latched onto some crazy dormant receptors in my brain and helped me recapture the deep meditative groove I needed to finish the book. Much like a record on a turntable, these melodies pushed my thoughts around and around, gaining just a tiny bit of distance with each revolution. As for "Lurker," I often felt like a lurker outside of this history. Why would a defunct Pentecostal from the Midwest care about Guatemala? Who was I to try to give insight into this perverse history? Sitting in bed and sipping my fair trade coffee while reading reports on torture and genocide, I often questioned myself.
The chorus says it all: That no one sees the crime/ That no one sees the crime/ That no one sees the crime. America's brutal interference in Guatemala continued for so long—captured in this song's relentless drone—because our involvement was so well-hidden: United Fruit's stranglehold on the country touted as economic development, the CIA-orchestrated coup masked as a popular counter-revolution, covert funding of military dictators, psychological reeducation of the population via missionaries, the forced resettlement of Mayan ethnic minorities under the guise of aid, impunity packaged as reconciliation. Two of the four female protagonists become unwittingly, deeply involved in these invisible crimes along with their husbands: That no one sees the crime/but my true love and I.
I played this song to commemorate my fifth year of working on the novel—both a high and low point. Years of research had crammed by head so full of facts, ideas, characters, symbols, scenes, and dialogue that the first draft had grown to an unwieldy 800 pages. But, I had a draft: My brain hurt like a warehouse/ it had no room to spare/ I had to cram so many things/ to store everything in there. I was both hopeful and despairing. The lyrics (about the doomed state of the world) are so sad, much like my subject. Yet Bowie is belting them out, refusing to just roll over quietly.
Every protagonist in Hard Red Spring will have a swan song and this is Evie's. Evie, the protagonist in Part 1, is eight years old. Living on a farm in rural Guatemala in 1902, she struggles to make sense of the dangers all around—both real and imagined: volcanoes, snakes, ghosts, criminals, government officials, and inscrutable natives. Phrases her parents use light-heartedly terrify her. One of these phrases is “keeping the wolves from the door.” As her family's financial situation becomes increasingly desperate, her father embarks on riskier and riskier maneuvers to keep them in Guatemala. Eventually, Evie comes to distrust even her parents' motivations: This is how it was meant to be/ I was meant to go on hoping/ even though there's really no hope/ in this land or on the sea/ becoming familiar with an illusion… The elastic, manic swings of the singer's voice remind me of a child fitfully protesting an injustice.
From the hills of West Virginia, Mamaw (real name Ella Hanshaw) is my maternal grandmother. She was also the lead singer and songwriter in a gospel group called The Hallelujah Hill Quartet. She recently described her songwriting process to me. The Holy Spirit would enter her, she said, and she'd “lose time.” Hours would pass like seconds and she'd snap out of it with a song. Amazingly, this sounded much like my own writing process where I'd fall into a (sober!) trance for hours at a time—though I do not call it the Holy Spirit. Upon hearing this, I knew where I had come from for the first time in my life. One More Hill is Lenore's swan song. The protagonist of Part 3, she is an evangelical missionary in Guatemala. Undoubtedly a sheep, she fully believes in the military dictator's plan to baptize the entire nation in the middle of a raging civil war. All of my protagonists are well-meaning. I thought of Mamaw often while writing Lenore. Empathy was vital in developing all of my characters beyond their crude dog/pig/sheep designation. That's just theme and I was careful not to mistake theme for character.
Will Oldham's music is like pure emotion. Half the time I suspect that my strong, instinctual reactions to his songs are far off from his intentions. But I've stopped caring. As I hear it, this is Jean's swan song. Jean, the protagonist of Part 4, has invested her entire emotional life in her adopted Mayan teenager, who is growing remote, rebellious, and physically volatile. Rejected and haunted by maternal guilt, she latches onto a woman whose passion, daring, and independence she wishes to make her own. As Jean blazes a tourist route through Guatemala accompanied by her daughter and shadowed by this lover, the U.N. Truth Commission picks up the pieces of a 36-year civil war just recently ended. In this, I hear Jean's loneliness, longing, and liberal guilt. I hear the fear and wonder that come with loving two people she tries to but cannot understand.
This is Dorie's swan song. The wife of the American ambassador to Guatemala in 1954, she becomes involved in a love affair that she believes will lead to a new life. But slowly her lover begins to distance himself from her. Over the course of Part 2, she becomes increasingly drunk, desperate, and delusional about their relationship—reflected here in the building desperation of the singer's voice. The pleading and screeching declarations sung to the instrumental hammering perfectly encompasses her helplessness against the deafening Cold War rhythm that dominates her life. In the streets, a seething populist revolution is being realized while the anti-communist alarm blares in her home. All she can do is try to sing over the clamor.
Here come the dogs! There are many dogs in Hard Red Spring: dictators, military personnel, and hired goons who keep Guatemala in a state of terror. They are trained, funded, and propped up by the pigs. But the dogs have their story, too and I would be a poor novelist if I did not explore them as individuals. The pigs, too. To truly understand how the Guatemalan tragedy happened, we need to understand their perspectives as well and maybe at times even empathize with them. In Hard Red Spring, a United Fruit executive has reinvented himself from enslavement; a peasant must kill or be killed; an illiterate solider is raised up to lead his country; a plantation owner loses everything to land redistribution; a broken boy soldier becomes a televangelist. Waters, in the closing verses, sums up the
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to share it. You’ll drive more traffic to your single post.
How do you get into the heat of conversion with your single post?
You know that your content is going to benefit majority of those in that conversation – but you don’t know how to get in front of them. The first thing to do is find out where this conversation is happening.
In other words, identify where your ideal customers and potential readers are hanging out day in and day out.
If you wait for them to come to you, it may never happen. Serious conversations are happening on Twitter, discussion boards and other niche targeted forums.
Introduce yourself as someone who really wants to help the community members in your own special way.
Don’t spam forums with your links & anchor texts, but be active and you’ll reap the rewards. Answer questions & threads that are related to ‘single’ content and refer readers to your URL.
Well, they’re those people; blog readers and visitors who need what you’re selling, or the type of content you’ve written.
For instance, if your website is about printing and graphic designs, then your target audience will be those who want to print books, business cards, customize materials and authors.
For me, my target audience is anyone who runs a website and wants to drive more targeted traffic, build a loyal audience and sell their products without hype or B.S. And that’s the true essence of content marketing.
Using basic persuasion techniques to lead potential buyers down the sales funnel and converting them. Now that you know who your audience is, it’s time to captivate them.
Find out what they need right now, either by asking them questions in your post, or going through the comments they left on your recent post.
Answer their questions clearly and position your share buttons where they can find it.
If the content interests them, they’d share it with other people and who knows, you might generate 100+ visitors from a single tweet. So, how do you build interest?
Whose desire are you going to intensify? Bear in mind that engaging people is quite different from building the desire in them.
Most websites and blogs actually are engaging, but the readers most times don’t find the latest posts and articles persuasive enough.
I believe that copywriting has a lot to do in helping you build interest in the hearts of your target audience. When a prospective customer visits your website, he or she would have a lot of questions running through their minds and you must answer those questions.
“Why should I stay and read your post instead of your competitors’?
The problem with content marketing is that there are thousands of articles and blogs already. You’ll need to do an extra job to be able to stand out from the crowd. Give your target audience the strongest reason why they should stay a little longer in your website.
Ask thought-provoking questions and you’ll get a lot of response and tweets. These are social signals which Google and other search engines love.
Before I answer that question, I need you to understand that search engine traffic is the most targeted form of traffic you can ever get.
Because when someone types and searches for a specific key phrase in Google, that person is already presold either through TV commercials, internet banners, word of mouth, twitter, PPC or media advertising.
The user who is searching for “market samurai” isn’t a total novice to this keyword software. And Google knows that their search database can only be useful if they showcase only relevant pages from a website.
So, SERPs is an acronym for search engine result pages. You see, 95% of the time, Google would only show the exact page that contains the keyword and information you’re searching for – not the homepage.
Google could only show the homepage if that’s the only page that’s index-able and SEO-friendly.
To drive more traffic to your single post, add more SEO juice to it. Use all-in-one-seo pack to add relevant Meta Tags: keywords and description.
It’s better to ask questions in your “description tag” so that when your page appears in Google, people would actually click it.
Build internal links to your “single” content and you’d increase your pageviews & traffic easily.
At this juncture, you need to remove unnecessary steps from your “single” post.
You want the right people to share, cite and help promote your content, don’t make it difficult. Minimize the number of out-going links on your post.
Because this is going to send your readers to other blogs, which you may not know the capacity of the owner; in terms of how skilled they’re in converting your referrals to ardent readers and customers.
There is nothing wrong with linking out, but don’t go overboard.
And if you must link out, ensure that the external page opens in a new window or tab. This way, your “single” post would still be read and shared.
But here’s the deal, when you ask people to click a link that you don’t own, there is every tendency that your own content will be abandoned.
You can’t ask them to visit your competitor’s website, and at the same time, ask for a tweet or Google+ share. It’s not going to work that way.
Eliminate all the obstacles that can stand on the way and help your target audience share your posts easily. You’ll generate more targeted traffic by being simple and flexible [tweet this].
You and I know that guest blogging is important.
In this blogging era where the competition is stiff, how do you get in front of your target audience easily.
Because most high-traffic blogs don’t accept guest posts again.
In fact, problogger no longer accepts guest articles from every blogger out there.
If you’re a new blogger, how are you going to survive in this world, where the criteria for getting published in a top blog is high and most times, you can’t reach it with your limited knowledge.
I’ve discovered a powerful method. It’s called, “twisted comment.” I’m sure you haven’t heard about it before, right? Anyways, it’s simple and could produce 50 – 100 visitors a day for you.
First, identify the blog where you “would” have loved to guest blog. Now let’s agree that you can’t get published there for any reason – what else can you do.
After subscribing, you’ll get notified each time a new post is published.
Now, quickly visit the blog, read through the content and make sure you understand what the author is trying to say. Please read the content twice, because it vital that you get the gist.
Don’t strive to be the first commenter, it doesn’t matter when you’re using my “twisted comment” strategy to drive high traffic. But if you’re the first, that would be better.
Now, go ahead, leave a comment that’s lengthy. I mean, your comment should be 200 – 300 words, but this time, tailor it to what the author have written in his post.
Ask questions, share your insights and even share a short story. Remember, the blog in question is high-traffic, but doesn’t accept guest post from strangers. But now, you’ve your guest post, but in a different way.
The goal is to make your comment better than every other comment in the list.
Even if your comment appears on the 10 or 50th position, if it’s lengthy (200 words +) and valuable, you’re going to create a strong buzz around your comment and increase your click-through rates.
Remember, you want more targeted traffic to a particular content on your blog. In your comment, use an anchor text that’s relevant to the topic of the post and link to your content URL.
If you can use “twisted comment” on 3 high-traffic blogs, you’ll not only drive 1000+ visitors to your SINGLE post and website weekly, but also, build strong backlinks to your pages.
If you follow these 10 ways, you can rest assured that within 30 days, the traffic coming to your website through that single post would increase.
When I used this method in 2012, I generated 2062 readers in 3 days and 372 joined my email list. But for this to work, your content must be above the par. It must be epic and keep the reader awake at midnight.
A word of caution: This post didn’t teach you how to drive free traffic to your website per se, but how to promote a single content on your blog and increase its views and engagement.
Do you ever get plan your content before writing it, in other to ensure it drives traffic for you? Please leave a “twisted comment” below and you’ll gain more traffic. You’re Awesome!
Driving more traffic in free way is one of the most attractive words to get in more visitors. Each and very online people would love to hear about these terms and check out the ways in which they can promote.
Hello Michael, thank you for this post. You elaborated some fantastic points that should be remembered to increase traffic for blog. Most of the blogger know how to blog but they always worry about how to generate more and more traffic for the blog. Considering your tips this will be an easy and fun task. One thing i would like to say that use of visuals may ease your goal of achieving traffic. As we can see some of the relevant visuals are used in your blog. You are really a great
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worth mentioning. Decent self-hosted solutions include Jekyll and Octopress (actually just a set of templates and extensions built on top of Jekyll and what this blog is using). If you don’t have your own server (or domain) you can even deploy your Octopress or Jekyll blog using GitHub Pages. Unfortunately I don’t like any of the hosted blogging solutions I’ve tried, so if you want something a bit simpler than Jekyll there’s not much I can do to help. Medium has been getting a lot of good (and bad) press lately and on the open source side of things, a project called Ghost recently met its funding goal on Kickstarter and might be worth keeping an eye on.
One reader wrote to note that I didn’t mention that one of the web’s most popular blogging platforms is, in fact, open source: WordPress offers both self-hosted and hosted solutions. Personally I’m not a fan but to each his own.
Update: I’m not sure why I even mentioned Wordpress; it’s hard to use, and full of terrible engineering practices. For self-hosted blogs I now use Hugo on Netlify (although Hugo is still far too complicated and I’d love something simpler), and if I want someone else to host it I’m a huge fan of Write.as which doesn’t even require that you sign up for an account.
For file storage I’m now evaluating using two alternatives: Copy [Disclaimer: affiliate link] and BitTorrent Sync.
Copy is a more traditional file sharing service like DropBox or Google Docs; you upload your files to their cloud and then you can view them on the web or download them automatically to a folder on your computer or phone using their app. With BitTorrent Sync on the other hand, your files are transfered between your various computers (or with friends, just like Copy) and only stored locally. This means there’s no third party involved and your files never have to leave the safety of your harddrives.
Neither of these services are made for collaborative document editing like Google Docs is but it’s not a service I find myself needing often (and when I do, more often than not, I’m using Git).
One of the Copy developers wrote in to note that Copy is in the process of adding collaborative document editing in the UI. Until they do, he recommends using the file versioning system and the API. If anyone’s working on a document versioning system based on copy, let me know. I’d love to see it.
OwnCloud also provides file storage and can be self-hosted or purchased from a third party provider (some may even have free plans).
For maps I’ve been using OpenStreetMap—you can use it under an open license and it works like a wiki so anyone can contribute changes. For embeddable maps, MapBox is very nice. If you’re a map creator who’s tired of dealing with KML files, consider switching to GeoJSON. GitHub, the collaborative coding site, recently started rendering GeoJSON and TopoJSON files with MapBox and Leaflet.
You can also use OpenStreetMap for turn-by-turn navigation using third party apps such as MapQuest (don’t worry, it’s gotten much better since the 90’s), Waze (now owned by Google), or OsmAnd among others.
Search is one of the hardest things for most people to switch from but was one of the easiest for me. I moved my search over to DuckDuckGo a few months ago and haven’t looked back. I had a bit of trouble adapting to the kinds of results I was getting and what sort of language I used when searching (I didn’t realize how tuned-in to Google’s search algorithms my subconscious had become) but after using it for a while I began to love it. It also has an open framework for developing search extensions and instant answers.
This is another service I just don’t find myself caring about. I ditched Google+ earlier today after having been a heavy user of it for the past few years. I won’t be picking up an alternative but, if you need one, I suggest App.net. There’s no free membership but I consider that a good thing (Correction: A reader pointed out that app.net does in fact have a free membership now). When you’re paying for your social network it makes you a customer instead of a product. Other social networks make money by advertising and by selling your information to third parties; not so with App.net. There are also free and open alternatives that pledge to do the same thing. Diaspora is an open and distributed social network that might be worth your while (if you can convince your friends to join, that is).
Google Calendar took a lot of thought but the answer ended up being quite simple: Just get a paper planner. Problem solved. Why do I want my calendar to be online anyways?
If you’re the kind of person who tries to go paperless, OwnCloud also supports calendars (and there’s a demo).
Photo hosting is another service I switched away from Google ages ago (back when Picasa still existed). I never used Google+ for photos; instead I chose to use Flickr which powers most of the photos on this blog. Photographer.IO is a newer photo hosting service that’s completely open source and offers a decent feature set comparable to Flickr or 500px.
Update: I’m still using Flickr, but Snap.as looks very nice these days as well.
Unfortunately, I can’t help but think that Chromium/Google Chrome are still the best web browsers out there. However, in the interest of free as in freedom software and after reading this great post by my good friend Cameron Paul, I’ve decided to switch back to Mozilla Firefox.
If Firefox still isn’t free enough for you, one of their developers suggests GNU IceCat. IceCat is a fork of Firefox which has entirely free branding as well (eg. No Mozilla or Firefox logos, which are trademarked) and comes with several free extensions. For those who care, it’s licensed under the GPLv3.
I’m still stuck with Android for the moment (I’d still be on a dumb phone given the choice but that’s another post); I may consider switching to Firefox OS in the future. As far as Android distros go, I prefer Cyanogenmod.
As for getting apps, don’t feel like you have to be locked into the Google Play app store. F-Droid is a decent FOSS alternative and there’s always the Amazon app store.
This is the big one for most people and has been extensively discussed elsewhere. Google, err, search on DuckDuckGo for it.
I use Gwene to convert RSS feeds to public Usenet groups (remember Usenet?) and then subscribe in my news reader. I also like what I’ve seen of Fever, a self-hosted (non-free) feed reader.
Update: I ended up settling on Inoreader.
The hardest thing for me to give up was Google Talk. Unfortunately, I want my chat service to support XMPP (an open standard for chat used behind the scenes for many chat networks including Facebook) and be federated (eg. I can add my friends on any other network that also supports XMPP) I ended up going with a self-hosted solution using ejabberd but DuckDuckGo also has an XMPP service that’s very good. The original IM service based on XMPP, Jabber.org also runs a public chat service. Like DuckDuckGo it’s federated so you can add all of your friends on other XMPP based chat networks that support federation (Not Facebook, and not Google Talk for very long).
For group chat Google Talk never worked properly anyhow and I’ve always just stuck with IRC (find me on Freenode or GeekShed as “SamWhited”). If you want an XMPP based solution, DuckDuckGo and Jabber.org fully support XMPP conference rooms and HipChat is popular for businesses (though it’s XMPP implementation is poor).
Update: The IM landscape has changed a lot since I wrote this. DDG’s service went down hill until it was almost unusable, and I eventually settled on Conversations.im which also gives me the ability to use my own domain while not having to host the server myself.
I’m still working on this one. Yet again, OwnCloud comes to the rescue if you want a self-hosted solution and a reader also pointed out CherryMusic, a good HTML5 alternative. Another reader also recommended Subsonic which has paid and free options (and a demo). If you don’t want a self-hosted option, I don’t know of a good alternative unfortunately. I used to prefer Amazon Cloud Player to Google Music but decided that I didn’t like the complete lack of Linux support. As for Google Voice, I’ve never heard of another service that did exactly what it does. If you just want to make voice calls via your phones data service or using your computer SIP may be what you’re looking for. I use OSTEL to make encrypted phone calls but there are many other free SIP providers out there.
Let me know if you have a good alternative to either of these products.
Update: For SIP and public telephony I’m now using JMP.chat. I got rid of my traditional mobile plan
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values them and thus they would not be trapped in their own psychic prison (Delbridge, Gratton and Johnson, 2006). From this insight, I came to learn on benefits of changing my ideas and welcoming organizational change. This is because new ideas on management may lead to cost savings in an organization. This is because new production methods that a worker may suggest may reduce wastages and shortages of production. Furthermore, it may improve corporate relationships due to th better relations with suppliers and customers. Due to this, the corporate image of the firm may improve thus boosting its sales and revenues.
From the course, I learnt the insight of imaginization in project management. This concept allows managers to use creativity and critical thinking to find new ways of solving tasks facing them (Morgan, 1997). If a manager faces the problem of poor and ineffective communication between all his workers that leads to wastages in production process, he needs to find out the root cause of the problem. He needs to find out whether the noise that production machines produce causes the communication breakdown or whether poor selection of a communication channel causes it. This concept stresses on the importance of all employees creating a shared understanding for its success. It argues that if all the employees in an organization share a common understanding, then it is likely that the organization would have a sense of shared vision and values and thus the organization will be able to achieve all its goals and objectives (Owen, 2009). Furthermore, this insight concentrates on personal empowerment as one of its pillars for success. It acknowledges that when a person thinks that his role is being challenged by any factor, he may fail to find a way of responding to this challenge. Imagination helps people grasp new perspectives on the situation facing them and find new possibility for development. This insight also concentrates on developing capacities for continuous self-organization. By using this idea, a manager would be able to anticipate the challenges that may face a particular project and find ways of preparing himself for the challenges that may face him (Chong, 2010). Moreover, this insight concentrates on finding new images for new ways of organizing a project. It argues that although organization charts are an important tool in defining management, they are a limiting tool since they imply an organization is a structure that people can freely engineer and re-engineer for success of a particular project.
The insight on the importance of imaginization to project management was important to me due to several reasons. From this insight, I came to learn on the importance of a manager using creativity in order to change his management styles. Most managers view employees as machines and thus they design wage systems based on piece rate compensation. A manager could use creativity in order to develop other models of compensation such as based on the quality of work or level of customer satisfaction (Cicmili, 2006). Through this, the quality of products that an organization produces would improve and at the same time improving employee satisfaction. Furthermore, imaginization stresses on the importance of observing the cultural differences of all employees in order to manage them successfully. If a manager concentrates on understanding the cultural diversity of all his employees, then he would manage them better since he would avoid doing things that are not in accordance to the beliefs or culture of a particular employee (Schwabenland, 2006). Furthermore, imaginization helped me identify new ways of designing an organization structure instead of concentrating on the traditional organization structures that encouraged bureaucracy. Through this insight, I learnt of the importance of managers involving employees in major management decisions. If he involves the employees in these decisions, employees would become more motivated since they would know that management values their personal views. The employee turnover would thus reduce and thus the organization would not incur additional costs on hiring and training new employees. This insight also stresses on the importance of a manager anticipating challenges that may face his project and looking for creative ways of finding solutions for these challenges. Due to this, I learnt of the importance of an organization b preparing itself for any uncertainties or risks that may face it. These risks include financial and operational risks.
In future, I may act on this insight in several ways. This insight would help me use creativity to solve organizational problems that may be facing me. For example, if sales in a project that I am managing continue dropping due to intense competition in the market that I may be operating in, I will use creativity to find new ways of shifting my target market to a group that other companies are not concentrating on. Furthermore, if my company incurs high supply chain costs, I may use creativity to try to reduce the supply chain network in order to cut down the distribution costs hence improving profitability. Furthermore, I would use this insight to encourage employee participation in critical tasks that my company engages in. Through employee participation, I would be able to increase democracy in the organization and thus improving employee retention and satisfaction (Palmer, Dunford and Akin, 2008). Furthermore, if I get assistance from my employees in formulating organization goals and plans, then the employees would be more comfortable in executing tasks that they formulated in the organizational plan. This insight would also help me anticipate challenges that may face the project that I manage. By anticipating the challenges and losses, I would be setting aside provisions that would cover these uncertainities thus avoiding huge financial losses.
From the course, I came to learn on the insight of organizations concentrating on the importance of creating value rather than concentrating on product creation. By concentrating on this insight, organizations would focus on the benefits a particular project brings to the organization. If an organization successfully adopts this concept, then it would consider concentrating on the satisfaction of all its customers and increasing the shareholders wealth by investing in viable projects (Cameron, 2006). According to research conducted by varioous scholars, this concept moves from the traditional perspective that customer’s offering is an output of the production process to the perspective that customer’s offering is an input in value creation of customer’s processes. Due to this fact, a company would be concentrating on looking at customer’s requirements and specification before producing any good or offering any service (Delbridge, Gratton and Johnson, 2006). This would help in reducing complaints from customers due to increased customer satisfaction. Value creation lies on the principle of concentrating on the benefit of a particular program rather than the product of the project. Furthermore, it concentrates on improving second level relationship between the company and its customers. When companies adopt this concept, they should consider understanding the context of a business first and use this concept as the guiding framework of developing a project. This concept also emphasizes on the importance of long-term profitability of a company rather than short-term profitability. This would also ensure that the organization maintains its going concern. Furthermore, value creation helps an organization attain maximum efficiency in its processes of production thus eliminating wastages and delays.
The insight on the importance of organizations concentrating on creating value was important to me due to several reasons. From this insight, I was able to know why companies such as DuPoint and Coca-Cola have succeeded in obtaining a large market share worldwide after adopting this insight. I also leant that it was not easy to incorporate value creation in an organization since in some situations it may fail to integrate well with the culture of an organization. It was also important to me since I came to learn that when management adopts this concept, it needs to concentrate on budgeting its funds to avoid wastages, strategic planning in order to define future goals and performance measurement in order to identify departments in an organization that fail to achieve the set targets. I also learnt on the importance of training all the employees in an organization so that they become aware on the importance of creating value in an organization and how they could help in value creation. From this insight, I learnt of the benefits of an organization concentrating on its long-term profitability and thus it does everything in order to create value to the customer operations (Winter, Andersen, Elvin and Luvene, 2006). This insight was also important to me since I learnt the criteria that financial managers and project managers use to select projects that would help in creating value to an organization. I learnt that managers have to determine first how much money to invest in a particular project. The managers then calculate the returns that they earn from that project and determine whether they are sufficient to cover the risks. If the returns are not sufficient to cover risks, then the investment opportunity is not creating value to the organization or customers and thus the managers should consider abandoning the project (Holman and Thorpe, 2002). Furthermore, this insight was important to me since it gave me the urge of researching further on the process that a project manager should follow in order to implement value creation in his organization. I learnt that the project manager should first consider gaining commitment from the senior management about his proposal. He should then develop a customized value creation framework for the organization. Lastly, he should concentrate on ensuring that all employees accept value creation in their organization.
In future, I might act on the insight of value creation in several ways. I would ensure all the projects that I manage concentrate on creating value to customers. I would achieve this by ensuring I follow customer specifications in all the projects that I engage in. Furthermore, I would ensure that I listen to customer’s complaints at all the times and change my production methods so that they correspond to what the consumers want (Palmer, Dunford and Akin, 2008). Furthermore, I would concentrate in carrying a market research first before I launch a new product in the market so that I include customer requirements in all my products thus creating value in the organization. Furthermore, this insight taught me on the importance of project appraisal before investing in any given project. In future, I would first calculate the long-term profitability of projects that my company proposes to invest. I would then consider the risks that I may face when I invest in that particular project and if the risks are more than the returns, I would advice my company to abandon the project. From this insight, I learnt on the importance of educating all the employees before introducing a concept
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In terms of dry herb vaporizer pens, the top product is called the Yocan Mak, and is recommended for lower temperature vaporizers (often pen style vaporizers).
This dry herb vaporizer may be compared to an electric joint, as it burns the herb product rather than vaporizing it. This tank is equipped with multiple features, which contribute to an experience that is both comfortable and inconspicuous.
The Yocan Mak is a 510-thread adaptable tank, meaning it can be used on both pen style batteries or a larger mod (with an adapter). As well, the tank is stainless steel, and Pyrex glass, and comes with a compressible mouthpiece (ash compressor), for easy, portable use. This tank design has compatible wax coils that can be purchased separately, making it versatile. Due to the fact that this vaporizer pen burns your dry herb product, you still will experience a strong smell and even a lingering odour on your clothing, similar to smoking a joint.
Following the popular conception of the Yocan Mak, a flourishing market for larger, and more advanced dry herb vaporizers has developed in Canada. This is where the more innovative and progressive dry herb vaporizers (in Canada) came to be more popular. There are many vaporizers on the market and the following dry herb vaporizers offer several valuable features, including some of the following concepts.
Number one ranking reason is that it is healthier to vaporize than burn…that goes for anything!! BUT WAIT…there’s more! What if I said that you would get more value out of your dry herb purchase? Think about it…if you light a joint it will burn uncontrollably whether you inhale it or not…right? That’s your valuable product going up in smoke!
Vaporizing uses convection or conduction, as opposed to combustion, which maximizes the use of your product by using a controlled heating process. It is maximized because the valuable THC and cannabinoids aren’t being lost or wasted through the burning process. Convection heats the surface underneath the product, and conduction heats the air around the product, whereas combustion simply burns the product completely. In more concise terms, vaporizers do not produce ash the way that burning dry herb does. This translates to one of the main benefits of vaporizing…you will utilize 100% of the THC and other valuable cannabinoids without it going up in smoke, as it does with uncontrolled heat!
I’m not talking about whether you forgot to shower or not. I’m talking about the third key benefit of vaporizing. Follow the same logic as above. When you burn something, whether it is tobacco or dry herb, small particles land on your clothes, hair and furniture and the smell lingers for quite a while. When you vaporize there is a considerable reduction in the odour produced. Let me put this into context for you. Have you ever walked down Yonge Street in Toronto (or your Main Street) when you get a whiff of weed, but when you look around you can’t quite determine who it is? Another benefit that may be of interest to a discreet dry herb enthusiast, is that vaporizers have a reduced odour which will not linger. This means that if you are vaping in your house, there will be a reduced smell and no smell left to linger on you or your clothes and furniture. The reason is simple….no burning, equals no particles to cling.
There are many types of vaporizers on the market. Here are just a few with notable differences to compare.
A notable dry herb vaporizer is the sleek, lightweight, and durable Titan-2 Portable Herb Vaporizer. The Titan is similar to other vaporizers, but has a few key differences. Firstly, the Titan-2 has a stainless-steel chamber, which operates optimally with dry herbs, as opposed to waxes or oils.
Although, the vaporizer is designed to support dry herbs, supplementary oil canisters are available for purchase, to convert this dry herb vaporizer to an oil or wax supporting vape! The Titan-2, has a temperature maximum of 428 degrees, which is better suited for dry herb vaping. The stainless steel chamber holds about a half a gram of dry herb. The Titan also has a safety feature that will automatically shut off after 10 minutes in case the user forgets to turn it off. The battery life between charges is therefore measured as seven-ten-minute vaping sessions, but it has a total 60-minute battery span if vaped continuously! Remember that it has a lithium ion rechargeable battery that has the “pass through” ability similar to your cell phone. This means you can use your device while it is plugged into the charger! This dry herb vaporizer is stellar, for dry herb use, and its design targets this function notably, through its sleek and innovative style.
The Conqueror is another that functions particularly well with dry herb vaporizing.
The Conqueror has an upgraded ceramic chamber, so it will heat dry herbs more evenly, ensuring the product is vaporized thoroughly. This vaporizer, like the Titan-2, it is sleek, discreet and durable.
It reaches the same temperature maximum of 428 degrees, has a chamber that holds slightly more than half a gram of dry herb, has the “pass through” charging capability and like the Titan, and the battery will last for seven-ten-minute vaping sessions or a total of 60-minutes; when vaped continuously. The key advantage to this vaporizer is the ceramic chamber, with a slightly higher herb capacity.
The Flowermate Aura is a popular dry herb vaporizer in Canada. The main feature of the Aura is that gives the Vaper the ability to vaporize both dry erbs, and waxes/oils. It comes with 2 canisters that fit into the chamber, one is used for dry herb, while the other is used for waxes and oils.
(SECRET….these canisters can be purchased separately and fit into the less expensive Titan converting it into a vaporizer that can be used for oils and waxes!).
This product has a ceramic bowl, allowing it to heat more evenly than a regular stainless steel chamber. The ceramic bowl also allows this dry herb vaporizer to reach higher temperatures of up to 446 degrees. For dry herbs, a temperature closer to 410-430 is far more suitable; if the Aura is being used for oils or wax, the wide temperature range comes in handy. Additionally, this dry herb vaporizer has a 70-80-minute battery span, but is equipped with a safety feature which typically permits seven-ten-minute sessions. This allows the vaporizer to turn off after use, even if the Vaper forgets, which can be very important for conserving product. As with all vaporizers, the Aura has a lithium ion battery which provides an overall 300-charge battery life before you will need to charge more frequently in between uses. This is a very versatile vaporizer if you dabble between using both dry herbs, and oils or waxes.
The V5 has a ceramic heating bowl as well, for evenly distributed heat, and comes with canisters for both oils, and dry herbs. This dry herb vaporizer has the longest lasting battery so far, with a nine-ten-minute session battery span and a 75-minute battery span with continuous vaporizing. The V5.0 can also reach a maximum temperature of 446 degrees, which is the ideal range for combination dry herb/oil vaporizers. Three key features that this vaporizer provides which makes it unique, is that it can be attached to a waterpipe to vaporize the product, it has airflow capability and also has a battery pack that can be used to charge other electronics.
The waterpipe compatibility is significant for those health-conscious Vapers, since as we know burning dry products release harmful toxins into your lungs. To summarize, the V5 is compact, sleek, and most importantly, inconspicuous. This is the ideal dry herb vaporizer for a Vaper who wants to have the maximum flexibility and versatility, for all their dry herb, and oil needs!
Grind the dry herbs finely, using a high-quality grinder, reaching a medium-fine grind, and ensure the dry herb is ground evenly. Some companies, and dry herb vaporizers like Flowermate products, have grinders made especially for maximum efficiency with their dry herb vaporizers which allow the herb to fall into the canisters during the grinding process.
Filling the chamber – if you want to use less dry herb, then pack it loosely, so that it fills the canister or chamber to the top. If you want to use drier herb and perhaps if you are sharing it with friends- then pack it tighter. One of the most important tips, is to fill the chamber to the top. Most dry herb vaporizers hold about a half gram at a time, but some (like the Conqueror) have larger capacities.
Most dry herb vaporizers come equipped with cleaning materials like a brush or extra screens. Ensure that you keep your vaporizer clean and in pristine condition. As well you may have to replace certain aspects of the dry herb vaporizer over time, from wear and tear. One thing that may need to be replaced in dry herb vaporizers is the screens, these can either be cleaned with rubbing alcohol, rinsed and wiped off, or they can be replaced depending on personal preference.
You can easily buy a vaporizer online in Canada and prices will vary. Make sure you research thoroughly before setting your sights on a dry herb vaporizer, some offer outstanding quality, but the price points can be a little out of reach, like the Pax. This dry herb vaporizer is very expensive, justified by the company with a 10-year warranty. Make sure you
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Pacino.
All of those actors—many of the finest of the late 20th century—made their bones at the Charles Playhouse. A theater company that was founded in 1957 as the Actors Company, it was rechristened the Charles Playhouse in 1958 as it moved to new digs on Warrenton Street inside a building that presently houses residencies of the Blue Man Group and Shear Madness. But for a decade from 1958 till 1968, under the artistic direction of Michael Murray, it stood as the shining light of Boston’s theater scene during one of the city’s greatest performing arts eras. Now, 50 years after Murray departed over creative issues, those glory days are on the verge of becoming an even more distant memory despite the fact that the company’s struggles still ring true with today’s theaters: Money issues, talent departing for New York, a search for stage space and fights over artistic control. Although the company continued on and off till the mid-’80s, its heyday was during the decade of Murray’s control as it chartered a course as one of the country’s finest—and earliest—regional theaters. Some of those actors and Murray shared their story one more time.
Olympia Dukakis never grew up wanting to be an actor. The Lowell native went to Boston University to get her degree in physical therapy as a way to help during the polio epidemic. All that changed when she was tapped to help direct a variety show in college. And soon after graduating and starting her physical therapy job, she saved enough money to return to BU to work toward a graduate degree in acting under the direction of professor Peter Kass.
Dukakis made fast friends with some of the other acting students such as Ed Zang, Jane Cronin and John Heffernan, and one day she was at a bar with a classmate who mentioned her brother was interested in staging plays for the summer in a tent outside of his bar in Buzzards Bay. “He wanted to see if he could get more customers in his bar. That’s how it started: A couple of Greeks got together,” Dukakis says.
She recruited Zang, Heffernan, Cronin and a few others from BU, and they staged a handful of shows, including Three Men on a Horse and plays from Eugene O’Neill and Agatha Christie. They drew some crowds, but it was attention of a different kind that followed the band of actors. They were staging Arthur Schnitzler’s La Ronde—in which Dukakis was to portray a prostitute—but a religious uproar ensued and the company was censored. Still, the group found a way around it.
When the summer was up, the crew of actors decided they were going to stay together and work in Boston. They came up with a name—the Actors Company—and moved into a loft at 54 Charles St. above Welch’s Fish Market, a setting that would last for a year.
The crew—which had bonded over their shared mentor, Kass—was in complete control of the Actors Company. They chose the plays for the season, they decided on the directors, they built the sets, they lit the shows and they made the costumes. For a production of View From the Bridge, Cronin called in her old college pal, Michael Murray, who had just finished working in New York alongside José Quintero, staging Iceman Cometh. That play garnered national accolades and gave Murray valuable experience that he then used to direct the Arthur Miller-written View From the Bridge.
With big crowds and the potential for something even bigger, the company was fast outgrowing its Beacon Hill digs. The group brought on Frank Sugrue, a law school grad and businessman, as the company’s managing director and named Murray as the artistic director. They found a building on Warrenton Street, owned by Joe Savino, that previously housed a nightclub on the second floor.
With the move, the company renamed itself as the Charles Playhouse as a nod to its fish market beginnings on Charles Street. Despite that it felt like the company was moving on up, the building was a dump. There was a hole between the first and second floors from an explosion and, while there were mirrors and swaths of fabric along the ceiling, there was no money for major renovations. Instead, a stage was built in the middle of the top floor and seats were arranged around it. Dukakis recalls that there wasn’t even an entrance stage left. For the first performance, Murray directed Heffernan and Dukakis in his own version of Iceman Cometh, but opening night had a little hitch before the more than 4-hour performance.
The next production, Hotel Paradiso, starring Zang, Heffernan and Dukakis, was also a hit, while later in that season Dukakis starred in The Crucible alongside John Cazale as the Rev. Paris.
While Dukakis played the Elizabeth Proctor part, Cazale stole the show—long before he shined on movie screens in The Godfather and Dog Day Afternoon. The Revere native and BU grad gained recognition in plenty of roles during his time with Charles Playhouse, including as Bernard in Death of a Salesman and as the boy in Our Town.
Offstage, Cazale befriended many of his fellow actors. He dated Mary Weed, who starred in Hotel Paradiso. “Mary was terrific. John always had the greatest girlfriends in his life,” Murray says of Cazale, who was later dating Meryl Streep when he died of lung cancer in 1978.
While there was critical success for the first few shows at the Charles Playhouse, drama heated up behind the scenes. A fight ensued between the actors and Sugrue and the investors. The actors were hoping for steadier pay, while Sugrue was struggling to make ends meet even in the theater’s current state. Midway through that first season on Warrenton Street, actors such as Heffernan began to split for New York. By the end of the season, even Dukakis left her full-time status at the Charles to move to Manhattan. Although she later returned for a few shows through the years, she recalls being bothered by the pay issues, enough so that she took a little something on her way out.
It was a loss of talented actors that was devastating for the company just as its reputation was rising in Boston theater circles.
As artistic director, Murray was tasked with casting the plays, something he couldn’t do from the comfort of Boston because of the lack of professional actors in the city. Instead, he’d hop on a plane for the short ride to New York, paying a small fee for his ticket while he was already on the plane. He’d check into a hotel and spend a few days auditioning New York actors for roles they’d play in Boston. But Murray couldn’t always leave New York when he was done with his work.
If Ryan needed a little guidance, whether as Stanley or in a different role, he would always seek out Murray, who was one of the reasons he was convinced to head to Boston.
Those results led to a few more years of good reviews for the Charles Playhouse as revenues began to rise—albeit not exactly steadily. For the 1961-62 season, the company had 3,400 season subscriptions and took in a little more than $159,000 in income, but total expenditures of more than $175,000 meant the theater again operated at a loss.
Offstage, while the money might not have flowed, there were plenty of stories about gangsters to keep everyone entertained. Murray even recounts how the stout Savino would go after bar patrons with a 2×4 block of wood.
Ryan says that one night after a show, he was at the nearby Bradford Hotel with some of his fellow actors when he became enthralled with a singer at the bar. They flirted, talked and Ryan set a date for dinner in a couple of nights. But when the time came, he blew it off—a move that prompted a visit.
Although Ryan would depart for greener pastures, the stars kept rolling into the Charles. Murray had spied Jane Alexander in As You Like It in New York and he cast her as Gloria, the lead role in the early 1962 production of Bernard Shaw’s You Never Can Tell.
Boston and attended Beaver Country Day School, often taking the subway to see Olympia Dukakis perform at the Charles.
But nearly a year after Alexander debuted at the Charles Playhouse, the theater was once again in peril—only this time it wasn’t financial. On an early February morning, a fire tore through the theater’s lobby, causing the building to shut for a few weeks and jeopardizing the company’s future for the 1963-64 season.
In the months after the fire, the Charles Playhouse officials worked hard to boost their subscriber base for 1963-64, debuting with 7,600 season subscriptions—more than double the previous year’s total. While Sugrue had taken up the push for subscribers, Murray was busy hunting for actors.
Terrence Currier, a Harvard grad who had done a few plays in college before interning for Westinghouse Electric Corp., was working at a liquor store on Huntington Avenue when he saw an ad that said, “Actors Wanted.” He auditioned for Murray and got a part, but a couple of days later Murray called Currier back to let him know that the rights deal to perform the show had fallen through.
Opening that important 1963-64 season, The Hostage was Charles Playhouse’s biggest financial hit and it was later followed by the musical The Boys From Syracuse in which Cur
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If Boko Haram kills Christians and burns down churches, we will slay Muslims and raze down mosques. We want to warn them that we, the Niger Delta youths, in this 21st century will not accept the killing of innocent Christians or the burning of churches. That if they try it in the north or any part of Nigeria, we the Niger Delta youths will not see any Muslim or mosque in the Niger Delta”- NIGER DELTA REVOLUTIONARY CRUSADERS, VANGUARD NEWSPAPER, 5th AUGUST, 2016.
It is no longer news that the new leader of Boko Haram, Mr. Abu Musa Al Barnawi, who apparantly has the backing of ISIS, has said that he will target only Christians and burn down all the Churches in the country. He has also said that Muslims and mosques will no longer be targetted and that Mr. Abubakar Shekau, the erstwhile leader and principal voice of the terror group, is no longer the leader.
Mr. Shekau has responded by saying that he will continue to slaughter whoever he pleases and that he remains the authentic leader. There appears to be a very serious rift in the ranks of Boko Haram which is good news.
As far as I am concerned the two factions can do us all a favour by destroying one another and burning in hell. Anyone that targets Christians and Churches, or indeed any innocent civilians for slaughter, is not worthy of life. They are nothing but vermin and, like the cockroaches that they are, they must be crushed.
Mr. Shekau is evil but Mr. Al Barnawi is even worse: he is the devil incarnate. He represents ISIS and we all know what that means.
Whichever way we look at it and whatever is going on within the ranks of Boko Haram we must not loose sight of the bigger picture. And that bigger picture points to one thing: Nigeria is in a mess.
Quite apart from the poverty and hardship that has afflicted the land coupled with the total destruction of the economy and quite apart from the shattering of peoples dreams and the drastic reduction in their standard of living by the ineffectual and barren fiscal and economic policies of an inept and incompetent government, our President did not stop there.
He also went as far as to appoint as his Minister of Sports a man who is clearly (to use Donald Trump's words about Hilary Clinton) "unbalanced and unhinged". This is a man that can barely speak english and who, during the week of the Olympics, publicly referred to our country as "the United States Of Nigeria" whilst reprimanding our Olympic football team for getting stuck in America and arriving late in Brazil. Someone should tell Honorable Minister Solomon Dalung that it was HIS job to get our boys to Rio De Janeiro on time and that it was something of a scandal and a national embarrassment that it took the last minute intervention and assistance of Delta Air, a private American airline, to get them there in time for their match with Japan.
Whilst our boys did us proud by going on to defeat Japan and later Sweden, the video of the Minister disparaging them and spouting nonsense about some fictitious and imaginary country called 'the United States of Nigeria' whilst wearing his ridiculous red beret went viral on the internet. A fool goes by no other name.
In normal climes the Minister would have been forced to resign the following day and he would have been compelled to apologize to the nation that he is purportedly serving for forgetting its name.
Sadly though there is nothing that is "normal" about Nigeria or the Buhari administration.
Equally abysmal was the recent outing of Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola, President Buhari's "super Minister" of Power, Works and Housing, on BBC TV's Hardtalk.
Before millions of viewers from all over the world, the Minister told his host Mr. Stephen Sackhur a shameless and pernicious lie by claiming that he never promised Nigerians an increase in power generation and supply.
It is his inability to be forthright, to appreciate the virtues of telling the truth and to keep his election promises that has earned my aburo Tunde Fashola the nickname of Minister of Darkness.
Since he was appointed'super Minister' the power generation in our country has dropped from 5000 megawatts at the time when President Jonathan left office just over a year ago to under 2000 megawatts today. Worst still he has not managed to construct or complete the refurbishment of a single road.
Yet it is not the crippled economy, the erring and dim-witted Minister of Sports, the intellectually dishonest and lying Minister of Power, Works and Housing or any of the other numerous foibles of the Buhari administration that gives us the most concern today.
It is rather the gradual and systematic generation and invocation of a frightful and cataclysmic atmosphere of war and the looming threat and increasing likelihood of a great and violent ethnic and religious conflict, the likes of which Africa has never seen before. If it is not Boko Haram that is slaughtering our people it is the Fulani herdsmen. Worse still they are doing these despicable things with the active connivance and support of a few people that are in the corridors of power today whose objective is to islamise our nation, plunge us into a fiery abyss and create chaos.
The bible says 'there is no fellowship between light and darkness'. We have said it before and we will say it again: we must restructure Nigeria before it is too late. If we fail to do so we will have no choice but to reconsider our so-called unity. If things don't change quickly we must consider the possibility of dividing our country and renegotiating our union.
We cannot afford to wait any longer because we are playing with fire and we are sitting on a keg of gunpowder. We must attempt to do whatever needs to be done peacefully and we must not allow the butchers and those that kill in the name of their god to provoke us into another civil war.
Nothing represents the danger of the war that is looming more than the response of the Niger Delta Revolutionary Crusaders (an affiliate of the Niger Delta Avengers) to Al Barnawi's threat.
They responded by saying that if Christians and Churches are targeted by Boko Haram they will kill all the Muslims in the Niger Delta area and they will burn down all the mosques. It is a simple case of "action" and "reaction" and I sincerely hope that those that are use to killing others and not being killed themselves take them seriously.
Clearly we are living in dangerous times and I sincerely hope that those that brought religion into our politics in 2015 and that used Islam and the Boko Haram offensive as a political tool against a southern Christian President are seeing the fruits of their labor.
When you invoke the proverbial genie and let it out of the kettle you must be prepared to live with the consequences and whatever follows. Yet the folly does not stop there. As if our sensibilities were not already sufficiently provoked President Buhari took the religious dance to yet another level last week by directing the Central Bank of Nigeria to sell foreign exchange to Muslim pilgrims that were on their way to Saudi Arabia for hajj at 197 naira to 1 USD.
This whilst everyone else, including students, manufacturers, businessmen, Christian pilgrims, the ailing and holiday-makers, must continue to buy at 400 naira to 1 USD. When the math is done this amounts to a whooping N7.9 billion naira concession for Muslim pilgrims.
And all this in a country that is not only impoverished and whose people are suffering from the worst economic hardship and poverty crunch since independence but also one that is meant to be a secular state.
Such is the national outrage that President Buhari's forex concession to his Muslim brothers and sisters has provoked that a well-known political commentator and activist Mr. Paul Achalla wrote the following on his Facebook wall on August 5th: "N410 to $1 for business, education, entrepreneurship, food processing, manufacturing, etc. and N197 to $1 for pilgrims going to Saudi Arabia? Bluntly put, Boko Haram ideology won Nigeria's 2015 general election!!!"
Paul Achalla is right. How can this sort of nonsense be justified in a multi-ethnic, multi-cultural, multi-religious secular state? Is Buhari's Nigeria crafted only for the Muslim north? Is Saudi Arabia now the spiritual headquarters of our nation?
If it is not the Sultan of Sokoto declaring public holidays, it is the President giving subsidized rates of foreign exchange and preferential treatment to members of his own religious faith.
If it is not that he is leading our country into a sinister and dangerous military coalition of Sunni Muslim nations it is that he is holding conferences in Abuja with foreign Muslim clerics whose stated objective is to "spread sharia throughout Nigeria" and islamise our country.
Worst still virtually all his Service Chiefs and principal commanders in his Armed Forces together with his National Security Advisor, his Minister of Defence, his Minister of Internal Affairs, his Inspector General of Police, his Chief of Defence Intelligence, his Director General of State Security, his Chairman of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, his Commander of the National Civil Defence Corps, his Comptroller General of Customs, his Comptroller General of Immigration, his Comptroller General of Prisons and ALL his other security, para-security and intelligence agencies, bar one, are northern Muslims.
Can there be any greater form of corruption, abuse of power, injustice and betrayal of trust than this?
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discarding a few working theories of how things might play out I eventually settled on a system informed by enemy damage dice.
Here the relevant ability score is Wisdom, since healing depends on it everywhere else in D&D. Perhaps we center this around the Medicine check? It gets no love in 5e since every healing item, class ability, or spell is about bypassing this skill. It’s also the only skill that fits for d20 rolls having to do with healing, but I think I’m getting off topic. What is the Surgeon’s goal and the choices he has to make it happen? Abstractly, the goal is to help injured/dying crew and either get them stabilized or back into the fight. All healing in D&D is a matter of hit points, so by starting there we have to consider what is the average crewmember’s hit points? I’m heading to the back of the Monster Manual to look at the NPC appendix. The bandit, guard, acolyte, and cultist all have around 10 hp. Their CRs are either ¼ or?. The commoner has 4 hp and a CR 0. NPCs with CR ½ to 2 have a hp ranges of 16 to 32, with the exception of the Bandit Captain and Berserker (CR 2 with about 65 hp). This also gives me the idea of different levels of crew, but then I’d be getting off topic again (maybe another post).
If we were to assume all crew is a little tougher than commoners and in the CR range of? to ¼, we can assume they have 10 hp each. I also want to abide by the rules for Dropping to 0 Hit Points (PHB 197). Though making death saves and keeping track of individual crew hp would be an exercise in frustration. Keeping with the rules, it is safe to assume any 10hp crew member dealt 20hp suffers Instant Death, any less damage and they are unconscious. Going about things like this will mean thinking about how damage done by cannon fire can affect a crew. Naturally I went to the cannon entry in the DMG (255). It wasn’t much help. Next I went to the Improvising Damage table (DMG 249). Reading the table gives gives a good idea of what kinds of trauma translate into D&D dice. I feel like exploding wood shrapnel from cannon balls tearing through the ship, in addition to falling masts and other falling debris could be the equivalent of being in a collapsing tunnel. It’s kind of funny that getting hit by lightning is less dangerous than falling rubble, but let’s move on.
We want to keep an eye towards verisimilitude, but also a simple ruleset. After carefully considering the Adjudicating Areas of Effect table on the same page, it got me thinking. What if we treated the damage from a cannon as an area effect? More importantly, when the ship gets damaged so does the crew. Figuring out where the crew are on the ship when it gets hit and how much damage gets allocated to each of them is a fool’s errand, when it can be done much more simply.
Each time an enemy ship hits the player’s ship, the number of injured crew will accumulate each round. Hopefully, this will give a little verisimilitude to the increasing number of wounded during a battle. Enemy damage also determines how many are killed outright. An average crew member has 10 hp, so what if each damage die determined the fate of an average crew member? A roll of 10 on the die kills 1 crew, but a 10% chance of death from pervasive carnage sounds a little low. Let’s say 9-10. On the flip side we can say damage rolls of 1-2 mean a crew member got a little hurt but he’s still ok to fight and man the ship. It’s simple so far, and only one player needs to keep track of this - the Surgeon. Every round the number of wounded will pile up, making his job a matter of managing numbers. So how does he do this?
The Naval Combat round is 1 minute long, meaning whatever the Surgeon’s action is it has to be accomplished in that timeframe. Consider a Sailing ship firing a broadside of 10 cannons most likely with disadvantage, with an average accuracy of 25% cannons hitting and causing 33 damage per hit. This means an average of 15 dice are rolled (6 dice per hit and 2.5 hits per 10 attacks) this means 15 crew members have the potential to become injured. Taking this further, 20% of the dice will roll 1-2 (the crew shrugs off the damage) while 20% of the dice will roll 9-10 (dead crew). This leaves the Surgeon with an average of 9 crew to treat per broadside. Now we know what we’re dealing with.
This is sounding a lot like triage: prioritizing where medical attention is most likely to affect a positive outcome, while giving a low priority to those who are already likely to live or die regardless of what care they receive. I think we may have our first action for the Surgeon. The Triage action: make a Wisdom (medicine) skill check to prioritize the wounded. Maybe we’ll give advantage or some other benefit for further actions taken that turn to help the wounded. At the moment I’m just spitballing.
As always, the most important thing to determine here are what choices the Surgeon has. Let's be real. Whoever is taking on the role of ship Surgeon is likely to have some healing spells. This can be their first choice to make: use the medicine skill or magical healing. The different consequences are not only used up spell slots but the effect on the crew. With this approach crew healed by non-magical means are out for the count. The medicine skill can only stabilize the wounded because injuries need time to heal. Magical healing repairs injuries instantly and gets the crew back into the fight, let’s say for every 10 hp of healing cast 1 crew member is no longer injured and gets back into the fight. Any leftover healing stabilizes 1 of the injured/dying crew.
As to the specifics, page 197 of the PHB says, “You can use your action to administer first aid to an unconscious creature and attempt to stabilize it, which requires a successful DC 10 Wisdom (Medicine) check. The Naval Combat round is a minute long, meaning 10 actions of stabilizing. This totally ruins verisimilitude for me though. It takes time going to each of the injured. Applying first aid in an emergency situation does require swift efficiency, but neither doctors nor first responders are machines. They’re no conveyor belt of wounded with the PC applying a tourniquet in to each one every 6 seconds. A die roll is called for to sort this out.
The Surgeon can make a Wisdom (medicine) check each round. The DC is 10, and for every 3 the DC is exceeded by the Surgeon stabilizes an additional crew. At first I was going with 2, but a 20 result means he stabilizes 6 people in a minute. Sounds like too much. If we went by 5 it may be more realistic but remember: verisimilitude. Exceeding the result by 3 satisfies me in terms of striking a balance between being just short of keeping up with the growing pile of wounded while getting decent mileage out of that skill check.
NPC crew damage has been determined; on to PC crew damage. Here’s another choice: the Surgeon needs to decide how to allocate his healing spells between the crew and the players. Not addressing this will break suspension of disbelief. I think the players will notice when crew are dying all around them and they’re immune to the damage from enemy cannonfire. It would be akin to watching a TV show and knowing they can’t kill off the main character.
The past few posts have come a ways in terms of filling out a complete game structure for naval combat, but we’re getting too close to making this an overly complicated system. However PC damage gets determined it has to be without adding any new die rolls. I’d like to say when the player’s ship takes a critical hit from cannonfire, a random player will take a d10 of damage instead of the NPC crew. At first it seem a little flat when the group isn’t near first level. A 5% chance to take a single d10? The threat of danger needs to be felt by the players, and I think it will. When 10 cannons are fired at their ship every round those chances go up plenty.
In summary, whenever the ship takes damage, after damage is calculated for the ship the Surgeon looks at the dice and determines how many crew are severely injured. As play goes on the Surgeon’s job is to keep track of the Able-Bodied Crew Count, which is simple the number of uninjured crew able to fight. When crew are injured that number will go down, and the Casualty Count - the growing number of the injured/dying - will increase. As he stabilizes crew via skills or items he’ll keep track of those separately, too, and when the crew is magically healed the number healed is subtracted from the Casualty Count and added to the Crew Count (able-bodied crew count is a mouthful).
It seem straightforward. I’d like to add is that the Surgeon role doesn’t have to be filled by only one player. There’s no reason other player’s can’t lend the ship’s surgeon an extra pair of hands. Multiple player’s can see to the crew for greater effect. Also, note the Casualty Count will affect Morale.
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of the ski area. It wasn't long before we switched to crampons for the steeper portions of the slope. The snow was well-consolidated, somewhat soft among the trees, harder higher up where it was more exposed. Again we had snowshoes with us, but this time we would manage without them the entire day. The slope heading up to Martin Point was steep enough that I somewhat wished I had an axe with me for additional safety - A slip would have sent either of us down several hundred feet into the trees with a questionable chance of arresting ourselves before impending injury. Fortunately, no falls.
Even with the reset to retrieve the gloves, it took us only about an hour to reach Martin Point, almost 1500ft above the parking lot. We signed into the register and almost immediately I left to go over and check out the interesting NW summit a short distance away on the pretense that it might be higher, though it seemed unlikely. It was a short class 3 scramble from the side facing us, and once on top it was clear that all the other sides were considerably harder. It looked to be about the same height from atop, and that was enough to goad Matthew into climbing it as well after I'd come back down. Our next goal was Thunder Mtn, about a mile and a half distance, so we set off in that direction. We bypassed a rocky outcropping on the southwest side over some firm snow before landing on the sunny ridgetop and finding a very nice trail for the next half mile or so. Warning signs let us know we were at the ski area boundary, apparently they want to make sure to indemnify themselves to skiers who may chose to ski in unpatrolled parts (the bowl immediately west of the ridge in this case). We passed an interesting feature known as The Glove on the west side - it appeared to have no easy scramble route on any side. The bypass was not without some class 3 rock scrambling itself, which was far better than a steep snow traverse that we thought we might have to make when viewed from a distance.
Thunder Mtn has two summits separated by about a quarter mile. The nearer northeast one is shown on the USGS maps as being 2 feet higher than the named southwest summit, but it is impossible without a level to tell which is higher. To be sure, we first climbed the northeast one (it has an abrupt drop on its southwest side along the ridgeline), then backed off and headed over to the southwest one. This took some time as we walked around a number of obstacles, clambering over rocky features in an effort to avoid the steeper snowy slopes just below on the southeast side. It was 9:15a when we reached the named summit where we found a large tackle box that served to hold the several summit registers - this is a popular peak. We could see south to Mokelumne Peak (where we'd been two days earlier), northwest to Desolation Wilderness, north to the Carson Range (where we were the previous day), northeast to Round Top and the Mokelumne Wilderness. It was a fine county highpoint, much better than some of the ones we'd visited earlier in the year. We made a small diversion to visit a nearby memorial to Paul M. Ruff, a skier who died in the area attempting to make a record 200ft jump in 1993. It was even more sobering to read his story on the Internet later while writing this report. A pair of old leather boots (presumeably his?) lay at the foot of the cross.
After getting our requisite pictures, we headed back to the main ridge. Ahead of Matthew a short ways, I stopped for a class 3-4 diversion on an interesting rock formation. I went up what I would call a class 4 chimney on the right side, leaving my pack on the rocks below. After reaching the top I traversed across and found an easier class 3 route back down on the left, retrieved my pack, then rejoined Matthew who had patiently waited for me to finish the exercise. Heading east along the main ridge, we came upon the top of Chair 6 (Cornice) and the groomed cat tracks that graced the top. It made for easier travel, even if we had to share it with others, some of whom looked at us a bit oddly. Further east along the ridge, just past the chairlift we were greeted by a Skull & Crossbones Experts Only! sign. It was pretty much a class 1 walk the way we were taking it though. Most of the slopes heading down past the sign looked to be of the advanced category, but a few narrow, steep chutes would definitely qualify as expert. We continued along the ridge, favoring the easier slopes on the south side, much of which we found free of snow. We passed below the top of Chair 10 (Wagon Wheel) on the south side, and then climbed up to the top of the ridge again a short distance before Thimble Peak.
Thimble Peak looked fairly innocuous from the west side that we approached from, but once atop the visible false summit, one could glare across a gaping chasm at the higher true summit. A thin, rocky ridge joins it to the main ridge, and it was obvious that this was the advertised class 4 route up the summit block. Before Matthew had time to get a view of it, I had crossed the twenty feet to the start and scrambled up. The rock was very solid with really good holds, but the exposure was a bit draining. Better not to think about it too much I figured. When Matthew popped his head into view I had been at the summit five or ten minutes, and greeted him with a friendly wave. Matthew looked at the intervening space but didn't wave back. "How was it?" he asked. "Not bad, really," was my attempt at an optimistic reply. With a bit of coaching and a great deal of self-determination, Matthew followed the short 15-foot section to the top. Success! At the summit we found a glass jar encased in a rusty tin can with something resembling epoxy, inside a small Sierra Club Register not two-thirds full dating back to 1964 - a real find. Ours was the first entry in over two years. Pete Yamagata's name was the only one I recognized in the register. Not being an SPS peak, it is ignored by the likes of Doug Mantle and RJ Secor, though we both agreed it was a true hidden gem of the Sierra.
It was 11a now, having taken 4 1/2 hours to reach the peak (more than we thought the round trip would take). We discussed where to go next. I was up for continuing along the ridge. Matthew had pointed out the night before that we could continue along the ridge to Melissa Coray Peak, then drop down to Emigrant Valley to the north and back over a low saddle in the vicinity of Chairs 2 & 3. I thought that would involve a good deal of elevation gain, but from his TOPO! software last night and now the view before us, it didn't look so bad. So with little fanfare, we decided to continue along the ridge (the trap was nearly set...). First we had to get back off the summit block, and reversing the moves took a tad more nerve than it did climbing up, but with only one awkward move not found in Freedom of the Hills, we managed to extract ourselves from that loftly perch.
Back on the snow, we headed down the North Face of Thimble Peak, a fairly steep slope with excellent runout for a thousand feet. The snow was softer here and there was almost no way we could have an uncontrolled slide, but Matthew remained cautious until I took a swift glissade down for several hundred feet. A group of skiers below watched the spectacle, probably wondering where we'd managed to lose our skis. We landed on a cat track and traverse over to the top of Chair 4 (Sunrise), continuing east along the ridge. The next peak was Covered Wagon Peak, though really it was just a long ridge with a highpoint somewhere in the middle. Here we started playing the game of staying on the ridge as faithfully as possible, primarily to enjoy some class 3 rock and snow we found there. It made for a really fine quarter mile traverse, some of the more enjoyable scrambling we found all day. The peak can easily be bypassed on the south side, but I was glad we found the more challenging scramble. At the far east end of the peak we had some more tricky downclimbing, but this was done with fine style and grace (unlike our descent of Thimble Peak).
Next up was a short walk to the higher, but far tamer Melissa Coray Peak. At the saddle between it and Covered Wagon, we came across a sign indicating the crossing of a California historical trail. Apparently this spot, at 9,400ft, was the highest point in the Sierra to which a covered wagon was taken. Quite impressive, but in looking at the surrounding terrain, neither of us could figure out why anyone would have taken a wagon up here. Not on the Sierra Crest, and a thousand feet higher than Carson Pass, it seemed only someone who was lost could have managed such a feat. This saddle also marked the boundary between the ski area and the Mokelume Wilderness. We continued up the West Slopes of Melissa Coray, one of the most rounded peaks one can find in the Sierra - there was really nothing resembling a ridge leading to the summit on any side (later we noticed there are some steep slopes that get skied found on the north side). The top is broad and just discernably rounded, at the very center a memorial marker to Melissa Coray, an early pioneer who crossed with some of the first wagons over Carson Pass.
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likely been hearing it and saying it all of our lives. Let’s back up a bit and look at it from several perspectives.
What’s for dinner? The question is a communication of some sort. It indicates a thought about and interest in a future event. It focuses on a perceived need—that is, as a way of thinking and speaking about meeting that need. This is without actually saying that we are needy, or what that need is. Something causes us to ask the question.
Let’s consider the concept of Cause and Effect. Do you agree? There is no cause without effect, and no effect without a cause. Let’s think about it for a moment. There is no cause without an effect, and there is no effect without a cause. Identify an “effect” and think about what caused that to be. Now, go a step further, and think about that cause as an effect of something else. If you take some time with this, you can go back and back and back… I’m guessing most of us don’t do this often. We don’t consciously think of things as a means to an end.
OK. Back to dinner. When I say the word “dinner” what comes into your mind? I’ll bet it is there something about a dinner you have experienced in the past. Or what we jointly agree on as “past.” And I would bet that no two of us would have the same thing in mind.
We all have different pasts, and of course many kinds of experiences of what “dinner” means. Possibly not all of them would be what we would evaluate as “good.” We all perceive the world, including dinner, differently. Some of us think in pictures, some think in words, some operate on inner feelings, or others on just knowing. And there are lots of “tests” out there that are used to define personality types.
When we combine the concepts of cause and effect with all the different experiences we have had, and all the ways people think about or perceive the world, things really start to get complicated. Is it any wonder we have a hard time communicating sometimes?
One aspect of cause and effect has to do with the idea that “projection makes perception.” We encounter a person, thing, event or idea, and project thoughts and feelings from our past out onto them, usually without consciously being aware of it. We dissociate or detach from the process.
But then we “perceive” that a person, thing or event is a certain way, colored by our past. We have disconnected from what is really going on, and our part in it. We assume that what we see, feel, think or even seem to know is “the truth.” And then we react to that. And sometimes we are surprised to find out that others aren’t seeing or experiencing the world the same way we are. Now I’m not saying this is good or bad. Let’s just call it part of the human condition. We all do it most of the time. Projection is a cause, perception is an effect.
Some of us were fortunate enough to hear two very interesting talks about the process of projection in August of 2010 by Les Greenberg and Justin Dean. Justin’s message is on the church’s website, and I encourage you to have a look at it.
Cause and effect, projection and perception, we do this a lot. But since we humans are all in this together, becoming aware of the process may give us a good reason or incentive to be a bit more gentle and tolerant, and yes even accepting of ourselves and each other.
Think of all the attention and energy we waste on all kinds of big and little irritations. And I emphasize waste, because when we are not empowering all areas of our lives by choosing positive and uplifting and even healing attitudes and options, it becomes an easy habit to dwell on negativity. We get stuck there, thinking we have the world and the people in it pegged for what it is.
Someone I met long ago said “First we make our habits, and then our habits make us.” Who is in charge of this habit making business, anyway? How does change happen? Some of it has to do with who we think we are, what we think we deserve, and where we fit in. What are the original sources of the attitudes and beliefs we have about ourselves and our lives?
Back to dinner and some of the bigger questions about “what is really going on?” Is dinner going to be a solo event? Even if you are dining alone, your thoughts, and the world you are surrounding yourself with are present. So much has come together to prepare you for this moment, and to prepare all the ingredients for dinner. But we don’t often stop and think about that do we? Maybe for a moment if one pauses so say grace, or express thanks before a meal.
And if dinner is not alone, the components just mentioned vastly multiply. Back to the concept of cause and effect. If you take some time to really deeply think about it you can find all kinds of links and branches that coalesced to make this moment, this dinner. The food, the place, you, who are you with, who is absent—it can go on and on.
Of course we are using dinner as just one example of many other things or events that you could substitute. I’m not suggesting doing this all the time, but once in a while might bring us deep insights. It might just enrich our experience and appreciation of life. Sometimes even a brief meditation can bring profound insights!
You—who you think you are.
You— what you really are.
Where you fit in time and place and relationship to others.
But ha, ha! I really am ________________.
Were you surprised at the answers that came? If you don’t like them, change them! Do you need permission? Give yourself permission right now! “I give myself permission to change my answer!” You have my permission and likely the permission of the rest of this caring and supportive community.
Now, moving on from our question of “What’s for dinner?” let’s imagine: Two people are having dinner together. What might be going on? What are some of the ways to think about it?
Two humans are having dinner. They are incorporating food. There might be conversation. Did you notice that using the word “incorporating” sounds real different than eating? That is partly because words are really just symbols… maybe even symbols of symbols. And we are trying out a new symbol with that word.
Ok, two physical mental spiritual beings we like to call human, seem to be occupying a particular dimension that we might refer to as time and space for a common purpose.
Or how about this definition: energy forms that “think” they are separate (at least for the moment) are having a joint personal interaction.
Or, needs perceived as real may or may not be being met.
Or, two animals, mammals, on a planet we call Earth, in this solar system, in our so called Milky Way galaxy… and so on.
As you can see, feel, hear, know, there are many, many ways of considering what is really going on. But we rarely stop to notice them. We rarely stop to think about how our past shapes us, or the meaning we each give to our version of our world, by way of cause and effect, projection and perception. But things seem to change, depending on how we see them.
Who are we? And why are we gathered here together in this place, at this time? It has been my experience that Unitarian Universalists and other open minded and inclusive folks like to consider a variety of viewpoints and ideas.
Talking about ideas and things helps people clarify what they really think. Years of participating in a wonderful read and discuss program helped me begin to understand how this process works. It can be exciting to watch yourself or others form and express ideas on the spot. This can be a great “ah ha” moment! And so fun!
But sometimes we get stuck. And for people who are heavily invested in being “right” (and I’ll bet you know a few) for those people, considering different ideas and viewpoints can be threatening. Perhaps it is just human nature, or at least the ego based part of human nature to want to be “right.” When that happens people (in my opinion) tend to look for other people and ideas that are similar to how they already think. This is a way to reinforce their current way of thinking and perceived self identity. To them, other or outside ideas and people become threatening. Then, the reaction to fear is to get defensive, or even go on the attack.
Even considering change can be a challenge. Once, a friend I’ll call Harry said, “But if I have to change my mind about what I think about something, that would mean I was wrong all this time!” He was a teacher to me without even knowing it. Who our teachers are is a topic for another day.
It has been several months since I agreed to fill this spot—here today. And those months have given me a wonderful opportunity to reflect on some of the people, places and processes that have brought me here. I thought about mentors and teachers who have guided me, sometimes in ways that seemed hurtful at the time. Some were in off-handed ways that now seem humorous. Co-workers, family, friends, and even strangers. I thank them now.
I considered mentioning my own personal spiritual journey, but no, not today. I thought about the many, many workshops it has been my privilege to attend and hoped to tell you about them. Those are for some other time. But I will mention two specific things that have profoundly guided me so
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drew out the moment as long as he could.
He didn’t. An eyeblink later and Cory was wearing his football uniform, pads and helmet and all.
“All right,” Noel said. He shrugged and turned around. There were a couple of comfortable chairs there that hadn’t been there before. “Have a seat,” Noel said. “And take that helmet off. It makes me uncomfortable.” As Cory sat, Noel took another button out and pinned it to the football uniform that he seemed to be wearing as well. Gotta be more careful about that, he thought. This button read YOU TRUST ME. It was blatant manipulation, and for a moment, Noel thought about seeing just how far he could push that button’s power. In the dream, anything was possible, and chances were that the boy wouldn’t remember a thing.
But Noel had tried that before. He’d succeeded, in fact, and it hadn’t worked out well for anyone.
“Good,” Noel said. “You can talk. You’d be surprised how often that fails in here.” He handed Cory a drink in a cup labeled RELAX. He took it and blew over the top. Hot chocolate, probably. When he’d taken a sip, and the pads deflated from under his uniform, Noel started to talk again.
“Cory,” he said. “You’re in trouble.” He gestured over to one corner of the room, which had gone from being a school hallway to a bare stage. A spotlight clicked on and illuminated a strange tableau. Cory, holding another boy close, their arms wrapped around each other in mid-fall. Look at it one way, and it was the middle of a brawl – the other boy’s feet were about to come out from under him, and Cory was getting ready to pull an arm out for a punch. Cory’s face was a mask of rage, the other boy’s torn by fear.
Look again, though, and they were holding onto each other out of desperation. Cory was trying to hold the other boy up, his arms tightening around his waist and they both slowly dropped to the floor. The anger on Cory’s face warped to pain and anguish. The other boy’s face was still overwhelmed with fear, but it was altogether a different kind now.
“I… I don’t understand,” Cory said. He looked like he was about to cry again, and Noel felt his earlier attraction to the boy fading. He’d hoped there would be a core of strength to him, but if this was his soul laid bare, then he wasn’t worth mooning over.
“Well, then we have a problem,” Noel said. He cracked his knuckles and noticed that he seemed to be wearing a suit now. With black leather gloves. “Fortunately, problem-solving is my specialty. But first, there’s somewhere we have to go.” He reached out to the statue-Cory’s head and tugged on a lock of hair. A door opened up, spreading instantly to the floor, and a dim greyness lay beyond. The faint smell of woodsmoke wafted out.
Cory looked at the doorway. “What’s in there?” he asked.
“No,” the boy said, holding his hands up. “I don’t know where I am or what you’re doing, but this can’t be happening. Not for real.” He was starting to change again, his form losing substance. He was beginning to look like a faded photograph, like a wet painting left out in the rain, and Noel cursed under his breath.
The thing that was Cory shook its head. “No,” it said in a slow, indistinct voice. “Not going.” The shape bubbled and twisted and folded in on itself. And then, without prelude or fanfare, the dream collapsed.
“Dammit,” Noel whispered. He lingered in the non-darkness that was the place where dreams emerged and tried to count all the things he did wrong. In the end, he let himself go back into normal sleep and the normal world. There would be other nights and other chances. But not too many.
Noel slept in the few hours remaining to him. He had to get up early to go to work, after all.
Perhaps he’d see how Cory was doing tomorrow, in class.
Katrina kept herself amused as she waited for the keynote speaker by reading the minds of the people sitting around her.
ZeffCon 2011 was packed. The Allenhurst Civic Center had been chosen because last year’s con couldn’t fit into the Eldewylde Hotel that had hosted it for the years previous. The con’s organizers were, of course, thrilled, since a bigger place meant more attention, more participants, and of course, bigger guests.
And it didn’t get much bigger than the keynote speaker for the con, the man that Katrina was there to see.
Roger Tillman had grown to be one of the most popular new authors of fantasy and science fiction in the last ten years, and the competition to get tickets for the speech was fierce. If she hadn’t gotten in, Katrina would have had to approach him somewhere else in the con to pick his brains. As it was, she could do it from her fifth-row seat at her leisure. Her talents did come in handy sometimes.
The man next to her had a song running through his head that was beginning to get on her nerves. She carefully blocked him out and focused on the large woman sitting next to her, who seemed desperately trying to think of an alternative to the only question she could think of to ask Tillman when he did his signing. Katrina dug a little deeper – “Where do you get your ideas?” She sighed and pulled out of the woman’s head.
Katrina had no idea where other writers got their ideas, but she knew where she got hers: from them.
The first time she’d done it was at a convention in San Diego fifteen years ago. She met a middling mystery author there, whose sales were slumping. While Katrina poured on the praise for the woman’s books, she took her first peek into the depths of an author’s mind.
She’d always been a “peeker,” as she called herself, ever since she started to hear what people were thinking back when she was a little girl. She couldn’t help herself back then – she was curious, and people were just loud. But as she got older, she got better at going in and finding what she wanted. She found it really useful for remembering names, for one, and it made her sales job at the time a lot easier to do.
What she really wanted to do, though, was write. Ever since high school, she’d tried writing short stories and novels, and what she came up with were stories that she ended up hiding in a drawer and forgetting about. Her ideas, she thought, weren’t any good. What she needed, then, were good ideas. And what better place to find them than in the heads of people who’d proven they could write?
In the end, though, she found it much less exotic than she’d thought. This author had her ideas cluttered about like a musty basement. Dull plots and half-formed characters, a title or a first line or two. Things she was probably working on but wasn’t ready to publish yet. Works in progress and works that would probably never get finished. This woman’s mind was a mess.
Katrina looked a little deeper, into the shadows of the woman’s mind, and it was there that she found what she would look for in every writer’s mind afterward. She found the seed of an idea. The grain of sand that would make a pearl, given time and effort. Katrina turned the idea over in her hands and examined it. There was something there about a house where a child was kept in the basement… a father who pretended she wasn’t his… a boy next door?
It would do. Katrina took the idea back with her and retreated back into her own mind. She thanked the author for her time and her signature and headed back to her hotel room. A few hours later and she had the book plotted out in her head. Just the rough outline, with a few important steps to it, but it was there. A few months of work and she’d produced her first novel, Groundling Child, which was published a year to the day after her meeting at the convention.
She’d published it under a pseudonym – Paula Grant – just in case the original author came looking for her. But she never did. As far as Katrina could tell, she never knew that the idea had been stolen at all.
Emboldened, Katrina started visiting more cons and meeting more authors. Each time, she found a seed, a germ of a story idea and took it back with her. Before she knew it, she was writing every day, and selling one or two books a year, in addition to short stories. The critics didn’t rave, but people bought them and within a few years she could go to any airport bookstore and see some Paula Grant novels on the shelves. If she had time, and the clerk was busy, she would stealth-sign them. They usually showed up on internet auction sites and got a good price, since the elusive author had never appeared publicly to promote her books.
But where Paula was something of a mystery, Katrina had become a familiar face at conventions around the country. Anywhere a famous author would show up, Katrina would be
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to toe, I guess she was also standing below some shelter as there was not a drop of rain falling on her. She was not only admiring it but also waiting for the rain to fall as the moment she stretched her palm a drop fell on it, she did the same again and again collecting the drops of the rain in her palm. It looked as if the rain was waiting for the orders of her to fall. Once it was full she let them drop on the ground making the sound like pearls were falling off from the necklace as they didn’t just fall but also they had another path to follow.
She was the commander in chief imposing the flow of rain. Slowly the drops of rain increased & made its way from her shoulders to her long silky hands gliding over them to reach the small little fingers of her just before they descended to reach there fellow droplets. If that was the sight I beheld unknown to her next set of her acts just made my insides move as molten lava.
The water which blessed themselves touching her forehead slid through the sides measuring the length of her sleek neck before they disappeared into the fabric. The view brought him of my revive giving me a reality check about my act. I was not supposed to look at her like this minutely. She has always hid behind the mask of a meek girl and now thinking no one is here she would have let those masks off her face.
She might have not been this free had she known about my presence here. But I didn’t have it in me to turn back from her. This time I wanted her to decide and it would be easy on me to feel her rejection than turning back from her. With this decision I let my legs lead towards the magnetic pull.
I couldn’t have stepped in rain too so I stood at the rim of the shelter making my presence known to her. Passing the message towards her clearly that she is not alone to let her barriers down and baring her oneself to me. She stood in the middle, hands out stretched to let the rain drench her. Even after making my presence evident she didn’t deterred was she so involved in her own world that what is happening around, who is there beside her didn’t matter or was she giving me a treat by letting me to witness her subtle movements of unparalleled grace.
Rain which had drenched her whole form gave a shiny effect to her. With a determination which none could stop her to express herself today neither the rain nor my presence. She bent her back in a semi circle swinging her hands in a way that looked like a white rainbow twinkling in the moon light. Was she dancing with rain or was rain dancing with her, was she following it or was that following her moves was all I could ponder about as she and rain matched steps with each other.
Unknown to me “Geet” came out from my lips it came out just as a whisper and I doubt whether my own ears heard it or not. But as the name left my lips the rain just came to end like it was waiting for me to utter and it would stop and with not a drop of rain pouring her whole concentration turned to me. I stood there waiting for her reaction, would she walk away as I do or…. I didn’t know what to expect. She slowly closed the distance between us and stood right in front of me.
Her eyes held an unknown compassion which I could not understand. I felt a sudden chill spreading around me was it the dip in the temperature or was it her who was cooling my fire in me. My eyes closed for a brief second to hide the things which it may give away if I look deep into the blue ones it may questioned me anything. There were many things which my heart wanted to convey but words were just not enough to express them. Many emotions were binding me with you bring in a new flavour sweeping us into a different world. This is the riddle which could not be hidden within me or with in her or even the world.
I was still entranced in her when I felt her chilled hands touch my cheeks sending shiver down my body. It took only a second to ignite the fire in me; it took lot of efforts to break the shackles to let my hand to stretch so that I could feel that creamy skin. She closed her eyes to engrave the feel of me on her hand, so did I wanted to engrave it. I was just an inch away when she trembled back and before I could comprehend anything or hold her she collapsed on the ground & like how the water gushes out when the gates of the dam are opened the rain poured out on her.
What happened was something has happened with me many times before too when ever I have left my confines things has gone messy. That is the reason why I have to be alone & none are allowed to be with me. My mother left me giving birth to me to live in this world all alone; my father was there only till that another natural calamity which shook more than half of the village when I was a small kid. From that time all I have led is a life alone each day was like a year or even more than that.
Relatives were there to support me but even that didn’t last for more than few days as they would fell into deep troubles due to me. So I had spent most of my life in an orphanage far away from everyone who was my family once. This was my curse which I am still burdened with. And today that has spread to Geet, she fell the moment I thought to ignore my curse but it was all present to remind me of the repercussions if avoided.
I still stood the same way gazing at her fallen state; I couldn’t gather enough courage to even check her. What if she also just left because of my mistake? It would have been better to be away than to live in guilt for becoming an endangered curse to someone else. With the sudden enormous sound of water gained the attention of Pari & Yash so they came out to check the reason for it and all they could see was Geet lying in the pool of water while I had lost my voice to tell anything to them.
I started to take my steps away from her whereas Pari was trying to revive Geet by patting her cheeks. Yash asked her to pull under the shelter first so that she wouldn’t catch cold. They tried to rub her legs & hands it was turning little blue due to chillness of water. Yash looked back at me to ask what happened but what would I reply, there was nothing to tell it was all my fault to have agreed with him to accompany Yash to her place.
My strides were moving fast to just hide myself away from everyone especially from those blue eyes mermaid of my life. I push all the things in front of me & put everything on fire with my own hands but would that reduce the blaze in me. Ripping of my self also didn’t reduce the helplessness in me. Why should I be compled to live a life like this with no love no happiness all alone nothing pleasing can exist around me? Why it is that anything that wants to give me bit contentment would turn into ashes before I could embrace it. Why can’t I hold a little bliss in my palm?
All I had heard was they were taking her to the nearby doctor, I so wanted to check on her but it was best with me not going near her. I waited at the shores waiting for the sun to break the darkness, which was actually trying to consume me within it. After what seems like eternity I just couldn’t wait more but wanted to know if she was fine, I decided I would only see from far & then will move out before anyone would actually notice my presence.
I stood at the doorway hearing that melodious voice of speaking to the doctor which was a relief till I heard there talks. The doctor was quite upset about something but what was the fault of Geet in all these things which happened.
“Geet, I am telling you last time you have to be careful, I can’t hide these things everytime. It was just pure luck that your friends bought you to me, what would have happened if they would have taken you to other doctor.” Doctor was scolding sternly.
“Doc, I would have managed it.” Geet answered meekly.
“Right the way you just managed it today. I have answered others as you got dehydrated but I want answers from you now? What happened & how did it happen if you had taken all the precautions.” Doc questioned.
“2 days, what will I do here for 2 days? I am perfectly fine & I would like to take your leave now as I need to attend the class.” Replied shocked Geet on the sudden order passed by her doctor but when did she listen to others.
“No, you are my friend, so bye.” Geet stromed out of the room after saying that.
There talk left me in thinking what was it that they were talking about was she hiding something or is she under some medication due to some disease. But if I question the doctor she would definitely not spit out the truth. Doctor must have known Geet for a quite a period and that’s why she was so comfortable & then also she hid the truth with Yash & Pari also that too even before she consulting Geet. I should follow her to know more but after what happened yesterday night I need to be very careful & stay away from her.
I have been observing her more meticulously from past few hours but nothing actual changed in her ways neither in action nor in words. Still we didn’t speak neither she nor Yash or Pari actually asked me about that night. It was as if nothing happened, don’t know what Geet said to them
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in the Carter Handicap.
13-1 Skyler's Scramjet and 15-2 fourth choice Honor Up dueled down the backstretch through opening fractions of 23.61 and 46.71 while stalked by World of Trouble and Vino Rosso. On the far turn, jockey Manny Franco sent World of Trouble 3 wide to sweep to the front through 3/4 in 1:10.41. Skyler's Scramjet closed the gap late but World of Trouble held him off by 1/2 a length in 1:23.28. It was another 1 1/4 lengths back to Honor Up third.
Left: World of Trouble in the winner's circle. Winning trainer Jason Servis said, "He's a running son of a gun. He makes me look good. If I had a mare I would breed to him and the fact that he can do dirt and turf, I think we might go back to the turf. It would add some flavor to him as a stallion and then maybe back to the dirt so we'll see. [Skyler's Scramjet] is fast and I was getting a little nervous there towards the end. I'm just happy with today. My assistant, Henry Argueta, has been with me over 15 years and when I send him these good horses like Call Paul, Final Jeopardy and World of Trouble, I know I can sleep at night. He's the best."
Right: World of Trouble walks over before the race. Winning owner Michael Dubb said, "He had horse the whole way. I knew Manny was comfortable and he knew [World of Trouble] was comfortable. He could have gone at any time, but he was trying to leave'some soap on the bar' so it was nice to pick up this graded stakes with him and we have a lot of options from here the rest of the year."
Left: World of Trouble in the post parade. Winning jockey Manny Franco said, "Jason told me to break out of there and see how it developed, because we knew the 5-horse [Skyler's Scramjet] was going to go. We wanted to sit right off and it worked out great. He can be sensitive so I didn't want to get on him, and I think that was the key. I let him relax, and when I asked him to go, he was there for me."
Right: World of Trouble returns after the race.
Left: Second place finisher Skyler's Scramjet returns after the race. Jockey Rajiv Maragh said, "He's a good gate horse. He broke sharp from the gate. I just wanted to get him in a good flow down the backstretch. I didn't want to fight with him or grab him. He was just running so good early on, I thought I'd have a lot to finish with. He fought all the way to the end." Michelle Nevin, trainer of both Skyler's Scramjet and Honor Up said, "They both ran huge. I couldn't be happier with them. They got good rides from both jockeys and gave a phenomenal effort. We'll certainly move forward from here."
Right: Third place finisher Honor Up in the post parade. Jockey Jose Lezcano said, "We broke real well. We were right there the whole way. He gave me a very good race. He fought to the end. The better horse won the race."
The filly counterpart to the Wood Memorial is the $300,000 Gazelle Stakes (G2) for 3-year-old fillies, also contested at 1 1/8 miles, worth 100 points to the winner as part of the Kentucky Oaks Championship Series. Busher winner Espresso Shot was sent off as the 9-5 favorite in the field of 6 over 9-4 Positive Spirit, 8th in the Rachel Alexandra (G2), and 15-4 Always Shopping, winner of the Busanda.
Jockey Jose Ortiz sent Positive Spirit to the lead first time by through fractions of 24.92, 50.09, and 1:14.95 while pressed by Always Shopping and stalked by 11-2 Off Topic. Entering the lane jockey Manny Franco sent Always Shopping to challenge, bumping with Positive Spirit through 1 mile in 1:39.69. Kept to task by Franco, Always Shopping pulled away late to win by 1 3/4 lengths in 1:52.91. It was a neck back to Off Topic third, while Espresso Shot checked in 5th.
Left: Always Shopping in the winner's circle. Winning trainer Todd Pletcher said, "We felt that the mile and an eighth was in her favor. She's a rare horse that when you look at her figures, she's made an improvement in every start. There wasn't really any pace looking at the race on paper. It was one of those races where you had no really good idea of who would be on the lead. We decided to just let Manny [Franco] do his thing and he put her in a good spot. He said he felt like he had a lot of horse the whole way."
Right: Owner Mike Repole leads Always Shopping to the winner's circle with his daughter, Gioia, and his wife, Maria. Winning jockey Manny Franco said, "I didn't see a lot of speed in there, so I just let my filly break out of there and get position before the turn. She took me there and I didn't want to get in her way, so I just left her there. She was there all the way for me. She's been doing everything right."
Left: Second place finisher Positive Spirit returns after the race. Jockey Jose Ortiz said, "She broke really alert. I was able to go to the lead and walk the dog as long as I could. When I felt Franco coming by the three-eighths pole I said 'I've gone easy enough, I've got to go on.' I went on, he went on, and he beat me."
Right: Third place finisher Off Topic heads out for the post parade. The Todd Pletcher trainer improved her record to 1 win, 2 seconds, and 2 thirds in 6 starts, earning $105,900 for owner Paul Pompa Jr.
Left: Fifth place finisher and beaten favorite Espresso Shot walks over before the race. The Jorge Abreu trainee has a record of 3 wins, 1 second, and 1 third in 7 starts, earning $274,975 for owners NY Final Furlong Racing Stable, Maspeth Stables, and Parkland Thoroughbreds.
Right: The horses break from the gate for the Gazelle.
The $150,000 Excelsior Stakes (G3) featured a field of 7 older horses going 1 1/8 miles on the main track. After last year's winner Discreet Lover was scratched, Gio Ponti Stakes runner-up Life's a Parlay was sent off as the 3-2 favorite over 2-1 Monongahela, 2nd in the John B. Campbell at Laurel, and 5-2 Nicodemus, an allowance winner last out.
Jockey Carlos Hernandez sent 32-1 Hit It Once More to the lead first time by through fractions of 23.48 and 47.38 while pressed by 14-1 Tour de Force and stalked by Life's a Parlay. On the far turn Tour de Force gained a short lead from the tiring Hit It Once More through 3/4 in 1:12.10. Jockey John Velazquez sent Life's a Parlay 4 wide to sweep to the front through 1 mile in 1:37.43. Monongahela put in a late rally from 4th but Life's a Parlay easily held him off by a length in 1:51.54. It was a neck back to Tour de Force.
Left: Life's a Parlay in the winner's circle. Winning trainer Todd Pletcher said, "He runs well every time. We shipped him to Oaklawn and ran there; shipped him back to Florida and came up to New York all in three weeks. It was a lot to ask of him, but he's been training well. He had a nice breeze the other day, so we felt confident that he bounced out of his last race in good shape. I think there's a little more in the tank. He has a tendency to idle a little bit when he gets to the lead like he did today, but I was proud of him for doing it. I think today confirmed that we can get a mile and an eighth and maybe a little further."
Right: Life's a Parlay heads back to the barn. Winning jockey John Velazquez said, "I had a perfect trip. There were two speeds in the race, Mike [Repole] had another horse [Tour de Force] in there and I knew [Hit It Once More] normally gets sent out of there, so it worked out perfect to let them go and sit behind the pace. This horse is better than I think he is but when he gets to the lead, he waits. He sees everything in front of him and I have to wait for the horses to come to him for him to run again. He is very talented."
Left: Second place finisher Monongahela walks over before the race. Jockey Jose Lezcano said, "I had a good trip. I got the position I wanted, and he ran a very good race. At the quarter-pole, I had to wait a little longer than what I wanted but when I got out
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this age of $4/gallon gas with no end in sight to the price increase, I can’t say I blame people for wanting to lower their transportation bill. I just wish it didn’t affect other people so extremely! So if you’re a motorcyclist, please be considerate, don’t rev your engine unessessarily, it makes kids cry! Please always have safety as your #1 priority, and ALWAYS wear a helmet – not just for you, but for the rest of us! Helmets and other safety gear a motorcyclist might wear look much cooler to me than the idiots who wear do-rags or shorts while riding… What’s a do-rag gonna to do for you anyway in case of an accident, soak up the blood from your head wound?
In case you haven’t heard of it, Walking With Dinosaurs is a traveling show that is based on the BBC documentary of the same name. It is in Fort Wayne, Indiana this week, which isn’t too far from us. They’ve been advertising it heavily, and I’ve been meaning to check out ticket info, but I kept forgetting. Thanks to our local paper who ran a story about it the other day, I was reminded about it just in time! Seems the tickets are QUITE costly! However, my computer-savvy husband went online and found a discount that saved us SO much money on tickets, but only if we went opening night… So, we dragged all the kids to Fort Wayne to see some dinosaurs on a school night. Let me say, it was SOOO worth it!
It’s been a really long time since I was really excited about something that actually ended up measuring up to my expectations. I was really excited about this show; I thought it would be a good show, but I will say that it EXCEEDED my expectations! Not only was it visually stunning, It was a perfect show for the whole family. There were lifelike dinosaurs engaging in battles, flying, and scavenging… what’s not to like?!? We have kids of all ages and bravery levels, and they were all entertained. Our 8-year-old and our 4-year-old did get a little nervous in the beginning, but their fear quickly turned to excitement and awe once the dinosaurs started appearing. Our 19-month-old LOVED everything about the show. She is getting to the age where it’s hard for her to sit still, especially now that she can walk, but she watched every moment of this show, and clapped and laughed so hard that I was even distracted from the dinosaurs at times by my daughter’s cuteness. I wasn’t distracted too much though, cuz the dinosaurs were totally AWESOME! They were life-size and SO realistic looking, it was amazing. Our seats were great too – best in the house, front row center. These dinosaurs were even better looking than the ones in the movie Jurassic Park! Walking With Dinosaurs operates on a $20 million dollar budget, and it shows!
I would venture to say that this is probably the best professional live show I have ever seen, and that includes musicals from Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, The Phantom of the Opera, Camelot, and Les Miserables to other shows like Monsters Inc. on Ice, Dragon Tales Live, and dinner shows like Medieval Times, Arabian Nights, and Pirates Dinner Adventure in Orlando, Florida. This was fun for the whole family; probably even most fun for my husband and I! If the tickets weren’t so pricey, I would definitely go back and see the show again – even with the $20-30 it cost in gas money alone. My 4-year-old suffered from what I call “fundown” after the show – a feeling of disappointment when an event is over that is so intense for kids, they usually cry or throw tantrums. But I can’t say I blame her. When I realized the show was ending, I had my own “fundown” when I realized there weren’t going to be any more dinosaurs!
Totally awesome show – wait, that’s not even the right word. It was more of an experience than a show. Even better than the dinosaur-themed rides at Disney World and Universal Studios. As we were leaving the coliseum, the rest of the audience seemed very pleased as well. Everyone was smiling and jabbering about the dinosaurs a mile a minute. They also had one actor – who was upstaged by the dinosaurs, of course! – and some other props and effects in the show that made it totally awesome. Also pretty impressive were the rows upon rows of trailers parked outside that carry the dinosaurs from venue to venue. I knew it would take a few semis to cart around all those dinosaurs, but there were probably at least 25 semis parked out there! It is understandable that all these lifesize dinosaurs would create such an entourage, since the Brachiosaurus alone was 36 feet tall and 56 feet from nose to tail.
If this live show experience is going to be anywhere near your hometown, I highly recommend that you do your best to get tickets. It is a perfect show for the young and old, dinosaur fans, skeptics, or even those who are indifferent to the world’s history; I don’t see how anyone could NOT enjoy Walking With Dinosaurs!
A Niles man who reversed his car so that it ran on top of a Buffalo Grove police car Friday has been charged with reckless driving.
Henry Raskin, 70, had been pulled over by a police officer around 11:30 a.m. Friday for speeding. He had been driving 58 mph in a 35 mph zone on Dundee Road, police said.
After the officer wrote Raskin a ticket, he hit the gas while he was in reverse and ended up with his vehicle on top of the squad car, police said.
Sgt. Scott Kristiansen said Tuesday that police determined the incident wasn’t purely an accident after watching the squad car video and talking to Raskin.
Kristiansen said that most drivers if they found they had accidentally reversed in this situation, would have hit the brakes before driving over a police car.
Raskin posted 10 percent of his $2,000 bond Friday and was released. He has a June court date in Rolling Meadows.
We watched an interesting movie tonight, for lack of a better word. It is called Funny Games. It wasn’t funny, and let me apologize ahead of time for the vague review – you’ll have to see the movie to understand why I couldn’t write too much about it. I had never heard of it before, but it was a thriller, so my husband suggested it. If you like thrillers, see it and then tell me what you think. I don’t really know what to say about this movie. It was captivating and VERY tense, so I was never bored, but I was disappointed with the way it ended. For one thing, I did not understand the movie.
Let me back up and give a quick synopsis. Naomi Watts stars as a mother who, along with her husband and son are held captive by 2 very well-spoken young men in their remotely secluded (of course it’s secluded – this IS a thriller movie!) vacation home. As I said, the movie is very intense but only after what is a somewhat slow start. I don’t want to spoil anything, so I will just say that are no words for what happened in the last 40 minutes of the movie. Near the conclusion, it took a turn for the confusing, and what happened made me not really understand the entire movie. It’s based on an Austrian film, and imdb.com said that the American guy who remade it didn’t change much from the Austrian version, so maybe it didn’t translate well? I liked the movie, for the time being anyway while I was watching it, but I would really like some insight about a certain event that took place… it might actually be a thriller I would watch again, which is rare, but I might want to see if I can get what I must have missed. Like I said, if you’re a big fan of suspense movies, I would try this one, it’s definitely different from all the others! And if you have seen it or do see it, make sure you try to fill me in on what I missed, cuz I just didn’t get it!
What a frenzied way to start off the shortened week after a 3 day weekend – it was Pet Day at my oldest daughter’s school today. So this morning saw us trying to unload a parrot, a 19-month-old little girl and a dog from the car, all while trying to get the other dog to stay in the car – it must’ve made for a funny scene. We had to bring our “veteran” dog with in the car since the other pets got to go out, but she was not invited into the classroom because of her nervousness around kids. So while she stayed in the car, Squawky the parrot and Beesley the dog visited a classroom full of 2nd graders.
It went surprisingly well! And we were very impressed with our normally shy daughter, who got up in front of her whole class to tell about her pets. She shared information about them, and patiently called on individuals from her class and answered their questions. Neither pet had any accidents in the classroom, and the kids seemed to really enjoy seeing and learning about the animals. Squawky got shy and wouldn’t talk for the kids of course
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the candidates only differ over hairs. Then a potential super-cat-candidate would be the piece of matter that’s maximally generous: that includes all the 1000 not-clearly-unattached hairs. If this particular fusion isn’t genuinely a cat-candidate, then it’s open that if you arrange the cat-candidates by which is a part of which, you’ll end up with multiple maximal cat-candidates none of which is a part of the other. Perhaps they each contain 999 hairs, but differ amongst themselves which hair they don’t include.
If there is a super-cat-candidate, let’s say the problem of the many is of type-1, and if there’s no super-cat-candidate, let’s say that the problem of the many is of type-2.
My guess is that our description of cases like Tibbles leaves is simply underspecified as to whether it’s of type-1 or type-2. But I certainly don’t see any principled reason to think that the actual cases of the POM we find around us are always of type-1. There’s certainly no a priori guarantee that the sort of criterion that rules in some things as parts of a cat won’t also dismiss other things as non-parts. So for example, perhaps we can rank candidates for degrees of integration: some unintegrated parts are ok, but there’s some cut-off where an object is just too unintegrated to count as a candidate. One cat-candidate includes some borderline-attached skin cells, and is to that extent unintegrated. Another cat-candidate includes some borderline-attached teeth, and is to that extent unintegrated. But plausibly the fusion that includes both skin cells and teeth is less integrated: enough to disqualify it from being a cat-candidate. It’s hard to know how to argue the case further without going deeply into feline biology, but I hope you get the sense of why type-2 POM need to be dealt with.
Now, one response to the standard POM is to appeal to the “maximality” allegedly built into various predicates (like “rock”, “cat”, “conscious” etc): things that are duplicates of rocks, but which are surrounded by extra rocky stuff, become merely parts of rocks (and so forth). There are presumably intrinisic duplicates of rocks embedded as tiny parts at the centre of large boulders: but there’s no intuitive pressure to count them as rocks. Likewise a cat might survive after it’s limbs are destroyed by a vengeful deity, but it’s unintuitive to think of the duplicate head-and-torso part of Tibbles as itself a cat-candidate. So there’s some reasons independently of paradigmatic problem of the many scenarios to think of “cat” and “rock” etc as maximal. (For more discussion of maximality, see Ted Sider’s various papers on the topic).
If we’ve got a type-1 problem of the many, then one might think that the maximality of “cat” or “rock” or whatever gives a principled answer to our original question: the super-cat-candidate (/super-rock-candidate) is the one uniquely qualified to be the cat (/rock). For we’ve then got an explanation for why all the others, though intrinsically qualified just like cats, aren’t cats: being a cat is a maximal property, and all the rival cat-candidates are parts of the one true cat in the vicinity.
But the type-2 problem of the many really isn’t addressed by maximality as such. There’s no unique super-cat-candidate in this setup, rather a range of co-maximal ones. So maximality won’t save our bacon here.
The difference between the two cases is important when we consider other things. For example, in the light of the (fairly widely accepted) maximality of “house” and “cat” and “rock” and the like, few would say that any duplicate of a house must be a house (even setting aside extrinsicality due to social setting). But there’s an obvious fall back position, which is floating around the literature: that any duplicate of a house must be a (proper or improper) part of a house (holding fixed social setting etc). That is, any house possesses the property of being part of a house intrinsically (so long as we hold fixed social setting etc). And the same goes for cat: at least holding fixed biological origin, it’s plausible that any cat is intrinsically at least part of a cat, and any rock is intrinsically at least part of a rock.
These claims aren’t threatened by maximality. But appealing to them in a type-2 problem of the many gets us an argument directly for response (iv): manyism. For plausibly if you took a duplicate of one of the co-maximal cat candidates, T, while eliminating from the scene those bits of matter that are not part of T but are part of one of the other co-maximal cat candidates, then you get something T* that’s (determinately) a cat. And so, any duplicate of T* must be at least part of a cat. And since T is a duplicate of T*, T must be at least part of a cat. But T isn’t proper part of anything that’s even a cat-candidate. So T must itself be a cat.
So the type-2 POM is harder to resolve than the type-1 kind. Maybe some extra weakening of the properties a cat-candidate has intrinsicality are called for. Or maybe (very surprisingly) type-2 POMs never arise. But either way, more work is needed.
I think it’s really interesting to divide the POM up this way, but I’m not as sold that maximality settles things. I for a while was talking about a case involving the waterfalls around here. In some cases it is unclear whether we have one relatively shallow waterfall, or two steep waterfalls with a flat non-waterfall part of the river in between. I think we can think such a case is vague without saying that maximality requires us to take the one shallow waterfall option.
Thanks for these—both good points.
On your way, I guess you can say that for the relevant ci, sentences of the form “ci is a cat” have distinct intermediate truth-values, such that “ci is a cat” is never truer nor falser than “cj is a cat”.
On maximality and its relation to POM. The point is well taken. It seems that maximal properties can’t license unqualified principles such as: no part of an F can itself be an F. And it’s not altogether clear how to patch this to get the right principle.
But further, Maximality phenomena don’t give us a general license to choose the most mereologically inclusive among a range of candidate Fs as the only true F. After all, the maximality of “cat” doesn’t lead us to think that Tibbles+Tibbles’ collar is a better bet to be the cat than Tibbles herself, despite that fusion apparently being intrinsically qualified to be a cat (containing brain, organs, eyes, fur, and being pretty unified).
It’d be nice to have a proper unified take on these issues. I’ll have a think.
I was going to say what Brian said about the many-valued logics! I think even with linearly-ordered truth-values, there are ways around this. I seem to recall that in some versions of Lukasiewicz’ logic, disjunction is additive up until you reach 1, instead of just being the max. Of course, this particular proposal runs into trouble when you take (p v p) for some p with value 1/2, but there’s probably other options available.
As for type-2 cases, I was thinking of two adjacent mountains. Maybe this case isn’t problematic, because there just are two mountains there. But now consider a sorites sequence of mountain-pairs, where the two peaks get closer and closer together and the shared part gets larger and larger. Eventually, there’s clearly only one mountain there (even though it may have two peaks), and at the other end there are cases where it’s pretty clearly two mountains, but somewhere in the middle, you’d seem to get a genuine type-2 case, where it’s really not clear how many mountains there are and which they are.
The example I use in class to illustrate this is the version of degree theory where the degree of truth of conjunctions is the product of the degrees of truth of the conjuncts. If you go that way, and you treat negation as standard and use a few equivalences, you get reasonably sensible answers in the particular case. But there’s lots to say against this approach (I think Williamson’s vagueness book discusses it explicitly).
So I think there’s really two problems with what I wrote: one is that I ended dropping the hedges at the summarizing statement at the bottom of the paragraph, which put paid to my original good intentions. And the other thing is that I’d forgotten about the behaviour of the max rule in non-linear settings, which invalidates what I was trying to say.
Still, I think there’s a decent constituency who’d be (a) linear, and (b) in favour of max/min rules, who should be worried by this. But I’m so far from channeling the way those people are thinking of things, I can’t really tell.
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first human clinical studies have recently started.
■ Light-emitting diodes for treating concussions. Studies show that there is less blood flow to the brain for days or even weeks after a concussion, and less blood flow slows healing. This study, in which Meehan is involved, works with the hypothesis that the brain needs more adenosine triphosphate, or ATP, the energy-carrying molecule found in cells, to heal, and that brain cells with more ATP will recover more quickly. By shining red/near-infrared light on brain cells, there is an increase in metabolic activity. Participants in preliminary trials are reporting improved sleep and fewer post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms.
■ Myocardial dysfunction. This study, led by Dr. Aaron Baggish, a Harvard Medical School assistant professor of medicine based out of Massachusetts General Hospital, seeks to find the effects of strength training on the heart. “People who are long-distance runners, cyclists, have ‘big hearts’ in a way that’s beneficial,” Meehan said. “But maybe lifting weights makes [the heart] bigger in a way that’s not beneficial.” Testing has found that strength training can make heart walls stiff and inflexible, and makes it difficult for the organ to rest properly. As Baggish’s work proceeds, it will look for ways to intervene and prevent that stiffness.
■ Osteoarthritis hydrogel. Currently, options for treating osteoarthritis are limited to physical therapy, oral pain medications, or steroid injections, which patients can receive only every few months, and often, total joint replacement. A team of Harvard Medical School assistant professors based out of Brigham and Women’s Hospital is developing an injectable hydrogel that kicks into action and provides pain relief when an individual’s joint is inflamed. The rest of the time, it essentially waits.
Concussion data from mouthguards worn by football players, collected by i1 Biometrics, is shown.
■ Detecting brain movement in the skull. There are mouthguards and helmets designed to detect concussive hits, but those only measure the impact on the implements, not the actual brain. Led by Dr. Gary Strangman, a Harvard Medical School associate professor of psychology based at Mass General, the goal is to develop an on-the-field, non-invasive device that can monitor the movement of the brain while players are in motion.
■ Tau protein antibody. Recent medical research shows that tau proteins in the brain contribute to the development of Alzheimer’s. Dr. Ping Lu, a Harvard Medical School professor of medicine based at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, and his team have developed an antibody that in animal studies blocks the spread of tau but prevents brain cells from dying.
■ Injury-preventing knee brace. The brace Conor Walsh, a Harvard professor of mechanical and biomedical engineering, is trying to develop, would prevent ACL tears. The brace would be soft, not limiting the range of motion of the wearer — that is, unless the tibia (shin bone) starts to move in front of the femur (thigh bone). If that happens, the brace would lock into place, preventing the tibia from moving too far forward, which leads to a torn ACL.
Massachusetts native Zak DeOssie, heading into his ninth season with the Giants and a member of the NFLPA executive committee, believes current players are far more invested in their long-term health, and he is excited by the prospects of the studies.
Health and safety is paramount, DeOssie said, as is making sure there are future generations of players who learn the great lessons of football.
Greg Hardy’s suspension was reduced to four games.
Not surprisingly, last week came and went without an announcement of a decision on Tom Brady’s appeal of his four-game Deflategate suspension, but on Friday afternoon the league did announce a decision on the appeal for Cowboys defensive end Greg Hardy.
Hardy had his 10-game suspension reduced to four games by arbitrator Harold Henderson, a former NFL labor executive. In May 2014 while with the Panthers, Hardy’s girlfriend accused him of assault. The woman said that in an attack at his apartment, Hardy pulled her on the floor by her hair, choked her with both hands, and picked her up over his head, throwing her onto a couch that had guns on it. He also threatened to kill her.
As Hardy’s case went through the North Carolina legal process, he played Week 1 for Carolina. But then the team decided to deactivate him for Week 2, and ultimately placed him on the commissioner’s exempt list. Hardy was paid his full salary for the remainder of the season but was not allowed to practice or play.
Though the case against Hardy was dismissed on appeal (he had been found guilty by a judge in a non-jury trial) when the victim did not make herself available to prosecutors, the NFL’s investigation found enough evidence to determine that Hardy deserved punishment under the personal conduct policy.
Commissioner Roger Goodell gave Hardy a 10-game suspension, which Henderson significantly reduced.
The announcement immediately brought up questions regarding Brady’s case. As it stands, in the eyes of the league doing the heinous things Hardy was accused of is on the same level as what the league believes Brady likely knew about what happened with footballs before the AFC Championship game.
Even before the Hardy decision, there was no question Brady’s suspension should be reduced, but keep in mind there’s an X factor: Goodell refused to recuse himself as arbitrator in Brady’s case, so he is deciding against his/Troy Vincent’s decision. There is no Harold Henderson or Judge Barbara Jones (who decided on Ray Rice’s appeal) to apply logic in this situation.
Goodell could dig in his heels after taking some high-profile losses and decide to uphold Brady’s four-game penalty, though in that case Brady might take the league to court. Or, being as public relations-conscious as Goodell seems to be, he could realize that it looks ridiculous to have a player who might have known about an infraction that might have happened serve the same suspension as a player who, evidence shows, assaulted a woman, and reduce Brady’s suspension to two games or even one.
Incidentally, if Hardy does not take his case to court — there were reports that if his suspension was not reduced to two games he would take that action — his first game would be against the Patriots Oct. 11.
Through its punishment of the Patriots and Tom Brady, the NFL wants you to believe that it takes the PSI level of footballs very seriously. But if the league is truly serious about it, why not do a little research?
So here’s an idea: Do that, for every ball, at every game this season. Take the notion of whether or not Jim McNally surreptitiously did something with the footballs off the table for a moment, because if he did, the Patriots deserve punishment.
But instead of theories on Ideal Gas Law and weather and Ted Wells taking referee Walt Anderson’s word on some things (his recollection of the approximate PSI levels of the Patriots’ and Colts’ footballs before the AFC title game) but not others (Anderson said his “best recollection” was that he used the gauge with a Wilson logo to measure the balls pregame but Wells dismissed that), why not get an idea of just how much footballs fluctuate during games?
It’s expected the league will have some new rules this season when it comes to the handling of footballs (here’s hoping that a more stringent accounting of each ball’s measurement and having the balls stay with officials the entire time and not handed off to a game-day attendant are at the top of the list) because of Deflategate.
And for this year at least, some data should be gathered.
Let’s use the Patriots-Steelers Week 1 game as an example. In a best-case scenario, Official A would be assigned to measure the Patriots’ 12 footballs pregame, and then again at halftime, using the same gauge, and Official B would measure the Steelers’ footballs pregame and at halftime.
The numbers be written down each time — this would necessitate that each ball have a serial number. Weather conditions would also be recorded.
With each team getting 12 footballs per game and 256 regular-season games, that’s 6,144 measurements — and should give a good idea of just how much footballs can fluctuate during a game given different conditions. And if the Patriots’ footballs from the AFC title game fall outside of what the data shows to be the norm, then take their first-round pick away next April.
Will it happen? Highly unlikely. But if the NFL is all about integrity, as Roger Goodell and Troy Vincent remind us as often as possible, it’s an experiment worth conducting.
The NFL began playing games in London in 2007.
The NFL’s love affair with London isn’t ending any time soon, not that we expected it would.
This past week, the league announced a 10-year partnership with soccer club Tottenham Hotspur. Tottenham is beginning construction on a 61,000-seat stadium that’s set to open in 2018, and the agreement calls for two NFL games per year to be played there.
The facility will have a retractable grass surface, which Tottenham will use. When hidden under the stands, it will reveal an artificial surface for American football games. There will also be a set of larger locker rooms, as NFL rosters are significantly bigger than those for soccer.
The deal is not exclusive, meaning the NFL can play games at other facilities in the United Kingdom. But the league has long held the idea of having a permanent team in London, and having
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complete, and the hardtop will now be at it's final exact shape - tailored for the car, with no further grinding or invasive procedures to be done.
If the screen rubber isn't a perfect fit up to the targa panel, any slight gap can simply be filled in and the edge re-primed.
Ensure the ground faces of the flanges and 'B' pillar are re-primed, ideally in 2-pack.
Ensure the rear window is masked in such a way as to avoid any overspray getting through the gap and onto the inside face of the window or internal trim carpeting.
Before painting, remove all sections of test rubber from the hardtop edges. The tadpole section pieces glued to the lower edge need carefully pulling off but be careful not to damage the fibreglass, if they are stubborn use a sharp blade to slice them off and then clean up the flange where the glue has been by abraiding the surface with 80 grit paper to remove any traces of glue or rubber.
After painting, and subsequent drying time, the full length section of tadpole rubber can be glued to the lower edge of the hardtop.
Use waterproof super glue and work in short manageable sections at a time.
Get the rubber following the lower edge neatly without any obvious bulges or uneveness.
Give the rear deck panel a final check before preparing to trim in vinyl to match the door tops - make sure the shape is flush to the top of the deck. Grind / sand away any high areas.
When covering the deck panel in vinyl, ignore the cut-out (above the side fixings) and stretch the material over to span the gap. The cut out is to allow the Rear Deck Panel to sit down in place properly without fouling the top of the door aperture seal. The vinyl spanning the gap will stretch into position when the panel is fitted.
Fit the large elastic loops onto the rear deck panel as shown. The hidden side of the elastic loop must pass ABOVE/BEHIND the fixing bolt - this prevents it being pulled out in use.
On a standard/original TVR targa panel the targa seals are slotted into a retaining channel which is screwed to the underside of the targa panel (unless it's a very early car from around 1993/94 in which case it would be fitted with a 'D' section rubber glued directly in place to the underside of the targa panel). In addition to the retaining channel there is usually a spacer strip fitted beneath the channel with the remaining fine adjustment done by adding additional small washers or other packings to bring the seal into good contact with the top edge of the window.
Up until late 2017 all hardtop conversions were fitted with a set of retaining channels and rubbers fitted in exactly the same way as an original TVR panel, however, the retaining channels are now obsolete and no suitable alternatives are available.
To get around the problem and provide an effective alternative sealing method, several new sealing ideas have been tested before settling on a version that invloves an extra flange on the underside of the targa panel that allows a standard of-the-shelf sealing rubber to simply push over the edge.
This additional flange is laminated into the structure as standard.
Ensure the surface is prepared, any pin-holes or blemishes are removed, before being primed and painted matt black. This is a very simple procedure and can be done with quality aerosol products. Ensure the paint is fully dried before fitting the full length header rubber in place over the flange.
The rubber simply pushes over the flange. Ensure it is full seated by gently tapping it home with a rubber mallet or similar. Leave enough excess rubber extending of the end of the flange to be trimmed to shape in the next stages.
Now with the hardtop placed on the car, and fully clamped down with all four catches properly engaged, and both aluminium roof struts fully extended, the lower edge of the rear window can be bonded with Polyurethane sealant.
Apply a line of masking tape around the window - following the edge of the Perspex neatly, and another parallel line of masking on the hardtop to leave a neat sealant bead all around the circumference as shown in the pictures. In this example fine line masking tape has been used first (in green) which is easy to stretch around the corners and leaves a neat line, followed by a width of ordinary masking tape to catch any excess sealant that spreads out. Try and use continuous lines of tape rather than short pieces joined up as this will make the tape much easier to remove in one go afterwards.
Get a good bead of sealant along the full width of the gap on the lower edge of the window, but not so much that it would ouze out on the inside of the hardtop onto the trimmed surface.
The window has a degree of flex and can be lifted away from the aperture slightly to get the sealing nozzle into the gap, but dont strain it too far or risk over-stressing the window. Don't worry if the sealant bead cannot be made to perfectly join up with the existing sealant beads securing the sides of the window - a small interruption in the sealant beads at each lower corner is fine - it's more important that this sealant bead along the lower edge of the window is generous enough to fully bond the window to the flange (without ouzing out on the inside as mentioned above).
The vital part of the window sealing procedure is the final neat bead around the full circumference that provides 100% of the weather sealing.
After applying the sealant, thumb-in the bead and make it neat all around the window circumference.
If the odd tiny air bulge is visible in the final sealant bead after the sealant has cured over night, re-mask the area either side of the bubble to protect the Perspex and paintwork, and simply rub out the raised bubble with a piece of 400 grit emery paper, folded round the edge of a filler spreader. This may expose the air void in the sealant which can then be resealed and thumbed-in smooth again over the top and left to cure.
This stage requires patience and shouldn't be rushed. Using a VERY sharp / brand new Stanley blade the flexible 'bulb' section of the header rubber needs to be carefully sliced away from the reinforced 'U' section on both ends where it extends off the hardtop flange. Start at the cut end, and work along the rubber right up to where the fibreglass flange starts, then using tin snips, wire cutters, or a fine cutting disc on a grinder, carefully chop off the excess length of the REINFORCED 'U' SECTION ONLY - leaving the tube-like 'bulb' section protruding off the end of the hardtop flange. Take care not to damage the remaining bulb section. This will need carefully shaping and cutting to the required length in the next section, along with being mated up to the canvas flaps that drop down into the inner door aperture to fully weatherproof the hardtop.
TIP: Practice on the short sections of test rubber first which are no longer needed.
The pictures in this gallery describe the way the ends of the rubber should be cut, and how the pieces of canvas can be folded and glued into the correct shape to sit neatly into the door aperture and divert water off the bottom of the hardtop.
Ensure the hardtop is clamped down to the car properly and the doors are closed with the windows fully raised.
Offer up the side windows into position and see how they fit in the aperture - the gap around the rearmost curved end should follow the hardtop profile neatly and leave a parallel gap for sealant. Now look at the leading edge of the hardtop window and see how it follows the door glass - this needs to be parallel to the door glass but it is highly unlikely that it will be perfectly parallel as supplied. This is because the doors, and glass adjustment, all vary slightly in terms of fit and alignment from the factory. The leading edge of the hardtop window can be trimmed to suit as shown. This is perfectly normal, and may mean that one window needs more adjustment to the shape than the other side, but would only be a few millimetres and isn't noticeable. It's more important that the leading edge of the hardtop window is sanded back if necessary to be nice and parallel to the door glass.
The gallery shows green fine line tape being used to show where the edge of the Perspex needs sanding back to in order to be parallel to the door glass. A flap disc on a grinder was used to carefully remove the bulk of the excess Perspex (be very careful if using this method not to take too much away) before being finished off by hand using a flat sanding block. Finally the edge can also be sanded with a 400 disc on a sander to smooth it off and remove any burrs.
The final part of the test-fitting is to place small pieces of 3M VHB double-sided tape around the aperture as shown.
Study the text on the pictures and pay attention to the information about getting the window to curve slightly to mirror the curvature of the door glass.
As the picures show, this is done by spacing out the middle part of the 'B' pillar to flex the window outwards a little, whilst the top and bottom corners of the window are held inwards slightly by the 3m VHB double-sided tape. This creates the slight curvature necessary, but will vary from car to car and will require differening amounts of double-sided tape to creaate this effect. The tape can be doubled up to increase its thickness if required to get the windows sitting flush to
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Thursday.
A.J. Lloyd won his 1st Sportsman feature of the year and told me why how tough it is to be chased.
Paul Guererri talked about his win in the first Sportsman heat and what went wrong in the make-up.
Steve Gray led every lap to win his heat race and talked about the race line he used in turn three.
Dan Douville got the win in the first ESS heat race and told me why drawing ninth was not that bad.
Paul Kinney told some stories after his ESS heat win and talked about running the top groove early.
Matt Tanner described how he made a pass on an early restart to get the lead and win his heat race.
Josh Pieniazek pulled away twice to win his heat race and explained why he had to peddle in 1 & 2.
Justin Wright looked over his winning Modified and wondered what to do set up wise for the feature.
Steve Paine explained how he was in his Mod heat win and how badly the last three weeks went.
Gll Tegg Jr. started out front in his heat win and told me how his lap times were compared to others.
Marc Minutolo walked me through his Street Stock feature win and talked about growing collection.
Dave Marcuccilli methodically went to 1st late and told me how those last few laps came together.
Steve Poirier made a three wide move through the middle to get the lead and talked about his win.
Chuck Hebing worked his way from 13th to 2nd and explained why he needed a late yellow flag.
Matt Tanner got a spot on the last lap to finish third and talked about passing a lot of good cars.
Josh Pieniazek led laps early before finishing fifth and told me about a problem he had in turn 2.
Paul Kinney took the lead for two laps finishing sixth and talked about why the outside fell off.
Justin Wright earned his 1st ever Mod win at Land of Legends and explained why it was so nice.
Allie and I has a really nice night at one of my old stomping grounds as we headed to Canandaigua and Land of Legends Raceway. Everyone was so nice and we got here nice and early and got a lot done.
Having her with me after she has picked up so much more about racing makes me better at the track plus having an extra set of knowing eyes to watch with me helps a lot. She ran down people I needed to talk to and helped me get a season high 34 interviews recorded. Thanks Allie!
They had a lot to do on this night as they had a make-up Sportsman feature and the Empire Super Sprints on hand so they rushed, rushed and rushed some more. They took a quick break at intermission to water the top and then they went at it taking pictures of the winners afterwards but no more than that as time was a key with an 11 o’clock curfew.
There were two first time winners as A.J. Llloyd won the make up race for his first win of the season while Justin Wright won his first in the Modified feature. And to make it that more special many of his family and friends were on hand as he celebrated his 32nd birthday.
I got a lot of good stuff as I was loose and comfortable because I had some extra help and because the drivers were so nice and encouraging to Allie as it seemed like everyone has been watching her races. Thanks to all of you for a great night.
I’ll be in the studio today as a blister I’ve been worried about has gone nationwide. I was limping last night for most of the night and thanks to Dan for giving us a few rides when I really needed it. I’m going to stay out of shoes today and for as long as I can to let it heal. Outside of that I could not be happier. Thanks again to everyone who we ran into last night.
Gary Lindberg told me how his season is going so far and described an injury he had as a young man.
Tyler Thompson talked about his move to a Supermodified and last weekend when he put a wing on.
Bob Henry Jr. spoke about some of his past in Weedsport as well as a problem he had last time out.
Greg Doust recapped his Fulton win from last weekend and remembered some of his racing past.
Allie Elkins interviews some of her fellow racers at the Syracuse Microd Club’s Autograph Night.
I had a nice day on Friday and by 1 p.m. all my work was done. We started early as Rich Vleck and I did voice tracks for the final Speedway Showcase of the season. It is the county fair race from Genesee Speedway and we had a nice time. I even got to voice a commercial which I have not done in a while. Fun!
Now at 1 p.m. the rain looks like it is holding off so I am going to go out and swing the clubs. I was very good and very bad my last two times out so we’ll see which Doug shows up on Friday. You just never know.
Now let’s chat more about our offerings on the Audio Page today starting out with a look ahead at the biggest show in New York State this weekend. Jeff Burton previews NASCAR at The Glen this weekend and explains what makes the track so special as well as what he feels is the biggest take on the season so far.
Gary Lindberg told me how his season is going so far, explains why he decided to run Brewerton last Friday and described an injury he had as a young man that he still deals with today.
Tyler Thompson talked about his move to a Supermodified this season, how well things have been going so far and thought back to last weekend when he put a wing on to run ISMA in Ohio.
Bob Henry Jr. spoke about some of his past in Weedsport as well as a problem he had last time out with the right front brake shut off and the ride he has for the rest of the season.
Greg Doust recapped his Fulton win from last weekend and remembered some of his racing past including his start in a top notch Street Stock.
Allie Elkins interviews some of her fellow racers at the Syracuse Microd Club’s Autograph Night inside the New York State Fairgrounds and asks them how their Thursday night was going so far.
Mat Williamson talked about some of his racing past at Brewerton and his good season with 11 wins.
Chris Hile recapped his recent heartbreaker at Brewerton and explained how he got passed on last lap.
Mike Bowman described how he has been doing racing at Merrittville and a nice off season addition.
Ronnie Davis III spoke about racing his 358 against the big blocks and last week with all small blocks.
Phil Vigneri III told me about his win Friday at Freedom Raceway and looks ahead to the Gladiator.
We had a nice day and an excellent night as we raced with Allie at the NYS Fairgrounds with the Syracuse Microd Club. She finished second but ran the wheels off her car and caught the leader of the race after being half a straightaway back. It was her best night ever even though she finished second and she ran the leader cleanly and never touched her. I was very proud.
Today I am doing some voice work this morning and then have plans with a friend in the afternoon. Allie and I will be at Land of Legends Raceway on Saturday and then I’ll go to Utica Rome Speedway on Sunday.
I have a lot of stuff in the can as well as a preview of NASCAR at The Glen with 21 time Cup winner Jeff Burton. That will be up tomorrow as well as some nice chats with drivers who will be racing later that night. Be sure to come back for that.
Now let’s chat more about what we have for you on the Audio Page as we check in with five Modified racers to see how they’re doing. Mat Williamson talked about some of his racing past at Brewerton, his eleven win season and how his car lost prime in the fuel cell as it sat on the banking under red. Never heard that before!
Chris Hile recapped his recent heartbreaker at Brewerton and explained how he got passed on the last lap while thinking about some of his season at Weedsport as he got ready last Saturday.
Mike Bowman described how he has been doing racing at Merrittville, the nice off season addition to his family and compared Brewerton to his weekly Saturday home.
Ronnie Davis III spoke about racing his 358 against the big blocks at Brewerton, looked forward to last week with all small blocks on the track and how surprised we both were at home competitive they are on a regular Friday night.
Phil Vigneri III told me about his win last Friday at Freedom Raceway, his run last Saturday at Outlaw Speedway and looks ahead to the Gladiator at Genesee Speedway later this month.
Adam Roberts talks about racing on the Super DIRTcar series and his most recent trip to Canada.
Ryan Jordan got ready for a pair of races in Central New York and talked about racing small blocks.
Lance Willix came to Central New York last weekend and told me about a recent issue on the track.
Tyler Meeks spoke about his season so far at Can Am and his up & down year so far here in 2018.
The big storms they predicted for our area never really materialized but they did get going to our east and Fonda specifically so for those of you who wondered, it did rain there and rained pretty good from what I could tell.
Today is race day for Allie and the
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ethe and Christopher Marlowe.
One wonders what the country representatives must have made of this discomfiting allusion, equating membership with the torments of a soul-pilfering devil, but Jin was trying to say he understood their concerns.
“If you induce countries to join with nice words, once they are on the boat and it is moored in the middle of the lake, what can they do? No lifejacket!” He laughs. So, he says, AIIB did everything in its power to make membership inclusive, inviting ideas from member countries about the drafting of the articles of association, and bringing all of them to a meeting at the historic Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing, not just to be presented with a binding document to sign but to consult them on what those final documents should say.
If Jin has one message he wants to put across about AIIB, it is about inclusion, and that is probably because so much of the AIIB’s formation took place against a backdrop of considerable suspicion.
Demand for infrastructure in the region in the period 2015 to 2030 is estimated at $40 trillion, well above the available financial resources. AIIB, which puts the financing gap at about $21 trillion, was launched to channel funds into Asian infrastructure, but was viewed by some as a multilateral where China would call the shots, providing a vehicle for Chinese soft power and a rival for the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank, which are led by the US and Japan respectively.
In a practical sense, AIIB was seen as an agent of the One Belt, One Road initiative to build infrastructure across Asia and the Middle East in order to improve Chinese export markets, while demonstrating China’s financial and political importance in world affairs. The United States, even under president Barack Obama, wanted nothing to do with it, and voiced its objections when the UK joined.
But that control will be relinquished. “We said that in the early years China was willing to provide up to 50% of the capital for the bank, but that with new countries joining, Chinese shares will be reduced. The media picked up on the first [part of the] sentence. They didn’t pick up on the second,” Jin says.
On that point, something important is about to happen. AIIB now has 57 member countries, including G7 economies France, Germany and the UK, and another 30 nations are set to join. If they do so, China’s stake in the bank will drop from 26.6% of the voting shares to around 20%.
This is a crucial difference, because since many big AIIB decisions require a 75% vote to go ahead, China effectively has a veto today, but will willingly surrender it through dilution from the expanded membership.
The barb is clearly aimed at the IMF and World Bank, the Bretton Woods institutions conceived in that year, and is one of several occasions Jin seeks to distinguish AIIB from its peers. He is quick to point out, for example, that when he himself worked at the World Bank (first in 1980 and then as alternate executive director for China from 1989 to 1992), US voting power was 21%, and the required special majority was 80%. Even after US voting power was diluted with the membership of additional countries, the articles of agreement were amended to make sure the Americans kept the veto, which they still do today.
Barbs aside, Jin is not antagonistic to other multilaterals and has worked at the highest levels within them. In addition to his two stints at the World Bank, he spent five years as ranking vice-president of the Asia Development Bank. But he is keen to distinguish AIIB from their world view, and has said in the past that they have drifted from their mandates, focusing so heavily on poverty alleviation that they have neglected the infrastructure development that would pave the way for social development.
This is a reasonable point as it is hard to find anyone who can describe with any great clarity what One Belt, One Road actually is, and it is possible to swing a tenuous connection pretty much anywhere from Africa to London to Japan.
Jin has said he wants AIIB to be lean, clean and green. Its modest but on-target first year of lending, at $1.73 billion to nine projects from power distribution in Bangladesh and slum upgrades in Indonesia to road improvements in Tajikistan and maritime infrastructure in Oman, was achieved by a staff of 60, though headcount has since risen to about 90. The ADB, according to its 2015 annual report, has a permanent staff of 3,105.
Building the institutional capacity is obviously a work in progress, and has involved a mix of younger local staff and those with international experience.
This double act – differentiating the institution from other multilaterals while filling it with their staff – is going to be challenging, but some analysts like what they see so far.
Beijing’s air pollution is one deterrent when it comes to hiring. And already there has been turnover in the upper echelons as the Korean vice-president, Hong Kyttack, left to deal with a scandal at the Korean Development Bank dating from his time as chairman there.
Three quarters of AIIB’s lending to date has been in partnership with other multilaterals, usually the World Bank and ADB, and it is tempting to wonder if this is a matter of policy or just because AIIB doesn’t yet have the institutional capacity for proper risk assessment. Jin, who is clearly pleased at having been able to cooperate – “it shows that we measure up to the same standard” – paints it as more of an issue of financial, rather than professional, capacity.
He cites the example of a pipeline from the Caspian Sea through Azerbaijan into Turkey with a total cost of $8.6 billion. The World Bank put in $800 million, AIIB $600 million and the ADB has a related project worth $1 billion.
AIIB has said up to $2.5 billion of lending is likely for the bank’s second year, which still seems small when compared, for example, with the ADB’s $27 billion of lending in 2015. All development institutions started small, Jin says, pointing to the EBRD and ADB as examples.
When seeking a president for a China-based regional multilateral development bank, what would the ideal CV look like? Senior experience at home and overseas, ideally in comparable institutions. Not just a willingness to engage with other countries, but a fascination in them, plus an ability to communicate.
One can see why Jin Liqun was approached. He has worked at the most senior levels at the World Bank, Asian Development Bank, China’s ministry of finance, the China Investment Corporation sovereign wealth fund, and the investment bank CICC. As a bonus, he speaks English with greater erudition and fluency than many English people, and turns out to have translated Ron Chernow’s book on JPMorgan, ‘The House of Morgan,’ into Chinese.
Jin is proud of his resumé and happy to recount it, but it’s when one goes further back that one understands the attitudes that have shaped him.
He was born just before the Communist victory in 1949 and grew up in Suzhou, not far west of Shanghai. Talking about pollution in industrial China, he recalls in his youth not only swimming in the river but also drinking from it, memories that perhaps partly drive his yearning for environmental improvement. In our interview, he says the only loan he is considering granting in China itself is for environmental protection.
His early life was shaped by the political movement of the era. Recalling his culture shock when he went to the World Bank in 1980, he says: “You certainly could not forget I was 10 years in rural China during the Cultural Revolution.” He confirms reports that he spent years in a thatched shack doing hard labour from 4am to 10pm, and that he turned to the works of Shakespeare – Othello, Macbeth and the Merchant of Venice – at night. At one stage he volunteered for a night shift in a toilet paper factory.
He had been learning English from the age of 10 and, when the political climate changed and Mao told students to rise up against their teachers, he still found a way to study during his rural work, listening to the BBC on a short-wave radio. Even today, his pronunciation of certain vowels has a hint of the British public broadcaster.
Eventually he found his way back to study, joining Beijing Foreign Studies University in 1978. When he took the World Bank job in 1980, it was not without regret, as he had also been offered a position as professor of English literature. A love of the English language and the finest writing in it is very obvious from meeting him.
And then, the big multilateral, state and investment banking roles. “I try to synthesize all these experiences in creating this bank with my colleagues,” he says.
“Because we have the privilege of working with them, we can move a little faster,” Jin says. “This year, we will try to do a little bit more, but the number is not that important.” He says his message to staff is quality, not quantity.
“However, you must still have a certain amount, otherwise there’s no impact,” he says. “We would build all the way up and may cruise up to the level of $10 billion beyond, let’s say, five or six years’ time. But we don’t try to be the biggest. If people say you are not doing a lot, I am not worried about that.” One wonders, though, if AIIB has started lending at an unfortunate time for China.
Too late now, though; AIIB will soon have almost 90 voices only one of
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with transits of the time of the summit, we can shed a little light on why the reaction of the political classes were the way they were.
Here is a chart for 6:20 in the morning eastern time, which means it was 1:20 pm Helsinki time, the start of the summit. Since the aspects we will be looking at are not terribly dependent on the exact time, timing is not important. Three aspects stand out.
Saturn is opposite both natal Venus and Jupiter, and in fact Saturn is almost exactly (one minute of orb) opposite the Venus/Jupiter midpoint — black arrow. Jupiter and Venus are conjunct, and both conjoin the Sun of the US in the natal chart; this triple conjunction is very important in determining the basic self image of the United States. I’ve discussed this at length in an early post about the Virtuous Nation. It is difficult to imagine a “nicer” conjunction than that of Jupiter (the “greater benefic”) and Venus the (“lesser benefic”) and since that conjunction is conjunct the Sun of the United States, the country’s sense of self and vital energy, and all the other characteristics of the Sun, are modified by Venus and Jupiter. The United States has a self image as a beneficent noble country that started with the shining city on the hill, as John Winthrop (Massachusetts 1630) said of the United States, long before the country actually existed. That line is from the Sermon on the Mount and has been used by many others, such as Ronald Reagan. So we see that this Jupiter Venus conjunction is extremely important to the US self-image, and the county’s leaders are always shocked when other people do not believe or accept that self image.
But on the day of the summit Saturn was opposite those two planets, and exactly opposite the midpoint of the two planets. Saturn and Venus/Jupiter are not exactly good buddies. The placement of Saturn there casts a shadow on Venus/Jupiter, on that self image that America holds so closely to. Saturn indicates a threat to the image that America is an exceptionally good country. American does not like that! That aspect suggests why the reaction was so rabid; deep down, the wonderful self image of the United States was threatened, and that is not good.
Notice that both an aspect and a midpoint are involved in this configuration, suggesting that it is stronger than if only aspects or only midpoints were involved. We will see in a future post how this applies in other areas.
This next planetary configuration of importance also involves aspects and midpoints: Transiting Mars is sesquiquadrate natal Mars and natal Neptune (red, green arrow), and is exactly on the Mars/Neptune midpoint. In the US natal chart, Mars and Neptune are square, with an orb of one degree. This square is also very important to the behavior of the US. Mars and Neptune are difficult planets together, and the square is probably the hardest of major aspects between the two planets. Mars – Neptune suggests deceptive uses of energy, or more to the point for a country, the US is under a delusion that its use of energy, war — the most clear manifestation of Mars for a country — is always good, for obviously the US is the shining city on the hill which only has the best interests in mind when it goes to war. There are many other things that could be said about this aspect, but that is a discussion for another time. While the country believes that its action are of the highest moral purpose (Neptune), there is much delusion or incorrect belief about the real purpose of those wars. If one delves truly into the motives and outcomes of various US wars, such as the Vietnam War or any war in Iraq, that is quite obvious.
With transiting Mars involved with the two planets and that aspect, much anger (another Mars term) is brought out. Everything represented by that Mars-Neptune square is energized. How dare anyone try to claim that the new Cold War between the United States and Russia (which of course is only due to the bad actions of Russia and the demonic Putin) is not fully warranted, journalists howl. This is very threatening. As former UK ambassador to Uzbekistan Craig Murray titles it on his blog, detente bad, cold war good is a current American mindset.
A third aspect of note is that the transiting Sun — representing the day of the event — is conjoined the natal Mercury, representing the press in all its many forms (blue arrow). There was a Twitter explosion over this summit, and mostly invective. The major mainstream media fell over themselves in condemning Donald Trump for his treasonous behavior.
A lot of this is the manifestation of Russiagate, the scandal that has engulfed Washington over the last two years. At first I thought it would eventually die out, but it seems to be sticking around and is gathering even more energy.
Since Watergate, the scandal that brought down President Nixon, occurred during the closing semisquare between Uranus and Neptune, I had long though that the opening semisquare of those same two planets which we see now would see another Presidential scandal. And I’m beginning to think that this extremely large scandal, perhaps the largest in American history will, when it resolves, be the basis of the Pluto Return of the United States.
As far as I know, no country with any type of constitution has survived long enough for a Pluto Return — the return to the natal position — at about 250 years. Look at how often even England, not to speak of France or Italy, have formed a new birth chart because of a new government or Constitution. But the United States keeps ticking along with the same old Constitution. (For examples of how the Constitution, which is revered by many as almost the Ten Commandments, has been the cause of many of the problems that bedevil this country, see The Frozen Republic and The Velvet Coup both by Daniel Lazare.) If you are over thirty, you realize how important the Saturn Return — when transiting Saturn returns to the place it occupies at birth — is to our own growth as an adult. And the effects of the Saturn Return are noticed several years before the event. I’ve known of marriages, divorces, and major moves that have happened in the run up to the Saturn Return. The Pluto Return is even more powerful. And we will soon get to see one of the World’s first examples!
Here is a graphical ephemeris of the three and a half year period for the Pluto Return. We see Pluto first comes close to its natal position in early 2021 (black arrow); the first exact conjunction is at the beginning of 2022; the last pass is a the end of 2023 (red arrow); and the last near conjunction is at the end of 2024, though of course that period could be extended. I believe what we are seeing now will result in a major shakeup in the government, more powerful than what occurred after Watergate.
There are two basic theories of what we are seeing that is called Russiagate. Either one is unprecedented in the history of the county. And of course the people that are supporting either narrative differ from the standard Democratic-Republican or even left-right dichotomy that we usually see. One side is backed by “Establishment” Democrats and Republicans, along with (of course) the intelligence services and all the media outlets, newspapers and television news channels. The other side is backed by the “extreme” left and right along with corresponding blogs, since there are no mainstream outlets for such divergent voices. Also, several prominent experts in Russian history support this position, but of course they are never heard from in mainstream sources.
The official narrative goes something like this: The Russians conspired to fix our election of 2016 (along with many other elections and movements around the Western World) so that their chosen candidate would be elected, and that candidate likely colluded with them to do so. Thus we have the President of the United States working for a foreign power. When in the Fifties the John Birch Society, a conservative anti-communist organization, charged President Eisenhower with being an agent of the Soviet Union, most people laughed it off. But this time all the press (Mercury), or at least the “prestige press”, are uniformly in agreement and in fact broadcasting the scenario. To have an actual traitor running the government who is in thrall to a foreign leader is something no one believed would occur in this country. Many are calling this the new Pearl Harbor or bigger than 9/11. When the proof of this is final and that traitorous candidate is eliminated, a major shakeup in the government and in election procedures will occur.
The counter narrative has it that the Deep State (what I called the National Security State in a previous entry) conspired to put its chosen representative, Hillary Clinton, into the White House, and when the unimaginable happened and the candidate they were sure would lose became President, they conspired to prevent the current president from doing much and hopefully driving him from office, either through impeachment or other less sanguine means. The whole Russiagate narrative is like a snipe hunt for America. The Deep State has much practice in regime change for other countries, and now it is applying those techniques here at home. This too is unprecedented and when it comes out that this is happening a major shake up of the United States government will occur.
So there you have it, two mutually exclusive scenarios, both of which are beyond what has happened to the American Republic since its birth and both of which will require major changes in the laws of the land and perhaps even the Constitution to prevent such a thing from happening again
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the affluent media and political folks who frequently travel between New York and Washington. To pay for their subsidies, they seem to have no trouble taxing lower-income folks in much of America who have no access to Amtrak.
The rail tunnels under the Hudson River are now more than a hundred years old and will need to be rebuilt or replaced. Many members of Congress are calling for billions of taxpayer dollars to be spent to rebuild these tunnels.
Yet we have many examples of private companies that are willing to invest in transportation infrastructure, such as bridges, tunnels and roads, when they are allowed to charge market prices for use of the infrastructure. No taxpayer dollars need be spent.
Again, if the subsidies were eliminated, what would happen?
All of the trains now operated by Amtrak, other than the Northeast corridor, would cease operation. But then many private entrepreneurs would buy up some of the rail cars or buy new ones, and make contracts with the railroads to run trains over their tracks (Amtrak uses the private railroad companies’ tracks).
Private passenger rail companies might well successfully compete with airplanes, buses and cars on some routes by providing luxury services with great dining cars as an alternative transportation experience, as they do in other parts of the world.
We now know that a socialistic, government-regulated, -taxed and -operated passenger rail does not work. So let’s get rid of Amtrak and its taxpayer subsidies, and see what magic free-market rail entrepreneurs might create.
Amazing scenes from Baltimore: rioters throwing bricks at police, looting and burning down a CVS pharmacy and other stores, stomping on police cars and setting them on fire.
The rioting followed the funeral of Freddie Gray on Monday (4/27), a black man who died in police custody in uncertain circumstances. The next day (4/28), National Guard in camouflage patrolled the streets, and a curfew was imposed.
The rioters also burned down a housing project for seniors and a community centre, a $16million investment by the Southern Baptist Church that was due to open in six months. It was meant to be a sign of hope in a blighted area.
Reverend Donte Hickman, who worked for years on the project, said “My eyes have been filled with tears.” Of the arsonists, Hickman said “I can”t make sense out of nonsense”.
What is so sad about the degeneration of protesting over Gray’s suspicious death into rioting and arson is how self-destructive it all is. Rather than strike a blow against the police, the political authorities or “the system,” the rioters mainly hurt their own communities, making life worse for local people and even themselves.
And yet, despite the evident self-destructiveness, some were claiming that the rioters were “uprisers” that represented a “rebellion”. Morehouse College professor Mark Hill Lamont told CNN that the turmoil in Baltimore was “resistance to oppression” rather than rioting.
But there was nothing “political” in the rioting and looting. It wasn’t a continuation of protests by other means. In fact, in political terms, destroying one’s neighborhood is a big setback for those who want to have legitimate concerns about policing addressed and effect other changes.
As we know from The Wire and elsewhere, the people of Baltimore, like those in many of America’s inner cities, do face enormous obstacles to getting on in life. Unemployment in Baltimore is high, with more than 50 per cent out of work in certain areas of the city, and many people are poor. Violent crime is more than three times the national average, and black men are incarcerated at high levels. Relations between the population and the police are seriously strained – and that can’t be neatly blamed on race, as Baltimore has for many years had a black mayor and a black police commissioner, and 40 per cent of the police officers are black.
In other words, Freddie Gray’s death was seen by many as only the latest example of a deeply disturbing pattern.
These are facts. Yet it does not follow that current circumstances in Baltimore provide the “fuel” for rioting or otherwise explain it. Commentary that effectively says “black people in Baltimore live in poor conditions, they are justifiably angry, so of course they are going to smash things up” is patronizing.
But Obama and others then quickly move on to outline a litany of conditions that somehow are supposed to explain the rioting. This is a more subtle view, seemingly analytical and sympathetic, but it betrays low expectations of local people. And based on interviews in the aftermath of the rioting, it is not how the people of Baltimore see themselves.
Too many are claiming that the rioting was predictable and inevitable. But rioting is not inevitable. Saying “Well, what do you expect them to do?” is not progressive; it is insulting.
A minority of the Baltimore population rioted. Essentially some people in Baltimore opportunistically used legitimate concerns about policing as an excuse for destructive, illegitimate ends. This does not mean that it is not serious.
Attempts to downplay the rioting as no big deal, and to blame the media for covering it (like when City Council president Bernard Young says he is “disturbed by the way the media is focusing on the negativity of this city”), are an evasion. But it does mean that there is the potential for the majority to assert itself.
The rioting in Baltimore exposes a breakdown in social order and a vacuum of authority. Leaders, from politicians to the police, do not appear able to assert and obtain authority. They have all seemed to be caught off-guard and out of touch, especially with younger people.
The police in particular lack authority. They can’t command people simply with their presence in the way they once might have done, and they now have only two modes of operation: stand by, or go in with excessive force. And after authorities in Ferguson were widely criticized, both politicians and the police are not clear on what to do.
It is not just those at the top who lack authority. Parents, pastors and other community leaders do not seem capable of taking control, either. They are all appalled that this is happening, but seem one step behind.
In that regard, one mom, Toya Graham, has been rightly praised for stopping her son from rioting. In a video that went viral, Graham is seen pushing her masked son away from the crowd, slapping him on the head over and over, and screaming at him.
Not all support Graham – an Occupy activist said “the violent mother’s actions constitute second-degree child abuse” – but the popularity of the hashtag #momoftheyear shows that many do. That’s encouraging, even if moms on their own can’t solve all of the problems.
Those who have visited Baltimore will know that it is, despite its problems, a wonderful city. People are friendly and will call strangers “hon” (short for “honey”). Cuisine, culture and sports are all vibrant. The city is more than a poverty-stricken mess, and the people protesting, cleaning up afterwards and volunteering to help others are more representative than those who rioted.
The people of Baltimore have the potential to achieve their aspirations. But liberals do them no favors, nor show them true support, if they gloss over what happened, dismiss residents as inevitably prone to rioting, or try to glorify destructiveness and claim it is a form of political protest.
Sean Collins is a writer based in New York.
Why do very successful nations often adopt policies that lead to their undoing?
After a revolution or major reform, some countries allow a high degree of economic freedom, establish the rule of law, protect private property rights and establish low tax rates with strict limits on government spending and regulation.
The economy takes off, the citizens become far richer and then the government mucks it up, usually by attempting to redistribute income and expand state control.
Is Chile, which has been one of the bright spots in the world economy, falling into this pattern under socialist President Michelle Bachelet?
For the past three decades, Chile has outperformed the other South American countries and now has the highest per-capita income in South America, averaging approximately $22,000 per year on a purchasing power parity basis.
The World Bank lists Chile as a “developed economy,” and it was the first Latin American country to become a member of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. The average Chilean has a per capita income about three times higher than in 1983.
And now the Chilean people seem poised to let Ms. Bachelet throw it all away.
Joel Gilbert’s new documentary film, “There’s No Place Like Utopia,” depicts Barack Obama as the wizard in an Oz-like story that offers some surprises.
Such as that Peggy Joseph – the Florida voter who became infamous during the 2008 presidential campaign for saying Barack Obama would “pay for my gas and my mortgage” – no longer supports the president.
“Obama has made promise after promise that have all turned out to be empty, all turned out to be lies,” said Gilbert. “The people I met who supported him were literally in dungeons in the witch’s castle, everything had changed for the worse – Detroit, South Side Chicago, Newark.
The movie takes viewers on a journey of discovery across America, emulating the highly successful style of progressive filmmaker Michael Moore.
In it, Gilbert depicts Barack Obama as “the Wizard” in the Land of Oz.
Order your copy of “There’s No Place Like Utopia” now.
Outlets such as Amazon Instant Video won’t have “There’s No
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hegemonic groups in this milieu were Fuerza Nueva (New Force) and the Confederación Nacional de Ex Combatientes.
Indeed, Fuerza Nueva, which became a party in 1976, is the only far right party to have won representation in Spain’s national parliament (in 1979 it secured 379,463 votes). This was its organizational peak: at this point it oscillated between forty thousand and seventy thousand members and also had its own trade union (the Fuerza Nacional del Trabajo) and a magazine, El Alcázar, which sold forty-five thousand copies a week and had thirteen thousand subscribers.
The failure of the attempted military coup on February 23, 1981 and poor election results the following year closed the doors to the far right, which was unable to resist the reform process that had begun in the late Franco period. This discouraged and disoriented the main centers of the far right, and this situation was further aggravated by the dissolution of Fuerza Nueva in 1982, on the seventh anniversary of Franco’s death.
Most of its militants and organizers felt abandoned and betrayed by this choice. Many now swelled the ranks of other small far right parties, but the majority found refuge in the Alianza Popular (later, Partido Popular). With the dissolution of Fuerza Nueva the main political organization to emerge from the Francoite “Búnker” came to an end. With both its break-up and the 1988 closing of El Alcázar, its partisans begun a long journey across the desert.
Spain’s Transition brought no few elements of the dictatorship into the democratic system. In this unbroken process of institutional continuity, considerable parts of the structure of the Francoite regime persisted without ever being purged. Various authors have pointed to this impunity as an important reason why no strong force rallying the far right was ever able to arise in Spain. Comparative studies of the resurgence of far-right parties across Europe recognize that this Spanish particularity (i.e. the lack of such a party) is related, among other things, to the type of mass right-wing party that has instead taken form here.
In this sense, we should remember that the Partido Popular (PP), Spain’s main conservative party, originated in the Alianza Popular founded by Manuel Fraga in September 1976. This formation emerged from a group of Francoite notables and was characterized not only by the striking presence of officials from the dictatorship, but above all by the fact that it sought to give a social and electoral base for resistance against any institutional rupture with the Francoite regime.
Despite its limited results in early electoral tests, this tactic of “resistance” soon allowed the Alianza Popular to make breakthroughs. In the 1982 general election it drew votes from both Adolfo Suárez’s Centro Democrático y Social (Suárez was the first prime minister in the democratic period, having initially been appointed by the king before winning the 1977 and 1979 elections) and Fuerza Nueva, taking around a third of this party’s votes and helping fuel its collapse.
I wouldn’t say that all the PP’s voters are “Francoites,” but all or almost all of the Francoites in Spain do vote for the PP, among other things because they have no other option, because, however embarrassedly, the PP does what it can to defend those values that were Francoism’s very raison d’être: the fatherland, religion and the family.
Some political analysts consider the Alianza Popular’s transformation into the PP as a turn to the center. But we would more accurately define it in terms of the desire to build a catch-all party embracing everything from the far right to the so-called “center ground.” In this new offer, neoliberalism and US-style neoconservatism sat side by side with a Spanish nationalism bearing unmistakable continuities with its Francoite predecessor.
Considering this combination of messages, it would be mistaken either to consider the PP as a classic center-right party similar to Angela Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union or to simply associate it with the far right or neofascism in other European countries. It has historical differences from this former kind of parties, having never renounced its Francoite predecessors, and has also shown a penchant for extra-parliamentary mobilization unusual among such parties (except in extreme situations like in France in May ’68.) Yet it also differs from far-right parties, for while it embraces some of their messages and forms of protest, it does not do so with the ideological belligerence of such groups, or indeed put them at the forefront of its agenda.
What we can say is that the crisis of the PP has turned into a crisis of the Spanish right. And this, in turn, opened a window of opportunity for the far right to occupy an electoral space of its own for the first time in decades. Indeed, the most paradigmatic element of this crisis is the unprecedented electoral competition over a political space that had, until now, usually been hegemonized by the PP alone.
Despite its sudden electoral and media breakthroughs, Vox is not a new party. It was founded in December 2013, and before it finally entered the Andalusian parliament it had a long record of electoral failures. And it emerged as a split from the PP, driven by those who accused then-premier Mariano Rajoy of having grown distant from the party’s more conservative principles (indeed, this was precisely the moment in which former PP premier José María Aznar and his key ally Esperanza Aguirre began publicly to express disaffection with the party leadership).
Vox was initially led by the two best-known PP officials involved in the split, namely Aleix Vidal-Quadras (a member of the European Parliament and former president of the Catalan PP) and Santiago Abascal, a former PP member of parliament in the Basque Country and former president of the Foundation for the Defense of the Spanish Nation (DENAES).
To some degree Vox represents this sociological Francoism that survived for so many years within the PP, having had no political expression of its own since the dissolution of Fuerza Nueva. But so, too, more neocon elements that had until now been lobbying within the PP as a kind of Spanish version of the Tea Party. Among these latter we find the media and mobilizing networks grouped around the Digital Freedom and Inter-Economy Group, the Strategic Studies Group (GEES, a neocon think-tank) and agitational web platforms like Hazte Oír.
This is the starting point for the key right-wing theme of the re-centralization of Spain (the end of regional autonomy, closing down the Senate, and so on), seeing it as a uni-national state and rejecting all other nationalisms. In Vox’s discourse, this central theme is interwoven with the fight against the corruption, clientelism, and wastage it identifies with the various regional governments.
In social terms, Vox’s discourse is clearly neoliberal; this at least partly distinguishes it from other far-right forces which at least rhetorically combine their other policies with a protectionist discourse (like Donald Trump in the United States), a statist one (like Matteo Salvini in Italy) or “welfare chauvinism” (like Le Pen). Vox leader Santiago Abascal is much more like Bolsonaro than Le Pen.
Recently Vox has proven itself an outstanding student of the US neocons which both Aznar and Aguirre championed in Spain in their own time. It is unafraid of attacking ideas which progressive forces had earlier managed to turn into common sense. A good example is its crusade against the feminist movement on issues like abortion, as it questions the reality of male violence and everything else it catalogues under the term “gender ideology.” This is a clear wink to the most extreme elements — within the Catholic hierarchy, HazteOír and the Foro Español de la Familia, among others — popularizing a concept of “gender ideology” which has served as a political catalyst and glue for the far right in other countries, especially Poland.
In looking to political experiences on the other side of the Atlantic, Vox has also adopted elements of Trumpism and its slogans, for instance in its refrain “Make Spain Great Again.” So, too, in its emphatic call to build a border wall in Ceuta and Melilla (two tiny Spanish exclaves in North Africa), in an attempt to seek a fight over the government’s migration policies and the rise in migrant numbers. Of course, today walls are not so much a matter of border controls as a key tool of political propaganda: what better way of depicting “security” faced with the migrant “invasion” than to put up a physical barrier?
This is one of the mainstays of the stigmatization of not only migrants but also the poor in general, through an insistent association of crime, insecurity, and immigration. It drives exclusion mechanisms typical of what philosopher Jürgen Habermas defines as characteristic of “welfare chauvinism,” in turn concentrating a latent tension between citizen status and national identity.
The social malaise and political polarization provoked by austerity policies are thus offloaded onto the weakest link: the migrant, the foreigner, or simply the “other,” and the political and economic elites who are truly responsible are let off the hook. For if “there isn’t enough to go around,” then “we can’t all fit.” Such is the basis on which power of the slogan “Spaniards first” is built.
These characteristics of Vox show
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