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I have a home setup similar to yours - a WAP acting as a firewall,
dhcp from a linux server. I have a spare laptop running CentOS, so
I'll give it a check tonight to see if mine runs.
Q1: to you have DHCP giving a static address to your laptop based
upon it's MAC?
Q2: have you tried this with the PVM 3.4.4 RPMs (I think you
mentioned you were running 3.4.5)?
-b
>> I can literally snap the same box onto a wire, wait for it to get
> an IP
> number on the wire, and rerun the experiment on the same hardware
> and it
> works perfectly (with a different but identically entered name, of
> course). And it is the wireless name that corresponds with the
> `hostname` (in /etc/sysconfig/network), not that this should matter
> (and
> it doesn't on the wire).
>_______________________________________________
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Pages
Vetrilai Sadam | Betel Leaves Recipe
Betel Leaf is consumed mainly in India in paan. Betel Leaves has an important place in Hindu festivals and ceremonies. Betel leaves has lot of medicinal benefits. Betel leaves are known as Vetrilai in tamil, tamalapaku in telugu and Paan in Hindi.Betel Leaf rice is one of the quick, easy and healthy South Indian variety rice. It is one of a speciality dish of Kongu cuisine. Please check below for step by step instructions and pictures for preparing South Indian Betel Leaves Rice - Vetrilai Sadam.Preparation Time: 5 minsCook Time: 5 minsReady in : 10 minsYields: 2 servings
Ingredients:Table 1: To Grind
Betel Leaves
3
Cumin seeds | Seeragam
1 tsp
Black pepper | Milagu
1 tsp
Table 2:
Cooked Rice
2 Cups
Sesame Oil
2 tsp
Mustard seeds
1/4 tsp
Shallots chopped
1/4 Cup
Garlic finely chopped
1 tsp
Turmeric powder
1/4 tsp
Salt
As needed
Lemon Juice
1 tbsp
Instructions:
Wash Betel leaves. Remove the stalk and tail part. Chop into small pieces. Grind betel leaves along with cumin seeds and black pepper into smooth paste by adding enough water in blender. | {
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The banner ads we have are awful placeholders. I am looking for someone to design me 6 other "styles" or "themes" of banners to replace these ones. Color scheme/text/etc all should be 6 unique different styles -- different from what we currently have.
If you are interested in doing some graphic design for this website to bring it a more professional
...[login to view URL]
The banner ads we have are awful placeholders. I am looking for someone to design me 3 other "styles" or "themes" of banners to replace these ones. Color scheme/text/etc all should be 3 unique different styles -- different from what we currently have.
If you are interested in doing some graphic design for this website to bring
I currently have a Rails based application that needs to have a bit of a makeover. Designs exist for what the application needs to look like, we just need to revamp the stylesheets and move some pages around.
There shouldn't be any actual Rails work involved, but you'll need to understand how to navigate the project and some Rail's helpers will probably be used.
Generally, the...
Hi,
I am looking for experienced coder to make the existing small company website fully responsive.
There are only 4 HTML templates in the project (one layout template, 3 .phtml templates as view layer of Zend Framework). Homepage is static, others are mainly filled by CMS content (HTML by wisiwig editor).
I realize the coder will ideally change only CSS files and only the main menu and ...
...existing OpenCart blank site. We can do it just work on time.
This is OpenCart 2.0.1.1 (unfortunately)
See site here - [login to view URL]
We need to implement the design styles and provide the current coder with the following - see their notes below...:
The [login to view URL] is where most of the integration customer facing has been done (front end),
Hello, we require to have 8 architectural design style pages created explaining the origins of the design, major features of the design style, where this style can be most prominently found, and any other relevant information you are able to include. Each page should be approximately 1000-1500 words and the specific key words that need to be included will be provided.
These must be very well w...
Our website is [login to view URL] and there are 1000s of styles of suits, shirts, coats etc displayed.
a lot of the styles do not have (a) a brief description that is SEO focused and (b) a detailed description that is customer focused.
This project involves writing these descriptions.
The vendor needs to be well versed in:
1 - English language
I have...document.
The Author did not use Styles.
So, on the "Home" tab, when I Open the "Styles" pane, there is a huge mess (see uploaded screen shot).
I need the styles cleaned and tidied up, so the document looks the same (or almost the same) at the end as it does now, but the "Styles" pane has just 15-25 styles, all with...
Document one: My small business relies on styles to format long and complex documents. The templates I have been using have been overwritten/edited so much that they are now corrupted. I have made a list of the styles I would like created (see attached). Once drafted, there may be a few small alterations to the layout to ensure everything is properly | {
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Hi. It's just me! I'm in real estate, not an agency. Safe, healthy Gentleman seeks arrangement with one Slim, White woman 20's to 30's. Please email or text me: [email protected], private cell 609-454-1280. Please do not send X-Rated photos.
See pics of type of woman I like. I will treat you like a princess 1 day a week (9 to 5). Daily budget is $300 cash + up to $300 for restaurants, shopping, movies & museums, gifts, conversations, walks in the park and intimate "Private Time." We can meet at a diner or Starbucks. Seeking "Girl Next Door" with pretty legs & beautiful eyes who likes kissing, wearing heels & spunky and fun! You will love spending the day with me.
Please send G-Rated photos in a cute dress & tell me about yourself. Single moms, teachers & college girls welcome. Must be healthy and drug free. I'm affectionate, professional and a true gentleman. Good sense of humor. Very energetic & entertaining! | {
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SCIENTISTS EXPERIMENT WITH SELF-MADE CHEESE
Have you ever sweated so much and not washed for a day and discover that you smell? Or that you can grow your own cheese in your belly button, armpit, toe and even in your mouth? The Science Gallery Dublin in Trinity College Dublin decided to experiment with human cheese. The smelly, self-made kind. They focused one of their exhibits on self made cheese. It was called Grow Your Own…Life After Nature. Now, you can experiment with this too. Millennials do it when their parents aren’t holding their hands. Or maybe they even do it then, too. But who really knows what Millennials think.
CHEESE SMELLS LIKE SWEATY ARMPITS
These scientists experimented and then exhibited microbial sketches of cheeses coming from human samples. Each of the cheeses smell like the donor’s body odor. The team took samples from body parts, such as toes and belly buttons and identified the microbes using various scientific methods. Then they began to make the self-made cheese.
MILLENNIALS THINK IT’S A THINKING CHEESE
Adding milk to the samples helped in the cheese curdling process. The scientists would then separate the clumps and allowed them to age with yeast, in order to make many different varieties of stinky cheese. It’s a little gross, but the possibilities are intense. But consider that these aren’t cheeses for eating. They are a thinking cheese. Thinking about your belly button, toes and armpits, and the many bacteria humans acquire. This is what Millennials think about.
A BELLY BUTTON MAKES CHEESE LINT TOO
The scientists explained that the “stinkiest of cheeses are hosts to species of bacteria closely related to the bacteria responsible for the characteristic smells of human armpits or feet”. This made many people very uncomfortable and grossed out. But the reality is that self-made cheese is a possibility for everyone with a belly button and other fun parts. That pretty much sums up millennials, right? | {
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This AI Tested Elon Musk's Writing to See if He's Bitcoin's Mystery Creator
Satoshi Nakamoto has never revealed their identity.
The tech entrepreneur behind Tesla and SpaceX denied it himself last week after a former SpaceX intern rekindled the longstanding rumor. But some have argued that denying it is exactly the sort of thing the person behind the “Satoshi Nakamoto” pseudonym would do when confronted. Now, more concrete proof has arrived from an artificial intelligence that compared the two’s writing styles.
Emma, an online A.I. speech analyzer from the developers of that plagiarism tool Unicheck, started off by comparing a text from each of the authors.
“We don’t know for sure who Satoshi Nakamoto really is,” the team behind Unicheck tells Inverse in an email. “But Emma is a useful instrument for checking out rumors and can help in the investigation. Anyone can just take some writing samples of a person, who is supposed to be Satoshi, and compare it to Nakamoto’s writing identity.”
Emma uses a self-learning algorithm that processes natural language and stylometry techniques to work out an author’s unique style. It then compares two texts based on 50 parameters that define a user’s writing technique. In-house tests show Emma is around 85 percent accurate, the highest result achieved by engineers.
Unfortunately, the results showed it’s not him.
“In all of the cases, our A.I. didn’t see any common features in their writing identities that confirms — they are two different persons,” the team tells Inverse.
Watch Emma in action comparing the texts below.
The debate started when Sahil Gupta, a former intern at SpaceX, published a Medium post last month that pointed out a number of similarities between the two people, namely a deep understanding of cryptography and a mastery of the C++ programming language. Nakamoto’s identity has been the subject of intense scrutiny since Bitcoin’s launch nine years ago, so the mere suggestion that it could be Musk set the internet ablaze.
But time and time again, the results from Emma’s came back negative. The company compared Nakamoto’s e-mail lists and forum posts to see if they came back with a positive result. In every case, the results showed Musk and Nakamoto are different people. | {
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Cuba bypasses Internet embargo via Venezuela
The Caribbean nation of Cuba, famous for its cigars, great musicians and bearded communist leaders, is planning to work around the U.S.-imposed embargo, thanks to a little help from its Venezuelan friends.
According to a report on Wikileaks, the proposed 1,500 kilometre cable should connect Cuba, Jamaica, Haiti and Trinidad to the rest of the world via La Guaira, Venezuela. The project will be headed by CVG Telecom (Corporación Venezolana de Guyana) and ETC (Empresa de Telecomunicaciones de Cuba) and it's scheduled for completion in 2010.
Although Cuba is located just 120km south of America's Florida keys, the U.S. government isn't too keen to let the island nation use its communications infrastructure. American communications and communism don't seem to be compatible lately, so for the time being Cubans are forced to use expensive and lag ridden satellite links for their online needs. | {
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Categories
Meta
Category: building picstory
It’s about time that I posted an update on progress with the picstory website.
While it was a lot of work, there was a lot of satisfaction in archiving Willem Kooij’s sites to picstory.net. The website re-coding should result in Willem’s writing and photos being preserved well into the future.
Because it took some months to archive Willem’s work, I’ve gotten a bit behind with the main picstory archive. The main additions this year have been family photos and funeral notices. All in all, the archive now contains over 650 items, with many thousands waiting to be added…
I just acquired a new Epson V550 scanner, with attachments for slides and negatives and look forward to capturing some of the old negatives from the vault!
The picstory.net website was meant as a repository of family documents, photos, documents, etc… But I decided to slightly expand its purpose.
My cousin, Willem Kooij started blogging in 2005. He wrote daily stories right through a turbulent time, including the death of his wife Yvonne and up to his own passing in 2013.
After his death, a couple of friends looked after his affairs, including his websites. Recently, I approached them about some glitches with the site and ended up offering to archive Willem’s ( and Yvonne’s) sites on a permanent basis.
As might be expected, there is more involved than just copying files and it’s a slow process, but you can see the work in progress here.
So, there we are… another year gone! While I would have liked getting more of the family site built, it now has just over 400 items, at least enough to see where it’s heading…
I really enjoyed scanning in some terrific Christmas / New Year cards from Han Hoogenkamp recently, he was one of Dad’s colleagues back in Holland at the Navy (see earlier item). They’re all hand-made (more on Han’s page) and a wonderful memory of the man, who I remember very well. He taught Dad to play the organ, was a valuable colleague at the Hydrographic Office and kept in touch for many years after we left for Australia. | {
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Featured Event
Home / News / Four North Charleston baseball teams heading to the World Series
Four North Charleston baseball teams heading to the World Series
7/20/2017
For the first time ever, the City of North Charleston is sending four of its Dixie Youth baseball teams to the World Series after each won state titles in their respective ages divisions, continuing the city's domination in youth baseball. As it currently stands, at six World Series victories, North Charleston is the winningest city of World Series championships during 60 years of Dixie Baseball.
In support of the teams, a fundraiser BBQ is being held in Park Circle at the Felix Davis Community Center on Thursday, July 27, noon - 6pm.
The road to the World Series
North Charleston 15U Baseball Team
The North Charleston 15U baseball team completed an undefeated run through the 2017 Dixie Baseball State Championship held at Collins Park. The championship is their 2nd straight title in this division.
The team defeated the Mt. Pleasant team in Game #1 by a score of 11-2. After jumping out to an early lead, North Charleston’s pitching staff held Mt. Pleasant to just a few hits to capture the win. In Game #2 they faced the team from Gaston, SC and came away with a 15-0 win in three innings. In the Championship, the North Charleston faced Mt. Pleasant again and put some runs on the board early and often to capture the title with a 15-0 win.
With the State Title secured, the team will travel to Independence, LA to participate in the World Series tournament.
North Charleston Pre-Majors Team
The North Charleston Pre-Majors baseball team completed an undefeated run through the 2017 Dixie Baseball State Championship held at Collins Park and CSU. The team successfully defended their 2016 State Championship.
In Game #1 at Charleston Southern University, they faced North Myrtle Beach. In a high scoring game with plenty of action, North Charleston came away with a 12-8 win. In Game #2 they were up against the Central Pageland All-Stars. They jumped out to an early lead and had some very good pitching to come away with a 12-2 win. Later that same day, Williamsburg County would be there Game #3 opponent. In a very tight ball game, North Charleston managed to scratch two runs across the plate to take the victory, 2-0. In the Championship game, they would again face Central Pageland in a very close game. After 5 scoreless innings for both teams, North Charleston was able to get two runs on the board in the top of the 6th inning and hold on for the 2-0 championship win.
They will advance to the World Series tournament in Guntersville, AL.
North Charleston Majors Team
The North Charleston Majors baseball team completed an undefeated run through the 2017 Dixie Baseball State Championship held at Collins Park and CSU.
In Game #1 they faced a local opponent from Summerville, SC. The first 3 innings proved to be a tight match-up and then North Charleston broke the game open and cruised to a 9-0 win. In Game #2 they faced Gaston, SC and won a closer game, 7-2. The Championship game was their next one and they got a few timely hits and some good pitching to win the title 12-6.
The team will head to Monroe, LA to defend their World Series title.
North Charleston 11-12U All-Starts
The Wescott/Pepperhill 11-12 year old All-Star baseball team finished as the District 7 State Champions after posting a 5-1 record in the Dixie Youth AAA State Tournament.
In Game #1, North Charleston beat Mullins, 10-5 with home runs by Zolten Osborne and Nick Cappello. In Game #2, North Charleston beat Aynor, 8-3 with home runs by Nick Cappello and Joseph Schenk. In Game #3, North Charleston beat Greg Park, 10-6 with home runs by Jonathan Tsang and PJ Morlando, In Game #4, Aynor defeat North Charleston, 4-2. In Game #5, North Charleston beat Aynor, 9-3 with two home runs by Jackson Brown. In the Championship, North Charleston beat Mullins, 4-2 with home runs by Jackson Brown and Jackson Harvill.
The team will play in Oxford, Alabama on Saturday, August 5at 8:00pm against Florida. | {
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England
The debate over whether Ryan Hall’s contentious “try” against Australia should have stood refuses to go away, with Leeds Rhinos chief executive Gary Hetherington revealing he believes the try should have stood. Hall appeared to have grounded the ball with
With the demand and interest growing in international Rugby League, it’s encouraging to see so much action being played out all over the world. The game is still only 12 months on from the most successful World Cup in its
England may be forced into a change from their proposed team for this weekend’s crunch Four Nations clash against New Zealand, after it has emerged prop Tom Burgess sat out their latest training session in preparation for the game. England
Former England coach John Kear believes England should play Elliott Whitehead in their Four Nations showdown with New Zealand this Saturday – with Joel Tomkins being one the one to miss out in Kear’s mind. There have been growing calls
Former England and Great Britain captain Jamie Peacock has suggested the possible introduction of a Six Nations tournament into international Rugby League, after admitting more needs to be done to expand the game at the very top level. Peacock believes
Super League’s top referee Phil Bentham has been selected to officiate Saturday’s crunch Four Nations clash between New Zealand and England. The 43-year-old is the latest official to take charge of matches involving the country of his birth after Gerard
England coach Steve McNamara has named his 17-man squad for Saturday’s crucial Four Nations match with New Zealand – and it is exactly the same side that narrowly lost to Australia on Sunday. Indeed, Wigan duo Dan Sarginson and Sean
Miss the game yesterday? Worry not, here you can find extensive video highlights from Australia v England at AAMI Park in Melbourne. What do you think about this story? Discuss this and much more on or free fans’ forum. For
Steve McNamara and his England team arrived in Dunedin earlier today ahead of Saturday’s do-or-die clash with New Zealand. In this video, kindly provided by England TV, a group of locals greet the national side with a traditional Haka welcome.
England captain Sean O’Loughlin admits his side are still reeling from Sunday’s controversial loss to Australia but is confident they have what it takes to recover in time to take down New Zealand on Saturday morning. Steve McNamara’s squad arrived | {
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From Our Community
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“I was a bit at a loss on how to brew this one up – I’d never done genmaicha in a bag before, and Den’s steeping guidelines for loose tea of this variety call for boiling water and...”
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“When I ordered my Kyusu from Den’s Tea I also ordered their New to Den’s Tea Sampler so I could try a few of their teas. The first one I tried was a delightful Pyramid Teabag filled...”
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“I received this in the sampler package from Den’s Tea. I love the extra matcha in here. It was powdery when I opened the wrapping. This was excellent but I still prefer the whole leaf tea....”
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14 Tasting Notes
I was a bit at a loss on how to brew this one up – I’d never done genmaicha in a bag before, and Den’s steeping guidelines for loose tea of this variety call for boiling water and 30 seconds. In the end I went with boiling water and 90 seconds, and found it flavorful without being bitter at that stage. The aroma is wonderful; really nutty and toasty, with a grassy scent in there too.
The flavor follows that lead, with roasty and toasty up front; reminds me of puffed wheat cereal. Mild astringency, very subtle grassy note. I’ll be interested to see how this compares to Den’s loose leaf of the same variety!
When I ordered my Kyusu from Den’s Tea I also ordered their New to Den’s Tea Sampler so I could try a few of their teas. The first one I tried was a delightful Pyramid Teabag filled with Genmaicha Extra Green. This tea mixes Genmaicha and Matcha for a very green concoction, I like green teas that are vibrantly green, looking at them makes me immensely happy. Opening the wrapper I can certainly smell the Matcha, it is the most dominant aroma, vegetal green and sweet. I am not sure why but the aroma of Genmaicha always makes me a hungry (maybe because it has food in it?) and this is no exception. The rice aroma is roasted and nutty without being overpowering, the different aromas are balanced and not fighting for dominance.
Steeping the bag fills the area with the aroma of fresh grass and toasted rice. The strongest notes are that of the grassy green Matcha, followed by a gentle sweetness and mild umami. The toasted rice gives the tea a bit of a cereal like aroma (hmm, maybe I am just hungry) but it is muted by the Matcha.
The first thing I noticed about the taste is umami, a slight touch of kelp and delicious grassy green. A good beginning to a very pretty tea. The mouth feel is smooth and creamy, it certainly feels good to drink. The next note that I notice is the roasted rice nuttiness, it is not very strong and comes in as a mid to aftertaste. As the tea cools it takes on a slight sweetness and a resemblance to mown hay more than fresh grass. This is a great bagged tea and I look forward to seeing how it compares to the loose version of this tea.
Preparation
I received this in the sampler package from Den’s Tea. I love the extra matcha in here. It was powdery when I opened the wrapping. This was excellent but I still prefer the whole leaf tea. The leaves in this pyramid bag were a tad crushed up. Not bad for a bagged tea :) Convenient to take around too.
I like this green tea. The smell is nutty and the taste is nutty with vegetal notes. I received this tea in my sampler which also included a sencha tea bag which I really didn’t like at all.
Hopefully the loose tea samples will taste as nice as the Genmaicha tea bag. I haven’t drank green tea before so I’m new at this type of tea.
Preparation
This was just one of the many gifts that arrived from Den’s Teas yesterday in their green tea sampler pack. It has been a while since I had a gen mai cha, so I thought I would go the low fuss route and just utilize the version that came already collected in one of their pyramid tea satchels. (Though they also sent unused tea pyramids for the loose tea as well.) It is the same tea as in the loose leaf pack, so I assumed there would be little difference.
This was actually their extra green flavor which means that it was dusted with a heavy portion of matcha, which was great to impart the green tea flavor even with only a relatively short brew time. I did not dive too deeply into flavor exploration as this was a fairly typical gen mai cha. The salty notes and the toasted rice were there, although I did not notice any popcorn kernels in the blend. Ultimately it was a pleasant cup, which would make a very good daily gen mai cha, if you consume japanese tea regularly.
Yet the most remarkable thing about this bag was the longevity of the tea. It yielded 5 cups over a variety of brewing methods and probably could have gone on for more! Part of this is definitely the matcha element, but it was also clear that excellent care was taken in the process of transferring the loose tea into these tiny infusion pyramids. The instructions suggested a brew time of 30 seconds, but I opted to go on for about 45 seconds for my first steep, as I generally like slightly stronger green tea (western taste buds). This was still a bit light for my taste, but definitely sharpened my appetite for more. The 2nd, 3rd and 4th steeps ranged from about 1-4 minutes. I have to say, even when this tea is a bit bitter, it is still very resilient. Again, I think this is a result of the matcha helping to keep any astringency from the sencha in line with the flavor of classic japanese green tea. The final cup was a bit of a blunder. I meant to do a long brew with lukewarm water for the leaves that I expected were well used at this point: about 10 minutes, so that I could keep it in the fridge and mix with fresh water for a tall glass the next morning with breakfast. However, I forgot about it and accidentally left it on the counter overnight. Despite this, the results were pretty much the same. This overnight room temperature steep did not yield nearly the amount of bitter flavors I thought it would.
So after really pushing the limits on this tea, and considering that a box of it is only $5, I would say that you definitely get your money’s worth.
This tea has good personality with an unambiguous smokey roasted aroma and taste. I got more of a roasted walnut experience mingling with charred peppers. The flavor lingers in the mouth longer than most teas I’ve tried, evoking an amusing sensation of exhaling roasty smoke out of the nose. I enjoyed this sample but the astringent aftertaste went on too long for me to put this in my regular rotation. If you like a strong roasted flavor you would enjoy trying this tea.
This is really good. I love genmaicha, even though it is a bit odd because it just yells POPCORN to me. I drank some…and then made popcorn because it induced a craving. That said, this being good green tea, it tastes a bit more like veggies and popcorn. Popped veggies maybe.
Preparation
I recently ordered the green tea sampler for novices from Den’s Tea. I really love that they offer something like this to new customers. It’s only $3 and I got two tea bag samples plus four loose samples plus a booklet. AND they give you a coupon code for $3 off your next order of $15 or more, making the sampler free if you make a purchase later. Fantastic, thanks Den’s!
I’ve been curious about genmaicha for a while now, so this had to be the first one I tried. I actually got both a sachet and a loose sample of this tea, so it’ll be interesting to compare the two. The packet didn’t have brewing instructions and their instructions for genmaicha were tuned for a very small amount of water, so I read through some notes from other people and decided on a two minute steep. The dry sachet smelled mostly of matcha and vegetal green tea and there was quite a bit of matcha dust clinging all over it.
I was amazed by how roasty the brewed tea smelled! It basically smelled like all toasted rice with some of the green tea peeking in from the background. Yum yum! I was so impatient while waiting for this to cool so I could try it! XD I must say, this tea is delicious. It’s an excellent mix of spinachy green tea and asparagus-like matcha with a strong toasted rice flavor in the background, supporting the other flavors. The aftertaste is slightly bitter, but in a pleasant way when combined with the rice. I can’t wait to try all of these other green teas.
(holding off on the rating until I try the loose version!)
Flavors: Asparagus, Bitter, Spinach, Toasted Rice, Vegetal
Preparation
If you don’t like the bitter tones you might want to try a lower water temperature. I’m not sure if this tea was made with bancha or srncha, but bancha especially turns bitter at higher temps.85°C is about the highest temp I use with green tea, but like everything it’s what ever works for you. Glad you enjoyed your first Genmaicha experience.
I believe it is bancha (assuming it’s the same as the loose) but I actually did like that little bit of bitterness at the end. I used the high temperature because that was what was recommended for genmaicha by Den’s. I think there’s enough loose leaf for more than one cup, so I’ll try a comparison of temperatures. :)
Got this in a sampler. I am on the hunt for a genmaicha I can enjoy (toasty but not burned) and not easily mess up (bitter due to oversteeping) but have never tried a blend of genmaicha and matcha. Nor, for that matter, have I ever tried matcha alone! I am a real newbie at green teas. So I really wasn’t sure what to expect.
I love the aroma — very warm and nutty. I’m getting a little bitterness so I may have oversteeped yet again. Like others here, I was working under a best-guess theory based on the loose tea recommendations. The bitterness seems to lessen as the tea cools, or perhaps simply as I get closer to the bottom of the cup (see below re: matcha settling.)
There is more dust than I expected to see in the bottom of the cup. I drained the cup in my final sips and there was no grittiness but there does remain a slight slippery, buttery feel in my mouth that’s actually more interesting than the sipping experience itself so the dust must be primarily matcha that settled.
I plan to try a second steeping and check it after 30 seconds. I guess most of the matcha will have washed out in the first experiment. Later today I’ll try the loose leaf sample.
Probably will not buy this in bags again, but it would be convenient in a pinch and if one knew what to expect ahead of time.
UPDATE: Second steeping.
Well, this is interesting! I poured the boiling water back and forth only once this time so the temperature was probably a bit higher. I sniffed the brew after 30 seconds and decided to go for a bit longer as well. Probably ended up with between 45-60 second on this steep. No bitterness!
It is, as I expected, a bit weaker. I am still seeing a bit of dust at the bottom of the cup. With about 1/2 the liquid gone, and noticing a faint sweetness at the back of my mouth, I swirled the cup to distribute the dust (matcha?) more evenly. Yep, that buttery sensation, more than a real taste, is back with the final two swallows. The toasty flavor disappears quickly, leaving behind an aftertaste only slightly bitter, more like another type of green (kale? collards?) than spinach.
Don’t think I’ll try a third steep, but even more curious now about the loose tea. | {
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On the last Tuesday of every month, the Geneva Internet Platform (GIP) Digital Watch Internet governance briefings provide a ‘zoomed-out’ update of the major global IG and digital policy developments. Today, Sunday June 10 2018 at Noon EDT (16:00 UTC) the Internet Society Livestream Channel will present an edited version of last month’s update. May was a much-anticipated month, as the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) came into effect, triggering an eleventh hour rush to update privacy policies and to bring e-marketing practices in line. Beyond the GDPR, Facebook’s CEO testified before the European Parliament, drawing mixed reactions.
On the last Tuesday of every month, the Geneva Internet Platform (GIP) Digital Watch Internet governance briefings provide a ‘zoomed-out’ update of the major global IG and digital policy developments. Today, Sunday April 8 2018 at Noon EDT (16:00 UTC) the Internet Society Livestream Channel will present an edited version of last months update. March was packed with new developments. The Cambridge Analytica’s scandal placed Facebook’s practices under intense scrutiny, raising questions on the responsibility of the Internet industry. The European Commission presented proposals for digital tax reform, while authorities in the USA are investigating a fatal accident involving a self-driving car, as new investment and milestones in artificial intelligence are recorded around the world. What were the main Internet governance updates in March, and how will they shape future developments? What can we expect in April?
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The GIP Digital Watch Internet governance briefings provide a ‘zoomed-out’ update of the major global IG and digital policy developments. View a re-stream of the November 2017 briefing at 13:00 EST (18:00 UTC) today November 30 2017 for a round-up of the major global IG and digital policy developments. Correspondents in Ghana, Caribbean, and Pakistan share regional perspectives.
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The GIP Digital Watch Internet governance briefings provide a ‘zoomed-out’ update of the major global IG and digital policy developments. View the re-stream of the March 28 2017 briefing at 10:00 EDT (14:00 UTC). Digital rights were under focus this month, with recommendations by the UN Special Rapporteur on privacy for a legal instrument regulating surveillance in cyberspace, and new leaks that describe the US CIA’s ability to hack phones, computers, and smart devices. The US-Russia saga on cyber espionage continues, amid more breaches worldwide. What were the main Internet governance updates in March, and how will they shape future developments? Local hubs in Belgrade, Rio de Janeiro and Tunis share regional perspectives.
Last Thursday 6 October 2016 the Geneva Internet Platform presented a webinar Net neutrality in Europe: The BEREC guidelines and beyond. Mr Frode Sørensen, Senior Adviser at Norwegian Communications Authority (Nkom) presented an overview of the recently published Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications set of Guidelines on the Implementation by National Regulatory Authorities (NRAs) of European Network Neutrality Rules. The BEREC guidelines are aimed at assisting national regulatory authorities in implementing their net neutrality-related obligations according to the new EU regulations (2015/2120), including by closely monitoring and ensuring ‘compliance with the rules to safeguard equal and non-discriminatory treatment of traffic in the provision of Internet access services and related end-user rights’. The Guidelines were received with enthusiasm by civil society – some of whom see them as a win for net neutrality in the EU – and with a degree of reticence by telecom operators – some of whom argue that most of their concerns have not been taken into account. Regulators say their guidelines have found a balanced solution within the frames set out by the regulation, indicated by the observation that both camps in the debate seem equally (un)happy. Mr Sørensen provided a snapshot of the BEREC’s net neutrality guidelines, and reflected on their effect on commercial practices such as zero rating, traffic management of internet access services, the issue of specialised services, and the innovation and rights of Internet users, as well as questions raised by the participants. An edited version of the webinar will be streamed at 1pm EDT today Monday October 10 2016 on the Internet Society Livestream Channel
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Earlier today, Tuesday July 19 2016, ISOC Trustee Désirée Miloshevic, Senior Public Policy and International Affairs Advisor in Europe for Afilias, presented a webinar The role of trust in digital policy The webinar was a follow-up to her Master’s dissertation at the Diplo Foundation. Ms Miloshevic was joined by Diplo’s Cybersecurity expert Vladimir Radunovic to draw on the findings of her research, and to reflect on ways in which the recent developments have had an impact the issue of trust. Can users’ trust ever be restored? What elements are required, and what role should stakeholders have?
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On Tuesday April 19 2016 the DiploFoundation will present a webinar Cybersecurity competence building trends. The authors of a study – conducted by DiploFoundation and commissioned by the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs – will discuss the findings, and the strategic, policy and public-private partnership approaches related to competence building measures and cybersecurity. Examples of such measures include the development of cybersecurity curricula at universities, hubs and innovation centers at universities in cooperation with the private and public sector, professional education programs, and knowledge frameworks. What other measures can be undertaken to foster competence building? How can competence building measures be integrated into national cybersecurity strategies? What are the main findings and key trends in the study? | {
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Top cornerbacks Gilbert, Dennard impress at NFL Scouting Combine
Justin Gilbert and Darqueze Dennard are fighting to be the first cornerback taken in the draft
INDIANAPOLIS – If Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin has his way, the Lions will be adding talent to their cornerback group this offseason.
“My feeling is this,” Austin said at his introductory press conference. “In the NFL, you can’t have enough corners. We had three pretty good corners last year (in Baltimore) and we had our work cut out for us.
Michigan State’s Darqueze Dennard (Photo: Gavin Smith)
“So, I think that obviously, that would probably be an area that we would want to make sure we strengthen up."
Whether that’s via free agency, the draft or a combination of both, is currently being worked out in Allen Park.
When it comes to May’s NFL Draft, Oklahoma State’s Justin Gilbert and Michigan State’s Darqueze Dennard have emerged as the top two prospects. Both are likely top 20 picks.
Which one comes off the board first is up for some debate.
“I guess we'll see come draft day,” Gilbert told reporters at the NFL Scouting Combine. “I think (Dennard) is a pretty complete player. He's not as fast me. I can tell you that.”
Gilbert has the size NFL teams like at 6-foot, 202 pounds and was right about his speed after running unofficial times of 4.35 and 4.38 in the 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine. His official time settled in at 4.37.
He said he played press coverage about 70 percent of the time in Oklahoma State’s scheme, but also has experience in zone concepts, which should bode well in the NFL.
Dennard (5-11, 199) played mostly man at Michigan State.
He was, however, the Jim Thorpe Award winner as the nations top collegiate defensive back this past season. If Austin likes physical corners in his defense, then he’ll love Dennard, who’s considered one of the most physical defenders in this draft.
The question facing Dennard heading into the Combine was his long speed. His official time of 4.51 was the 13th fasted among defensive backs. That's not blazing, but not bad for a physical press corner.
Whether Gilbert or Dennard impressed the Lions enough to select them at No. 10 will be determined 72 days from now
This much is known, though, neither player did anything to hurt their status in Indianapolis.
“Solid,” Gilbert said when asked to describe his game. “My game is solid.” | {
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Blue Jacket defenceman defends public education
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Jacqueline Louie
Mike Commodore never enjoyed English very much, until he enrolled in Debra Kelly’s high school English class at Fort Saskatchewan High School.
For the 29-year-old Albertan, now a professional hockey player with the Columbus Blue Jackets, Kelly made a difficult subject easier. “I had more like a math and science kind of mentality. The writing and stuff like that—I wasn’t very good at it. I didn’t really get it,” says Commodore, who was born and raised in Fort Saskatchewan.
“Mrs. Kelly made English class fun to go to. I enjoyed being around her. I enjoyed going to class. I wanted to pay attention, and I wanted to try, because I liked her. She was funny and she was a really good teacher. She was a really nice lady.”
Tying with Kelly for Commodore’s all-time favourite teacher is his mother, Eleanore Commodore, who was also his high school math teacher (as well as a former principal of Fort Saskatchewan High School). A teacher for over 30 years, Eleanore Commodore retired a year ago. “She was a really good teacher. She explained things well. I think she was liked by the majority of students that had her,” her son says. “Obviously, she kept me on the straight and narrow—you wouldn’t see me messing around in class.” He adds, “It’s kind of embarrassing if your mom yells at you in class.”
One of Commodore’s goals is to finish his university degree. When he was 18, he headed to the U.S. to attend the University of North Dakota, where he majored in business. He left university before completing his degree after he signed a contract with the New Jersey Devils. At 6′5 and 230 pounds, the Albertan is known as a big, physical guy, a defenceman who plays hard.
Commodore has played in the NHL for eight seasons, and has been with the Calgary Flames, the Carolina Hurricanes and the Ottawa Senators. In the summer of 2008 he signed a five-year contract with the Columbus Blue Jackets, an up-and-coming NHL team that last year had its best season in franchise history.
“I love playing hockey,” says Commodore, who wants to be in the game for as long as he can. “It’s a challenge competing against the best players in the world—that’s what I enjoy doing.” It requires a lot of training and hard work, but he loves it. “It’s been very interesting and fun. I’m very grateful for it; I’ve been very fortunate.”
Off the ice, he enjoys the travelling he does as an athlete, the doors that open to him as a professional hockey player and the opportunities to “hang out, and meet people who are very successful in different areas of expertise.”
Since leaving Alberta, Commodore has spent most of his time in the U.S. “You hear some horror stories about public schools down here,” the defenceman says, adding that many parents he’s spoken to want to enrol their children in a private school. “I feel grateful that was never an issue in Alberta. You realize as you get older how fortunate you are [in Alberta] to be able to go to a good school where things are safe, where teachers are good and where it’s public—it’s available for everybody.” | {
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Not known Facts About programming homework help
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Not known Facts About programming homework help
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The dollar pared losses as the Treasury 10Y yield rose toward a session high after December retail sales rose 0.6% vs est. 0.7%, and as PPI rose 0.3%.
USD remains on a defensive footing and is still lower vs most of its G-10 peers even after the rebound, having earlier extended its drop for the week ahead of the data
USD/JPY trading at ~114.66 vs a fresh low at 114.19 set ahead of the data; USD snapped back to near 115.00 after the data in an apparent squeeze of intra-day shorts, flows are sparse. a trader in New York said | {
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Microsoft wanting to remain a major player in the
virtualization market, provides a free version of its operating system, Windows
Server - Hyper-V Server 2012 and 2012 R2.
Hyper-V Server is a Core system version, without graphical
interface (GUI). This makes it faster and run happily with fewer resources,
leaving the computing power and storage space for virtual machines.
On the hypervisor (the control unit of Hyper-V) we could run
virtual machines which we can secure by creating backup copies. Ways to achieve
this objective are few.
With a free operating system, we can also use the free
applications, though they do not have very powerful capabilities, they does
meet the basic tasks to secure a copy of machine in the event of failure or the
need to restore its state.
Wbadmin
Microsoft Hyper -V Server 2012 and the whole family of
Windows Server (since 2008) as well as Windows Vista, 7 , 8 and 8.1 have
wbadmin tool wmbedded, run from the command line.
Wbadmin allows you to backup and restore your system from
both the local disk and network share.
It is a simple and effective method for managing safety
copies .
Its drawbacks are the lack of transparency and flexibility .
The advantages are simple syntax and choice of items that you want to move to a
backup.
Wbadmin can also use powershell scripts or run it in a
scheduled timetable .
·Summation
Wbadmin we get together with hyper-v . One of its advantages
is possibility to create a backup of both the hypervisor and virtual machines
that are running on it .
The main disadvantage is stopping the virtual machine (as
Saved ) on the duration of the backup , which often disqualifies this solution
. It can be used for machines that do not require continuous operation , such
as file servers , or others that during the backup window does need to function
in production .
Another tools that I will present , already have GUI. There
are free versions of commercial solutions , with limited possibilities .
Each of them can be easily changed to full product by
purchasing a license key .
Veeam
Backup
Veeam Backup has a clear interface and is available with a
separate console for Microsoft Exchange mail servers .
The full version of the product has gained good opinion in
the IT administrators world.
The free version is very stripped down .
·How many
virtual machines includes a free license?
No restrictions - both a free version and a commercial
·Installation
Veeam Backup is installed on your computer / server where it acts as manager.
At the beginning the cold shower : the program does not work
(yet ) with Windows Hyper- V Server 2012R2 and Windows8.
When you start dealing with the program you can see interface
similar to Microsoft Office.
You can add VMWare vSphere and Hyper –V servers to console .
To make it possible to connect to the remote hypervisors , RPC traffic must be
open.
When you first connect , the client is forced to install
Veeam transport agent on the host.
Once we have access to virtual machines , we can carry
out their backup .
Planning for backup
The free version is only available with a single backup
option . It is not possible to use the schedule. The scheduler mode is available for
copying files from the hypervisor , but does not give us a full ,
consistent backup for virtual machines.
Accordingly, the functionality of the program falls to
marginal use in emergency situations.
Backup is made via the VeeamZip and saved to the
location as the .zip archive.
Supported storage media
All available for Windows system where Veeam Backup is installed .
Additional functionality
In the free version ,you will get following extras :
- Veeam Explorer console for Exchange,
- Veeam Backup console for Sharepoint,
- Native support for tape libraries.
Exchange console can theoretically be used only on the local
Exchange server. In practice however, after copying database files, log
files and Ese.dll library you will be able to browse mailboxes and their contents
- even the content of e-mails !
You can also export the mailbox to .pst file and search the
database to record the occurrence of the selected criteria.
All this functionality for free, in a nice graphical design.
This tool is and will be useful for Exchange administrators.
Summation
Veeam Backup does not offer much for backing up virtual machines in the free version.
Accurate documentation available on the network and from the
program however shows that he has great potential - if we decide to purchase
a license .
Altaro Hyper -V Backup
Another backup system which is available in addition to
the commercial version also for free with truncated functions.
At the beginning I must praise the excellent documentation
available directly from the program help. It describes every possible function
in an easy fashion.
It's one of the best systems help I have seen.
Installation
Altaro backup needs to be installed directly on the hypervisor by copying and running the installer. System can operate from the hypervisor
using a graphical interface. It is also possible to install a remote
management console if your operating system is in 64-bit version.
Licensing the free version
The free version allows you to use Altaro Backup on two
virtual machines.
Planning for backup
Backup can be performed using the task scheduler. This is a big advantage of the free system. This allows us to use it in a production environment.
Interesting is the possibility of checking of all scheduled tasks in the calendar.
Supported media
• internal drives of hypervisor
• External USB Drives and eSATA
• network folder and the NAS accessed through the UNC path
• RDX cartridges.
Additional functionality
We have the ability to perform an incremental backup. In
combination with the possibility of scheduling tasks, get backup system with basic functionality for free. (if you do not need to handle more than 2 virtual machines - see
licensing ) !
Unitrends Enterprise Backup
It's something else entirely. Yes, it is an application to
backup virtual machines. However, the Unitrendscompany approached quite
differently to the topic. The application is actually a virtual machine with Linux installed. As a result, it does not have
the limitations of Windows , and allows you to backup almost any operating
system, including the fact that ... backuping machines does not have to be a virtual machine. I
was able to make a copy of my physical computer.
Licensing
The free version allows you to backup the eight clients (hosts).
All of the features of the application is not blocked in any manner.
Installation
In accordance with another backup system architecture
presented here the installation looks different too.
On the hypervisor for which the installation file has been copied to, after running it additional virtual machine called Unitrends Enterprise Backupwill be installed. It is satisfied with 512MB of memory ( but better allocate it 1024MB).
After logging in to the machine and setting network
connections, application is maintained via web browser .
This allows us to handle it from anywhere , which is very
convenient - you do not need to have access to a computer with the installed
application, differently from the rest of the previously presented programs.
In addition, you must install the client software on any
supported host.
This should be done from the machines, which we will
manage. Given that the free version can only do it on eight hosts, it is not
too labor intensive.
For Windows three agents are available - 32 bit, 64 bit and BareMetal,
so that we can recover a functional operating system, not just the files.
Another plus for Unitrends - support for all known
operating systems. In addition to Windows and various Linux distributions, is
MacOS, Novell, HP-UX, Solaris, and many others.
I personally tested the Windows and Linux clients. For Linux you had to do some tricks if you have 64bit version of the OS,because there are only 32-bit version of
the Linux client is available. Finally, however, I succeeded after installing the 32-bit
libraries .
Planning for backup
There is available an advanced backup schedule, along with a
choice of several pre-configured profiles .
We plan to backup through operations on the calendar - add
an option to copy full, incremental or which is unique in the free system -
also differential backup.
Additional functionality
Exchange server backup for free! We have the ability to backup
the virtual machine with the Exchange server and recover the database and
files. We can recover the database directly on the Exchange server, to recovery database or recover to a designated location.
We do not have such functionality as Veeam Backup - to browse e-mails, but thanks to databases backup we can protect Exchange
servers without additional costs
2. Works with the latest Hyper -V Server 2012 R2
3. Bare Metal Recovery - the ability to backup and recover
the operating system from scratch, i.e. image restoration from the time of
the backup to a formatted disk. Requires the installation of an additional
agent on the client called Bare Metal
Summation
Unitrends Enterprise Backup is the most advanced of the
presented backups applications. It allows to make a full backup and recover not only
files, but also the operating system of both the virtual machine and the
physical computer . A big plus is possibility to backup machines with
non-Windows operating systems. User friendliness and interface transparency is in my
opinion worse than in Altaro Backup, but the functionality of the free version
is the highest.
Which one I should choose ?
If you have only two virtual machines to
back up, I recommend selection of Altaro Backup , which does not cause any
trouble to install and configure, has extensive documentation and high-speed
operation , and you can schedule the backup .
When your environment requires more handling equipment
including physical hosts I will choose Unitrends Backup.
But when your job is to manage the backup for more
machines, consider purchasing a license, maybe one of the presented applications. You
can of course use wbadmin without restriction , but the functionality of the
system commands is limited.
For all Exchange administrators I recommend Veeam Backup
console program .
Saturday, 1 February 2014
The problem
When you change password which is used by HP Insight Manager services, then you suddenly cannot access management page.Then you see application window like below or similar, but web browser management windows not appears anymore. | {
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While unveiling the PC requirements for Thief, Eidos Montreal has announced that the tactical stealth game won’t support Mantle upon launch.
Thief looks to be an interesting contender for early 2014; with its unique dark style and stealthy shadow strategy, the game takes on sentiments from Dishonored mixed in with action-based gameplay.
Eidos Montreal’s next-gen reboot will feature a bevy of graphical upgrades across its multi-platform release, but PC gamers will have to wait a spell before they can take advantage of Mantle, AMD’s “advanced” new API technology.
Eidos Montreal assures that Thiefwill see Mantle support in the future, it won’t be available when the game launches this Tuesday–instead Eidos is targeting a March release date for the compatibility patch.
“THIEF is a showcase for the awesome gaming performance offered by the PC and we’ve worked hard with AMD to accomplish that, by collaborating on the implementation of several PC-specific features. This includes AMD TrueAudio technology, AMD CrossFire™ technology, AMD Eyefinity multi-display technology and more. As you know, THIEF will also be one of the first games to ship that takes advantage of AMD’s Mantle graphics API.
“We’re extremely proud of the work we’ve done with AMD to make the PC version of THIEF a stand-out, definitive experience although we have a little more work to do to accommodate all of these new PC-specific features – we are busy working on a patch to support AMD’s Mantle and TrueAudio technologies that is scheduled for March.
“We’re confident this patch will ensure the best and fastest THIEF experience for AMD Radeon™ customers. We’re sorry we couldn’t bring this to you sooner – although we will use this time to bring you the very best experience possible and will let you know when the patch is ready.
Although Mantle support will be missing on launch, Thief will utilize other AMD mechanics such as CrossFire, TrueAudio, multi-display with Eyefinity and more.
Battlefield 4 was the flagship game for AMD’s Mantle, the touted improvements aren’t as obvious as expected (depending of course on your rig and whether or not your running two higher-end AMD graphics cards). Perhaps we’ll see some dramatic changes for Thief as more progress is made, and it’ll definitely be interesting to see how the API fares in a few months time.
Below are the full specifications for Thief on Windows PC, of which aren’t so demanding. Additionally the game will feature 4K resolution support as well as Nvidia SLi and 3D vision support: | {
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PAT Testing News Round-Up - Sept 2011
7th October 2011
The Association for Professional Appliance Testing is now up and running and open for membership.The Association for Professional Appliance Testing is now up and running and open for membership...Read More
Businesses have been reminded by the HSE that new incident reporting arrangements being introduced as part of the RIDDOR requirementsBusinesses have been reminded by the HSE that new incident reporting arrangements being introduced as part of the RIDDOR requirements...Read More | {
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LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Life really isn’t better on the Hill
While Quinnipiac has been trying to market its York Hill campus as the place to be for upperclassmen, recent troubles from the campus have proved otherwise.
First of all, anyone who has been in the rooms in Crescent can certainly agree that the common room-kitchens are inadequate. There is no fan above the oven, leading every venture with the stove to be a game of chance as to whether or not the fire alarm will be set off – and students have not been winning this year. But this makes sense, when one considers that the university initially thought that it didn’t need to put kitchens in rooms for college juniors and seniors. It’s not like 20 and 21-year-olds would want to cook. And there was no need to put air conditioning in the brand new Crescent either. Why include comfort and convenience in this multi-million dollar campus intended to lure upperclassmen back to dorm living?
And now the rooms with ample space that many students consider to be the hot real estate at York Hill, the townhouses, will only be available to juniors. Apparently, because one class of seniors didn’t flock to live in them and because the rising classes of juniors are so large, the university has assumed that no class of seniors will ever want to live in them again –and even if they want to do so, well, they shouldn’t be allowed. Because living on the Hill is all about creating a positive experience for seniors, right?
The cafeteria up at York Hill, while new and filled with great amenities and appetizing food choices, lacks variety. The Mount Carmel cafeteria offers Asian food, a cold cuts stand, a grill, a flatbread station and “The Kitchen” providing a daily entree. The York Hill cafeteria has a grill, pizza stand, cold cuts stand and “The Kitchen”. While these opportunities may not be drastically less than those offered at Mount Carmel, it certainly isn’t the “better” option Quinnipiac has made it out to be. And when the cafeteria closes, which happens daily during the mid-afternoon, there are no other options for food – except cooking in our underwhelming kitchens.
Last, but most certainly not least, comes the most publicized issue: parking. At York Hill there is ample room in the garage, which provides protection for our cars throughout the year. But once we need to travel, things get a bit hairy. Parking at Mount Carmel is now forbidden for any junior (even those with the academic standing of a senior) before 3:30 on weekdays. Quinnipiac claims this was the result of Hamden pressuring QU to enforce what the administration said it would do initially – not let students drive between York Hill and Mount Carmel. Then, mid-semester, with no opportunity to amend our schedules, they dumped this change on us. And while most students can make do without driving down, though shuttles have certainly proved troublesome at times, some students need to go back and forth between Mount Carmel and North Haven. Yet living on York Hill and therefore having to take the shuttle to York Hill and THEN drive to North Haven doesn’t leave enough time between obligations for the commute and is causing students to miss these obligations. Many Quinnipiac faculty members, such as the dean of the North Haven campus and coaches at Mount Carmel, report not even knowing of these changes prior to implementation. And when attempts were made to contact security by email, phone and visits to its offices, this student was turned away and completely ignored – not one response from any university employee.
These, among many other problems like poor cell phone service, insufficient hours at the Health Services Center and shower water pressure that one student called “weaker than a crying infant’s tears,” all make it clear that despite Quinnipiac promoting the phrase that “Life is Better on the Hill,” it really is not. When visiting during Accepted Students Day four years ago, a student who worked at Friday’s in Hamden warned me of the poor housing situation at QU. I never would have imagined how accurate he would turn out to be and how much the growing pains of a fast-expanding Quinnipiac would come to impact my experience here. | {
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News
Joplin’s Lego camp won’t be stopped by COVID-19
COVID-19 has cancelled a lot of upcoming events, but Joplin Parks and Recreation is confident they can safely conduct their annual summer Lego camp.
The parks department has moved this year’s Lego camp to the Silver Lake Community Center because it will allow Lego campers and staff to have more space for social distancing.
Camp staff will use gloves, masks, and disinfectant, and they’ll take precautions with the Legos themselves.
“We give each child their own Lego set, so they don’t share Legos. They build their own. It’s a brand new item that we bought in March, so everything’s sanitized and they don’t play with other Legos that other kids are playing with,” said Joplin Parks and Recreation Director Paul Bloomberg.
Lego camp starts on June 22nd, and Joplin Parks and Recreation is currently taking reservations.
That’s not the case for all area cities, however. The city of Pittsburg recently announced that Camp Now & Then, tennis camp, and the Mike Watt Baseball Camp are cancelled for the summer. | {
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You are here
Wallowing
Wallowing
What is ‘wallowing’?Wallowing is where deer bathe and roll around in mud. They create wallow sites in wet depressions in the ground, eventually forming quite large sites (2-3 metres across and up to 1 metre deep). These sites tend to be used by most members of the herd at some stage, although access can be hotly contended on some occasions. It is not uncommon to see deer walking around caked in mud.
Why do deer wallow?There are various opinions as to why red deer like to wallow in mud. Some believe it is to control ecto-parasites (ticks and lice), others believe it is to cool down on hot days. However, wallowing behaviour is seen in un-parasitised deer and on very cold days.
It is interesting to observe the behaviour of red deer when entering a new paddock containing a wallow site. Animals will line up and contest access to the wallow. The ‘pecking order’ soon becomes clear, as the dominant animals gain priority access to the wallow. See sociability for more information on social hierarchies of hinds. Whatever their reasons for wallowing, red deer love it! It is part of their natural behavioural repertoire.
Do all deer species and breeds wallow?Only some species of deer wallow; red deer particularly like to wallow but fallow deer, for example, do not wallow. Even within the red deer species, there is variation between sub-species and breeds in wallowing behaviour. For example, although wapiti do wallow, they and crossbreds are less inclined to wallow than European red deer.
When is wallowing a problem?Wallowing is a problem when it interferes with the farming operation. If uncontrolled, when large wallows drain into catchments, wallowing can lead to contamination of waterways. The wallow sites themselves can become rather barren due to mud caking of surrounding pasture. Also, the stagnant wallows themselves may harbour unwanted pathogens.
Wallows can also present a hazard to farmers, particularly when large enough to cause vehicle accidents.
The consequences of wallowing on the physical features of the deer is sometimes problematic for the deer slaughter premise since mud-caked deer (sent particularly in the Spring) are more difficult to process hygienically than clean deer. Carcass contamination can through pathogens transferred from wallow mud may also lead to meat spoilage.
How can I best manage wallowing?Wallowing is a natural behaviour, and access to wallows probably improves the well-being of farmed red deer. In fact, it is near impossible to completely deny red deer access to wallows; they simply create them to meet their innate need to wallow.
However, the negative impacts of wallowing need to be mitigated. Minimising waterway contamination is important, and may necessitate creating or encouraging deer to use ‘safe’ wallow sites (i.e. wallows that do not drain into waterways). These can be strategically located out of harm’s way. New wallows may need to be monitored and filled if they present a problem.
Sensitive wet sites may need to be fenced off to prevent the inevitable formation of wallows.
In respect of sending presentable deer to the deer slaughter premise, it may be necessary to ensure that nearly finished deer are grazed on clean, dry paddocks for up to 2 weeks before despatch.
Show me the science
McDowell, R.W. (2009) The use of safe wallows to improve water quality in deer farmed catchments. New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research 52: 81-90. | {
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SEME is not an acronym but refers to word seme that in italian mean SEED. This word in Italian is used in various proverbs that are the basis of the rich Tuscan language.
Starting summer 2018 Corniolo art platform opens SEME.
This program proposes a study space dedicated to those practices that require a protected and solitary space: writing, curating, planning, research, in an uncontaminated but protected place, to find the heart of concentration and inspiration.
The spaces available for SEME are three large single / double rooms / studios – accommodating up to 5 artists. In addition the studio and the main room, the kitchen, the park, the common areas of the garden, the lemon house are shared.
Consistent with Corniolo mission, the residents of the SEME program are encouraged to offer a final talk or workshop to be dedicated to other artists. In this regard, Corniolo will propose partners: universities, art schools, academies and a network of residences to be involved.
Corniolo Art platform offers support to organizing targeted studio-visit with international curators and cultural operators, in dialogue with local institutions and artist run space.
Depending on availability, it is also possible to plan support for the organization of exhibitions or talks in collaboration with external partners. | {
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SDL Practice #3: Create Quality Gates/Bug BarsDefining minimum acceptable levels of security and privacy
quality at the start helps a team understand risks associated with
security issues, identify and fix security bugs during development,
and apply the standards throughout the entire project.
SDL Practice #4: Perform Security and Privacy Risk AssessmentsExamining software design based on costs and
regulatory requirements helps a team identify which portions
of a project will require threat modeling and security design
reviews before release and determine the Privacy Impact Rating
of a feature, product, or service.
SDL Practice #7: Use Threat ModelingApplying a structured approach to threat scenarios during
design helps a team more effectively and less expensively identify
security vulnerabilities, determine risks from those threats, and
establish appropriate mitigations.
Implementation Phase
SDL Practice #8: Use Approved ToolsPublishing a list of approved tools and associated security
checks (such as compiler/linker options and warnings) helps automate
and enforce security practices easily at a low cost. Keeping the
list regularly updated means the latest tool versions are used and
allows inclusion of new security analysis functionality and protections.
SDL Practice #9: Deprecate Unsafe FunctionsAnalyzing all project functions and APIs and banning
those determined to be unsafe helps reduce potential security bugs
with very little engineering cost. Specific actions include using
header files, newer compilers, or code scanning tools to check code
for functions on the banned list, and then replacing them with safer
alternatives.
SDL Practice #13: Attack Surface ReviewReviewing attack surface measurement upon code
completion helps ensure that any design or implementation
changes to an application or system have been taken into
account, and that any new attack vectors created as a result
of the changes have been reviewed and mitigated including
threat models.
Release Phase
SDL Practice #14: Create an Incident Response PlanPreparing an Incident Response Plan is crucial for helping
to address new threats that can emerge over time. It includes identifying
appropriate security emergency contacts and establishing security
servicing plans for code inherited from other groups within the organization
and for licensed third-party code.
SDL Practice #15: Conduct Final Security ReviewDeliberately reviewing all security activities that
were performed helps ensure software release readiness. The Final
Security Review (FSR) usually includes examining threat models, tools
outputs, and performance against the quality gates and bug bars defined
during the Requirements Phase.
SDL Pro Network
Microsoft Services and The SDL Pro Network offer training, consulting, and tools services designed to help you adopt the SDL process and make security and privacy an integral part of your software development. | {
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Riot Fest announces aftershows
The organizers of Riot Fest have kept us waiting long enough, finally revealing this year's slate of aftershows. Highlights include a sure-to-be-raucous appearance by Andrew W.K. and his band at the Double Door, a performance by Sublime with Rome at the newly opened Concord Music Hall and an extremely intimate Against Me! show at Cobra Lounge. Take a look at the full lineup of aftershows. Tickets for all of the show go on sale Friday, August 30 at 11pm 11am CST. | {
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ROI Selling Blog
This is Part IV of a five-part series about the life-cycle of value in B2B selling and marketing. This post explores Phase 3: Differentiating from your competition.
So far we've learned two important points about the value life-cycle.
1) In Phase 1, the maximum price you can charge for your product/solution is the value you create minus the value of the next best alternative, plus the price of the next best alternative.
2) In Phase 2, your job is to show not only how much the customer’s problems are costing them (both in terms of actual cost but also lost revenue), but also how much your solution can help them overcome that cost.
After you've established your price and gotten the prospect concerned about their business challenges, it’s time to turn your attention to Phase 3: differentiating against your competition. Obviously, this issue tends to be a popular topic with sellers and marketers. Everyone wants to win. However, the reality is that not every product or solution has the right level of value to be a worthwhile investment for prospects. (The good news is that a thorough analysis can uncover those gaps and you can then work on a way to create more value.)
In this phase of the Value Lifecycle, you are showing that the total value your solution creates is higher than the total value created by the next-best alternative (aka, a competitor). This is often referred to as TCO, or Total Cost of Ownership. A formal TCO analysis is a very effective and airtight way to show your value versus the competition’s value, and it takes into account the features and benefits of your solution. Unfortunately, features, functions, and benefits are where the conversation starts and ends for a lot of sales and marketing professionals.
Features and benefits are all well and good, but they don’t tell the whole story (and sometimes they actually tell a false story, as you’ll see below). When you’re in a competitive situation, you’re not just talking about the things you do well, or that you’re priced 10 percent lower than the competition, or that you have bells and whistles that your competitor lacks. You want to engage the customer in a discussion about the relative value you create compared to a competitive offering. Your net value needs to be higher than that of the competition, and it needs to include more than your price and/or the cost required to deploy and maintain your solution. It must reflect an analysis of the total value you create, which would include price, cost to deploy and maintain, reduced costs in other areas, and even increases in revenue..
This chart illustrates the point.
Let’s say you create $20,000 of net value and your competitor (Alternative 1) is creating $25,000. That probably doesn't make you very happy. But as we pointed out in Phase 1, value is always specific to each customer. In other words, if your offering comes up short, you can try to adjust to suit this particular prospect. If you lower your price so that you create $30,000 in net value, for example, then you create more value and can convince the prospect to buy from you versus Alternative 1. If you didn't want to lower your price, you could add to the Total Benefit category instead -- going from $80,000 to $100,000 would help you create $40,000 in net value. Another option would be to lower deployment and maintenance so that costs fall below $20,000.
No matter what you do, remember that a good TCO analysis always takes into account all possible factors: price, benefits, and cost. As you can see from this example, if you stopped evaluating purchasing options at benefits, then Alternative 2 would look like the clear winner (when, in fact, it provides the least value to the prospect).
There are only two things you can’t do. One is to remain ignorant of the total value you create. If you’re in sales or marketing, it’s simply part of your job to know your total value, and also to know how that value compares to a competitor’s value. The second thing you can’t do is tweak your messaging to try to get around the fact that your competitor creates more value than you. If that’s the case, you’re essentially lying to customers and adding to the perception that marketers and sellers are just trying to make a sale at any cost. Your job is never to convince customers to buy independent of the truth.
Next week we’ll dive into the final phase of the Value Lifecycle: justifying the cost of your investment. | {
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Williams rolls, Bartoli pulls out in Toronto
Serena Williams of the United States, serves the ball against Kirsten Flipkens, of Belgium, during the Rogers Cup women’s tennis tournament Thursday, Aug. 8, 2013, in Toronto. AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Nathan Denette
TORONTO – World No. 1 Serena Williams eased into the next round in straight sets while stomach problems sent Wimbledon champion Marion Bartoli crashing out of the WTA Rogers Cup on Thursday.
Two-time champ Williams avenged an earlier loss by her sister, Venus, to Kirsten Flipkens by routing the Belgian 6-0, 6-3 in a third round match in the $2.4 million tournament at the Rexall Centre stadium.
Flipkens, a surprise semi-finalist at Wimbledon, ousted Venus Williams 0-6, 6-4, 6-2 in the first round.
ADVERTISEMENT
Williams, the reigning US Open and French Open champ, won this tournament in 2001 and 2011 and was the runner-up in 2000.
Williams blasted 10 aces, had just one double fault and lost just one point (14 of 15) on her second serve in the 56-minute match.
Williams moves on to the quarter-finals where she next faces Slovak Magdalena Rybarikova.
French star Bartoli was upset by seventh seeded Rybarikova 7-6 (7/5), 1-0. Bartoli retired with abdominal pain after losing the first game of the second set.
Last week, Rybarikova captured her second consecutive Washington, D.C. crown.
Former French Open champ Li battled back from 5-2 down in the third set to beat Ivanovic.
This was just the second career meeting between the two and their only other match seven years ago wasn’t even a full one as Ivanovic had to retire after losing the first set.
Ivanovic stormed out to a 6-3, 1-0 lead Thursday but then Li won six straight to take the second set.
Ivanovic jumped ahead 5-2 in the third before Li charged back, winning four of five games to force a tiebreaker which she would also win.
“At the start of the second set I began hitting the ball into the court more,” said Li.
“If I played a little bit soft, she was attacking a lot.”
Li said it became a battle of attrition so she just kept being aggressive.
“I was just trying to see if I could turn it around, and I’m happy I was able to. Sometimes you can’t play your best, but you just hang in there until the end,” said Li, who lost to Czech left-hander Petra Kvitova in last year’s Rogers Cup final. | {
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Sunday, November 3, 2013
For those considering upgrading to the new QB 2014 program, or those who just want to see what new features are available in it, Intuit has posted several videos on their IntuitAcademy YouTube channel.
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
“In regard to the QB installation issue, I have never had any problems installing a copy of the program on multiple computers with one user license.”
and am wondering if this is still the case with QB 2012?
Was just about to install it over my existing QB 2009 install and wanted to be sure I could install it on my 4 workstations without a problem.
Thanks for any guidance,
A:
I haven't had any problems installing any QB programs on several computers, including all the way up the most current 2013 programs.
I just got a new computer a few months ago and have installed all of the QB programs from 2007 up to the 2013 on it with no problems, even though these programs are also installed on four other computers with the same licenses. When I registered each one, I used the same phone number and zip-code for all of them, with no problems.
I just had a question about how to handle transfers between separate bank accounts for separate QuickBooks files (same client).
I was sure if I should make the deposit into an Equity account or Other Income.
The money from the first account ("A") is the Business account. The client writes checks from A account to the Family Trust Account ("B").
The deposit into B account is not income because it was already income in the A account.
Just no sure how to categorize the deposit from A to B...
Please let me know if you can help.
Thanks!
A:
How to properly handle these kinds of transfers in QB depends on the ownership of the accounts. Each QB company file should coincide to a tax return.
If both bank accounts are owned by the same tax entity, they should both be in the same QB company file. You can then use the "Transfer Funds" function to move money between accounts.
You mentioned the second account as being a family trust. What kind of trust is this; revocable (aka Living) or irrevocable?
If it is a living trust, that is considered for tax purposes to be a disregarded entity (no separate tax return required) and the account should be in the same 1040 QB company file as all of the other personally owned accounts.
If the trust is irrevocable and a 1041 is filed for it each year, it should have its own QB company file that will match up to the trust's 1041s.
If the trust is a separate tax paying entity and has its own QB company file, it should have balance sheet accounts to handle payments between it and the trust's owners. If there are to be repayments back to the owners, a Liability account would be appropriate. For money that won't be repaid, an Equity account for the owner's investment in the trust would be appropriate. Entries into either of these accounts would have no effect on the trust's income.
To mirror the payments to the trust, there should be Asset accounts set up in the 1040 company file; one for Loans To Trust and another for Investments in Trust. At any point in time, the balances in the 1040 accounts should match their corresponding accounts in the 1041 company file.
Good luck. I hope this helps. As always, it would be best if the tax preparer for the 1040 and 1041 is involved in helping to set up and synchronize the QB company files with the tax returns.
Kerry Kerstetter
Follow-Up:
Great, thank you so much! I have been struggling with this and recommending for a year now to combine the accounts. I do not file their taxes, so I do not know if there is a separate return for each account. I will find out and take appropriate steps!
Sunday, May 19, 2013
I have always stressed how important good bookkeeping is for making financial decisions, as well as for preparing the most accurate tax returns. Several years ago, I made a video showing people how to best use the Quicken programs for bookkeeping and tax return preparation purposes.
I have long wanted to do a similar one for QuickBooks. While I have made some short instructional videos and guides for certain QB tasks, the program has far too many features for me to be able to cover everything it can do. Also, since I don't use a lot of the features in QB, such as invoicing, inventory and payroll, I don't feel as qualified to do as good a job on these specific topics as someone who does use them on a daily basis.
I had been unable to recommend a good training video to clients and other readers who wanted to learn how to work with QB. Every time I saw an ad for a hands-on live class or seminar on QB, they were always using a two or three year old version of the program instead of the most current one.
That's why I was glad to learn about a new instructional video series focusing on the QuickBooks 2013 program from a company that has a ton of excellent instructional videos. This one is broken up into 115 separate videos totaling nine and a half hours. making it easy to just focus on those aspects of QB that you need to use but are unfamiliar with. At only $99.95, it's a lot less expensive than most live seminars and much less costly than my time would be to explain these topics one on one.
Thursday, March 22, 2012
I just got an update box that popped up that reads:
"QuickBooks has recently downloaded the R14 product update. Would you like
QuickBooks to install this update now?" This is the software you sent to me
on a disc last year. Should I go ahead and install this update?
My reply:
Yes, you should install that new update.
QB releases an update to the programs that are still being supported three or four times a year to fix bugs that they find. The QB 2012 program is already up to R6, which is five updates since the original program was released last Fall.
Friday, December 23, 2011
I recently purchased my very first Apple computer, a Mac mini, so I could work with the QuickBooks for Mac, as well as some other Mac only software. I'm still learning my way around the Mac system, but I have had a chance to do a little work with the Mac QB program.
First off, I have to say that the Mac program is a crippled version of the Windows software and should only be used if you only have access to Mac computers and can't run Windows programs on them, such as with the Parallels program that allows Macs to emulate Windows.
The biggest limitation of the Mac QB program is its lack of the special Accountant Review copies of data files that allow us to work with client data files while the clients continue to work with them. This is an essential feature of QB that must be added to the Mac version before I can ever feel good about recommending its use.
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
With the newer versions of QB, it has become somewhat more confusing for clients to send me the special QBX Accountant's Review copies of their data files. I sent this quick explanation to one client who sent me a QBX file with which I was unable to even start the conversion to QBA process because the password he gave me wouldn't work.
That password didn't work. I tried it several times and no go.
I think the problem is how you are making the QBX file. A few years back, Intuit added a new twist to sending QBX files. There are now two main ways to do it.
1. There is one way that sends the file to me through Intuit's online system (File - Accountant's Copy - Client Activities - Send to Accountant) where you do need to enter a special password. However, to work properly, you need to actually have the file sent via Intuit's server, not as an email attachment.
2. The other way, in which you can send the file to me directly as an email attachment doesn't require the special password. To do this, select File - Accountant's Copy - Client Activities - Save File - Accountant's Copy.
It seems that the best thing here would be for you to start over by canceling out the previous QBX copy (File - Accountant's Copy - Client Activities - Remove Restrictions) and then make a new QBX copy via the second option which you can then attach to an email.
Saturday, July 23, 2011
Intuit is constantly releasing updates to its programs to fix problems that arise among the real world users. These are free and are different than an upgrade, which is the new year's program (2010, 2011, 2012, etc.), which you have to pay for.
To tell how up to date your program is, hit the Control and 1 keys while you are in the program. A Product Information window will pop up, such as the example below from my 2011 program after I ran the most recent update, Release 8.
There are two main ways to upgrade your program.
First is to run the Update QuickBooks function from the Help menu in the program, which is the method I had been using until a few years ago.
My current choice for updating the program is the manual option, where I download the newest release and run it on each of the computers that has that version of the program. This means I only have to download the files, which are very large (388 mb for R8), one time instead of separately for each computer. With our very slow and limited internet service, that is very useful.
The other big benefit is the fact that the updates are normally available about two weeks earlier on the manual update page than they are in the update function from inside the program.
You can find updates for almost all versions of QB on the update page:
Intuit usually puts out a news release when they issue new updates, but I also like to check the update page every so often to see if the dozen or more versions of QB I am running are all up to date. Since they only have back to the 2004 program, I am pretty much SOL for verifying the status of my 1999–2003 programs; but those programs are technically obsolete and shouldn't even be used nowadays.
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
One of the annoying limitations to QB has long been the inability to open more than one company file at a time. With a lot of people having multiple company files, such as one for the personal 1040 and another for the corporation 1120, being able to work on both files simultaneously to ensure consistent posting of transactions between them, is a huge time saver. I know a number of clients who actually have one entity on one version of QB (2003 for example) while their personal info is on a different version (2009 for example) because it has long been possible to have two versions of the program open at the same time.
Now, with the 2011 version of QB, they have finally added the capability to open two different company files in the 2011 program at the same time. You actually click on the program icon to start the program again to trigger the following pop-up window.
I had heard about this new feature several months ago, but didn't have a need to use it intensely until last night, as I was working on a corp tax return and needed to match up the payments between the personal and corp files. Having each QB file open in a separate monitor (I have four active monitors on my main computer) made the process so much quicker than the old way of having to go back and forth opening and closing each company file several times.
Every year, the Intuit developers add a few new features to the program. This may be the one many people have been waiting for to justify upgrading from an older version of the program.
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
I need some help which I am sure is quite simple but I cannot figure out what I am doing wrong! I have Quicken Rental Property Manager and in my check register I make a payment to the bank for a mortgage on the property I am renting. This payment is split category with principal having the category of the loan account [loan] and interest categorized as “Mortgage Interest Expense” The problem is only the principal shows up in my loan account.
Do I need to create two subcatagories under my loan account [loan] such as “principle” and “ mortgage interest expense”
I am lost.
Any help is appreciated.
A:
It actually sounds as if you already have it set up properly. The principal portion of the loan reduces the liability balance of the loan and is the only portion of the payment that should be showing up in the loan's Quicken account register.
The interest portion of the payments is a period expense and should show up when you run an Income Statement (aka Profit & Loss) for a particular time period.
Your own professional tax advisor should be able to set up your Quicken so that it is easier to understand and coincides more closely with your tax returns.
Good luck.
Follow-Up:
Thanks for the quick replay Kerry and help. With your input and my looking at it again I think I am comfortable with what I have done.
Saturday, June 19, 2010
It is still the case that the bulk of my time preparing tax returns is involved in cleaning up QB data. Once the QB data is in good shape, the actual tax return prep is a snap. In order to reduce the number of adjustments needed to the QB files, I do send back comments to the clients so we can avoid repeating the same mistakes in the future. In order to avoid having to repeat myself with other clients and help other QB users to have more usable data, I want to share some of my comments that are applicable to all QB users.
1099-MISC is only required to be submitted to IRS if you pay someone more than $600 during a calendar year for business services that you are claiming a deduction for.
Please try not to use generic non-descriptive accounts, such as "Other" and "Misc." Add new accounts if no existing ones suffice. This is especially important with income because IRS always starts off with the presumption that every penny deposited into your bank accounts is taxable income unless you show otherwise.
I see an expense account called "Mission Trip" with a lot of fuel and motel costs. Was this for a church sponsored trip? If so, we can deduct this as charitable deduction. [Follow-up: This was for a church sponsored trip, so I edited this account to make it a sub-account of Charitable Donations.]
Try not to lump too many different kinds of things into "Outside Services." Large numbers attract IRS attention; so use more detailed accounts, such as Repairs & Lawn Care, which is where I moved a lot of the items for 2009.
Only make inactive balance sheet accounts that have zero balances. Use a general journal entry to zero out any balance sheet account that you want to set as inactive.
Monday, May 24, 2010
Just entered the WRONG closing bal in a Quicken reconcile, and for the life of me, can't figure out how to fix it. Didn't like their 'fix' of adjusting the balance at end of month.
Have the latest Quicken 2010.
Any help appreciated.
Thanks in advance.
A:
As I've explained several times, I haven't been using Quicken for several years, as I realized that QuickBooks is a far superior bookkeeping program for everyone's purpose, both personal and business. In fact, you would probably find things a lot easier to deal with if you only used QB for both your personal and business accounting instead of trying to cope with two different programs.
However, I do recall that the reconciliation function in Quicken was set up the same as in QB; so there are a number of ways to fix the situation you have.
I'm assuming you finalized the previous reconcile, with an adjusting entry put into a discrepancy account. If you didn't finalize the reconcile, you can just cancel it and start again with the correct bank balance.
In QB, when you pop up the reconcile window, there is a button that allows you to Undo Last Reconciliation. If you have that, just undo the old one and do a new one with the correct balance.
Another option would be to do a new reconciliation as of the same date as the previous one, using the correct bank balance. It should end up with an adjustment to the discrepancy account of the same amount in the opposite direction as your earlier adjusting entry. Those should zero each other out and bring everything into sync with your bank balance.
Good luck. I hope this helps.
Kerry Kerstetter
Follow-Up:
Hi, Kerry!
You are so kind ~ thanks so much!
Didn't know I could 'cancel' the reconcile.
Wish I would've read your note sooner, but I've been doing the personal on Quicken and businesses on QB Pro for many years now.
What I ended up doing was reload the previous backup, so I just lost a month of bookkeeping.
I don't what I can do to help you, but if you ever need a quick graphic (I was an award-winning designer for years), or a poodle skirt, please give me a holler!
My Final Word:
You didn't specify why you are using Quicken for your personal data. If you are under the impression that you are stuck having to stay with Quicken, that isn't the case. QuickBooks has the capability to import Quicken data so you can convert without losing any of your previously entered data.
You do need to be using a version of QB that is at least as current as the version of Quicken you have. If you are currently using Quicken 2010, that means you can only import it into QB 2010 or 2011.
Saw your posting on the use of classes (via a Google search). We are new to Quickbooks, running a non-profit. We are attempting to use classes, and can easily see how to enter classes when entering income (deposits). However, we cannot figure out how to get to classes when we are entering expenses. We can't find anything that "gets" us to our list of classes on the expense side. Can you please help?
Thank you very much for your time.
A:
There is a column with a drop-down list of classes in the windows for writing checks, entering bills, entering credit card charges and general journal entries. However, unless you have selected "Use class tracking" in the Accounting Preferences setup, that list doesn't show up.
Which version of QB are you using?
Kerry Kerstetter
Follow-Up:
Kerry:
Thank you for your help. We were able to find the drop down menu, turn on classes, and can now enter classes on the expense side. Appreciate your help.
You can see that I definitely advise everyone to use QB. However you need to coordinate whatever bookkeeping system you use with your professional tax advisor so you can keep everything in sync and make it easier to exchange data.
I have searched high and low in QBs on establishing Accounts Receivable with Amortized Loans. I have printed Amortization Schedules and could record via monthly splits but surely QBs has such an animal and can be “memorized”. Surely, Uncle Sam will want his take based on Interest Income.
Thanks
A:
Actually, QB does not have a function that will automatically do the amortization between principal and interest for loans receivable. They do have that feature, called the Loan Manager, for loans payable. However, this is another of the many features in QB that I don't like or use.
It is much easier to just split the deposit entry into two lines yourself; one for the principal portion and one for the interest portion. Use an estimated allocation if you are not positive what it is at the time of the payment and then go back later and correct it when you have coordinated your figures with the borrower's.
For various reasons, please do not set up any loans you make as Accounts Receivable for the type of account in QB. That type of account make things very messy. I already have an Other Assets account set up for Loans Receivables, with sub-accounts for each loan. Set up a new sub-account as the need arises.
Friday, February 19, 2010
As someone who has been very disappointed in the quality of Intuit's Online QuickBooks service, I have been researching the various methods of allowing clients to access their QB via a remotely hosted version of the QB desktop programs for the past several months.
I recently saw this very interesting article on Intuit's plans to actually promote this method of working with clients' data files.
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Even though Intuit does produce a new version of QB every year, and would love for all users to buy the new version each year, most people wait a few years between upgrades. Older versions of the program will still work. I have some clients still using the 1999 version of the program. I’m just glad they’re using QB; so I don’t push them on upgrading
The changes and new features that are added to each year’s program are somewhat subtle when compared year to year. However, when you jump to a version of the program that is many years newer, the difference is much more extreme.
I was reading the latest Intuit ProConnection Newsletter and noticed that they have a pdf chart showing when many of the newest features since 2005 have been added to the program. It’s interesting for anyone considering upgrading.
They also have this 7 page pdf focusing on the changes specifically for QB 2010.
I stumbled on your blog by typing in Quickbooks VS Quicken and you came up. I am trying to figure out what program to use. QB or Quicken and am confused. I hope you can help.
Here is the scope of my business on what I would use it for. My wife and I are Realtors and re developers and own several rentals. We do about 20 million a year in sales under a corporation name, I do land and building development under different LLC' etc and we have 15 residential and commercial rentalsI see with QB offers little or no property management capabilities, but Quicken has a whole program devoted to it. I would find it important to keep track of all mortgages, payoffs, expenses etc.....I do see people selling management software that is compatible with QB that I can by online
I would be nice to keep track of all our Stocks etc......(would not know how to do)
Some advise online suggests that unless I am carrying inventory in a store to keep track of then Quicken is the way to go, but I do see mainly accountants recommending QB.
Last question, I do not know what to do with, I am hiring a gal to process our transactions as well as bookeep all these for us, but I really do not want here to see what we are depositing as income. Is there an easy way to do that like her entering it at office then editing at home. Our office handles payroll so that is not important
Right not we use no programs only hand logs and some excel sheets and it is a nightmare especially at tax time, so we need to do something fast.Our accountant would be happy since I just did my taxes, luckily we paid in to much
I currently reside in Washington St but do have family ties to Arkansas where I see your from. I have tons of family from the Danville and Havana area's
Anyways any suggestions would be much appreciated
Thank you for your time
A:
I have addressed this issue several times. While I used to be a proponent of Quicken, I stopped trusting it a number of years ago and only recommend QuickBooks for reliable double entry accounting. I even forced all of our clients to switch from Quicken to QB.
QB can handle everything you need for your rental properties on its own without the need to purchase any add-on programs. Many of our clients have dozens of rental properties each and have been able to maintain very useful books with QB; so it is entirely possible for you and your tax pro to set up your QB to properly coincide with your tax returns. Your tax pro should definitely be an integral part of the design process for your QB files.
In regard to having a bookkeeper only enter checks without the ability to see your deposits, I'm not sure how practical that would be. It's also an obvious indication that you may not be working with a properly trustworthy individual if you aren't able to trust him/her with maintaining the confidentiality of your finances.
Good luck. I hope this helps.
Kerry Kerstetter
Follow-Up:
Kerry than you very much for responding. I really appreciate it, the more I investigate I am finding all the same answers so I bought Pro 2010. Now I just got to figure out how to do it all.
Thank you!
My reply:
As I said previously, your professional tax advisor should be part of the process of setting up your QB, especially in regard to the Classes and Chart of Accounts.
Since our clients send us copies of their QB data files for tax planning advice mid-year and for tax prep work after the year is over, it makes things much more efficient to have the QB data synchronized with the tax return data. You tax pro should be able to save you a lot of time in this way.
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Part of why I've been holding off on sending you the corp data file is because I have a copy of QB 2009 and that should eliminate our Accountants copy problem with my 2007 version (I think) but I'm concerned to upgrade - I have only one license to use and I'm currently running 2007 on 2 machines (yeah w/1 license still but I'm concerned that they've improved their license algorithms....can you offer any insite? i.e. has the file structure changed from 2007 - 2009 whereby I could keep 2007 on my wife's machine and her still be able to make entries?)
My Reply:
In regard to the QB installation issue, I have never had any problems installing a copy of the program on multiple computers with one user license. The user license for QB programs is more for simultaneous users of the program rather than on the number of computers it can be installed on. They do sell versions of QB for multiple simultaneous users so that several people can access a data file at the same time. That is not the same thing as having a single user version of the program installed on multiple computers. As long as you register the program with the same phone number on each computer, there shouldn't be a problem. I have been doing that for several years, including the 2009 programs.
Just in case you don't want to lose your 2007 settings, it is also possible to install multiple versions of QB on the same computer. I have every version from 1999 to the 2010 beta installed on my computer because clients upgrade at differing times. The key is to not use the default installation folders. I manually set up a main folder called QuickBooks and then I have a subfolder under that for each version of QB. When installing the program, I manually select the appropriate folder to install into. I also manually set up folders for where I want the data files to be held. This keeps each year's program nice and separate. I can also actually have multiple versions of QB open at the same time on the same computer; which I have needed to do on a few occasions.
Since you already have the 2007 program working, I wouldn't mess with its installation folders. You should set up a new folder for the 2009 program and install it into that folder.
As always, once your data file has been upgraded to work with the 2009 program, it will no longer be accessible from inside any earlier version of QB
I hope this helps. Let me know if you have any more questions or problems.
Kerry
Follow-Up:
Hello,
Thank you for the advice on QB. I now have 2009 installed and am using it for the personal and 2007 running for the corp. This way I can have both company files open at the same time having 1 set of books on 1 monitor and the other on the other - makes things easier!
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Not too happy with the Quickbooks new program I bought. It is now requiring a password to encrypt! Password is ******.
My Reply:
I was glad to see that you upgraded your QB program to the 2009 version. I hope it is easier for you to use
One of the new 2009 features that you used is the ability to send me QBX copies of your data files directly from within the program and via an online storage service hosted by Intuit. As you discovered, that feature does require you to add a new password security layer to prevent anyone who may accidentally download your file from being able to open that file. Once I have the file converted from the QBX format to the QBA format I actually use, the password is no longer relevant. This feature has been working well from my end for those clients using this new feature.
You also have the option of sending me files the old fashioned way. To avoid confusion, I made some short videos showing how to do this with the 2009 program. I have links to them on my website.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
I need the instructions as to what I do from inside quick books itself to create the zip file. I am sorry but I have never done this before.
Thank you,
My Reply:
What version of QB are you using (2007, 2008, 2009, etc)? There have been some changes in the process for sending Accountant Copies in the most recent versions; so I don't want to confuse you.
Kerry
T:
Kerry,We upgraded from QB 2006 to QB 2009.
KMK:
Thanks for the update on the QB version you are now using. The process for sending accountant's review copies of QB files was actually changed quite a bit between the 2006 and 2009 programs. There are now two main ways to do it.I am going to try to use a new software tool to make some little mini videos on how to do this, which will hopefully be easier to follow than a written description. I will send those on to you as soon as they are done.Kerry
T:
Kerry, Thanks for your help. I will get the information to you as soon as you send me the videos. Thank you so much.
KMK:
I've created and uploaded short videos showing the two ways how to create a QBX file in the QB 2009 program to send to me.
The first is the Save File function which is when you are going to send me the file yourself as an email attachment, an upload to my online storage service, or by copying onto a CD or flash drive. The video can be found here.
The second is the new feature that Intuit has, allowing you to send me the QBX file directly from within the program via their online storage service. This doesn't work well if you have a very large file and/or slow internet service. The video can be found here.
I hope these are helpful. I will also be posting these to my QB blog and to my website.
Friday, April 24, 2009
Does Kerry do any taxes for people still using Quicken? First Federal Bank has where you can download your bankstatements to Quicken but not Quickbooks. So I have been meaning to ask about trying to use Quicken again in place of Quickbooks.
My reply:
I used to use the online bank interface with Quicken for my accounts; so I have some experience in knowing when it makes sense and when it doesn't.
If you are going to enter all of your info into Quicken manually and use the online interface to match everything up, that will actually be a waste of time and money if the banks still charge extra for that service. A lot of the times when this is done, the data from the bank doesn't match exactly with what you have entered in the Quicken file, so it enters the unmatched transactions as brand new entries, giving you a lot of duplicates that you then need to clean up. If you don't want to print checks from your computer or enter your transactions yourself as you go, using the online banking interface to have the items imported into your Quicken file might make some sense. You will still need to code each entry with the proper accounts and classes, but it would save you a little time.
If you just want to check your entries against what has cleared the bank, you don't need to use the special Quicken interface. That is what I do with our Regions and First Federal accounts. I can see the current status of the accounts online for no additional charge and then match them up with what I have entered into our QuickBooks files. That allows me to reconcile the bank accounts much more frequently than just once a month with a paper bank statement.
If you want to use Quicken to import transactions into your file, that would be fine with me. You can then send me the data files. I am no longer using Quicken, so I will probably import your data into QuickBooks in order to work with it for your tax returns. However, if this works for you and other clients do the same thing, I may even buy myself a new copy of the latest version of Quicken and work with your data that way. Good luck. I hope this helps.
I am trying to add in a checking acct dividend that you would receive monthly from your bank. Do you know how I would add this to my Quickbooks? I am from the US...I think they're a rules in how this should be done.
Help!!!
A:
You are actually referring to Interest income; not dividends.
I can easily think of at least three ways to enter interest income into QB.
1. You can use a General Journal entry with a debit to the bank account and a credit to the interest income account.
2. You can enter it with the Deposit window.
3. While you do the bank account reconciliation, there is a place to enter the interest income, right below where you enter the service charges.
Either of those methods will achieve what you need. Just make sure you use the exact same date for the entry as the bank is showing so that your books will match up with the bank's. FWIW, I use #3 for our accounts.
My laptop is dying. Should I get a new Quickbooks on the new computer?
My Reply:
According to my files, you have been using the QB 2003 program. Technically, if you still have the original program disc, you can install it on your new computer. The problem will be in updating it for maintenance releases that were issued after the original program CD. Intuit doesn't provide any official support for any version of QB that is over three years old. Support for the 2006 program is expiring in May 2009.
That means that this would probably be a good time for you to upgrade to the newest version of the program, which is 2009. Your data can be rolled over into this new version without losing anything. You should actually like the newer version of QB better than the 2003 program. It includes a very handy way to send me QBX files directly from within the program, using an Intuit online file storage service that is better integrated with the program than the one I use.
Friday, March 13, 2009
Dear Kerry – I have Quicken back-up files but no longer have Quicken software. How do I transfer those back-ups to QB, please?
I hope you can help!
Kind regards
A:
It's been a while since I have worked directly with Quicken files. However, one of my big problems with that program was the fact that its backup function pretty much consisted of just making regular size copies of the multiple data files that are used by the program instead of a compressed file that could be stored and transferred much more efficiently, as has always been the case for QuickBooks.
This means that your Quicken backup files should be just as accessible to the QuickBooks conversion utility as the normal files would be. As long as you are working with a version of the QB program that is as current as the Quicken program, going into File - Import - Convert From Quicken should work for you. For example, if the Quicken data had been created using the Quicken 2005 program, you should be able to convert that data into QB by using the QB 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 or 2009 program.
I hope this helps. Good luck.
Kerry Kerstetter
Follow-Up:
Dear Kerry - Thank you very much for getting back to me. It was a bit of a leap of faith that I got in touch with you (details from your website!) and I didn't really expect a response. I'm really pleased and grateful that you took the time and trouble to think about my problem and give me the benefit of your experience.
In the meantime, I found my Quicken software and just reloaded it. However, the day is probably not too far away when we'll move to QB - and your advice will be very useful then.
Saturday, January 24, 2009
But……my regular file is 21 MB – when I create a portable file 16 MB and even an accountants copy only goes down to 16 MB.
And believe me – my company is pretty small – neither my accountant nor my bookkeeper have any suggestions.
Any other ideas – maybe something is set up incorrectly?
The last time I created a portable it went through e-mail at 16 MB – it’s not going through any more.
Thanks
A:
That is very strange. I have always seen the QBM and QBX files come out at about a fifth the size of the QBW files.
What version of the QB program are you using? Make sure it has been updated to the most current maintenance release. If your program version is over three years old, you may also want to consider upgrading to a newer one.
I have seen clients squeeze even QBX files down to a little smaller size by zipping them, so you may want to give that a try. The zip program should be able to shrink the file down even more.
Good luck. I hope this helps a little.
Kerry Kerstetter
Follow-Up:
Hmm - I'll run and see if I can update my version - but it's 2007 premier.
My bookkeeper at the C21 was talking to QB support the other day. They said the the 2006 version would quit working completely in the near future and recommended upgrading to the 2009 version. Do you have any knowledge of this? Do you recommend the 2009 version?
Thanks a bunch,
A:
Your bookkeeper misunderstood the situation. The QB programs will work forever. I have several clients still using the 2001 and 2002 versions just fine. Intuit doesn't like the fact that people are holding on to their QB programs for several years and not buying their new versions as often as they would like. In order to motivate more upgrades, a few years ago, Intuit started a sunset program, where they announced that they will only provide technical support for the most recent three versions. That means, as of the middle of April this year, they will only answer technical questions about the 2007, 2008 and 2009 programs. The earlier programs will continue to work just as they did before.
I don't do any payroll work, but I do understand that Intuit doesn't allow its built-in payroll for earlier versions of the QB program to be updated after a certain number of years; so that may be a motivator to upgrade to a newer version of the program if you are using QB for payroll. If you are just doing bookkeeping, your 2006 will continue to work for several more years.
I currently have about a dozen versions of QB installed on my computers in order to maintain compatibility with client data files. I have heard that some bookkeepers don't like the hassles of maintaining so many versions simultaneously, so they require their clients to upgrade to whatever version the bookkeepers are using. I do have some clients who upgrade every year on their own, which is fine, but not required. Whether you want to move to a newer version is up to you. You won't lose any data in the transition to a newer version of the program; but you can't later roll it back to be usable in an older version of the program. I hope this helps explain this issue for you.
I am a QB Pro Advisor but am not that familiar with Quicken. I have a client that just began using Quicken, but when I was talking to her, she could not find the Reports tool bar, I am truly embarrassed to ask, which way do you print the p&l and the balance sheet from Quicken?
A:
I recall that printing reports in Quicken was always very intuitive, much like in QuickBooks.
I don't actually use Quicken any more, but I do have the 2003 program installed on one of my old computers. I checked and see that there is an item called "Reports" on the top menu line. That drops down to different categories of reports. The P&L is under the "Cash Flow" section and is actually called "Income/Expense."
I hope this helps. You may want to explain to your clients the benefits of using QuickBooks instead of Quicken; especially the ability to more easily exchange data files with you.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
I do hope you can help me, I have lost the password for the client’s books ! I know that the last time I up loaded it to you I included it on the message that accompanied it. I really would appreciate it if you would look it up on your system. If I can get it again, this will never happen again! It has been along time since I worked on the file. We are working on the data entry for the year end for 2008
Thank you so much for your Time
Dear Kerry,
Eureka! I found it! Thank you for your time. I will get started on all that I have to do.
Thanks Again
My reply:
I'm glad you found your password.
If you are going to be working with a lot of people's QB files, there is a very handy program available to uncover passwords in QB files that I have been using at last once every few weeks for the past several years when clients either forget to tell me the password or tell me the wrong one. The first thing I do when I open a file with a password is to remove it from my copy because they are a nuisance I prefer to avoid.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
As has been the case every year, if you are considering buying the latest QB program, you should hold off and wait a few more weeks to get the more state of the art 2009 version instead of starting off a year behind the times with the 2008 program.
Friday, May 30, 2008
Kerry, if you’re willing to give us an answer to this, we’d be grateful! We have Quicken 2006. Our bookkeeper, who uses our program, is asking if it is possible to have Quicken prevent or give a warning if, by mistake, she makes an entry with last year’s date. Is that an available option?
Thanks very much,
A:
Because QuickBooks is such a better program, I haven't been using Quicken for a long time. The most recent version I have on any of my computers is Quicken 2003. I just checked the settings available in it and I found the ability to check a box in the Miscellaneous tab of the Register options under Preferences to Notify When Entering Out-of-Date transactions.
(Click on image for full size)
(Click on image for full size)
Checking the Help description of this, we see the following:
Notify optionsWhen Recording Out of Date TransactionsSelect this to be warned when you're about to record a transaction for a different year.
I'm sure there is a similar selection in the later versions of Quicken, such as 2006.
In QuickBooks, there is an option to be notified of any transaction being posted that is more than a selectable certain number of days prior to or after the current date.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
(1) Info on the new feature in QB 2008 that allows you to send your QBX file directly from the program to me via a free online Intuit storage service:
(Click on image for full size)
(2) A reminder that clients need to review the financial statements for the tax period before sending me the data files. Too often, clients assume everything is perfectly done just because they have a bookkeeper posting their info and then I have to spend hours of expensive billable time going over everything with them. Catching the obvious mistakes ahead of time will save a lot of time and money in regard to the tax return preparation.
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Accountant's Copy Rules for QuickBooks 2008 – You can download some guides here from CPA911 on the newest changes to the Accountant’s Copy function. This is the part of QB that seems to change the most from year to year, sometimes getting better and sometimes worse. | {
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Celebrating the Chinese New Year
On February 8, CIP hosted series of events to celebrate the Chinese New, attracting a large crowd of participants from the campus, community and other nearby colleges. With our first time ever lion dance and traditional Chinese dance, and foods, calligraphy, the festivities become an annual expectation from the University and the community to celebrate the Chinese New Year and truly embrace the cultural diversity here in Greater Lafayette.
On February 12, CIP co-sponsored “The Knights with Wu Man” concert, a chamber orchestra with Chinese music instrument pipa with more than 2000 years of history. Wu Man and the orchestra presented a splendid blend of Western and Eastern music to a packed hall of excited audience from Purdue and the community. The artists also conducted residency workshops for Sunnyside Middle School (about 400 students in musical programs), and the Chinese language classes at Purdue.
See below Purdue News services and Journal and Courier coverage on our two events. | {
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Find us on
Riot Zone Launches Mechanic Shifting Update
Mail.Ru has launched a new update for RiotZone, centered on redesign and new content.
The Prison Building System has been updated to reduce the 20 minute interval to 3 hours (for higher level prisons), giving players more freedom to manage their prisons without having to constantly check in. The Camp’s Bar has also been increased, laboratory supplies are being improved, and Clan Rating Battles have been split into two: on even dates, clans are limited to 32 members, and on odd dates, clans can bring a full 64 players. Level 20s now have their own unique quest that grants 72-hour VIP status on completion.
Mail.Ru also publishes Juggernaut and Legend: Legacy of the Dragons.
Riot Zone Gameplay Screenshot
Source:
RIOTZONE LAUNCHES RIOTOUS UPDATE
Newest Game Update Brings Promised Features
Hamburg, Germany – May 21, 2012 – Leading publisher Mail.RU Games begins rolling out the next phase of their their fast paced PVP war title, Riot Zone. Free to play from anywhere without any downloads, the new content explosion started in mid-April and stretches to today; the update includes everything from shop and map redesigns to new missions, increased Commander levels, and plenty more. With all there is to see and do that’s new and improved, players are commanded to double march over to http://www.riotzone.net/ and sign up via email or Facebook connect.
Several game mechanics have been updated, including the Prison building system. Gone is the 20 minute interval, replaced by a 3-hour cooldown for higher level Prisons. This allows players to have more freedom in how their Prison buildings are set up without having to tend them overly frequently. The Camp Bar’s effect has been notably increased, another feature designed to alleviate the casual player’s woes.
Looking for that extra mid-game boost? Level 20’s now have their own unique quest, which when completed provides players with a 72-hour VIP status. Use this buff wisely! The laboratory is also producing improved versions of a number of supplies, including grenades, medicines, and equipment. All this unlocks at level 20, so be sure to get leveled quickly.
Clan Rating Battles have been split into two events, to better determine winners by skill over sheer numbers. On all even dates, clans will be limited to just 32 members; on odd dates, clans may bring their full contingent of 64 members to the battlefield for a true test of determination. This is a great time to prove your PVP skills, as clans who do not control strategic points can earn lucrative rewards.
Hot battle for cool heads
Anti-malaria’s? Check. Food? Check. Adequate equipment? Check. Good preparation is essential in “RiotZone”. Gamers will not only fight for one of the two factions – The Red Alliance or the Coalition of the Crown – but also train their soldiers, upgrade weapons and expand their base. These role-playing elements turn out to be authoritative in later gameplay. Only the coolest strategic thinkers will prevail in numerous missions and PvP battles. “RiotZone” scores with many PvP modes: 1on1, 2on2 and 3on3 are just the beginning. Raids on enemy territory, conquest of resource-rich areas and large-scale battlefields require you to surpass just being a gamer, and ascend to the level of a commander. Semi-automatic fights allow dynamic and spontaneous quick battles where players can bring in a lot of extra firepower in the form of various special abilities. | {
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NASHVILLE — A suit was filed against a Manchester doctor the United States and Tennessee in U.S. District Court in Nashville Thursday, announced David Rivera, U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee.
The suit, primarily directed at Matthew Anderson, a chiropractor from Lenoir City, includes Dr. David Florence, who has also served as the official doctor for the Coffee County jail. The suit alleges that Anderson and Florence, a doctor of osteopathy, made fraudulent claims to Medicare and TennCare in violation of the False Claims Act and the Tennessee Medicaid False Claims Act.
The suit also names the Cookeville Center for Pain Management; Preferred Pain Center of Grundy County; McMinnville Pain Relief Center; and PMC Management; and claims that the defendants have been unjustly enriched and caused Medicare and TennCare to pay out money through mistake of fact, said the news release issued by US Attorney David Boling.
Anderson is a chiropractor who operated four pain clinics in Tennessee. Although several of these clinics changed names at times, they were recently known as Cookeville Center for Pain Management; Spinal Pain Solutions in Harriman; Preferred Pain Center of Grundy County in Gruetli Laager; and McMinnville Pain Relief Center.
Anderson operated these clinics both on his own and later through his management company, PMC Management. All of the clinics are now closed, except that the clinic in Harriman. now operates under a new name with new owners
According to the complaint, Anderson believed that medical clinics had to have a physician owner, so he recruited several physicians to serve as the sham owners of the four pain clinics, while Anderson, and later his company PMC, managed the clinics.
The complaint alleges that the four pain clinics engaged in the following fraud schemes:
Anderson operated Cookeville Center for Pain Management as a pill mill in which a nurse practitioner wrote prescriptions for controlled substances for Medicare and TennCare patients that had no legitimate medical purpose. Medicare and TennCare ultimately paid for those prescriptions, which were not allowable under Program rules.
Anderson instructed employees at the four pain clinics to upcode office visits, by assigning an inaccurate billing code to increase Medicare reimbursement.
Anderson continued to allow the pain clinics in Cookeville and Harriman to operate as pain management clinics and bill Medicare for services during a period in 2012 in which medical directors were not on site for the minimum time during operating hours as required by Tennessee law governing pain management clinics.
In addition, Florence, who was one of the sham physician owners, also ran a pill mill out of his Center for Advanced Medicine in Manchester.
According to the complaint, Anderson reaped more than $5 million from the four pain clinics, and took more than 90 percent of the pain clinics’ profits, while the sham physicians only earned a salary for their service as medical directors.
“The government alleges that the scheme defrauded Medicare and TennCare of at least $1 million. The United States and Tennessee are seeking to recover treble damages plus penalties pursuant to the False Claims Act,” the release stated.
"These defendants allegedly supplied narcotics to patients without regard to medical need," said Derrick L. Jackson, the Special Agent in Charge at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General in Atlanta. "The result was an expansion of abuse and addiction to controlled substances which enriched the defendants at the expense of the taxpayers." | {
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Maddy
To complement the soft and grainy feel of film, I wanted to translate and enhance this feeling into the makeup as well. To create a flawless yet natural complexion, coverage was only added where it was needed while relying on the natural structure of the face to work as a contour.
I worked with warmer tones to enhance Maddy’s features, which highlighted her natural tones, generating the soft wearable feel we wanted while allowing for the natural progression between each look.
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I was recently very lucky to attend a special afternoon workshop run by Matt and Lentil Purbrick of Grown & Gathered and hosted by Little Bird at Grey Lynn’s Kelmarna City Farm. If you’re not familiar with Matt and Lentil, honestly, get familiar, as these two cuties are amongst the most…
I’ve been following the progress of Auckland newcomer Winter & Rixon with interest since their winter collection ‘The Mineral Series’ blew my mind a little bit with its beautiful, graphic prints, so Undone are pretty excited to be able to be the first to show you what they’ve done for…
This week’s flower power comes via Auckland florist and gardener Isabel Johnston, AKA The Forager. What are the flowers/foliage in your bunch? Hellebore, hyacinth and buddleia. Why/how did you choose them? I chose these flowers as they are some of the best of the season. Hellebore are wonderful, delicate blooms…
The shoot was at my house. We shot mostly in the garden which had heaps of small palm trees, different pot plants, and a cute little treehouse. We also shot in the living room which had a really nice window looking out onto the garden,and a large tea set. This…
OMG we have some wonderful, talented, creative people in New Zealand! Here’s just one, Wiki Waitai, of Wellington… How do you make a living? I’ve been working full time at Stacks Furniture, in Newtown, Wellington for the past five months, this is my bread and butter and I’ve managed to…
This post follows on from yesterday’s – Fe-Archia – and is an excerpt, written by Whitney Nicholls-Potts, with images by Ashley Church, from the Fe-Archia archives. (Purely by coincidence, the wonderful Natalie was also the designer of Undone Journal… Oh and also, Whitney has also been an Undone model… Love… | {
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Coach Mac: “That was a fun game. I think it was great to see everybody rotate in and out, and for the most part not miss a beat offensively. Defensively, of course, we had a little bit to work on depending on our lineups that were in. I love the way T-Jo came out aggressively from the start. This is the first game where we started out the game making layups, finishing shots, and really looking like we were a very confident team out there. I like to see our chemistry hitting on both ends of the floor and I love the idea of getting everybody some playing time at this time of year.”
Tiana-Jo Carter: “I didn’t realize I hadn’t missed a shot. I thought I had missed some, so it wasn’t the first thing on my mind. Coming off our last game I didn’t feel like I performed very well for my team, so coming into practice we worked really hard on trying to be together and work together so tonight I really wanted to help our team and make up for what I didn’t do before.”
Key Stats
Mackenzie Trpcic assisted on the first three UAlbany field goals, the first of which was her 250th as a Great Dane
Tiana-Jo Carter scored 10 points in the first quarter, and shot 7-7 from the floor in the first half
Trpcic recorded seven of UAlbany’s 16 first-half assists
UAlbany shot 61.8% in the first half
UAlbany outscored UMass Lowell 31-0 in points off of turnovers in the first half
Carter shot a perfect 11-11 from the floor and 4-4 from the line to finish with a career-high 26 points
UAlbany recorded 26 assists as a team with just 13 turnovers, and forced 33 UMass Lowell turnovers
UAlbany went on an 8-0 run mid-way through the second quarter, holding UMass Lowell to 0-5 shooting
Mackenzie Trpcic scored five straight points to put UAlbany up 40-14 with 3:05 left in the second
UMass Lowell went on a 5-0 run early in the third quarter before succumbing to an 8-0 UAlbany run
UAlbany took led by 40+ for the first time late in the third after a three-pointer from Patricia Conroy
Kumsal Aslan put UAlbany above the 90-point mark with a jumper with 1:11 left in the game
Recap
After seeing their eight-game winning streak snapped at New Hampshire, the University at Albany women’s basketball team righted the ship Monday night, defeating visiting UMass Lowell 93-60.
The last time the Great Danes played the Riverhawks, UAlbany trailed by nine points at halftime before rallying to win by nine. This time around, UAlbany stormed out to a big lead and never looked back.
UMass Lowell scored the first basket of the game, briefly holding a 2-0 lead. UAlbany scored the next 12, including 10 straight from senior Tiana-Jo Carter. UMass Lowell scored to bring the game within eight before UAlbany scored the next four. By the end of the first quarter, UAlbany was up 22-8.
The scoring barrage continued into the second quarter when Kyara Frames hit a three to put UAlbany up 17. Mid-way through the quarter, UAlbany used an 8-0 run to take a 35-11 lead. The gap hit 30 with 2:14 left in the first half after Bose Aiyalogbe hit a three. UAlbany went into halftime leading 52-18.
Carter shot 7-7 from the floor in the first half and led all scorers with 15 points. Mackenzie Trpcic, who had assisted on each of UAlbany’s first three field goals, finished the first half with seven assists, including the 250th of her career. CeCe Mayo scored eight points in the first half, tying her career high set two days ago against New Hampshire. As a team, UAlbany outscored UMass Lowell 34-6 in the paint, 31-0 off of turnovers, and 12-0 in fast break points. The Riverhawks ended the first have with five more turnovers than they had scored points.
Carter hit her eighth straight field goal to start the game immediately after the third quarter started to give UAlbany a 54-18 lead. With 6:36 left in the third, Carter recorded her first block of the game, and the 144th of her career, putting her in a tie for third place in program history with Melissa Schoonover (1996-00).
Trpcic recorded her 10th assist of the game with 5:24 left in the third, setting up Jessica Féquière for a layup to put UAlbany up 64-25. Carter tied her career high 22 points with a pair of free throws with 4:44 left in the third. At this point, Carter was 9-9 from the floor and 4-4 from the line.
UAlbany opened up a 40-point advantage late in the third off a three-pointer from Patricia Conroy. The Great Danes ended the quarter leading 75-37.
Carter hit her 10th-straight field goal with 7:48 left in the fourth, and her 11th just 10 seconds later. She finished the game with a career-high 26 points, shooting a perfect 11-11 from the floor and 4-4 from the free throw line.
The Great Danes eclipsed 90 points for the second time this season after Kumsal Aslan hit a jumper with just one minute remaining in the game. Previously, the Danes had scored 97 in overtime against Northern Illinois in Puerto Rico.
Trpcic ended the game with 11 assists, her second consecutive game in double-digits. UAlbany shot 57.1% from the floor in the game, and outscored UMass Lowell 54-20 n the paint, 40-7 off of turnovers, 10-5 in second chance points, 14-2 in fast break points, and 33-31 off the bench. The Danes recorded 16 steals, and 26 assists with just 13 turnovers, and forced UMass Lowell into committing 33 turnovers.
Next: UAlbany returns to the road to face Vermont on Thursday, February 8 in Burlington. | {
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The Tokeneke School Kids Care Club hosted a record-breaking fundraiser to benefit the Obie Harrington-Howes Foundation. There were 165 Tokeneke students, in kindergarten to grade 5, who attended the "Groove-a-Thon" and were challenged to keep moving for one hour straight. Some of the students do the "chicken dance."
Photo: Contributed Photo, Contributed
The Tokeneke School Kids Care Club hosted a record-breaking...
The Tokeneke School Kids Care Club hosted a record-breaking fundraiser to benefit the Obie Harrington-Howes Foundation. There were 165 Tokeneke students, in kindergarten to grade 5, who attended the "Groove-a-Thon" and were challenged to keep moving for one hour straight. Club members Charlotte Zaino, Diana McIntyre, Hayley Creegan and Katie Faye Davenport present Harrington-Howes with the check for $4,000.
Photo: Contributed Photo, Contributed
The Tokeneke School Kids Care Club hosted a record-breaking...
The Tokeneke School Kids Care Club hosted a record-breaking fundraiser to benefit the Obie Harrington-Howes Foundation. There were 165 Tokeneke students, in kindergarten to grade 5, who attended the "Groove-a-Thon" and were challenged to keep moving for one hour straight. Jasmine Shtufaj gets a lift from pal Madelyn Hult.
Photo: Contributed Photo, Contributed | {
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Ted Stevenot, president of the Ohio Liberty Coalition, plans on making an official announcement next week.
Tom Zawistowski, another big tea party figure in Ohio, says Stevenot has a wealth of statewide leadership experience. Zawistowski says Stevenot was at the front of the Tea Party movement when he helped create his group in Cincinnati.
According to Zawistowski, Stevenot differs from Kasich when it comes to Medicaid expansion, Common Core education standards and the severance tax on oil companies. But above all that, Zawistowski says Stevenot’s gubernatorial bid is about giving the people of Ohio another option.
“We have found in the Tea Party movement is that part of the problem -- part of the reason our electoral process no longer works -- is because the two major ‘parties’ -- and I put parties in quotes because they’re not political parties, by their own admission they’re election machines -- that they have hijacked the electoral process. Their goal is to make sure that you have no one to vote for except for the people they choose.”
Brenda Mack, former president of the Ohio Black Republicans Association is expected to be announced as Stevenot’s running mate. | {
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MONTGOMERY, TEXAS -- I was sitting in the lobby of this Popeye's restaurant, at 14631 Highway 105 West in Montgomery, Texas, with my family eating our dinner. My fries were old, and I told one of the workers who was running around busting her butt for everyone. She was wearing the only green shirt there, so I'll refer to her as Green Shirt, and she had a head set thing on and was helping the people at the drive through, while helping her coworker at the front, and I caught her attention and told her my fries were old and asked for fresh ones.
She never dropped her smile the entire time, and without missing a beat she said, "Of course, I'll go drop fresh ones for you now and bring them out when they're done." She personally went to where the fryers were, put the fries in herself, and went about doing other things that needed to be done. When my fries were ready, she brought them out with a smile, and I thanked her.
Well, five minutes later, an elder man comes in and was trying to order, but you could tell the girl on front counter was having a hard time with putting what he wanted into a button on her register. The elder man started getting angry, raised his voice, which caught all the Popeye's employees, and my family's, attention. The other employees were obviously really busy working the drive through, but here comes Green Shirt to the rescue! She had her wonderful smile on, asked the gentleman exactly what he wanted, took all his berating and his foul language that he was directing at the girl that had been working the register, as she stood next to Green Shirt.
Ms. Green Shirt apologized, sympathized with him, even though he was talking about how the young (her) generation is going nowhere in life, she kept her smile, put his order on cash register, packaged every thing he ordered, and had it all bagged up before he could even get his change. He continued to talk negative to her, and all she did was smile and was nothing but respectful and understanding. She even gave him a free apple pie for his "troubles" and wished him back to visit that Popeye's once again.
As soon as he left, she ran back over to her coworkers at the drive through, and started boxing their chicken, boxing biscuits, and making sides. She is incredible! She not only did her job, she did everyone else's as well. She is an incredible worker, and a great person in general.
Right after the elder man left, my family and I were cleaning our mess and I went up to her to compliment her. She only smiled and said she didn't deserve it, that no matter what her main goal is to keep the customer happy, and boy, she excels at it! We will be returning to this Popeye's store, mainly because of Ms. Green Shirt's amazing-ness. Oh, I did ask her name, and her name is: **. If you go to this Popeye's and Ms. **, a.k.a Green Shirt, is working, you will not have a bad experience EVER!!!
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Avoid at All Costs
By Susan - 05/26/2014
Rating: 1/51
JENA, LOUISIANA -- Particularly if you travel with your family pet stay away from Popeye's. They deny you a cup of ice water, a cup of ice, and if you ask for a bowl that they have tons of so you can give your the pet bottled water that you have to buy, you have to pay for the bowl to the tune of the cost of a side, $3.20+. I would have happily paid a reasonable price for a cup of water for my dog, but the cost was $4.20+ for bowl and water.
[Fair disclosure: The $3.20 was returned to me when I looked at the receipt. The empty bowl was listed as "Mashed potatoes and gravy." I requested the manager change the receipt to accurately show that the $3+ was for the cost of a bowl and not a side.] And certainly do not order the tea by the gallon for a group as I tried to do for my group. They won't include the cups to serve it in, much less the ice so the drink is true to its name: iced tea.
That was my experience in the Popeye's in Jena, Louisiana. But if the company allows that kind of meanness of service at one place, you don't know where else you might experience the same. So only go to Popeye's if you do not want a cup, ice, a means of giving a drink to your pet, or considerate service. Even after I finished placing my order and adjusting my order to their "rules," the server was abrupt and rude toward me. The total cost for feeding 6 people for what should have been an inexpensive meal was $49.00, $8.00 per person.
Shame that the company cannot even maintain decent service in the state in which it was created. For sure this native of Louisiana will not go there again. The business gives the state a bad name in areas in which we are supposed to excel: hospitality and food.
DETROIT, MICHIGAN -- I went to the Popeye's located on Greenfield and Joy Road #2280. I ordered 5 different orders for myself and my co-workers. The lunch order included 7 biscuits and 3 pieces of chicken, 2 red beans and rice and 2 dirty rice. To start off I went through the drive through. The cashier was very rude - it was like she did not even want to be there in the first place.
When she gave us our order I asked for honey and hot sauce. I was told there was some already in the bag. When I looked in the bag there was 1 honey and 1 hot sauce packet. So I in turn asked her for some more. She rolled her eyes and gave me two more hot sauces and 1 more honey.
I then parked and went in the restaurant and asked for some more. I was told that there would be a 10 cents charge for extra hot sauce and extra honey. I then asked where on the menu does it say that there is a charge for condiments. I asked to speak with a manager and was told the same thing. I find it sad that customer service is hit or miss these days and to make matters worse.
I am choosing to give my money to Popeye's and am being charged for condiments. How money hungry can you be. If you are charging for anything in a restaurant in my opinion the charge should be listed. To allow the customer's the option if they want to continue with their orders. Had I known there was a charge for honey I never would have even placed an order. I can buy a can of biscuits and honey from the grocery store for less.
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Bad Customer Service
By ART - 09/11/2012
Rating: 1/51
MISSOURI CITY, TEXAS -- 9/11/2012 at around 3:35 pm, here in Missouri City, Texas, Store is located in 4850 Hwy 6 South, near Fort Bend Toll Road. I was at the drive through, ordering for the chicken Tuesday Special. The female sales representative took my order but she was not paying attention. And then she asked me again for my order three times and again I said "four orders of Tuesday Mild Chicken." She replied to me with a yelling/screaming manner and then right before she end my order, she said "and get out of my way!"
When I reached the window to pay, I asked the black female cashier who was helping me in the drive through, she said "I'm so sorry, I had a rough day, but I was not helping you." Then I asked to see her manager because I believed it was not right for treating me this way. As the female manager was approaching the window, her name is **, she started telling me that they were talking (referring to her two female staff) when in fact this manager came from the front store taking orders, while her two female staff were at the back of the store. I said "Stop, before you say something LISTEN first."
I started telling her what exactly happen at the drive through, while the other two female staff were arguing about the incident. I said "Somebody made me angry right now," and they refused to tell me who was helping me at the drive through." I told the manager to re-educate her staff regarding good customer service.
This is not the first time that happen to me, it happened also before. Most of the staff at this store location has a terrible customer service/very bad manners/ghetto behaviors. Who knows if they are handling our food clean and safe. l live very near to this store location and from now on I will take our business somewhere else where there is happy people and good manners and good customer service.
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Price Ripoff Inconsistency
By Angela - 08/03/2012
Rating: 4/51
ATLANTA, GEORGIA -- Would like to make a formal complaint. I go to Popeye's a lot and go to different locations in the Atlanta, Georgia area. I always get a breast and a wing. The price is always between $3.10 and $3.13 depending on the tax in that particular and I get what I ask for. When I go to the store located at 683 Boulevard Atlanta, Georgia my price is never the same.
Today, August 3, 2012 around 11:35 and was greeted by ** who told me that my order would be $3.85 cent. Knowing that at this location they always give me an extra biscuit. Thinking that was the reason for the higher price. I asked that they take the 2nd biscuit out and reduce the price. I was told by the manager MS. ** that she could not break it up like that. I told her that I never have that problem with any other store and their prices are always the same and if they took the biscuit out I would be the same price.
I left to go to another location and came back to get the manager's name, store address and phone number. Ms. ** said that she was manager and that she would help me as much as she could and wanted to know why I wanted the information. Initially, I told her that it was because have lied to me and overcharged me. She continued to tell me about the difference in manager stores. I said that shouldn't matter because the price should be standard and they do not change.
Then she said that she could give me a Senior citizens discount which would take it down to $3.40. I was going to purchase it there but I went to the store on Lee street store #2108. I would like to commend them because of the excellent service I get.
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By Carolyn - 04/05/2012
Rating: 1/51
COLORADO SPRINGS, COLORADO -- I stopped here for a quick lunch. Had I known that the service was going to be worse than the upset stomach I got, I would have gone anywhere but here... This occurred at the 7480 Austin Bluffs Parkway, Colorado Springs, CO location.
I needed to get something NOT crunchy, nor spicy. I can't chew the crunchy, and I can't eat the 'spicy' - I was hoping that they would have something 'mild' just like KFC... NOPE! So, I decide on a Kids meal that was supposed to come with 2 Chicken Tenders like their poster had featured in the kids meal that was posted right on the wall at the register. The girl said it only came with 1 tender... I told the girl behind the counter that their ad right there on the wall said AND showed a photo on the poster of a kids meal featuring the kids meal with TWO tenders for $3.69... I told her that is FALSE and MISLEADING advertising!
She then said that they were a franchise and that it only has 1 tender on the kids meal... she got real rude about it too. So I again repeated to her that it was false and misleading advertising. (That is so bait and switch routine.) So, I was forced to buy the 'nuggets'. Well, not only were they too damn hot, but they upset my stomach really bad. Their so called sweet and sour sauce is not at all sweet and sour. It seemed all it was was entirely made of Tabasco!
I will never go to ANY Popeye's ever again. It's back to KFC for me... at least KFC doesn't pull a bait & switch routine, nor do they dump all that damn hot sauce on everything... Doesn't this crappy company realize that not everyone likes to get ripped off, nor can everyone handle hot and spicy.
I guess that is why they are behind the counter frying chicken and making fries and I have a successful career unlike them. They obviously don't care about their customers. AND, if the customer is not taken care of, the customer goes away!
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Forever Rude!
By cmc85 - 07/16/2010
CALUMET CITY, ILLINOIS -- The Popeye's Chicken on 4 W. Sibley Blvd, Calumet City, Illinois is the closest one to me. Every single time I go there they are always rude! So dirty! And even answer back to customers. For example, one day my brother and I went - we ordered take out. A customer before us saw that they put fresh biscuits out. He asked the employee if he can get the fresh ones. She said yes.
And the manager heard and in front of the customer she told the employee "You are not to give him the fresh ones until the other ones are all gone!" The customer heard of course and said "It's not her fault, I was the one to ask for them." The manager rudely turns around and says "I wasn't speaking to you." My jaw dropped! I felt a little intimidated didn't even want to ask for hot sauce.
Another time I went and had ordered a 14 piece meal and 2 orders of strips (the meals) the employee asked "mild or spicy." I said "spicy" then she said "What two sides?" I specified my sides then. So she asked again "mild or spicy?" so I repeated "spicy." She gave me my total and I asked her if she run the strips? She said "yes." I said "Okay well did I tell you I wanted the strips mild?" She rolled her eyes and said in a rude high tone, "That's why I asked you! Mild or spicy?" I got mad too and said "I thought you were asking me about the 14 piece meal preference!" so she went back and fixed it.
I've had more experiences. But this is all I'll put now. But that place is very "ghetto" - there's always a bunch of their friends there just relaxing and being loud. I've never seen the workers wash their hands before returning to work. And always have an attitude with somebody. Even the way they dress. With their pants under their booty. And always playing around in flirtatious ways.. So non-pro. I like the taste of that chicken over other places. But the service is horrible!!
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Bait and Switch
By Mona - 07/29/2014
Rating: 1/51
MISSOURI CITY, TEXAS -- This review is for the Missouri City Store located at 4850 Highway 6 S. near the Fort Bend Toll Road. At the drive through at 4:30 Saturday afternoon, I ordered 8 pieces of dark meat, mild. The cashier said that they didn't have 8 pieces of mild. I had to play 20 questions to finally learn that they did in fact have 6 pieces of mild, so I then said that 2 pieces of spicy would be fine, as long as they were dark. The cashier said no problem, but when I got to the window it looked like the four or five employees were trying to "hustle up" something. I even asked the cashier how long it would be for another batch to come out of the fryer. I offered to wait.
She hollered "how long", but never got a response. I paid for my box of chicken and drove away. I did stop a few yards from the store, opened the box, and saw 4 drumsticks, and four other pieces that I assumed were thighs. It's hard to tell with batter coating the pieces. At home, we found that two of the pieces were dried out inedible white pieces. I assume that they segregate dark from white, and that they are trained to tell one type from another. They switched product just to move chicken, knowing that they didn't have enough to properly fill my order.
I won't go back there again. Popeye's has a good product -- I like it better than Churches and KFC. Management needs to focus on improving the quality of customer service and on keeping product available, especially during peak hours.
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The Customer Service Was Rude and the Chicken Was Disgusting Old
By D. - 02/16/2014
Rating: 1/51
ARLINGTON, TEXAS -- I love Popeye's chicken but the Popeye's at the store at Green Oaks and Cooper needs help. I went to the store late in the evening. I asked if the chicken was fresh and they assured that it was. When I received the chicken it didn't look fresh and I asked for some more, which I received. When I came home with the chicken it was still hard as a rock and I realized that the staff lied about it being fresh. This has happened on more than one occasion and from now on I will take my services to Churches Chicken. Thanks for nothing Popeye's!!!
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Horrible Customer Service, Worst EVER ANYWHERE IN 40 years
By Tim - 11/22/2013
Rating: 1/51
LANSING, MICHIGAN -- Ordered a crawfish tackle box and a 2 piece and a biscuit. Was told there would be a 3 minute wait on the crawfish so I pulled ahead, that was at 12:10. Then at 12:18 a lady came and told me that now I am waiting on the chicken, I asked if they could not figure out I had chicken on my order also?? I told her I just wanted my money back. At 12:23 I went inside to get my money back!! I am diabetic and NEVER got lunch that day!!!
I contacted Popeye's corporate office right then from the parking lot and was told someone would get back to me. Called on 11-1-13 and was told too early for them to review my complaint. Called on 11-13-13 and was told "she will have someone contact me ASAP." On 11-19-13 I called again and was told the same thing?? Does Popeye's have so many complaints that they can't get back to people in 3 weeks??? | {
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JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Jaguars cornerback Jalen Ramsey wants to set the record straight about what he did, or didn't, say to Cincinnati Bengals receiver A.J. Green before the two got into a scuffle at the end of the first half of last Sunday's game.
Ramsey said his trash talking did not include any references to Green's personal life. However, he did admit to calling Green soft and mentally weak, but he said that isn't anything different than what he's said to any other receiver he's covered.
"It's rumors out there that I said some deep, some personal stuff," Ramsey said. "I'm going to let y'all know that's not true. I get out, I do my thing, I talk s---, but I don't go personal. I don't talk about nobody's wife, nobody's kids, nobody's family. I don't do that.
"I told him almost every play that he was weak, that he was soft. Them are straight facts. He just can't handle the truth. It's facts. I told him his time was almost up. I told him that it was easy, which it was. He had one catch for 6 yards. I was just out there spitting facts to him. He got mad."
Jaguars cornerback Jalen Ramsey said his only regret from Sunday's scuffle with A.J. Green is that he wishes he fought back. "If I'm ever in that situation again, best believe I'm going to get active out there," Ramsey said. Matt Stamey/USA TODAY Sports
Ramsey said he could tell he was getting to Green because the veteran wide receiver was trash talking back and that feeds right into what Ramsey tries to do to receivers every week.
"Y'all know how I play," Ramsey said. "I lock receivers down physically and then mentally I get into their mind, get under their skin. I talk my talk. Whatever I'm going to say.
"... Some people are mentally strong. He wasn't during that game. He wasn't mentally strong. I've talked to a few of his teammates afterwards, a couple guys I know, and they had told me, they were like, once A.J. started talking back we knew you had him because he don't ever talk."
A.J. Green and Jalen Ramsey will not be suspended for their fight on Sunday, but both the Bengals wide receiver and Jaguars cornerback will face potential fines, the NFL announced Monday.
1 Related
Ramsey and Green had been trash talking back and forth throughout the first half, and things came to a head after a running play with less than 30 seconds to play. Green put his left arm on Ramsey's right shoulder after the play, and Ramsey responded by shoving Green to the ground.
Green jumped up, grabbed Ramsey around the neck and threw him to the ground. Green punched Ramsey multiple times while they were both on the ground as players from both teams rushed to break up the fight.
Ramsey and Green were ejected and Ramsey admitted that he did go to the Bengals' locker room area before being escorted away by stadium security to try to confront Green.
"I wanted my money's worth," Ramsey said. "I got kicked out for not doing anything. I did what the coaches and everybody told me not to do, not to fight back basically, just let him do whatever he was trying to do. I still got kicked out, so yeah, I wanted my money's worth."
Ramsey said he felt he shouldn't have been ejected from the game because his push that sparked the fight was not late and did not draw a flag. He also said he would have behaved differently during the fight had he known he was going to get ejected.
"That pissed me off, because like I said, I thought I did the right thing in the moment and I still got kicked out," Ramsey said. "If I knew I was going to get kicked out, I would have got active. It's cool. Now I know what to do in that situation. If I'm ever in that situation again, best believe I'm going to get active out there." | {
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server is still a "core5" release.
It will be upgraded to core7 as soon as possible
Don't expect performances you get in acquas, since nebula is "single instance", so it cannot collapse inner elements. In any case you would be able to run something at zero latency if you configure it. | {
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Features: ======= – remix audio loops (16bit/44,1kHz) in 1 click – get 10 sample loops for free to get you started – apply up to 9 FX to all or to individual slices – export as .wav to use with DAWs (Ableton, Cubase, ProTools, Apple Logic Pro…) or samplers ( Native Instruments Maschine, Akai MPC, …)
The Coders/Programers of this product worked really hard for endless hours to bring this Amazing product to the General Public for absolutely NO COST.
As a show of Patronage and appreciation we ask that you help us to continue to make these types of projects possible by filling one of our quick and easy Sponsor Forms it wont take but a few seconds. A portion of the proceeds will be donated so congratulations this is your Good deed for the day | {
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Exploring the Long Term Effects of 'Thatcherite' Social and Economic Policies for Crime
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In this post, DPhil Candidate Dominic Aitken discusses our second All Souls Seminar of Hilary Term by Professor Stephen Farrell on the legacy of Thatcherism.
To those of us born after 1990, Margaret Thatcher seems more mythical than real. We know a thing or two about strong female Tory leaders trouncing the Labour Party as it flounders in irrelevance, and it certainly rings a bell to hear that in days gone by the Prime Minister, disenchanted with Europe, forged alliances with an ageing, inexperienced, celebrity US President, notorious for his public gaffes and brash rhetoric on law and order. But the details of Thatcher’s premiership (1979–90) are often lost in polarised debates about her overall legacy. The Iron Lady is vaguely associated with some key concepts (monetarism, unemployment) and crucial events (the Falklands War, the Poll Tax), but beyond that it gets a little hazy.
The ideology that bears her name, Thatcherism, is usually said to have changed Britain, emphasising the free economy and strong state, market liberalism and social conservatism. Political change in the 1980s came in many forms, most notably reduced employment in the manufacturing industry, tax reform and heightened economic inequality, financial market deregulation, the privatisation of publicly owned industries and assets, and the sale of council houses. The speed and extent of these reforms suggest they were authorised by someone intent on leaving her mark. Moreover, social conflicts inherited from earlier decades were given a distinctive Thatcherite twist, from the trade unions to the Provisional IRA, Tory Euroscepticism to striking miners. Although her ideas were probably longer in the making than we recognise, and some major changes were likely to have happened anyway, there is no doubt that Margaret Thatcher was one of the most significant twentieth century British Prime Ministers.
Beyond these points of general consensus, what can we say about Thatcherism? Specifically, what can we say about the legacy of Thatcherism on crime and criminal justice? Enter Professor Stephen Farrell from the University of Sheffield. In our second All Souls Seminar of Hilary Term, he analysed the impact of four policy areas – economic policy, housing, social security and education – on property crime and criminal justice.
Farrell began by expressing his frustration at lopsided, misleading accounts of the Thatcher years in criminology. There is, he suggested, too little discussion of particular people, events and policies. Tricky questions about class and region, race and nation, are omitted. Instead, the New Right is reduced to an economic ideology, neoliberalism, known for its suspicion of state planning and enthusiasm for competitive, efficient markets in public life. The main problem with this picture is that the new right was much more than an economic programme. It was neoliberal and neo-conservative. There is no doubt that economic neoliberalism was distinctive and important, but political parties cannot win over the electorate just by talking about the money supply. The new right was, in rhetoric if not always in substance, socially neo-conservative. As Thatcher put it in 1981, ‘Economics are the method; the object is to change the heart and soul’. Her moral language may be less measurable than economic statistics, but they are essential parts of the story. Anyone who spoke of Britain as a ‘Christian nation’ and lamented ‘a loosening of standards, a weakening of the bonds which hold us together as a people, a decline of manners, of morals, of shared beliefs’ is concerned with more than inflation.
Focusing exclusively on a broad and historically variable label such as neoliberalism is especially puzzling when it comes to criminal justice. Although there is presumably some relationship between economics, crime and punishment, as will be discussed later, it is neo-conservatives who talk of traditional values, personal responsibility and the law-abiding moral majority. Social critics like Charles Murray and James Q Wilson might therefore be better starting points than economists like Friedrich Hayek and Milton Friedman.
Fortunately, it is possible to bring these two sides of the new right together to give a more rounded picture. To simplify somewhat, Farrell argued that neoliberal policies affected crime rates (sometimes directly, sometimes not), which eventually led to neo-conservative government responses. The majority of his discussion focused on property crime, which rose markedly in the Thatcher years and peaked during John Major’s time in office. Time series analysis shows that this offence category changed with levels of unemployment, and that the crime-economy link strengthened over the 1980s. Although income inequality, which rose markedly in the 1980s, is often thought to increase crime rates, Farrell suggested that for the Thatcher years unemployment is the more relevant factor. Additionally, the sale of council houses created a residual stock of poor quality properties for those who could not afford to buy their home, concentrating social and economic need among poorer, more ethnically diverse, groups. Renters, the data suggest, were twice as likely to be victims of property crime as owners.
Education policy provides an interesting case study on patterns and perceptions of youth crime. Having introduced school league tables to satisfy people’s desire for choice in all areas of life, schools began to game the system. Difficult students whose exam results were likely to be poor were more likely to be excluded. School expulsions reached a high of more than 12,500 in 1996–97, up from around 6,000 in 1991. (No one kept official records previously, as school exclusions were relatively rare.) Children who previously might have acted up in school, but not had their transgressions recorded, were now left with nothing to do during the day, so hung around their neighbourhoods, sometimes causing trouble. Public perceptions about the ‘problem’ of young people followed this development, paving the way for the controversial anti-social behaviour policies of the New Labour years.
Increased crime rates, and corresponding levels of fear and punitive attitudes, set the stage for a new political consensus on toughness. Content analysis of the Queen’s Speech and Hansard debates illustrates growing concerns about ‘law and order’, which began to be explicitly politicised in the 1970s. The punitive policies and culture of the 1990s resulted in the prison population nearly doubling in the two decades after 1993, sentences lengthening and the criminal net widening. These developments originated in higher levels of crime and corresponding fear of crime, but they were driven forward by political competition between the Conservatives and Labour Parties as they sought to out-bid one another, both in rhetoric and in substance. Whether these developments can fairly be called Thatcher’s legacy is a thorny question, but the rightward shift of New Labour on crime and justice must be partly explained in terms of the Tories who they had spent 18 years trying to oust.
There were many refreshing aspects of Farrell’s talk. For a start, he did not portray Thatcher as an omnipotent leader, capable of transforming Britain unopposed. He painted a far more accurate picture of a party seeking office, mobilising support from different groups and facing organised opposition. 1979 was not implicitly treated as year-zero, but part of a longer sequence, particularly postwar politics, economic ‘decline’ and the turmoil of the 1970s. Given these political constraints and historical inheritance, Thatcherism, like any successful ideology, was often pragmatic and opportunistic, even if some of its proponents went far further than many would have liked.
Thatcherism does have a legacy in criminal justice, although it is in many ways indirect, and complicated by a time lag between cause and effect. Where many other writers start by blaming neoliberalism and busk from there, Farrell specified mechanisms linking broad policy changes to particular outcomes. His discussion of unemployment, housing, social security and education illustrated how major political changes, filtered slowly through institutions over time, bring about many unintended effects. Prison population growth, increased sentence lengths and expanded criminal law are all partially the legacy of Thatcherism, even if they were not chosen directly by her. Whether anyone can credibly challenge these developments any time soon, or whether enough people care about them in the first place, remains to be seen. | {
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Wednesday October 15th 2003
As I write this I can hear from the other room the deep mellow twang of a double bass played by Shannon Birchall – moonlighting with me, his real gig is with the John Butler Trio. A fine player with a beautiful sound. We | {
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New Teaser One Sheet For RED 2 Provides No Rest For Its Elder Cast!!
Summit Entertainment has put out another teaser poster for Dean Parisot's follow-up to 2010's RED (via Yahoo!), still using the cast silhoutte look from the first one sheet, only this time they're looking away from us instead of walking towards, and they're accompanied by a tagline that doesn't seem to make much sense for this sequel.
"The Best Never Rest"? Do they not realize that this series is about a bunch of retired C.I.A. operatives who aren't getting any younger? They'd better rest. Don't get me wrong... Helen Mirren and John Malkovich are still awesome, but they certainly are getting up there in age, and should probably be in bed by 8 or at least getting a nap in the middle of the day. | {
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Viacutan
Viacutan Plus is a dietary supplement to help condition the skin of dogs and cats. Viacutan Plus contains oils with a high GLA content, fish oil, and Vitamin E, Curumin & Green Tea Extracts to act as additional anti-oxidants. | {
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Feel My Love
Product Notes
Adult contemporary singer/songwriter and former NY teacher Bud Buckley has emptied his schoolbag into a new CD, Feel My Love. If Bob Dylan ever managed to swallow Paul Simon and Jose Feliciano and their guitars, it would sound like Bud. Now living in Florida he sings of torture by nuns, the anguish of young and unyoung girls he still counsels, the pain of good-byes, the sweetness of homecomings and living with hurricanes. His acoustic guitar and smooth vocals contrast with sometimes searing, sometimes waw-wawing Telecaster lines. His pop style is at times folk/rock or traditional ballad. Whether he's drawing a laugh or a tear, he's a good listen.
Adult contemporary singer/songwriter and former NY teacher Bud Buckley has emptied his schoolbag into a new CD, Feel My Love. If Bob Dylan ever managed to swallow Paul Simon and Jose Feliciano and their guitars, it would sound like Bud. Now living in Florida he sings of torture by nuns, the anguish of young and unyoung girls he still counsels, the pain of good-byes, the sweetness of homecomings and living with hurricanes. His acoustic guitar and smooth vocals contrast with sometimes searing, sometimes waw-wawing Telecaster lines. His pop style is at times folk/rock or traditional ballad. Whether he's drawing a laugh or a tear, he's a good listen. | {
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Ancient sorcerers. Slick conspirators. Control freak monks. Cyborg apes.Armed with the secrets of Feng Shui, all aim to conquer the past, present, and future.Only you have the guts, guns, and flying feet to stop them!
It’s back in all its explodey, chi-blasting glory — Feng Shui, the classic game of Hong... [click here for more]
Rimward brings you to the edge of the solar system, including: The Main Belt, Jovian Republic, Jovian Trojans, Saturn, The Titanian Commonwealth, Uranus and the Ultimates, Neptune, The Kuiper Belt, The Autonomist Alliance, New Morphs and Gear.
Rimward is a 200-page PDF (with layers, a hyperlinked table of contents, a hyperlinked index, and internal hyperlinks) and is Creative Commons... [click here for more]
Transhuman is the expanded guide to Eclipse Phase for both players and gamemasters, containing:
* Package-based character creation * Random life path character creation * Get more out of flexbots, swarmanoids, asyncs, and infomorphs with expanded rules and options * Make better Firewall agents with advice on investigation, combat tactics, espionage, and infiltration * Over 30 new... [click here for more]
Ultimate Psionics is just that—the ultimate book on psionics, combining nearly all of the material in Psionics Unleashed and Psionics Expanded into a single hardcover book. But not only does Ultimate Psionics contain existing content, over seventy pages of brand new material has been added (separately released as Psionics Augmented for those who already... [click here for more]
Welcome to the front lines, Battle-Brother! Deathwatch is a roleplaying game in which you take on the role of a member of the Adeptus Astartes - the devout, bio-engineered super-soldiers also known as Space Marines. After many years of exemplary service within your own chapter, you have been singled out and selected to join one of the most unique and specialized collectives of Space Marines... [click here for more]
The Game Master’s Kit will help keep a Kill-team’s Missions from going astray! It comes complete with a sturdy GM screen featuring stunning Deathwatch artwork and useful tables, charts, rules, and statistics, providing quick Game Master reference and a handy place to hide notes. Added to this is a 32-page full colour booklet with a selection of useful NPCs, and an expanded Mission-generation... [click here for more]
The First Founding Legions were crafted by the Emperor himself in the image of his twenty Primarchs. They forged the Imperium in bloody combat as they waged the Great Crusade across the galaxy. Many Space Marines fell to the maligned seduction of Chaos during the Horus Heresy, but those that stayed loyal formed the base from which all Space Marine Chapters would be created. Those Chapters that still... [click here for more]
The Rimward Hack Pack contains:
Rimward cover, chapter-opening, and other artwork as 150DPI images. (30 Photoshop files)
Morph and Vehicle artwork. (5 Photoshop files)
All of the material in the hack pack is made available under a Creative Commons Attribution- Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License. You're free to use, modify, and redistribute them as you like -- but you... [click here for more]
On the savage Feral World of Aurum, a proud colony of warriors resists the pull of the Imperium, and their assistance is vital in the face of new foes. Meanwhile, a city beneath the sea might hold the answers needed to uncover the mystery behind a missing Inquisitor. The Deathwatch is needed. The Emperor Protects contains three separate adventures for the Deathwatch roleplaying game set among the... [click here for more]
What does every fantasy RPG campaign need?
Monsters! Monsters! Monsters!
The Fantasy AGE Bestiary gives Game Masters a plethora of new foes to challenge their players, from classics like the basilisk and minotaur to new monsters like the eldritch crown and shard lord. Each creature is fully detailed, with background information, adventure hooks, game stats, and variants.
This beautiful,... [click here for more]
Forget your fairy tales, kid. This is Storm Hollow, the land where all the stories really happened. From a city built on gears, to forest with a beating heart, to a sea of endless isles, it is a world unlike any other. But, it's not all rainbows and unicorns, kid. From brave Lightbringers to daring Stormchasers to clever Whizbangers, Storm Hollow needs all kinds of heroes... hereos like you.There's... [click here for more]
The light of the God-Emperor stands between humanity and destruction. Against myriad enemies, the Ecclesiarchy defends the faith with bolt, chain, and flame. Blood of Martyrs contains new rules, backgrounds, alternate careers and equipment for playing servants of the Adeptus Ministorum, the church of the God-Emperor of Mankind. Included within are a detailed history of the Ecclesiarchy and the Sisters... [click here for more]
Tap into the mysteries of psionics, using sheer force of will to allow psionic characters to let loose power to rival any physical force or magical energy. Revised and updated with brand new artwork and formatting, including fully-developed 0-level psionic powers, Psionics Unleashed Revised has all of the material from the original Psionics Unleashed, but with the production quality our fans deserve,... [click here for more]
he Space Hulk Mortis Thule drifts silently through the void of the Jericho Reach, and with it comes devastation, ruin, and woe. Do you dare breach its hull and uncover its sanity-shattering secrets? Ark of Lost Souls is a supplement for Deathwatch that presents both a three-part adventure set onboard an infamous Space Hulk, and a Game Master’s guide to Space Hulks in general.
Told... [click here for more]
Conceal the secrets of the Chi Wars from the prying eyes of your players behind a wall of mystery and knowledge! This three-panel reference extravaganza is provided not only as a three-page PDF suitable for letter-sized printing, but also in the form of an extra-large single file that you can spread across your 4K cinema display in a gigantic display of your Game... [click here for more]
In Edge of the Abyss, a supplement for Rogue Trader, detailed descriptions of the Expanse’s famous worlds allow players and GMs to plan new Endeavours and adventures. Fight across the frozen surface of Lucin’s Breath, plunder the Egarian maze cities, and plumb the secrets of haunted Illisk. Study, negotiate, and war against the inhabitants of the Expanse: xenos races, the... [click here for more]
EVERYTHING HAS A PRICE
There are cracks in the world. They’re slender, dark, and often cold, but they are the only things that keep you hidden. Keep you alive. They are the shadows of the world, and they are where you live.
You are a shadowrunner, thriving in the margins, doing the jobs no one else can. You have no office, no permanent home, no background to check. You are whatever you... [click here for more]
It Can Always Get Worse
Federal Agent Seth Dietrich has a secret. Actually, multiple secrets. One of them made him go underground, hiding from the people desperate to learn just how much he knows. And the other is keeping him from surfacing, because he’s found he can’t even trust himself.
If Dietrich were in his right mind, he’d cover his tracks like a pro, and no one would... [click here for more]
Leave Nothing on the Table
When the campaigning is done, the debates are over, and the voters are heading out to cast their votes, it’s time for the final push. Whether you’re fighting for a particular candidate or a specific cause, you don’t want to feel like there was more you could have done, that there was one more gambit you could have pulled to put your side over... [click here for more]
Shock Compression
The players are lined up. The goals are clear. The waiting is over. The ultimate rush is beginning, and it’s going to pull a lot of dangerous elements closer and closer together until they explode.
The shadows of Seattle have been heaved this way and that in the Great Seattle Artifact Rush, and a fair number of artifacts have been collected (in exchange for a handful... [click here for more]
THE CLOAK OF DEATH
It’s thick. Luxurious. Concealing. The cloak of death will make you feared, envied, and maybe even wealthy. It will also smother your soul. The best assassins in the Sixth World can gain untold wealth and make the whole world shake, but they also will be hunted and stalked until the end of their days. Assuming their conscience doesn’t eat them alive.
Hard Targets... [click here for more]
Danger Zones! Shadowrunning can take you all sorts of different places and give you the chance to have all sorts of different guns pointed at you. Whether you’re exploring mysterious islands off the coast of Seattle, collecting bounties on the tightly guarded streets of Manhattan, or trying to survive the chaos and conflict in Bogotá, you’re likely to find yourself... [click here for more]
Lethal Force
You're not a noob. You're not a poseur. You're a shadowrunner. When you pick a weapon, it's with a purpose, and 99 times out of 100, that purpose is to bring suckers down. You're going to choose your weapon carefully, and you know that the more options you have, the better your final choice will be.
Gun H(e)aven 3is about options. Pistols, rifles, machine guns, even a... [click here for more]
Honor. Skill. And Exceptionally Sharp Blades
They are legends. They are dangerous. They are feared. They are to be avoided—unless you have one of them on your side. They are street samurai. That title covers a variety of skill sets, from the accuracy to nail a target from a thousand meters away to the stealth needed to sneak into a tightly guarded environment and cut someone’s... [click here for more]
The War Within
Not all has been right in our shadows of late. Especially in the dark shadows of my mind.
Those were among FastJack’s parting words to JackPoint when he left, the victim of a condition that divided his mind against itself. And the condition is spreading. Across the Sixth World, people’s minds are in schism, as new personalities emerge and battle the old. The world is in... [click here for more]
Freeport is one of the classic city settings of fantasy roleplaying and it’s back—bigger and better—in this monstrous new sourcebook for The Pathfinder Roleplaying Game.
Clocking in at a massive 544 pages, Freeport: The City of Adventure lovingly details a metropolis that mixes fantasy tropes, piracy, and Lovecraftian horror into an action packed setting for your RPG campaign.... [click here for more]
Dangers Below
One of the tricks of shadowrunning in the Sioux Nation is keeping your eye on the things you can’t see. It’s not just the spirits and the unseen magical beings of the world—though that’s part of it—but the dangers underground. The poisons seeping into the earth from abandoned mines, and the vast complex that has been built underground, out of sight of the... [click here for more]
The world of Freeport is a perilous one, as any swab can attest. Sailors face monsters like ocean wyrms and sail dragons, explorers must deal with ghost eaters and harpoon crabs, and city dwellers may be surprised by burnlings and flayed men. You’ll find all these creatures and many more in the Freeport Bestiary for the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game!
This 180-page full color... [click here for more]
Enjoy the artwork of Dreamscarred Press’s psionic books in this collection of artwork from artists like Wayne Reynolds, Jason Rainville, and others!
The pieces in this book include full-color scenes like the one gracing this book’s cover by Jason Rainville, to the half-page scenes of Adrian the iconic soulknife running up the walls, to the dozens of single illustrations of iconic characters,... [click here for more]
Unlock the 36 Chambers of Shaolin! This document includes the contents of chapter two of Feng Shui 2, including all thirty-six archetypes, to make it even easier to get into the game. Now every player at the table can affordably join the Dragons to take down the combined might of the Ascended, Guiding Hand, Eaters of the Lotus, or New Simian Army. Right the wrongs... [click here for more] | {
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Your initial statement implied that the woman that got conned is a fan. I don't think that she is, I think that she is just a regular consumer. You do agree that not all consumers are fans, so I don't see what the problem is.
Yes, I definitely was calling her a fan. And I definitely think she is an Apple fan. Regardless of whether she is or not, that's how I was presenting her in my OP, which, I remind you, was a joke to begin with (so comic license is at work here too!). The "problem" is your ensuing reply was essentially a non-sequitur to my comment.
This page-turning patent is ludicrous. For something to be patentable, it has to have novelty. There was nothing novel about an animated page turn at the time Apple filed its patent. iBooks was not even introduced until mid-2010. By that time Stanza with its very nice animated page turn had already been in use for years and years.
I agree with those who say the patent won't stand up in court. The U.S. patent office is probably incapable of vetting patent applications in order to determine whether the technology/process is novel or has already been included in another patent. They leave it up to costly litigation to sort these things out. As some have suggested, there may also be some monkey business going on here too.
Adding an SD card is different as it raises the cost and size of an item. And it discourages people from using a money-making cloud-based resource.
Home page widgets have no such considerations. There is no valid reason not to put them in, so I suspect someone else already has patented them for mobile devices. That's why Apple has yet to add them.
As someone with experience with electronics design, sd cards really do not greatly effect price. When making a device like the iPhone it already has most the capabilities to handle SD cards so the only real cost is for the SD card slot itself which cost pennies. Relying on SD may be cheaper than using more NAND flash, depending on how it is implemented
The only reason why Apple does not include an internal SD card reader is because that would simply cut into the profit margins. They wouldn't be able to up trade you to go with a higher capacity model, and they also wouldn't be able to sell you an external SD card reader (yes, apple makes sd card adaptors.)
A Samsung official has reportedly denied claims that the company has raised the price it charges Apple for its iPhone and iPad processors by almost 20 percent. Speaking with Korean newspaper The Hankyoreh, the unnamed official added that prices were agreed upon at the beginning of each year and "aren't changed easily."
As someone with experience with electronics design, sd cards really do not greatly effect price. When making a device like the iPhone it already has most the capabilities to handle SD cards so the only real cost is for the SD card slot itself which cost pennies. Relying on SD may be cheaper than using more NAND flash, depending on how it is implemented
The only reason why Apple does not include an internal SD card reader is because that would simply cut into the profit margins. They wouldn't be able to up trade you to go with a higher capacity model, and they also wouldn't be able to sell you an external SD card reader (yes, apple makes sd card adaptors.)
This. You have to understand Apple's corporate mindset. All their hardware is designed to lock users in to their system, that's the whole point. And it's working for them apparently.
The only reason why Apple does not include an internal SD card reader is because that would simply cut into the profit margins. They wouldn't be able to up trade you to go with a higher capacity model, and they also wouldn't be able to sell you an external SD card reader (yes, apple makes sd card adaptors.)
It's amusing to watch someone who claims to have experience with electronics design claim that the only reason to leave out a SD slot is greed.
Tell us, electronics designer, how much space does a SD card reader take up in a phone chassis?
It's amusing to watch someone who claims to have experience with electronics design claim that the only reason to leave out a SD slot is greed.
Greed may not be the only reason, but considering Apple, it was probably very high up on the list. The mico SD slot is roughly comparable in size to the SIM slot required for any GSM or UMTS phone. On a phone as big as the iPhone 5 there is probably plenty of room, since many comparably sized competing products have both a SIM and an SD slot, and sometimes even a user replaceable battery. Hellmark was almost certainly correct when he said that the obvious reason to leave out a micro SD slot was because it is much more profitable to gouge the customer for a 16GB to 32GB internal FLASH upgrade.
Greed and price gouging are probably some of the reasons that Apple is doing so poorly in the biggest smartphone market in the work. | {
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Denny's Named Inaugural Leader in Kids LiveWell Nutrition Program
WASHINGTON, July 13, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Denny's today announced they have been selected by the Kids LiveWell program as an Inaugural Leader. The nationwide initiative, created by the National Restaurant Association in collaboration with HealthyDiningFinder.com, has noted two dishes on Denny's Kids Menu – Denny's Junior Build Your Own Grand Slam and Spaghetti Plate – that meet the Kids LiveWell nutritional guidelines and promote the importance of making healthy food choices. The dishes will be featured at today's Kids LiveWell Event in Washington, D.C.
Denny's Junior Build Your Own Grand Slam®, a paired down version of the adult-sized classic, packs the protein and fiber growing kids need to tackle the day – complete with one scrambled egg white, two slices of delicious turkey bacon, hash browns and a small apple juice. The Spaghetti Plate – featuring spaghetti noodles topped with marinara sauce, a side of steamed broccoli and a piece of garlic bread– provides a wholesome meal without excessive sodium, sugar or fat.
Denny's highlighted dishes provide better-for-you menu options and meet dietary guidelines which include a meal at 600 calories or less with a paired side at 200 calories or less.
"Accessibility to nutritious menu options that don't compromise taste, value or variety is an important step to improve the well-being of future generations," said David Coltrin, senior director of product marketing and strategy for Denny's. "We're excited to work with the Kids LiveWell program and showcase healthier alternatives to some celebrated American classics."
Healthier food choices have always been an integral part of Denny's menu. Last month, Denny's launched a wide variety of nutritious eats that are lower in fat and calories, and higher in protein and fiber with a new Fit Fare® menu. From the Harvest Oatmeal Breakfast to the Chicken Avocado Sandwich and the Tilapia Ranchero, Fit Fare® meals and menu items are far from standard fare. The selections of individual items and calorie-conscious meals have been integrated directly into the standard menu making it easy for diners to identify these nutritious dishes. In fact, today, one in five Build Your Own Grand Slams® sold at Denny's contains Fit Fare® options.
"Denny's has been committed to our customers for over 50 years, and we are continuing to look for innovative ways to satisfy their culinary cravings," said John Dillon, vice president of marketing and product development for Denny's. "Our nutritious menu options allow diners to build a delicious meal with healthier alternatives." | {
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February 18, 2015
Published in 1990, The Eye of the World promised a venture into Fantasy of epic proportions, but it's possible no one could have predicted The Wheel of Time series would be a huge story that took two decades, two authors, and fourteen volumes of over four million words. Author Robert Jordan died while working on the twelfth book, which he expected to be the last, but the series was completed by Brandon Sanderson in three more books.
The fourteenth and final volume, A Memory of Light, was completed January 2013, a dazzling conclusion that was applauded for the most part by readers who never thought they would find themselves wanting any more of The Wheel of Time. But there have always been rumors of the possibility of an adaptation, and with the widespread success of Game of Thrones as a TV show, Wheel of Time fans have been waiting and wishing to see the books brought to either the big screen or the little screen.
On Feb 9, despite the hoards of fans with an ear open for any of the first whispers of a TV series, a pilot called Winter Dragon was aired without anyone, not even Robert Jordan's widow Harriet, expecting a thing.
Starring Billy Zane as the bad guy, the pilot took the short (maybe ten page?) prologue and turned it into a boring and unfocused 30 minute affair plagued with late night commercials that's available in no better than 480p on YouTube after being recorded off someone's TV screen in the middle of the night.
Please don't watch the Eye of the World pilot if you haven't read The Wheel of Time. It doesn't make sense and leaves out a crucial event in the Eye of the World prologue, when Lews Therin in his insanity and guilt kills himself and creates Dragonmount. That didn't make it into the pilot for some reason. He and the hundred companions have pretty much destroyed civilization and killed just about everyone, a point that's mentioned but not really drawn out well enough to hit home with someone who isn't familiar with the series. As someone who has read the entire series, I can't even imagine how boring this pilot would be for someone who hasn't; it's barely enjoyable as someone who already knows the importance of this chapter.
Personally, my biggest concern is that I want everyone to know that The Wheel of Time is better than Game of Thrones. The Wheel of Time kicks GOT's ass. That's just where I'm coming from. Too much hinges on a good adaptation of this series, because the world needs to know that Robert Jordan is better than George R. R. Martin. I like A Song of Ice and Fire, but most everything I once loved about it is already dead (i.e. the characters that have been killed off, heroes and interesting villains alike, not to mention the Dire Wolves that have been killed so far). The Winter Dragon pilot gives me no confidence that a Wheel of Time adaptation will come anywhere close to competing with HBO's Game of Thrones, and I won't be able to tell all my friends how I knew it was cool all along.
There's not really enough to Winter Dragon to call it awful. It sticks fairly closely to the way the prologue of The Eye of the World was written; Lews Therin wanders his palace in a delusion that all is well and his wife Ilyena is playing hide and seek with the children, when really they are all dead and everything has been destroyed. Ishamael shows up calling himself Elan Morin Tedronai, and makes Lews Therin see the truth: he killed his family. Ishamael tempts Lews Therin to become a servant of Shai'tan, promising to return Ilyena to life in exchange for service to the shadow. To me this is a scene with a lot of potential — I love the madness and the temptation, Lews Therin grappling with what he did in madness, and resisting Ishamael's offer. Red Eagle's pilot doesn't tap into that potential. It's a long, drawn out mess of crucial moments that either fall flat or are straight out omitted.
Possibly the slowness is due to the fact that I can read the prologue to The Wheel of Time in under ten minutes; Winter Dragon turns that into thirty minutes of screen time. It's excruciating. It doesn't bode incredibly well for a series potentially coming out of this studio.
io9 is covering the story of why this pilot was made and whether an adaption will be realized. Read the latest update here.
February 3, 2015
A perfect military training sci-fi mashup, Lone Star Renegades is a brilliant execution of one of my favorite genres. A football team is accidentally abducted into the belly of a big collector ship and vie for their survival in a desperate, hopeless situation. When Collin Frost and his Lone Stars teammates make an agreement with alien spacecraft captain Dante Primo for their return home, the teenagers must first complete six weeks of training and a year of service to Primo's faction, the Brotherhood. The teenagers are in for weapons training, hand-to-hand, and competitions in the sport of Pangallo. But it's not all fun and training; the Brotherhood forces are under constant attack, and I don't want to spoil anything, but you can bet the new recruits are going to see their share of action. It's a fun adventure abroad — really far abroad, in the far reaches of outer space.
For fans of Mark Wayne McGinnis's Scrapyard Ship series, look out for Book 7 in March 2015. Have a look at Mark Wayne McGinnis's site for all works in progress. | {
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Marlins' Wei-Yin Chen: Won't be ready for Opening Day
Manager Don Mattingly said Wednesday that Chen (elbow) isn't expected to be ready for Opening Day but should join the rotation at some point, Tim Healey of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reports.
Chen dealt with elbow issues throughout the 2017 season. He received a PRP injection in late September and was shut down before the end of the year. He has started throwing but isn't expected to be quite ready by the time the season starts. The lefty was effective (3.82 ERA, 3.73 FIP) in the 33 innings he was able to pitch last year, but nagging elbow injuries for pitchers always bring with them the ominous threat of potential Tommy John surgery. | {
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It’s a cold, cruel world out there, and I am not just referring to the nasty and seemingly never-ending winter many of us have experienced during the last few months.
The world can be an extremely hostile place for anyone who dares to challenge the over-sexualized messages that are the norm in just about every form of entertainment and mass media that permeates our society.
Don’t believe me?
Consider the case involving a family from the peaceful town of Chelsea, Mich. It serves as a reminder as to just what could happen when we push back against a culture that knows no limits.
Michael and Mary Stone believed they were doing the right thing when they complained about a song that was scheduled to be performed at the local high school choir concert — an event that involved their own teens.
The song, by the popular boy band One Direction, contains some pretty risqué lyrics — and that’s putting it mildly. It includes not only one too many sexual references but references to sexting as well. Now, one would think given the long list of problems associated with sexting among today’s media savvy teens and tweens in recent years, and the many sexting and online bullying horror stories that have made headlines, the school itself might take the Stones’ suggestions and maybe change the lyrics in the song for the performance or not perform the song at all.
Given that One Direction is featured in a video promoting Office Depot’s bullying prevention program, one would also hope the pop stars would have some sort of a clue that the parents might have a point. Or even if they disagreed, acknowledge the parents’ concerns.
Not a chance.
For starters, the school rebuffed the parents’ suggestions, so their teens and a few others sat out the concert. Next on the hit parade came a tweeting tirade, which led to a cyber attack on the family.
Apparently One Direction just could not stand the idea of having one — or heaven forbid, several — fans not going absolutely bonkers over every single song. So band member Louis Tomlinson decided it was a good idea to show the Stones a thing or two. The singer sent out nasty a tweet inferring that Michael and Mary Stone are frigid and backward crybaby parents who need to get with the sex-for-recreation program. Charming.
The only shred of decency shown toward this family came from the national spokesperson for the Office Depot campaign. Brooks Gibbs told the Ann Arbor News he applauded the parents for taking a stand for something they felt strongly about. He alluded to the fact that the tweet was quite hypocritical given that the band is involved in a campaign that promotes bullying prevention to more than 300 middle schools around the country and also donated $1 million to the cause.
“I am really bummed about his comments because it launched a cyber-attack on these two parents. I have no doubt that it caused a lot of harm to the students who refused to perform the song as well,” Gibbs said.
The Stone family has since said they are very proud of their children, who decided not to buckle under pressure and perform the song. And while One Direction seems to have taken a wrong turn in the case of the Stone family from Chelsea, Mich., maybe the Stones’ witness will encourage other families — as well as other young people — to do the same: to stand up against bullies promoting and profiting off of a culture of decay.
Teresa Tomeo is the host of “Catholic Connection,” produced by Ava Maria Radio and heard daily on EWTN Global Catholic Radio and Sirius Channel 130. | {
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Bone probe shows mummy was a daddy
It's a man! After 2 000 years and a bit more, Pretoria's Fayum mummy is no longer sexless.
Thanks to modern technology and a dentist, it is almost certain that this mysterious figure wrapped in cloth was male.
This was determined on Saturday when the slenderly built fellow was removed from the archaeology department of the National Cultural History Museum, and, together with the Ancient Egyptian Society, taken to Pretoria's Muelmed Hospital to have a brain scan.
"This is the first phase of new research on the mummy. It has been part of our collection for more than a 100 years, but little is known about it," the museum's Karin Scott said.
The mummy was donated to the then State Museum in 1899, after it was shipped from Cairo to Cape Town and then to Pretoria. In Victorian times, there was a thriving trade in buying and selling mummies.
"In 1966, X-rays were taken of it, revealing a broken leg. In the 1970s, the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research dated the mummy to 175AD, placing it about 2 000 years back in the Graeco-Roman period of ancient Egypt," project leader Anton Pelser explained.
Frank Teichert, the curator of human remains and the museum's archaeologist, said the mummy originated from Fayum, west of Cairo, an area settled by Greeks and Romans, who also mummified their dead, but not like the ancient Egyptians. They put death masks on the mummies to identify them.
Because only about 700 masks are known to exist, most separated from the bodies, the researchers were not too sure if the Fayum mummy's mask was his own. It showed the face of a young Greek man.
With the current research, the museum authorities wanted to determine the sex of the mummy, its age and the possible cause of death. The mummy could not be unwrapped because it would fall apart, and it smelled musty.
In outline it looked like someone with his legs crossed and his hands by his sides. At the bottom, the toes peeped through the wrapping.
"We have noticed bacterial activity on it. The mummy is falling apart due to biological destruction. It is sad, but it also gives us the opportunity to take samples to determine the origin of the mummy, the cotton, straw, glue and grass," Pelser said.
At the hospital, radiologists waited for their "patient". Gently the mummy went through the scanner as his deepest secrets were slowly revealed.
"Its bones are jumbled. The skull and rib cage are shattered, but you can still see the profile of the face," a doctor said.
No one knows how the mummy ended up in its broken-up state. The scan also showed a piece of wood under its back.
"Samples of the wood will be taken to determine its origin, and the mummy has several teeth. At least we now know we are working with a male mummy," Scott said. | {
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‘Katrina Girl’ rescued by Air Force para-rescuer to follow him into military service
Lashay Brown, 3, hugs Air Force Staff Sgt. Mike Maroney, as she is relocated to the New Orleans International Airport on Sept. 7, 2005, after Hurricane Katrina flooded her family's home.
By
Crystal Bonvillian, Cox Media Group National Content Desk
BAY ST. LOUIS, Miss.
—
When then-Air Force Staff Sgt. Mike Maroney received a tight hug and brilliant smile from a 3-year-old Hurricane Katrina survivor whom he plucked from a rooftop with her family, he expected that he would never see her again.
Nearly 12 years after the sweltering September 2005 day that he said goodbye to the grateful child, they have forged a bond so strong that the girl, LaShay Brown, plans to follow Maroney’s footsteps into the military.
LaShay, 14, of Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, also had Maroney escort her to her JROTC ball Saturday night at Bay High School.
Maroney credits that long-ago hug from LaShay with “rescuing him.” The para-rescuer, who was battling PTSD at the time, was a week into his rescue mission in New Orleans when he was lowered from a helicopter onto a roof where two parents and five children, including LaShay, had been stranded for days.
Maroney, now a staff sergeant, recalled the rescue in 2015 for the Air Force Times, which was among dozens of publications that helped him find the little girl whose grin had stayed with him for a decade. The girl, whose name he never got, seemed fearless that day, he told the Times.
As her mother cried on the helicopter, LaShay rubbed her back to comfort her.
When the helicopter dropped off the family at the airport, which was being used as a staging area for evacuees to be moved out of the broken city, LaShay wrapped her arms around Maroney’s neck and hugged him in a moment captured by an Air Force photographer.
That photo, which ended up on everything from military coins to Burger King place mats, represented for many the strength and resilience of Katrina survivors. It made its way into Mahoney’s heart, and it accompanied him on subsequent tours of duty to Iraq and Afghanistan, where he said it gave him hope during difficult moments.
“If not for her hug and smile that day, my life would probably be a lot different,” Mahoney told WLOX.
As the 10th anniversary of the deadly storm approached in 2015, Mahoney, who had since become a master sergeant in the Air Force Reserve, began trying to find the little girl. Thanks to a viral campaign people called #FindKatrinaGirl, he and LaShay were reunited on an episode of the television show “The Real.”
Since then, Mahoney has become close to LaShay and her family. His encouragement led her to join the JROTC at school, so it was natural for her to ask him to escort her to the ball.
“I’m going because I would do anything to repay the hug to LaShay and her family,” Mahoney told People last week. “They mean as much to me as my own.”
His guidance also led to LaShay’s decision to join the military after graduation. Maroney supports that decision, he told People.
“I am proud of her no matter what she does and will support her in everything she does,” Maroney said. “I think she understands service, and I believe that she will do great things no matter what she chooses.” | {
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How does WdfDeviceSetFailed work? (AKA the case of the missing WDK documentation for REENUMERATE_SELF_INTERFACE_STANDARD)
KMDF is built on top of public interfaces. This means that it uses only APIs found in the WDK (or what was the DDK). This creates a dilemma. On the one hand we want to add features to the framework that are compelling and add value, but on the other we cannot rely on the OS to provide this functionality (since we must run on previous OS releases which would not have this new feature). We could selectively enable the feature if you are running on a particular OS, but that makes the driver writer's life more difficult because now you have two code paths to deal with when you try to use this new function.
One feature that we wanted to add to KMDF is the ability to rebuild the stack from the ground up without help from a user mode application. This feature is surfaced in the DDI WdfDeviceSetFailed(, WdfDeviceFailedRestart). Why would did we want this? For a variety of reasons. Consider the situation where you could not allocate a system resource (let's say a power irp) that was needed by your driver. You would want to tear down the stack and rebuild it with the hope that the resource is now available. The acquisition of this resource could occur within the framework itself or your driver. We thought long and hard about how we could implement this feature. One suggestion was to report a new PnP device state in IRP_MN_QUERY_PNP_DEVICE_STATE and have the I/O manager do the hard work for us, but this made the framework rely on a change in the OS which would not be available. What we realized is that what we wanted was functionally the same as a bus driver reporting a device as missing (e.g. a surprise removal) and then present again and that all we needed to do was instruct the bus driver to perform this sequence of events on our behalf.
But how would we tell the bus driver to perform these actions? Well, there is already a standard way for querying for functionality in a stack, IRP_MN_QUERY_INTERFACE, so all we did is define a new interface structure, REENUMERATE_SELF_INTERFACE_STANDARD, and associated GUID, GUID_REENUMERATE_SELF_INTERFACE_STANDARD. KMDF implements the querying and implementation of this interface. A KMDF FDO or filter device object will query for the interface and you can invoke it by calling WdfDeviceSetFailed as described above. Furthermore, a KMDF PDO enumerated by a WDFCHILDLIST will automatically support the implementation of the interface by default (and the bus driver can override its behavior by implementing EvtChildListDeviceReenumerated), so any KMDF bus driver can participate.
The idea was that this interface would be published in the WDK and documented so that any bus driver (like USB or PCI or a 3rd party) could provide this functionality. The good thing is that the structure made it into the header, but unfortunately the docs were not updated accordingly (although we do have a fleeting reference to it without a definition). The next release of the WDK will include documentation for the interface, but I wanted to get the word out now. The remainder of this blog entry is dedicated to the documentation of the structure. The structure, REENUMERATE_SELF_INTERFACE_STANDARD can be found in wdm.h; the GUID, GUID_REENUMERATE_SELF_INTERFACE_STANDARD, can be found in wdmguid.h Here is the structure:
All but the last field are a part of the standard INTERFACE header. SurpriseRemoveAndReenumerateSelf is the function provided by the PDO. You can call SurpriseRemoveAndReenumerateSelf() from IRQL <= PASSIVE_LEVEL. Note that SurpriseRemoveAndReenumerateSelf does not return an NTSTATUS. The functionality exposed by this function is not guaranteed to happen. The bus driver is not required to surprise remove and reenumerate your device. It will only do so if the parent FDO and the PDO are in the correct (where the bus driver gets to determine what that state is). | {
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README.markdown
MagicMarkup
About
Getting Started
To use MagicMockup, simply include the following JavaScript in
your SVG file (directly between the <svg> and <def> tags):
<script xlink:href="magicmockup.js" type="text/ecmascript"/>
If you're using Inkscape 0.48, you can add MagicMockup right in
Inkscape:
Go to File > Document Properties...
Click on the Scripting tab
Enter the path to magicmockup.js in the textbox and click Add
You'll see magicmockup.js added to the list of scripts
Inkscape plays nicely with the script tags, so you only have to
add it once per file, and you can save as much as you want.
To make regions of the document clickable, have each frame as a
layer and give the layer an id. For the clickable shape, add
some directives in the object properties dialog inside of the
"Description" entry.
You invoke a directive as directive=layerName, e.g. next=Layer2.
You can add multiple directives by putting each directive on a new line. | {
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Glenn Greenwald was one of the first reporters to see — and write about — the Edward Snowden files, with their revelations about the United States’ extensive surveillance of private citizens. In this searing talk, Greenwald makes the case for why you need to care about privacy, even if you’re “not doing anything you need to hide.”
“When we’re in a state where we can be monitored, where we can be watched, our behavior changes dramatically. The range of behavioral options that we consider when we think we’re being watched severely reduce. When somebody knows that they might be watched, the behavior they engage in is vastly more conformist and compliant,” he said. “A society in which people can be monitored at all times is a society that breeds conformity, obedience and submission, which is why every tyrant, from the most overt to the most subtle craves that system.” | {
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Core Memory Pillows[PLS190]
The Core Memory Pillows are designed to help stabilize an existing condition and provide comfort for special sleeping needs. Made of 100 percent viscoelastic foam, these support pillows respond to the heat of your body to better conform to the unique shape of your head and neck. Includes a washable, plush fabric cover. Fits a standard pillowcase. Available in Full-size (14 in x 19.5 in, Lobes 4 in and 5 in) and Mid-size(12 in x 19.5 in, Lobes 3 in and 4 in). | {
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First report: Barbecue fire damages Sausalito home
A Sausalito home that caught fire Wednesday night caused approximately $150,000 damage without injury.
According to a press release provided by Southern Marin Chief Jim Irving, firefighters from Southern Marin, Marin County and Mill Valley responded to the 7:20 p.m. call on Nevada Street. Four engines and 24 firefighters were on the scene to exstinguish the blaze, which is believed to have started in a barbecue next to the rear of the home. The occupants were home.
The fire, which extended from the rear exterior to the roof an attic area was hard for firefighter to reach because of "historic remodeling," according to the release. The fire was under control within 40 minutes. | {
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Part 2 (Section 1) Notes from The Plague
The Plague Part 2 (Section 1)
The town gates have been locked, and the Prefect's office makes it clear that no one will receive special treatment regarding requests to come or go. Soon letters aren't allowed, for they might transfer infection; telephone calls are outlawed, and the only way townspeople can communicate with those stranded outside the gates is by short and impersonal telegrams. The narrator says:
"Thus, for example, a feeling normally as individual as the ache of separation from those one loves suddenly became a feeling in which all shared alike and--together with fear--the greatest affliction of the long period of exile that lay ahead." Part 2, pg. 67
Although this is serious suffering for the people of Oran, only one couple elects to bring the person who is stranded outside of the gates back in, where they will be exposed to the plague--this is Dr. Castel and his wife. All others accept the separation, though in the absence of their loved ones, they are lonely and even jealous. The townspeople are made even more miserable because they are stuck with the same dull activities inside the same dull town:
"Thus, too, they came to know the incorrigible sorrow of all prisoners and exiles, which is to live in company with a memory that serves no purpose... Hostile to the past, impatient of the present, and cheated of the future, we were much like those whom men's justice, or hatred, forces to live behind prison bars." Part 2, pg. 73
People like Rambert, who are not even natives to Oran, are feeling particularly exiled.
The townspeople are getting dependent upon the weather, and they are finding that language is not really working to convey sympathy any more. What saves them from real misery, ironically, is that they are in such despair over the absence of loved ones that they don't have the time or focus to panic about the horror around them. | {
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Personal
Popular Content
The winner of the next ThinkGenealogy Innovator award has been doing some exciting things in the area of genealogy conferences. That might not be an area that we normally associate with innovation, but that is precisely what Family History Expos, Inc. has been doing.
Before Family History Expos (formerly My Ancestors Found) started doing conferences in 2005, the two main options were attending a national conference or one sponsored by a local or regional genealogical society. Over the last few years, FHExpos has organized conferences in an increasing number of locations including, Utah, California, Colorado, and Arizona. This year they will also host conferences in Missouri and Georgia.
Their model is to find interesting presenters that are willing to share their family history knowledge in exchange for admission to the conference. This keeps the price of the 2-day conference to around $70 dollars which is a bargain for the approximately 1000 attendees that register for each conference. In addition to two full days of presentations with multiple sessions each hour, there is a top-notched exhibit hall that is free to the public.
I must disclose at this point that I have attended 3 of these expos as a presenter and at this last conference hosted a Scouting heritage booth with space donated by another vendor. I feel that this has given me an inside view at these conferences and how Holly Hansen & crew are able to put on a quality expo.
The use of technology in connection with these expos is the main reason for awarding the Innovator award to Family History Expos. You can connect with FHExpos through their website, Facebook fan page, Twitter account, LinkedIn, and on GenealogyWise. Before the expo, a handful of bloggers are asked to help promote the conference and to tweet and blog about the conference as it is happening. For the Arizona Family History Expo held last month, I was was asked to be one of these “Bloggers of Honor” and was asked to attend a dinner so that I could answer questions from those at my table about what blogging is all about. At no time was I told what to write about or expected to present anything from a viewpoint other than my own. There is a also a Twitter Cafe where these bloggers can connect to the internet and write about the conference. There is a projection screen setup so that any tweets about the conference can be seen by attendees.
FHExpos is a good example to other conferences. Maybe one of the best ways this is shown is through their Twitter & Social Networking policy. Many presenters are concerned about attendees recording their presentations or posting their handouts online. This concern has grown with the popularity of blogs and Twitter. Other conferences that I have attended do not have a clear policy of what is acceptable.
Before a Family History Expo, the presenters are notified of the conference’s policy on recording, blogging, Twitter, and social networking. For some presenters, this is an opportunity to learn about the advantages of attendees using these technologies and to be reassured that their content will be protected. This same policy is available on the FHExpos website and in the conference materials passed out to each attendee. Before each class, the person introducing the speaker reminds the attendees about the policy. This goes a long way to set expectations so that everyone knows what is acceptable and what is not. I had an experience at one conference where no guidelines were given and I kept notes via Twitter. It didn’t occur to me until after the conference, that I was probably too verbose in my coverage of the presentations.
Here is copy of the policy used by Family History Expos:
Recording, Twitter, Blogging, and Social Networking Policy
Recording
Family History Expos does not allow recording of presentations under any circumstances. When sessions are professionally recorded you will be able to purchase a copy from Family History Expos or a designated vendor.
Twitter
Family History Expos encourages the use of Twitter at Expos. Please tweet the highlights of classes attended; however it is not appropriate to give full details of class materials presented.
When beginning a session of tweets give credit and use Expo hashtag “#fhexpo” within each tweet. Example of appropriate tweeting:
1. Arizona Family History Expo sponsored by Family History Expos, Inc. and others. #fhexpo #genealogy #familyhistory
2. Presenter name, class title #fhexpo
3. Information on a point being made #fhexpo
4. Helpful or new URL being discussed #fhexpo
5. Questions or comments made by attendees in class #fhexpo
Blogging
Family History Expos invites bloggers to take time to give thoughtful insights, meaningful descriptions, and exercise professional courtesy when blogging about specific presentations. Please give proper citation to presentations you attend and cover in your blog.
Social NetworkingThe use of social networks, such as Facebook, LinkedIn, and GenealogyWise, is fun and exciting. We enjoy using them and hope that you do too. However, it is important to remember that our presenters invest tremendous amounts of time developing their presentations, strategies, methodologies, and research guidance. They spend years gaining education and expertise on the subjects they teach.
We request that the intellectual and real property developed by Family History Expos and our presenters be respected and credit be appropriately given.
Copyright to all class presentations, recordings, and syllabus materials belong to Family History Expos and its presenters by agreement of said parties.
I look forward to additional innovation by Family History Expos and expect that other conferences will soon define their own policies on the use of social networking. | {
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Sitting opposite Ed Norton in an empty conference room in a skyrise, one can’t avoid thinking about the hyper-charged situations he’s glared down on film. Clad in a black shirt and noticeably relaxed, he takes a moment before responding to a question, pressing a small washer-like object into the table and letting it spring back. It allows a brief window to search for the chiseled Nazi skinhead who forced a thug to tooth a curb in American History X. And for the office drone who scaled barbwire fences late at night to steal the excess fat of women and absorbed grueling punches in Fight Club. And for the smack dealer in 25th Hour who walked man’s best friend by a World Trade Center-less horizon, as unprepared for a future in the clink as the U.S. was for its uncertain present.
Norton is obsessively drawn to characters whose scariest adversary is in the mirror. It doesn’t matter if the playing field is a study in madness or a testy, possibly concluded, stint in the Marvel Universe as Bruce Banner. His latest film, a thoughtful thriller entitled Leaves of Grass, puts a literal spin on his interest in duality. He plays formerly estranged, highly intelligent twins—one a respected and reserved philosophy professor, the other a shaggy distributor of hydroponic marijuana. | {
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Paul Martin speaks about philosophy, music and politics
Q&A with a Talbot graduate running for office in which he describes his exciting life. | Photo Courtesy of Paul Martin
Paul Martin, who received a masters degree in Philosophy of Religion and Ethics from Talbot in 2008, has worked in a number of different fields, including the Christian music industry and church ministry. Now he plans to run for the United States Congress in November.
Q: Tell me a bit about your journey after you left Biola.
A: “My journey has been very vibrant and diverse following Biola, or actually toward the end of Biola. Robert Schuller Sr., the founder of the Crystal Cathedral and the Hour of Power, heard about some of the interests I had in philosophy and religion and ethics... and I ended up being his consultant for two years, where I helped him gain a deeper understanding of philosophy of mind, and particularly that and in the intersection of religion and science… We worked with the John Templeton Foundation, and the idea was for him to use his international influence to help people who were atheists or just not into the religion thing to actually consider religion as a viable kind of way of living or thinking. So I did that for about two or three years. I then went to plant an Anglican church in Orange County in Costa Mesa, California, where I served as executive pastor, and the church was called Holy Trinity Anglican Church. It’s still there, and it’s this vibrant, amazing church. I helped get that going and then was recruited to work for the March of Dimes, where I served as a senior director of really fun development, helping them to raise money in Orange County to help mothers and infants with issues with pregnancy and abnormalities… Then I went to work for one of Orange County’s largest homeless prevention agencies, Family Assistance Ministries, where I served as a director there. So I kind of jumped around a bit, but it’s all dynamic and amazing work.”
Q: In your email you said you did a bit of work with Christian music as well. Could you describe that for me?
A: “I grew up in the Anaheim hills area, and I grew up Roman Catholic. In my teens I had a, I would just call it a significant experience with God… I started attending a church that met at my high school, and the name of the church was the Vineyard at Canyon High School in Anaheim Hills… Today the company or organization that came out of it is called Vineyard Music, and churches all around the world are singing vineyard songs... To make a long story short, I had played bass guitar at Crystal Lewis’ first band. I started helping them out a bit, and before long, I had kind of a high level position with them, helping develop their distribution and publishing around the world. That was in my 20s and into my 30s. I moved to London to start their European operation, and there we started publishing the first Vineyard music albums out of the U.S. The first album we published had songs like, “Come, Now is the Time to Worship” and “Lord, Reign in Me,” which were two original songs that I was the executive producer on. It was amazing and it was a blessing, and so I worked for the Vineyard for about a decade.
Q: How did all of those interests lead you to becoming interested in politics?
A: “Never along my career was I thinking I was going to run for public office. I thought I would do the work of the kingdom in ministry in one way or another, whether it was pastoral ministry of working with young people or homeless, but I started a blog. I met some kind of national bloggers and in 2015 I started a blog that was very much a stream of consciousness blog… And then Donald Trump got in the race in late 2015… I was awakened by many of the things that he was standing for, and so I started to write very honestly about some of his comments… And eventually someone found me, if you will, who was in D.C. and who worked for a former president and reached out and said, ‘I would really consider running for Congress in your district… You’re a Christian, but you’re a Republican. But I’m a Democrat, and I would vote for you.’”
Q: What has your campaign process looked like so far?
A: “We just started putting things out on Facebook and Twitter and Instagram in November, and we just wanted to see what the response would be because you have to have money come in, you have to have journalists paying attention… At this point now we have registered with the FEC, we have a campaign manager, we have money coming in incredibly to our surprise, daily, sums of money and volunteers stepping up.
Q: How has your faith and things you learned at Biola influenced your campaign?
A: “I am so grateful for the people…The backbone behind it all was this idea that you know, ‘We are rigorously Christian, and we rigorously have a vision to influence the world for Christ,’ and that can happen in so many different kinds of ways. And that was always prevalent in every class that I took and so I would say that my education there was formative to what I’m doing today.”
Q: What advice would you give to students interested in politics or making social change?
A: “I think the most important thing is to have genuine respect for people who think differently... It’s [also] important to educate ourselves about our founders and what they were trying to come up with when they put together our Constitution. They were not trying to create a theocracy. They were trying to create something that was not a theocracy having come from countries with theocratic governments and so I think it’s really important to embed oneself in the Constitution and in the writings of our Founders.” | {
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Is Rest Critical to Creativity? (8/23/11)
You may never have heard of Charles Limb. He’s a otolaryngologist and musician with joint appointments at the Johns Hopkins Medical School and the Peabody Institute, one of the nation’s finer music consrvatories. He wants the cochlear implants he puts in people’s ears to hear music better, and figures the way to do that is to find out how music works in the brain.
So he studies jazz musicians – people who improvise on the fly.
Limb was profiled recently on NPR’s “To the Best of Our Knowledge,” which is a really entertaining show if you like waking up at 6 on Saturday morning (you can get the podcasts at ttbook.org.) So what did Limb find out?
How difficult it is to study musicians playing in an MRI machine.
MRI machines are giant magnets. To do any research they had to create a functioning keyboard that uses no iron based, magnetically primed materials.
That was for starters. Then you needed special mirrors so players could see what they were playing (this was no ordinary keyboard.) Next, special headphones so they could hear what they were playing against the background music of four other musicians recorded earlier. Then, more special hardware so they could actually see and play with someone else – improvising, like they do in daily life, with other musicians.
Improvising in the Brain
These were some of the results:
When musicians started playing they deactivated large parts of their prefrontal cortex, important in decision making and analysis.
The activation of the default network really took flight when they were deeply improvising.
Lots of people wonder what the default network “does.” It’s known it’s “active” when people are daydreaming or meditating. Many think it’s heavily involved in the sometimes denigrated “housekeeping” parts of the brain which allow the brain to continuously rebuild and regrow.
But here was an example of relatively “pure” creativity – jazz musicians making up and simultaneously playing new music directly from their heads. And the part of the brain they used to do much of it is the one implicated in “active” rest.
Things got more interesting when musicians played with other musicians. New areas lighted up like Christmas trees. They were brain language areas.
It was as if the musicians were having a musical conversation.
Clicks, Blind People, and Bats
The brain is more multivalent than we give it credit for. Recent studies have looked at echolocution in people.
It’s not just bats that use clicks to find their way.
It’s been known for some time that blind people will sometimes use sounds they make themselves to figure out where they are. A few in Britain were finally studied with fMRI to see what happened to their brains.
Auditory areas were certainly activated. But for those who navigated through the world using self-created sounds, the area that really lit up was the visual cortex.
The blind were using their brain’s visual areas to topographically “see” where they were in the world – except they did not see anything. Their brains were using the visual cortex, but the inputs were auditory.
That’s what we normally do when dealing with disease – the body tries to find ways around the bottlenecks. In these blind people, visual areas are used to create “visual” maps in the mind of the world outside – though without vision itself.
Implications
Our brains evolved, rather than developed from engineering models. Parts that were “designed” to do one thing end up doing parts of many other processes.
The British studies of blind echolocution show how adaptable the brain is. If a part can’t be used for what it normally does, use it for something else.
Similar implications come from Limb’s musical studies. The so-called “default mode” is anything but default – it’s involved in creativity and innovation. Rather than “resting” it is at the least a repository of thoughts and simulations which are then used to analyze, combine, and facilitate brain functions everywhere.
And “language” areas of the brain quickly get involved when someone is playing music with another musician; so some of their function involves listening, collating, and responding – to data that are beyond language.
That’s what the body does – regenerate as it needs. The brain is ever learning, ever shifting, doing many things simultaneously and silently – so quietly we never get to notice until we decipher the biochemistry and energy flows. All of which show us our capacity to adapt and renew is not infinite, but remarkably powerful. | {
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Today there was an optional "swim with the dolphins". I didn't do it because it was expensive, and I see lots of dolphins when I'm outrigger paddling in San Diego. Apparently, it was worth it. There are hundreds of dolphins here because there is an ocean trench which has lots of food for the dolphins, and they gather here. The boats take you to the dolphins and you can jump in the water with them.
The bus went back to Kaikoura from the campsite to pick up the swim with the dolphin people. We stopped in Cheviot for lunch, then went on to...
Arrived
Departed
Rangitata is not usually a compulsory stop on the Stray bus but as we are unable to stay in Christchurch, this stop has been made compulsory! Not much to do if you're not rafting here. The hostel we were meant to be staying in was in the middle of nowhere. The only thing remotely close was the river and that was 5km away! Luckily they ran out of space when we came to check in so we were moved to a little cottage, 5km away, right next to the river! It was lush! There were only 8 of us that went, all girls. We had a swim... | {
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Sessions tagged with 'aws'
Life science research, including molecular modeling, bioinformatics, proteomics and genomics are ripe with examples of open-source technology. In this presentation, Stowe will present the use of open software in managing state-of-the-art high performance computing (HPC) environments and provisioning auto-configuring software stacks in internal clouds and Amazon EC2.
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For information on exhibition and sponsorship opportunities at the conference, contact Sharon Cordesse at [email protected] | {
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Smoked Kieler Sprats (Herring)
Catalog Number: 70034UPC Code: 639138517458
Weight: 3.53 oz
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Small smoked herring perfectly prepared. These small herring are big on flavor with a nice pleasant smokeyness. If you like sardines you will truly love these little gems of the North Sea. Product of Germany
Small smoked herring perfectly prepared. These small herring are big on flavor with a nice pleasant smokeyness. If you like sardines you will truly love these little gems of the North Sea. Wild caught herring, smoked and packed in vegegable oil 3.88 oz, 110 g. RugenFisch, product of Germany | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
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Camp Atterbury operations not at risk of cuts
Most employees of Camp Atterbury don’t face the significant federal spending cuts set to begin Friday.
The military installation near Edinburgh will be mostly shielded from the impact of the upcoming federal cuts, Indiana National Guard spokeswoman Lt. Col. Cathy Van Bree said.
The cuts will include slashing 13 percent of national defense funding, according to a White House report.
The Indiana National Guard will be required to make cuts to handle the funding drop. About 1,000 of the Indiana National Guard’s full-time military technicians would be furloughed and required to take one day off per week without pay, Van Bree said. Those technicians include staff such as groundskeepers, maintenance workers and human resources personnel.
The furlough could affect a few of those technicians at Camp Atterbury, but most people will remain at full time. Since Camp Atterbury is a national mobilization site, most of its funding comes from a different source, which is not being cut, Van Bree said.
“The immediate sequester probably will not have much effect at Camp Atterbury,” Van Bree said.
Total military cuts in Indiana would be about $64.4 million and affect 11,000 civilian employees, the White House report said.
Programs at risk
Here is a list of some programs in Indiana that are at risk of losing federal funding if automatic, across-the-board spending cuts take effect Friday:
Head Start and Early Head Start — Service would be eliminated for about 1,000 children. These programs provide early education for children of lower-income families. Human Services Inc. operates both programs in Bartholomew County.
Military — About 11,000 civilian Department of Defense employees would be furloughed. Army base operating funding would be cut about $1.7 million. Air Force operations in the state would be cut about $7 million. The Army National Guard operates an armory in Columbus, Camp Atterbury in Edinburgh and Muscatatuck Urban Training Center in Jennings County.
Teachers and schools — Indiana will lose about $13.8 for primary and secondary education, putting about 190 teacher and aide jobs at risk.
Education for children with disabilities — About $12.4 million would be cut for about 150 teachers, aides and staff who help children with disabilities.
Anti-violence — State could lose about $138,000 that provides services to victims of domestic abuse.
Work-study jobs — About 2,170 fewer low-income students would receive aid to help them finance the cost of college, and more than 1,000 fewer students would receive work-study jobs to pay for college.
Environment — Indiana would lose about $3.3 million in environmental funding for ensuring clean water and air quality, and preventing pollution from pesticides and hazardous waste.
Public health — State would lose about $1.7 million for treating substance abuse, resulting about 1,100 fewer admissions. Indiana State Department of Health would lose about $146,000, resulting in 3,700 fewer HIV tests. Funding for vaccines would be reduced $189,000, meaning almost 2,800 fewer children would receive vaccines for diseases such as measles, mumps, rubella, influenza and whooping cough.
Job assistance — State would lose about $683,000 in funding for job-search assistance, referral and placement.
Source: White House
Towers in jeopardy
Some airport towers in Indiana are at risk of closing because of automatic, across-the-board federal spending cuts that could go into effect Friday. The federal Transportation Department is targeting airports with 150,000 or fewer flights annually, including: | {
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Other Links
The Alfalfa
Factory: A Remarkable Perennial Legume Finds Many Uses
Biological technician Karena
Schmidt holds greenhouse-grown
alfalfa plants with 14-foot-
long roots. Not only does
this versatile crop provide
livestock feed, but it also
enriches and cleans soil and
can be converted into ethanol.(K9926-1)
Alfalfa, the preferred feed for
thoroughbred horses, dairy cows, and other livestock, has always been a pioneer
plant. Armed with the ability to produce its own nitrogen fertilizer, alfalfa
can establish a front line on poor soils. It enriches the soil so much that it
paves the way for grasses and shrubs to thrive and even dominate the landscape.
So it should be no surprise that alfalfa is still pioneering today.
Scientists say it has the potential to be the first dual-purpose biofuel plant,
that is, the stems would be harvested for fuel and the leaves for feed and
other products.
Alfalfa may also be grown as a renewable replacement resource for other
petroleum-based products, such as plastics and nitrogen fertilizer. And it can
reduce the need for other nonrenewable resources, such as phosphorus
fertilizer, which is mined. What's more, this forage plant can clean land and
water of contaminants and even prevent such contamination.
In a growth chamber, plant
pathologist Deborah Samac
examines alfalfa plants
that provide the starting
material for inserting new
genes into alfalfa. Scientists
are working to improve the
crops digestibility
and ethanol yield, among
other traits.(K9923-1)
JoAnn F.S. Lamb, a plant breeder
who serves on a team of five scientists at the
ARS Plant Science Research Unit, in St.
Paul, Minnesota, is devoted to "putting more alfalfa on the
landscape," she says. She encourages farmers to plant alfalfa for its
environmental benefits, but she knows its dollar value must rise before more
farmers will consider it as a crop.
ARS plant physiologist Carroll P. Vance says, "We are developing new
alfalfa varieties for this changing world in which fertilizers and gasoline may
one day be priced out of range or unavailable."
Says Lamb, "We think using alfalfa to produce ethanol on the side is
part of the answer to making alfalfa a more profitable plant." The Plant
Science Research Unit has new bioenergy funding from U.S. Department of
Agriculture.
Alfalfa field in the Shasta
Valley near Yreka, California.(K7198-13)
Breeding Alfalfas for Diverse
Uses
Ethanol production is just one of many ways to make alfalfa a more
profitable crop. The team hopes to accomplish this by breeding many new
varieties of alfalfaone for bioenergy and forage; one with a higher
nutritive value in its leaves for cattle forage; another for growing on
marginal soils; another for fixing more nitrogen in the soil for successive
crops; others for catching excess fertilizer and pesticides; and one for
producing industrial products in its leaves, whether medicine, industrial
enzymes, or plastics.
These features could be combined into varieties for niche or mainstream
markets. For example, bioenergy alfalfa would ensure its profitability by
producing a better forage or an industrial product in its leaves.
Flowering alfalfa.(K9912-1)
Alfalfa for Fuel
New alfalfas will likely trace their heritage to the third generation of a
new bioenergy alfalfa being bred by the team. It has unusually thick stems so
the plant doesn't lodge (fall over) and so there is more material to make
ethanol from.
To get the parent material, Lamb and colleagues crossed European varieties
bred for lodging resistance with modern alfalfa varieties developed for dairy
cattle feed. ARS plant pathologist Deborah A. Samac works with Lamb's group to
make sure that the European hybrid is given resistance to U.S. plant diseases
and insect pests.
With the new bioenergy funding, ARS dairy scientist Hans Jung will develop
tests to screen alfalfa types for variations in amounts of different
carbohydrates and their ease of conversion to ethanol. Jung, Lamb, and Samac
hope to enhance this conversion by putting more sugars and starches in the
stems, which would make it more digestible both for livestock and for the
microbes that convert it to ethanol.
Jung points out similarities in what would at first seem to be disparate
areas: ethanol production and animal digestion. Indeed, cows' rumens are really
fermentation vats, natural versions of the industrial vats used to produce
ethanol. And microbes do the digesting in both. Jung also studies limitations
to the breakdown of cell wall carbohydrates to identify ways to improve
alfalfa.
Dairy scientist Hans Jung
examines alfalfa stem sections
before and after digestion
by rumen bacteria. Genetic
modification of nondigestible
xylem tissue would make stems
better cattle feed and enhance
their conversion to ethanol.(K9921-1)
Using selection and breeding
methods, Lamb is developing alfalfa lines that incorporate beneficial traits
such as more sugars, larger stems, and improved fermentation. The first cycle
of this selection process has already been completed for several traits that
will ultimately result in more digestible alfalfa and efficient ethanol
production.
With part of the new bioenergy funds, ARS will hire a biochemist/geneticist
to investigate what traits are needed for conversion of the stem to ethanol
through fermentation and find the genes for these traits.
"This is new territory. We don't know what traits are most desirable
for conversion to ethanol," says Samac. "The conversion process is
complex, involving sugars, starches, cellulose, and yeasts."
Vance wondered if part of alfalfa's roots and crowns could also be used for
ethanol production. His colleague, ARS soil scientist Michael P. Russelle, is
working with Lamb, Jung, and University of Minnesota colleagues to test the
idea. They will analyze these plant parts to see what percentage can be
harvested without harming the plant's ability to store nitrogen and carbon in
soil.
Plant physiologist Carroll
Vance evaluates roots of
alfalfa, Medicago truncatula,
as part of his efforts to
help the crop fix more
nitrogen and take in more
phosphorus.(K9918-1)
A Fungus-Resistant Alfalfa
Like the rest of the team, Samac has years of experience with alfalfa. Her
role is finding and inserting genes into alfalfa that will make it a better
traditional crop and a more profitable industrial crop for fuel, plastics, or
other value-added products.
One area of interest is resistance to disease, particularly Phoma
medicaginis, a fungal disease of leaves. Team members are identifying
alfalfa types that are highly resistant to the fungus so they can "tease
out the mechanisms that inhibit the fungus," Samac says. She has a
University of Minnesota graduate student investigating natural variations in
the fungus, information important for selecting more resistant alfalfa plants.
Samac is also evaluating the use of biocontrol bacteria that produce an
antifungal antibiotic. Applied as a dust to soil, the bacteria coat the leaves
of emerging seedlings and fight the fungus. Results in growth chamber studies
have been good; the next step is to see whether the concept works as well in
the field.
Geneticist JoAnn Lamb
evaluates different genetic
sources of alfalfa to identify
plant traits that would increase
growth and enhance the conversion
of plant tissues into biofuel.(K9915-1)
Alfalfas for Plastics,
Bioremediation
To create an industrial crop, Samac has added genes that have made alfalfa
into a plastics factory, manufacturing beads of a raw, biodegradable plastic in
its leaves. She thinks there is a good chance that the alfalfa makes enough
plastic to be commercially viable; it just may not be moving outside the cell
walls during the extraction process, where it can be harvested from the leaf.
Samac is looking for research partners with skills in overcoming the cell wall
barrier.
In helping to give alfalfa an even better edge in marginal soils, Samac and
Vance have added a gene that produces an enzyme called malate dehydrogenase, or
MDH. Samac has found it helps alfalfa tolerate aluminum, which becomes toxic in
marginal, acidic soils.
She has also added a gene to alfalfa that enables it to detoxify the
herbicide atrazine. Samac worked with University of Minnesota scientists to
create plants that detoxify atrazine. The university patented the technique.
Soon, another graduate student there will work with Samac on expressing a new
gene so that plants can degrade enough atrazine to be useful in cleaning up
contaminated soil and water.
Russelle sees alfalfa as a safety valve in the nitrogen cycle:
"Everyone thinks that legumes like alfalfa add nitrogen to soil only by
fixing it from the air. But actually they're flexible. They absorb nitrate from
the soil and fix the remainder of what they need from the air."
Russelle has worked for several years on using alfalfa and other perennials
to bioremediate (clean up) nitrate and other potential pollutants while also
finding ways to use legumes to prevent contamination in the first place. He led
a team that used alfalfa to clean up a spill of ammonia fertilizer from a train
wreck in North Dakota after all other cleanup techniques had failed.
He argues that tremendous water quality benefits can be achieved by the
strategic placement of alfalfa on America's landscape. "It's particularly
suited for soils that leak nitrates easily." He is using computer modeling
and mapping to identify the locations of these sandy or shallow soils.
"Perennials, like alfalfa, can nearly eliminate the losses because they
start growing in early Aprilwhen the soil thaws in our regiontaking
in water and nitrates. Annual crops don't start growing until June, giving
nitrates two extra months in which to leach toward groundwater," Russelle
says. "Perennials also continue to take in water and nitrates later in the
fall."
To achieve the same reductions in nitrate leaching, farmers would have to
reduce their nitrogen fertilizer use so much that they would have unacceptably
low yields, Russelle says. "So it makes sense to plant a perennial like
alfalfa on soils at high risk of nitrate leaching."
He is working with the Lincoln-Pipestone Rural Water Board, of Lake Benton,
Minnesota, on using alfalfa to lower nitrate levels in well water in rural
southwest Minnesota. The community blends water from various wells to lower
nitrate levels, but it still can't get the level below the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency's 10 parts per million standard for drinking water. Russelle
and David W. Kelley, a former ARS postdoctoral scientist now at the University
of St. Thomas, St. Paul, Minnesota, are producing maps of the wellhead
protection areas that show where alfalfa should be planted to protect
groundwater.
In some places, strategic planting of perennials like alfalfa may not be
enough to protect groundwater quality, so Russelle is developing an approach to
remove nitrate from shallow aquifers. Called phytofiltration, it involves
running contaminated groundwater through alfalfa's root zone to remove nitrate
and allow clean water to flow back into the aquifer. In east central Minnesota,
Russelle and colleagues used the technique to clean irrigation water from 50
parts per million (ppm) of nitrate-nitrogen to well below 5 ppm.
"These are very promising results," says Russelle. "We
produce a high-value forage or energy crop and cleaner water. The water is safe
to drink in terms of nitrate levels, but we'll have to check for other
problems, such as off-flavors caused by contact with plant roots."
Russelle is also beginning to experiment with an idea he had several years
ago to control nitrate leachingperennial biocurtains. These are narrow
strips of alfalfa or other perennials planted above buried soil-drainage pipes.
In the United States, such pipes lie under more than 75 million acres of poorly
drained soils. A lot of the nitrate contributing to the Gulf of Mexico's Dead
Zone apparently comes from Midwest farmland through the pipes, which pour into
ditches that eventually flow into streams and rivers.
Russelle and several University of Minnesota colleagues measured losses of
30 to 80 pounds of nitrogen per acre from drained soils where corn and soybean
were grown. Less than 5 pounds per acre were lost under alfalfa or perennial
grasses.
"Perennial biocurtains are another example of a strategic use of
alfalfa, where major environmental benefits could be gained through reduction
in nitrate losses," Russelle says. He is working with the University of
Minnesota and the ARS National Soil Tilth Laboratory in Ames, Iowa, to test
this idea.
Russelle, Vance, and Samac are also analyzing data from alfalfa grown on
soils mixed with sludge from Chicago's municipal sewage treatment plant. Sludge
typically contains zinc, nickel, and other heavy metals that can be toxic.
Samac's MDH-producing variety may be a good candidate for metal uptake.
Vance's focus is on improving biological nitrogen fixation for alfalfa and
other legumes as well as improving how plants acquire more phosphorus from the
soil. He has isolated many genes, including the one that produces MDH. He found
that this gene also helped alfalfa fix more nitrogen and take in more soil
phosphorus.
"That's how genetic engineering research goes," Samac says.
"You turn one wheel and see what other wheels might turn. It's nice when
you find a gene with multiple benefits."
Discovering the relationships between genes is one way scientists can give
alfalfa an even greater pioneering role in the future.By
Don Comis,
Agricultural Research Service Information Staff.
This research is part of Rangeland, Pasture, and Forages, an ARS National
Program (#205) described on the World Wide Web at
http://www.nps.ars.usda.gov. | {
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OIL
(Turn out the lights... the fossil fuel party's over.)
All of us depend upon oil. Everything we do involves oil.
I am typing this message and you are reading it using products
and energy that derive substantially from oil.
Here are some numbers:
world consumption in 2001: 77 million barrels per day
out of this, 5 million barrels per day were consumed
by OPEC countries. So, about 72 million barrels per day
were exported to the rest of us profligate consumers.
What do we pay for it: an average price might
be $20 per barrel: so 72 million barrels is $1.4 billion.
Per day.
Half a trillion dollars per year.
About as big as US defense budget.
And a lot of that budget is spent safeguarding oil sources.
By comparison, US GDP is 10 trillion, world GDP is $40 trillion.
So, we spend more that 1% of the world GDP on oil.
(Add in natural gas, we are well over 2%.)
But that does not take into account the other costs, one of
which might be all the carbon dioxide released when we burn
a great deal of the 72 million barrels.
And these numbers do not tell the whole story, for the world
economy is predicated on cheap oil. As in, Wal-Mart could not
afford to stock 70% Chinese goods, unless petroleum products were
cheap enough for them to ship goods across the globe...
Which leads me to my next point:
What do we use all that oil for?
Two thirds of oil goes toward transportation.
Natural gas consumption is about 2/3 of oil again, and
almost all of that goes into heat and electricity production.
So, more efficient transport, heating and electric
might be one way to look. | {
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Most Recent Episode
E30 - Gremlins II: The New Batch
Feb 1
·
34 minutes
It’s our 2015 Holiday Special—released in February 2016! This week Cameron reveals his family’s bizarre pet names, Ken plays his favourite song of 1998 and Andrew shares his hot hot hot fashion discovery. Plus, we unlock the insanity of Gremlins II: The New Batch—a film we thought was a holiday movie, but wasn’t. | {
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} |
External Advisory Board
.
The purpose of the External Advisory Board (EAB) of the Institute is to provide guidance on the relationship of IESP and its programs to current trends and opportunities in research, the regulatory environment, and new models of environmental management outside of the University. Its members suggest new directions for IESP, offer commentary on existing programs and results of ongoing research at UIC, and assist in mobilizing resources for underwriting IESP initiatives.
The membership of the EAB is drawn from knowledgeable experts from industry, government (both federal and local), non-profit agencies, and academia. Members are appointed for three year renewable terms by the Director, with consultation from the IESP staff and faculty. | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
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Shareholder Centre
Choosing the right hardware for growth
As a revitalised Coles goes from strength to strength, Woolworths has foundered amid missed opportunities, a lack of innovation and a misstep into the big-box hardware sector, writes Katherine Jimenez.
As a revitalised Coles goes from strength to strength, Woolworths has foundered amid missed opportunities, a lack of innovation and a misstep into the big-box hardware sector, writes Katherine Jimenez.
From the first day of Greg Foran's appointment as Woolworths supermarket chief, one thought consumed his mind. He wanted to break Coles. The opportunity was there. Foran saw Wesfarmers' $20 billion takeover of Coles in late 2007 as a perfect opportunity for the $40 billion supermarket juggernaut - once dubbed the "Queen Mary" of grocery chains - to put its "foot on the throat" of its arch-rival.
Not long after his promotion in October 2008, Foran approached the then Woolworths chief Michael Luscombe and chief financial officer Tom Pockett with his grand plan. Having cut his teeth under highly regarded chief Roger Corbett during Woolworths' golden years, Foran had pinched a leaf out of his book and believed the best weapon was to aggressively cut prices.
He knew that the Coles business - acquired by Wesfarmers 10 months before the global financial crisis hit - was damaged and a significant strain on the conglomerate's balance sheet. By dropping its prices, he believed an already fragile Coles would be forced to follow, which would thereby crunch its profits. Their largest competitor would be decimated.
But Luscombe and Pockett were not convinced, preferring a more measured approach of matching prices. They wanted to maintain its impeccable record of delivering strong profits and saw being aggressively price competitive as the quickest way to hurt its own earnings.
"Woolworths had at that time achieved consistent double-digit profit growth for a decade," said a former senior inside source.
"They weren't prepared to compromise that record."
But while the supermarket group appeared to be humming with big profits and sales numbers, critics say the course Luscombe had set the business on was causing damage in the long run. Loyal shoppers, who had become used to its everyday low prices, were turning away.
Within a few years the company would be issuing its first profit downgrade in nearly 17 years.
That early period following Wesfarmers's takeover of Coles is seen by industry observers as the defining moment for Woolworths. It is seen as the start of when the Queen Mary lost her way - a period that culminated in last week's admission by Woolworths that it had misstepped in its foray into the big-box hardware sector, dominated by Wesfarmers-owned Bunnings.
As Woolworths stumbled, Coles was revitalised under Wesfarmers and its hand-picked boss of Coles, British retailing whiz Ian McLeod. Gone was the poor customer service. Stores were cleaned up. Stock availability was improved as was price perception. In just two years Coles was firing.
A crucial measure of Coles' success can be seen in the key sales per square metre numbers. For more than a decade, the gap has been as wide as 25 to 30 per cent between the two. Analysts estimate that difference is now barely 5 per cent in Woolworths' favour.
By the first quarter of the 2010 financial year, Coles' comparable store sales for the first time in more than a decade eclipsed those of Woolworths. It has never looked back.
In stark contrast, the fortunes of Woolworths have been reversed. Detractors say it has lost its long-held market darling status, a status it won through years of outperformance and successful expansion into petrol and big-box liquor retailing with Dan Murphy's.
Today, analysts point to the stall in sales in its core business - food and liquor - its lack of leadership in innovation, the disappointing performance of Dick Smith (which has since been sold), and more recently the issues plaguing its hardware business Masters.
Last week, Woolworths delivered the news that losses within Masters had ballooned from its initial estimates of $119 million to $157 million.
But more humbling was management's acknowledgement that it was struggling with simple operational issues and did not fully understand the hardware business when it was setting its budget for the 2013 financial year. And despite Woolworths' reassurance that the Masters business will break-even in 2015-16, at least one analyst was not convinced.
Following the market update on the hardware business, Citi analyst Craig Woolford wrote that he expected "break-even a year later".
"In our view, the sales per store needs to rise to $30 million to $32 million to reach break-even," he said. "This is equivalent to five consecutive years of comparable store sales growth of [between] 6.6 per cent and 7.9 per cent. Plausible, but a high hurdle."
BusinessDay contacted several former Woolworths executives and observers for comment on this story. Most declined to comment due to Woolworths' market clout.
But one source said: "The investment community is starting to question their [Woolworths management's] ability as retailers." Some believe it could have been very different. Had Woolworths adopted Foran's plan, they suggest its fortunes would be better than they are today.
One commentator said bluntly: "Michael Luscombe and Tom Pockett will go down in history as those who set the strategy that facilitated the recovery of Coles and created the major challenges the company faces today."
Woolworths disputes this version of history, and supporters of Luscombe and Pockett point to the solid sales and EBIT growth captured during their years, as well as the billions of dollars returned to shareholders in dividends and capital returns.
"[They] point to a company firmly focused at board and senior management level on generating high levels of growth above rates being achieved by most large companies."
Woolworths also says that at the start of the Coles turnaround, a decision was taken to reduce prices - and quite significantly. "We have always been about 1 to 2 per cent cheaper than Coles and this remains the case," the spokeswoman said.
But former senior Woolworths insiders say that, up until 2010, Foran pushed senior management to take on Coles with his aggressive strategy but was repeatedly knocked back - creating tension between himself, Luscombe and Pockett.
"There was real tension around that," a source said. "Tom in particular was consistently saying no because Tom just wanted, by hook or by crook, the profit of the company to continue to grow, double-digit if possible. Clearly cutting prices was not consistent with that."
Foran has since moved on to Walmart China and declined to comment, as did Luscombe and Pockett.
To appreciate the issues weighing on Woolworths today, it is important to understand the changes that took place between October 2006 and October 2011. The most controversial was Luscombe's decision to steer away from the "virtuous double loop" blueprint pioneered by Corbett - one of the two key strands of the former Woolies doyen's formula for success. The double loop idea centred on having the lowest cost base and then passing a big portion of the savings to customers in so-called "everyday low prices". Woolworths achieved its low-cost base through its ground-breaking Project Refresh, which revolutionised supply chain and IT management. Of the $3.5 billion in cost savings achieved, more than half was returned to customers in lower prices, with the balance going to its bottom-line. The outcome was much higher sales.
The other strand was growth. By the time Corbett retired in 2006, Woolworths' tentacles stretched across petrol, consumer electronics, liquor and general merchandise.
Those two vital strands, along with his leadership and vision, saw Woolworths transformed from a small supermarket business to a thriving retail conglomerate.
Nowhere was that vision best displayed than in its entry into liquor, especially in identifying liquor licences with large blocks of land nearby, which allowed them to establish their highly successful Dan Murphy's stores. Under Corbett, Woolworths' sales and profits more then doubled. By the time Luscombe became chief executive in May 2006, the company's profit had lifted from $312 million to $791.6 million, and the shares had risen from $6 to $19.
The day before the announcement, Woolworths overtook Coles Myer as Australia's biggest retailer in terms of sales.
The company's profit growth surged in Luscombe's early years, hitting 27.5 per cent in 2006-07 and 25.7 per cent a year later. But by financial year 2009 - after the financial crisis hit - it had cooled to 12.8 per cent, and by January 2011, Luscombe was forced to issue the company's first profit downgrade in nearly 17 years.
A few months later, he stepped down. Foran was expected to get the top job; it went instead to one of his subordinates, supermarket chief operating officer Grant O'Brien.
One person who saw the path Woolworths was on early was Merrill Lynch analyst David Errington.
As early as May 2010 he penned a note titled A rock or a hard place where he outlined the issues facing Woolworths and warned that the company would struggle to generate double-digit earnings growth post the 2010 financial year.
Soon after, former Woolworths chief finance director Bill Wavish wrote a scathing assessment of the Luscombe years in a note titled Double loop decay, as a guest author for investment bank CLSA. It was here that he referred to Woolworths as the Queen Mary, likening the group to the massive ocean liner.
He criticised Luscombe's decision to drift away from "its concept of first achieving cost savings and then sharing them with customers through everyday low prices".
"Unlike the Corbett years, most shareholder gains come from increased gross margins rather than cost savings," he wrote.
The effect of Luscombe's decision to bank most of the savings, he claims, allowed it to rapidly ramp up its sales margins. In just six years, Woolworths' EBIT/sales margin went from 4.09 to 6.5 per cent.
"By any measure the performance of Woolworths under Roger Corbett [and others] from 1999 to 2005 was a remarkable success," Wavish wrote.
"In the ensuing six years the emphasis seemed to be on delivering value to shareholders ahead of customers. This opened the door for a revitalised Coles to take out it own costs and to assume the price leadership crown."
It is these strategic errors, some say, that will now make O'Brien's job harder. Although he is well regarded in the investment community, one market source believes that "under Grant there hasn't been much change because he has to protect the very high margin. That's the key problem.
"Every day that you protect that high margin, Ian McLeod gets a free kick."
The dilemma O'Brien faces, he points out, is if he drops the margin by 1 per cent "that might be $300 million or $400 million of EBIT gone". He also points out that management's remuneration is tied to its earnings per share performance.
"They have to keep that margin high," another source said.
"If they bring that margin down, they get slaughtered on an earnings [per share] basis."
A further problem seen is that because Masters is struggling, it means the supermarket division has to keep its margins higher to offset the losses in the hardware business. By pushing margins up in supermarkets, that business becomes less competitive.
One analyst said: "You definitely feel Coles has probably led the way and Woolworths has lost its position as the market leader in innovation and momentum.
"Can Woolworths again go forward? Potentially, but you obviously have got to get real momentum back."
Analysts say the coming months will be crucial. One believes the priority is getting the hardware business right - or at least demonstrating that it is on the right track. "That's going to have to be demonstrated in the next six months," he said.
Woolworths disputes talk it is not price competitive.
"All divisions are firmly focused on providing value and improving customers' price perceptions of our offerings," the spokeswoman said. "Value is top of mind for Grant."
So much so that in the public foyer of the support office - Woolworths head office - a large poster reads: "On average only 50 per cent of our customers say we have the best prices. That leaves plenty of upside for 2013!"
Not everyone believes Woolworths is a challenged business.
"I think Woolworths is a great trader and I think Woolworths is on a growth cycle," says Michael Lloyd, publisher of the trade magazine Shopping Centre News.
Lloyd points to Woolworths' property portfolio and the work it is doing in researching how customers will want to shop online in the future.
He also believes Woolworths is showing innovation in its food business, citing its new sushi bars, cheese counters and sleek new butcher formats. They "are not living on past glories", he says.
Another supporter is former chief executive Reg Clairs who, although removed from the company today, remains a shareholder.
"From a personal point of view the things that interest me now is the price of the shares, and at $33 I am more than happy," he says.
"And the dividends are very healthy and they continually provide a responsible profit. I'm not disappointed in the corporation."
Woolworths itself insists there is plenty of upside in the business and "many avenues for growth".
"We are known for our strong core business in food and liquor, a cost-focused culture, strong customer focus and continuous business improvement," said the Woolworths spokeswoman, while also highlighting that at the half year of FY13 it had already returned $2 billion to shareholders.
The spokeswoman also said it had a "good handle on the challenges" facing Masters and that "plans are in place to address them".
Whether it can handle those challenges only time will tell.
At the conclusion of Wavish's 2011 note he wrote: "Negative trends are not always immediately apparent.
"In a business that thrives on daily sales feedback, there are also long-term trends.
"It takes a long time to slow down the Queen Mary but once she is dead in the water she is awfully hard to restart."
2006
September Roger Corbett retires as chief executive of Woolworths after eight years in the job, replaced by Michael Luscombe.
2007
October
Wesfarmers, led by Richard Goyder, buys struggling Coles supermarkets. UK retailer Ian McLeod is hired to lead the fiveyear turnaround.
2009
October
Coles sales growth overtakes Woolworths’ for the first time in more than a decade.
IMPORTANT: This information has been prepared without taking into account your objectives, financial situation or needs and you should consider if the information is appropriate for you before making an investment decision. Unless otherwise specifically stated or disclosed (such as the InvestSMART Diversified Portfolios Product Disclosure Statement), neither InvestSMART Financial Services Pty Ltd nor any of its Related Companies make any recommendations as to the merits of any investment opportunity referred to in its emails or its related websites. Product disclosure statements for financial products offered through InvestSMART can be downloaded from this website or obtained by contacting 1300 880 160. You should consider the product disclosure statement before making a decision about the product. All indications of performance returns are historical and can not be relied upon as an indicator for future performance. | {
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Indonesia blames Boeing 737 MAX design for 2018 Lion Air crash
NEW YORK: Indonesian authorities have cited failures in the Boeing 737 MAX design and oversight as contributing to the 2018 Lion Air plane crash, the Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday.
The report into the crash, which will be formally released in early November, also blames pilot error and maintenance issues for the crash that killed 189 people shortly after the flight departed from Jakarta last October, the newspaper said.
The Boeing plane model was later grounded worldwide after an Ethiopian Airlines 737 MAX crashed after taking off from Addis Ababa in March, killing 157 people. Preliminary investigations into both accidents have implicated the MCAS anti-stall system, designed specifically for the 737 MAX.
Indonesian investigators could still change their findings, which have been shared with the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the Wall Street Journal says.
US officials are scheduled to visit Indonesia at the end of September to discuss the report, in which Indonesian investigators list some 100 factors in the crash.
While the NTSB is unlikely to object to the findings, Boeing and the FAA are worried that the report "will unduly emphasise design and FAA certification missteps," the newspaper reported, citing unnamed sources familiar with the matter.
"Boeing continues to support the investigation as the accident report is being completed," a spokesman for the company told AFP. The FAA and NTSB declined to comment, referring questions to the Indonesian authorities.
The NTSB is preparing to announce "around the end of the month" recommendations to improve pilot and crew training, and to the FAA's certification process for new airplane models, according to the newspaper.
A panel of international regulators set up by the FAA is also expected in the coming weeks to submit a report critical of the relationship between Boeing and the agency.
New FAA head Steve Dickson is to meet with his international counterparts on Monday ahead of an International Civil Aviation Organisation meeting in Montreal to discuss Boeing's proposed changes to the 737 MAX and its eventual return to service. | {
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Kronicle intern Adam Broderick just fired this one over – Powder pioneers Sweetgrass Productions ventured to South America to capture this soulful film. Full length film premieres September 15. Says Sweetgrass: “In the high desert of South America, winter takes hold, devouring bleached bones and… | {
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Empty mockup billboard with spotlights and day light. Wide format. Vector Illustration isolated on white background. Elements are easy to use in your design. If you are not working with vector illustrations, the complete bitmap copy for you isolated on white background, high resolution of 300 DPI. | {
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Justice for the Brand “The White Stig”
A few weekends ago I was fortunate to witness in front of me what I can only call poetic justice for the BBC Top Gear’s brand “THE STIG”; I had been invited to Brands Hatch raceway for the final round of the British Touring Cars Championship (BTCC).
When I say the words justice let me explain, over the years I have become a fan of the BBC programme Top Gear, I have never been sure whether I love or hate front man Jeremy Clarkson but the format of the show I feel is very good.
One of the highlights each week is the mystery behind the tame racing driver “The White Stig”, I can remember back almost ten years to the first “Black Stig” then the change in format for the last seven years the white stig. Who was he! Was he a top driver! I suppose it was just the mystery of not knowing.
Based on the information given out about the original Black Stig being ex F1 driver Perry McCarthy the picture painted by Mr Clackson and his team was that the stig must be a top level racing driver. However in my view this was about to change when in August this year due to a High Court action it was announced who for the past seven years had been “The white stig” Mr Ben Collins.
The reason for the sad news was the announcement that in the autobiography about Ben Collins the racing driver life because he could not get hold of any extra money from the BBC for image rights of the BRAND STIG that he was going to kill the myth and reveal his identity as being the BBC “White Stig” for the past seven years.
So being that was the main makeup of his autobiography he would be moving on. So back to Brands Hatch the last round of the British Touring Cars where now as a racing driver Ben Collins was going to make his debut in a Airways BMW, also between races he would be having book signing sessions, Money, Money, Money me thinks. (If you take the seven years off the STIG out of his book there was not much left)
Even the race day commenter’s kept going on about Collins and The Stig, as a TV licence payer my view is any money earned from a fictional TV character should go to the BBC and not Ben Collins as all this extra publicity for Ben Collins based on the back of the brand “STIG”. Now the Justice part for me and hopefully the end of Mr Collins being able to earn of the back of the BBC brand The Stig as in my eye’s people in racing only remember winners and Mr Collins was not a winner that day as the photo shows and I do hope not in the future as well.
So Mr Ben Collins beached in the sand at the bottom of Paddock Hill Bend in the 3rd race and yet another DNF. In my eyes it was pure justice for all the STIG fans across the world as I now look forward to maybe the BBC new multi-coloured STIG could star in the next Top Gear series, but who knows.
However for me it was very ironic that The 2010 British Touring Car series was won by TV’s Channel Five programme The Fifth Gear presenter Jason Platio who also on winning the series became joint as the most successful touring driver of all time in the Touring Cars series with 60 wins to his name. Maybe and just maybe Jason Platio could become the next “STIG” at least everyone would know he was a true winner on the track and he wouldn’t sell his life story just based on a fictional character. | {
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A Note to My Five-Year-Old Nephew
It’ll be decades before what follows will be of any use to you, and if you’re like me, before it’s of use you’ll understand it, but you won’t be able to appreciate it. Still, it doesn’t hurt to have it rattling around in the ol’ back-brain until you can benefit from it, so I thought it a good idea to jot this down now, in hopes you’ll someday read it and benefit in some small way from it.
#
Growing old, as your grandmother says, is not for sissies. While I’m not prepared to say I’m old, exactly, I’ve now reached the stage of “growing older” where I have absorbed these lessons …
[1] Stay Active. Don’t be the quintessential “couch potato,” don’t let your studies or your job consume you sixty to seventy hours a week, don’t succumb to the lure of the latest zip-zapping, bright-shiny gizmo at the expense of playing one-on-one basketball, or running and lifting weights, or any other physical activity that will build up a sweat and keep your muscles toned, your torso and limbs trim. You know the grandmother I mentioned above? One of the reasons she’s still going strong (as I write this) at age seventy-five is because she still mows her own lawn, trims her own hedges, walks and bikes every day, line dances, bowls, and probably one or two other things I’m forgetting to list. She stays active — and she reaps the benefits. Stay active and you’ll receive those same benefits, too.
[2] Don’t Do Foolish Things That Will Eventually Compromise Your Health. My Dad chewed his fingernails; I’ve chewed them all my life. I eventually started cracking my knuckles; I’ve been a knuckle-cracker since my early teens. “What’s the harm?” You ask at the time. “It’s not doing a thing to me!” Ehhh-h-h-h — don’t kid yourself. As the years and the decades stack up, such behavior starts to take a toll. Today I’m feeling the early stages of arthritis, my right hand’s little finger has a knuckle that’s grown so swollen I can no longer full close that fist. All the way through your thirties you’re likely to feel invincible — avoid stupid little bad habits like fingernail chewing and knuckle cracking and maybe you’ll continue to feel that way into your forties, fifties, sixties, and seventies, too.
[3] Support the Deserving Little Guys. The hard-working, quality-delivering Independent is always more satisfying to do business with than the giant, monolithic, impersonal Multinational. You can’t avoid the big guys, but you can seek out and support those little guys who are worthy of that support. You’ll shop at a chain supermarket, but if you have a butcher shop selling quality meats cut-to-order, or an area farm stand where you can buy farm-fresh fruits and vegetables, give those folks your business, even if you pay a little bit more. Who’s the best-selling author of the day? He or she doesn’t need your money — find the talented-but-lesser-known lights and read their works. They need the sales! Remember, the fact that you support the deserving little guys makes you a Big Guy in their eyes.
[4a] Treasure What Has Gone Before. The multinational pop culture industry and the media that supports it will try to tell you the only thing that’s important is buying What’s New Right Now, and looking ahead to What’s Coming Up. Don’t you believe it for an instant. The past century is stuffed to the rafters with amazing works, produced by unprecedented talents. Whether they know it or not, whoever Today’s Big Sellers are, they stand on the shoulders of Giants from the Past who originally plowed the territory they are now tilling. In music, go listen to Warren Zevon and Johnny Cash and Roy Orbison — in fiction, read The USA Trilogy by Dos Passos and the award-winning fiction of Harlan Ellison (that alone will keep you busy!), the science fiction of Asimov and Ray Bradbury, the detective fiction of Hammett and Raymond Chandler — in comics, read the first hundred issues of Fantastic Four and Amazing Spider-Man, everything you can find by Will Eisner and Steranko, and, well, your Aunt Krista should have a pretty full bookshelf or two of beautiful comics by Milton Caniff and Jack Kent and Alex Raymond and Chet Gould and so many more. I helped create those books, and they’re a legacy I’m pleased and proud to share with you, if you’re of a mind to read them.
[4b] Stories You Love Will Go Sour on You Over Time. It might be because the gigantic multinational that owns the property decides to overexpose it, wring it dry of immediate profits, and leave the desiccated carcass along the roadside for the most devoted fans to pick at, like vultures stripping a carcass of its last edible scraps. It might be because it was an immensely powerful story in its time, but its time passes and the qualities that made it resonate no longer seem relevant. (Note that “no longer exist” and “no longer seem relevant” are two different things — stories set in World War II are still relevant when they illustrate the unthinking lust for power and man’s capability for inhumanity to his fellow man, even though World War II is now far, far in our past.) It might be that the work itself stands the test of time, but you yourself have changed so much that the story that held you spellbound in your teens or twenties will no longer “reach” you in your forties or fifties. It happens. It’s not the story’s fault, and it’s not your fault. That’s just the way it goes, sometimes.
[5] There Is No Number Five. Just funnin’ with ya — and if you know from where I cribbed that idea, it’ll a sign these words have reached you in the way I might hope they would.
[6] Longer Life Equals Increased Loss. It’s impossible to hang on to every good person you’ll meet along the way. Your favorite restaurants will close. Your favorite musical group will have a bitter break-up and the solo music that follows will never be as sweet as the music the band members made when they were together. Your favorite actor will stop getting work. Folks you like on the periphery of your life will begin to pass away — you’ll acknowledge those losses, and you’ll think, “If this is what death is like, it isn’t so bad.”
Then the dying will start to hit closer to home. It may be a parent (my Dad’s been gone eighteen years as I type this; not a week goes by when I don’t think of him, if only to use one or another of his favorite sayings, of which he had many) — it may be a close friend (it’s been almost two years now since my long-time pal Howard died. Our mutual friends and I still keenly feel the hole his absence has left in all our lives) — it’s even possible you’ll outlive a lover. Life changes forever after those types of losses. Nothing as you go forward is ever the same as it used to be — that doesn’t mean it’s all bad, and gloom and doom, and deep-dark depression. It just means we carry on and find the pleasures and the joys where we can, and if the light of days seems a little less sharply-defined, if the fire inside burns a little more slowly and deeply, that’s all right.
But once a loved one is gone, there are no do-overs, so say what you have to say to those you care about, and don’t pass up those opportunities to visit close friends and family members when those chances present themselves, because the day will come when there are no more opportunities, no more chances. It’s a shame to have business that can never be finished.
Of course, the path of life isn’t all filled with cautionary road signs like these. There is a world to discover that is full of wonder — there is good food to savor, more delightful entertainment than you can every experience in a single lifetime, incredible man-made wonders to experience, and natural wonders that dwarf even those. Most of all, there are persons to love who will love you back with all their hearts: hold them tightly and recognize them for what they are: the most precious gift of all.
And I hope you remember that in your case, H-Man, I’m on that list of those who love you, even if I am the only one kooky enough to send you a note down across a whole batch of years-still-to-come.
By the time you read this, I hope you’re in the midst of a splendid life. You deserve nothing less. | {
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Tapper Zukie still asking the questions and stating the facts that few artists of his calibre would attain to.His classic Dee-Jay style has been copied by many but bettered by few.Over some of his killer rhythms that he previously worked up while producing fellow roots groups such as Prince Allah, Knowledge and Junior Ross and the Spears.Alongside some fresh rhythms, he has taken these as a backbone to some further questions and biblical reasoning that needed answering.Tapper tells it as it is on this mighty collection of tunes put together under the name X is Wrong.This is the first time this set of remarkable tracks have seen a proper release only previously being available as a download from Tappers website.A great set of songs that finally get the release they deserve.. | {
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Surprise! Facebook’s gotten in hot water for doing something creepy. Over the weekend it was revealed that Facebook secretly conducted a massive psychological experiment on some 600,000 of its users by trying to see if it could manipulate their mood by showing them mostly either happy posts or sad posts on their feeds.
The point of the experiment was to see whether being subjected to either happy news or sad news from friends would make Facebook users more likely to write happy posts or sad posts of their own, and sure enough, if you saw nothing but happy posts you were more likely to write something happy and vice versa.
It goes without saying that this has been a tad controversial, however. Slate’s Katy Waldman, for one, has decried the Facebook experiment as “unethical” in part because the company “intentionally made thousands upon thousands of people sad” and because this kind of research typically requires some kind of informed consent.
Facebook data scientist Adam Kramer, who was one of the authors of the study, has now written a post in which he defends the study’s goals but admits that the way the experiment was described in the research paper made it sound much worse than it actually was and sparked some legitimate worries from Facebook users about how they’re being manipulated by the company.
“Having written and designed this experiment myself, I can tell you that our goal was never to upset anyone,” he says. “I can understand why some people have concerns about it, and my coauthors and I are very sorry for the way the paper described the research and any anxiety it caused. In hindsight, the research benefits of the paper may not have justified all of this anxiety.”
Kramer also emphasizes that this study was conducted in “early 2012” and that Facebook has refined its internal review practices since then, which presumably means it won’t conduct mood manipulation experiments like this in the future.
That said, this really does open up some legitimate questions about what Facebook is actually doing with all our data. The mood manipulation experiment may only be the tip of the iceberg and we may never know what other ways the company is using us for psychological experiments behind the scenes without our knowledge. | {
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CEOs are heading into 2018 with more optimism about the global economy, concludes a new report by The Conference Board.
The findings in C-Suite Challenge™ 2018 result from a survey of over 1,000 business leaders about the top challenges facing their organizations in 2018, and their strategies for meeting those challenges. Attracting and retaining talent ranks as the foremost concern not only among CEOs but also the rest of the C-Suite, including CHROs and CFOs.
“Businesses appear to be starting 2018 with a healthy sense of confidence, a sentiment reinforced by our recent projection of three percent global economic growth for this year,” said Bart van Ark, report co-author and Chief Economist of The Conference Board. “However, the optimism remains tempered by a few factors – among them, a continuation of geopolitical and social tensions, uncertainty around global policy issues, talent shortages, and the disruption caused by emerging technologies.”
“To cope with worker and skill shortages down the road, this year’s survey results tell us that organizations are fundamentally rethinking the composition of their future workforces,” said Rebecca L. Ray, report co-author and Executive Vice President, Knowledge Organization at The Conference Board. “Nearly 80 percent of CHRO respondents foresee greater use of contingent non-traditional employees. Moreover, three-quarters of them anticipate a rise in digital labor solutions such as robotic process automation.”
A desire for organizational cultures that are inclusive, engaged, high-performance, customer-focused, and resilient is signaled throughout the responses to this year’s survey. The desire for a “culture of innovation” ranks as the number-one innovation strategy in every region (Asia is the one exception, where it is third), every industry, every size company, and among CEOs and C-Suite executives alike. Also, the report finds the impact of the New Digital Economy is clearly being felt in the daily processes and practices of organizations, and through the emergence of new competitors from every part of the globe.
HOT-BUTTON ISSUES IN 2018
The report also asked business leaders about their “hot-button issues” – issues that will require a special focus this year. Some of the key findings include:
Fear of a global recession has plummeted. For 2017, CEOs globally ranked it as their number-one concern; for 2018, they moved it down to their 19th. However, CFOs are more concerned than CEOs about a global recession. They ranked it as their 7th top concern.
The top concern of CEOs is attracting and retaining talent. This is also true for the rest of the C-Suite, including CHROs and CFOs.
The 2nd top concern of CEOs is creating new business models because of disruptive technologies. This is also true for the rest of the C-Suite, including CHROs and CFOs. (While the C-Suite is aligned in their 1st and 2nd top concerns, they differ in their prioritization of other hot-button issues.)
Concern about income inequality has risen sharply. For 2017, CEOs globally ranked it 18th; for 2018, it is their 7th biggest concern. It is of special concern in China, where it ranks 3rd.
Anxiety about global trade has increased. For 2017, CEOs globally ranked threats to global trade systems as their 15th biggest concern; for 2018, it is their 8th.
Europe’s CEOs remain concerned about Brexit. For 2017, CEOs in Europe ranked the effects of Brexit as their 8th biggest concern; it ranks the same for 2018, an indication that Brexit remains on their collective radar. Overall, however, Brexit ranks a relative low 26th on the global list.
Business leaders also detailed strategies they are employing to improve performance in six areas: Human Capital, Innovation, Operational Excellence, Customer Relationships/Corporate Brand and Reputation, Regulation and Risk, and Sustainability. Some of the key findings pertaining to Innovation and Human Capital include:
Innovation
Culture reigns supreme. To improve innovation performance in 2018, both CEOs and CHROs ranked as the most important strategy, Create a culture of innovation that encourages cooperation across functions and business units and promotes risk taking.
Less than half of CEOs (48 percent) see their organization as a technology leader in their industries. Moreover, less than 10 percent of CEOs globally say they are “extremely satisfied” with their organization’s ability to innovate, and they continue to struggle with how to measure innovation.
Human Capital
Braced for a new world of work. Fewer than half (41 percent) of CHROs think their workforces in the next three to five years will be comprised predominantly of traditional, full-time employees.
A culture of safe, ongoing communication. For human capital strategies in 2018, CEOs ranked as most important, Communicate effectively from all levels (up, down, and across); communicate consistently and transparently. Also, in this area CEOs ranked as 4th, Encourage an open, safe, and transparent speak-up culture.
About The Survey
The Conference Board’s C-Suite Challenge™is the latest in a survey series first conducted in 1999 (previously The Conference Board CEO Challenge®). This year, The Conference Board expanded the range of respondents to other key C-Suite functional executives. Doing so has resulted in a more enterprise-wide view of the global business environment and a better understanding of how organizations are approaching the challenges of the digital age. In collaboration with regional partners across the globe, The Conference Board carried out the survey between early September 2017 and early November 2017.
About The Conference BoardThe Conference Board is a global, independent business membershipand research association working in the public interest. Our mission is unique: To provide the world’s leading organizationswith the practical knowledge they need to improve their performance and better serve society. The Conference Board is a non-advocacy, not-for-profit entity holding 501 (c) (3) tax-exempt status in the United States. www.conference-board.org | {
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Register for New Hilton Promo to Earn 2x Bonus Points
Please note this site has financial relationships with American Express and this post may contain affiliate links. Read my Advertiser Disclosure policy here to learn more about my partners.
Hilton has a new promotion kicking off on September 1, 2017, that runs all the way through the end of 2017 and will award double Hilton points on eligible Hilton stays for everyone who registers. Those who have Hilton Diamond status will get double points + 10,000 bonus points per 10 eligible nights, up to a max of 5 times for 50,000 bonus points for 50 eligible nights.
It may not be a super exciting promo, but it is simple, straight-forward, and only excludes the Hampton by Hilton Hotels in Mainland China. It will also stack with the 500 bonus Hilton points per stay you can earn by booking via the Hilton Honors App through the end of 2017.
As an example of how this works, if you had a $150 stay at a Hilton Hotel then normally you would earn 10x points per dollar for a total of 1,500 Hilton points. With this bonus you would earn 2x that rate for a total of 3,000 Hilton points. Assuming you book via the app, that total is now 3,500 Hilton points. If you paid for that $150 stay with your Hilton Honors™ Surpass® Card from American Express then you earn 12x Hilton points for that charge for a total of 1,800 more Hilton points.
That is a perfect example of how paying attention to promos and having the right rewards credit card can take a ho-hum earnings situation of 1,500 Hilton points to one that rings in at about 5,300 Hilton points for the very same stay.
About Summer
Well, I am a married mom in my mid-30's. I have two rock star, adorable, beautiful, fantastic, mischievous, humorous, smarter-than-my-own-good girls. One is currently 7 going on 17 and the other is closing in on her 2nd birthday. I am obsessed with my adorable and insane kiddos, and also obsessed with earning and using airline and hotel points and miles to show them the world on a budget we can afford. Learn more about Summer
Advertiser Disclosure: Most of the credit card offers that appear on the website are from credit card companies from which MommyPoints.com receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site (including, for example, the order in which they appear). This site does not include all credit card companies or all available credit card offers. This site has financial relationships with Chase, American Express, Citibank, Barclaycard, and US Bank. Please view our advertising policy page for more information.
Editorial Note: Opinions expressed here are author's alone and have not been reviewed or endorsed by any company or third party unless clearly stated otherwise. | {
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Post navigation
Lymington Society Sponsors a Christmas Tree
The Lymington Society has sponsored a tree in the St Thomas’ Church Christmas Tree Festival. It’s decorated with photographs of the area. Well done Heather Burrell and Pam Morrissey for doing the decorations. The tree is the one next to the pulpit. | {
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Dr. Rebecca Landa and Dr. Kiely Law discuss the challenges that children with special needs have in learning how to give and receive affection at appropriate times.
Drs. Rebecca Landa and Kiely Law discuss the challenges that children with special needs have in learning how to give and receive affection at appropriate times, as well as the challenges parents experience when teaching their children the appropriate ways to show affection, in thisBaltimore's Child article. | {
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Chad Ford
A day after the 2014 NBA draft is complete, Chad Ford and Jay Bilas return to provide a breakdown. Today, they look at the best and worst picks, most surprising selection and a pick for rookie of the year.
MORE DRAFT CONTENT:
Joel Embiid could be a great pick for Philly, as long as he stays healthy. AP Photo/Orlin Wagner
Jay Bilas: The best pick was Isaiah Austin, made by Adam Silver. What a classy and heartwarming moment. Next, it would be Joel Embiid, by Philadelphia. Andrew Wiggins and Jabari Parker were the right calls for Cleveland and Milwaukee given their situations, but Embiid is the best prospect. The two recent injuries are certainly a concern, but I believe his talent and the potential return is worth the risk. A former NBA head coach who has worked with Embiid told me on draft night that he agreed. He said Embiid was the best pick, and he wouldn't hesitate if he was in the position to take him. Reasonable minds can differ, but I'll take Embiid. By the way, Parker and Julius Randle have both broken a foot in the past 18 months. They weren't exactly the same injury as Embiid's, but it happens. | {
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Tags
The document prolog
version - the version number of the file. For automatical version adjustment of presets managed in this wiki you can use two internal variables: [[revision]] (the latest version number of the wiki page) and [[date]] (the date of the last edit).
description (i18n) - description what the file contains
shortdescription (i18n) - very short overview description i.e. the "name" of the preset
link (i18n) - web link to further details (optional)
icon - informational icon for the whole preset. (This is nedded to display the icon in the table at Presets.)
baselanguage - when the base language is not English, specify it here (using non English preset texts prevents automatic translation)
(i18n) means the values may also be localized (e.g. de.description).
Comments
<!-- this is an example comment -->
The document can contain embedded comments.
Preset group creation
<group>
Used to group items in sub menus. name is required, icon is optional attribute.
<item>
Every item is one annotation set to select from. name is required, type and preset_name_label are recommended, icon and name_template are optional attributes.
<separator/>
Insert a line separator into the menu.
Preset window layout
<label>
Labels are static texts for display. text is a required attribute, icon and icon_size are optional.
<space />
Add some space (ie a newline).
<optional>
Used to group some optional elements of an item. The text attribute is optional. If used without text then this is equivalent to <space /><label text="Optional Attributes:"/><space />
<item_separator />
Add a horizontal separator line between items.
<link>
Specify a web link for this feature or to anything else of use. The href attribute is required.
<checkgroup>
To group checks. The columns attribute is required.
<roles>
This is required around <role> and adds the heading ("Availible roles role count elements") to the table which is generated by several <role>.
<role>
To specify possible roles of members in relations. The key attribute is required, text, requisite, count, type and member_expression are optional.
<preset_link>
Adds a link to an other preset. The preset_name attribute is required.
Set a fixed key value pair
<key>
This tag will always set a key to a specific value. key is required and if value is present, the key will be set. If value attribute is ommited, the key is removed. The match attribute is optional.
Attribute entry and selection dialog boxes
<text>
A text edit field to enter any arbitrary string from the user. key is mandatory, text, default, use_last_as_default, auto_increment, length, alternative_autocomplete_keys and match is optional
<combo>
Displays a multiple choice combo box. key and values are mandatory, text, default, editable, delimiter, values_from, display_values, short_descriptions, use_last_as_default, values_searchable, length, values_no_i18n, values_sort and match is optional.
If editable is true (default), combo boxes can be edited as if they were text fields (additional to the drop down menu). Non editable combo boxes can only contain one of the specified values.
<multiselect>
Displays a list from which zero or more items can be chosen. key and values are mandatory, and text, default, delimiter, values_from, rows, display_values, short_descriptions, use_last_as_default, values_searchable, values_no_i18n, values_sort and match are optional. The selected values will be concatenated with the specified delimiter (default: semicolon) and written to the tag value. If a tag value has already been set when the preset dialog is opened, the multiselect will attempt to mark the appropriate items in the list as select. If the tag value cannot be represented by a combination of choices in the list, then the list will be disabled so that the user cannot accidentally overwrite a custom value. In contrast to the "combo" element, the "multiselect" expects the list of values, descriptions etc. to use the specified delimiter, i.e. by default you will have to use a semicolon. You can specify delimiter="," but then a comma will also be used in the tag value.
<list_entry>
Used in <combo> and <multiselect>. More information see short_descriptions. The attributes are value, display_value, short_description, icon and icon_size.
<check>
A checkbox which the user can only select or deselect (or set as unset). The key attribute is mandatory. text, default, match, value_on , value_off and disable_off are optional.
Templates
<chunk>
To define a template of elements for later (repeated) use. The id attribute is mandatory.
<reference>
To include an earlier defined template. The ref attribute is mandatory.
Attributes
The attributes of the tags have the following meaning:
name="a_name"
Specify a name for an item. This name will be used in the GUI to display the tagging preset.
name_context="context"
Translation context for name attribute to separate equals words with different meaning (not required for in-file translations).
type="data_type"
When specified, only objects of the given type will work with this tagging preset. Can be "node", "way", "closedway", "multipolygon", "relation" or any comma separated combination of them. Note that "multipolygon" is not included in "relation", so if the preset should apply for multipolygons and other relation types, you need to specify both: "multipolygon,relation". Also used in the <role> tag to specify which object types are allowed for a specific relation member.
icon="iconname"
A name or link to an icon. The image will be used as icon to display in the selection list and when adding the preset to the toolbar. Icons can also be used in <item>, <label> and <list_entry>. The icon should be quadratic in size. See Styles#Iconhandling how icons can be specified.
icon_size="a number"
The maximal size of an icon in px. If no value is given, default is 16 for <label> and the default icon size for <list_entry /> (in <combo> and <multiselect>).
key="some_key"
This specifies the property key that will be modified by the item. In case of <role> it is the role name used in a relation.
text="Any text"
The description, that will be displayed before (after in case of <check>) the gui element. Also used for <label> and <optional>.
The default value for the item. If not specified, the current value of the key is chosen as default (if applicable). In case of <check> whether the checkbox is ticked on or off by default (default is "off"). In case of <text>, <combo> and <multiselct> defaults to "".
values="entry1,entry2,entry3"
A list of entries (for the <combo> box and <multiselect>). The list has to be separated by commas (for the combo box) or by the specified delimiter (for the multiselect). If a value contains the delimiter, the delimiter may be escaped with a backslash. If a value contains a backslash, it must also be escaped with a backslash.
values_from="JAVA code"
To use instead of "values" if the list of values has to be obtained with a Java method of this form: public static String[] getValues(); The value must be: "full.package.name.ClassName#methodName".
values_no_i18n="true|false"
Disables internationalisation for value to avoid mistakes, see #11696. Default is "false". Used in <combo> and <multiselect>. (Useful e.g. for opening hours or brand names.)
values_sort="false"
Values of <combo> and <multiselect> are sorted alphabetic in every language. With this attribute you can disable the alphabetic sorting if the values should keep the given order, see #5509 and #11926. (In the JOSM internal preset this is used for the keys "smoothness" and "trail_visibility".) Default is "true". Users can globaly disable sorting with the preference key taggingpreset.sortvalues.
A list of entries that is displayed to the user. Must be the same number and order of entries as values and editable must be false or not specified. For the delimiter character and escaping, see the remarks at values. Used in <combo> and <multiselect>.
value="foobar"
Specify a value to be entered in the <key> tag.
value_on="foobar"
Specify the true value to be entered in the <key> tag of a checked <check> (default is "yes").
value_off="foobar"
Specify the false value to be entered in the <key> tag of a unchecked <check> (default is "no").
disable_off="true"
Whether the off value of a <check> is disabled in the dialog, i.e., only unset or yes are provided.
editable="false"
The combo box is readonly, which means that the user can only select an item in the list. Default is "true", which means, the user can add other values as text.
use_last_as_default="true|false|force"
For <combo>, <multiselect> or <text> fields the last value is used as default. Using "force" enforces this behaviour also for already tagged objects. Default is "false".
rows="count"
Specify the number of rows to display in <multiselect> entry (if not set, it is auto determined by java or the look and feel and results in e.g. 8).
name_template="template", name_template_filter="search expression"
Custom name formatter for osm primitives matching this preset. See below #name_templatedetails for details.
match="none|key|key!|keyvalue|keyvalue!"
Allows to change the matching process, i.e., determining whether the tags of an OSM object fit into this preset. If a preset fits then it is linked in the Tags/Membership dialog.
none: neutral, i.e., do not consider this item for matching
key: positive if key matches, neutral otherwise
key!: positive if key matches, negative otherwise
keyvalue: positive if key and value matches, neutral otherwise
keyvalue!: positive if key and value matches, negative otherwise
Note that for a match, at least one positive and no negative is required. Default is "keyvalue!" for <key> and "none" for <text>, <combo>, <multiselect> and <check>.
id="unique_identifier"
the unique identifier for this chunk
ref="unique_identifier"
the unique identifier of the (already defined) template to include
columns="a number"
the number of columns of grouped checks
requisite="optional|required"
If a relation member is optional or required. Default is "optional".
count="a number"
How often can a role occur (if not given unlimited number is assumed)
member_expression="an expression"
an expression (cf. search dialog) for objects of this role
preset_name="exact_name"
The exact name of the preset to link to.
preset_name_label="false|true"
Whether to insert "[preset name]" label in dialog (defaults to "false" for backward-compatibility on external presets).
length="a number"
The length of a <text> or <combo> box (number of characters allowed).
alternative_autocomplete_keys="some_key(s)"
A comma separated list of alternative keys to use for autocompletion of <text>.
auto_increment="-2,-1,+1,+2"
May contain a comma separated list of integer increments or decrements, e.g. "-2,-1,+1,+2". A button will be shown next to the <text> field for each value, allowing the user to select auto-increment with the given stepping. Auto-increment only happens if the user selects it. There is also a button to deselect auto-increment. Default is no auto-increment. Mutually exclusive with use_last_as_default.
delimiter="special character"
The character that separates values. In case of <combo> the default is comma. In case of <multiselect> the default is semicolon and this will also be used to separate selected values in the tag. More information see <multiselect>.
short_descriptions=""Entry1,Entry2,Entry3"
A delimiter-separated list of texts to be displayed below each display_value. (Only if it is not possible to describe the entry in 2-3 words.) Instead of comma separated list instead using values, display_values and short_descriptions, the following form is also supported: <list_entry value="" display_value="" short_description="" icon="" icon_size="" />
values_searchable="true|false"
Whether to search in <combo> or <multiselect> (display_)values when searching for presets.
name_template details
Name templates can be used to define custom formatting for OSM primitives or GPX waypoints (for example in the Relations or the Selection).
Syntax
{var} - use value of variable var
?{condition1 'value1' | condition2 'value2 | 'value3'} - use value1 if condition1 is satisfied, value3 is no condition is satisfied. Condition can be either explicit - the same expression as in search or filters is used - or implicit; the value is used when all variables used inside exist
!{search_expression 'template'} - search_expression is evaluated and first matching primitive is used as context for template. Useful for example to get tags of parent relation.
Available values
For formatting of OSM primitives , the value of any tag can be used. You can use {special:everything} to see what values are available for your gpx waypoints.
Some additional variables are available via the special prefix:
{special:everything} prints all available values, available for formatting of both primitives and waypoints.
{special:id} prints the ID of an osm primitive
{special:localName} prints the localized name, that is the value of name:lang for your language if it is available or the value of the name tag if it doesn't.
Deprecated Attributes
The following attributes are deprecated and no longer supported by JOSM:
delete_if_empty="true"
was removed in [5155]. You can simply remove this attribute if still used in your preset.
Translation
To support translations, all textual elements ("name", "text", "display_values") may also be localized. (E.g. "de.name" would represent the name in case German language support is loaded.)
In JOSM internally (internal preset) all "name", "text" and "display_values" are translated when no specific translation has been given in XML file. When no "display_values" are supplied, then "values" will be treated as "display_values" and translated instead. When translations of equal words but different meanings may conflict, a translation context should be specified. Use "name_context", "text_context" or "values_context" for this. The context should be a meaningful short description to help translators.
The translation for the internal preset is done at Launchpad (and will probably change to another service in the future, since the Launchpad web interface often produces timeout errors, see #8645). | {
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The nurse led team at this clinic located in Fareham in Hampshire specialize in providing a range of skin and non surgical cosmetic treatments for patients. Treatments are provided for patients with acne, age spots, excessive sweating, rosacea, thread veins on the face and legs and pigmentation. Wrinkle relaxing Treatment for lines and wrinkles injections and dermal filler injections are administered at the clinic. Other services include microdermabrasion, application of skin peels and sclerotherapy. The clinic also stocks high quality skin care products for the convenience of patients.
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"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
GlobalPost
In addition, the government has made clear that it won’t tolerate any type of dissent.
It has not disclosed the number of political detainees it is holding. But they include several Shiite opposition figures, and at least one Sunni, secular-oriented politician, Ibrahim Sharif, head of the liberal Waad Party.
He was detained, said Munira Fakhro, a leading figure in the Waad Party, “because they don’t want a Sunni voice aligned with the Shia voices because this [dispute with the government] has to be sectarian.” | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
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Highly recommended, the staff very friendly. This garage offered lower price than any of my local garages which was very surprising considering this is a Honda dealership. Would happily use Marshall N. again. Thanks
Highly recommend this place, after recently moving to the area, I needed a new garage. Glad I found this place, good bunch of lads, speedy work and booked me in at very short notice. 100% found my new garage. | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
10 billion ECu means 100 Bitcoin, and 100 Bitcoin is a hefty sum. It's going to significantly increase the game's balance sheetii, obviously, and it's a significant commitment all around - how many real people go around with 100 BTC's worth in their pockets ? How many actual, physical families have that much sloshing around piggybanks and sofa cushions ? Inequality reigns supreme, most people in Africa live for less than a dollar a day and my avatar in a virtual world enjoys a hundred Bitcoin to spend on things that aren't even foodiii. Nuts, eh ?
I happen to agree, it's pretty fucking out there.
I could buy each girl a new car. Or one of the surprisingly cheap airplanes. Or various other things. Lots and lots of other things, the blowjob still goes for twenty a unit in approximately all the parts of the world where there live women you'd actually want to stick your penis into.iv
Obviously, being a billionaire comes with the advantage that none of these are blocking, but instead each can be judged on their own merits, it's not a case of "congrats for surviving another year - now pick exactly one from this list of coulds". Even so, game copper, seriously ? It's not even gold!v
I readily grant, and I openly confess similar considerations swirl in my own head as well. Nevertheless, there is method to this madness, and it goes as follows :
Back in February, the NPC trader in game started selling mining bundles, to everyone's delight. The total shipment as announced may well have weighted 2`319`405.412, whatever that is, but was also worth 503`351 * 2.5 * 1`000 + 67`832`655 * 2 * 30 + 755`038`378 * 1.5 * 5 = 10`991`124`635 ECu (about 110 Bitcoin). A lot of these sold in the intervening months, of course, but a lot are still leftvi, and the catch is, Electron still sells them at 135%. As explained in a different context this very well might be a license to print money, as no raw materials sell for that low. Even the most basic I buy for 150%, and some reach as high as 500%. By this logic, I put in materials I bought at 135%, and if I take out even a thirdvii of the base value, if it sells at 500% I'm green. But then again... what if I don't make the third, or what if the prices don't hold, or what if ? Hm.
Minigame announced at some point (I meanwhile misplaced the reference) that should BTC/USD ratios increase significantly, it will float the ECu, but by a degree of magnitude and through the procedure of increasing everyone's cash tenfold, and then adding nine times the base value of all their other items, in cash. As was pointed out then, this exposes players holding large stores of items with high premiums to significant risk (because obviously the cash they get for nine tenths of their item value won't command the same premiums as the actual items). Consequently, were someone to invest 10 bn ECu in mining bundles and should then Bitcoin run off to who knows, 10`000 USD per or something, and should then Minigame float the ECu, that someone would sustain losses of 35/135 out of 90% of his investment, which comes to 2.(3)bn. Ouch. Evaluating this risk is particularly difficult. In spite of the game clocking ~30`000 man-hours of gameplay since February, only a few hundred Ordinary and a few Remarkable claims have been exploited, and they aren't evenly distributed. As a very quick and dirty estimation, the investor is banking on the theory that something like 1mn play-hours happen in Eulora before Bitcoin reaches a high enough value in US to trigger the floating of the currency. At the current rate this means about ten years, which... on one hand, it seems unlikely Bitcoin will long stay as deeply undervalued as it finds itself today ; on the other hand it seems very likely the Eulora playerbase will increase significantly in the coming years. Which is a likelier event, and which happens sooner ? Will the stock of mining bundles be used up before Bitcoin explodes ? Hm.
But whatever, to begin with I don't have to actually buy the bundles just because I have the money to do it, and for that matter maintaining a solid balance sheet is the most important ingredient of successviii. And so... I've pretty much decided I'm going to buy 10 billion ECu.
Moreover, we will always maintain supreme financial strength, operating with at least $20 billion of cash equivalents and never incurring material amounts of short-term obligations. As we view these and other strengths, Charlie and I like your company’s prospects. We feel fortunate to be entrusted with its management.
Another possible side for your conundrahedon lies in the fact that some bundles contain as yet unfound/nutso rare ingredients, whereas others can be made (albeit more easily at lower quality levels) without much hassle.
Something requiring, say, a microchip or sex tape to dig up could well be priceless if Electron's corner store goes entirely out of stock. | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
When and where to see FC Barcelona - Real Valladolid
Wherever you are in the world, this page should help you to make sure you can see the game, set for Saturday at 8.45pm CET
www.fcbarcelona.com
Football
14 Feb 19
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Football returns to Camp Nou and Ernesto Valverde's men welcome the visit of Valladolid in week 24 of La Liga. After a week without a game in midweek, the blaugranes return to action on Saturday with three points in their sights and the possibility of extending their unbeaten run in La Liga to 11.
You can follow the game on the website at the Barça v Valladolid Match Centre and also on the Club's different social media platforms. Check out our list below of the regional broadcasters that hold the rights to show the match. We can’t guarantee that they actually will show the game, unfortunately that’s not up to us, but most of them usually do! Check the broadcasters’ websites and the local press to be sure. | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
Investing in the soil is an integral part of the lawn and gardens ecosystem. A healthy soil provides the plants the oxygen, nutrients and water that’s needed to contribute to a healthy plant. There are a couple of ways that everyone can invest in the soil.
First, by applying an organic matter, such as compost (approx. ½” coating) to your lawn and raking or watering it down in, to insure that the microorganisms and nutrients get to the soil surface. As the compost is watered in the soil, releasing microorganisms along with a small amount of nutrients into the soil.
The second way is to cover the soil surface with an organic mulch. As microorganisms near the soil surface and break it down, nutrients are released into the soil. The applied mulch will also regulate soil temperature, protecting the plant roots from stress from extreme heat and cold. The mulch will also reduce wind and water erosion and help preserve the soil’s organic matter. Mulch, also helps with water management by reducing the landscape’s need for water by slowing evaporation from the soil surface and decreasing water-hogging weed populations. Organic mulches provide shelter and food for beneficials like ground beetles and toads.
Note: If your soil is compacted, we would encourage you to do a core aeration before adding compost or an organic compost/ mulch mix. Also, you can use loam and we would suggest if you decide to go this route, to use a loam with a 20% compost mix (approx. ½” coating.) | {
"pile_set_name": "Pile-CC"
} |
Amnesteem News
BOX WARNING
INFORMATION FOR PHARMACISTS
Access the iPLEDGE system via the internet (www.ipledgeprogram.com) or telephone (1-866-495-0654) to obtain an authorization and the “do not dispense to patient after” date. Amnesteem must only be dispensed in no more than a 30 day supply.
REFILLS REQUIRE A NEW PRESCRIPTION AND A NEW AUTHORIZATION FROM THE iPLEDGE SYSTEM.
An Amnesteem Medication Guide must be given to the patient each time Amnesteem is dispensed, as required by law. This Amnesteem Medication Guide is an important part of the risk management program for the patient.
WARNINGS
Psychiatric Disorders
Amnesteem may cause depression, psychosis and, rarely, suicidal ideation, suicide attempts, suicide, and aggressive and/or violent behaviors. No mechanism of action has been established for these events (see ADVERSE REACTIONS: Psychiatric). Prescribers should read the brochure, Recognizing Psychiatric Disorders in Adolescents and Young Adults: A Guide for Prescribers of Isotretinoin.Prescribers should be alert to the warning signs of psychiatric disorders to guide patients to receive the help they need. Therefore, prior to initiation of Amnesteem therapy, patients and family members should be asked about any history of psychiatric disorder, and at each visit during therapy patients should be assessed for symptoms of depression, mood disturbance, psychosis, or aggression to determine if further evaluation may be necessary. Signs and symptoms of depression, as described in the brochure (“Recognizing Psychiatric Disorders in Adolescents and Young Adults”), include sad mood, hopelessness, feelings of guilt, worthlessness or helplessness, loss of pleasure or interest in activities, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, change in sleep pattern, change in weight or appetite, suicidal thoughts or attempts, restlessness, irritability, acting on dangerous impulses, and persistent physical symptoms unresponsive to treatment. Patients should stop Amnesteem and the patient or a family member should promptly contact their prescriber if the patient develops depression, mood disturbance, psychosis, or aggression, without waiting until the next visit. Discontinuation of Amnesteem therapy may be insufficient; further evaluation may be necessary. While such monitoring may be helpful, it may not detect all patients at risk. Patients may report mental health problems or family history of psychiatric disorders. These reports should be discussed with the patient and/or the patient’s family. A referral to a mental health professional may be necessary. The physician should consider whether Amnesteem therapy is appropriate in this setting; for some patients the risks may outweigh the benefits of Amnesteem therapy.
Pseudotumor Cerebri
Amnesteem use has been associated with a number of cases of pseudotumor cerebri (benign intracranial hypertension), some of which involved concomitant use of tetracyclines. Concomitant treatment with tetracyclines should therefore be avoided. Early signs and symptoms of pseudotumor cerebri include papilledema, headache, nausea and vomiting, and visual disturbances. Patients with these symptoms should be screened for papilledema and, if present, they should be told to discontinue Amnesteem immediately and be referred to a neurologist for further diagnosis and care (see ADVERSE REACTIONS: Neurological).
Serious Skin Reactions
There have been post-marketing reports of erythema multiforme and severe skin reactions [e.g., Stevens-Johnson Syndrome (SJS), toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN)] associated with isotretinoin use. These events may be serious and result in death, life-threatening events, hospitalization or disability. Patients should be monitored closely for severe skin reactions and discontinuation of Amnesteem should be considered if warranted.
Pancreatitis
Acute pancreatitishas been reported in patients with either elevated or normal serum triglyceride levels. In rare instances, fatal hemorrhagic pancreatitis has been reported. Amnesteem should be stopped if hypertriglyceridemia cannot be controlled at an acceptable level or if symptoms of pancreatitis occur.
Lipids
Elevations of serum triglycerides in excess of 800 mg/dL have been reported in patients treated with Amnesteem. Marked elevations of serum triglycerides were reported in approximately 25% of patients receiving Amnesteem in clinical trials. In addition, approximately 15% developed a decrease in high-density lipoproteins and about 7% showed an increase in cholesterol levels. In clinical trials, the effects on triglycerides, HDL and cholesterol were reversible upon cessation of Amnesteem therapy. Some patients have been able to reverse triglyceride elevation by reduction in weight, restriction of dietary fat and alcohol, and reduction in dose while continuing Amnesteem.5
Blood lipid determinations should be performed before Amnesteem is given and then at intervals until the lipid response to Amnesteem is established, which usually occurs within 4 weeks. Especially careful consideration must be given to risk/benefit for patients who may be at high risk during Amnesteem therapy (patients with diabetes, obesity, increased alcohol intake, lipid metabolism disorder or familial history of lipid metabolism disorder). If Amnesteem therapy is instituted, more frequent checks of serum values for lipids and/or blood sugar are recommended (see PRECAUTIONS: Laboratory Tests).
The cardiovascular consequences of hypertriglyceridemia associated with Amnesteem are unknown.
Animal Studies
In rats given 8 or 32 mg/kg/day of isotretinoin (1.3 to 5.3 times the recommended clinical dose of 1 mg/kg/day after normalization for total body surface area) for 18 months or longer, the incidences of focal calcification, fibrosis and inflammation of the myocardium, calcification of coronary, pulmonary and mesenteric arteries, and metastatic calcification of the gastric mucosa were greater than in control rats of similar age. Focal endocardial and myocardial calcifications associated with calcification of the coronary arteries were observed in two dogs after approximately 6 to 7 months of treatment with isotretinoin at a dosage of 60 to 120 mg/kg/day (30 to 60 times the recommended clinical dose of 1 mg/kg/day, respectively, after normalization for total body surface area).
Hearing Impairment
Impaired hearing has been reported in patients taking Amnesteem; in some cases, the hearing impairment has been reported to persist after therapy has been discontinued. Mechanism(s) and causality for this event have not been established. Patients who experience tinnitus or hearing impairment should discontinue Amnesteem treatment and be referred for specialized care for further evaluation (see ADVERSE REACTIONS: Special Senses).
Hepatotoxicity
Clinical hepatitis considered to be possibly or probably related to Amnesteem therapy has been reported. Additionally, mild to moderate elevations of liver enzymes have been observed in approximately 15% of individuals treated during clinical trials, some of which normalized with dosage reduction or continued administration of the drug. If normalization does not readily occur or if hepatitis is suspected during treatment with Amnesteem, the drug should be discontinued and the etiology further investigated.
Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Amnesteem has been associated with inflammatory bowel disease (including regional ileitis) in patients without a prior history of intestinal disorders. In some instances, symptoms have been reported to persist after Amnesteem treatment has been stopped. Patients experiencing abdominal pain, rectal bleeding or severe diarrhea should discontinue Amnesteem immediately (see ADVERSE REACTIONS: Gastrointestinal).
Skeletal
Bone Mineral Density
Effects of multiple courses of Amnesteem on the developing musculoskeletal system are unknown. There is some evidence that long-term, high dose, or multiple courses of therapy with isotretinoin have more of an effect than a single course of therapy on the musculoskeletal system. In an open-label clinical trial (N = 217) of a single course of therapy with Amnesteem for severe recalcitrant nodular acne, bone density measurements at several skeletal sites were not significantly decreased (lumbar spine change > -4% and total hip change > -5%) or were increased in the majority of patients. One patient had a decrease in lumbar spine bone mineral density > 4% based on unadjusted data. Sixteen (7.9%) patients had decreases in lumbar spine bone mineral density > 4%, and all the other patients (92%) did not have significant decreases or had increases (adjusted for body mass index). Nine patients (4.5%) had a decrease in total hip bone mineral density > 5% based on unadjusted data. Twenty one (10.6%) patients had decreases in total hip bone mineral density > 5%, and all the other patients (89%) did not have significant decreases or had increases (adjusted for body mass index). Follow-up studies performed in eight of the patients with decreased bone mineral density for up to 11 months thereafter demonstrated increasing bone density in five patients at the lumbar spine, while the other three patients had lumbar spine bone density measurements below baseline values. Total hip bone mineral densities remained below baseline (range –1.6% to –7.6%) in five of eight patients (62.5%).
In a separate open-label extension study of ten patients, ages 13 to 18 years, who started a second course of Amnesteem 4 months after the first course, two patients showed a decrease in mean lumbar spine bone mineral density up to 3.25% (see PRECAUTIONS: Pediatric Use).
Spontaneous reports of osteoporosis, osteopenia, bone fractures and delayed healing of bone fractures have been seen in the Amnesteem population. While causality to Amnesteem has not been established, an effect cannot be ruled out. Longer term effects have not been studied. It is important that Amnesteem be given at the recommended doses for no longer than the recommended duration.
Hyperostosis
A high prevalence of skeletal hyperostosis was noted in clinical trials for disorders of keratinization with a mean dose of 2.24 mg/kg/day. Additionally, skeletal hyperostosis was noted in six of eight patients in a prospective study of disorders of keratinization.6 Minimal skeletal hyperostosis and calcification of ligaments and tendons have also been observed by x-ray in prospective studies of nodular acne patients treated with a single course of therapy at recommended doses. The skeletal effects of multiple Amnesteem treatment courses for acne are unknown.
In a clinical study of 217 pediatric patients (12 to 17 years) with severe recalcitrant nodular acne, hyperostosis was not observed after 16 to 20 weeks of treatment with approximately 1 mg/kg/day of Amnesteem given in two divided doses. Hyperostosis may require a longer time frame to appear. The clinical course and significance remain unknown.
Premature Epiphyseal Closure
There are spontaneous reports of premature epiphyseal closure in acne patients receiving recommended doses of Amnesteem. The effect of multiple courses of Amnesteem on epiphyseal closure is unknown.
Vision Impairment
Visual problems should be carefully monitored. All Amnesteem patients experiencing visual difficulties should discontinue Amnesteem treatment and have an ophthalmological examination (see ADVERSE REACTIONS: Special Senses).
Corneal Opacities
Corneal opacities have occurred in patients receiving Amnesteem for acne and more frequently when higher drug dosages were used in patients with disorders of keratinization. The corneal opacities that have been observed in clinical trial patients treated with Amnesteem have either completely resolved or were resolving at follow-up 6 to 7 weeks after discontinuation of the drug (see ADVERSE REACTIONS: Special Senses).
Decreased Night Vision
Decreased night vision has been reported during Amnesteem therapy and in some instances the event has persisted after therapy was discontinued. Because the onset in some patients was sudden, patients should be advised of this potential problem and warned to be cautious when driving or operating any vehicle at night.
PRECAUTIONS
Amnesteem must only be prescribed by prescribers who are registered and activated with the iPLEDGE program. Amnesteem must only be dispensed by a pharmacy registered and activated with iPLEDGE, and must only be dispensed to patients who are registered and meet all the requirements of iPLEDGE. Registered and activated pharmacies must receive Amnesteem only from wholesalers registered with iPLEDGE.
iPLEDGE program requirements for wholesalers, prescribers and pharmacists are described below:
Wholesalers
For the purpose of the iPLEDGE program, the term wholesaler refers to wholesaler, distributor and/or chain pharmacy distributor. To distribute Amnesteem, wholesalers must be registered with iPLEDGE and agree to meet all iPLEDGE requirements for wholesale distribution of isotretinoin products. Wholesalers must register with iPLEDGE by signing and returning the iPLEDGE wholesaler agreement that affirms they will comply with all iPLEDGE requirements for distribution of isotretinoin. These include:
Isotretinoin must only be prescribed to female patients who are known not to be pregnant as confirmed by a negative CLIA-certified laboratory conducted pregnancy test.
Isotretinoin must only be dispensed by a pharmacy registered and activated with the pregnancy risk management program iPLEDGE and only when the registered patient meets all the requirements of the iPLEDGE program. Meeting the requirements for a female patient of childbearing potential signifies that she:
Has been counseled and has signed a Patient Information/Informed Consent About Birth Defects (for female patients who can get pregnant) form that contains warnings about the risk of potential birth defects if the fetus is exposed to isotretinoin. The patient must sign the informed consent form before starting treatment and patient counseling must also be done at that time and on a monthly basis thereafter.
Has had two negative urine or serum pregnancy tests with a sensitivity of at least 25 mIU/mL before receiving the initial isotretinoin prescription. The first test (a screening test) is obtained by the prescriber when the decision is made to pursue qualification of the patient for isotretinoin. The second pregnancy test (a confirmation test) must be done in a CLIA-certified laboratory. The interval between the two tests should be at least 19 days.
Stop taking Amnesteem immediately, if on therapy
Have a pregnancy test at least 19 days after the last act of unprotected heterosexual intercourse
Start using two forms of effective contraception simultaneously again for one month before resuming Amnesteem therapy
Have a second pregnancy test after using two forms of effective contraception for one month as described above depending on whether she has regular menses or not.
Effective forms of contraception include both primary and secondary forms of contraception:
Any birth control method can fail. There have been reports of pregnancy from female patients who have used oral contraceptives, as well as transdermal patch/injectable/implantable/vaginal ring hormonal birth control products; these pregnancies occurred while these patients were taking Amnesteem. These reports are more frequent for female patients who use only a single method of contraception. Therefore, it is critically important that female patients of childbearing potential use two effective forms of contraception simultaneously. Patients must receive written warnings about the rates of possible contraception failure (included in patient education kits).
Using two forms of contraception simultaneously substantially reduces the chances that a female will become pregnant over the risk of pregnancy with either form alone. A drug interaction that decreases effectiveness of hormonal contraceptives has not been entirely ruled out for Amnesteem (see PRECAUTIONS: Drug Interactions). Although hormonal contraceptives are highly effective, prescribers are advised to consult the package insert of any medication administered concomitantly with hormonal contraceptives, since some medications may decrease the effectiveness of these birth control products.
Patients should be prospectively cautioned not to self-medicate with the herbal supplement St. John’s Wort because a possible interaction has been suggested with hormonal contraceptives based on reports of breakthrough bleeding on oral contraceptives shortly after starting St. John’s Wort. Pregnancies have been reported by users of combined hormonal contraceptives who also used some form of St. John’s Wort.
If a pregnancy does occur during Amnesteem treatment, Amnesteem must be discontinued immediately. The patient should be referred to an Obstetrician-Gynecologist experienced in reproductive toxicity for further evaluation and counseling. Any suspected fetal exposure during or one month after Amnesteem therapy must be reported immediately to the FDA via the MedWatch number 1-800-FDA-1088 and also to the iPLEDGE pregnancy registry at 1-866-495-0654 or via the internet (www.ipledgeprogram.com).
All Patients
Isotretinoin is contraindicated in female patients who are pregnant. To receive isotretinoin all patients must meet all of the following conditions:
Must be registered with the iPLEDGE program by the prescriber
Must understand that severe birth defects can occur with the use of isotretinoin by female patients
Must be reliable in understanding and carrying out instructions
Must sign a Patient Information/Informed Consent (for all patients) form that contains warnings about the potential risks associated with isotretinoin
Must fill and pick up the prescription within 7 days of the date of specimen collection for the pregnancy test for female patients of child bearing potential
Must fill and pick up the prescription within 30 days of the office visit for male patients and females patients not of child bearing potential
Must not donate blood while on isotretinoin and for one month after treatment has ended
Must not share isotretinoin with anyone, even someone who has similar symptoms
Female Patients of Childbearing Potential
Isotretinoin is contraindicated in female patients who are pregnant. In addition to the requirements for all patients described above, female patients of childbearing potential must meet the following conditions:
Must NOT be pregnant or breast-feeding
Must comply with the required pregnancy testing at a CLIA-certified laboratory
Must fill and pick up the prescription within 7 days of the date of specimen collection for the pregnancy test
Must be capable of complying with the mandatory contraceptive measures required for isotretinoin therapy, or commit to continuous abstinence from heterosexual intercourse and understand behaviors associated with an increased risk of pregnancy
Must understand that it is her responsibility to avoid pregnancy one month before, during and one month after isotretinoin therapy
Must have signed an additional Patient Information/Informed Consent About Birth Defects (for female patients who can get pregnant) form, before starting isotretinoin, that contains warnings about the risk of potential birth defects if the fetus is exposed to isotretinoin
Must access the iPLEDGE system via the internet (www.ipledgeprogram.com) or telephone (1-866-495-0654), before starting isotretinoin, on a monthly basis during therapy and one month after the last dose to answer questions on the program requirements and to enter the patient’s two chosen forms of contraception
Must have been informed of the purpose and importance of providing information to the iPLEDGE program should she become pregnant while taking isotretinoin or within one month of the last dose
Pharmacists
To dispense isotretinoin, pharmacies must be registered and activated with the pregnancy risk management program iPLEDGE.
The Responsible Site Pharmacist must register the pharmacy by signing and returning the completed registration form. After registration, the Responsible Site Pharmacist can only activate the pharmacy registration by affirming that they meet requirements and will comply with all iPLEDGE requirements by attesting to the following points:
I know the risk and severity of fetal injury/birth defects from isotretinoin.
I will train all pharmacists, who participate in the filling and dispensing of isotretinoin prescriptions, on the iPLEDGE program requirements.
I will comply and seek to ensure all pharmacists who participate in the filling and dispensing of isotretinoin prescriptions comply with the iPLEDGE program requirements described in the booklet entitled Pharmacist Guide for the iPLEDGE Program
I will obtain Amnesteem product only from iPLEDGE registered wholesalers.
I will not sell, buy, borrow, loan or otherwise transfer isotretinoin in any manner to or from another pharmacy.
I will return to the manufacturer (or delegate) any unused product if registration is revoked by the manufacturer or if the pharmacy chooses to not reactivate annually.
I will not fill isotretinoin for any party other than a qualified patient.
To dispense isotretinoin, the pharmacist must:
be trained by the Responsible Site Pharmacist concerning the iPLEDGE program requirements.
obtain authorization from the iPLEDGE program via the internet (www.ipledgeprogram.com) or telephone (1-866-495-0654) for every isotretinoin prescription. Authorization signifies that the patient has met all program requirements and is qualified to receive Amnesteem.
write the Risk Management Authorization (RMA) number on the prescription.
Amnesteem must only be dispensed:
in no more than a 30 day supply
with an Amnesteem Medication Guide
after authorization from the iPLEDGE program
prior to the “do not dispense to patient after” date provided by the iPLEDGE system (within 30 days of the office visit for male patients and female patients not of child bearing potential and within 7 days of the date of specimen collection for female patients of child bearing potential)
with a new prescription for refills and another authorization from the iPLEDGE program (No automatic refills are allowed)
An Amnesteem Medication Guide must be given to the patient each time Amnesteem is dispensed, as required by law. This Amnesteem Medication Guide is an important part of the risk management program for the patients.
Amnesteem must not be prescribed, dispensed or otherwise obtained through the internet or any other means outside of the iPLEDGE program. Only FDA-approved Amnesteem products must be distributed, prescribed, dispensed and used. Patients must fill Amnesteem prescriptions only at U.S. licensed pharmacies.
A description of the iPLEDGE program educational materials available with iPLEDGE is provided below. The main goal of these educational materials is to explain the iPLEDGE program requirements and to reinforce the educational messages.
TheGuide to Best Practices for the iPLEDGE Program includes: isotretinoin teratogenic potential, information on pregnancy testing, and the method to complete a qualified Amnesteem prescription.
TheiPLEDGE Program Prescriber Contraception Counseling Guide includes: specific information about effective contraception, the limitations of contraceptive methods, behaviors associated with an increased risk of contraceptive failure and pregnancy and the methods to evaluate pregnancy risk.
The Pharmacist Guide for the iPLEDGE Program includes: isotretinoin teratogenic potential and the method to obtain authorization to dispense an isotretinoin prescription.
The iPLEDGE program is a systematic approach to comprehensive patient education about their responsibilities and includes education for contraception compliance and reinforcement of educational messages. The iPLEDGE program includes information on the risks and benefits of Amnesteem which is linked to the Medication Guide dispensed by pharmacists with each isotretinoin prescription.
Female patients not of childbearing potential and male patients, and female patients of childbearing potential are provided with separate booklets. Each booklet contains information on isotretinoin therapy including precautions and warnings, a Patient Information/Informed Consent (for all patients) form and a toll-free line which provides isotretinoin information in two languages.
The booklet for female patients not of childbearing potential and male patients, TheiPLEDGE Program Guide to Isotretinoin for Male Patients and Female Patients Who Cannot Get Pregnant, also includes information about male reproduction and a warning not to share Amnesteem with others or to donate blood during isotretinoin therapy and for one month following discontinuation of isotretinoin.
The booklet for female patients of childbearing potential, The iPLEDGEProgram Guide to Isotretinoin for Female Patients Who Can Get Pregnant, includes a referral program that offers female patients free contraception counseling, reimbursed by the manufacturer, by a reproductive specialist; and a second Patient Information/Informed Consent About Birth Defects (for female patients who can get pregnant) form concerning birth defects.
The booklet, The iPLEDGEProgram Birth Control Workbook includes information on the types of contraceptive methods, the selection and use of appropriate, effective contraception, the rates of possible contraceptive failure and a toll-free contraception counseling line.
In addition, there is a patient educational DVD with the following videos—“Be Prepared, Be Protected” and “Be Aware: The Risk of Pregnancy While on Isotretinoin” (see Information for Patients).
General
Although an effect of Amnesteem on bone loss is not established, physicians should use caution when prescribing Amnesteem to patients with a genetic predisposition for age related osteoporosis, a history of childhood osteoporosis conditions, osteomalacia, or other disorders of bone metabolism. This would include patients diagnosed with anorexia nervosa and those who are on chronic drug therapy that causes drug-induced osteoporosis/osteomalacia and/or affects vitamin D metabolism, such as systemic corticosteroids and any anticonvulsant.
Patients may be at increased risk when participating in sports with repetitive impact where the risks of spondylolisthesis with and without pars fractures and hip growth plate injuries in early and late adolescence are known. There are spontaneous reports of fractures and/or delayed healing in patients while on therapy with Amnesteem or following cessation of therapy with Amnesteem while involved in these activities. While causality to Amnesteem has not been established, an effect must not be ruled out.
Information for Patients
See PRECAUTIONS and Boxed CONTRAINDICATIONS AND WARNINGS
.
Patients must be instructed to read the Medication Guide supplied as required by law when Amnesteem is dispensed. The complete text of the Medication Guide is reprinted at the end of this document. For additional information, patients must also be instructed to read the iPLEDGE program patient educational materials. All patients must sign the Patient Information/Informed Consent (for all patients) form.
Female patients of childbearing potential must be instructed that they must not be pregnant when Amnesteem therapy is initiated, and that they should use two forms of effective contraception simultaneously for one month before starting Amnesteem, while taking Amnesteem, and for one month after Amnesteem has been stopped, unless they commit to continuous abstinence from heterosexual intercourse. They should also sign a second Patient Information/Informed Consent About Birth Defects (for female patients who can get pregnant) form prior to beginning Amnesteem therapy. They should be given an opportunity to view the patient DVD provided by the manufacturer to the prescriber. The DVD includes information about contraception, the most common reasons that contraception fails, and the importance of using two forms of effective contraception when taking teratogenic drugs and comprehensive information about types of potential birth defects which could occur if a female patient who is pregnant takes Amnesteem at any time during pregnancy. Female patients should be seen by their prescribers monthly and have a urine or serum pregnancy test, in a CLIA-certified laboratory, performed each month during treatment to confirm negative pregnancy status before another Amnesteem prescription is written (see Boxed CONTRAINDICATIONS AND WARNINGS and PRECAUTIONS).
Amnesteem is found in the semen of male patients taking Amnesteem, but the amount delivered to a female partner would be about one million times lower than an oral dose of 40 mg. While the no-effect limit for isotretinoin induced embryopathy is unknown, 20 years of post-marketing reports include four with isolated defects compatible with features of retinoid exposed fetuses; however two of these reports were incomplete and two had other possible explanations for the defects observed.
Prescribers should be alert to the warning signs of psychiatric disorders to guide patients to receive the help they need. Therefore, prior to initiation of Amnesteem treatment, patients and family members should be asked about any history of psychiatric disorder, and at each visit during treatment patients should be assessed for symptoms of depression, mood disturbance, psychosis or aggression to determine if further evaluation may be necessary. Signs and symptoms of depression include sad mood, hopelessness, feelings of guilt, worthlessness or helplessness, loss of pleasure or interest in activities, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, change in sleep pattern, change in weight or appetite, suicidal thoughts or attempts, restlessness, irritability, acting on dangerous impulses and persistent physical symptoms unresponsive to treatment. Patients should stop Amnesteem and the patient or a family member should promptly contact their prescriber if the patient develops depression, mood disturbance, psychosis or aggression, without waiting until the next visit. Discontinuation of Amnesteem treatment may be insufficient; further evaluation may be necessary. While such monitoring may be helpful, it may not detect all patients at risk. Patients may report mental health problems or family history of psychiatric disorders. These reports should be discussed with the patient and/or the patient’s family. A referral to a mental health professional may be necessary. The physician should consider whether Amnesteem therapy is appropriate in this setting; for some patients the risks may outweigh the benefits of Amnesteem therapy.
Patients must be informed that some patients, while taking Amnesteem or soon after stopping Amnesteem, have become depressed or developed other serious mental problems. Symptoms of depression include sad, “anxious” or empty mood, irritability, acting on dangerous impulses, anger, loss of pleasure or interest in social or sports activities, sleeping too much or too little, changes in weight or appetite, school or work performance going down or trouble concentrating. Some patients taking Amnesteem have had thoughts about hurting themselves or putting an end to their own lives (suicidal thoughts). Some people tried to end their own lives. And some people have ended their own lives. There were reports that some of these people did not appear depressed. There have been reports of patients on Amnesteem becoming aggressive or violent. No one knows if Amnesteem caused these behaviors or if they would have happened even if the person did not take Amnesteem. Some people have had other signs of depression while taking Amnesteem.
Patients must be informed that they must not share Amnesteem with anyone else because of the risk of birth defects and other serious adverse events.
Patients must be informed not to donate blood during therapy and for one month following discontinuation of the drug because the blood might be given to a pregnant female patient whose fetus must not be exposed to Amnesteem.
Patients should be reminded to take Amnesteem with a meal (see DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION). To decrease the risk of esophageal irritation, patients should swallow the capsules with a full glass of liquid.
Patients should be informed that transient exacerbation (flare) of acne has been seen, generally during the initial period of therapy.
Wax epilation and skin resurfacing procedures (such as dermabrasion, laser) should be avoided during Amnesteem therapy and for at least 6 months thereafter due to the possibility of scarring (see ADVERSE REACTIONS: Skin and Appendages).
Patients should be advised to avoid prolonged exposure to UV rays or sunlight.
Patients should be informed that they may experience decreased tolerance to contact lenses during and after therapy.
Patients should be informed that approximately 16% of patients treated with Amnesteem in a clinical trial developed musculoskeletal symptoms (including arthralgia) during treatment. In general, these symptoms were mild to moderate, but occasionally required discontinuation of the drug. Transient pain in the chest has been reported less frequently. In the clinical trial, these symptoms generally cleared rapidly after discontinuation of Amnesteem, but in some cases persisted (see ADVERSE REACTIONS: Musculoskeletal). There have been rare post-marketing reports of rhabdomyolysis, some associated with strenuous physical activity (see Laboratory Tests: CPK).
Pediatric patients and their caregivers should be informed that approximately 29% (104/358) of pediatric patients treated with Amnesteem developed back pain. Back pain was severe in 13.5% (14/104) of the cases and occurred at a higher frequency in female patients than male patients. Arthralgias were experienced in 22% (79/358) of pediatric patients. Arthralgias were severe in 7.6% (6/79) of patients. Appropriate evaluation of the musculoskeletal system should be done in patients who present with these symptoms during or after a course of Amnesteem. Consideration should be given to discontinuation of Amnesteem if any significant abnormality is found.
Neutropenia and rare cases of agranulocytosis have been reported. Amnesteem should be discontinued if clinically significant decreases in white cell counts occur.
Patients should be advised that severe skin reactions (Steven-Johnson Syndrome and toxic epidermal necrolysis) have been reported in post-marketing data. Amnesteem should be discontinued if clinically significant skin reactions occur.
Hypersensitivity
Anaphylactic reactions and other allergic reactions have been reported. Cutaneous allergic reactions and serious cases of allergic vasculitis, often with purpura (bruises and red patches) of the extremities and extracutaneous involvement (including renal) have been reported. Severe allergic reaction necessitates discontinuation of therapy and appropriate medical management.
Drug Interactions
Vitamin A: Because of the relationship of Amnesteem to vitamin A, patients should be advised against taking vitamin supplements containing vitamin A to avoid additive toxic effects.
Tetracyclines: Concomitant treatment with Amnesteem and tetracyclines should be avoided because Amnesteem use has been associated with a number of cases of pseudotumor cerebri (benign intracranial hypertension), some of which involved concomitant use of tetracyclines.
Micro-dosed Progesterone Preparations: Micro-dosed progesterone preparations (“minipills” that do not contain an estrogen) may be an inadequate method of contraception during Amnesteem therapy. Although other hormonal contraceptives are highly effective, there have been reports of pregnancy from female patients who have used combined oral contraceptives, as well as transdermal patch/injectable/implantable/vaginal ring hormonal birth control products. These reports are more frequent for female patients who use only a single method of contraception. It is not known if hormonal contraceptives differ in their effectiveness when used with Amnesteem. Therefore, it is critically important for female patients of childbearing potential to select and commit to use two forms of effective contraception simultaneously, at least one of which must be a primary form (see PRECAUTIONS).
Norethindrone/ethinyl estradiol: In a study of 31 premenopausal female patients with severe recalcitrant nodular acne receiving OrthoNovum® 7/7/7 Tablets as an oral contraceptive agent, Amnesteem at the recommended dose of 1 mg/kg/day, did not induce clinically relevant changes in the pharmacokinetics of ethinyl estradiol and norethindrone and in the serum levels of progesterone, follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH). Prescribers are advised to consult the package insert of medication administered concomitantly with hormonal contraceptives, since some medications may decrease the effectiveness of these birth control products.
St. John’s Wort:Amnesteem use is associated with depression in some patients (see WARNINGS: Psychiatric Disorders and ADVERSE REACTIONS: Psychiatric). Patients should be prospectively cautioned not to self-medicate with the herbal supplement St. John’s Wort because a possible interaction has been suggested with hormonal contraceptives based on reports of breakthrough bleeding on oral contraceptives shortly after starting St. John's Wort. Pregnancies have been reported by users of combined hormonal contraceptives who also used some form of St. John's Wort.
Phenytoin: Amnesteem has not been shown to alter the pharmacokinetics of phenytoin in a study in seven healthy volunteers. These results are consistent with the in vitro finding that neither isotretinoin nor its metabolites induce or inhibit the activity of the CYP 2C9 human hepatic P450 enzyme. Phenytoin is known to cause osteomalacia. No formal clinical studies have been conducted to assess if there is an interactive effect on bone loss between phenytoin and Amnesteem. Therefore, caution should be exercised when using these drugs together.
Systemic Corticosteroids: Systemic corticosteroids are known to cause osteoporosis. No formal clinical studies have been conducted to assess if there is an interactive effect on bone loss between systemic corticosteroids and Amnesteem. Therefore, caution should be exercised when using these drugs together.
Laboratory Tests
Pregnancy Test
Female patients of childbearing potential must have had two negative urine or serum pregnancy tests with a sensitivity of at least 25 mIU/mL before receiving the initial Amnesteem prescription. The first test (a screening test) is obtained by the prescriber when the decision is made to pursue qualification of the patient for Amnesteem. The second pregnancy test (a confirmation test) must be done in a CLIA-certified laboratory. The interval between the two tests must be at least 19 days.
For patients with regular menstrual cycles, the second pregnancy test must be done during the first 5 days of the menstrual period immediately preceding the beginning of Amnesteem therapy and after the patient has used 2 forms of contraception for 1 month.
For patients with amenorrhea, irregular cycles, or using a contraceptive method that precludes withdrawal bleeding, the second pregnancy test must be done immediately preceding the beginning of Amnesteem therapy and after the patient has used 2 forms of contraception for 1 month.
Each month of therapy, patients must have a negative result from a urine or serum pregnancy test. A pregnancy test must be repeated each month, in a CLIA-certified laboratory, prior to the female patient receiving each prescription.
Lipids
Pretreatment and follow-up blood lipids should be obtained under fasting conditions. After consumption of alcohol, at least 36 hours should elapse before these determinations are made. It is recommended that these tests be performed at weekly or biweekly intervals until the lipid response to Amnesteem is established. The incidence of hypertriglyceridemia is one patient in four on Amnesteem therapy (see WARNINGS: Lipids).
Liver Function Tests
Since elevations of liver enzymes have been observed during clinical trials, and hepatitis has been reported, pretreatment and follow-up liver function tests should be performed at weekly or biweekly intervals until the response to Amnesteem has been established (see WARNINGS: Hepatotoxicity).
Glucose
Some patients receiving Amnesteem have experienced problems in the control of their blood sugar. In addition, new cases of diabetes have been diagnosed during Amnesteem therapy, although no causal relationship has been established.
CPK
Some patients undergoing vigorous physical activity while on Amnesteem therapy have experienced elevated CPK levels; however, the clinical significance is unknown. There have been rare post-marketing reports of rhabdomyolysis, some associated with strenuous physical activity. In a clinical trial of 217 pediatric patients (12 to 17 years) with severe recalcitrant nodular acne, transient elevations in CPK were observed in 12% of patients, including those undergoing strenuous physical activity in association with reported musculoskeletal adverse events such as back pain, arthralgia, limb injury, or muscle sprain. In these patients, approximately half of the CPK elevations returned to normal within 2 weeks and half returned to normal within 4 weeks. No cases of rhabdomyolysis were reported in this trial.
Carcinogenesis, Mutagenesis, Impairment of Fertility
In male and female Fischer 344 rats given oral isotretinoin at dosages of 8 or 32 mg/kg/day (1.3 to 5.3 times the recommended clinical dose of 1 mg/kg/day, respectively, after normalization for total body surface area) for greater than 18 months, there was a dose related increased incidence of pheochromocytoma relative to controls. The incidence of adrenal medullary hyperplasia was also increased at the higher dosage in both sexes. The relatively high level of spontaneous pheochromocytomas occurring in the male Fischer 344 rat makes it an equivocal model for study of this tumor; therefore, the relevance of this tumor to the human population is uncertain.
The Ames test was conducted with isotretinoin in two laboratories. The results of the tests in one laboratory were negative while in the second laboratory a weakly positive response (less than 1.6 x background) was noted in S. typhimurium TA100 when the assay was conducted with metabolic activation. No dose-response effect was seen and all other strains were negative. Additionally, other tests designed to assess genotoxicity (Chinese hamster cell assay, mouse micronucleus test, S. cerevisiae D7 assay, in vitro clastogenesis assay with human-derived lymphocytes and unscheduled DNA synthesis assay) were all negative.
In rats, no adverse effects on gonadal function, fertility, conception rate, gestation or parturition were observed at oral dosages of isotretinoin of 2, 8 or 32 mg/kg/day (0.3, 1.3 or 5.3 times the recommended clinical dose of 1 mg/kg/day, respectively, after normalization for total body surface area).
In dogs, testicular atrophy was noted after treatment with oral isotretinoin for approximately 30 weeks at dosages of 20 or 60 mg/kg/day (10 or 30 times the recommended clinical dose of 1 mg/kg/day, respectively, after normalization for total body surface area). In general, there was microscopic evidence for appreciable depression of spermatogenesis but some sperm were observed in all testes examined and in no instance were completely atrophic tubules seen. In studies of 66 men, 30 of whom were patients with nodular acne under treatment with oral isotretinoin, no significant changes were noted in the count or motility of spermatozoa in the ejaculate. In a study of 50 men (ages 17 to 32 years) receiving Amnesteem (isotretinoin) therapy for nodular acne, no significant effects were seen on ejaculate volume, sperm count, total sperm motility, morphology or seminal plasma fructose.
Pregnancy
Category X
See Boxed CONTRAINDICATIONS AND WARNINGS
.
Nursing Mothers
It is not known whether this drug is excreted in human milk. Because of the potential for adverse effects, nursing mothers should not receive Amnesteem.
Pediatric Use
The use of Amnesteem in pediatric patients less than 12 years of age has not been studied. The use of Amnesteem for the treatment of severe recalcitrant nodular acne in pediatric patients ages 12 to 17 years should be given careful consideration, especially for those patients where a known metabolic or structural bone disease exists (see PRECAUTIONS: General). Use of Amnesteem in this age group for severe recalcitrant nodular acne is supported by evidence from a clinical study comparing 103 pediatric patients (13 to 17 years) to 197 adult patients (≥ 18 years). Results from this study demonstrated that Amnesteem, at a dose of 1 mg/kg/day given in two divided doses, was equally effective in treating severe recalcitrant nodular acne in both pediatric and adult patients.
In studies with Amnesteem, adverse reactions reported in pediatric patients were similar to those described in adults except for the increased incidence of back pain and arthralgia (both of which were sometimes severe) and myalgia in pediatric patients (see ADVERSE REACTIONS).
In an open-label clinical trial (N = 217) of a single course of therapy with Amnesteem for severe recalcitrant nodular acne, bone density measurements at several skeletal sites were not significantly decreased (lumbar spine change > -4% and total hip change > -5%) or were increased in the majority of patients. One patient had a decrease in lumbar spine bone mineral density > 4% based on unadjusted data. Sixteen (7.9%) patients had decreases in lumbar spine bone mineral density > 4%, and all the other patients (92%) did not have significant decreases or had increases (adjusted for body mass index). Nine patients (4.5%) had a decrease in total hip bone mineral density > 5% based on unadjusted data. Twenty one (10.6%) patients had decreases in total hip bone mineral density > 5%, and all the other patients (89%) did not have significant decreases or had increases (adjusted for body mass index). Follow-up studies performed in eight of the patients with decreased bone mineral density for up to 11 months thereafter demonstrated increasing bone density in five patients at the lumbar spine, while the other three patients had lumbar spine bone density measurements below baseline values. Total hip bone mineral densities remained below baseline (range –1.6% to –7.6%) in five of eight patients (62.5%).
In a separate open-label extension study of ten patients, ages 13 to 18 years, who started a second course of Amnesteem 4 months after the first course, two patients showed a decrease in mean lumbar spine bone mineral density up to 3.25% (see WARNINGS: Skeletal: Bone Mineral Density).
Geriatric Use
Clinical studies of isotretinoin did not include sufficient numbers of subjects aged 65 years and over to determine whether they respond differently from younger subjects. Although reported clinical experience has not identified differences in responses between elderly and younger patients, effects of aging might be expected to increase some risks associated with isotretinoin therapy (see WARNINGS and PRECAUTIONS). | {
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Hi, to know who are the living relatives is a bit hard, because it is necessary a search in the Paganica civil records, and it is necessary to have a complete genealogic tree... so having more infos it could be possible to know the living relatives.. here Antonio Masciovecchio Death:
Antonio Masciovecchio died on 30 Oct 1926 #72 in Paganica, IT he was 79 old, son of Ferdinando Masciovecchio and of Maria Lucia Liberatore, husband of Giovanna Lozzihttp://www.antenati.san.beniculturali.i ... 0.jpg.html I believe that Lucrezia mother maiden name was IOVENITTI and no TUVENITTI...best regards,suanj
Hello - thank you. Yes, I have quite a bit of information on both of their families in regard to family members and dates that were found on the Family Search website. What you say about Lucrezia must be correct with her last name. I have found a couple different spellings in online records, but that makes sense with other things I've found. So, in your opinion, how do I get to this information of living relatives? What should I do? I'm clearly new to the idea of finding out living family members. I don't even know where to start.
As a side note, you were the one who helped me out years ago and got me going on everything. Slowly, but surely, all the information has come together! So...thank you!!!
Ok, back with a couple questions. I cannot find a date of death for my great-great grandmother, Maria Giovanna Lozzi. She was born in Fagano Alto on 2-4-1851. Her parents were Ottavio Lozzi (1818-1889) and Maria Pulcheria Lozzi (1814-1884).
I have searched online and cannot find a death record. I do know that she likely died in Paganica as her children were born there, and her husband Antonio died there.
With parents that had the same last names, I'm curious if Lozzi was a common surname? Or would they be distant cousins?
At that time, I'm also curious how Antonio and Maria Giovanna met? With one from Paganica and one from Fagano Alto, how would they meet and marry? Through relatives? I know it is not too far of a distance, but far enough that how would they come together?
Death record of Giovanna LozziINDEX #611931 Oct 21st in the town of Paganica in a house at via delle Rocce #5 the death of Giovanna Lozzi age 80 born in Fagano Alto resides in Paganica widow of Antonio Masciovecchio and is the daughter of deceased Ottavio Lozzi and deceased Pulcheria Lozzi
I'm still curious about the other questions I asked if anyone can help. As well, I came across some information online last night. I wasn't able to copy the text from the page, but I have attached a file with it below. It was from paganica.it and is in Itailian and I'd love some help understanding the meaning of the information. It mentioned my 3rd great-grandfather Ferdinand Masciovecchio in the month of March numerous times. The google translation of the page isn't clear...but is it saying that he was a land-owner? I think it says 'owner of Paganica' and I don't understand what this means? If someone could take a look and help me understand that would be great!
Jenn
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Thanks to both of you. I'm curious to know more about land ownership at this time in 1855. Other documents I've looked at indicate that Ferdinando was a farmer. Would this have been considered upper or middle class occupation? I'd assume if he owned land, he possibly was in a good place from a financial perspective? How can I get more insight on this? Is this the right place...or would you recommend a different forum? Thanks SO much! The help I've gotten here in a short time has been amazing!
The dialects of modern Italian all have their roots in the spoken form of Latin (Vulgar Latin), in use throughout the Roman Empire. Vulgar Latin had, no doubt, its own local peculiarities before the fall of the Empire. The political instability that followed Roman rule kept Italy from re-uniting as ...
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'Flies in winter' questions
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Iain
Posts : 43Join date : 2010-09-03Location : Japan
Subject: 'Flies in winter' questions Sat Nov 13, 2010 9:20 am
I think several of the topics aired on this site are related to a more basic issue which has not been discussed here much. It is one which is fundamental in a 'practical' way to the long term health of both the OBC and to other Buddhist traditions migrating from Asian cultures into Western society.
I think of it as a kind of 'where do flies go in winter' question.
Few monks and even fewer lay Buddhists I know appear to realise that undergoing full time 'monastic training' here in Japan for the majority of Japanese monks, lasts no more than two or three years. The usual pattern now is to take a degree at a university with affiliations with their sect (at Sojiji, Komazawa), and then move on to a large training temple afterwards. This is much closer to the process in the West of training in a Catholic seminary. Most of the annual intake of postulants consists of 22-24 year old men who will spend two or three years at the spiritual equivalent of the most rigorous military 'boot camp'. The majority of the intake - I think now still around 80% at Sojiji - are the sons of existing monks expecting to follow fathers in the 'family trade'. Those who come to such training with only a spiritual vocation and without family links with temple life are relatively few. And I would guess very carefully screened before acceptance for mental and physical stamina for their own benefit.
On entry to the temple annual intakes are thrown into to a spartan 100 day sesshin. Even 'luxuries' such as family photographs are confiscated and trainees are still told to bring only sufficient cash to cover the cost of their funeral if they don't make it through the training term.
I'm not passing any judgement or comparative comment here, simply recognising what was the practice in Rev. Master Jiyu's day and continues to be so now. This is the standard training she received.
But the really important difference then comes afterwards. Once basic training is complete, in their mid twenties nearly all these young monks return to a temple in the community. Most of the rest of their lives will be spent primarily concerned with funerals and memorials and pastoral work with their 'parishioners'. Only the few progress far along the spiritual, intellectual and 'political' institutional road to recognition as senior officers and teachers, and even they have their own temple as a 'home base'.
Lay involvement in meditation practice is separate and secondary at training temples and usually marginal or non-existent in local temples. In my Prefecture with a population of 5 million only around half a dozen of the 300 or so Soto temples advertise any regular weekly lay meditation sessions.
In other words there is a defined and flexible pattern of monastic 'career structure' involving only a short fixed term of intensive monastic life, and lay training is not an important aspect of the routine of most training temples.
In the OBC by contrast monastic training has few institutionalised paths leading out of the Abbey gate. In form it resembles the practices found in Christian monasticism. But Christian monastic traditions operate in tandem with a much larger network of ordained priests out in the community and even monks and nuns in orders are often involved in active educational and pastoral work. Perhaps only a relatively few senior OBC priests will succeed in founding a local temple later in their lives, the 'entry cost' of establishing one is high. In some respects Western temples are currently experiencing similar institutional problems to those in contemporary mainland China, but at least the Chinese have ancient models in their own culture to refer to.
That is a long detour to arrive at my original 'where do flies go in winter?' question by which I mean of course where do monks go and what do they do in their mature years to 'return to the world with bliss bestowing hands'? There already seems to be a range of possible outcomes. Some continue to blossom as exceptional formal teachers of Buddhism in temples, and others train within a more peripatetic, subtle and informal kind of 'friar' role. Some serve as 'priors' or in other ways as community priests, some jump the track and head for the ditch, some stagnate, and some blow up and/or blow out. In addition to this limited range of options for monks lay trainees play a completely different role in the sangha here which is also confusing. I'm sure there are no instant answers, and especially not the evisceration on Zen teaching to conform with conventional behaviours in Western culture. Why do that? Most of us arrived at Zen for quite the contrary reason.
To sum it up in one word I don't think that most Western Buddhist traditions including the OBC have yet arrived at a place where they are practically sustainable as anything like 'steady state' institutions within a new culture. There are not enough options nor safety valves nor checks and balances.
I don't think these can be 'legislated for' to any great degree, nor successfully packaged and shipped from culture to culture. They can only evolve through experience, some of which is bound to be bitter. It isn't new. Institutional life was pretty tough in the first three generations after Dogen arrived back in Japan from Song China so full of enthusiasm and I can think of no reason why it will be any easier this time around.
IsanAdmin
Posts : 918Join date : 2010-07-27Location : California
Subject: Re: 'Flies in winter' questions Sat Nov 13, 2010 11:49 am
Iain wrote:
To sum it up in one word I don't think that most Western Buddhist traditions including the OBC have yet arrived at a place where they are practically sustainable as anything like 'steady state' institutions within a new culture. There are not enough options nor safety valves nor checks and balances.
I don't think these can be 'legislated for' to any great degree, nor successfully packaged and shipped from culture to culture. They can only evolve through experience, some of which is bound to be bitter. It isn't new. Institutional life was pretty tough in the first three generations after Dogen arrived back in Japan from Song China so full of enthusiasm and I can think of no reason why it will be any easier this time around.
That was very detailed and informative, thank you. Actually RMJK did explain the Japanese Soto Zen model to us quite clearly, ie we knew that monks in Japan entered Sojiji for a relatively short time during which they endured an intense period of "boot camp" style training and afterward returned home to eventually run the family temple. Unfortunately this wasn't presented as part of a larger functional framework that we could learn something from, but only as an example of how practice had become institutionalized and unauthentic. You are also correct that RMJK eventually turned to a more Christian monastic model where people were expected to stay "cloistered" indefinitely and it was rarely, if ever, considered a good thing to leave. I think you're right that the OBC has yet to reach a sustainable state, but I'm not sure what you mean when you say solutions can't be "legislated". I believe what is occurring in this forum is very organic. Since virtually everyone participating here has practiced within the OBC this forum in effect is the organization providing feedback to itself so it can (hopefully) find a more sustainable state.
RobertAdmin
Posts : 100Join date : 2010-08-27Age : 43Location : Durham
Subject: Re: 'Flies in winter' questions Sat Nov 13, 2010 12:21 pm
Thanks Iain, it's useful and interesting to know more about the background and practicalities to training in Japan.
Mia
Posts : 91Join date : 2010-08-31
Subject: Re: 'Flies in winter' questions Wed Nov 17, 2010 5:39 pm
Iain wrote:
I don't think that most Western Buddhist traditions including the OBC have yet arrived at a place where they are practically sustainable as anything like 'steady state' institutions within a new culture. There are not enough options nor safety valves nor checks and balances.
I don't think these can be 'legislated for' to any great degree, nor successfully packaged and shipped from culture to culture. They can only evolve through experience, some of which is bound to be bitter. It isn't new. Institutional life was pretty tough in the first three generations after Dogen arrived back in Japan from Song China so full of enthusiasm and I can think of no reason why it will be any easier this time around.
That's a really interesting point which to my mind puts the OBC and this forum in a much bigger and more understandable perspective.
Ol'ga
Posts : 258Join date : 2011-03-22Age : 71Location : Toronto
Subject: Re: 'Flies in winter' questions Sat Jun 25, 2011 10:37 am
What is a Dharma heir? It seems not every transmitted disciple is one.Did Roshi (Jiyu) have any female Dharma heirs? Is the list of her heirs public domain?Ol'ga
IsanAdmin
Posts : 918Join date : 2010-07-27Location : California
Subject: Re: 'Flies in winter' questions Sat Jun 25, 2011 10:55 am
Ol'ga wrote:
What is a Dharma heir? It seems not every transmitted disciple is one.Did Roshi (Jiyu) have any female Dharma heirs? Is the list of her heirs public domain?Ol'ga
To my knowledge RMJK never explained what a Dharma Heir was. She simply gave some monks that secondary title over time, and in retrospect it seems like it was about status and little else. I don't know if there's a list and don't remember specifically if the title was given to any female monks.
Jcbaran
Posts : 1614Join date : 2010-11-13Age : 67Location : New York, NY
Subject: Re: 'Flies in winter' questions Sat Jun 25, 2011 3:39 pm
For those who want to read up on Zen history in Japan and China, some books:
Did Dogen Go to China?: What he wrote3 and When he wrote it - Steven Heine
Zen Masters - Edited by Steven Heine and Dale S. Wright
and the two Zen at War books by Brian Victoria
Jcbaran
Posts : 1614Join date : 2010-11-13Age : 67Location : New York, NY
Subject: Re: 'Flies in winter' questions Sat Jun 25, 2011 4:18 pm
According to Steven Heine, the Soto sect has over 15,000 temples, by far the largest of any Buddhist sect in Japan. 95% of them are affiliated with Sojiji - so Sojiji's main function is to staff all these temples with priests. And as Iain points out, the overwhelming role of these priests is to conduct daily chanting, nearly constant memorial services or one kind or another and some funerals, not to teach or promote meditation.
As Iain noted, most lay Japanese Buddhists (actually this is true of Buddhism all over Asia, not just Japan) - don't practice meditation very much, but support the monks, "make merit", sponsor memorial services, etc. Based on my reading -- and Iain will I am sure know much more -- the servicing of the dead has been the main job of these Soto temples for hundreds of years.
Useful to read Zen Ritual - noted in the previous post -- there is a chapter on how zen rituals were seen as protecting the country from harm, strengthening the country, protecting the Emperor, and so on.
So you can see why Sojiji has developed a system that turns out priests in a few years - they just don't have time / luxury to train priests for longer periods. Also, the priests don't need to be enlightened to do their job, they need to know the basic Soto teachings of Dogen / Keizan, know how to perform the Soto memorial and funeral rites and manage their local parishioners / temple elders / families.
And since almost all of them are the sons of priests, I have to wonder about the spiritual health / dedication of many of them. Probably most of these young men have no choice but to run their father's temple and it probably is a safe, but very boring job if you are not into it. Are young people coming to the temples or just the older folks? Who is actually doing zazen? I assume there are still some very dedicated and sincere meditation practitioners.
A friend of mine went on a trip to Japan earlier this year and visited Eiheiji - and said there were almost no monks there. I said she probably visited when there wasn't a training session going on - or maybe she only saw a few of the big public halls that tourists are taken to. She said she visited many temples and said, "No one seems to meditate in Japan." I still said that in many cases, as a visitor, you would not see where most of the monks were practicing or living.
On a side note, a few years ago I did a book project with the Shin Buddhist tradition here in the U.S. When I was a Shasta monk, we would occasionally visit the Buddhist Churches of America bookstore in San Francisco and i stuck my head into their temple a few times. And I remember that back in the 70's, the Shin church in the U.S. had something like 250,000 followers. When I started the book project, I mentioned this number and the Shin representative said they only had something like 15,000 - 20,000 members now. That is like a 90% decline. He told me that only the old people are now going to the temples for Sunday services, memorials and funerals, and that young Japanese are just not interested. Also, they attracted very few American adherents. Even though their temples were trying to seem very western and church-like, Americans weren't interested in Pure Land Japanese Buddhism. In another generation, would this organization still even exist in the U.S.? | {
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Terror in Santa Cruz
Animal "rights" activists appear to have firebombed the home of a molecular biologist in Santa Cruz. California. The terrorists are trying to force a halt to scientific research that involves death and discomfort for animals.
a well-known molecular biologist and his family, including two small children, were forced to escape a smoke-filled house using a second-story ladder after a firebomb was intentionally set, Santa Cruz police said. One family member sustained injuries requiring brief hospitalization, and police are calling the firebombing, which occurred shortly before 6 a.m., a case of attempted homicide.About the same time, a car belonging to a researcher parked at an on-campus home was also firebombed, destroying the vehicle.
The violence occurred four days after a customer at Caffe Pergolesi, a downtown Santa Cruz coffeehouse, found fliers listing the names, home addresses, home phone numbers and photos of 13 UC-Santa Cruz science researchers and professors. Police believe unidentified animal rights activists created the fliers, which were made to appear as "wanted posters." They warned "Animal abusers everywhere beware; we know where you live; we know where you work; we will never back down until you end your abuse."
These thugs are trying to intimidate with deadly force those with whom they disagree. They are as much terrorists as al Qaeda, and deserve to be hunted down and punished just as ruthlessly.
The researcher at the University of California Santa Cruz will no doubt bear the scars of this potentially deadly assault for the rest of his life, as will his family.
I await the loud condemnation of animal protection groups like PETA, and from the left wing community in Santa Cruz. But I am not holding my breath.
A new dark age beckons.
Hat tip: James Lewis
Animal "rights" activists appear to have firebombed the home of a molecular biologist in Santa Cruz. California. The terrorists are trying to force a halt to scientific research that involves death and discomfort for animals.
a well-known molecular biologist and his family, including two small children, were forced to escape a smoke-filled house using a second-story ladder after a firebomb was intentionally set, Santa Cruz police said. One family member sustained injuries requiring brief hospitalization, and police are calling the firebombing, which occurred shortly before 6 a.m., a case of attempted homicide.About the same time, a car belonging to a researcher parked at an on-campus home was also firebombed, destroying the vehicle.
The violence occurred four days after a customer at Caffe Pergolesi, a downtown Santa Cruz coffeehouse, found fliers listing the names, home addresses, home phone numbers and photos of 13 UC-Santa Cruz science researchers and professors. Police believe unidentified animal rights activists created the fliers, which were made to appear as "wanted posters." They warned "Animal abusers everywhere beware; we know where you live; we know where you work; we will never back down until you end your abuse."
These thugs are trying to intimidate with deadly force those with whom they disagree. They are as much terrorists as al Qaeda, and deserve to be hunted down and punished just as ruthlessly.
The researcher at the University of California Santa Cruz will no doubt bear the scars of this potentially deadly assault for the rest of his life, as will his family.
I await the loud condemnation of animal protection groups like PETA, and from the left wing community in Santa Cruz. But I am not holding my breath. | {
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France deportee rejects return offer
A Roma schoolgirl whose deportation from France sparked student protests will be allowed to return, but without her family, says French President Francois Hollande.
Leonarda Dibrani's deportation caused an outcry, sending angry school students into the streets and embroiling Interior Minister Manuel Valls in controversy.
Much of the anger surrounding the 15-year-old has focused on how she was forced off a bus full of classmates on a school outing earlier this month, before she was deported with her family to Kosovo.
"I will not go alone": Leonarda Dibrani with her sister Medina in Mitrovica, Kosovo. Photo: AFP
''If she makes a request, and if she wants to continue her studies, she will be given a welcome, but only her,'' Mr Hollande said on TV, in his first remarks on the affair.
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An investigation into the deportation published on Saturday found that it was lawful but that police could have used better judgment in the way they handled it.
Leonarda turned down Mr Hollande's offer, speaking from the town of Mitrovica in Kosovo, where she has been living with her family since being deported on October 9 from the eastern French town of Levier.
''I will not go alone to France,'' she said. ''I will not abandon my family. I'm not the only one who has to go to school; there are also my brothers and sisters.''
Her father, Resat, 47, said the family would not be divided and would return to France by any means.
''My children were integrated in France. We continue to fight, as my children are strangers here [Kosovo]'', he said.
Leonarda, her parents and five brothers and sisters lived in France for four years while their asylum bid was processed. It was rejected in the northern summer.
The controversy follows an outcry last month, when Mr Valls said most of the 20,000 Roma in France had no intention of integrating and should be sent back to their countries of origin. | {
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Coone feat. K19 – Times Gettin’ Hard (Original Mix)
As hardstyle continues to make in roads into the American dance music scene, Steve Aoki’s Dim Mak imprint has decided to put their iconic label behind the emerging sound. The first hardstyle release for Dim Mak, Coone’s “Times Gettin’ Hard” features K19 hip-hop infused vocals over top the double timed kicks of hardstyle’s signature sound. Squirrelly synthwork, heart stopping percussion and K19’s “It’s time to go hard!” mantra all work in tandem to create a strong first output for Dim Mak’s newfound interest in hardstyle’s US assimilation. | {
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